Top 3 myths women believe about working out
exercise, fit fridays
18th Sep 2009
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Myth #1: You need to do tons of long, boring cardio to lose weight
You can dramatically reduce your workout time if you increase your intensity. By doing intense strength training either with weights or with the weight of your body, and doing sprints instead of long runs, you’ll dramatically improve your fat loss and fitness level in a very short period of time.
Myth #2: If I work out, I can eat anything I want
You’ll never lose fat if you continue to eat the way you have been eating. Some trainers say that diet is way more important than working out. I’ve witnessed the proof firsthand. My cleanse classes have helped me lose weight naturally even as my activity slows. And since I’ve recently taken gluten out of my diet, my body has lost fat effortlessly while I’ve worked out far less than I did just a few months ago.
Myth #3: Weight training will make me bulky
Women don’t get bulky unless they are taking steroids – in that case, they will probably start going through some other changes as well. Weight training can tighten, shape and trim your body into a work of art. And no one will mistake you for a man.
So get training! If you need a recommendation for a trainer, please leave me a comment.
If you want to try something new, and you’re in NYC – come sample some delicious live foods
And if you’re ready to get started eating right, contact me
How to get motivated to exercise at any time
exercise, fit fridays, fun
14th Aug 2009
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Having participated in many endurance events, including a triathlon and 3 day AIDS Ride, I am no slouch when it comes to sticking to a workout schedule. But getting myself to consistently work out wasn’t always easy – and I completely understand what it feels like to not want to do it. Here’s what I do to get moving:
Music, please – fill your iPod, MP3 player, or walkman (don’t laugh – I was still using one just a few years ago) with motivating music that gets you moving. I like rock – some of my (newer) favorites are Vampire Weekend, The Hives and Sloan - older faves include U2, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Van Halen.
Set a goal – This is embarrassing, but I’ll tell you anyway. In the early 2000′s, when leather pants were hot, I wanted to get a pair but wouldn’t until I reached a certain goal weight/size. I called my quest “project leather pants” and came up with a whole plan to get me there - eating clean, running on a regular schedule and working out at the gym. After a few months of
my project, I succeeded and bought the pants.
Find a partner – Working out with a friend, like I talked about last week, always helps get me motivated.
Just do it – The hardest part about working out is getting yourself to the gym, or pressing play on your DVD player or outside. When I was in training for my events, I decided that I would work out first thing in the morning. Each night I laid out my workout clothes so that they would be the first thing I saw in the morning. As soon as the alarm went off, I’d roll out of bed
and put on my clothes. Once I was out the door, it was easy to get started.
The more times you practice this habit, the easier it becomes. Try it for 21 days – the amount of time it takes to create a habit – and see how easy it will be to keep doing it.
How to get more energy naturally
exercise, food, tips thursdays
13th Aug 2009
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Thursdays are my early mornings. I meet with a group of professionals over breakfast to network, and I need to get up extra early to do this. I have to admit that if I don’t get enough sleep the night before, it’s likely that I’ll want to grab a second cup of green tea.
Many people that I know feel their energy is constantly low and ask me what they can do to alleviate it. Here are my four tips to help raise your energy:
3 reasons why I'd rather work out with a friend
exercise, fit fridays, fun, inspiration, self care
7th Aug 2009
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I don’t love team sports, but I do like working out with friends. Here’s why:
1. Better results – When you commit to working out with someone, you’re more committed to working out. If you don’t show up for your workout, you’re letting your friend down. And by exercising on a regular basis, the results will show up faster and clearer.
When I moved to Brooklyn, I didn’t have a gym close to my home or my work. I started running on the track at McCarren Park, until one day a trainer called me over to his group and said, “Come work out with us today.” Soon after that I was working out with Kiki of Traditional Tribal Fitness several times per week, and seeing results like I never saw when I was simply running laps.
2. More fun – When you exercise with a friend, even the hardest workouts
become more fun. You egg each other on with friendly competition and you work harder.
Before our wedding, my fiance and I did the P90x workout. If you’ve ever seen the commercials, you’ll know that it’s a tough one. And when we pressed play each morning, it was – but having him there working with me made me want to work harder and get fitter.
3. Achieve more – I can’t imagine participating in a Triathlon or New York to Boston AIDS ride without the support of friends. Maybe I didn’t even believe that I could – until I did them all.
With my first triathlon, I trained for it with one of my good friends. In fact, I think it was her idea in the first place to do the event – when she told me about it, I said, “Sounds cool. Let’s do it together.” We trained five or six days per week for several weeks. If we didn’t always work out together, we did log our workouts and check in several times per week.
So, how do you find a workout buddy? You can ask a friend or a neighbor who has a similar goal. Walk with other mothers around your community, meet a friend for tennis or racquet ball instead of drinks after work, or sign up for a 5k or 1/2 marathon with a friend and train together. Commit to a regular schedule where you can train while catching up.
If you can’t find someone offline, try online sources.
If you have your own blog, start a fitness challenge – Molly from These Little Moments started an August weight loss challenge on her site and has many of her readers participating. If you don’t have your own site, start
your own fitness challenge through your Facebook or Twitter network.
If you want to connect with people but not necessarily ones that you know in person, SparkPeople is a great resource for setting and reaching health and fitness goals.
Or, compete with yourself – Nike + helps you track your running workout progress on their website and motivates you through your iPod with upbeat music.
Workout groups with a trainer work well, too. If you live in the NYC area, Traditional Tribal Fitness has a great weekday morning group as well as the free Body Church on Sundays.
If you and your friends want support to stay on track with your nutrition and wellness plan, contact me to find out how I can help you.
Springing into spring
career, cleanse, diet, environment, exercise, happiness, self care
20th Mar 2009
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Happy first day of Spring! You wouldn’t know it was spring in New York, though, where we woke up to flurries and dark skies. But at least the forecast is good for the rest of the weekend.
I’m excited because spring is the beginning of new growth and warmer weather. It’s also the perfect time to think about changing up your routine and doing things differently. If you want to get started on new projects… create new enterprises… get more active and get out more into the world… now is the time to wake up from the winter slumber.
The best way I know how to start making things happen is to do a holistic spring cleanse.
I start with my diet by incorporating more spring foods in it – leafy greens, lighter proteins, and less fat. By eating this way, my energy becomes lighter and more vibrant.
Once I start clearing out old physical energy and shedding any winter excess, I move into clearing out different areas of my life – physically cleaning out my closet or getting rid of clutter in my office. Or changing up my exercise routine. Or making plans with friends that I haven’t seen in a while.
Then I can put more energy into new creative projects now that I’ve released old energy.
Would you like to try it, too? I have two cleanse classes coming up very soon.
Sign up for the March 27 – April 2 cleanse – Hurry, teleclass is Tuesday March 24!
Sign up for the April 17 – April 23 cleanse – teleclass is Tuesday, April 14
Around the Web: Bagels, Bucks, Bingeing and Buying Organic
environment, exercise, food, news
10th Mar 2009
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There’s lots of stories out in the ol’ www. Here’s a short round up of a few that interested me so far this week:
Are bagels healthy? – Short answer: No
Living paycheck to paycheck – Want to break out of this cycle? Read this article and see if you start thinking differently.
Are you a binge eater? Or exercise addict? – Yes, exercise can be an addiction, too – and it’s linked with Bulemia. This site gives some great information about both these and other eating disorders.
What produce have the least (and most) pesticides? – From the Environmental Working Group, the results of their latest survey on pesticides found on fruits and vegetables.
Live your dreams
career, exercise, fun, happiness, inspiration, relationships, self care
31st Dec 2008
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Is there a dream that you’ve been hanging onto that you’ve not yet accomplished? You might want to travel the world, learn another language, write a novel, complete a marathon, or many other things.
I’m talking about any deep desire that excites you that you keep putting off for various reasons – like when you have more money, or more time, or reach a certain age or when your kids start school. And every time you think of it, you sigh and say, “yes, someday.”
Now is the time to start acting on your dreams. By taking action and working on these deep desires, you nourish yourself and your spirit.
Get creative on fulfilling your dreams. Start thinking, “How can I make this dream happen?” Find ways to carve out a little bit of time per day to work on a goal that is just for your own growth. If you want to travel, start researching the areas you want to visit. If you want to learn French, listen to language CDs in your car or on your iPod. If you want to write, wake up 30 minutes earlier than you normally do and dedicate that time to your writing. If you want to complete a marathon, create a running schedule to build up your weekly mileage.
By dedicating a small amount of time from each day to accomplishing your dreams, you’re on your way to making them a reality. And before you know it, you will have fulfilled your lifelong desires.
Happy new year! May all of your dreams come true.
Get what you want – start now
career, exercise, food, happiness, love, relationships, self care
28th Dec 2008
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The Law of Attraction states that whatever you focus on expands. If this is the universal truth, doesn’t it make sense to only focus on what you want? And yet, most of the time, all we do is focus on what we don’t want. We say things like – I don’t want to be fat. I don’t want to lose my job. I don’t want to go broke. I don’t want to get divorced. I don’t want to get cancer, and so on…the list is endless.
But the more we focus on what we don’t want, the more likely it is that we’ll get what we don’t want. That’s because the universe doesn’t understand the difference between want and don’t want.
So, how do you turn it all around? Lynn Grabhorn, author of Excuse me, your life is waiting, says there are four simple, yet powerful, steps to getting what you want:
1. First, know what you don’t want – this is important, because it will help you figure out the next step
2. Then, know what you do want – which you can figure out by rewriting your don’t wants from negative statements to positive statements
3. Next, get into the feeling place of your want – this can be a little tricky at first. The “feeling place” is that state of excitement that you feel when you’re about to get exactly what you want – kind of like a kid on Christmas morning. Everything is shiny and happy, and you feel this joy from your head to your toes. So excited you’re doing a happy dance. Stay in this state for as long as you can, and practice getting in this state as frequently as you can.
4. Finally, know and trust that the Universe is about to deliver your true wants. It may not come right away, so it is important that you maintain this trust that it will be delivered at the perfect time for you.
This sounds easy, but it can be somewhat confusing. I recommend highly picking up Lynn Grabhorn’s book if you want to really make things happen for you faster than you ever thought possible.
More resources:
Get Lynn Grabhorn’s book or other resources on the Law of Attraction
Plan for success: have fun and stay on track
exercise, food, happiness, self care
16th Dec 2008
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Ah the holidays. The endless bounty of treats and sweets, and the annual gatherings and parties that go on all December and into January can leave you feeling worn out, tired and stressed.
Some people feel it’s either all or nothing – indulge in everything, go to every party, and throw your health goals totally out the window for the season OR stay at home, hibernate, turn off the phone and hide until it’s all over. You don’t have to sacrifice your social life to keep your health goals on track. It just takes a little planning ahead.
Schedule your workout: In busy times, make sure that you schedule in your workouts and stick to your schedule. For example, if you know you won’t work out in the evening because you have events to attend, take time to work out in the morning. If you have to, get up a little earlier so that you can make sure you have time to work out.
Plan your meals: If you know you’re going to be attending three parties in a week, make sure that you’re eating healthfully at other meals. Have a healthy snack or small meal before you go out to a party to ensure you don’t overdo it with high-calorie, low-nutrient hors d’oeurves or sugary drinks. Plan to leave the party early enough that you can get enough sleep and be ready for the next day.
Take time for yourself: While it’s important to attend holiday gatherings and see people you haven’t seen in a while, make sure you don’t overdo it. Schedule in some down time for yourself – take certain evenings off during the week when you go home, relax and eat a home cooked meal. Schedule in some time over the weekend when you can stay in, take a nap or get things done around the house.
Recover faster after your workouts
exercise, mindfulness, self care
14th Dec 2008
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Your muscles worked hard, and your body needs some recovery time before you run off and do other things. The best thing you can do for yourself after your workout is stretching. By incorporating stretching into your regular routine, you ensure that your body stays limber and gets some recovery time, allowing it to repair more easily after all the hard work that you’ve done in your workout.
There are two types of stretches: static, or those that you hold, and ballistic, continuous movements that stretch you out. I like to do a combination of both. The static stretches help get some muscles that are hard to stretch otherwise – for example, the quads are most easily stretched by standing on one foot and grabbing the other foot behind you. Ballistic stretches work out the kinks and give you more energy at the same time. An example of a ballistic stretch is twisting – standing upright and turning your torso from side to side, letting your arms swing as you twist.
If you’re familiar with yoga, you know the Sun Salutation. This series of postures is a great way to either warm up before exercising or cool down afterwards. It works everything, massaging your internal organs and stretching each part of your body. If done rigorously, you can do it as aerobic exercise that will keep you flexible, train you to breathe properly (as long as you’re timing your inhales/exhales with the movement) and clear your mind.
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