How are you doing?

How are you doing with sticking to your resolutions? One of mine is to spend more time with the people I love and care about. I've also been struggling with finding time to lift weights because I am teaching so much and working out like a crazy person. I'm going to work on not beating myself up and try to at least get one day in a week for now and then increase it to two days. Just wanted to write a little and check in. Hope everyone is doing well! I have lots planned for 2011 so I'll keep you posted!

2011 is here!!

I still can't believe that it's January already! And it was just 1/1/11! So what are your resolutions for this year? And how do you accomplish them? A lot of people make the resolution to lose weight but at least 50% of them stop coming to the gym completely. How will you stay motivated? Will you hire a lovely trainer like myself, journal, take classes? It's important to review your goals and resolutions frequently to make sure you stay on track. What are some of your other resolutions? Feel free to share them with me or my blog. My goal for 2011 is to become a figure model and compete in the fall. I plan on logging many hours at the gym and eating clean. I'll keep you posted throughout the year and maybe you can help hold me accountable :-) Another goal is to spend more time with my friends and family. I spent a lot of time last year working and getting situated back in Illinois but I need to make more time for my loved ones. And some me time! Anything is possible if you believe it and work at it! So let's make this year the best yet!

Fat Secret....shh!

Alright! New Years resolution time is right around the corner so we might as well start now or at least get ready! How many of you keep a food log? How many of you exercise but aren't seeing a difference in your body? Eating right is crucial to getting to your goal. Trust me...I trained for a marathon but ate whatever I wanted so I wasn't looking too different by the time the race was over. Keeping a food journal is a great way to stay on track. I had one of my clients start doing this is and she was shocked at the amount of hidden calories she has throughout the day from lattes and tea. It was also eye opening to see her intake of water. During these colder months it's easy to skip the water...but try to get your 64 oz in.

If you like writing things out you can buy a journal or print this out http://www.personal-nutrition-guide.com/support-files/weekly_food_diary.pdf


If you like logging online my favorite site is http://www.fatsecret.com or http://www.loseit.com

Remember be honest! Only you are seeing this....well unless you want to have someone check up on you. I can see my friend's food logs on fatsecret. And start with small goals. Some people get overwhelmed when they try to change everything at once. So start by hitting your water goal or having a healthy breakfast. Make small changes and let your body adjust to them before moving on to the next goal. Life is too short! So don't beat yourself up if you have a glass of egg nog :-) Happy Holidays!!!

If you're in the NW suburbs come take my Zumba class Xmas Eve morning at 10:45 am! xoxo

Oh the weather outside is frightful!

Although it's not officially winter yet it definitely feels like it! With the snow and the 11 degree weather I understand not wanting to drive out to the gym. But there are some exercises you can do at home. Of course I always recommend Jillian Michaels' DVDs because they get your heart rate up and give you a total body workout. You can also make up your own workout! Squats, lunges, pushups, dips, planks can all be done with your own body weight. So put on some music and get moving!!

The Holiday Season is here! Some tips to avoid weight gain!

I can't believe it's already December 5th. I need to start writing in my blog more often! A lot has happened since I last wrote. I now have a new job! Well I'm still a trainer but I am at the Wellness Center in Arlington Heights. I love it there!! So many positive people surround me each time I walk into the building.
So what are your holiday plans? How are you going to prevent holiday weight gain? I read that people gain an average of 7 lbs between Thanksgiving and New Years Day! That's a lot for a short person like myself so I'm not about to let that happen and neither should you.
Here are some suggestions/tips for you:
Start a food log and be completely honest! Yes I had 3 hershey kisses today but let's keep it at just 3 and not 10. To stay in check a couple of my friends and I are going to show each other our food logs twice a week. We are just writing what and when we are eating.
Plan your workouts! It's easy to put off exercise when it's cold and snowy outside. So try to find a couple times a week that you can get to the gym and put it in your schedule. I recently ran out of time to do my strength training but now that my scehdule cleared up I'm penciling it in so I don't have an excuse to slack off.
Find an exercise you like!! I love love love Zumba!! So I'm going to take a few more classes this month. I've also started taking classes with my friends at Flirty Girl Fitness in Chicago. This gives us a chance to catch up and spend time together and it doesn't revolve around food!
Bring your own healthy recipes to your holiday events. I made a Hungry Girl lowfat pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving and it was amazing!
Never starve yourself before a holiday meal...that usually results in bingeing! So still eat your breakfast, lunch and light snack if your big event is in the evening. Protein is key to making you feel full and keeping you full longer so make sure you eat lots of it :-)
And last but not least remember what the holidays are all about! Our society places such a huge emphasis on having delicious food at every social occassion, but we should think about volunteering and feeding people less fortunate.
Start new traditions with your family and friends! Stay in the moment! Happy Holidays!

P.S. When in doubt buy a new workout video to do at home! Then you really have no excuses!

Fall is officially here!

I can't believe summer is really over! This is my first fall in 4 years so I'm on a mission to make it a fun one! First and foremost let's all make sure that we stay active even if it means signing up for my Zumba class or something in your neighborhood to keep you consistent with your workouts! Let's try to get in better shape now so when January first rolls along we a new resolution that doesn't involve weight loss or jean sizes! Make sure to take some time out of your busy days to look at the leaves changing colors and take a deep breath of the crisp fall air. Find a fun pumpkin recipe that's relatively healthy to cook up and enjoy! I just made Trader Joe's pumpkin pancakes and they were delicious! Try not to have millions of pumpkin spice lattes although they are so addicting. My goal is to embrace this new season and I hope you do too!

This blog is just a random fall post but I just wanted to write a little bit. I have lots of changes happening in my life and I'm ready to start training privately. Let me know if you need a trainer and check out my website http://www.wix.com/shapeupwithalison/alisonb

Happy Autumn!

Clean Eating

How many people exercise day after day but aren't getting the results they would like? Do you ever look around at the gym and see people working really hard but they look the same week after week? I know first hand that if you don't change your eating habits you won't get the results you want. I trained for a marathon but thought that was an excuse to eat whatever I wanted...needless to say my weight stayed the same.
So what is clean eating? Clean eating is staying away from processed foods! It's pretty much as simple as that. If the label has tons of strange ingredients in it...stay away. After getting back from LA I've decided to revamp my eating habits. The key to clean eating is finding healthy foods that you enjoy. And slowly incorporate foods you don't enjoy but are super healthy....that would be broccoli for me! Another key to eating healthy is always having your healthy foods and snacks ready to go. It's as simple as preparing chicken breast, putting almonds in baggies, or just making sure you make the time to go to the grocery store. So here's to eating clean!! Start today!