Three Organs that make you FAT (or skinny) PART 3 of 3: ADRENAL GLANDS

Here it is, the third and final chapter in my triplet of the three organs that can make you FAT or SKINNY: the adrenal glands.

The adrenal glands produce the hormones adrenaline, norepinephrine, DHEA, and cortisol. Cortisol happens to be your fat storing hormone so what happens to your adrenals should be I M P O R T A N T to you!! All of these hormones help your body naturally cope with stress by triggering the release of sugar from the liver and muscles into the blood as an instant fuel source.

DHEA is a sex hormone and a natural fat burner. In my opinion it's the mother of all hormones because most of our OTHER sex hormones are derived from it, primarily estrogen and testosterone. The important muscle building and fat burning hormone declines naturally with age, which makes it even harder to be thin and fit. Therefore- you want to do everything in your power to keep your adrenal glands healthy so they can produce these important hormones.

Considering all your adrenals do, they take A LOT of abuse. We batter the hell out of our adrenals with bad nutrition, lack of sleep, drinking,smoking, and medications. But the GREATEST enemy of the adrenals is our reliance on caffeine containing products, like coffee, soda, and energy drinks.

Now don't get me wrong, caffeine has MANY benefits for the body- in moderation. If you're hitting more then 2 cups of coffee a day (even I fall prey to breaking this rule) you're at risk of overtaxing the adrenals glands. Trainers and competitive athletes tend to be the WORST adrenal abusers. Because of our schedules we rely on coffee and because of our emphasis on our physiques we tend to abuse fat burners as well (many of which contain caffeine and other stimulants that fire on the adrenal glands).

Most weight loss and sport nutrition supplements contain caffeine, and many contain proprietary blends which pair or couple caffeine with other thermogenic enhancing ingredients- i.e double trouble on your adrenals. Again, this is not to say you need to AVOID fat burners altogether, but tapering and cycling on and off fat burners is advised to help keep your adrenal glands from getting wiped out and overworked.

When the adrenal glands get overworked by caffeine and other factors they eventually can't produce hormones in sufficient amounts or can't utilize all the hormones they do produce. Basically they get wiped out. Period. The condition is called "Adrenal exhaustion" and it makes you a slow metabolizer, tired all the time, and generally, unwell.

Some symptoms of adrenal exhaustion include;

• Weight gain, especially in your midsection
• Weakness
• Blemishes
• Insomnia
• Lethargy
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Memory problems
• Food cravings
• Poor immunity
• Allergies
• Blood sugar imbalances
• Premature aging

So what to do? Well for starters stick to the 2 cups of coffee a day- for those of you who wonder how much that is- one cup = 8 ounces, so go from there. Over 16 ounces of coffee a day and you're too much. AND you need to add energy drinks and caffeine including sodas into that mix as well!

And as far as supplements go- use with caution. I recommend staying on a fat burner no longer then 6 weeks at full dosage. Taper for a week to two weeks, then come off for two weeks cold. During that time I recommend supplementing in with natural supplements that bolster the health of your adrenals. One I've used in the past post show which has proven VERY effective at helping my adrenals recover is:

PLANETARY HERBALS ADRENAL COMPLEX

Adrenal support supplementation is crticial, especially if you're daily taxing your adrenal glands (like I have) through caffeine consumption and taking fat burners/thermogenics.

My Mocha Java Protein Shake

Mix together:

• 1 scoop Jay Robb Chocolate Whey Protein Powder
• 1-2 packets of Stevia
• 3-4 ice cubes
• 1 cup cold brewed coffee
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 TBSP unsweetened Hershey's cocoa

Blend until smooth- I LOVE this shake post workout!!! It's a yummy pick me up the reminds me of what a mocha frappuccino would taste like (even though I've never had one!!!)

***For muscle gain add TWO (2) scoops Protein Powder, 1/4 cup low fat or 2% milk, and 2 TBSP Hershey's Chocolate Syrup***

5 Ways to Choose Better Meat

This post is about one of my FAVORITE foods- MEAT, and considering I eat a lot of it- this is a major concern of mine! I'm willing to bet, that if you're reading this you consume a lot of meat as well. Even though many would argue that a vegan diet is a healthier way of life, AND it is possible to thrive and survive minus meat, the fact of the matter is that animal proteins are among the most bio available and complete. They are a good source of B Vitamins, iron, magnesium, amino acids, and zinc- all of which can be hard to get into your diet through other means.

Most people who "don't" eat meat, do so because they either think it's high in fat, causes ill health, OR they're worried about the environment or the treatment of animals.

My father is the farm manager at Rodale Research Institute, a leading research institute dedicated towards the research and growth of organics. He also sits on the United States Organics Board and helps set the standards by which organic foods are indentified. Thus I am a huge supporter of organics- and want others to be too- but that aside, getting YOU guys the info is important so you can make your own choices! The bottom line is- whether you eat meat or don't, read on...

Our current industrial agricultural system has a created a situation in which we should ALL be concerned for the animals, the environment, and our personal health. Why? Because it's centralized on subsidized feed crops and concentrated animal feeding operations or CAFOs. Contrary to popular belief the sustainable movement isn't say "no" to meat, it's just advocatinf that you choose a better KIND of meat, i.e become a more concientious meat eater! Here are 5 ways you can choose better meat- for the animals, the environment, AND most importantly- your health;

1. Understand the issues...
REALLY understand them! I have one statement to make here- bluntly put CAFOS are hell on earth. They're like concentration camps for animals, cruelty is a systematic part of how they do things- and knowing too much about CAFOS would turn ANYONE away from eating meat- myself included- and I LOVE meat! I don't know anyone that can argue this point- cows raised standing in their own fecal matter, pigs confined to gestational crates, chickens subjected to beak cutting and crowded into windowless warehouses, etc etc.

Animal welfare is only one reason to shift away from industrial meat. There are others, including the pollution produced by factory farms. Talk about an environmental concern. Did you know that the worldwide livestock sector accounts for nearly 20% of the global greenhouse gas emissions? That's more then the world's transport emissions combined. I was shocked when I read that quote- as I'm sure you just were! The bottom line- the way we raise animals is not only NOT humane, it's not ecologically sustainable.

We have ramped up production to unprecendented levels, creating an excess of animal waste. Feed is another factor. To raise more cows, chickens, and pigs in limited spaces we've altered their diets to go heavy on soy and corn- commoditied subsidized by U.S tax dollars. About 50% of all corn and 90% of all soy goes towards feeding livestock- NOT towards human consumption. It's incredibly polluting and energy intensive way of producing food.

2.Look for greener pastures...
So what's the problem with the corn and soy diet? Well it's this- cows are ruminants, and were never meant to eat corn. Period. When you change their natural diets for the sake of large scale production it has health consequences for them. Since we consume cows, it thus has health consequences for us. Feed lot beef is overly fatty and contains an abnormally small amount of omega 3 fatty acids and too much omega 6- which is the kind of fat linked to heart disease and cancer.

Consider the diet with which we evolved. As hunter/gatherers we got about 50% of our calories from meat, we couldn't overdose on omega 6's because they're most abundant naturally in grains, which wasn't readily available in quantity in the past 5,000 years. Now we're getting 10-20 more times omega 6's then we need as a result of dietary changes- more grain is abundant and our meat is altered. In changing the diet of the animals that we eat, we've tampered with something essential and we are paying the price at higher rates of cancer,heart disease, depression, obesity, and autoimmune disorders.

HOWEVER- and this is a BIG HOWEVER, when you choose GRASS FED beef, the inverse is true! You get fatty acids in balance and a healthy dose of health protective CLA (conjugated lipoic acid). When cows are eating the diet they were designed to eat they have healthy fats and are rich in antioxidants. The entire scope of consuming meat changes.

3.Accept the real costs...
By real costs I mean this- there is no getting around the fact that healthier, earth friendly meats cost more. Shop around as much as you can but be willing to stretch your budget a bit. And remember what you're investing in- yes it is more expensive but thats only because the hidden costs are not offset. Organic farms, or small local farms don't get subsidized- you don't pay through your tax dollars. You have to ask yourself if you'd rather be supporting an extractive economy, based on pulling resources OUT of the earth and pouring garbage into your body, OR do you want a support a sustainable, eco friendly economy that fuels your body the way nature intended?

4. Expand your palate...
Another way to get more for your money and to literally "get more from your meat" is to consider using all parts of the animal. You can do this by saving the bones and making stock, or finding creative ways to utilize more parts of the animal. Small farmers won't have all cuts in stock at all times, since they're working on a smaller scale, they're working with a few animals only at a time rather then hundreds of thousands. Small scale farmers can help you choose another cut (i.e skirt steak can substitute for flank steak) or help you adapt your recipe according to what's available. I recommend looking at http://www.grassfedcooking.com/ for more recipe ideas.

5. Stay local if you can...
When it comes to creating sustainable food systems local is always the trump card, ALWAYS. I know locally I get much of my bison/buffalo from a local bison ranch. Finding a small, local farmer is usually the healthier choice for you, the animal, the farmer, and thus the local economy. If you're unsure as to where one exists near you, check out http://www.localharvest.org/, http://www.eatwild.com/, or http://www.eatwellguide.com/. Better yet connect to your local sustainable food movement. If you live in the city or suburbs consider driving out to get your meat or have it shipped to you from a small family run farm. The cost of transporting meat is minimal compared with the cost to the environment or your tax dollars put to work on CAFO meat. Its far better to buy grass fed from a state away. If you have to shop at a grocery store, or you just prefer to- READ LABELS CAREFULLY. You have to do your homework here. Briefly- here's a cheat sheet:

• USDA ORGANIC: This is the ONLY (I repeat the ONLY) label with real muscle. It means its regulated by the United States government. It guarantees the animal was raised without hormones or antibiotics and was grass fed or fed organic feed. It ALSO specifies that the animal needs to be alotted a certain amount of space for livestock management (thus eliminating CAFO issues).
• CERTIFIED HUMANE: This is an independent certification, and its the go to label for small animal welfare. The standards of this certification address minimum food and water requirements, shelter requirements, as well as humane conditions for slaughter. Standards are different depending on the animal- turkey, chicken, pig, goat, cow, sheep etc.
• ANIMAL WELFARE APPROVED: This is the creme de la creme of animal welfare labels, and according to most experts this label has the most rigorous standards for the humane treatment of animals.
• GRASS FED: This term can be used loosely, but cuts marked "American Grass Fed" or "AGA Pasture Finished" are preferable, they meet stringent standards set by the American Grassfed Organization
• FREE RANGE or CAGE FREE: Ideally this would be taken to mean uber happy chickens running around free in a field- but since these terms are un-certified there's no guarantee. The only way to know for sure is to call the company and ask..and even then who knows. Bottom line is it's a term- easily manipulated for marketing purposes. Un certified= unsure.
• ANTIBIOTIC or HORMONE FREE: These terms mean what they say they mean, but again they're not certified so there's no way to know for sure...
• NATURAL: I personally LOATHE this term and wish it was BANNED from usage by the food industry. It's appealing, sure but it's on EVERYTHING and it means NOTHING. It's misleading and misused, minimally regulated, and ultimately nothing more then a marketing ploy to make the consumer think they're getting a "healthier" product. Disregard this label entirely.

When you go out of your way to buy a piece of pork from a pig who was allowed to root, or a cut of steak from a cow that was allowed to pasture, you CAN feel good about eating it. It's good for animal, it's good for the environment, and ultimately good for your health and long term- your wallet.

Three Organs That Make you FAT (or Skinny) Part 2 of 3

As promised, part 2 of 3- The three organs that make you FAT (or skinny!). The second of the three organs I'm going to be discussing is the all important thyroid..... *drumroll*

One reason for unexplainable weight gain could be your thyroid, which is another key player in your metabolism. The thyroid gland can make you either love the hell out of your body or want to hide it away in baggy sweatpants. It's essentially your body's metabolic regulator. It controls metabolism by secreting two hormones that control how fast the body burns calories and utilizes energy. If your thyroid secretes too little you end up with hypothyroidism, or slugglish or underactive thyroid. All of this slows down your bodily functions. Hypothyroidism makes you very tired and lethargic which makes it difficult to burn calories. You probably wont have the energy or drive to go to the gym, and even if you do, you're fighting a slowed system. Because everything is slowed, the body will demand quick energy all the time in carbohydrate cravings- which is why low thyroid sufferers often crave refined carbs like breads, pasta, crackers, cereal, cake, muffins, cookies, juice, alcohol, rice cakes, ice cream and so forth.

Simply put, if your thyroid isn't working to stimulate your metabolism, it is VERY tough to get thin. Your body isn't working FOR you, it's working AGAINST you.

So how do you know if your thyroid is sluggish or underactive? Well it's not the easies thing to diagnose, in fact doctors really struggle with identifying hypothryroidism. This is because it tends to show up in a variety of symptoms that may show up if you've overworked or stressed, life is hectic, or you're aging. However some symptoms are:

• Weight gain
• Cravings for refined carbs
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Foggy thinking
• Inability to tolerate cold
• A slowed heart rate
• Painful menstrual periods
• Muscle weakness
• Muscle cramps
• Dry, scaly skin
• Poor fingernail growth (the thyroid gland controls nail and hair growth)
• Hair loss
• Migraines
• Hoarseness
• Itchy skin
• Depression
• Dizziness
• Heart Palpitations
• Weird burning sensations in the body
• Constipation
• Difficulty concentrating
• Bags under your eyes
• Yellow bumps on your eyelids

In general your risks for hypothyroidism increase with age, particularly for women over 35. It's been suggested by some experts (although don't quote me on this) that up to 25% of all women will eventually suffer from a thyroid issue.

If you do have hypothyroidism don't just rely on your doctor to write a prescription. Taking thyroid medication blocks your body's ability to produce hormones on it's own, and this is NEVER good, and you will be on it for life with greater problems. My mother suffered from hypothyroidism for years and has had better luck balancing her thyroid naturally through diet and exercise then she ever had through medication. I'm not saying "don't use a prescription" but if you do have hypothyroidism examine ALL options before making a life altering decision!

Think Big....as in BIG V-TAPER!

Consider training rear delts on back day to help blow up your V-Taper....it's true! Although nothing is black and white in bodybuilding or figure, and I always say there's more then one way to skin a cat, I've noticed growth in my own V-Taper as a result of training my rears on back day, NOT shoulder day.

Many back exercises already recruit the rear delts into the picture- bent over barbell rows, reverse grip bent over rows, one arm dumbbell row and seated cable row all call on the rear deltoids to aid in the movement. If this is the case (and it is) why not train rear delts with back?

If you're into the science behind this- here goes: The rear deltoids extend the humorous via horizontal abduction- in which you bring your arms from a beginning point of being in front of the body, to your sides. So obviously it's no surprise that the rear deltoids aid in back exercises- especially rowing movements where you are bringing your elbows BEHIND the plane of your body.

Your rear deltoids assist the lats, rhomboids, and middle traps during back movements, yet are considerably LESS active in movements like overhead shoulder presses, which are chiefly accomplished through your front and lateral deltoids, as well as some triceps. I hope you guys are all still with me on this- basically what I'm saying is there's an arguable case FOR training rears WITH back, not WITH shoulders.

Now granted I have friends who would never consider doing this- some argue that BECAUSE the rear deltoids aren't as fatigued when trained with shoulders you can focus on them better. If they're highly fatigued after a number of exercises (back exercises) then you cannot focus on them as well. Some hit rears a bit on back day and a bit on shoulder day as well (just be sure to allow 48 hours between these two workouts to recover!)

The following is ONE of the many workouts I've used to blast my V-Taper- i.e my back and rear delts. I do not train traps, as big traps aren't desirable in a figure girl, but if you DO train traps, you can easily work some trap exercises into this routine as well. I alter sets and reps according to where I'm at in my training and what my physique goals are, so feel free to insert sets and reps you prefer!

BACK/REAR DELT ASSAULT

1. Wide Grip Lateral Pulldown: Sets, 4. Reps, 15, 12, 10, 8 *I go as wide as I can and focus on form, not weight. I arch my lower back, drop the bar to my chest, and keep my elbows in front of my body as much as possible so I hit the ENTIRE lat (full range of motion.)
2. Reverse Grip Seated Cable Row: Sets, 3. Reps, 10,10,10 *Because of the angle of the arms in relation to the body this is an EXCELLENT lower lat movement. The underhand grip will call the biceps into play a bit, so keep backward lean to a minimum and aim to pull the bar directly towards your midsection.
3. One Arm Smith Machine Row: Sets, 3. Reps, 12, 12, 12*I like doing these on the smith machine because the smith machine is stable, so you don't need to worry about balance as much, therefore you can use more weight (if you want). You can also shift muscle emphasis using hand placement so play around-just be sure to keep that back STRAIGHT.
4. Neutral Grip Front Pulldown: Sets, 4. Reps, 15,12, 10, 8*A neutral grip allows you to go a bit heavier then an overhand grip. This is a great lower lat exercise. Don't swing when you do these, again arch your back, minimize leaning and pull the bar straight down into your upper chest.
5. Supported Two Arm Dumbbell Row: Sets, 3. Reps, 12, 12, 12 *I use an incline bench, adjusted to about 45 degrees. I LOVE this exercise because the bench removes torque and the need for stability- you CANNOT swing or overcompensate with other muscle groups on this exercise! You'll probably have to use lighter weights then you may think in order to really hit the back and rears. I usually feel these in my middle and upper traps a bit as well.
6. Bent over One Arm Cable Lateral Raise: Sets, 3. Reps, 10,10,10 *Next to dumbbells I love cable exercises the most because they provide constant tension, especially in the start position, whereas the dumbbell does not. Since the resistance is horizontal this makes the start position difficult, this may be one you use lighter weight on. I take a wide stance, bend my knees a bit, keep my back flat and use either a palm in (neutral grip) or overhand grip. Try to keep the angle of your elbow the same and force the rear delt to work. This is form exercise, not weight.
7. Reverse Pec Deck Fly: Sets, 3. Reps, 10,10,10 *One of the only machines I like, because rear deltoid exercises are so form based most people don't do them properly. The machine forces your body into the right position by locking your arms (so to speak). Use a palm down neutral position and keep your chest into the pad the entire time. Bring your arms back as far as possible by squeezing your shoulder blades together. I tend to hold these for a count.
8. Bent Over Dumbbell Reverse Fly: Sets 3. Reps, 15, 15, 15 *I go high rep on these, with minimal rest between sets to burn out my rears. I stand legs bent a bit, wide stance, back straight and hold two dumbbells, palm facing inward. Really use the mind to muscle connection to bring the weight back, if done right these will burn out your rears perfectly, which is why I love to finish with them!

Are You a Sugar Addict?

The biggest reason people get fat or gain weight is sugar. I work with overweight clients who tell me ALL the time "I don't really like sweets." Yet after examining their diets I see that they're loaded with bread, pasta, yogurt, and cereals- all foods that are laced with hidden sugars. They don't eat plain oats or oatmeal for example, they eat a bowl of apple cinnamon oatmeal containing 12 grams of sugar. If this sounds like your dietary habits, trust me, you're addicted to sugar, whether you realize it, or not.

Sugar has ZERO nutritional value. It weakens your immune system. It throws off your metabolic functions and is highly addictive. In fact, it's the leading food additive in the U.S food supply and is making us a nation of sugar junkies. It's practically in every product you eat now. In fact, the average American (hold onto your undies this stat is CREEPY) downs about 30 teaspoons of added sugar DAILY. Um that's about 480 NUTRITIONALLY EMPTY CALORIES A DAY! EW.

Refined sugar is technically called SUCROSE or table sugar. But the other sugars you need to run from are DEXTROSE (corn sugar), FRUCTOSE (fruit sugar), MALTOSE (malt sugar) and LACTOSE (milk sugar). Don't even get me started on artificial sweetners or sugars, that's another post for another time!

It's sad that sugar is marketed as "natural", an advertising term I wish we would eliminate. Somehow the public has started to equate natural with healthy, when it's anything but. There's nothing natural about sucrose. 90% of the original source (sugarcane or sugar beets) has been removed. The brown color is lightened by chemical bleaching. Yum right? What's left is white sugar, stripped bare of all it's minerals and vitamins.

Sugar isn't just bad for the waistline, it's bad for your HEALTH. When sugar is found in natural foods and plants, such as apples, berries, or even sugarcane, it comes in it's God intended package (so to speak) complete with vitamins, enzymes, and minerals needed for complete digestion. When it's found in sugar packets or candy, or baked goods, etc it contains nothing of any good. The body actually has to borrow from its stores of nutrients in order to digest it.

I could go on and on about what sugar does to the body- it makes you fat, it grows cancer, it kills your immune system, hell it gives you wrinkles! Sugar does the following;

• Gives you weight gain
• Slows your metabolism
• Can make you irritable or depressed
• Gives you constant cravings
• Mental confusion
• Yeast infections
• Chronic fatigue
• Migraines
• Damage to vital organs
• Coma or death (in uncontrolled diabetes)

Sugar is cleverly hidden in virtually EVERYTHING we eat, especially processed and packaged foods from breads and crackers and soup to sauces, entrees- even diet foods and low fat foods. So here's my guidelines for sugar:

CHOOSE FOODS with 5g or LESS of sugar. The body doesn't register anything 5g or less so this is optimal.

Some of the worst offenders include breakfast cereals. Suppose you start your day with the "good for you" bowl of Raisin Bran, well you just ingested 20g of sugar, about the same in NINE (9) Hershey's Kisses! A packet of Quaker Instant Oatmeal, like Maple and Brown Sugar or Apples n Cinnamon includes 13+ grams of sugar!! Don't TOUCH THIS CRAP. Opt for whole rolled oats, plain, and add in cinnamon and Stevia to sweeten. Consumer Reports found that eleven popular breakfast cereals contain at least 40% sugar by weight. That's AT LEAST as much sugar as you'd get in a glazed doughnut.

Sugar hides in foods under clever names like beet sugar, brown sugar, cane sugar, confectioner's sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, invert sugar, lactose, maltose, maltodextrin, maltitol (sugar alcohol), mannitol (sugar alcohol), sorbitol (sugar alcohol), sucrose, turbinado sugar, or of course, chemically FAKE sugars like aspartame or sucralose (i.e Equal and Splenda). These sugars are in everything from protein bars, protein powders, to shakes, to breads and dairy. Don't waste your time reading ingredients, you'll be so overwhelmed you'll run screaming from the store. Eat foods with 5g sugar or LESS per serving, you'll be fine!

BUT FIRST:

Are you a Sugar Addict? Take the questionnaire to find out!

Answer "yes" or "no" to the following, and be as honest as you can be!

1. Do you snack frequently on sweet foods or drink sweet beverages between meals?
2. Do you often feel shaky, weak, or irritable after eating sugary foods?
3. Do you eat sugary desserts most days of the week?
4. Would you describe yourself as chronically tired most days of the week?
5. Do you usually put sugar in coffee or tea?
6. Do you use sweet condiments (jams, jellies, syrups, and the like) daily?
7. At parties do you gravitate towards the sweets?
8. When you were a kid did your parents give you sweets for being good?
9. After eating sweets do you feel euphoric, only to have your mood plunge later?
10. When you get cravings are they mostly for bread or sweets?
11. Do you suffer from frequent headaches?
12. Do you usually grab a doughnut or bagel for breakfast?
13. Do you drink soft drinks (including diet drinks) daily?
14. When you go to the snack counter at the movies do you buy candy?
15. If you order an alcoholic beverage is it usually something sweet like a pina colada, frozen margartia, etc?

If you answered YES to 3 or more of these questions, chances are- YOU'RE A SUGAR ADDICT.

I don't need a trainer.... do I?

"I don't need a trainer. I know what I'm doing."

I hear this ALL the time. Over and over again people seem to redundantly think they don't need assistance in the area of working out or of nutrition. And the fact of the matter is, you do. No matter how intelligent you are, or how advanced you are in your knowledge of exercise and fitness, you need a trainer. In fact, in my opinion, the more advanced you become the more you'll need a trainer. Typically its those of us who are advanced who require a second opinion or another way of doing things to prevent us from becoming stagnant in our own approach.

I'm not just posting this because I'm a trainer. I'm posting this because I'm a trainer who HAS a trainer. I'm a trainer who trains other trainers. Ultimately, I'm a person with a deep belief that everyone and anyone who wants or needs to know about working out and eating right needs to enlist the help of a trainer. Unfortunately being a trainer is a grossly underpaid and under recognized profession in our society. There seems to be this "do it yourself" approach when it comes to exercise and nutrition, which I find odd because in most other areas of health we are the first ones to run screaming for the aid of doctors and specialists. Yet when it comes to working out and eating right- we skimp.

Now we all know the benefits of having a trainer include things like "proper form" and "exercise execution", but I believe the need for a trainer goes much much deeper then that. I know how to lift, I know how to perform a dumbbell curl, and most anyone with reading or pictorial skills can sit down at a gym machine and read the operational instructions. But how do you string together exercises to create a mass building routine? How do you train to get lean? What about weight loss? What if I want to lean out while retaining my lean muscle? How do I sculpt or re-structure the shape of my back or shoulders? How can I downsize my legs? How can I enhance my quad sweep? See where I'm going with this....? Enter a trainer.

What about nutrition? What to eat? How much? When? How often? Post workout? Pre workout? The list can go on and on. Enter a trainer.

But trainers do far more for their clients then simply direct in terms of nutrition, supplementation, and exercise. They motivate, support, and encourage. For me that's the most meaningful aspect of having a trainer- having someone 100% behind you, in your corner pushing you to do better, to be better, and to carry on when it gets hard. It's important when you're trying to be focused on physique goals to surround yourself as best you can with people who will foster a "fitness friendly environment" and be supportive of you. Trainers do just that. They understand, they listen, they re-route, and they motivate. There is no point in embarking on a fitness goal, in investing in a gym membership, or home equipment, or beautiful tupperware containers for food prep, or expensive organics if at the end of the day you go tumbling off the wagon at the sight of pizza. Having someone there to hold you in place and help keep you centered is invaluable, and worth every damn penny I promise you.

Whether you need someone in person, or are looking for a trainer online- my advice to you is this- TRY A TRAINER. Be picky, hunt around, inquire ask questions, but get out there and get information. Hiring a trainer could be just the push you need to take you to the next level with your fitness!

Be your own biggest fan

As most of you may know, I'm 1.5 weeks out from Nationals in Atlanta GA. This will be my 4th show of the year, and it's been one long year of continuous dieting. Sufficient to say, despite how much I love my lifestyle and love competing, there are some days when it's hard. When you get this close to a show and you've been dieting for so long, the physical exhaustion can easily seep into your mental state, and that's where problems occur. For me, at this point, I'm usually so tired, sore, and depleted, that it becomes a mental challenge to not only push myself through my workouts, but to push myself to even get up off the couch.

There are times when I feel very alone in all this. Despite being blessed with a solid support system, there are moments when I'm in the gym, I'm sweating, I'm tired, I'm plugged into my IPod, and I feel nothing but isolated. Alone. It's times like that, when you REALLY need to dig deep and remember why you're doing what you're doing. Because at the end of the day, you ARE alone. Despite any support you may or may not have, your dreams will never be as important to someone else as they are to you. My Pro card will never be something my parents dream about, or my trainer dwells on, because even though they want it for me, they don't want it for themselves, and wanting something for yourself is where true passion occurs.

I know many of you reading this may not be "vying for a pro card", or on your 4th damn contest prep of the year, but negate that extreme for a minute and insert yourself into this saga. How many of you wake up and feel like doing ANYTHING but eating egg whites and oats? How many of you feel like doing ANYTHING but going to the gym? How many of you sit out to dinner with friends and family and feel so isolated because they're guzzling cheese fries, wine, and greasy burgers while you nit pick at a chicken salad with vinaigrette? How many of you are TIRED of explaining your cooler to co-workers? See my point? No matter where you are in the process of your goals- there are moments that, well, frankly, SUCK. There are moments of isolation. Moments where you feel alone.

And that's OKAY. Be your biggest fan. Dig into that isolation and really give yourself a chance to shine. Find out what YOU'RE MADE OF. You'll be amazed at what you can do without the help out outside resources. You don't need anyone to go to the gym with you, to diet with you, to hold your hand on the path to your goals. You can do it yourself. Dig deep and believe that with all your heart and suddenly those moments of isolation become moments of peace and reverence. There is a deep rooted confidence that comes from a TRUE belief that you CAN do something- whether it be step on stage, shoot for that pro card, apply for that new job, or work off those last pesky 5 lbs.

Your goals may hold weight with others, but they will never be as important to anyone else as they are to you- so make it YOUR mission to treat that with a sense of sacredness. Cultivate your goals. Learn to depend on yourself, be your own biggest fan, and find peace in the "sometimes" isolation of your journey.

And let the successes be many :)

Take the Battle of the Booty to the track!

Don't lie- I know you are! I cannot tell you how many times I have clients who complain to me about lack of definition in their lower half, or how they're holding fat in their glutes, or how they wish their thighs were smaller and tighter. Women, by nature, hold more weight in the lower half of their bodies then men do, but that doesn't mean that we have to be okay with it, nor does it mean that we should simply throw up our hands and succumb to lower body jiggle. Mother nature may have intended for some size in that area, but if repetitive squats and the good old elliptical just aren't cutting it for you in the way of your lower body- read on! If you're a competitor, struggling to bring out your glute/hamstring tie-in (as I am), again, READ ON- because I'm pretty sure what's to follow will prove useful in your pursuit of a tight, hard booty!

There are three major changes I've made to the way in which I train- with my lower half in mind. They are;

1. The inclusion of track workouts and treadmill workouts into my weekly training
2. Plyometrics
3. HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)

In this post I'll discuss the first- track workouts and treadmill workouts. Being a former cross country athlete and track and field 800m runner, I am no stranger to the track. Yet incorporating track workouts into my training was something I was hesitant to do. I began competing in figure when I was 20, and at the time figure athletes were trained much in the same manner as female bodybuilders, which meant I was encourage NOT to run, rather then to run. So I simply fell out of the habit of running. Now that I compete nationally and the look of figure has changed, one of my main focuses in my training has been the streamlining of my lower half. Enter- THE TRACK.

By now, the track craze is pretty public in the world of figure. Monica Brant, Jenny Lynn, Gina Aliotti, and Erin Stern are all IFBB Pros who have publicly stated that they attribute much of their lower body conditioning to the inclusion of track workouts. There are MANY ways in which to do this, I'm just going to give you some examples of how I include track workouts into my training (and on rainy days, or days that I don't feel like getting outside- treadmill workouts).

But first- why sprint? Why track workouts? Well- for starters, show me one female sprinter who doesn't have a fabulous backside. EXACLTY- you can't. Second of all, you have to consider what the glute muscle is- the roles of the gluteus maximus include extension, lateral rotation, and adduction of the hip joint. When you walk, the joint action that takes place from the time you plant your leg in front, to it being pulled back as you propel forward, is hip extension, which is what the gluteus maximus is designed to do. Obviously, when running, you pull yout leg back and extend your hip rapidly. I'm a huge supporter of training explosively because science proves it recruits the most muscle fibers- enter sprinting. Think about what a sprinter does each day- she performs hip extension explosively, and the often forgotten element in the pursuit of hard glutes is explosive speed and increased tempo. Sprinting on the track elevates the heart rate, increases your fat burn, and ultimately does more to condition your lower half then hours on the stepmill or ellipical ever would.

It's also vastly less damaging to your lower body (think shins, feet, ligaments, joints, etc) then pounding away on the treadmill or pavement. While I do treadmill work, I don't advocate using if FREQUENTLY. I do treadmill work as a substitute only when the track is unavailable.

So how to get started..... here are some of my pointers;

1. Be sure to warm up first! I typicall do a light 800m jog around the track (2 laps) and then follow it up with some drills. The drills I recommend are; High knees, Butt kicks, backward run, Side Shuffle or grapevine, and skipping.
2. Drink plenty of water
3. Do some LIGHT stretching- nothing too long or taxing, just a few body stretches to loosen the muscles

New to sprinting? I recommend doing the following:

• Sprint the straight aways of the track, walk the turns.
• OR if you're doing field work, sprint the long side of the field, use the shorter sides for recovery.
• Begin by doing 6-8 sprints and work up from there

Looking for something more intense? Here is one of my favorite sprint workouts which incorporated a pyramid;

• 800m jog + drills to warm up
• 400m run @ 65-70% max/ 400m recovery (x2)
• 200m sprint @ 100% max/ 200m recovery (x2)
• 100m sprint @ 100% max / 100m recovery (x2)
• 200m sprint @ 100% max/ 200m recovery (x2)
• 400m run @ 65-70% max/ 400m recovery (x2)
• 800m jog to cooldown
• 800m walk on heels to strengthen shins
• Stretch

Another favorite track workout of mine?

• 800m jog to warm up
• 100m sprint @ 100% max/ 100m Side shuffle (4x through)
• 200m sprint @ 100% max/ 200m backward jog (4x through)
• 400m sprints @ 65-70% max/ 400m jog to recover (2x through)
• 100m sprint @ 100% max/ 100m Side shuffle (4x through)
• 200m sprint @ 100% max/ 200m backward jog (4x through)
• 400m sprints @ 65-70% max/ 400m jog to recover (2x through)
• 800m jog to cooldown
• 800m walk on heels to strengthen shins
• Stretch

I recommend beginning slow and increasing from there- remember sprinting is VERY explosive and very taxing, especially on the lower half. Over training too soon can result in injury or extreme sore-ness so it's best to begin slow and increase the intensity from there. Make sure you drink plenty of water, warm up, cool down, AND stretch, and wear well made supportive running shoes or track spikes to stabilize your feet and lower body!

Do you track YOUR progress?

Time and time again we've heard it- the power of writing it down. Writing things down helps us remember, helps us clear our heads, helps us focus. We write down our goals to re-enforce how strongly we want to achieve them. We write down grocery lists so we remember our items in the busy isles of the store. We write down feelings and thoughts for clarity and to express. So why, when it comes to our workouts and our daily nutrition- we fall short?

It's been proven- people who write down what they eat and drink have greater success losing weight then those who don't. Those who track their workouts have greater success in tweaking and changing their program, as well as being able to look back and reflect on their progress, growth, and their journey.

You will gain an immediate consciousness of your eating habits.Through journaling, you will keep track of how many meals you eat everyday, the size of your meals and when each meal is consumed. Are you a late night eater? How about a afternoon binge eater? Your diet journal will provide a wealth of information to learn from, and to grown from.

Along with recording of all the foods you eat, your journal should also contain your feelings, thoughts and reactions with each meal. Were you actually hungry when you ate or just bored? Did you eat because you were happy, sad or frustrated? Did you feel anxious or rushed during a meal? Also, make sure to record how you felt after you ate your meal. Did you feel tired and lethargic? These are extremely important points to document when keeping your diet journal. It's amazing how much you will learn by recording these dietary events in your journal and this is one of the keys to permanent weight loss!

I HIGHLY recommend the "DIETMINDER" journal and the "FITNESSMINDER" journal which can be found here: CLICK

OR if you're not as much of "writing things down" person but still want to monitor your progress I recommend "FITDAY" which is an online nutritional journaling center where you can log your daily intake FOR FREE! CLICK HERE TO VISIT FITDAY!

HAPPY JOURNALING!!!!!

Women & Weights- TIPS for Success!!

1. DON’T BE AFRAID OF WEIGHT LIFTING
The primary concern women have when it comes to weight training are, “I don’t want to get big or bulky”. I can refute this with 100% confidence- because whenever a woman stops me and compliments me on my physique or asks questions about how I train I ALWAYS attribute my success to weights! Getting "big and bulky" is simply not something that occurs naturally for women. It takes so much time, work, dedication, proper food and training to gain even a pound of muscle that it is impossible for a normal woman to get “too big”. We just don’t have the hormones in our bodies to allow for that.

With the right training, nutrition and guidance, infusing the use of weights into your workout will actually make your muscles hard and lean. The more lean muscle you have the faster your metabolism and therefore the faster you will lose body fat. There is no other way to do this than to start a resistance training program in combination with the proper nutrition and cardiovascular regimen. With a realistic fitness program, there is no way your muscles are going to grow “too big or bulky” but rather you will shape up and look fit. I understand women’s concerns but free yourself from your fear and start weight lifting to achieve your ultimate goals! Unsure about where to begin with weights? Start shopping online for a fitness trainer or coach- stop in at your local gym and ask about personal training services. Hit the bookstore and pick up a book on resistance training or grab a copy of FitnessRX or Oxygen Magazine!

2. CHANGE AND VARIETY ARE KEY
Change and variety are the keys to success and keeping your workouts fresh! Change not only adds variety and keeps your mind from getting bored, but also allows your muscles to continually respond! Once your body and muscles get use to a training program, it is easy to hit a plateau and stop responding We only change when we are forced outside of our comfort zone, and our bodies are NO different. That’s why it’s important to consider constant change from weight, reps, sets, rest periods, etc. There is a time and a place for every type of training; it just depends on your goals and your body type. That is what makes things so fun! This is a journey and a learning experience, so change and variety will help keep the interest level high and maximize results.

3. GOAL SETTING IS KEY!
It is important to set goals and re-evaluate your goals every 4-6 weeks to track your success with what worked and what didn’t work. Don't be afraid to refocus, reset your goals, and make adjustments! Keep track of your workouts and how your body is responding so you can make the appropriate changes necessary to keep your body growing and changing in your journey towards your goals. Record how you feel, what you did that day, what you ate, etc. Our bodies are machines and work extremely efficiently. Bodies get used to whatever stress we may put on them and adapt quickly. It is essential to constantly be re-evaluating our goals and progress so we can continually allow the body to make improvements.

4. WEIGHT TRAIN FOR YOUR BODY!
I believe men and women should weight train differently. Since the majority of women are looking to tone and sculpt, I find using moderate weight and more plyometric training works well for achieving beautiful curves and shape. I also believe that women should train their glutes and hamstrings a few times a week, since that tends to be the trouble area for most women. It is important to build the muscle density in the glutes and hamstrings to keep them tight and round. Men tend to focus on building where as I believe most women are looking to sculpt and tone. These are two totally different way to approach training, and both women and men should consider what their goals are before jumping into a certain style of training.

5. KEEP THINGS FUN!
Sometimes following the same regimented program can get monotonous and boring. Those are the times you want to quit. When times get tough remember that if it was easy, everyone would do it. During the times you feel less motivated, follow your heart and do something fun. Pick a fun class to get you pumped up and motivated. Try taking a class such as spin, boot camp, aerobics, hip hop, kick boxing, or even yoga. Incorporating a class to your weekly program adds spice and keeps things fun and exciting. Not only do they keep you on track and focused but they add a great bit of variety to keep your body continually stimulating different muscles and constantly guessing. You can also keep things fresh and exciting by incorporating fitness into your daily life. Get outdoors! Try riding a bike, hiking, taking your dog on a walk, playing tennis with your family, doing yard work with your kids, or making time for an outdoor run. There are so many ways to keep variety in your program to keep things fresh, exciting and most importantly, FUN! Exercise is meant to keep us healthy, but that doesn't mean it's meant to be dull or un-interesting!

6. CARDIO
I emphasized the importance of weight training- but cardio is important as well! Combine both weight training and a reasonable cardiovascular program to obtain the results you are looking for! Lifting weights does not equate to mass and bulkiness therefore women should not focus their training on solely cardiovascular, but rather building muscle which is going to keep your muscle bellies hard and full rather than soft and flat. Doing endless amount of cardio is only going to break down muscle tissue and therefore will cause a decrease in metabolism, over time, from the lack of muscle. The goals is to add muscle to keep your metabolism high and also to keep you round, full and curvy. The goal should be to increase lean muscle tissue and supplement cardio to burn the excess body fat to maintain a lean physique. Focus on your weight training and diet and use cardio as a secondary source of exercise to stay in good cardiovascular shape and to burn that excess bit of fat but do not use cardio as a sole means of working out! Combine BOTH weights AND cardio for the most effective program!

7. BE REALISTIC!
Do not focus on the media for a means of what is “in shape” and do not simply look at photos of women in magazines to define what YOUR body should look like. Be aware that what the media considers attractive is NOT realistic and I believe their portrayal of what women “should look like” is absolutely criminal. It’s a shame that young viewers have this to go by when they are growing and learning about their own bodies and self images. The majority of images seen in the media are women that are completely unhealthy and as I like to call it “skinny fat”. Yes they may be fitting in to a ridiculously small size pant but their body fat could still be higher then recommended. Your goal, in getting in shape, shouldn't be to "get thin" or to imitate some "idea" of attractive you've seen or heard, rather your goal should be to gain the best physique your are capable of gaining. Be the best version of yourself! It is important to be truthful with yourself about what is obtainable, maintainable, realistic and healthy for everyday living!

8. GOOD COMPANY & GOOD SUPPORT
Surround yourself with people who are supportive and keep pushing you to achieve your goals. Training, along with being very physical, is extremely mental, in my opinion, more mental than physical. You need to have the proper support group that will keep you on your toes, pat you on the back when you did something amazing and also those that will pick you up when you may have fallen. Following a fitness program is a journey and the journey is not possible without the support and love from others. Be aware that you may need to step outside your typical support system to find these people. Seek out a fitness trainer or coach, others in the gym you train at, join an online fitness forum or community, or start a blog. It is essential to find a network of like minded fitness enthusiasts who have similar fitness goals!

9. BE PREPARED
Always be prepared for days when you can’t make it to the gym or the rain is pouring and you don’t feel like leaving the house. Traveling? Busy at work? Crunched for time and simply can't get to the gym? Snowed in? Keep an emergency fitness bag handy for those unexpected days. I suggest a light pair of dumbbells, a yoga mat, resistance bands and some good music or your favorite workout video. With a few key items and a little preparation you can still get a great workout NO MATTER what else is going on outside or around you!

10. TIME AND HIIT!
It is important to be realistic with the amount of time you have to workout everyday. Most people are crunched for time so the best bet is to get a killer weight training workout in combination with cardiovascular training to utilize your time wisely. Get the most out of your workouts with HIIT, High Intensity Interval Training to maximize your workouts. I know I posted some sample cardio intervals in an earlier post! Jump on a machine in between isolated exercises, or if you do not have a machine you can incorporate active rest periods such as jump rope, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, flutter kicks, plyometric exercises or anything that will keep your heart rate up. Try utilizing interval training to maximize your cardiovascular time or adding in a few sprints or jogs into your workouts. Get your heart rate up, utilize those weights, GET IN AND GET OUT and GET INTO THE BODY OF YOUR DREAMS!

Need help achieving your fitness goals? Getting your nutrition on track? Getting your feet headed in the right direction? Visit www.alli-fitness.com for more details on how YOU can get started TODAY!

20 Worst Restaurant Foods in America

I saw this today- courtesy of "Eat This Not That", and found it highly frightening, and incredibly scary! The book, "Eat This Not That", released what it considers to be 20 of the worst restaurant foods in america, and the caloric count in some of these meals is staggering! Whether you've indulged in these specific meals or not, or even considered it, the one thing this list will do is open your eyes to the caloric hell that is still ravaging the restaurant system. Further proof that eating a nice meal at home may just be the way to go!

1. IHOP COLORADO OMELETTE: Colorado is the leanest state in America, so it seems unlikely that its citizens are eating many of these omelets. Nevertheless, IHOP claims the Centennial State as the source of inspiration for this egregious egg envelope. The state’s Attorney General might consider pursuing libel charges against the restaurant—after all, their namesake dish packs more calories than six Egg McMuffins. 1,890 calories, 47 g saturated fat, 4,200 mg sodium, 130 g carbohydrates
2. CHEESECAKE FACTORY FRENCH TOAST WITH BACON: What is going on in the kitchen at the Cheesecake Factory? With the number of staggering offenders on their menu, we could have created an entire 20 Worst list just for them. The breakfast menu alone plays to more than a dozen items with more than 1,000 calories. About a third of those carry more than 2,000. Is that really what you want for your first meal of the day? 2,494 calories, 71 g saturated fat, 3,542 mg sodium, 182 g carbohydrates
3. APPLEBEES APPETIZER SAMPLER: Nothing spells nutritional doom more decidedly than a “sampler” platter. The idea is that by eating only a little bit of a bad thing, you won’t suffer severe caloric consequences. That’s true in theory, but not when you’re eating a little bit of several bad things—in this case mozzarella sticks, spinach and artichoke dip with chips, cheese quesadilla, and Buffalo wings. Truth is, the traditional sampler is actually little more than a roundup of all the worst appetizers, and ordering it will almost certainly saddle you with more calories than any one of those appetizers would have on its own. 2,510 calories, 168 g fat (49 g saturated, 2.5 g trans), 6,660 mg sodium
4. SBARRO STUFFED PIZZA (one slice): Recently Pizza Hut decided to stretch its stuffed-crust pizza shtick by applying it to the deep-dish pan pizzas. The new pie is predictably horrendous, but even with sausage on top, it doesn’t break the 500-calorie slice mark. That’s by no means a defense of the Stuffed Crust Pan Pizza, but rather an indictment of Sbarro’s Stuffed Pepperoni Pizza, which has more calories, fat, and sodium than any slice in America. 960 calories, 42 g fat, 3,200 mg sodium
5. FRIDAY'S BBQ CHICKEN WRAP: This wrap seems to have been engineered with the goal of packing in extra calories. It employs a one-two punch of the two fattiest sauces known to man: ranch dressing and mayonnaise. And if that’s not enough, it’s served with even more ranch on the side to satisfy all your dipping fancies. You’d be better off housing three Big Macs than tussling with this felonious fowl. 1,720 calories
6. CHEESECAKE FACTORY GRILLED CHICKEN AND AVOCADO CLUB: Who would have guessed that a dish with a name like this could pack more calories than 11 scoops of Breyers All Natural Mint Chocolate Chip? Skip sandwiches entirely when dining at the Factory. The "lightest" on the menu is the 1,052-calorie Grilled Cheese. Instead (and this might surprise you), you'd be much better off ordering a burger. The Factory Burger is one of the best burgers offered at any sit-down restaurant in America, and so long as you swap out the fries for something healthier, it's also one of the safest entrees you'll find on Cheesecake Factory's misguided menu. 1,752 calories, 28 g saturated fat, 2,309 mg sodium, 85 g carbs
7. ON THE BORDER DOS XX FISH TACOS WITH CREAMY RED CHILI SAUCE: How many Taco Bell Crunchy Tacos could you eat for this many calories? Ten. Plus one Steak Baja Gordita Supreme. Basically, it’s a perversion of Mexican cuisine that adds up to more food than you’d ever dream of wolfing down in one sitting, and On the Border achieves it through a heavy load of greasy beer-battered fish and a fat-riddled cream sauce to boot.2,240 calories, 152 g fat (32 g saturated), 4,000 mg sodium
8. APPLEBEES QUESADILLA BURGER: Nobody orders a burger thinking it’s healthy eating, and as an occasional treat, that’s not a problem. But if you knew for a fact that said burger had 2 days’ worth of sodium and more than 2 days’ worth of saturated fat stuffed between those two soggy pieces of bread, would you even consider it? Probably not. Blame it on the massive patty, the Mexi-ranch sauce, and, oh, the cheese- and bacon-crusted quesadilla “bun” that holds this hybrid hellraiser together. 1,420 calories, 104 g fat (43 g saturated, 3 g trans), 4,000 mg sodium
9. CHEESECAKE FACTORY KIDS PASTA WITH ALFREDO SAUCE: It’s bad enough to stick this much fat into an adult-size meal, but for a child? That ought to be deemed criminally negligent. This cream- and cheese-infused pasta bowl is bloated with more saturated fat than a full-grown adult should eat in 4 days, and more calories than you’d find in 40 Chicken McNuggets 1,803 calories, 86 g saturated fat, 876 mg sodium, 70 g carbohydrates
10. CHILI'S BUFFALO CHICKEN CRISPER BITES: Last year, before Chili’s hopped on the slider bandwagon, we dubbed Blimpie’s 12-inch Pastrami Super Stacked Sub as the Saltiest Sandwich in America. But with 20 percent more sodium, we now have our new biggest loser. Even if you split an order of these Buffalo Chicken Crisper Bites, you’ll still overshoot your sodium allotment for the day.1,620 calories, 100 g fat (21 g saturated), 5,380 mg sodium
11. DOMINOS CHICKEN CARBONARA BREADBOWL PASTA: Here’s the breakdown: The noodles here contribute 200 calories, the sauce and toppings another 440. And finally, the bread bowl itself contributes a staggering 840 calories and 138 grams of carbohydrates. It’s like eating 12 slices of Pepperidge Farm White Sandwich Bread alongside your pasta dish, and all of those calories are the kind that spike your blood sugar and force your body to store away more fat. We used to harp on Panera’s Sourdough Soup Bowl, but it looks tame next to the Domino’s disaster. 1,480 calories, 56 g fat , (24 g saturated, 1 g trans), 2,280 mg sodium, 188 g carbs
12. PC CHANGS CRISPY HONEY SHRIMP: Chang’s menu sounds innocent enough: “Lightly battered and tossed in a flavorful sauce.” But with it being one of the most calorie-laden meals in the entire country, it seems fair to call this description a mild understatement. More accurate might be something like, “cooked with a day’s worth of fat and served with more carbohydrates than you’d find in an entire box of Triscuit crackers!” Okay, so maybe they won’t follow our lead on that one, but it would be nice to see a little more transparency. 2,110 calories, 70 g fat (10 g saturated), 1,815 mg sodium, 290 g carbs
13. CULVER'S NORTH ATLANTIC COD FILET MEAL: This trend of frying all seafood is particularly concerning at Culver’s, since it’s not balanced by a single grilled fillet. If you want a piece of fish at Culver’s, you have to take it fried. What’s worse, though, is that when you order a dinner, Culver’s buries your plate under a mess of sides that are equally as harmful as the fish. By the time they’re done loading on the fries, dinner roll, coleslaw, tarter sauce, and butter, you’re facing a full day’s worth of calories, sodium, and saturated fat crammed into one meal. 2,121 calories, 135 g fat, (21 g saturated, 2 g trans), 2,568 mg sodium
14. OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE BABYBACK RIBS: One of the scary things about these ribs is that they're typically served with a heaping serving of Aussie Fries, which adds another 350 calories to the already overflowing mix. What's even scarier is that these ribs used to pack in over 3,000 calories - meaning that this giant mega-meal, which accounts for an entire day's worth of calories, is actually a downgrade.2,012 calories, 160 g fat (59 g saturated), 2,599 mg sodium
15. CHEESECAKE FACTORY BISTRO SHRIMP PASTA: How would you feel if someone asked you to eat three full orders of Fettuccine Alfredo and three bread sticks from Fazoli’s? Or how about three Big Macs and three medium orders of fries from McDonald’s? Or 14 Original Doughnuts from Krispy Kreme? Like the rest of the sane world, you’d balk at the idea. It’s ludicrous, for sure, but the truth is that any of these options would actually save you calories over this horrendous glut of oil and cream from the Cheesecake Factory.2,819 calories, 77 g saturated fat, 1,008 mg sodium, 184 g carbohydrates
16. IHOP TOP SIRLOIN STEAK: In the world of beef, sirloin is one of the good guys. Unless it’s not, which is the case at IHOP. But don’t blame the beef. Here, as is so often the case with commercially prepared steaks, the meat suffers by association. IHOP adds an inexplicable blanket of provolone cheese and a heaping scoop of fried potatoes and buttered toast to the party. The result of these add-ons is six Milky Ways’ worth of saturated fat and five full Pringles cans’ worth of sodium. 2,380 calories, 42 g saturated fat, 5,220 mg sodium
17. FIVE GUYS FRIES (LARGE): Unfortunately, Five Guys doesn’t offer anything but fries in the side department. Your safest bet, of course, is to skip the fries altogether (you’d be better off adding a second patty to your burger), but if you can’t bring yourself to eat a burger sans fries, then split a regular order. That will still add 310 calories to your meal, but it beats surrendering more than 75% of your day’s calories to a greasy paper bag. 1,464 calories, 71 g fat (14 g saturated), 213 mg sodium
18. JACK IN THE BOX CHEDDAR BACON WEDGES: It doesn’t take a nutritionist to identify the hazards of a grease-soaked, cheese-slathered sack of deep-fried potatoes, but by appearance alone, nobody could guess what’s really at stake when you order this side from Jack’s. The American Heart Association recommends that people cap their trans fat intake at 1 percent of total calories. For people on a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s about 2 grams per day. See the problem? This sack crushes that number with six times your daily intake—not to mention nearly half your day’s calories. 760 calories, 53 g fat , (17 g saturated, 13 g trans), 963 mg sodium
19. COLDSTONE PB&C SHAKE: There were dozens of contenders in line for this dishonorable distinction, but Cold Stone’s PB&C is the only drink in America to stretch across the 2,000-calorie mark. The combination of peanut butter—good in small amounts, horrendous when liquefied in bathtub-size quantities—and chocolate ice cream outpaces even the worst cookie- and candy-strewn shakes that clutter Cold Stone’s embarrassing shake menu. Suck this thing down and you’ve just blasted away a day’s worth of calories, more than 3 days’ worth of saturated fat, and almost as much sugar as an entire 15-ounce box of Chewy Chips Ahoy! Cookies. 2,010 calories, 131 g fat (68 g saturated, 2.5 g trans), 880 mg sodium, 153 g sugars
20. OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE CHOCOLATE THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER: We’ll concede that desserts are intended to be decadent, but there’s a dramatic difference between indulgence and recklessness. Add one of these ice-cream–covered chocolate cinder blocks onto the end of one meal per week and you’re looking at more than 2 extra pounds of body fat each month. Think that extra flab is just inconvenient? Actually, according to numerous studies, it increases your risk of developing a host of conditions from diabetes and high blood pressure to esophageal cancer. Some of those risks are magnified when you factor in the 4½ days’ worth of saturated fat gluing this thing together like toxic cement. Technically this dessert is intended to be split four ways, but the last we checked, it doesn't indicate that on the menu. And even if you were to split it with three friends, you'd still each consume an extra 477 calories after your meal - about as much as if you'd eaten one and a half McDonald's cheeseburgers for dessert! Split the cheesecake with two friends for a better option. 1,911 calories, 88 g saturated fat, 135 g carbohydrates

Build that BOOTY!

I don't know one single girl out there who would've love to have a smaller, firmer, tighter toosh. Not one! But building the booty is harder then it may appear- the right combination of exercises, the correct form, and using good set and rep combination is key! Too much weight and you may pack on size, not enough weight and you may end up wasting your time.

I wanted to share with you guys the glute circuit I do weekly in my own training, which has helped me to shape and firm my backside. I do this circuit once a week. Go from exercise to exercise as quickly as possible and try to keep your rest periods in between sets between 15 and 30 seconds. If you're unfamiliar with the exercises listed I also included links to video and photo descriptions, courtesy of bodybuilding.com. Happy Glute firming!

1. 10 minutes stepmill, level 8 (stepmill not stairmaster or stepper)
2. Bent Leg Cable Kickback, 2 x 20 each leg (http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/one-legged-cable-kickback)
3. Hip Abduction, 4x20 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b97cvyH9sE)
4. Dumbbell Plie Squat, 3x30 (http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/plie-dumbbell-squat) *make sure you hold your body as straight as possible and concentrate on using the glute to generate the movement)
5. Hip Abduction, 4x20 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b97cvyH9sE)
6. Glute Kickback, 2x 20 each leg (http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/glute-kickback) **this video shows the non machine version, however most gyms have a machine that mimics this movement, you can do either or. If you do the machine version, I recommend 2x20, if you do the non weighted version, 2x30**
7. Flutter Kicks, 3x30 (http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/flutter-kicks)

REPEAT AGAIN- beginning with the stepmill for 10 minutes! **unless you're a newbie or a beginner, in which case build up to going through it twice**

New Mommies UNITE!

It seems everyone around me is reproducing! My friend had a baby in March and in May my brother and his wife welcomed their son Reeves into their family. While vising with them on Father's Day, my brother's wife asked how she could work out or lose some baby weight while at home with her son. Which prompted me to write this post. Between nursing, changing diapers, preparing meals (and cleaning up after those meals), visiting the playground, and trying to squeeze in a shower, being bored is something I'm sure new mothers WISH for! Life as a stay-at-home parent isn’t all about Bon-Bons and soap operas (thank goodness!). Stay-at-home parents work just as hard as those who clock in elsewhere, and often find themselves stuck in the same no-time-to-exercise trap that businessman and overworked employees find themselves in.

I'm not a mother, nor have I ever stayed at home with a child all day, but just because you're a new mother with a baby to care for does not mean you need to stop caring for yourself! Regular workouts can bring peace to your day and fitness to your body and new mothers need BOTH. If you’re desperate for fitness but can’t seem to find the time, all you need is some planning and a little creativity. Taking care of yourself makes you a happier woman, and therefore a better mother- so to all the new mommies out there who are trying to find ways to cram workouts into your busy schedule- hope this post helps!

1. Exercise with your kids. If your kids are old enough, let them bike while you run or rollerblade. Hiking makes for a fun family activity that keeps everyone shape. Or, create a fitness course in the backyard, complete with jump rope, jumping jack, and pushup stations- AND JOIN IN!
2. Invest in a jogging stroller or a “kid trailer” for your bike. When you’re pushing or pulling one of these, you’re sure to get a good workout—your kids will enjoy it too! Another current trend is the newly developed StrollerFit class, where parents (with their stroller-age children) utilize strollers for a cardiovascular and strength-building workout. Although not all areas off the class- it's something worth looking into at gyms local to your area!
3. Strap baby to you in a baby carrier. If your baby is too young to feel comfortable in a stroller, you can still exercise together. There are many comfortable baby carriers on the market, including slings, front carriers, and backpacks. Adding 10-20 pounds to your frame for a walk will boost calorie burn, helping you shed those extra pounds. So strap up baby and head outside for a power walk- TRUST ME carrying baby will really bust into those legs and glutes!
4. Join a gym with child-care, or add it to your membership. Whether you don’t enjoy the great outdoors, or you live in a climate with blustery winters or lots of rain, outdoor exercise with the kids is not always an option. On-site childcare facilities offer convenience, and the peace of mind that if your child needs you, you’re only an intercom page away. Some gyms even have fitness classes for kids, so while you pump iron, the munchkins learn how to do the grapevine or other fun activities. Get a list of gyms close to you, and call around for pricing, child care options, hours of operation etc. Then compare before you commit to buying!
5. Sign up for parent-baby yoga classes. If these are offered in your area, parent-baby yoga classes can help you build strength and stamina, reduce stress, and provide you another opportunity to bond with your child. Yoga enhances not only the body, but the mind and spirit as well!
6. Purchase some exercise videos. Yoga, Pilates, low-impact aerobics, and kickboxing can all be done on your living room floor with little or no equipment. Before you buy, rent a few from your local video store or check them out from the library to see which ones you like. Read reviews online, check youtube for video clips and samples, and pick one or two that look promising to you!
7. Improvise. If you miss your aerobics class because of a marathon naptime, pop in an exercise video or do lunges in the backyard with the baby monitor hooked to your pants. Don’t stress if you don’t get that perfect workout in every time. With exercise, doing some is always better than doing none, and often as parents you need to improvise around your child's schedule. Don't stress about it- just get creative and do the best you can!
8. Most importantly, put exercise on your “to-do” list. Make it a priority. If that means getting up an hour early for a run, then set the alarm and go for it. Write it down if you NEED to- write "EXERCISE" on your grocery list or list of chores! You’ll benefit in countless ways, plus you’ll be a happier, more peaceful parent for your kids.