Category Archives: diet and exercise

Accountability – The Key to Success

One of the questions I get a lot of the time is, “Why am I not seeing success in ………..(fill in the blank). Whether it is a fitness goal, a strength goal, or even a weight loss goal. Most of the time I can narrow it down to one thing. That one thing is accountability.

Accountability is key. It doesn’t matter how many times a week you work out, how long you work out, your intent to eat clean, or even what quick fix diet you are on that promises the moon. If you are not accountable you are not going to see results. You have to take a good long look in the mirror and ask yourself if you are committed to the goal. Are you willing to do and sacrifice the things necessary to be successful.

This past week we lost 9 beautiful lives in a horrible helicopter crash. One of those was basketball superstar Kobe Bryant. This week in my Monday Motivation I posted one of his quotes that I heard over the week-end that I fell in love with. The quote should apply to anything we do that we see as worth while. Kobe Bryant said, “I was blessed with talent but I worked as if I didn’t.” The thing I got out of his quote was no matter what we are doing, whether it comes easy or not, we have to be willing to work hard at it and commit.

So what does being accountable look like? Well, to start with sit down and prepare. Know what you are going to do before you do it. Plan your workouts. Don’t just show up and figure it out as you go. Be deliberate. Monitor how hard you are working. If you don’t have a heart rate monitor get one and then figure out your specific heart rate zones. Then use it!!!!! Plan your meals. Plan those meals and your eating around your macros (Protein, Carbs, Fats). Then track the things you are eating. Write it down and be honest. If you are going out to eat decide ahead of time what you can and cannot have. Don’t wait until you get there it will be much easier to make a poor choice.

Another way to be more accountable is to know the things that sabotage your success. If it’s alcohol make the deliberate choice to not to have the glass of wine with dinner or the after dinner drink. Don’t open the dessert menu if that is your weakness. Watch what you keep at home in your pantry. Quit buying and keeping the things you have a hard time staying away from. Those small choices we make can be the difference between success and failure.

On a quick side note, if you think or know that your eating habits are tied to emotions or stress don’t be ashamed to seek help. There are many great counselors out there. One place to start might be your local church or if you are working with a personal trainer they may have resources they can give you. Your physician is a great source as well. Be deliberate about your health.

Finally, if you have a bad meal, a bad day, or bad week, etc. Don’t give up!!!! Keep at it. If you stick with it and make accountability a lifestyle you will be more likely to see success. Failure is really a word that should not be in our vocabulary because it takes many failures to see success. None of us are perfect AND THAT IS OK!!!! Keep working at being fit and healthy. It’s worth it.

Tips to Survive The Holidays!

As is usually the case with many people the holidays approach and the worry begins about the extra 5 pounds that might be gained. You are not alone in that thought. Even I, as a trainer and nutrition specialist, worry about the dreaded weight gain. Here are a few tips that I have found that help me to keep my weight and overall health in check as I navigate through the months of November and December.

#1. Make yourself accountable to someone. I always do a holiday “Maintain” challenge with my workout class. The goal is to be accountable to each other with the exercise and food choices we are making as well as what the scales are showing . If we stay within a pound of where we started we consider that a success and we celebrate with some type of reward. As we go through the holiday months we encourage and lift each other up. It makes for a great incentive to stay on track.

#2 . NEVER SKIP A WORKOUT!!!! Make sure to be deliberate about scheduling your workouts. Put them in your calendar and treat them as VERY important meetings. Not only will you feel better but you will, also, burn more of those extra calories you may take in.

#3. Write down what you are eating. This helps you keep track of what you are putting in your body. It ,also, will help you see when you are about to make a poor choice.

#4. Be deliberate. Don’t deprive yourself but plan. If you know you are going to be having a large meal then account for that during your day. If you know you are going to be drinking alcohol decide ahead of time how many you will have. This will help keep you from over-indulging.

#5. Finally DON’T STRESS! Take time to relax and reflect. Try not to let yourself get stressed. Take short walks. Do a Bible study. Meditate. Take a hot bubble bath. Watch a Hallmark movie!!!! Something to relax you. Make sure if you have lots of activities that you put them in a calendar and don’t wait until the last minute.

Hopefully these five things will help you think less about those 5 pounds and more about the magic and joy of the holiday season. Enjoy your family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!!!! (Some of us already have our decorations going up!!! Ha! Ha!))

March Into Health

The month of March is definitely known for March Madness and centers around college basketball.  At my house in the month of March you will usually find the entire family creating their own brackets in hopes of having the most wins and eventually be the one who picks the winner of the NCAA Tournament.  We all have our favorite team and none of us usually has the same Final Four.  While all the basketball is fun during the month of March it is, also, the month known as “March Into Health” month.  There are many health days celebrated in March.  All you have to do is google “national health days in March” and you will see a different one for almost every day.

  In the last few weeks there have been many things happen making me want to take a serious look at health issues and share that information.  The fast pace of life and instant gratification life we lead, I believe, are costing us our health.  Society has gone away from the home cooked meal to fast food, take-out, and processed food.  Even when a meal is home cooked it usually is only semi-homemade.  The cost?  Our health.  I have to be honest I am as guilty as anyone of leaning on their convenience.

  One concern of late is visceral fat. It is different from subcutaneous fat which is the fat just under the skin that none of us likes to see on ourselves. Visceral fat, on the other hand, is found around the internal organs such as the liver, stomach, gall bladder, spleen, etc. and can’t be seen. Visceral fat releases inflammatory substance called cytokines which can damage your organs leaving you at risk for many health issues.  Some of these include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart  disease, stroke, insulin sensitivity, diabetes, cancer, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, sleep apnea, and even Alzheimer’s Disease. 

  There is only one way to know for sure how much visceral fat you may have and that is to have a CT scan.  However, there are scales that can estimate your level and you can, also, use your waist circumference to estimate.  For women a waist circumference of 35 inches and for men 40 inches or more is a good indicator that you may have high amounts of visceral fat and are at a higher risk for the above health problems.

  The good news is that visceral fat disappears twice as fast as subcutaneous fat.  By changing you eating and exercise habits you can make big strides to improving your health.  Reducing stress and getting the proper amount of sleep can, also, help.

   Daily exercise is important to decrease body fat.  Exercise should be high intensity.  Interval training is a great way to increase the intensity in your exercise.  Strength training is important as well.  Strength training will increase resting metabolism.  A higher resting metabolism means you will burn more calories at rest and this will help with reducing fat. 

   As far as your diet goes you should be doing your best to eat as healthy as possible.  Know your numbers and by this I mean know your Basal Metabolism Rate (amount of calories your body burns in a day without activity) and know what macronutrient splits ( % of protein, fat, carbohydrate) you should be eating.  There are formulas out there to help with this or if you can’t figure it out you can always contact a nutrition specialist and they can help you.  Your diet should include plenty of protein and fiber rich foods and your fat and carbohydrate intake should be lower.  Be sure your diet is balanced and full of veggies and fruits.

  Finally, sleep and stress both can effect your levels of visceral fat.  You should be getting more than 5 hours of sleep and no more than 9 hours.  For stress try meditation and deep breathing exercises such as yoga.  Spend less time on your smart devices or in front of television. 

Making a few changes in your lifestyle can immediately start helping to reduce levels of visceral fat and get you headed towards a healthier you.  Make it a priority this month to March to Health!  Oh and don’t forget to do your bracket as the NCAA tournament is beginning.  It’s a fun way to enjoy the games.

Oh My Heart!

The month of February is a month that is spent celebrating love. There are images of hearts, cards with sweet sayings, roses, the colors pink & red, boxes of chocolates in heart shaped boxes, and I could go on and on. I love those things as any girl would, but for me it is, also, a month I reflect on Heart Disease and my Daddy.

Growing up my daddy always had a card and a box of chocolates in a heart shaped box for me and my sisters every Valentine’s Day. He would proudly give them to us every year in the morning before we left for school. I don’t remember ever not getting a heart shaped box of chocolate from him on this special day. I received one every year…….even well into adulthood.

You see Daddy, being born in 1926, grew up in the Depression in a single parent family. His father was killed in a farming accident when he was 8 years old leaving his mother with 4 children and one on the way. He was taught from a very young age how to love others by his own mother. She chose to keep the family together when others wanted to split them up. She taught him a love for family that to this day I try my best to to show mine.

Growing up during that time period was quite different than today. They didn’t have access to the information that we have today. They didn’t know about eating healthy or the dangers of smoking. During that time everyone ate lots of fried foods and smoking was looked at as cool or glamorous and was a part of normal every day life. My dad smoked his first cigarette at a very young age and it continued until just a few years before he died.

My dad passed away Easter Sunday in 2004. If he were alive today he’d be 92 years old. Because he smoked he had his first open heart surgery when I was in grade school. I still remember it to this day. Over the course of his life he had a second open heart surgery (this time a quadruple by-pass), a heart cath where they placed a stint in his artery, lung cancer (removed half of one lung), and then 3 years later he died of a second type of lung can. I still miss him very much and that is why this subject is so dear to my heart.

Based on a study by the American Heart Association, Cardiovascular disease accounts for about 1 in every 3 deaths in the United States. About 2300 Americans die each day from Cardiovascular disease, which is about 1 every 38 seconds. 92.1 million adults in America live with some form of cardiovascular disease. Leading the way is Coronary Heart Disease which accounts for about 44% of those attributed to Coronary Heart Disease.

The sad part about these statistics is that this is a preventable disease. Yes, some are more prone to it than others due to hereditary factors, but at the same time just by adjusting your life style you can help to prevent heart disease. The following are things you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease.

First of all DO NOT SMOKE!!!!!! I truly believe had my daddy not smoked he’d still be here today at 92 years of age going strong. Smoking is one of the top 3 leading risk factors and contributes to more than 480,000 deaths in America each year…….41,000 of those due to second hand smoke.

The second risk factor is physical inactivity. We live in a world of sedentary individuals and my fear is the next generation will suffer even more due to the obsession with video games and activities which require not activity. Based on the research done by the American Heart Association in students grades 9-12 only 27% got the recommended amount of exercise being 60 minutes per day. Also, according to that study girls got less exercise than boys. So…….get up and EXERCISE!!!!! Be active and find something you enjoy doing.

Another risk factor is nutrtition. Being the mother of 4 active boys I understand this. It is so much easier to run through the drive-thru than take the time to pack a more nutritious lunch or dinner. Being on the go there are not a lot of healthy “take-out” options out there. The other problem is processed food. Yes, just like take-out, it is much easier but the affects on our heath far out-weigh the benefits. In moderation these things are not a bad option……..but as a replacement for whole foods……well lets just say there is no comparison. If you look at a label and can’t pronounce it……..it’s probably not good for you.

Other risk factors include obesity, high-cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure. If you suffer from any of these things your risk for heart disease increases. If you have a family history you should be checked regularly for these things by your physician. Also, during a pregnancy, if you have had gestational diabetes you are at a higher risk for developing Type II Diabetes and should have your blood sugar levels check periodically…….even if you appear to be in good shape.

Taking care of ourselves by not smoking, eating right, exercising, and having regular check-ups can reduce the risk of heart disease tremendously. We owe it to the loves of our lives………our family. This Valentine’s Day one of the best gift you can give those you love is to take care of your heart and to be healthy for them for a long time to come. Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day and give those you love a HUGE hug.

(All statistics from “Heart disease and stroke statistics 2018 update: a report from the American Heart Association,” published online ahead of print January 31, 2018. DOI: 10.1161/CIR.000000000000058.)

American Heart Month

What are you doing this month to show your support for a healthy heart? Will you be wearing red? Will you be taking your significant other on a Valentine’s Day date that includes doing something active? Are you getting a heart screening? Let me hear from you.

Why Is Fitness Important In Menopause

Recently I was asked by a client if it was possible to build muscle in menopause. This lead me to do a little more research…….especially since I am approaching that stage in life as well and more and more of my clients are facing this. My initial thought was, “yes,” but it does become more difficult.

During menopause your body goes through so many changes. As we age we start losing muscle and we tend to gain fat around our middle. This begins around the age of 30……well before menopause begins for most. So, it is important that we be conscious of a healthy lifestyle long before menopause begins. However, too many of us don’t and then menopause hits and we wonder what happened.

Once perimenopause and menopause begin our body undergoes natural hormonal changes. These changes lead to muscle loss, bone loss, and a slowed metabolism. The muscle loss and slowed metabolism are the main things that contribute to the weight gain. I will make a side note here. If you notice that your lifestyle has not changed and you have put on a serious amount of weight I would advise you to check with your doctor. There could be some other serious issues causing the gain.

While this may sound odd my next bit of advice would be to embrace the change your body is going through. It is the natural cycle of life that God created……therefore it can’t be all that bad, right?  Aging is difficult, and Lord knows I would love to be in my 20’s again……especially knowing what I know now.  Also, if you are stressing about this next stage of life, this can contribute to weight gain and muscle loss as well because your body produces Cortisol when you are under stress.  So do your best to embrace this part of your life……inconveniences and all.  Each day God gives you is a gift to enjoy.

If this is a natural part of life,then its normal to question, “Then why bother doing anything about it?”  First of all you want to be able to enjoy life and to be as healthy as possible for those you love and care about. Not to mention the older and more experience you have the more fun things you can do.  You want to be healthy enough and have the energy you need to do those things.  If you exercise and have a healthy eating lifestyle the benefits during menopause are tremendous. It will help to prevent weight gain, reduce the risk of cancer, make your bones stronger, reduce the risk of other diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, and it will boost your mood, make you feel better, reduce stress, and give you more energy.

Before starting any training program you should check with your doctor and/or have a complete physical.  Then the question becomes how does one go about building muscle during menopause if it is more difficult and muscle mass is decreasing. Strength training 2-3 days a week and having a healthy diet is one of the best ways to do that. It is key to building muscle. Strength training involves resistance through either weights, kettle bells, resistance bands, etc.  Also, to build muscle your body must have protein. Many people as they get older tend to cut their protein intake but you can not build muscle without it.  Good sources of protein are dairy, poultry, beef, fish, and eggs. You can, also, get protein through beans, yogurt (watch added sugar here and make sure it is the greek yogurt), and whey protein.

Other things you can do to help build muscle are to reduce your calorie intake. It is a good idea to find out what your Basal Metabolism Rate (BMR) is. Your BMR is the amount of calories your body burns daily before added exercise. Limit your cardio to a couple of times a week. This is sufficient to train your heart but not so much you will burn the muscle you are trying to build. Reduce sugar, alcohol, and don’t smoke!!!! Some supplements that aid in building muscle are D3 and Omega 3s. Finally, add some flexability, stability, and balance exercise to your workouts.  Yoga is a great way to add all 3 at once.

Finally, you need to find ways to stay motivated. Why? It will keep you going when you get tired and want to quit. One of the best ways to stay motivated is to find a group to workout with…..people you are accountable to and who care about you. Sharing life and the interest of getting healthier together makes it more fun. Let’s face it not everyone is like me and is a fanatic about working out (and I still have days I don’t want to).  God made us for relationships and I have found those relationships and doing life with those special people make whatever I’m doing or going through that much easier.

Why I Can’t Seem to Lose Weight

So much of the time I hear statements like “As hard as I try I just can’t seem to drop any weight,” or “I try to eat right and I exercise but I can’t lose weight,” or something very similar to that.  That’s when I want to sit down and have a REAL conversation with them.  I have (even as a trainer & nutrition specialist) said those words myself.  That’s when honesty with myself comes into play and it must with you as well.

The first thing you need to look at is your actual eating habits.  Do you keep track of what you actually eat, how much, and what the macros are?  Do you tend to eat more because you have worked out?  Do you drink alcohol?  If you don’t keep track of what you eat I strongly suggest you do.  Take a couple of days and actually write it down…….both what you eat and what you drink.  Yes it can be a pain but the information you will get will be quite useful.  BE HONEST!  If you eat a Fun Size Snickers write it down……you will be surprised by the calories in one of those little boogers.  The next thing I highly recommend is that you find out your Basal Metabolism Rate which will tell you about how many calories you burn in a day based on your activity, age, weight, etc.  This can really be an eye opener for you.  Once you know your BMR it can be very easy to track your calories in a day especially with the technology out there.  My favorite app for tracking my daily food intake is “My Fitness Pal”.  It is very inclusive……even many restaurants have the food on their menu on this app.   Take the time to track your food but realize not tracking our food consumptions is not the only problem we may have.

Is it possible when you work out you are not working as hard as you think?  It is very easy to think we are working out a lot harder than we actually are.  Are you getting your heart rate up to burn those extra calories and are you lifting the weight you should to get the muscle you desire?  The best way to track this is to use a heart rate monitor.  There are many different brands out there from Fitbit, Apple, and Polar.  My personal favorite is Polar.  There are different ones for different activities.  My 2 favs are the Polar 600 or the Polar 800.  I have both.  A heart rate monitor will tell you how active you are being as well ad how hard you are working.  I hardly go any where without mine.  Here are links for Amazon to purchase either of these 2 monitors.  It is well worth the investment.

A couple of other hints I would give is know what your macros should be……protein, carbs, and fat intake.  Based on the results you want you should eat certain percentages of each of those.  A trainer/nutrition specialist can help you with this or if that is not in your budget you can do the research on your own.  The information is out there.  Another thing is to stay away from the processed foods if you can.  Know portion size….understand just because you order it doesn’t mean you have to eat it all.

Finally, if you have done all of these things and still no results (if you are being totally honest) I would suggest a trip to your primary care physician for some blood work.  Hormones can sometimes be the culprit for gaining weight or not seeing progress. A simple blood work-up can quickly answer that question.

I hope this information has been helpful for you.  Trying to lose weight can be a very trying and discouraging experience.  Understand its ok to not be perfect and that who you are is more important than what you look like.  Take getting healthier one day at a time and even sometimes one moment at a time.  Be honest with yourself.  My final suggestion would be to find someone or a group you can be accountable to.  Don’t be afraid to tell them what your goals are and don’t hold it against them when they actually hold you accountable.  You are on the right track just by being aware of what your body is going through.  You are amazing!!!!  Keep fighting the good fight to be healthier and happier for those you love and care about.

New Year New You-I’m Not On A Diet I Have A Diet

So in the last coupe of weeks we have touched a little on the mind and the soul which is where you have to start on any health and fitness journey. Today, I want to start addressing issues pertaining to the body and the choices we make that affect it. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 the Bible says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with you bodies.” God paid the ultimate price for me……..He gave his Son. When I think in regards to my own children I am quite humbled. I know I could not give up one of my children as He did.

So with that in mind, where do we begin? For me it’s not the exercise part (which we will get to next week). It is the diet. I heard something just the other day and please forgive me because I can’t remember who said it or if I read it some place but…….you can’t exercise enough to burn off ALL the calories you put into your mouth. So I think the place to start is nutrition.

First let me say…….I HATE THE WORD DIET!!!!!!! I especially don’t like to hear people say that they are “on” a diet. Diets don’t work plain and simple. Oh sure, you may lose a few pounds, maybe even a lot, but as soon as you resume your normal lifestyle the weight comes back on with a vengeance. This is why your weight goes up and down like a yo-yo. There are so many unrealistic diets that you and your body cannot maintain for very long. Examples being no fat, no carbs, paleo, cleanses, and I could go on and on. They are unrealistic and most unhealthy for sustained periods of time. Let me, also, make a point here…….while cleanses can be good for your body they are NOT a way to lose weight. They are a way to get some of the bad stuff out of your body but not a way to lose weight. So, if someone promotes a cleanse as a way to lose weight please be wary. I’m all for a good cleanse to prepare your body for a healthy lifestyle or after a vacation/holiday where you’ve eaten a lot of crap but not as a means to lose weight.

Your nutrition/diet should be your lifestyle. A way of life. Something you do 99% of the time. Your body can’t do no carb and no fat. It has to have those things to function. You just have to choose healthy fats and good carbohydrates. I could go into all kinds of formulas and lists of things you need to do and buy but I don’t want to overwhelm you. I would suggest when you are ready that you get with someone who can teach you these things. If you have questions please feel free to message me on my website. There are plenty of professionals that can help you with an eating plan and start showing you the way to healthier lifestyle.

What I would tell you the best way to begin is to start small. Make small changes in you lifestyle one at a time. If you have had an unhealthy life style making to many changes at one time will overwhelm you. I’ve seen it over and over again. You will just give up and go back to your old ways. Some of the things you could do is start by eliminating processed foods or most sugar. If you drink soda, both diet and regular, maybe you eliminate that. If you drink lots of soda you may want to cut down to one a day and go from there. If you have a glass of wine or cocktail every night try limiting it to the week-end. As you make and get use to one change then make another change. When you feel ready then add bigger changes. I want to give you a word of encouragement here. Please remember your weight did not come on over night. You put it on over time. It will not come off, and stay off, over night. Give yourself some time and most of all grace to do this the right way. God’s grace doesn’t mean we never mess up it just means he still loves us and forgives us when we do things that are wrong. Be sure you are giving yourself grace on your journey to a healthy lifestyle as well.

A few final suggestions I would give you. Be aware of portion control. It is possible to eat too much healthy food and gain weight. When you go out to eat, if you do not have he will power to not clean your plate, ask the waiter to bring a “to-go” box when he brings your meal and immediately put half your food in the “to-go” box. Restaurants are notorious for giving you more food than you need. Things to keep in mind on portion control is your meat/protein source should be about the size of your fist, 1/2 of your carbs/fruits, and 1 cup of veggies. It is fun to see actually how much each one of these are. I had a client one time tell me she really stuffed her mac-n-cheese in the 1/2 cup container I gave her. We had a great laugh over it.

Finally, drink water!!!!! Many times we think we are hungry when we are really thirsty. Our body cannot function properly with out being hydrated. Much of our body is made up of water and all our organs must have it to function. Being hydrated protects you from injury as well. There is a reason coaches tell their players to stay hydrated…..it helps protect against concussions, muscle injuries and prevents cramping. A good rule of thumb is half your body weight in ounces. If you sweat a lot during exercise or outside activity you need even more.

As I close to day I want to say two words…….NO DEPRIVATION!!!!!! Reward yourself with a cheat occasionally. Enjoy the holidays or that long over-due vacation. If you have a healthy lifestyle you can do these things. Since it is your lifestyle, when you get home from the trip or the holiday is over you can go right back to your normal way of life because you’ve made it a healthy one. If you can enjoy your lifestyle, you will stay on it. Enjoy the process. It can be a wonderful experience.

Strong Is The New Skinny

Strong is the New Skinny

Summer is here and there never was a better time to get fit. Work on building muscle and getting stronger not just getting skinny. The more muscle you have the more fat you burn. And girls……..building muscle WILL NOT make you look like a man.

LOOK WHAT’S HERE!!!!!

I can’t wait for mine to get here!!!!  Get them before they run out.

Just go to my webpage Faithfitnessbytracey.com and click on Products & Supplements and then click on Advocare to order!!!