The Glamorous Hustle meets Fit Cookie Monster

I want to take a minute and show you all that you can maintain a social life while shedding pounds.  For those of you who keep up with Miss Megs of Glamorous Hustle, you're already in the know.  But here, I'm going to lay it all out. 

The fabulous Miss M is a lifestyle blogger, graduate student, editor, and undeniable social butterfly.  Her story is one that most can relate to - dinner dates, happy hours, and a hectic schedule have resulted in a bit of weight creep.  Her schedule is tight, so finding time to hit the gym is difficult.  If you've been there, you must be thinking, "Oh well, that's just too much to tackle right now."  Then you crash diet or "cleanse", lose 5 pounds, feel great for 3 days, and suddenly you've gained it all back plus another pound.  I'll let you in on a little secret - weight loss starts with cleaning up your diet, not replacing it with liquids or processed 100 calorie packs of cookies. 

Meg and I met a few weeks ago for a few hours, discussed her food tendencies, and devised a plan.  The plan for success?  Well, let me tell you...it's PLANNING!  Learning to plan ahead, prep meals in advance so you don't grab junk on the fly, keep healthy snacks with you, and make simple swaps (like eggs instead of an AM bagel) will champion your success. 

The other factor involved is staying motivated.  Meg has the drive to succeed (as if you couldn't tell by her wildly packed schedule!) and has set a goal with a deadline.  Having specific goals, like running a 5K by August, will keep you more on track than arbitrary statements, such as "looking good in a bikini".  What constitutes "good" in your mind?  How will you know if you've reached it if your vision of "good" can't be defined or varies during your journey?

With all of that said, Meg dropped 5 pounds in her first week just by cleaning up her diet and eliminating the nightly wine over indulgences (1 glass - occasionally OK, 3 glasses - bad).  She remained focused and committed to her success by asking her friends and family to hold her accountable for her choices and remind her when she begins to slip down the wrong path. Stay tuned for occasional updates about her progress!

Planning. Motivation. Support.  The three factors almost everyone misses.  Write them down, stick it somewhere you can see everyday, succeed. 

Good Eats!

I make it a point to eat well, eat often, and eat to support my active lifestyle.  Fueling my body with wholesome foods is easier than you might think.  Many of you have asked me what I eat on a daily basis - here's a small sample of a day in the life of the Fit Cookie Monster!

Wake-up: Stumble to Keurig.  Brew very, very large mug of dark roast coffee. Add a packet of Splenda and a splash of fat free half & half.  Regain motor function. Drink 16oz. ice water.

Breakfast: 2 eggs over easy topped with hummus or chili garlic sauce, a few tomatoes, big handful of spinach, broccoli slaw.  Yes, that's right - I eat veggies at breakfast!

Greens and protein to fuel my day.

Mid-morning: More coffee. More water. A slice of Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain bread topped with a tablespoon of almond butter and some sliced strawberries.

Lunch: Big, I mean really seriously oversized, salad.  Mixed greens topped with grilled peppers, mushrooms, eggplant, steak, and freshly ground black pepper.  I use A1 as my go to condiment...including as salad dressing! 

Colors!

Post-Workout: Chocolate protein shake.  I use At Large Nutrition's Nitrean - it mixes well and has a decent flavor. More water.

Dinner: Repeat lunch and replace steak with chicken, tuna, tilapia, or other assorted meats. More water, usually 16-24oz.

Dessert: If I'm jonesing for something sweet, as I almost ALWAYS am, I have recently fallen in love with the best yogurty creation ever.  A cup of 0% greek yogurt mixed with a teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder.  Add berries, a dollop of whipped cream, and a few chocolate sprinkles if you truly want to feel decadent! Finish it off with more water.

So, in case you haven't figured it out - I have a penchant for grilled veggies.  Borderline addiction.  It's as simple as that!  I eat a ton of colors, stay hydrated, lots of veggies, and even more protein.  Healthy fats are in every meal (hummus, avocados, olive oil, nuts and nut butters) and are paired with unrefined carbohydrates as often as possible.

Don't hesistate to e-mail me at SAScoachSmith@gmail.com for your own nutrition consultation and meal planning!  See the coaching tab for details.

Spring into action.

Okay, people.  You've had the whole winter to hibernate.  You had months to wrap your mind around getting into shape for summer.  Guess what?  Your time to step up and get your routine in gear has arrived. 

As you may know, I work my tail off to get my family and friends into peak shape.  Now, you might be thinking, "well, we don't really know each other" or "we aren't friends," but I have news for you.  Everyone I train becomes a friend.  A trainer has not truly done their job unless they have invested themselves into your personal story and understanding what motivates you.  With that said, I want to officially (as if I haven't made it clear before!) spread the word:

I want to help.  I want to see you succeed. 

If you feel lost in the sea of fitness information, workouts, and nutrition plans out there, hope is not lost!  I want to help you reach your goals for your wedding, your big summer vacation, dominating your sports tryouts, or even regaining your strength after years of working at being a professional couch equestrian.  Near or far, you and I can work together to create a plan for your success.  We can arrange 1 on 1 sessions, train with friends, or even work together via Skype.  No matter what the arrangement, I aim to coach you to your greatest self!

What are you waiting for?  Contact me TODAY!

E-mail me: fitcookiemonster@gmail.com
Follow me on Twitter: @fitcookiemonstr 

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Special thanks to the fabulous Meg, of Glamorous Hustle, for her guidance on successful blogging!

C'est lundi matin!

It's more fun when you say it in French, no?

Here we stand on the edge of the cliff...leading us into another week with lots of promise to be better than we were last week.  This week marks the beginning of Spring, so why not let the power of suggestion take over and let it mean a fresh start for you as well?  Forget about all of your little missteps or unhealthy choices over the weekend, or even the last few months.  Everyone has to start somewhere.

 Today, I am saying "goodbye, adios, adieu, ciao!" to all of my insecurities about training and eating.  I am learning to have faith in my plans and keep my eyes on the goal.  It can be difficult, especially as a female, to accept that you need to eat more to get the results you want.  I constantly find myself struggling to not feel guilt when I take in 2000kcal in a day after so many months/years of sticking around 1500kcal.  The sad part is, this number may not even be enough to support my active lifestyle and training regimen - especially when I am trying to put on muscle.  All of this food-associated guilt will only raise my stress hormone levels and result in having to work that much harder to attain my goals.

So, back to the message of starting fresh.  I will say so long to my calorie obsessed ways and aloha to hearty, healthy meals and treating food as fuel.  Food should and will be enjoyed, but not at the expense of my self esteem.  I eat to train now, rather than training to eat.  My workouts are not designed to undo whatever indulgence I had at dinner last night, they are meant to make me stronger - physically and mentally - so that I can have happiness and balance. 


NOTE:  The caloric goals and requirements for every individual will vary greatly.  Factors including your height, current & goal weight, and activity level are all involved.  For ways to calculate your caloric needs, send me a message!

Mondays...I love em.

Happy Monday, everyone!

It has been nearly 2 months since my last post.  In such a year of transition, it can be hard to find the time to sit down and truly articulate all of the things I have to share.  In the last few weeks, I have started a new job, taken my CSCS exam, and spent a week in Michigan helping to nurse my honey back to health. 

I failed half of my CSCS exam (by 3 questions, ugh!), however I can retake that section in a few weeks.  Not bad considering I don't have a degree in Exercise Science and learned it all on my own!  Luckily I've already got a great position at TEST Sports Clubs.  I'm spending my afternoons teaching youth athletes to perfect their sprinting technique and enhance agility skills as part of the Parisi Speed School.  If I ever complain, smack me.  Who could possibly have anything to gripe about when you spend your day laughing with kids while wearing sneakers and sweatpants?!  I'm also starting to branch out into personal training as well, so if you are looking for a morning through lunchtime coach, I'm your gal!

With all of that said, let's talk about how awesome Mondays can be.  While many people dread waking on a Monday and simply schlep through the week just to get to another Friday, I personally love the fresh start.  I take in the news, soak up the sun, enjoy two very large mugs of coffee, and top it off by spending a few extra minutes making a solid breakfast.  Taking a little time to make the morning a treat may help you find that suddenly you look forward to it, too!  Plus, starting the day with a good attitude will help you be more pleasant and productive at work.  Why not make those days between Monday and Friday count for more than just another day to catch up on the Archer episodes backing up on your DVR?

On another note, my workouts have taken a turn for the awesome.  I've dropped some serious weight in the last few months and am ready to put on some muscly size.  What does that mean?  I get to EAT and lift HEAVY THINGS!  Luckily, I spent the last several weeks working to perfect my Olympic lifts and have fallen in love with the Clean & Press.  I love it almost as much as I love the Russian kettlebell swing...almost.  But that's news for another day.  The C&P is such a versatile move that really pushes the whole body to work.  Not only does it work muscles from your toes all the way up through your eyelids, but it can be adapted to several different pieces of equipment.  When I'm at home, I can perform the lift with a heavy kettlebell on each side, versus the standard barbell when in the gym.  Disclaimer:  do not even attempt to complete the C&P without drilling your form on an unweighted bar with a coach.  Technique is more important than how much you lift, because being injured means you aren't lifting anything but your ego off the floor.

In addition to the heavy lifting, I'm also continuing my conditioning work with outdoor hill sprints.  The unseasonably warm weather and beckoning sun make it pretty easy to be motivated for this.  Let me tell you, crushing 50 yard sprints up a 20% incline a few times will get your heart racing like no steady state 5k ever will. 

I want to know what YOU are doing to get fit with warmer weather on the horizon.  Are you cleaning up your diet? Training for some spring races?  Leave it in the comments! 

Follow me on Twitter: @fitcookiemonstr
E-mail me: fitcookiemonster@gmail.com

Fuel the fire.

This past weekend, I felt like myself again for the first time in a very long time.  I spent two and a half days catching up with one of my best friends and getting back to dancing.  We made the trip to Atlantic City for a weekend of master classes at the renowned convention, the PULSE.  So the purpose of this post: I want to remind everyone how important it is to reinvest yourself in what you love once in a while. 

For those of you who don't know me personally, I spent my entire life in a dance studio.  It's been 23 years since I had my first tap shoe tied on and I've only had two brief hiatuses since.  Dance has always been my therapy, so with this crazy life I'm trying to create, it felt damn good to get out all the emotions rattling my brain in a healthy way.  It's cathartic and helped to reignite the flame of motivation (and yes, it's been burning pretty low lately).  It definitely felt great to know my wild plyo training has increased my vertical jump so much that I was actually suffering from too MUCH hang time and kept falling a count behind.  

So another reason reconnecting with your passions, be it sports, art, or otherwise, can really improve your training game?  You'll challenge yourself mentally.  I was forced to learn intricate choreography at a mind numbingly fast pace...then perform it in front of hundreds of people I don't know, including HUGE names in the business.  When I say huge, I'm talking choreographer to Britney Spears, Emmy winners, Glee choreographer, reality dance show choreographers (SYTYCD & DWTS), movie star dancers that drove teenage girls wild, and the former Mr. J Lo.  My brain isn't used to picking up so quickly anymore, so it was a great way to force that mind body connection to increase.  Maintaining the neural pathways for motor learning are critical in keeping your body young. 

Additionally, you'll force yourself outside of your comfort zone.  I can walk into the gym with astounding confidence most days and blow through anything any trainer wants to throw at me.  Walking into a convention center full of the most talented artists in the country after a 3 year performance break?  Well now we're talking about a real anxiety builder.  The experience forced me to dig deep, find my inner superstar, and get out on the floor. 

Obviously I did not offer any novel ideas here, nor did I discuss any actual fitness.  What I want to reiterate is the reason I wrote this post in the first place - fueling the fire. 

TLDR: Get back to what you love once in a while, even if it's not physical, to remind yourself how great you are at something and how much impact it can have on every other aspect of your life. 

Check the video for a glimpse of what dancers can pull off in just 20 minutes of class!  Can you find your inner boom kack?

Sexy legs? Yes, please.

Legs.  We all have them.  For some of us (thanks Mom!), they're our best assets.  Whether you're a man who wants "sick wheels" or a girl who wants "gorgeous gams" there are a few moves you should be doing to train your legs to greatness.  Today, I speak of....the lunge! Static, reverse, forward, weighted, upside down or while flying, this is one move that can be easily tweaked to reach your goals.

First of all, and I promise I'll post soon explaining why (if you can't wait, e-mail or tweet and we can chat about it), but there is no reason for men and women to train differently most of the time.  I rely almost exclusively on resistance training and I promise, I lift heavy for my size.  Women, you will not get bulky unless you're eating 4000 Calories a day and men, you probably already know and love this move.  The sexes may train with different rep ranges or weight loads, but the techniques remain the same. 

The lunge.  Let's talk about why we want to even consider it.  It is going to target multiple large muscle groups throughout each repetition - the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and also gains support from smaller muscles like your hip flexors, calves, and core.  More pros?  It requires little to no equipment, only enough space to take a single step, it's easy to progress difficulty by using a variation instead of needing added weight, it will balance the strength between your legs (no more single leg dominance!), and it works the stubborn inner thigh.

So now it's time to talk proper form.  For the forward lunge:

• Start by standing with feet hip width apart, eyes and toes pointing directly forward, hands on hips with shoulders open.  
• Take one exaggerated step forward, this is the leading leg. Keeping your torso upright, shift your balance into the ball of the trailing foot and the firmly planted lead foot.  The trailing knee will begin to flex as you sink into your lunge with the lead leg.  
• Still keeping torso erect, shoulders back, and head forward, allow lead knee to flex approximately 90 degrees, resulting in the trailing knee halting 1-2 inches above the floor.  The depth of lunge will vary based upon your hip flexibility.
•  To rise, shift balance into lead foot and slowly rise.  Return lead foot to starting position in one smooth step.  

Watch the video for a quick demo and a short discussion of common mistakes.

Some of the common mistakes to be conscious of:

• Torso position - don't lean forward!
• Knee angle and position - don't let it collapse inward. 
• Speed of your movement and control - don't rush it!
• Range of movement - as long as flexibility allows, aim for the 90 degree flex.

Now, how do you cater this move to fit YOUR goals?  For all beginners - start with the static lunge.  This variation simply removes the forward step and you literally just move up and down in the squat stance.  For men, start adding weight on the forward lunge.  Hold a set of dumbbells while performing, or work your way up to performing with a barbell.  For ladies, I recommend a reverse lunge (take the step backwards instead) to prevent overemphasizing your quads and focus the work on your glutes and hamstrings.  Add weight as needed!

You've got the idea, now get to work.  Practice your form while you brush your teeth!

New Year, New Focus.

With the start of the new year, I'm going to take this opportunity to revamp my blog.  Expect a post in the new style next week!!  I'll be switching from focusing on lifestyle tips to training plans and nutrition information for right now.  I want to help inform each of you about proper training and eating to help you stick with your resolutions.  Rather than have you all head to the gym and then wander around doing pointless bicep curls or endless, boring,  and painful jogs, I want to give you a plan to keep you motivated and excited about fitness. Being educated in what to do is the biggest step in reaching your goals. 

It's time to rock the hell out of the new year!