Guide to a Perfect Body

You run and you run, and you don’t shed a pound. It’s one of the leading emotional pain points for people who exercise. All of that effort and so little reward, but why is that? Simple: Steady state cardio is not the fastest way to lose weight, and it’s certainly not the only way. There is a solution, though, which will allow you to spend less time in the gym and see even better results. Strength training is a critical component of any program than emphasizes long-term fat loss.

You’ve Heard: You Can’t Burn Fat With Strength Training
Far too many people are focused on how many calories they burn while they’re in the gym, but this is shortsighted. 

Stop focusing on how many calories you burn in the gym and instead focus on how your body expends calories outside the gym. You burn calories throughout the day regardless of what you are doing, but exercise helps increase the rate at which you burn those calories. With most forms of traditional steady-state cardio, you expend calories while you’re exercising, but once you stop, you quickly go back to your normal metabolic rate. 

Strength training, however, builds muscle, and more muscle helps you burn more calories — even when you’re doing nothing but sitting on the couch.

”Strength training is a critical component of any program than emphasizes long-term fat loss,” said Alwyn Cosgrove, co-author of the book “The New Rules of Lifting” and personal mentor to our own Coach Catherine. Think of it like this: Muscles are “thirsty” from a metabolic perspective. The more muscle you have, the more fuel you are constantly burning. This is the advantage strength training offers if your goal is to lean out. A treadmill or elliptical trainer is often seen as the quick fix to shed body fat, and they are certainly useful if your goal is to improve cardiovascular health, endurance or simply to burn some extra calories, but strength training is a powerful ally.”

You’ve Heard: Resistance Training Makes Women Bulky
This myth just won’t die and, unfortunately, it’s horribly misguided. 

And to prove it, just go to any big-box gym in America and see how many 140-lb. guys with pencil-thin arms and a beer gut are in the gym multiple days a week, trying to get “big” or “huge.”

Clearly something isn’t working. It takes a lot of work both in and out of the gym to get big or bulky. You not only need to be dedicated to your training, but you need proper nutrition if you’re serious about putting on size.

”There is a big misconception about what causes bulk. Bulk isn’t muscle; it is muscle covered by fat,” said Mike Roussell, author and nutritional consultant. “So if you feel that you are too bulky, then it is important to fine-tune your diet to lose the excess fat — not give up weight training.”

Women can, though, build muscles. Instead of big and bulky, they will be the type of long and lean muscles many women desire.

You’ve Heard: Weight Training Limits Athleticism
If your goal is to move and look like the Hulk, then feel free to continue performing body-part splits and hitting every machine in the gym. Those machines have their place, but they are not indicative of every weight-training routine.

If your goal is to look, move and feel like an athlete, you need a different approach. And remember, the human body is the human body; whether you are a professional athlete or a soccer mom. One of those positions just makes more money than the other.

The premise here is simple: Stop isolating body parts and pumping away mindlessly on the machines. Focus on big-bang for your buck, compound, multi-joint exercises. A professional fitness coach who stays up on the latest research can teach you how to squat, deadlift, pull up and overhead press safely and effectively.

The only reason your athleticism will be limited in the gym is if you follow an ineffective program or one that’s designed for “show” versus “go.”

You’ve Heard: Running Is the Best Way to Get Fit
It’s not that running as an exercise is bad, but it puts a fair amount of stress on your muscles and joints. Recreational runners can have injuries caused by weakness in the core and hip-stabilizing muscles. The better plan is to take time to develop the muscles of your core and hips first instead of jumping off the couch and running three miles.

Some people need activities that are a bit more joint-friendly, as the pounding caused by running on a treadmill or pavement is simply too much. If you like more traditional options, a dual-action exercise bike or rower will not only engage a ton of muscles, but take some of the stress off your joints as well. 

If you want newer (and possibly more exciting) variations, consider kettlebell swings, medicine ball or barbell circuits, Olympic plate pushes, or even conditioning rope variations.

There are many different ways to get into shape, and while running is great, it’s just one option you have at your disposal.

What We’ve Said
Strength training can help you lose body fat and is likely a quicker ticket to better fitness than just plain cardio exercises. It also won’t limit your athleticism, but more likely improve it, and women can derive tremendous benefit from resistance training without getting bulky.

For those of you who like to run, it is one way to improve your fitness, but definitely not the only way. As with any program, though, you have to put in the work. It’s time to get into the gym.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com.

Tips for Staying Motivated

Few things beat the excitement of starting a new workout routine. There are new exercise clothes to buy, a new routine, a new membership…

But reality soon sets in. The new clothes hang in your closet with the price tags still attached.

It doesn’t have to be that way. You can stay motivated even with a busy and wildly unpredictable lifestyle.

Set Your Goals
When defining your fitness and exercise goals, be realistic. You may dream of running the Boston Marathon or climbing Mount Everest. But if your current fitness level would more comparable to a sloth’s, you might be setting yourself up for failure. If your goals aren’t attainable, they ain’t gonna happen.

 Maybe it’s simpler than marathons and mountains–a smaller dress size or going three flights of stairs without gasping. No matter the desire, it’s important to keep the two “Ps” in mind: perspective and perseverance. 

”Shorten your view to close range while reminding yourself to look at the big picture,” said Alice Burron, an exercise physiologist and national spokeswoman for the American Council on Exercise. “Improvement is not a sprint, it’s a marathon.”

Spread the Word
There’s something official and meaningful about seeing your ideas in black and white. If you’re staring down a concrete commitment, it helps if the commitment staring right back. Writing down your goals makes them more official, like a marriage certificate legitimizing a relationship. Don’t just say you’re married; be married to your goals. And write down what you do each day to further them along. You’ll be able to carve up the bigger issue into smaller, more manageable pieces. Don’t just think it, INK it!

Don’t be afraid of telling people, either. It’s another way of not letting you off the hook. If you tell your friends, your family and your coworkers that you are working out, someone is bound to ask how things are going, and that will likely make you feel guilty if you quit. Plus it is a great accountability reminder.

Even take it a step further. Don’t just tell them, but invite them along. Because let’s face it, workouts can be tedious, boring or otherwise off-putting. So, don’t fear prescribing to the “misery loves company” theory. A workout partner not only helps to encourage you, but can also add a key social component, as well as variety. The routine of working out becomes more entertaining, moving beyond the gym tointer-office pickup basketball games, outdoor activities with the family or a neighborhood jogging partner to wind down the day with. Or bring them to a FREE Boot Camp (7 am) or FREE FIT session (11 am) at Achieve on Saturday January 21st.

Bust a Move
Sweatin’ to the oldies might seem, well, old, but the concept remains: Music can help pick up an exercise. It doesn’t have to be “Great Balls of Fire” — just choose music inspires, stimulates or entertains. Let your gym or coahes know what music you like to listen or suggest a great playlist.

Be Flexible
It’s nice to have a set time to exercise, but work out whenever you can. 

The morning may not be the best time for you. Or you may have to split your exercise time between the morning and evening. The idea is to do something whenever you can. 

Don’t give up because you couldn’t set aside that hour every morning at 6. The key is to treat exercise like any important event and add it to your daily schedule.

Practice Forgiveness
Don’t despair if you miss a workout or two because of a suddenly busy schedule, a vacation or an illness. The important thing is to get back to your exercise routine as soon as you can. 

And mix it up. At Achieve and MABC, we constantly change up the workouts so you shock your muscles. This is the best way to achieve maximum results! 

But all these strategies rely on one key ingredient: you. Only you can decide what is important to you, and only you can achieve your goals. But with a few motivational steps, Mount Everest might become a lot more realistic.

From: www.livestrong.com

Go-To Recipes For Weight Loss

Build a better salad
As you know, salads are one of the best ways to fill up on fewer calories. The key is to make them hearty, and not so low in calories that you’re starving an hour later.
Fill a large bowl with the greens of your choice. Try a combination, like romaine, spinach, and finely chopped kale. The romaine gives a satisfying crunch, while the spinach and kale are excellent sources of nutrition.
Look in your refrigerator and grab all the vegetables you can reach. If you think you don’t like raw vegetables, chop them very finely or even grate them on a cheese grater (this works well for things like broccoli, zucchini, and cauliflower). Once the veggies are small enough, you won’t taste them. Throw them into your bowl.
Add protein, such as 5 ounces of grilled chicken or 1 cup of canned beans that you’ve rinsed and drained. My favorite beans are red kidney, cannellini, and garbanzo (chickpeas).
Toss in a handful (or about 1/4 cup) of nuts or seeds. Try roasting shelled, raw pumpkin seeds in a 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes, until they’re browned but not burned. Nuts and seeds are good sources of fat and protein, and a little goes a long way.
Make a quick dressing. Whisk 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or red-wine vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour half over your salad, toss, and see if that’s enough dressing. If not, add the rest.
*NOTE: Don’t be afraid of fat! It’s an important part of a healthy diet, and can actually help you lose more weight.

Chomp on a yummy quinoa salad
Never tried quinoa? It’s a rich source of protein that’s delicious in salads like this.
Prepare 1/4 cup of quinoa according to package directions. (This is about 1 cup of cooked quinoa).
Roast whatever vegetables you have on hand. Typical choices are broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, onions, carrots, and asparagus. Just chop into similar-size pieces, drizzle with olive oil and a little salt, spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and roast in a 400-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Chop a handful of flat-leaf parsley (about 1/4 cup).
Make a dressing. Whisk 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
Mix all ingredients together, and refrigerate for an hour to let the flavors blend. Add more lemon juice if desired for a brighter flavor.

Warm up with “everything but the kitchen sink” soup

Brothy soups take a long time to eat, are perfect when you’re craving something warm, and are low in calories when you make them yourself. Try taking vegetables that are left in the fridge from the previous week and turn them into a soup. There’s no real recipe here, but this is how it usually goes:
Chop an onion and a couple cloves of garlic, and dice a couple of carrots and celery stalks. (It’s OK if you don’t have all these things, it just helps to make a nice soup base.)
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a heavy pot. Throw in the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery and cook for about 5 minutes or so, until the vegetables soften and the onions become translucent.
Pour in 4 cups of broth (any kind-but go for reduced sodium if you can) and any dried herbs or seasonings you have in your pantry. Try Italian seasoning, or a combination of chile powder, cayenne, and cumin for a Latin-inspired flavor, enough to equal about a tablespoon total. If you’re feeling fancy, toss in a bay leaf (optional). Bring to a simmer.
While the broth is simmering, chop any vegetables you have left in your refrigerator and add them to the pot. Let them cook for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are a texture you like. Some like theirs to have a little crunch.
For protein, add some cooked chicken or a can of beans to the pot.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning by adding more herbs or some salt. A squirt of lemon juice or a splash of vinegar can brighten and intensify the flavor of your soup, too.
Want a thicker soup? Puree it in batches in a blender until it’s smooth. Then add your protein or beans. You can divide this into individual servings (my batches usually yield 4 to 5 portions) and refrigerate or freeze until you’re ready to eat.

These are go-to recipes that allow you to eat a lot, stay full, and lose weight. Once you get the idea, start to experiment with your own recipes until you hit on the flavors that make you happy.

From: www.beachbody.com

Is Fish Oil Right For You?

People are snapping up more fish-oil supplements than ever. They’re taking them to treat a long list of ailments: menstrual cramps, heart disease, asthma, bipolar disorder, high blood pressure, depression, psoriasis, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and pregnancy complications. But the supplements—made from mackerel, herring, and other fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, especially EPA and DHA—aren’t a cure-all. And based on our new tests, some of them aren’t as pure as you might expect. So who should take fish oil? Here’s the answer to that question, plus some other essential information.

Who should take fish oil?

It could help people who have high levels of triglycerides, an artery-clogging fat that increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Fish oil may reduce those levels by 20 to 50 percent. People who have coronary heart disease should also consider taking it. Fish oil may lower their risk of a second heart attack, possibly because it slows or slightly reverses hardening of the coronary arteries.

How much?

Those with high triglycerides may need as much as 4 grams of combined EPA and DHA from capsules a day, used under a doctor’s care. People with heart disease should consume 1 gram of those two fatty acids a day, either from eating 3.5 ounces of fatty fish, such as salmon, lake trout, or sardines, or from capsules after consultation with a physician. Healthy people should protect against heart disease by eating fatty fish at least twice a week. But women who are or may become pregnant and nursing mothers should avoid eating fish that is high in mercury, such as shark, swordfish, and tuna, and should eat only up to 12 ounces of fatty fish a week.

Who else might benefit?

Although the evidence isn’t overwhelming, the supplements may modestly lower high blood pressure, ease menstrual and rheumatoid arthritis pain, and improve the symptoms of ADHD and asthma in children. They might also help with osteoporosis, kidney disease, bipolar disorder, and Raynaud’s syndrome, a disorder that affects the arteries to the fingers and toes.

Who shouldn’t bother?

Fish oil is unlikely to lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes or help gum infection, liver disease, migraines, allergic skin rashes, and stomach ulcers. There isn’t enough evidence to say whether it protects against Alzheimer’s disease, heart arrhythmia, depression, dry eyes, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, pregnancy complications, or cancer.

Is fish oil fattening?
A capsule containing 500 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids in 1 gram of oil has about 13 calories.

Who should never take it?

Fish oil is probably safe for most people in doses of 3 grams or less per day. Higher amounts might increase the risk of bleeding, increase LDL (bad) cholesterol, and impair immune function. And talk to your doctor before taking it if you have liver disease, bipolar disorder, depression, or diabetes, or if you take a blood pressure-lowering drug or a blood-thinning drug such as aspirin, or if you’re getting chemotherapy treatments for cancer. (It’s always a good idea to tell your doctor about all the supplements you take, whether you have one of those conditions or not.) Skip fish-oil supplements if you’re allergic to fish or seafood, or if you have an implanted defibrillator to prevent irregular heartbeat.

From: www.consumerreports.org

Where Sugar Hides

Americans consume an average of about 22 teaspoons a day of added sugar, according to the National Cancer Institute. That type doesn’t occur naturally—the way fructose does in fruit—and its calories might lack extra nutrients. A sensible daily limit of added sugar is more like 6 teaspoons for women and 9 for men, the American Heart Association says.
Sugar can plead not guilty to some accusations.

Many studies have debunked the idea that it causes hyperactivity in kids, for example. But it does nourish the bacteria that cause cavities, and the AHA says that added sugar is associated with increased risks of high blood pressure and high triglyceride levels. A study published last year in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention suggested that drinking an average of five sugar-laden soft drinks a week increased the risk of pancreatic cancer. And it’s probably not coincidental that the nation’s obesity epidemic has progressed in step with increased sugar consumption.

What you can do
Study nutrition facts and ingredients. Other names that signal sugar include dextrose, fruit-juice concentrate, glucose, malt syrup, maltose, molasses, sucrose, beet sugar, high-fructose corn syrup (the Corn Refiners Association has asked the Food and Drug Administration to change that to corn sugar), and evaporated cane juice. Other steps:
•    Try alternatives. Artificially sweetened foods are one option, but there are others. Mott’s No Sugar Added applesauce has the equivalent of about 3 teaspoons less sugar per serving than regular; Rao’s Homemade Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce has almost 2 teaspoons less than the Newman’s Own. Some lower-sugar options are surprising. A chocolate-glazed Dunkin’ Donut has about half the sugar of a small Dunkin’ Donuts Mocha Swirl Latte.
•    Add less sugar to foods such as cereal and substitute cinnamon.
•    Choose treats that contain some nutrients. Opt for fruit, say, or low-fat chocolate milk.
•    Replace candy with dry-roasted nuts or baked tortilla chips.
•    Watch what you drink. Sodas are the leading source of added sugar in the American diet, but many bottled teas and juice drinks are also loaded with sugar. Spike water with strong tea or fruit juice. Make smoothies from fresh or frozen fruit, plain nonfat yogurt, and ice.

From: consumerreports.org

Maintaining a Healthy Life Balance

Admittedly, it is hard to make lifestyle changes and still maintain a healthy social, family, and work balance in your life. However, if you truly do want to make changes – to your workout routine or your nutrition – you will have to learn how to balance YOUR life – not anyone else’s – and make it work for you. This does not mean saying no to everything and focusing solely on your own goals. But, it does allow you to be a little selfish in the respect that you are choosing a goal and choosing to put up boundaries and restrictions on your time, your choices, and the decisions you make. And that is perfectly fine.

So how do you balance making exercise and nutrition a priority? Read on.

Make Habits of Lifestyle Changes

First of all, when it comes to exercise – pick an option that maximizes your time. Desperately trying to get into the gym daily and choosing workouts that do not maximize your time are pointless. Isn’t it better to do something like our indoor training or boot camp and know that when you can make your workout – it is maximizing your efforts?

Ever be on the way out the door to the gym and hear “Mommy, Daddy – can you just help me with this? Play with me?” Gym bag gets dropped and kids attended to. Now, we aren’t saying that you should ignore your children by all means. However, when you have a class time that you have to make and you know the workout is full body and you’ll get true benefits from it – it is easier to stick to it than it is to just say “Oh, I’ll go to the gym later.” Even if you miss class that day – you’ll still make up more in classes that week than several blah sessions at the gym. And that is how you maximize your time.

Moving on.

Once you start decreasing your time in the gym and using your exercise time wisely, you’ll want to work on assimilating good habits into the rest of your day. This will help you maintain a healthier lifestyle and free up more time for your family.

Do a new task every single day for 21 days, and you’ve created a habit. The right habits can change your life.

Try planning your day out the day before. Make that your goal for 21 days.

Start preplanning and packing your meals the night before. This will help you stick to a good nutrition plan and prevent you from skipping meals instead of  binging on bad food when you get a moment to eat.

Try focusing on getting enough sleep. This may mean turning off the television and the laptop at the same time every night and getting to bed.

Try writing out a time log and log your day in half-hour increments. After keeping the time log for a week, you will be able to identify “time wasters” that you could change or eliminate altogether from your schedule. You will not believe how much time you waste checking email, messaging on the phone and doing other unneeded random activities.

Setting Goals and Taking Action

At this point you’ve decreased your time in the gym (adding our classes instead) and eliminated your daily time wasters. Your next step is to write down where you are and where you want to go. Determine your personal and professional goals, but ensure they’re attainable and measurable.

This simple action alone can give you focus and direction. The reason most people don’t take action is that their goals are either overwhelming or not inspiring. So pick something you really want to do, and instead of setting your sights only on the long-term goal, write down the smaller tasks you need to accomplish on the way to the larger goal.

These days, people have less free time than ever before. Fitness often becomes an afterthought, pushed aside for more pressing tasks. But if you make your time both in and out of the gym more efficient, you can slowly reintroduce fitness back into your daily routine and still have time for the rest of your life.

Sources: http://www.livestrong.com/article/476896-balancing-fitness-with-a-busy-life/#ixzz1ftjIpQ36

It is not what you “Can’t” eat; It is what you CAN!

“Don’t,” “limit,” and “avoid” are perhaps the three most common initial words of dietary advice given to people who are starting a nutrition plan.  Nutrition professionals and others in the health community often hand out well-meaning but overwhelmingly negative dietary guidance. Rather than helping, such negative admonitions can add yet another layer of anxiety to starting a new food plan.

Often, when we think of changing our nutrition, we tend to concentrate solely on what we can’t eat, instead of what we can eat. This is why most of us fail at following a new nutrition plan, because we focus on giving up all our favorite dishes and treats instead of focusing on eating the right foods to fuel our bodies, providing the greatest amount of nutrients for the calories, and providing essential and filling fiber to aid in digestion and keep us feeling full. When we are eating right, many of our cravings will disappear, because our bodies have been starved for real nutrition.

In the recent past, fats have been a huge no-no in our diets. Unfortunately, the eighties and nineties saw the rise of “fat-free” wave in food fads. Many processed foods hit the market that indeed contained little to no fat; however, the missing fat was often replaced with sugar. People didn’t stop to realize that these fat-free items contained nearly as many or even more calories than their regular counterparts did. People quit eating natural, healthy foods such as eggs because of paranoia over cholesterol levels. Consuming even a little oil was thought to be very damaging to one’s health. Thank goodness we now know better. Monounsaturated oils such as olive and canola actually promote heart-health. Fatty fish such as salmon contain Omega-3 fatty acids, which promote lower levels of “bad” HDL cholesterol and help stabilize triglyercide levels. Avocados are another great source of healthy plant-based fats, as are coconut and nuts. A little healthy fat promotes fullness, and helps curb the appetite. The main thing to be aware of is that these sources of healthy fats are calorie-dense; a little bit goes a long way.

Look for foods high in fiber. Check labels for how many grams of fiber is contained in products. If you see enriched flour listed as one of the first ingredients on a package, put it back and look for one that lists whole grain flour as one of its first ingredients. Fruits and vegetables are natural sources of fiber. Whole grain baked goods are now widely available, as is whole grain pasta. These choices give you more fiber per serving and keep you feeling full longer.

Get the most nutrients and fiber for the least number of calories. A medium-sized apple or orange contains more nutrients and fiber than a large glass of juice from the same fruits does. Pick spinach for salads over iceberg lettuce as it contains far more nutrients. Stop using nutrient-void products that contain high-fructose corn syrup and cane sugar, by substituting small amounts of natural sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup and agave nectar. These provide even more sweetness than sugar does, but don’t produce the same roller-coaster effects on your blood-sugar levels.

Like your steak? Then have one! But instead of eating a fatty cut such as a rib-eye, choose a steak lower in saturated fat such as a sirloin. Same with ground beef–choose the lower-fat varieties. One thing to be aware of about ground chicken and turkey -it’s not always lower in fat than ground beef is. Look for all white meat versions of these ground meats, as the other versions may contain the bird’s skin, which is always fatty.

When you feed your body right, cravings will diminish greatly. It’s not that difficult to get the nutrients your body needs if you are aware of what you’re putting into your mouth. The most natural, least processed versions of foods are usually the healthiest and are often the cheapest. So focus on all the great things you can eat while dieting, and you’ll soon see those junk food cravings fade away.

Sources: http://www.diet1200.com/new/dieting-focus-on-what-you-can-eat/

Achieve Personal Fitness and MABC’s Favorite Things!

Happy Holiday’s! We thought we would have some fun and list a few of our favorite things!

Coach Catherine’s Favorite Things:

Favorite Protein: Egg Whites International and Beverly International Cookies & Creme

Favorite Workout: HIIT/MegaMetabolic

Favorite Sports Clothing: Bra – The Enell – Not the most attractive, but it works.

Favorite Workout Outfit: Mens boxer shorts, cross trainers, my Enell and a white tank top (I am low maintenance).

Favorite “Treat Food”: ANYTHING chocolate and peanut butter.

Coach Michael’s Favorite Things:

Favorite workout shoes: Vibram Five-Fingers

Favorite workout: MegaMetabolic

Favorite “treat food”: Turtle Sundae from Oscar’s & Pizza

Favorite “healthy meal”: Turkey Chili

Coach Marin’s Favorite Things: 

Favorite running shoe: Brooks Adrenaline GTS

Favorite cross-training shoe: Nike Free

Favorite workout gear: One Tooth (store at Bayshore) – Reasonable prices, free hemming, and nice clothes!

Favorite workout: 5k fun runs! They are a great way to meet people and to support different organizations/charities – interspersed with High Intensity Interval Training at Achieve!

Favorite workout music/band: Motion City Soundtrack

Favorite food: SPINACH – I always have a bag on hand – it is easy to add to EVERYTHING. I put it in my omelet every morning and make a spinach salad almost every day. It is a good idea to get a variety of cooked and raw vegetables since some nutrients are more accessible when the food is cooked.

Coach Jojo’s Favorite Things:

Favorite Food:  My egg white omelette with spinach, zucchini, red pepper, and mushrooms!!

Favorite Workout Music:  Lady Gaga

Favorite Workout: Where the sweat keeps pouring and it kills while you are doing it but you feel so

accomplished after!!

Coach Joanna’s Favorite Things:

Workout gear: Garmin heart rate monitor

Workout apparel: Lululumon groove pants

Gear: iPod with awesome tunes!

Setting Yourself Up For Failure? Do New Year’s Resolutions Differently.

Year after year you see the same thing. As we approach the new year every blog you subscribe to will publish an article on setting New Years Resolutions. It doesn’t matter what their blog is about. Got a blog on toy dogs? How about collecting porcelain tea cups? They all find a way to incorporate New Years Resolutions!

We are here to tell you to stop. Enough is enough. Setting goals is vital to success but the standard New Years Resolution is counterproductive.

How most people do it

Most people sit down and in 10 minutes rip out a list of 10 things that the will change. I will stop smoking. I will lose 50 pounds. I will exercise every day and get in shape. I will work an extra 10 hours a week and get that promotion. The list goes on and on.

This list quickly gets buried under a mound of papers and doesn’t get seen again until six months down the road. One day you clean up the office and come across the list. Wow, this is good stuff. How much did I accomplish?

Nada!

Add insult to injury- Not only did you accomplish nothing with this foray into goal setting, you actually set yourself back. Now you have another example of how you can’t keep with a goal setting program. Every time you fail to stick to your New Years Resolutions you further entrench a lack of confidence. It quickly becomes a self fulfilling prophecy and makes it easier to fail the following year.

There is a better way.

No, I’m not trying to sell you a system. Any good goal setting program will tell you the same thing. At the heart of any good goal setting system are these five items.

Vision: Determine what kind of life you want to lead and what you want to achieve. Do you want to travel to exotic destinations? Do you want a beautiful house in the mountains? Do you want to meet the man (or woman) of your dreams? Write it all down then condense it into a compact statement.

One good goal setting metaphor is traveling across country. Your vision is your destination (in this case Seattle Washington). The more clearly you can see it the less likely you’ll end up in El Paso Texas!

Commitment and Desire: Now that you know what you want you need to emotionalize it. Don’t skip this step. Goals without the underlying desire are much harder to accomplish. Unless you can push through on willpower you’ll fall back into old habits.

Having a good vision makes this much easier. It’s hard to get excited by a goal like “no more smoking.” It is easy to stay committed if you can visualize the benefit. See your bank account growing. See yourself being more fit and athletic. Feel the pain of your current pattern to help drive you (this give you both the push and the pull).

Plan: You don’t have to write down every step. You don’t need to see the entire path. You just need to know the next few things that need done. This is where your actual goals come in. What do you need to accomplish in order to achieve your vision? Write them down. Be specific. Don’t say “I want to make more money.” Say “I want to make $250k a year before taxes running a website devoted to wealth and life balance through entrepreneurship. I will achieve this no later than 12/31/2012 and will devote 10 hours a week to developing content.”

Going back to our goal setting metaphor, your plan is your route. It is a step by step path. You don’t have to know every mile of the way but you better know your next turn!

Repetition: Wake up 10 minutes early and see your vision. Then get up and read your vision and goals. Do this also before you go to bed.

This accomplishes two things. First, it keeps you focused on your goals. It keeps you on track and keeps your goals in front of you. Second, it drives your goals into your subconscious. It is much easier to keep on track if you don’t always have to be thinking about it. Let your subconscious do the work!

Using our goal setting metaphor, this is going over your plan several times to make sure you stay on track. The better you know your route and destination the easier the trip is.

Review: Review your progress weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly. How have you done with your goals? Do you need to revise them? Do you need to set new goals? Is your vision still accurate?

How does this apply to our metaphor? As you drive you are constantly receiving feedback. You review your progress to determine if a change is needed. Maybe you need to call and let someone know you will be early. Maybe you need to plan an overnight stop. Maybe you need to change your route to go around a traffic jam.

Sources: http://blog.wealth-and-wisdom.com/2008/12/31/stop-setting-yourself-up-for-failure-with-new-years-resolutions/

How do you get fit, lose fat, and still be able to indulge in alcohol socially?

For most of us Wisconsinites, enjoying a glass of wine or having some beers while watching the game is a fun way to socialize or unwind. Yet, too much indulgence can work against your fitness goals. So how do you balance both?

First, you’ll drive yourself crazy if you’re trying to be perfect. Of course, if you have no problem abstaining from alcohol, then this isn’t an issue for you. However, for the rest of us, that actually do like to partake in some adult beverages, here are a few tips that can help you to stay lean, while still drinking alcohol occasionally.

1. Obviously alcohol gives you extra empty calories on the days that you choose to drink. On nights that you know are going to involve some drinking, it helps to make sure that your dinner is based only around protein and vegetables. You’re going to take in a lot of empty calories with the alcohol, so eating a good portion of appetite-satisfying protein along with nutrient-rich vegetables can help to control your appetite and give your body the nutrients it needs. Plus, most importantly, there’s just no room for loads of carbohydrate-rich foods if you’re also going to be consuming alcohol. Carbs + alcohol is a perfect recipe for growing a beer belly or muffin top! Yes ladies, this means you too. Try to keep that evening meal a fairly low carb meal to save yourself from extra empty calories.

2. If you want to save your body from adding fat, by all means stay away from syrupy, fruity drinks that are loaded with sugar… this is a double whammy for your gut as you’re not only getting all of the empty alcohol calories, but also loads of empty sugar calories. Big fruity drinks such as a margarita can sometimes have as much as 500-800 calories per serving! Instead, your best bet is to stick with a clear alcohol mixed with club soda and a squeeze of lime or lemon. A glass of wine is also a healthy option. Stay away from tonic water mixers! Some people don’t realize this, but tonic water is loaded with almost as much sugar as regular soda… on the other hand, club soda has no calories at all. It is one of the lowest calorie mixer options.

3. If you’re going to drink beer, you’re better off choosing just 1 or 2 dark beers rather than 5 or 6 light beers. Sure, some dark beers may have more calories than light beers, but dark beers also have more B vitamins and antioxidants than light beers, so you actually get more nutrition from the dark beer. A 12 oz bottle of Guinness has 126 calories.

4. Try to get in a high intensity full body workout before your night out of drinking. At least you’ve revved up your metabolism and have your body processing calories a little faster. Also, trying to get in some sort of exercise the morning after your night out can also help to get your body back to a good state of health. This may not be your best workouts in terms of energy, but it can help to just get your body moving and break a sweat.

5. Avoid the late-night munchies after a night of drinking!  We highlighted this because this is where most people do the biggest damage to their waistlines. Instead, make sure to have some lean protein and vegetables quickly available at home (perhaps some pre-cooked chicken breasts, or even tuna fish and some veggie sticks) so that you can satisfy your late night post-party appetite with lean protein instead of carbohydrates. The worst thing for your body is loading up on pizza, ice cream, and other carb-rich junk after a night out of drinking. Sound too difficult? There are plenty of 200 – 300 calorie single serve pizza options or lean pockets that can satisfy your urge to eat without totally destroying your nutrition goals.

6. If you drink multiple drinks socially, try to only imbibe 1-2 days/week maximum if you want to stay lean. On the other hand, if you never drink more than 1-2 drinks per day, having 1-2 drinks daily with a meal can still be part of a healthy lifestyle. As long as those calories are accounted for and you still stay within your daily caloric maintenance. Again – we consider a 1-2 drink a day regimen healthy if you are in the maintenance stage. Having a glass or two of wine at dinner is fine. IF you are still trying to lose, this is an easy thing to cut and save for social times.

7. Wine is one of the healthier drink choices… if you must have a drink, you might as well choose wine so you at least get a good dose of antioxidants as well. Red wine is known for its antioxidant content, however even white wines contain antioxidants as well. We love Thirst and Vine – be sure to check them out – they are located in Shorewood and are fabulous.