Archives June 2015

Belly fat is the worst…and these days it’s harder than ever to get rid of. With social pressures and modern conveniences constantly in your face and in abundance in the grocery store, it’s no wonder that your waistline continues to expand.

While losing fat, and losing it quickly, can feel impossible, I’m here today to give you a 3-pronged approached to shrink your belly fat once and for all.

#1: Eat Well

It may seem obvious, but everything you put in your body has the potential to go to your belly. The top offender for growing your belly is sugar. This means if you want to slim down around your waistline, cutting sugar from your diet is going to help you fast track your way to your goal. Don’t think this means just avoiding chocolate cake at birthday parties. It means giving up the three tablespoons of sugar you add to your coffee, saying no to soda, and skipping sports drinks. Get your sugars from whole fruits with natural sweetness that also has nutrition.

While cutting sugar from your diet, you’ll need to fill your belly with satiating foods. One of the best options is lean protein. It helps you build muscle (extra muscle = extra belly fat-burning ability) and keeps you full for a longer amount of time. Of course, it also gives you extra energy that helps your workout endurance in the gym.

#2: Work Out Well

Speaking of workout endurance, if you’re going to really shed belly fat, you’re going to have to commit yourself to exercise. No more excuses, and if you are coming to the gym, no more halfway doing it. You’ve got to go all out. But before you laser focus on your core, you should know that, burning off belly fat by targeting all exercises directly at your abs won’t work.

Instead, you’ll need to put in a full-body exercise routine that gets your heart pumping. That means on top of a solid foundation of weights and other strength-training exercises, you’ll want to pile on plenty of high intensity cardio exercises.

#3: Track It All

Getting rid of belly fat is a daunting task, and even when it’s going well, it can feel remarkably slow. By keeping track of your progress and your daily intake and output of calories, you can better determine what’s working and what’s not, and have a better perspective on your actual progress.

Tracking isn’t just good for seeing where you’ve been. It’s also useful for setting goals. Run for 20 minutes yesterday? Go for another couple minutes today. Or better yet, if it took 20 minutes to run two miles yesterday, try running an extra tenth of a mile in the same amount of time today. Keep piling new on challenges for yourself, and that fat that has clung so tightly to your belly through the years will soon start dropping off your frame.

Even the best exercise routine in the world is fruitless if you throw away your results with sloppy eating. Remember to keep your meals lean by avoiding processed carbs, packaged foods or fried items. Fill up on lean proteins and fresh vegetables and reward yourself with organic, seasonal fruit (if it’s on your meal plan.) That, my friend, is lean living!

If you haven’t made an appointment for a nutrition consultation, now is the perfect time to get started. Just text me to set one up. With the fresh summer vegetables that are in season, you can make some delicious, nutritious meals that well help melt that belly fat away in no time flat! If you already a Full Spectrum Fitness client, thank you so very much for your continued support. If your friends have asked you ‘what have you been doing?’ please tell them to come in and check out our offerings, or go the website to learn more. Thank you.

Six Secrets to Success

We are now almost half way through 2015, and summer is upon us. Whether you’ve made it this far because of a New Year’s resolution, to get in shape for an upcoming vacation or event, or if it’s become a way of life – you are in a class by

yourself! Over the years, I’ve made note of the qualities and habits of my successful clients who’ve mastered the art of ‘stick-with-it-ness’. Today I’m going to share with you the 6 secrets of success for getting and staying in shape.

1. Remember Why You Started
In the middle of a workout, it can be hard to push through another set of lunges, squats, or deadlifts. Determined clients don’t let that difficulty stop them. They keep in mind why they started in the first place—to get and stay fit for a more productive, healthy long life. Working out is hard, but the payout, is priceless!  Always remember the reason you started in the first place, and you’ll find it easier to stay the course.

2. Think Positive Thoughts
Maintaining a positive mindset is the biggest part of the battle, especially when a few pounds creep back on, or an injury occurs. Successful body builders, and clients alike keep a positive attitude, even when it gets really tough. In fact, that’s when they really ramp up the positive self-talk. I can almost immediately tell when a client is getting discouraged which can yield negative outcomes such as a less enthusiastic attitude and not showing up at the gym or getting in cardio.  If negative thinking starts to get into your psyche, dig deep and remember a time when you felt like you could take on the world, or tackle whatever workout was in store at the gym. Remind yourself over and over that you can do it, and keep a positive attitude!

3. Power through the Valley

Like all of life, the desire to work out comes in waves. Yesterday, there was nothing you’d rather do. Today, working out is the last thing you would do if given a choice. So don’t give yourself a choice. Consistency over time is the key to success. Because as difficult as it may be today to exercise, once you work out, you’ll be glad you did and you’ll have more energy for the next thing ahead. No one ever regrets working out, but they definitely have remorse about skipping the chance to exercise.

4. Never Quit
Most people are resistant to change, and when one person in a group, family or office begins to do something different, sometimes people get uncomfortable. I’ve heard countless stories from clients whose significant other, co-worker or friend have actually tried to sabotage their progress, or somehow suggest that it would be better to go back to the way it was before they started on their path to fitness. Hard to believe, but it’s true. And, unfortunately, I’ve seen some of my clients give in to the pressure. But, those who stay strong, focused and true to themselves dig deep, power through it and succeed. Successful clients don’t listen to the naysayers, and keep focused on their goal.

5. Eat Well
My most successful clients know that proper nutrition and exercise go hand in hand. They make it a priority to have access to healthy food choices all the time. The goal for many when they begin to train with me it to lose weight. However, if you think you can increase your fitness while also cutting the calories you’re consuming, you’re mistaken. If your body doesn’t get enough good fuel, you won’t have the energy to power through a rigorous exercise session. Good eating habits also maintain your energy, positive mood and productivity throughout the day. So it’s important to fuel up properly before and after your workout to keep your body working on all cylinders.

6. Get Enough Sleep

No matter what time of day you work out, you’re going to fall flat if you don’t get proper rest. Not only does sleep give you energy to get through the day, but it also helps keep your body in rhythm so it reacts properly when pushed. Hit the hay at a decent hour each night and watch your urge to quit go away like a bad dream.

If you aren’t yet one of my clients, then take this opportunity to do something wonderful for yourself. Call or email today to get started on the most effective fitness program that you’ll ever find.

Remember…Winners never quit and quitters never win.

Have you ever wondered how some people are able to maintain amazing bodies while you struggle with your weight?

They make it seem so easy to achieve and maintain results. What do they know that you don’t? When you boil it down, the answer is quite simple.

The missing link between you and your ideal body is your go-to list of excuses.

Start with an excuse and expect to be excused from losing weight. Here are seven excuses that have ensured dieters will fail in their weight-loss attempts before they ever get started.

Excuse #1: I’ve Always Been Overweight
Here’s a little secret: feeling sorry for yourself will not help you lose weight. Quite the contrary. Whining that you’ve never been thin can actually work against you, as you start to see yourself as stuck being overweight. Do that long enough and all you can see in your future is an overweight you. If you’re going to really cut your weight, you’ve got to be able to envision a lighter you.

Excuse #2: I Worked Out, So I Can Eat Whatever
Working out often makes you hungry. That’s a good thing. You just burned a bunch of calories and your body is looking to make up for them. However, just because you burned a few hundred calories doesn’t mean you get to indulge in any and every food you see. And you certainly can’t eat as much as you want.

Excuse #3: I Don’t Have Time to Exercise
Spend a few days documenting how you use your time. Write down each and every thing you do and how long you do it for. You’ll soon notice how much time you throw in the trash with mindless tasks or surfing your favorite social media sites and watching television. Transform those times into workout opportunities and toss the time excuse in the trash.

Excuse #4: Exercise Hurts
Some folks are in pain the day after they work out. If this is you and you find yourself feeling like you just rode a horse for three days straight after a workout, the reason is likely that you only hit the gym once a week or every two or three weeks. To get over that uncomfortable soreness after every workout, you’re going to have to go at it at least three times a week. Yes, you’ll still get sore on occasion, but it’ll be an accomplished sore.

Excuse #5: I Love Junk Food
This may seem a hurdle too large to overcome, but if you’re willing to fight for your weight loss, it can be done. To convince yourself that healthy food doesn’t have to be disgusting, spend more time with health-conscious friends who cook and live healthily. Eat what they eat. You’ll be amazed at the wide range of flavors to savor on a healthy diet.

Excuse #6: It’s No Fun Doing It Alone
Then stop trying to diet alone! Start connecting more often with your healthiest friends and surround yourself with them. When you’re tempted to go off track with your diet or want to skip a workout, call or text your friends for immediate support. They’ll prop you up, remind you of your goals, and encourage you to stay the course. Working out with a personal trainer for added accountability and starting a proper exercise regime will also help you start and stay on course. Exercise is a huge part of the equation when it comes to achieving weight loss.

Excuse #7: My Body Is Delicate
Before you start an exercise routine, it is a good idea to run the idea by your physician. However, unless you have an incredibly rare condition, exercises done with proper technique coupled with healthy eating will not put you at risk for anything but improved health. As soon as you accept the fact that your body can handle much more than you’ve put it through, the sooner you’ll begin to enjoy the gym and push your limits beyond what you could have ever imagined.