Tis the season to get together with family, friends and co-workers, and I hope you’re all getting ready to have a great thanksgiving tomorrow, (I’m cooking my first turkey this year, gulp! haha)  Now, with the holidays quickly approaching, it’s important to keep your eating habits in check so that you dont find yourself gaining any unnecessary holiday weight! Check out this week’s tips to help survive the holiday eating:

1. Eat something every 2-3 hours throughout the day.
You may have heard me mention this once or twice, but I can never say it enough. Eat every 2-3 hours so that you stabilize your blood sugar levels and keep from suffering from the crashes which typically lead to serious binges on things like pumpkin rolls, cakes and home made delicacies. This is one of the best principles you can follow to blast fat and build lean muscle.

2. Don’t Drink Your Calories
We all know that alcohol is going to be consumed this week, but don’t forget to factor those calories into your daily caloric intake if you’re trying to lose a few pounds. A simple tip for minimizing your liquid calorie intake: alternate between alcohol and water.

3. Eat Breakfast Every Day
Jump start your metabolism for the day with a good breakfast every morning. Studies have consistently shown that making breakfast a daily habit will help you lose weight and keep it off.

4. Dont show up to the party on an empty stomach!
If you’re going to be attending holiday parties, it goes without saying that you will more than likely be eating some of the delicious holiday treats that come out this time of year, just dont go crazy with the portions. An easy way to insure you dont go out of control is to eat before you go to the party. Eating a high fiber snack like an apple or some veggies right beforehand can help to curb your appetite so you dont over indulge!

Question of the week: what’s your favorite healthy snack? Comment down below and let us know what you like!

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So here I am on a plane flying back from a seminar I just attended in Orlando, and to say that it was motivational and inspiring would be the understatement of the year! I had the opportunity to meet and network with many of top trainers and fitness business professionals in the country and one thing was for sure. Every single one of the leaders in the fitness industry has one main thing in common…a crystal clear vision of what their goals are for the coming month, quarter, and year.

This is also true of many of our clients who have achieved significant results with their training programs. They have a clear and specific vision of what they want, where they’re going, and how they’re going to get there. Those without a clear vision usually don’t end up reaching their goals.

So here’s my question to you:

What is your vision, specifically? Saying you want lose weight and tone up isn’t specific enough. Saying you want to “get huge” or “ripped” isn’t specific enough. “How much weight do you want to lose? What pant or dress size do you want to get into? How exactly do you define “toned up?”

Do you have a crystal clear picture in your head of what you want to look and feel like?

If you don’t have a clear vision, that’s ok. Take a minute right now and write it down, post it in a comment on this blog or on Facebook, just get it out there, it does not exist until it is written down!

Looking forward to your comments,

Have a great weekend everybody!

Marty

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Tired of carrying around that spare tire around your midsection?  Make the following changes and watch your belly disappear!

Check it out:

1. Get a grip, and the gut will go! Most of us run around all day and are over worked, don’t get enough sleep, and get stressed out way too much, and too often. All of this extra stress causes our body to release an excess production of a hormone called Cortisol. Cortisol causes your body to hold on to fat and direct that fat toward our internal organs as a method of “self preservation.”  Reduce the excess stress in your life, and you’ll automatically reduce your cortisol levels and your body’s tendency to store excess belly fat!

2. Garbage in, Garbage…in? Are you on a steady diet of ‘nutritionally dead junk food?’ A diet high in junk food tends to lead to a clogged up intestine and colon. This drastically reduces your body’s ability to absorb all of the nutrients, vitamins and minerals it needs to help burn fat. A clogged up system also leads to that bloated feeling which is never comfortable. Bottom line: eat clean, get your fiber intake in and cleanse your insides of all that toxic waste!

3. Turn your metabolism on! If you’ve ever found your self wanting to drop a few pounds, the first thing you probably did was to “put the fork down” and drastically reduce your caloric intake. This will cause weight loss initially, but as you continue to starve yourself, your body adapts to living on fewer calories, metabolism slows down, and weight loss comes to a screeching halt! In order to reverse this, you need to eat foods that have a ‘thermic effect’ every 3 hours. Combining lean proteins and fibrous carbs will do the trick and reverse the downward spiral you’re currently on.

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1. Almonds: high in protein, good for building muscle and fighting off cravings and hunger
2. Black Beans: great for burning fat, regulating digestion, and an excellent source of protein, fiber, and iron.
3. Spinach: rich in magnesium and vitamin A, C, E and K. Besides fighting obesity, spinach helps protect against heart disease, stroke, and colon cancer.
4. Blueberries: full of antioxidants and great source of soluble fiber which helps you feel full.
5. Oatmeal: low in fat, good source of fiber. Oatmeal is also low in sodium and cholesterol.
6. Eggs: packed full of protein, iron and vitamins A, D, E, and B12. Eggs help promote the loss of body fat and stabilize blood sugar levels.
7. Sweet Potatoes: high in fiber, complex carbohydrates, protein and vitamins. When eaten with the skin, sweet potatoes have more fiber than oatmeal!
8. Peanut Butter: packed with protein and heart healthy fats,  peanut butter helps build muscle while burning fat. It is high in calories though, so watch your intake!
9. Extra Virgin Olive Oil: helps burn fat while keeping your cholesterol in check.  Substitute salad dressing with a tablespoon or 2 of extra virgin olive oil.
10. Lean Turkey: helps build muscle and boosts your immune system. An excellent choice for boosting your metabolism and speeding up your body’s ability release fat! 
    
11. Whey Protein: helps build muscle and burn fat. Add to your favorite post workout smoothie to accelerate your fat loss.    
    
12. Low Fat Yogurt: great for strengthening your bones, providing ‘good bacteria’ in your digestive system, and helps to speed up fat burning.

Eat supportively at each meal by combining a lean protein, a starchy carbohydrate, and fibrous carbohydrate for maximum fat loss!

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Over the course of the last ten years, I have slowly been introduced to what I can only call “modern day anatomy” for women. It’s sad, yet comical, that I know exactly what part of the body women are talking about when I hear the following terms: 

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