Tips & Tricks

Make a choice
Don’t go another second wishing your body was more fit. Do something about it. The choice is yours. But you have to want it.

If you don’t want it, then by all means, don’t do it. But wishing isn’t going to get you anywhere.

Write a list of every possible excuse you can make for not doing your daily workout or not sticking to a healthy food plan, and read it 3 times through. Then tell yourself, I’m never going to use one of these again! Do this exercise, and you’ll feel a little more accountable to yourself!

Don’t “try”
I often hear people say: “I’m really going to try to get to the gym today.” What is wrong with this sentence? The word “TRY.” There is no such thing as trying.

You either do it, or you don’t.

Make an appointment
Make an appointment with your workout. Canceling is NOT an option! You make that appointment and write it in stone. Think about it like this:

Have you ever canceled an appointment and they charged you because it was within 24 hours? Well, the same applies here, but in this case, the cost is your health, self esteem and the promise you made to yourself to become a better you!

The dreaded morning workout

Are you one of those people who can’t imagine waking up earlier to workout? When I talk to people about the Santa Monica Sweat boot camp, people often say that working out in the morning is too hard to do; unthinkable actually! And my standard response for them: Just try it! And if you do, you’ll probably like it better.

I am a morning exerciser, but that wasn’t always the case. It used to be unfathomable for me to even think about working out in the morning. For a long time, I did my workout at night after work/school. The problem was, I would think about it all day and dread it. And once I dragged myself to the gym (if I was even able to do that), I was exhausted from the day and I often cut my workout short, or pushed through it at a 50% effort. Changing my evening workout to a morning workout wasn’t easy. But all it took was committing to 2 weeks of morning workouts. The first couple mornings were a struggle, but I quickly realized that I much preferred the morning workout. I was rested enough to give it a 100% effort. It was such relief to know that I didn’t have to go after work. And I had more energy throughout the day. I ate healthier because I was less likely to negate what I had done earlier that morning. And honestly (and secretly), I kind of felt like I was smarter than everyone!

Besides my own success, I’ve known and worked with many people who finally saw results when they changed to a morning workout schedule. And on top of that, research shows that 90% of people who workout in the morning have more success at sticking to their program.

So here’s my challenge for you. Commit to 2 weeks of a morning workout. And yes, that means before you go to work. That may mean waking up at 5 or 6 am, but just give it a try! And at the end of 2 weeks, let me know if I’ve converted you to being a morning exerciser!

Recipe: Guilt-less Sweet Potato Fries

I love, love, love Sweet Potato fries. Yes, sweet potatoes are good for you…but French fried sweet potatoes are just as bad as regular fries.

Well, if you know me, then you know I’m not an advocate of starvation or depravation! You don’t have to eliminate every single “bad” food from your diet, but you should enjoy them in moderation every once in a while. I tell my clients to enjoy 1 “free” food day per week. This means that each week, you get 1 day to enjoy a few things that are not on your healthy plan. Now, this does not mean go crazy eating pizza, beer, ice cream, and chips all day long. You don’t want to negate your hard work, but you can satisfy those cravings and reward yourself for being good!

For this recipe you’ll need: 1 sweet potato – peeled and cut into even pieces, Pam cooking spray, Agave nectar, Salt, baking sheet with edges

Spray baking sheet with a little Pam cooking spray. Spread sweet potato pieces evenly across sheet. Drizzle Agave nectar over potato pieces and lightly salt. Cook for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. I prefer them crispy, which means just bake until the edges of the potato start to turn brown and caramelize.

Serves 2. Enjoy!

The Grammys: celebrity body inspired workout

I loved the Grammys this year! And it’s always fun to watch the Red Carpet pre-show!

If I were voting for the best bodies of the Grammys, I’d put Keri Hilson & Fergie at the top!

Both of these ladies have amazing bodies, but I’d vote Fergie for legs and Keri Hilson for shoulders and arms. Both of these girls look super fit!

And believe it or not, it’s not impossible to achieve a red carpet body! I promise!

So how do they do it? They do the work! And so can you.

Here are a few exercises to get you on your way to Fergie-legs and Hilson-arms!

Legs:
Plie squat – 15 reps
Plie squat, heels up & down – 15 reps
Plie squat, on toes pulse up – 15 reps
Forward & Backward lunge – 15 reps, then switch legs (forward + back = 1)
Single leg squat – 15 reps, then switch legs

Perform above exercises without resting between. Rest 1 minute at the end, and repeat 2 more times.

Arms & Shoulders:
Punch out with rotation – 15 reps
Shoulder row – 15 reps
Tricep skull crushers – 15 reps
Hammer curl with shoulder press – 15 reps

Perform above exercises without resting between. Rest 1 minute at the end, and repeat 2 more times.

Incorporate these circuits into your program and you’ll feel the burn…and see results soon enough!!

Let me know how it goes!

Here’s a demonstration of each exercise: