Barbara and Cathy at the Finish Line

Congratulations to Fitting Fitness In™ clients Cathy and Barbara for completing their first triathlon!  Awesome job ladies!

With today’s economy, everyone is buckling down on spending.  Why not save on your gas, your money and your calories by bringing your lunch to work.

Going out for lunch can be expensive. I met someone for lunch the other day and it cost me $10 for a sandwich and a bottle of water. Not to mention the gas it took for me to get there. If you don’t have to go out for lunch bring yours with you.

I know you don’t want to have to make your lunch, but the 5-10 minutes it takes could be that $10 dollars in your pocket. It can even be fun. You get the satisfaction of deciding exactly what you want and how you want it prepared.

When you go grocery shopping plan ahead for the week so that you have everything you need.  Your lunch doesn’t always have to be a sandwich, you could bring leftovers from dinner for your lunch.  The nice thing is you can make sure you eat healthier by packing your own lunch. Make sure you have a piece of fruit or you pack your favorite snack or desert. Just pack it as a lunch size portion not a dinner size portion.

Whether you make your lunch before you go to bed or you wake up a few minutes early to make it, you will be saving money and time by doing so. Just think of what you could do with the extra time that you’ll have at lunch now. 

Perhaps you could go for a nice walk and get some exercise.

Holly Kouvo, Personal Trainer at Fitting Fitness In, www.FittingFitnessIn.com

Fruit Smoothie

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Not only does it rev up your metabolism but it helps you to regulate your weight. It does this by reducing your hunger later on in the day while also aiding you to start making healthy choices earlier. Personally, on the days that I do not eat breakfast I feel that my energy level is low and I do not feel like participating in physical activity.
My favorite thing to have for breakfast is a fruit smoothie. There are numerous ways and recipes out there but I prefer to use Chobani non-fat greek yogurt along with frozen berries (raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries) from Trader Joe’s to make my morning breakfast. Sometimes I will add some chocolate or vanilla protein powder, orange juice, or skim milk to mix things up a bit!
The best part about breakfast smoothies is that you can take them “on the go.” Whether you have to leave your home early to get to work or you have a full day planned with bringing your children to different places, the smoothie can go with you! Due to the always going lifestyle that many of us have adopted I typically make my smoothie the night before then leave it chilling in the fridge over night.
This becomes the best of all worlds. Not only do I get a healthy, and yummy breakfast but I do not have to deal with the hassle of making it while I am trying to get out the door! It becomes a nutritious, easy, and fun way to enjoy your breakfast. Whether you mix it up with different types of fruit, flavors of yogurt, or putting a twist in with juice, you are bound to find the perfect smoothie recipe that fits your taste buds.

Stefanie Turner, Personal Trainer at Fitting Fitness In.

One of the most effective tools in losing weight is writing down what you eat in a food log.  When you log your food you will lose weight.  My weight loss clients all fill out food logs.  It makes you accountable to yourself about what you really are eating.  You discover things when you log it down.  Here are some of the observations:

• Sometimes we eat without realizing it. 
• Logging helps you to see when you’re eating.
• Many people tend to eat the most at night.  Then they go to bed. 
• You can start to see your habits when you log your food.  After you know what you’re doing it is easier to make some changes to help you lose weight.
• People find out they are not eating enough.  If you don’t eat enough calories in your diet your metabolism slows down.  You want to make sure that does not happen.
• The biggest change people can make is to eat breakfast if they don’t normally eat breakfast.  Your metabolism gets revved up when you give it fuel (or food).  You should try to eat within an hour of getting up to start getting the benefit of revved up metabolism.

I review my client’s food logs and sometimes give them feedback on what food they could substitute to make healthier choices.

 One client come up with a new saying for me.  She says: “If you bite it, you must write it.  If you drink it, you must ink it.”

Writing down what you eat and drink, really does help you to lose weight.

by Holly Kouvo, Personal Trainer, Nutrition Specialist & Founder of Fitting Fitness In

The trail, when completed, will follow the route of the Old New Haven Railroad Framingham and Lowell line, and will be a 25 mile route, starting in Lowell and going through Westford, Carlisle, Acton, Concord, Sudbury, and Framingham. The entire trail hasn’t been completed yet, but 6.8 miles running from Lowell to Westford is open.

I’m out of the house before my kids awake, which isn’t too difficult because they’re teenagers! I get my exercise in, enjoy some social time with friends, and I’m back home before the kids are even out of bed. I feel a great sense of accomplishment. I don’t know about you, but with kids in the house and chores, if I don’t get my exercise in first thing it’s a challenge to fit it in. Because I have a commitment with friends I don’t find excuses to skip it. Statistics tell us that people who exercise with friends are more successful at exercising consistently. Knowing that someone is waiting for you to exercise with them can be great motivation to show up and get it done!

An added bonus to our meeting spot is that we all get together for coffee and a snack afterwards at the Java Room, which is right in the plaza.

Exercise and good company. What a great way to start the day!

You can check out the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail at http://www.brucefreemanrailtrail.org/, or look for other rail trails closer to where you live.

A few that you might want to look at are the Minuteman Rail Trail which runs from Bedford to Cambridge, the Nashua River Rail Trail from Ayer to Dunstable, the Assabet River Rail Trail from Marlborough to Acton (all sections may not be open), the Battletrail in Concord, the West Boylston Rail Trail, and the MA Central Rail Trail which runs from Boston to Northampton (all sections may not be open). Some of these trails pass through town centers where you can stop for a snack and some even have playgrounds and picnic areas along the way and are very family friendly.

by Lorae McCall
Fitting Fitness In Personal Trainer

Slightly over three years ago I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.  In early December, I heard a radio show host announce, to a personal trainer who did a show with him, that as an affirmed “couch potato”, he was going to chronicle his journey back to health on the radio show, as he worked with this particular trainer. I thought if he can do this then I can too, and called the studio the trainer was involved with, setting a date for the end of January. I was having major abdominal surgery the second week of January. This was the beginning of my “lost 100″ journey. My mother who has since passed away, and never got to see the results of this journey, took her family on a Caribbean cruise that December. While on that cruise I saw a number of gorgeous beautiful bodies. Mine was hidden, as always, under a wrap or cover up, etc. My self esteem, self concept, and courage was lower than “in my boots”. Way lower. I vowed on that voyage that I would come back someday, on a cruise, with a brand new body, that I defined, both inside and out.

I met Ernie, owner of All Canadian Fitness (ACF) in Hamilton, Ontario and Adam Higson, now a newly retired professional Muay Thai Boxer, (and very accomplished at it as well) in January, 4 weeks after my first surgery. As an RN I do not recommend this for anyone. Ernie tells me now that he was actually afraid of me for the first few sessions because I was so out of shape and so new post surgery. Oh I also just had one of two carpal tunnel surgeries too! He really didn’t know what he was going to do with me. He reminds me frequently today of what I was like! I worked with Ernie until August and then Adam became my trainer. Ernie is part of the “Be Better Project”, a number of personal trainers from all over North America working with Phil Kaplan. Holly works in this project as well. Once or twice things would stall.  Advice would come from “the group” and off we went. Adam had particularly great workouts, the inches were coming off great but the weight was not changing as fast as I would like. It was thought I could benefit from Holly’s expertise 1 1/2 years into my “lost 100″ journey. (Originally the plan was to take one year total.). Frustration had set in. I began a long distance relationship with Holly at Fitting Fitness In (FFI). Holly and I would call each other once a week and sometimes once every two weeks. She provided advice on: steps, oh yes the famous steps; nutrition (food journals uggg…”if you log it you lose it”. Is that familiar to anyone? It should be!; staying active in between the strength and weight training personal sessions; varying the activities between; as well as additional confidence and reassurance building. I even made the trek to Stowe in May for the “Run/Walk for the Woods” that FFI sponsored. I was the only Canadian there! It was a long drive alone, across New York State, from Brantford, Ontario, longer than I had expected. My husband joked that it was a long drive to walk 5 km. What fabulous hosts she and her family were! Holly broke the main goal down into mini (more user friendly attainable) goals: for a week; or for a month and challenged me to meet these. Adam, Holly and I worked as a Team. This threesome worked successfully across provinces, states and an international border, together for just over a year with Holly coming to Hamilton giving a talk to ACF clients this past Spring.

Holly is gifted in inspiring clients to carry on; one small mistake does not mean that you cannot carry on, and move forward. She and Adam have instilled in me a love of staying active forever. As Adam is fond of saying, “You’re hooked now!” I could not have achieved the “lost 100″ on Dec 17, 2010 without the gifted people around me who support me every day; who show me that I can do this; who believe in me when I don’t believe in myself; who buck me up when I need that and who encourage me when that is my need; and who sometimes know me better than I know myself. Slowly I am learning to educate my mind to a strong mind, because it really is mind over matter.(Thank you Adam). I could never have accomplished this without my whole Team. Without my Team who adapt programs to meet my many surgeries: two carpal tunnel surgeries; two knee arthroscopies and a left ulnar nerve surgery. What patience you have!  

I am determined that the “lost 100″  will not come back. Over the Christmas holiday time I finally allowed myself to begin to look for a dress for my son’s wedding, July 2nd. One day both Elizabeth and Cole came, and they picked out a dress that I always wanted to wear but would not dare try or allow myself to dream of. I tried it on, thinking I was just humouring them. It fit like a glove. WOW! I was floored! Cole even said I might outshine the bride, (tongue in cheek I’m sure). Well (sigh) we ended up ordering it from, New York, a Jovani gown. Cole said,”Mom you wanted to wow; the dresses you were looking at were all the same that you always choose, or slight variations of. This one is wow! Now is your chance.” They chose it. I love it! So I am wearing it. I only worry that it might be too much! But, if they like it then I am okay with it! I cannot allow any deviation from the weight I am at now. In fact, if I lose more it will be better. So…?? The next goal, with Adam’s help, is to look good in this mermaid, sort of, dress for July 2nd now! Ever a goal…best to keep it that way (goal oriented-TKS Holly) for me I think! I am keeping myself constantly challenged. If I can do this you can as well. 

Thank you again to a dedicated, caring, professional, extremely knowledgeable and adaptable Team

P.S. I learned (am learning) a number of new skills that I may not have ever tried: boxing (my fav-best adrenaline rush/release); water running; weight training; rope swinging; beating tractor tires with sledge hammers; you name it-we do it!

Decide, Commit, Believe, Succeed

 

Contact Fitting Fitness In at www.FittingFitnessIn.com  or call 978-502-8781

Dr. Arthur Agatson, associate professor of medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine names the four best workouts for your heart to be Interval Training, Total-Body non-impact sports, weight training, and yoga.

Interval Training is the best type of exercise for preventing heart disease and diabetes.  It’s very effective for losing weight and improves your fitness level.

ow does it work?  You combine short bursts of high-intensity exercise with longer periods of active recovery or a lower intensity exercise.  For example, you can alternate walking at a 3 mph pace for 3 minutes and then walk at a 4 mph pace for 1 minute, then back to 3 mph for 3 minutes, etc.  When you continuously raise and lower your heart rate it improves vascular function, burns calories, and makes your body more efficient at clearing fat and sugar from your blood.

Total-Body non-impact sports are heart healthy.  The more muscles involved in the activity the harder your heart needs to work to fuel them.  Rowing, Swimming, Cross Country Skiing, even walking with poles are great activities for the heart.

Weight Training can be another form of interval training.  You increase your heart rate during the exercise repetitions and recover between sets.  Combine weight training with intervals of high intensity exercise is the best form of interval training to work your heart and burn fat.  This is what we do in my boot camp classes.

Yoga keeps you calm which helps to lower blood pressure making the blood vessels more elastic and promotes heart health.

Find the workout that you enjoy and reap the benefit of making your heart healthy.

The suggested serving size on a box of chocolates is two pieces which is about 160 calories and more than 10 grams of fat.

The problem with a box of assorted chocolates is that you want to try them all, especially if it sits on your desk all day.  Just remember that there’s approximately 1400 calories in a one pound box of assorted chocolates!  Yikes!

Here is a run down on some other favorite Valentines Day candies with their calories & fat content:

Lindt Lindor Truffles: 1 ball 73cal, 6 g of fat – 3 balls, 220 cal, 17g of fat

14 conversation hearts: 50 cal., 0 g of fat

1 York Peppermint Pattie: 57 cal., 1.3 g of fat

3 Hershey Kisses: 75 cal., 5 g of fat

If you haven’t celebrated yet and plan to over the weekend try making Chocolate-Dipped Fruit instead. Besides it would be more fun to do the chocolate dipping together.

You can have 7 pieces of Chocolate-Dipped Fruit (140 calories, 7 g fat) vs. 1 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup (170 calories, 8 g fat).

Just remember to pace yourself and let that candy last!

For instance, the wood chop exercise where you reach up with a  weight and then down to the opposite side will help you (not only to chop wood) but when you are reaching up and getting items out of overhead cabinets in the kitchen or putting a suitcase up in the overhead bin.

Functional training is great for senior citizens.  It helps strengthen the muscles they need to do their daily activities.  I asked one of my senior clients (she is 83, by the way) why she exercised.  She said “If I don’t get up and move, I will not be able to get up and move.”

In functional training you can use dumbbell weights or resistance tubing to give you the resistance you need to build the muscles for that activity.  The benefit of this type of training is that you are working multiple muscles at the same time and not isolating muscles.  This way your workouts can be shortened to fit in the ½ time frame and you will notice the difference in your daily life.

Doing exercises to strengthen your lower back makes you stronger so you can pick up the grocery bags or pick up your grandchildren.  Strengthen your upper body helps you pull yourself up off the floor or out of the tub.

Functional training trains your muscles to keep you functioning daily.

Did you start out the year determined to exercise and eat right only to find yourself slacking off by the beginning of February?  You’re not alone.  Let’s get you back on track with some CPR.  That’s

Cardio vascular exercise

Proper Nutrition

Resistance Training

Cardio – You want to get back into doing some kind of cardio exercise for 30 minutes 3-5x/week.  For some of you that’s walking.  Make sure your walks are productive.  You can’t count a Sunday stroll as cardio unless you are walking at a pace that has you doing a little huffing & puffing or sweating.  Pick the cardio exercise equipment you like at the gym and do your 30 minutes. Or break it up and do 10 minutes on 3 different machines.

Proper Nutrition – You need to get back to making healthy food choices.  Know the calories in the food you’re going to eat.  Make the choice to eat that food knowing that you will have to work it off through some form of exercise.  Make sure you’re drinking 6-8 glasses of water per day.  Eat 3-5 servings of fruits and veggies, and 3 servings of dairy products per day.  And don’t forget your vitamin.

Resistance Training – You want to make sure you are doing some kind of resistance or weight training as part of your exercise program.  Ideally you want to do resistance training 2x/week to maintain your weight and 3x/week to lose weight.  You can do resistance training the same day as you do cardio.  You want to lift a heavy enough weight so that you get to muscle failure on the last 2-3 reps.  For arms do 8-12 repetitions and for legs do 12-15 repetitions.

Remember to use CPR to rescue your resolution and make it last throughout the year.