Cardio  The truth is you cannot spot reduce any part of your body and while doing crunches and core exercises may strengthen the muscles, if you have fat on top, you will never see them. To banish the bulge you must add cardio. Aim for at least 30 minutes 3-5 times per week.  This can be walking, exercise classes, bicycling, running…anything that gets the heart rate up and makes you sweat!

Water   If you want a flat belly you should be drinking at least 6 to 8 glasses per day. Your body requires plenty of water to function properly plus drinking water reduces the feeling of hunger. Drinking a glass of water before to a meal will help you eat a smaller amount therefore cutting back on calories. Not only that, but drinking plenty of water ensures all the waste and toxins are being flushed out of your body.

Eating Clean  Stay away from processed foods ad much as possible. Instead aim for the “whole” food. An example is instead of drinking fruit juice (that normally has tons of added sugar), eat the actual piece of fruit. Go for whole grains, lean meats, and lots of fruit and vegetables.

Paying attention to your water intake, eating “clean”,  performing your cardio, as well as your abdominal exercises will get you well on your way to having flatter abs. Just remember that Rome was not built in a day and either are “6-pack” abs!

So you wake up in a great mood knowing that you ate perfect the day before, drank all your water, and worked out like a cardio fiend. You are proudly walking up to that scale just sure that you are going to dominate! You step on, look down, and “WHAAAA??”

You think, “This can’t be right. How could my weight go up a pound? I did everything I was supposed to do”.  Then you mope around the whole day in a discouraged and defeated mood. Does this sound familiar?

Well I am here to tell you to stop letting the number on the scale define you! When you step on a scale there are a myriad of reasons the number may go up, stay the same, or not go as far down as you would like.

Your weight fluctuates constantly. Some of the reasons may be water retention, the food you ate, a little too much sodium in your diet, or maybe you are gaining muscle.  Although the scale can be a good indictor over the long run of your progress, there are many other ways to gauge your progress.

First, make sure you take your measurements. You may often find the scale doesn’t budge but your losing inches in different areas of your body. Also, go by how your clothes fit. Are they looser? Do you have to go down a size? This is because you are loosing inches and toning up!

Another way to get the focus off the scale is to set “performance goals”. Instead of setting a goal of loosing ten pounds, set a goal of running a mile without stopping, walking around the block two times without getting winded, etc.

When you stop focusing on that number, and start focusing on being healthy and strong, the changes will happen. Focus on being healthy and not just ‘skinny” and everything else will fall into place!

Our bodies have been “fasting’ for six to eight hours and needs fuel when we wake up. It’s called “Break”- “Fast”….break the fast!  You wont get very far without gas in your car and you wont get very far without good fuel in your body!

I know many people who say “but I’m not hungry when I wake up”, well…you should be.  If you have ramped up your metabolism you will be hungry in the mornings.  Even if you are not hungry at first, have a small something (piece of fruit, protein shake, cereal, omelet) to help kick start your metabolism and get it going.

I also have heard ‘but I want to lose weight, so I will just skip those calories”. Wrong! It has been shown over and over again that people who eat breakfast lose more weight, on average, than those who skip this meal. Some of the reasons may include that by the time lunch rolls around you are hungrier and therefore consume more calories. Also, your body is storing everything rather than burning it off.

You must eat to lose weight. Starting your day with a healthy breakfast not only improves your focus and concentration, gives you the energy you need to start your day, and puts you in a better mood, but it helps control your caloric intake later in the day and kick starts your metabolism!

Okay, so do I have you convinced now not to skip this meal??

If this sounds like you, you are not alone. Vacation can be a tough time to stay focused on your fitness goals when you are out of your routine and have less control over your food.

Don’t worry…it doesn’t have to be this way! With a few simple tips you can make sure this year’s vacation has you feeling refreshed, stress free and STILL right on track with your goals.

Plan Healthy Eating
If you are traveling for any amount of time to your destination, be sure and pack healthy snacks for the trip. Don’t be at the mercy of the plan, train, or convenience store. Stash a cooler full of fruit, sandwiches, nuts , protein bars, etc.

If you are booking a hotel, see if you can find one with a kitchen. Now you may be saying, “but I’m on vacation…I don’t want to cook”. Well, do do you want to buy a bigger pants size when you get home?

Have fun with it by going to a local market and exploring new and local fruits and veggies. And just because you cook in the hotel room doesn’t mean you have to eat there. Put it in a basket and take it to the beach, park, etc. Even a hotel balcony with a nice table can feel “special and indulgent”.

Plan Fitness Into Your Vacation
When making reservations for a hotel, check and see what they offer. Do they have a pool? Is it inside or outside? Do they offer any exercises classes that would work with your time frame? Do they have a gym? If so, what are the hours?

Outside of the hotel, look for things to do to stay active. Are there hiking tours you could take, can you rent bicycles to sigh see on? Are there any walking tours you could take?

Change Your Way of Thinking
Yes, you are on vacation. Yes, it is a time to reconnect with family, a time to de-stress, a time to leave the “real world” behind. It is not, however, a time to take a break from being healthy. Working out and eating healthy is only going to give you that much more energy to enjoy your vacation. Realize ou are there to have fun and relax, but working out and eating right is just who you are..it’s what you do.

I hope these tips will help you when you are planning your next vacation. You should enjoy yourself and have a wonderful time when you get away, but you should also feel amazing (and not guilty) when you return home.

Happy travels!

We not only benefit from exercise physically, but mentally as well!

Exercise not only gives us a sense of happiness and well being, it actually makes us smarter! That’s right, exercise is not only for your muscles, it’s good for your brain, mind and spirit!

I just recently read a study where adults after thirty minutes of exercise, and children after twenty minutes of exercises actually sped up their brain processing power by sixteen milliseconds. Pretty cool that you can actually improve your brain function just by getting up and moving!

When we exercise we can think more clearly, we are more focused and more alert. Our brain is “sharper”. Next time you are stuck on a problem, get up and go for a walk. You might just be surprised how the answer comes easier.

Besides being smarter did you know exercise can help with depression? When we exercise, we get the feeling of happiness and an improved mood. People who suffer from mild to severe depression can benefit greatly from exercise. I read a quote the other day that said “You are only one workout away from a great mood”. This is so true!

So, yes, while a lot of us exercise to keep in shape, and those pounds at bay, we need to know that exercise is so much more important than that. We need to remember that it is not only for our physical health, but mental as well. Now get moving!

Avoid Triggers

If you drive past the same doughnut shop on you way to work every morning, and you get a doughnut from the same shop every morning, guess what…don’t drive past that doughnut shop in the morning.  Yes, this may require you find a different route but it will also save you from that morning urge.

De-Stress

Speaking of triggers, stress can often be one for many people. When we are stressed we tend to be more likely to reach for that bag of chips or that pack of cookies. To help with this, when you start feeling stressed, take a deep breath, relax, try to ‘let it go”. You may be surprised to find that once the stress starts to subside, the craving does as well.

Distract Yourself

Keeping yourself busy is a great way to curb a craving. When you feel like you want to reach for that bag of Oreos, reach for a mop instead and get busy. Clean your floors, take a walk, go clean another room, help your kids with homework, play with your dog…anything you can do to keep yourself distracted and focused on something else is what you want here. Normally if you can do this for about ten minutes, you will find your craving has gone!

Drink Plenty of  Water

You will hear me preach all the time about the benefits of getting enough water and this is no exception. When you feel a craving coming on try drinking a glass or two of water. Often times our bodies confuse thirst with hunger, so drink the water, wait, and see how you feel then.

Give In…Sometimes

Last but not least, sometimes ya just gotta have that piece of cake! If you have tried everything and that craving is still hanging over your head…go ahead. Just watch portion size, don’t go crazy, and enjoy it. To ensure you get right back on track, try and eat at least five healthy meals after that. This way you are still eating right eighty-percent of the time and just not-so-good twenty-percent.

Hope these tips help. I know cravings can be a struggle for many people and something that you really have to use ‘mind over matter”. I have no doubt you can do it!

Well, now someone has!

Beachbody is the leading fitness company behind great programs such as P90X, Turbo Fire, 10-Minute Trainer, Insanity and many more. Besides these programs, they have also developed the “Healthiest Meal of the Day”; Shakeology. This is truly an amazing shake with over 70 healthy ingredients. It has been featured on Oprah’s “O” magazine, discussed on The Doctors, Dr. Oz and more.

Now, they have gone even further to help you with your health and weight loss quest.

They have created “Challenge Packs”.

These packs come with everything you need for success. The workout program of your choice, your first month Shakeology, one month in Club Beachbody so that you can have your own, personalized menu plan as well as the support of the Beachbody community. Not only that, as a coach myself, when you order from my site, you get my coaching services for free! Yes…free!

These challenge packs are priced at amazing savings and include everything you need to succeed. Now there really are no more excuses!

To learn more, you can visit www.fitwithterri.com and select “Shop”, then “Challenge Packs”.

Shoot me an email before you order so I can tell you about even another way to save 25%

You do not have to want to change it anymore. Now’s the time. We can do this together!

One question I hear over and over again from my clients is how to find the right shoe to work out in. With so many brands, styles, trends and gimmicks it can be a little overwhelming. Well, fret no more! I have four simple tips that will have you feeling like Cinderella in no time.

Next thing to consider is make sure you are getting a sport-specific shoe. If you plan on running, get a running shoe. Plan on walking some laps; you need a good walking shoe.  You want to do this because each specific shoe will have different support and features for different areas of the foot.  Think about what you are going to be using the shoes for and make sure they meet that specific need.

Remember the days of buying shoes that weren’t that comfortable but your mom made you get them anyway because “they will be fine once you break them in”? Well, those days are gone! When you try the shoes on, they should be comfortable from the start. Make sure they don’t rub, have bad support, or are too tight. They should be ready to wear right out of the store!

Last thing I recommend is “ask the experts”. If you are still confused or not quite sure which shoes are best for you, ask! Most sports stores you go into have people in the shoe department for that sole (no pun intended) purpose. They can help you figure out how you walk, where you distribute your weight, etc. They are there…use them!

Athletic shoes have come a long way and they really do make a difference in your workouts …happy feet mean better workouts!  Now that you are ready, get out there and get moving!

Now that you have all your wonderful fresh, healthy food it’s time to take it home and get it ready for the week. To do this, wash and prep your fruits and vegetables for easy access during your busy week. A great idea is to cut up some different vegetables and put them in a container so that you have them on hand to add to salads, soups, omelets or sandwiches.

Next, you will do the same thing to anything you had purchased in a large bag or container. Take some snack bag size Ziploc baggies and divide the bigger bag into single servings. Put these in your pantry for easy “on-the-go” snacks.

Now you have all your healthy food home and ready to go, let’s talk about some tips at dinner time. First thing; use a smaller plate. Smaller plates equal smaller portions. Next, make sure you put your food on the plate in the kitchen, Do not bring all the food from the kitchen and serve yourself at the table.  Put the correct portion on your plate and leave the rest in the kitchen. The last thing to think about is remember to really enjoy your dinner. Eat slowly. Put your fork down in between bites. This is not a race. Savor each bite, talk with your family and relax.

This cycle is what happens to most people. We may start off with a routine and the pounds and inches are coming off, then all of a sudden, our results are at a standstill, we get frustrated, unmotivated and give up. Well, I am here to tell you there is hope!

Doing the same thing day after day will not yield you the results you desire. To continue getting results, you must continue to challenge your body by mixing up your routine.

Why is this important? When you work the same muscles, the same way at the same intensity, your body adapts and therefore doesn’t have to work as hard.  Think back to your very first day of starting your routine and you may notice that you can get through your workout a little easier now.

What you want to do is shock, or confuse your body. You want your body to always be taxed and challenged. Do this by switching your routine to incorporate using different muscles, times, or intensity.

If you are a fan of the treadmill and normally jog three miles a day at a nice and easy pace, try switching back and forth between a light jog and all out sprints. If it is usually flat, program in some hills. If you are a fan of strength training, add cardio into your routine. Take a new class; add Yoga, cycling, martial arts, boxing, etc. The possibilities are endless.

The point is that your exercise should never be “easy’. Yes, as your fitness level increases you will find things easier to do but that is when you change it up to make it hard again. Challenge your body and you will continue to see better and better results!