2cnd to Last Weekend

As we head into the second to last weekend, know where you stand. The current standings are as follows:

1) Laura and Joyce
2) Rachel and Sarah
3) Kerrie and Johnnie
4) Joelle and Carol
5) Heath and Rachel

Don't think just because you are not it first or second you do not have a chance. Everyone is really close! Anything could happen. As Josh and I have said numerous times throughout this competition, it takes discipline, dedication, determination and drive to stick to BOTH your diets and exercise routines. In the end, only one team is going to win. So this weekend, if you find yourself thinking of skipping exercise, remember there is another team out there working hard! If you find yourself eating poorly, remember there is another team out there eating healthy!

I am so excited for all of you!!!

Remember what is at stake!
1) $300
2) Bella Make Over
3) Massage
4) $125 Urban Chic Gift Certificate
5) Canton Club UnderArmour Shirt

Congratulations Laura!!! 8% Loss

The biggest loser and winner of this weeks mini challenge was Laura with an 8% weight loss. She is the winner of a $25 gift card to AMC movie theatres!!!

Rachel S was a close second with 6.5%!

Mark your calendars as we head into the last two weeks of the competition.

Group Training Monday June 1st and 7 pm with Jacki

The Last Chance Workout Wednesday June 10th from 6:30 - 8 pm, then a change into weigh in clothes for the last weigh in at 8:10 pm! Refreshments to follow!!!

We are getting down to the wire! By Friday, the board will be updated with current standings. Stay Tuned and Good Luck to all!!!! Everyone is in it until the end!

Gloomy Days!!

The past few days have been rather crummy in my opinion. Even though the forecast outside is terrible, my forecast for the gym is there is plenty of sun and blue sky!! What I'm getting at is get your butts in the gym. Make no excuses for missing a workout, excuses get old really fast, trust me. Don't sell yourself short, get in here and workout for crying out loud. No more missed workouts with lame excuses, just make it happen!! Finish strong guys!! We know you can do it.

Time Check

Time Check #1
You have one day left before the weigh in for this week's mini challenge. In case you missed the post, this challenge is an individual not a partner challenge. The individual with the greatest percentage of weight loss so far will win the prize! If you are going to miss group training, be sure to get a weigh in on record before tomorrow.

Time Check #2
There are only 16 days left in this competition! Time to step it up, FOR YOU AND YOUR PARTNER. The more you put into this competition, the more you will get out of it. The more you put into your workouts, the more you will get out of them. The more you plan and stick to your diet, the more results you will see. You invested in this competition. Do not finish with regrets. Finish knowing you gave it your absolute best right to the very last day.

Happy Memorial Day!

The weather is great, so that means some of you may be going to a cookout or two. That means temptations galore. If you are going to a cookout, ask if they have chicken breast, if not ask if its okay if you bring your own. The same thing works for the snacks, bring your own, this enables you to have another way to control what goes into your body. Also, don't forget about working out, if you workout before going to your cookout you will feel much better about being there. Have a great holiday and day off.

Confession

Today through Monday, confess by posting a comment!

You need to confess to the whole group if you,
1) Skip a planned workout
2) Eat something not on a person who is trying to win a competition's diet
3) Drink something not on a person who is trying to win a competition's diet

If you do not to confess, then DON'T DO IT! Stick with your diet and exercise this Memorial Day weekend.

TEMPORARY SACRIFICES LEAD TO PERMANENT SATISFACTION!

Memorial Day Weekend!

Yeah! It is Friday and for most of you a three day weekend!!!! Enjoy you three day weekend. This weekend it is very likely that you will be in social situations surrounded by food and alcohol. The good news, most of the time we attend cookouts. When cooking on the grill, it is so easy to eat healthy. Keep in mind you are eating clean. Before you attend any social gathering, take time to visualize you reaching your goals. Be specific in your visualization. How will you feel walking into a party at your goal weight, what clothes would you wear that you don't feel comfortable wearing now, how will you feel knowing you set your mind on a goal and achieved it through difficult times.

Healthy Eating Tips

Protein Choices
Grill your chicken plain or with a light coating of barbecue sauce.
Grill turkey burgers with 99% lean ground turkey.
Grill hamburgers made of 93% lean ground beef

Carbohydrate Choices
Corn on the cob
High fiber low calorie wheat
Beans
Fruits: Watermelon, honeydew, Cantaloupe

Overload Your Plate with These Options
Carrots
Broccoli
Side Salad loaded with tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, etc (no dressing)

Desserts
1 or 2 strawberries dipped in dark chocolate
Angel food cake with strawberries and blueberries
Skinny Cow ice cream
Frozen yogurt topped with fresh fruit and less than a tablespoon of chocolate syrup

Alcohol
Keep to a minimum. Opt for light beers, clear liquors mixed in diet products, a glass of wine. Most importantly, remember alcohol impairs your judgement and breaks down your self discipline.

To wrap things up today, I want to remind you to move more and eat less! Make it a point to get in at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day this holiday weekend. YOU CAN DO IT!

Smart Snacking.......

You can enjoy a treat every once in a while, but pick your dessert wisely to avoid blowing your clean diet. Also don't eat this stuff on a frequent basis, but if you are going to snack make sure you do it the right way!!

Keep it clean



Key lime pie
It’s fruity. It’s fresh. But a 3.3-oz slice of key lime pie delivers about 450 calories and at least 14 grams of fat. Beware of sugary desserts disguised as fruit. A dollop or two of strawberry topping, for example, can add over 100 calories to low-fat ice cream.
RENEWED EATING: Dip just the tips of ripe strawberries into melted dark chocolate. Dark chocolate has a stronger taste so you’ll eat less. As an even lower calorie, high-fiber alternative, dip apple slices into the melted dark chocolate.

Ice cream in a waffle cone
You may think you’re saving on sugar by opting for the waffle cone over the sugar cone, but at 4 grams of sugar per serving in a regular sugar cone, the saving isn’t too significant. You’ll also get at least 16 grams more carbohydrates in a waffle cone since they’re bigger – 30 grams versus 10 grams (standard sugar cone size) per serving.
RENEWED EATING: Skip the cones altogether and pick a cup. You’ll cut out all the added carbs and sugars in one clean scoop. Go one step further and pick low-fat frozen yogurt made with real fruit instead of ice cream and save on fat.

The Next Mini-Challenge

By next Wednesday's group training, be sure to weigh in. The latest weigh in will be used to calculate you percentage of weight loss. The INDIVIDUAL with the greatest percentage of weight loss will be the mini challenge winner.

Remember, you invested in the competition. You will get out of it what you put into it. Make the most of every personal and group training session. No more excuses, make the commitment to give it your best!


Great to see Rachel S, Heath, Joyce, and Joelle working hard in group training Monday night!! Rachel I, thanks for making a cameo apperance. : ) Mark your calendars now for next Wednesday 7 pm with Josh! Schedule it like a doctor's appointment. There are only three more group trainings left. Make it a goal to have perfect attendance.

The Home Stretch is within reach....

So we are inching ever closer to the end of our competition. So nows the time you need to ask yourself am I doing all I can to be the best I can for myself and my partner? Are you carrying you part of the load to enable your team to have the best shot at winning as possible? If you can't answer yes to these questions then now is the time to really pick it up and push yourself to do everything within your ability to make the best showing you can. Will yourself to win!! You can do this!!

Sally and Sue

Sally and Sue are trying to lose weight. Sally decides she is going to follow a calorie restricted and healthy diet full of lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and lots of veggies. Sally does not plan to exercise as she hates to sweat. Sue plans to keep her diet the same and add an hour of exercise per day either strength training or cardio.

Who is more likely to lose weight?
SALLY! Why? It is much easier to cut your caloric intake by 500 - 1000 calories per day then to expend the same amount of calories per day. Furthermore, it is much easier to monitor caloric intake. When determining how many calories you burn through exercise it is very hard to be 100% accurate. To burn 500 calories in one hour, one needs to be doing high intensity exercise. Running or walking a mile only burns an average of 100 calories. So if you want to burn 500 calories per day run or walk 5 miles! Note: It takes about 1 hr 40 min to walk 5 miles.

Will Sue lose weight? Yes, but not as quickly.

Who is more likely to maintain their weight loss? Neither! Which leads me to why exercise is so important to losing weight. People who combine exercise with their diet are more likely to keep it off. Losing and keeping weight off is about developing healthy lifestyles. Josh and I don't just want to see you reach your goals. we want to see you reach them and keep them!

We are about half way through the competition! Time to step up your game! Diet and exercise will help you finish strong. Now is not the time to lose sight of your goals. Stay strong & focused!

Did you know?

Did you know?
On average a person can not live for more than seven days without water or eleven days without sleep? Yet, one can live for almost two months without food! I find this interesting. On a daily basis people are more likely to not drink enough water throughout the day or get enough sleep than to not eat enough food.

What is my point?
Make sure you are eating out of hunger! Many times people think they are hungry when in reality, they NEED WATER. You should be sipping water all day!!! When you do not get enough sleep, it is natural to crave carbohydrates. Carbohydrates will give you a quick energy boost. But what you really needed was a good night's sleep!

Make it a goal today to drink at least 8 glasses of water prior to group training! After group training, have a healthy dinner and get a good night's rest!

One day down, 6 to go

Okay so it's now Tuesday that means we have six days left in the week. That's six more days to get in some great workouts. I say this because you should be taking things a week at a time. It will help you make a more full proof plan for you to achieve your exercise goals. So with that being said make the most of each workout, each week, and you will be sure to achieve your goals.

“Failure is the path of least persistence”

You have two choices in this competition, succeed or fail. The competition is not over. Everyone has about one month to go. As I look at the weigh ins, I can see people have good and bad weeks. One week someone may lose two-three pounds and the next week nothing. Some people have even lost weight the first week and have been at a stand still since week one. Take time to reflect on your good weeks. What did you do differently on those weeks that may have led to weight loss? Where you
• Exercising more that week?
• Planning your meals not just eating out of convenience?
• Thoroughly writing down what you ate for the day?
• Eating more vegetables?
• Drinking more water?
• Eating more lean proteins
• Avoiding alcohol?
Whatever the case may be for you, identify the contributing factor to your weight loss for the week and repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat. AKA- Be persistent!

Keep in mind, your trainers are here for you. We are your biggest fans.

Sunday Funday

This expression has many meanings for many people. For you guys I think "FUN" should mean getting your butts up and working out. The weather is perfect the temperature is great and the humidity is down. So get out there and do some sweating. We have Fusion Flex today, and we also have back to back spin classes at 10 and 11. So you have options, you just have to choose.

By the way........HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to those of you this pertains to.

The Sun is Shinning

Finally, a sunny day to enjoy. Today it is going to feel like spring. Let the weather motivate you to get out and move! Let the weather remind you of your goals. Summer is right around the corner. Your hard work will be shinning this summer as you strut your new look.

Weekend Tips

So it is almost Friday!

We are heading into another weekend of the competition. Are you struggling with sticking to you diet and exercise routines during the weekend? Do you get frustrated as you are trying to stay active and eat healthy while everyone around you seems to be "enjoying the weekends"?

Here are some tips!
Tip #1 If you feel like you just want to lay around and watch TV. Do it! Just set a time limit, relax and enjoy. Plan to get moving at some point in the day!

Tip #2 If you feel the need to go out to eat, plan a lunch date with friends/family. Eating lunch out instead of dinner will help you keep the calories under control. You are more likely to make healthy choices at lunch than dinner.

Tip #3 Plan a social outing that is not centered around food.
***Hit the movies (the Maryland Film Festival is this weekend visit http://www.md-filmfest.com on the Internet),
***Shop
***Go to a comedy club where people are generally funny even if you are not drinking
***The O's are in town playing the Yankees. An event where the fans get crazy and you don't want to waste your money on ridiculously expensive food/drinks.
*** ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS? Please post!

Bottom line, you can make it through the weekend! There is more to you than what you eat! As for exercise, once you are done your workout I promise you will feel much better. A sense of accomplishment is a great feeling.

And remember, you are not alone!

Wednesday is here!!

Well it's Wednesday and you know what that means. It's group training day for the week. Tonight at 7pm with Josh and its guaranteed to be a great workout! So far this week I believe I've seen just about everyone in the gym........so to that I say good job. The competition is hitting full stride. Are you in contact with your teammate, do you know how much one another is putting into this? Remember even though it's teams, for the most part you are working out solo, so put everything you have into it and hope that your other half is doing the same. You are accountable for each other none of you can win it alone. So everyone man up and make it happen.

Diet + Exercise = RESULTS

It is so great to see you all around the gym taking advantage of all the Group X classes, working out on the cardio machines, lifting weights on your own and with your trainer. It is clear you are putting in the time exercising.

So let's talk diet.

How are you doing recording what you eat on a daily basis? Remember, people who record what they eat an average of 500 less calories per day.

How are you doing eating 5 - 6 small meals per day? Eating smaller meals more frequently speeds up the metabolism and helps you to feel satisfied throughout the day.

Some of my favorite snacks in between breakfast, lunch, and dinner include

Go Lean High Protein Cereal mixed with Light Yogurt
Pure Protein Bars (the small ones)
Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches
Apple and Reduced Fat Peanut Butter
Special K Protein Bars

What are some of your favorite snacks?

Don't worry about the Weather

Hey we have all been there, it's hard day after day to continually get into the gym and be excited about it. When I get feeling this way I just think about all the great workouts I've had in the past. If you need to turn your music up just a little bit higher that's fine too. Whatever it is that will help you make it though and keep your intensity up, you have to find that. It may take a few tries to really find it but when you do you will know it. Try switching it up if you've only been using the treadmill then use the arc trainer. If you've only been doing weights then try a Group-X Class or vice versa. Keep making the push, we are almost there!!

Don't let this DRAB weather get you down, keep focused on you goals!!

PERSEVERANCE

Perseverance is what you do when you are tired of doing what you have already done!

With that said, you need to keep on keepin on! If you are tired of logging your every bite, DO IT ANYWAY. If you are tired of planning out your meals for the week and preparing foods in advance, DO IT ANYWAY. If you are tired of coordinating your schedule to fit in exercise, DO IT ANYWAY.

Past competition winners never backed down and never made excuses. They persevered through even when they did not feel like it! You CAN DO IT too!

Great weekend to workout!!!

Keep the energy going heading into this weekend, you've been doing great so far so keep it up. We have a mini contest so keep that in mind and get some great workouts in. We have awesome classes this weekend so check the schedule, and don't be afraid to take one. Personally the 11am cardio flex on Saturday is a good one.......shameless plug I know!!!! Remember if you guys need any help or recommendations for class don't hesitate to ask, we are always here to help.