The Breakfast Solution

We look at people's food journal's all the time. One thing that many people neglect is eating a good breakfast many times it's one of two things

1.)No breakfast at all which cause low blood sugar that eventually turns to hunger later on in the day. This is not an ideal setting for burning fat and maintaining lean mass. We want to stoke the metabolism in the morning with some good low glycemic carbs, high quality protein, essential fats and fiber. That is an ideal breakfast.

2.)Eating too many high glycemic carbs-Another thing we see is someone who eats a bagel, juice and cereal many times which are high glycemic and not very nutrient balnced. This actually send the blood sugar up causing a spike which leads to a crash later in the day and causes cravings as well. Once again not an ideal situation for those who are trying to lose body fat and add lean mass.



Even though people know this is a bad habit they still find it difficult to fix when they are dealing with kids, getting ready etc. They just do not have time to get up and fix themselves a peoper breakfast so what should you do.


Here is a great solution! A high quality meal replacement shake you can blend up in a matter of minutes and one that contains all the essential nutrients that we are talking about. We like to use our USANA nutrimeal shakes which contain low glycemic carbs, high quality whey and soy protein, essential(good) fats and fiber. We can mix these with fruits and other ingredietns to create a quick, tasty and most importantly HEALTHY breakfast option, This works great for many of our clients.

Here are some of our 3 of our favorite smoothie recipes we like.

Banana Smoothie
2 scoops Vanilla Nutrimeal
8 oz. orange juice
4 oz. water
1 medium banana
1 scoop Soyamax



Pina Colada Shake

2 scoops Vanilla Nutrimeal
1 tsp. coconut extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 cups (2 tbsp) crushed pineapple (or fresh)

Mix well

Cappachino

Dutch Chocolate Nutrimeal
Soy Milk
ice
Splenda, instant coffe & dash of cinnamon
Mix everything together with a blender.
You will be amazed at how good and legal this is.

Chocolate Malty

2. scoops Dutch Choc. Nutrimeal
1/2 tsp. coconut extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 sm. banana
1 scoop Soyamax
12 oz. skim milk

Do you buy what you sell??

Personal training has really taken on a new direction these days. It's becoming more focused on coaching instead of just administering workouts. I've seen my own career evolve over the past 15 years. Recently I saw a blog post by one of the coaching organizations I belong to. It was titled "do you buy what you sell" and it was geared at us trainers. The basic premise was that we as trainers are good at coaching others and we believe in our product which is essentially coaching but do we invest in coaching ourselves. This was a big time calling out of personal trainers.

I may be a good trainer but have struggled with owning my own business; definitely the biggest challenge of my life. I had invested in coaching programs before but they typically only lasted 6-8 weeks. The problem I was finding was that while I was making changes during the coaching class, a few months after it was done I would start reverting back to old bad habits. I decided to take a look in the mirror and honestly answer the question "As a coach, do I really believe in coaching?"

Well, I went to a mega training event for fitness business owners in Florida last weekend. There was nothing in the subject matter about being a trainer! It was solely about being a good business owner; a totally different type of event than I was used to.

As I sat and listened to some great presentations by people in my field, I started to realize that it was time. Time to step up and really ask for the help I need to take my business to the next level. I pulled the trigger and decided to commit to a major business coaching program and really focus on creating a more powerful business that can impact larger numbers of people and create full time jobs for trainers I bring on board. I had to admit that I can't do it on my own. I need help and there is no shame in that!

In life we are all given different attributes. Some of us are skilled at developing businesses and making them thrive. Others are better technicians, like myself. The fact is we all need to rely on each other. I often tell people who beat themselves up for not being disciplined enough to exercise on their own and eat right, "Look if everyone was good at this fitness and nutrition thing than I would not have a business."

The point is, I'm no different than the client who works with a trainer and gets results but goes on their own and starts slipping back to eating junk food and skipping workouts. I'm the same way - just in a different aspect. I admit some of my pride was keeping me from asking for more help in an area that still challenges me.

I've decided to get real with myself and get my own "trainer" for my business so I can get results just like my clients do and will quit spinning my wheels.
I really do "buy what I sell."
What are some areas you could currently be investing in? Maybe it is not exercise but maybe it's home repairs or finances. Whatever the case, I encourage you to take a look at the areas you are struggling in and ask for help. I bet it will feel like weight has been lifted off your chest. Let me know!

The biggest enemy facing you

I've spent 15 years as a personal trainer and when it comes to people having success; whether it be weight loss or lifestyle changes, there is one enemy that consistently rears it's ugly head.

You probably know this enemy because you see it everyday. Have you figured it out? Who is the #1 person who will sabotage your efforts and set up the same old road blocks? THAT PERSON IS YOU. Yes, many times you are your own worst enemy.

We can be hard on themselves. We expect perfection out of ourselves and when we slip up or don't achieve our goals, we beat up on ourselves. The bottom line is none of us are perfect..... not even close.

Many people think that because I'm a trainer I never eat junk food and always feel like working out. The reality is, many times we trainers struggle as much or more than the average person. We tend to put pressure on ourselves to be role models for our clients. Sometimes when we spend time managing everyone else's programs our own routines suffer.

Making lifestyle changes can be looked at as a war with yourself. You will win many battles and lose some along the way,but if you keep trying you will be victorious in the end! So when you have a setback don't get down on yourself. Look at it as a learning experience. Maybe you went to a party without eating something first so when you got there you were starving and all the treats were too tempting to pass up. You could say next time "I am going to eat something healthy beforehand so I'm not hungry" and those temptations won't be as strong. Maybe you tend to skip exercise because by the time you get done with work you are too mentally and physically fatigued. The solution may be getting up earlier and getting done first thing.

My final point is that you have to believe in yourself. I often tell clients that if this stuff was easy for everyone that I wouldn't have a business. There is no shame in asking for help, either. We are all blessed with different strengths and attributes so we need to rely on each other. I might be good at exercise and eating right but really need accountability in other areas of my life such as finances and spirituality.

Remember in life nothing good comes easy and when it comes to taking care of yourself, remind yourself that "YOU ARE WORTH IT."

Fix the flat!

I see many times people quit the first time they eat something bad or miss a workout when they are trying to lose weight, get in shape and make positive changes. Many times we think that we have to perfect when it comes to losing weight or getting in better shape.

This is simply not the case. Getting healthier is about being consistent not perfect! It's usually tow steps forward and one step back. If you were to move two steps forward and one step back everyday for a year you would be 365 steps ahead form when you started not at zero! My point is that there will be days you stress eat or overindulge but if the days you stick to your plan significantly outnumber the days you fall off than you will make tremendous progress. I've seen it happen many times with clients who keep pushing forward even when they have bad days or weeks.

I like mountain biking because the courses are very challenging and unpredictable. I liken the quest for better health and weight loss as very similar. If I was on a tough mountain bike course that I always wanted to do and i had a flat tire, I would not throw my bike in the woods and quit. Instead I would fix the flat tire and move on.

You should look at those days were you blow your eating or skip your exercise as flat tires. Figure out how you can fix your ""flats" and move on. Maybe it's moving your workouts to the morning when you have more energy and more free time or perhaps it's carrying snacks on you so you curb your appetite in the afternoon and avoid the overwhelming hunger that seems to come during dinner which causes you to overeat each night. Whatever it is you need to fix the problem and move and also forgive yourself because anything that is truly worth it is challenging and flat tires are part of the journey. Look at them as temporary setbacks and learn from them instead of beating yourself up and completely giving up.