What P!nk can teach us about fitness

One of  my favorite artists is P!nk .  I love how she actually sings, dances & puts on a show.  She really works hard on stage.  So you can imagine she is in wonderful shape.  I mean who can forget her 2010 grammy performance singing upside down in a swing.  She is a true performer.  Well she has been on the cover of numerous Women's Health & Shape magazines throughout the year.  What can we learn from P!nk to help us with our own fitness journeys?  Read on below to discover what we can learn from this amazing artist.

1. She is not afraid to sweat:  P!nk is a hard worker she does what she needs to do to get a heavy, hard workout in.  She isn't one to lift the light weights and expect big changes.  When she was pregnant shedding her 55 pound weight gain she was training with heavy weights, medicine balls and interval training.
2. Add a little Pilates to your life: She balanced her heavy lifting routine with pilates.  Now for P!nk pilates maybe more needed in terms of her performances.  She has clean lines when performing and wonderful body control which are notably present in pilates.
3. She works her core: P!nk throughout the years has been known for her hardcore abs.  After giving birth her trainer has stated she trains her abs 7 days a week.  Now when training 7 days a week  you will want to lift light weights.  (Also what P!nk does) she combines pilates, bands, rings, & balls for her ab routine.  If you do lift heavy for abs I would recommend taking rest days in between lifting days for your abs.  They are like other muscle groups & do need a rest in between lifting days.
4. Don't expect a quick fix: P!nk's workout takes 60-90 minutes, 5 days a week.  Fitting that workout into your day is required medicine for everyone.  Make that time for yourself it will help you feel better, stay in shape later in life, & give you that body confidence most people need.
5. Watch what you eat: To me fitness encompasses not just your workout but your nutrition & motivation as well.  P!nk eats very clean healthy meals.  She enjoys lots of veggies, & other "superfoods".  She also enjoys protein but she is a vegetarian so her protein does not come in the meat form.  You have to decide for yourself which type of protein you enjoy.  Lean protein helps build that coveted lean muscle which helps you burn more fat at rest.

In honor of P!nk below is a great core & booty workout to help you start your P!nk fitness regimen.

As always check out SaFire Training for more fitness tips & inspiration!

In good health,

Andrea

Banging Body Part 2

Last week we went over setting goals for the 1st-4th quarter of the upcoming year.  In case you missed it you can read part 1 here.  If your ready to move on to part 2 for your banging body read on!  To help you reach your goals you need to start your fitness journey.  Make sure you have developed a plan or hire a trainer to help you with your plan.  Below is my own workout calendar for the month of January.  I typically do this for my own clients and decided that I should start doing this for my own workouts.

I understand things come up and you might need to switch your Saturday workout to Thursday during the last week of the month and typically that is okay.  Your next step after having your workout mapped out for the month is to put your workouts into your schedule.  You want to make sure these are appointments that cannot be broken.  They are non-negotiable if you want to go to a last minute happy hour but haven't got your workout in for the day you will have to skip happy hour.  It can be tough at first but you need to put your health first and realize there will always be happy hours in the future.  Notice to really get that banging body it is not just about saying it you have to do the work to achieve those goals.

After having your workouts into place the next step is to look at your nutrition.  Make sure you have planned ahead, if you fail to plan you plan to fail.  I'm sure everyone has heard that quote but it is so true!  People get busy, mid-week your home you forgot to plan ahead and now are at a drive-thru or eating every junk food you have in your cupboards.   I tell my  clients to plan on their day off usually everyone has a day off or even an hour off at some point in their week.  Resist the urge to just sit in front of the tv and zone out plan ahead instead.  You don't have to overwhelm yourself by planning your entire week in that one day though that is great if you can.  Plan what 2-3 meals you will cook & either freeze or eat the leftovers during the week.  This is one great way to keep up on your fitness goals.

So now that you have your goals set & a plan in place next week will be part 3 of having a banging body.  Hint, we will be discussing motivation & how you actually can reach those goals.

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Tips for losing the last 10 pounds

As we are on the brink of Christmas Eve I thought I would reflect back on the year that was.  Plus next week I have week 1 of Banging Body a 4 part series.  So I looked through my old posts this year and picked out my 4 most visited blog posts and one of my personal favorites.  So below I present to you the top 5 fitness posts of 2013.

 Top 5 Fitness Posts of 2013

1: How I lost 40lbs & kept it off

 

2: Healthy Peoples, Healthy Habits

3: Tight toned legs

4: How to uncover those abs

5: Five Tips from Downton Abbey

Thanks so much for everyone who enjoys SaFire Training and the content we put out.  It is our goal going into the New Year to bring you more video workouts, motivational content & nutritional information.  That is my focus in the next year with SaFire Training to really hone in on the 3 aspects of fitness that I see are key for people: fitness, nutrition, & motivation.  Have a wonderful holiday season to you and your families.

In good health,

Andrea

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Tips for losing the last 10 pounds

Healthy Snack Ideas

We all have been there we look in our cupboard and you can't find anything to much on.  So you break out your ice cream, chips and whatever else you can get your hands on.  With a little advanced planning and prep work you can find yourself a healthy snack to help curb those cravings.  Below are great snack ideas I personally use as well as my clients to help keep those cravings at bay.

Morning Snacks

1 Kiwi

1 Orange

15 grapes

1 small pear

1 cup cubed cantaloupe

3 dried figs

12 cherries

2 small plums

1 cup cubed watermelon

4 dried apricots

1 medium peach

1/2 cup mango

1 medium apple

2 tbsp. dried fruit

3/4 cup grapefruit sections

1/2 cup dried fruit and 12 almonds

1 cup frozen berries

Afternoon Snacks

1 oz string cheese, 2 small tangerines and 6 whole grain crackers

1 oz low fat cheese, 4 wasa crackers, 1 cup sliced bell peppers and zucchini

1 granny smith apple,6 oz yogurt w/2 tbsp raisins

1/2 cup cottage cheese mixed w/ 2 tbsp chopped walnuts, 1 plum

4 rye crackers, 2 tbsp low-fat cheese spread, 1 med. orange

6 oz low-fat yogurt, 6 almonds, 4 dried apricots

2 oz turkey, 1 oz low fat cheese, 1 slice whole wheat brea, 1 plum

1 scoop why protein mixed w/water and 1 large bananas 

High-protein energy bar

8oz skim milk, 1 oz turkey, 1 slice bread

15 baby carrots w/3 tbsp hummus

2 kashi crunchy granola bars

1/2 cup fiber one cereal w/3/4 cup low-fat milk and 1/2 cup blueberries

1 apple w/ 2 tbsp peanut butter

2 hard-boiled eggs, 6 whole wheat triscuit crackers

As always if you want more information check out www.safiretraining.com 

Heart Healthy February Challenge

Since February is a heart healthy month SaFire Training is doing something special for you!  We are posting daily challenges on our facebook page to try everyday.  Each challenge is geared to help you either physically, emotionally or spiritually.  Most of the challenges are pretty simple and will bring a smile to your day.  Hint, hint smiling is a challenge for one of the days in February.  So if you want to give yourself a jump start on your health or to give yourself a boost throughout your day this challenge is for you! Like us today, so you won't miss a day in February!  www.facebook.com/safiretraining

What can we learn from professional athletes?

What can we takeaway from professional athletes in terms of fitness? Most people see professional athletes of any sport and we see fit.  Now there are always a few exceptions, but to play at the level they are playing at night in and night out they are in pretty good shape.  They eat healthy, travel a lot and get lots of fitness in an average week.  What can we do to model their behavior?  Only modeling their fitness behavior not their social behavior.

1. Intervals- Athletes are on the court running full speed for a short period of time than resting for a period of time. So add some intervals into your workout this week.  Sprint or run as fast as you can for 30 seconds-1 minute than rest/walk for 30 seconds to 1 minute and repeat for a 30 minute workout!

2. Watch what you eat-  To athletes nutrition is key.  What you eat 2 days before a competition is what affects your body.  So think about what it is doing to you if you don't eat well and than try to work out all week long.  After a workout do you binge yourself with junk food?  How does that affect you when your doing a hard workout?

3. Lift weights- To be the best athlete in any sport the athletes lift weights.  They lift to be stronger, faster and a bonus is the defined and tone muscles you see.  If you don't know where to start ask a trainer for help or check out SaFire Training website for free workout videos.

4. Rest Days-  Yes even professional athletes need a day of rest.  Whether they go to a light yoga class, or take a complete day off varies.  But you need a rest day as well.  That is your bodies best chance of toning those muscles and gaining strength.  Plus it will keep you from burning out.

Why you need fat in your diet

Fat is not the enemy anymore.  Well when it comes to nutrition.  Fat from healthy foods are actually good for you!  The fats you want and should avoid are saturated fats and trans fats make sure you read the labels so you know if your foods contain those 2 fats.  Well what fats do I eat you ask?  Well you want to consume monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats.  

So what foods contain those healthy fats:

1. Salmon
2. Nuts: Almonds, pecans, cashews, walnuts 
3. Olive Oil
4. Sunflower oil
5. Peanut oil
6. Avocados 
7. Peanut butter
8. ToFu
9. Tuna Fish
10. Soymilk 

 Those are just a few of the foods that contain the healthy fat you need to make your body work.  Most people need to consume around 20-30% of their diet should be coming from fat.  So fat is a good thing as long as you are eating the healthy version and avoiding the baked treats, and heavily processed foods.  For more information check out SaFire Training.

Tips to avoid the buffet

The rows and rows of food on the tables doesn't it look absolutely divine! Well only if your looking to add inches to your waist. So what are some tricks at the buffet to avoid those unwanted pounds.  Below are some tips for how to steer clear to avoid the extra padding around your middle.

1. Remember most of the food has been sitting out all day long.  Some food maybe cold when it should only be eaten warm.  Avoid getting food poisoning and steer clear of the luke warm food.

2. Sometimes people don't use tongs so watch the people in front of you.  Now you won't be able to see people who went through the line long hours before you just play it safe and look for the freshly put out food.

3. Have a plan before you go to the buffet.  Know how many calories you are willing to eat and stick to that plan.

4.  Take a quick glimpse over all the food before putting food on your plate.  That way you will know exactly what you want to save room for.

5. Add protein to your plate and veggie based foods to fill you up with some good food.

6. Skip the dessert line or if you can't resist split a dessert with a friend and save on the calories.

7. Don't go back for seconds once your plate is full even though it is a buffet skip the extra go through that is where you can really pile on those calories.

8. Only one round of beverages.  What ever you drank hopefully water or milk, though if not skip the re-fills if you drank a pop only allow yourself that first drink.

Hopefully those tips will help save you from those unwanted pounds.  So if you can't avoid the buffet at least have that game plan going into the trip to the buffet.

Holiday Parties are here, how to prevent that weight gain!

Now that the holiday parties are about to begin how do you prevent that holiday weight gain?  Well there are many basic tips that one can follow.  I will share some of my top tips below. 

1. Eat before you go to the holiday party- If you go to a party hungry you will consume more food, more drinks than you intended to.  So eat dinner before you go and the food might not look as appetizing as it would if you were starving. 
2. Stick to 1 glass of alcoholic beverages of your choice- After one consumes to many alcoholic drinks you tend to want more to drink and eat.  So sticking to one and sipping on it all night is a better choice. 
3. If you do drink more than 1 drink- If you do go beyond your 1 drink max. make sure you drink water before you have your next drink to stay hydrated. 
4. Have a set time you want to leave the party at- If you and whomever you came with to the party both know what time you plan on leaving stick to that.  That way you know you will be getting a good nights rest.
5. Indulge in smaller treats- Most people have trouble not eating anything at a party, myself included.  Stick to the smaller treats such as a smaller christmas cookie, mini candy cane, and bite sized treats.  Just stick to 1-2 or you may end up getting more calories than you bargained for.
6. Get your workout in the day of and morning after- Make sure you get a good workout in the day of the event and the next morning to keep yourself motivated during this stressful time.
7. Take your workouts outside- Try a free local ice skating park, skiing, or snowboarding for the day. 
8. De-stress a bit and get into yoga- Yoga will help keep you centered and calm your mind and body down.  

Above are great tips to help keep you motivated and help you beat the holiday bulge. If you want more information check out www.safiretraining.com for more information. 

How to know if you need a new support network

Are you trying to achieve your fitness goals and not going anywhere?  Have you taken a look at who you are surrounding yourself with?  Sometimes to break through those plateaus you need to surround yourself with people who can help push you to the next levels.  Below are some tips if you need to ditch your old support group and some tips for finding a new group.

Signs you need a new support group

• Your support group guilt trips you to attending happy hour with them each week
• Your co-workers are always negative and tell you all their drama causing you to miss your lunch workout.
• They encourage you to skip the gym and discourage you from getting a trainer
• They always want to go to an un-healthy restaurants and encourage you to get the worst meal.

A lot of times these "friends" like you the way you are and are afraid for you to change and leave them in the dust.  So tell them you will still be the same person you are just making healthier choices for yourself and would appreciate a little support.  If they can't do that look for a new support group by following the tips below.

Finding a new support network

• Join a local gym class 
• Find a new friend at your local gym
• Find a "friend" from facebook who likes to workout and ask if you can join them
• Go to meetup.com and check out the local fitness classes
• Buy a groupon and go to a speciality class such as yoga, barre fitness to find a new workout buddy

So take a look at your network surrounding you are they pushing you to be a better person or are they de-railing your goals?  Only you can truly answer that. 

What should a youth athlete eat?

Benefits of whole grains:
-They're high in fiber, helping us maintain a healthy GI tract
-They're slow to digest, helping us maintain energy levels
-They're loaded with vitamins and minerals, improving our nutrient density
-They're satisfying, helping us control appetite

Food for thought:   If there's a cartoon on the box or package, leave it on the shelf!

*The recommended dietary allowances suggests an intake of 2200-2500 calories for 11-14 year old females and males. 
-The numbers will fluctuate pending activity level

The importance of fiber
-Fiber helps sustain energy over a longer period of time, slows the digestion of food.  It helps lower the risks of heart disease, obesity, certain cancers and diabetes. 

Kids are picky eaters=
1. Make it fun for them- cut up fruits and vegetables in the shape of fun things, tell them about eating the colors of the rainbow.
2. Research suggests it takes about 12-15 times of introducing a new food before a child may truly like or dislike it. Don't stop after 1 attempt.

Protein
1. Protein is crucial for recovery and repair
2. Protein should come from a variety of sources
3. Additional protein can and should be consumed through whole foods. 

Fats
If it's solid at room temperature, ditch it- instead opt for olive, canola, and flax oils, along with raw nuts, avocados, and fish. 
Trans Fats
-Ditch partially and fully hydrogenated oils it is still trans fats even if the label says 0 grams of trans fat.

Benefits of Breakfast
1. Improved cognitive performance
2. Higher test scores
3. Decreased body weight
4. Increased iron intake
5. Increased calcium intake
6. Increased folic acid intake

Breakfast ideas
1. Rolled Oats
2. Cheerios
3. Raisin Bran
4. Bran Flakes
5. Most Kashi Brand cereals
6. Oat Bran
7. Wheatenna
8. Shredded wheat
9. Eggs w/some mixed veggies
10. Yogurt with fruit
11. Fruit and natural peanut butter
12. Raw nuts and dried fruit
**This is not a comprehensive list just simple ideas

**Children should not be forced to eat or clean their plates. Or saying you can't eat dessert unless you clean your plate does not teach the child to listen to when they are actually full and encourages the child to please others and ignore natural hunger cues

Simple Nutrition Tips
1. Encourage higher quality foods
2. Eat Breakfast daily
3. Eat calories, don't drink them
4. Decrease trans fat foods and the intake of high sugar, high fat drinks, snacks, and foods in a general way to improve the quality of the diet, without limiting growth and development.

Food for thought
*Research suggests when children are allowed to be part of the decision making process, they will be more likely to follow through with the outcome because they play a role.  When talking with kids, have them speak up and figure out different solutions together. 

Mineral Needs
1. Calcium- Bone mass
2. Iron- Essential for blood cell formation 
3. Zinc-Hormone production 

Vitamins Under consumed
1. Vitamin A
2. Vitamin C
3. Vitamin B6

How Fluid Losses can negatively impact Performance
1. Increase heart rate
2. Decrease in cardiac output
3. Decrease muscular endurance
4. Increase core body temperature
5. Muscle cramping from electrolyte loss (Sodium and potassium)
6. Decreased Balance
7. Reduced strength and power
8. Heat Exhaustion 
9. Heat Stroke

Primary Fluid
Primary fluid should be water closely followed by skim milk

Halloween Tips Part 2: What can you give to your kids?

Well if you are trying to serve healthy candy options there are a few better options.  Dark chocolate is a better option over milk chocolate though most kids will find it to bitter to eat.  Peanut M&M's are a better option due to the peanuts in them.  Reeses are an okay option due to the peanut butter and snickers are another okay choice due to the peanuts.  There is also a new healthy chocolate option entitled un candy.  It is suppose to have less preservatives and more natural flavors. 

Here is a quick workout for you to do if you consume to many mini-candy bars from your kids.  Below is a mini circuit:  Do the below circuit 10 minutes perform each exercise for 30 seconds and repeat for 10 minutes total.  (20 minutes if you really indulged) 

1. Squats to a push-up

2. Dips with a reach to toe

3. Up/Down Planks

4. 6 high knees to 6 lunges

5. Burpees w/jump at the top 

**This circuit will burn between 100-250 calories pending intensity calorie burn based on a 140lb woman. 

Halloween: Tips for not gorging on all that sugar

I just read Halloween is the 2nd biggest holiday in the U.S kind of crazy.  Well with Halloween comes the candy with the candy comes adults nibbling on their kids treats and kids overeating all the candy how can we stop the monster madness!!

So how can people stop from gorging over all the candy?
1.  The parents can take all of the kids Halloween candy and hide it from the kids and give them 1-3 small pieces a day pending on the age and activity level of the kids.  My parents used to do this to us and we never complained and usually never finished all our candy because we got sick of eating it daily.  This is what you want from kids so they do not become dependent on the sugar.

Now the 2nd part how can the parents or adults not gorge in the candy?  This is going to require some will power.  Think about what you are eating how do you feel after you eat it?  Did it satisfy your craving or just encourage you to eat more?  The hard part is you have to be truly honest with yourself and know what you are feeling.

What does all that sugar do to your body?

There are numerous studies out now looking at what sugar does to the body.  Many have proven that sugar is more addictive than drugs.  So many kids who are used to eating candy everyday will become addicted and want it more as adults.  So my challenge to you can you go for a week without sugar?  Monitor your sugar intake and notice how you feel that week without it.  Do you suffer withdrawal symptoms, crave more sugar?  Take notes in a journal after you make it through that week or two try not to look back as soon as you have sugar again the cravings will come right back.  The longer you can resist the better for your body. 

Part 2 coming later this week- What are healthy alternatives to give to your kids?  What are the "healthiest" candies? What are quick exercises you can do after eating your 13th mini snickers bar?

Working to fight childhood obesity

I recently was listening to Michelle Obama speak and it reminded me about the childhood obesity epidemic going on in this country.   I have not worked as a teacher this last school year but have talked to friends who are teachers.  They are sharing with me the dilemma that is going on in the classroom with students who are overweight.

1. They are getting bullied.
2. They have no energy.
3. They lack self esteem
4. Lack of friends
5. Don't like to participate in gym class

This is not entirely their fault their parents have not educated them to make correct choices.  Now I understand sometimes the parents lack the education themselves.  I have discussed with parents do you know what to feed your kids?  A lot of times they don't know and say there is too much information out there and get overwhelmed.  I understand the confusion and I think it is the job of fitness professionals in the community who have the knowledge to step up and educate society.  So I am asking anyone in the Twin Cities if you want to partake in a movement and want to help let me know.  I am organizing a group who will donate time to help educate families and schools on the proper nutrition and activity needed for growing kids.  Message me below or shoot me an email at safiretraining@gmail.com.

 Thanks and here is to a new movement in MN!

My weight loss secret!

I have discovered my new favorite way to tone up belly fat and it is not from doing crunches at the gym, Isagenix.  Isagenix is a meal replacement system that gives your body the nutrients you need and the energy you want all while toning up the body, essentially.

  I will tell you where I started out on my fitness journey.  A little over 3 years ago I weighed 200 pounds, I'm 5'10'' by the way.  I would have definitely considered myself "active."  Well I was wrong on so many levels.  I went out to much, made awful food choices when I would stay out to late and boy did it show.  I than decided I needed to change when my boyfriend and I were lying in a hammock together it tipped more towards my direction.  I realized I weighed more than him!! No woman ever wants that!  So I started working out and stopped going out as much and you know what it worked.  I shed 30 pounds and was feeling great.  Now comes the next half of my journey.

I hit a plateau and man I was stuck.  I couldn't get out of the 165/170 range.  I ate well, worked out 5 days a week and nothing was working.  I than went to a nutrition event at my gym.  At the time I thought well if this product can work for a fitness model and take the last 10 pounds off her and she is tiny it just might work for me.  I talked with Lori Harder and she told me she was just like me skeptical of supplements and does it "really" work?  So I waited another 6 months and my weight was staying the same nothing was happening.  At this point I thought I need to make a change.  I than saw a posting from Jenn N. on facebook about Isagenix, now was the time for me!  

My first week of taking Isagenix I lost 4 pounds and 11 inches in a week!  I couldn't lose that in 6 months and I just did it in a week!  I than continued to use it for the next 30 days and felt amazing.  I had more energy than I have ever had and continued to lose weight without even trying at this point.  I stopped taking it for a couple of days just to see how I felt and to see if I noticed a difference.  I kid you not I did notice a difference I was tired coming home from school again no energy to work out and felt bloated again.  

So now I 'm hooked on these amazing products.  I drink 1-2 shakes a day, one as breakfast another as a snack or dinner.  My abs have never looked this good and my energy is through the roof!  My weight is at an all time low of 152lbs!  In high school I was a muscular 165.  The confidence this product has given me is wonderful and I just wanted to share it with everyone.  So if your reading this and think not yet now is not my time.  Maybe revisit your fitness goals in 6 months like I did, have you made progress?  Do you have the body you wanted?  If not I invite you to give Isagenix a shot, you never know it just may change your life. 

Log Your Food!!

I will share with you my personal story on logging food.  I kept a food journal by hand for 1 year and ended up losing 30 pounds.  I had so much more accountability when logging my food than when just eating a handful of crackers here and there.  You will be shocked at how many calories you are truly eating in a day or maybe not eating.  If your not eating enough calories your not doing yourself a favor either.  You need at least 1200 calories if your a female and around 1800-2000 if your a male depending on your height and activity level.  During that year I also logged all of my workouts and held myself accountable that way as well.  But most of you probably have heard by now nutrition is 80% of the battle.  You are what you eat.  If your not wanting to log your food by hand than check out myfitnesspal.com.  My personal favorite free site to log food.  It offers multiple food selections as well as different restaurants.  So start that food journal and watch your fitness aspirations become a reality. 

Running without the gadgets

Today I  went for a run in the country without any gizmos or gadgets.  Meaning no I-pods or heart rate monitors.  I ran on the gravel roads without any distractions just my thoughts.  I enjoyed thinking about my upcoming day, planned a to do list.  Than my inner yoga kicked in and I stayed present with what I was doing.  I noticed my hip started hurting and my breath.  I pushed through those pains and thought what great stretches I could be doing for my hip when I was done with my run.  I noticed the smell of the farms around me as well as the wind picking up in certain spots on the run.  I was overall very connected to myself on the run.  I ran until I thought I was done. I didn't do it for a certain amount of time or calorie burn.  How freeing to not do that!  Once every couple weeks I can see myself running like this and would recommend it to try even if its just once.