Some of my favorite ideas to curb cravings

Changing your lifestyle to clean eating can be stressful and leave you feeling less then satisfied after meals.

Been there, done that.

Here are some things i make to feel satiated and not go over my calories for the day

Shaken Iced Tea Lemonade

Fill a shaker cup with crushed ice

fill to the top with purified water

Wash and Cut a lemon in half (save the other half for later use)

Remove seeds and squeeze into the shaker cup (after juice is out i like to add the peel to the water)

Then add 12 drops of green tea extract, 2 drops liquid stevia, (u can even add a sprig of fresh mint or basil if you have it on hand)

And SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE until the top gets a little foamy

*Lemon is a natural diuretic so it will help eliminate some water weight, EGCG found the tea extract helps metabolize fat stores and the tea is a natural thermogenic so not only will it make you feel full, it has benefits conducive for fat loss

Kale Chips

One of my personal Favs

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Wash and dry a stalk of green kale lettuce

shred into "potato chip" sized pieces

spread pieces out onto a cookie sheet

spray lightly with "olive oil" cooking spray

season to your liking ( I use garlic powder, black pepper, sea salt and a little cayenne for heat)

put pan into the pre heated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes

End result - a crispy crunchy salty treat that tastes BETTER then potato chips!

Sugar free gelatin

Now your usual "jell-o" brand is OK to use sparingly, it does contain aspartame which we try to avoid. But one "cup" will curb sweet cravings and fill your belly

Frozen Poweraide Zero slush

Freeze a poweraide zero (i prefer blue) in a plastic baggie

when its fully frozen take baggie out and run it under hot water for a moment to loosen ice

pour frozen contents into food processor or blender

add 1 drop liquid stevia and pulverize until slushie

(if your diet allows, i like to add 1/4 cup of frozen tart cherries blueberries or grapes)

Sweet and cinnamon almonds

(if diet allows)

Pre-heat oven to 350

Place a serving of almonds liberally onto a cookie sheet

spray almonds with butter flavored pam

sprinkle with plenty of cinnamon then with powder stevia

toss almonds so they are fully covered

bake for 10-15 mins

LET COOL for a bit before you eat

MUSCLE MILK LITE - CAKE BATTER SHAKE

(IF DIET ALLOWS)

Blend 1 scoop of muscle milk lite cake batter flavor with ice and water (or unsweetened almond milk)

YUMMY treat!

These are just a few options you can use to get your mind off of the things you REALLY want to eat. I will also have SPRY gum handy (sweetened with xylitol instead of aspartame) in fruit flavor or cinnamon (found at vitamin shoppe or fruitful yield).

I would still say to use these suggestions in moderation as well. It is important to focus on you main goal of obtaining optimal health and ideal physique and not on what you "would rather" be eating.

Enjoy - D

Sunday night leg circuit

For the next 3-4 weeks I am changing my training style to a high intensity circuit for most body parts.

I felt so great after Sunday's Leg session I thought i'd share it with you.

Started with

10 minutes with Stairmaster (climber) (different then the step mill i know there is always confusion with the two not this - http://www.oneshotfitness.com/images/stairmaster.jpg

but this - http://www.fitness909.com/720-large/stairmaster-4400pt-stepper-.jpg

First movement

Horizontal leg press

Single leg 60lbs

3 Sets of 30

Box jumps

3x20

Weighted single leg step ups

40lb bar

2x20

(next movement is my own)

I do this on the assisted pull up machine

put 130lbs on, stand in the middle of the knee pad with one foot on the step up peg

keep your hips level and push the pad down engaging your glutes and hams

3x25

TRX GLUTE BRIDGES with 20lb Barbell

3x15

Swiss ball single leg hammie curls

3x40 each leg

Reverse Hypers holding 25lb plate

2x30

Donkey kicks 60lb

3x20

Hammie curls

2x20

Straight leg dead lift on box

50lb barbell

4x20

Standing calf raise

3x25

Strong attention to hams and glutes this day as those are my main focus for the next few months

Hope you like it

Inside the perfect gym bag...

You will find a number of fantastic items every woman should have. But first, the bag itself. Now, 0ver the past 8 years i have gone through a varity of different gym bags ranging from your average duffle, to the drawstring pouch, to totes, to backpacks. So I am pretty confident in saying that i have FINALLY found the absolute perfect bag. I purchased it some time ago and stopped using it for a short time for whatever reason but i dug it out about a month ago and i do not know how i was living without it. When i purchased this magical bag ($39.99 TJ MAXX *which you'll quickly learn is one of my favorite stores*) I knew i was purchasing a bag that isn't your traditional gym duffle but rather, appeared to be a carry-on. It is a zebra printed Kathy Van Zeeland with three large zippered areas, middle being the largest, a pouch in front and two water bottle holders on either side. Recently it dawned on me that they are not water bottle holders at all but rather, bottle holders! I bought a diaper bag? Yes I did. Might i say that this diaper bag was the very best purchase I have ever made. Bottom line, look for a trendy looking "diaper bag" that can double as a gym tote and you will find yourself with so many compartments and organization options you won't know what to do with yourself!!
Which leads me to the point of this blog...
WHAT'S INSIDE??!?!
Wheather you are a hardcore fitness buff like myself or the occational gym goer, when you open your bag you should find these essentials:
1. Clean shaker cup you have a 30-45 min window of opportunity to restore you nutrients and break catabolism, therefore, having a clean shaker or blender bottle on you will ensure you will have you post workout shake ready and waiting.
2. Good pair of fitness gloves - lets face it, no woman wants calluses! top two favorite brands are Harbinger and NIKE for gloves and remember to purchases a new pair every six months or sooner when the padding or leather wears down.
3. Dry Shampoo - For situations when you are short on time, or running errands after your daily workout, a quick sprizt at the roots and POOF off you go! :)
4. Gum, you never know who you are going to run in to! (haha well actually I use gum because it helps to focus me during strength training and cardio.
5. DRIED FRUIT - Sounds silly right? During exercise it isnt uncommon for blood sugar to plummit, this can leave you feeling light headed or sick. Popping a peice of dried fruit in your mouth can restore your blood sugar and give you a little extra boost to finsh your session.
6. Extra hair ties!!!! (because it never fails, you forget one at home)
7. A spare workout outfit -if your bag is always packed and in your car you will be less likely to go home and stay home! .
8. FULLY CHARGED IPOD - lets face it, whats a workout without good music :)

Well time to pack up and GO GO GO!!! Have fun ladies and remember, FAIL TO PLAN>PLAN TO FAIL!

Love you

Realistic goals

All to many times individuals looking to get into shape will set very high goals for themselves to accomplish in an unreasonable amount of time. A method I like to use with most of my clients is setting a series of small attainable goals every few weeks. Upon initial meeting i like to go over goals, how you've come up with them and what we are going to do to achieve them.

We at BeneFIT are FIRM believers that internal dialogue effects overall external outcome. A Positive mind leads to positive results. Therefore, in order to maintain confidence in yourself (and in your trainer) start as setting goals as small as "I want to be able to do 30 squats without fatiguing within the next three weeks" or "i would like to be able to fit into a smaller tee shirt by next month", Rather then "I NEED TO LOSE THIRTY POUNDS IN TWO WEEKS". Those small goals are much more appropriate and conducive for a long term health and fitness program.

So, to wrap it up

1. Make small goals every few weeks (once they have been reached create a new set, you'll always have some type of goal to reach)

2. KEEP A POSITIVE MENTAL STATE

3. Understand making changes takes time, don't get down on yourself, DON'T GIVE UP.

Some truth

I am not a psychiatrist. I am a 23-year-old girl who fell into one of the most confusing, controversial and interesting industries out there, Health and Fitness. The women I help each day have sparked my interest in so many ways and I decided to make it a personal goal to help all women embrace who they are. I am by no means promoting that ladies who are obese, unhealthy and out of shape should stay that way and be happy with it, but instead realize that you do not need to live life on a diet and spend half your life on a treadmill to try and attain the “ideal” shape.

There is one thing that 95% of the women I work with have in common, and that is a poor body image, insecurities about selecting the proper food options, and unhealthy relationship with food.

Everyone knows what common eating disorders are, Bulimia, Anorexia Nervosa, Compulsive Over-Eating etc., but what if I say that it is my contention that almost every woman out there has an “eating disorder”. I am referring to the eating disorders I help treat everyday that aren’t learned about in school or that do not have formal treatment or special name. The disorder that is responsible for so many of us feeling uncomfortable with the idea of eating food and enjoying meals without the stress that it will increase our waist size, I call that one the social media disorder. How about the fun house mirror disorder that causes you to see yourself as disgusting and overweight even though there are dozens of other girls who would die for your body (but of course if they had it they would instantly find something wrong with it because that is the way it goes). These are the evil precursors to Anorexia and bulimia that no one talks about.

I have several young clients who are either currently receiving treatment for eating disorder or underwent years of treatment. The one question I always ask is “what trigged you to start using destructive behavior to try and get skinny”? To my surprise every girl thus far has had a specific instance that pushed her over the edge. Example, my newest client, a beautiful 20-year-old girl, shared a story about an elite athlete on her volleyball team who was regarded as the best in school and had, what she referred to, as the perfect body. So one day when they were doing running drills outside, she gazed at “skinny girl” and thought, “the only way I will ever be a better player is if I am as skinny as her”. So it began, Two hours of cardio and 300 calories days. This of course, would all stop when she gets to her desired weight. Not. It would never stop, the fear of gaining weight, not looking good enough, or not performing well enough would never stop. Even 5 years “recovered” there is still something inside her that tells me the battle has just begun.

Truth is, what most of you need is the RIGHT information which is oddly difficult to come across. With the handful of simple rules I am going to list you will feel more comfortable making meal selections and working toward a fitness goal:

1. EAT MORE OFTEN WEIGH LESS

This can by confusing but its true, frequent meals are what help your metabolism stay healthy and functioning. Most overweight people I work with are “under-eating” or malnourished (funny you never look at a fat person and thought whoa, he/she must be malnourished, right)? But it’s true. They are not receiving a healthy balance of macronutrients they need in a day or even necessarily a lot of calories in a day. Having a healthy balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates at each main meal and eating every few hours or so will make a tremendous difference in your physique.

2. DO NOT DRINK YOU CALORIES.

More and more I see fruit smoothies, blended coffee drinks and even protein shakes being consumed by the dozens per week and people fail to read the nutrition labels of these or fail to understand the implications of these liquid calories. The difference between how food calories and liquid calories are metabolized and effects on blood sugar and thus corresponding insulin release must be understood and respected as well.

3. BREAKFAST

Most people have heard “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” a million times but I still find women are failing miserably at producing a healthy breakfast for themselves. Healthy is not a bunch of fruit and a yogurt. If you want to look how you feel you deserve to, you must get the proper education to understand why certain choices must be made for the result your looking for.

4. RUNNING

If you don’t actually enjoy running and simply run because you think it’s healthy, then stop! Running at a high heart rate for prolonged periods of time DOES NOT And WILL NOT result in the fat loss you think it will. There are far better ways to burn calories from fat, like resistance training!

5. “BUT I DON’T WANT TO BULK UP”

Every single woman I have ever trained has said “I never lift weights because I don’t want to get bulky” I challenge these ladies to try as hard as they can to gain any mass at all, you’ll find it to be an incredibly difficult task (take it from me who has spend countless hours and dollars in bodybuilding). Weight training BURNS FAT, The physical results you will see from just 4 days/week resistance training (and a healthy diet) will blow your mind.

These are just a few highlights from my lifestyle changing approach that I have proven to be effective. I am teaching women how to create permeate solutions to the problems and issues they have struggled with. There is no such thing as ugly; the human body is awesome, you just need to understand it better.

Encouragement to do well.

Here's the latest email i sent out to a few of our weight loss clients, I want to give everyone access to the information we provide and how in depth we get. We do not rest until all of our clients have reached their goals. One of the main reasons BeneFIT PT really is the best in the biz

"Hi ladies and gents,

Just wanted to shoot out my first note of 2011 reminding everyone that it is time to refocus. It seems that most everyone was able to maintain weight through the holidays which is OK. But do not get comfortable. Write down a new set of goals and lets go over them over the next few weeks. No more standing still.

Just to recap. I am a little concerned that there may be a lack of understanding of some of our training and diet protocols. Let me clarify a few things and add a tip or two that will help.

*Every meal should consists of a healthy macro-nutrient split (fats, protein and carbs) meaning no meal should be two or more sources of carbs only. (especially breakfast)

Banana's are not a nutritious substitute for breakfast, in fact, they are not ideal for weight-loss diets at all because of the high sugar content and glycemic value (a fruit better suited for weight gain actually). If potassium is the reason you eat banana's for breakfast be sure you have a deficiency before trying to "supplement" with extra anything. If so, a good (bio-available) multi vitamin will ensure you get the proper amounts.

Example breakfast:

1 egg, 2 egg whites, 1oz white cheese , 1/2 wheat English muffin (if you care for fruit sub muffin for serving of blueberries)

Because of the bodies natural insulin spike in the morning try to avoid the following for breakfast

Banana's

high glycemic fruits

Fruit juices

Veggies juices

high sugar yogurts

pastries

etc...

Also some label tips we repeat over and over

Before concerning about saturated fat (which CAN increase LDL or "bad cholesterol" if used in excess but lets face it, anything in excess can be bad) remember saturated fat is simply fat that contains more hydrogen molecules that "regular" fat. Basically this means it yields a little more energy per calorie then unsaturated fat. So all of you active beneFIT weight-loss clients shouldn't really stress about that unless you have inherited a cholesterol issue

What you should be worried with is getting your diet on point by all means. Pre-planning meals and sticking with the right frequency of eating them (every 3 hours) should be your main concern.

Also continue to read labels and avoid hydrogenated oils. some packaging now states NO TRANS FAT but when reading the ingredients you will sometimes notice hydrogenated oils listed (its some type of FDA loop hole)

Doing "better then you were before" or eating something because "its better then nothing" really will not cut it when trying to make life changing health and fitness improvements.

Looking and feeling better then average truly requires whole hearted effort and special attention. No one is genetically gifted enough to look and feel a certain way without trying (at any age). Whether it's using carbs and sugar for weight gain or on race day, or being conscious of sugar intake to reduce body fat, We are all in it together and all work hard. Everyone has goals and everyone needs to work a little differently to attain them. It's just a matter of believing in your trainers (AND MOSTLY YOURSELF) and allowing us access to your life so we can provide you with the information and input you know you need.

So let me say again, put together your revised list of goals and lets HIT IT HARD!!!!!!

GO TEAM BeneFIT

We love you guys

D and M "