I want to thank all of you that subscribe to this blog or follow along via other social media sites. I received incredible feedback and I'm so grateful to those who reached out with questions and comments.  

I've been fat, thin, fat, thin, chubby, pregnant twice, fat again and thin again...you get the idea.

As someone who struggled most of the early years with eating right and exercise, I have learned a thing or two about how to be successful and stay successful with my health and fitness.

I've been blessed to turn my passion into a career and help others with their fitness and nutrition goals. 

Today I want to share the top 10 things I've learned through my fitness journey and hopefully inspire someone out there to keep going!!

1) It's never ever too late.  

I didn't start my fitness journey until my mid-thirties and got into the best shape of my life by the age of 40 and never looked back. I am proud to say I've stepped on stage as a national figure competitor - something I never thought was possible and I did it at the ripe age of 42.  Before kids, I couldn't run from here to the mailbox.  A half-marathon & some 5K's later, I can now run without the feeling of throwing up all over myself.

But even more than past accomplishments, I'm happy and healthy and feel like I'm 25 - not 45!  

2) You can't out train a bad diet. 

This one doesn't need much of an explanation but WOW- if I had a dime for every minute I've spent doing extra cardio so I could go home and eat like a pig, I would be on a private island counting my money.  It doesn't work peeps.

3) Taking time for yourself is not selfish.  

Selfish is treating your body like crap so you aren't of any use to others in your life.  Make yourself the priority so you can make others a priority in your life.  And while you're busy making yourself the priority, make sure you have a good support system to surround yourself...going at it alone without anyone to cheer you on or help you stay focused is not a lot of fun.

4) Stop weighing yourself every day.  

The scale is not your friend.  The scale will lie to you. It will tell you that you're having a good day when you're really not ( i.e. I guess I can have that extra slice of pizza) or tell you that you're having a bad day when maybe it's just a little water weight...so you starve yourself.  Either way it's a bad idea.  

Rely on measurements and the good 'ol "zipper" test to give you an accurate "picture" of what's really going on with you.

5) Results don't come in a pill.  

You WILL have to bust your ass.  You will have to eat right and drink your water.  You will have to plan your food and exercise sessions.  There isn't a Fitness Fairy that does it for you nor does it come in a fancy pill. Complaining about your current situation does nothing to fight the fight.  Make up your mind to get it done.

6) Results, GOOD and LONG LASTING  results will take time.  

No, you can't lose 5 lbs before the weekend (and expect to keep it off)  and you won't suddenly have toned muscles after 1 week in the gym. Unrealistic expectations will create unrealistic results. 

Consistency is the key to long term success.  The bodies you admire in the gym or in the fitness magazines were created with patience and consistency, not gimmicks.

7) Eat to live don't live to eat.  

Exercise is only part of the equation.  We have all heard that diet is the key to fitness success - at least 70-80% depending on who you ask!  If you want to change your physique, change the way you view food.  
Don't get me wrong- I LOVE food- all kinds - I'm not even prejudice to fast food. I could throw down on some fried chicken or pizza and not blink an eye.

But, I've had to learn to view food as FUEL and treat my body to the right gas....not give it crappy food which results in bad fuel.

8) Weight training will get you further than hours on the treadmill. 

Yes- I was one of those in the beginning- spent hours doing cardio and ignored the need for weight training.   
The key to having a strong metabolism is to have muscle on the body. Muscle gives the body a more tight and lean appearance.  Do not fall victim to " I'll start with cardio- lose some weight and begin my strength routine".  Big mistake.  Do your cardio AND weight training for a balanced physique.

9) Keep track of your food/workouts. 

There is NO way I would be where I am today if I hadn't taken the time to keep a food journal ( and this was before the age of fitness apps!).  It was the number one factor that led to my success- I'm convinced of it. 

I wrote down everything I ate for years.  I educated myself on calories and macro nutrients.  I still keep track of my food on a weekly basis.  Success rates almost triple when a journal is kept for at least 4 weeks.

10) Failure to Plan is a Plan to Fail.  

I know we've all heard this one before but let's face it- it's part of the process.  Schedule your workouts, plan your meals, plan for obstacles and plan for success. That's right...plan for success.



Thanks for reading!  Is there a subject you would like for me to address in an future blog?  Email me kathy.laucius@yahoo.com

I'm a quote nerd.  I love quotes. I don't pretend to originate them but I will always try to make my point with a quote.  This one in particular could not be more true for my local client who vowed to take back her fitness and put herself first so she can take care of others around her.

Four weeks ago she started a 12 week plan to get it right.  But what does 'RIGHT' look like?  We did not set a weight loss goal.  We did not set a goal to lose a certain amount of body fat or inches.  We set a goal to make changes- changes that will last a lifetime, not just for 12 weeks.

Drum Roll Please....

At the end of 4 weeks, she has lost 5.5 lbs and 2.5 inches in her waist.  Her body fat has dropped by almost 3% !  Clothes that used to be snug are now fitting loose and comfortable.

As someone who has their own "before and after" story, my philosophy is simple....you put in the effort, you provide the consistency and you will see results.  It's better than any gambling odds in Vegas.

Effort + Consistency = Success

This is not the 'Biggest Loser'.  We are not trying to lose a ridiculous amount of weight in the least amount of time.  We are setting up long term ideals for long term success.  Long term success is dependent upon realistic goals.  If you lose the weight too quickly, you are setting yourself up for a big gain in return.  Slow and steady wins the race.

Average weight loss is .5 -2 lbs/week.  If you are losing weight at a more rapid loss, make sure your meal plan/exercise plan is realistic and can be achieved on a weekly basis.  

For my client, we focused on a balanced diet of 1450 calories.  Her starting weight was 156 and she's down to 150.5 lbs. (See previous blog for macro nutrients and exercise plan)

CHOICES (CHANGES) TO HER DAILY LIFE:

1) PLAN AHEAD:  My client realized that there was no such thing as a 'Food Prep Fairy' so she was going to have to plan ahead...she made sure she left 30 minutes every night to organize her food, supplements and get things ready for the next day.  She realized that this has been the biggest reason for failure in the past- thinking there will be enough time in the morning to get organized but it just never happened for her.

I'm here to tell you- failure to plan is a plan to fail.  This has to be Number One on your goal list. 

2) ORGANIZE YOUR KITCHEN:  Do you know where your food is?  Do you have your food accessible?  My client organized her kitchen to make sure she could get to her food as needed- she even organized her refrigerator to include proteins, carbs and fats as well as food for her family.

3) PACK FOOD FOR "ON THE GO" :  How many times have you caught yourself at a meal time, on the go yet nothing there to eat? Again, the key to success is to plan ahead so look at your calendar and plan ahead for meals/snacks.  Don't let a whole day of hard work go out the window due to lack of planning or accessible food!  HINT- everywhere you go there is a grocery store close by...don't waste calories at a fast food drive-thru...use the produce and deli section to put together fresh meals on the go.


4) INCLUDE FAMILY IN MENUS:  One thing she wanted to do when she started was to make sure her family was eating healthy along with her meal plan.   This is smart.  Instead of eating a meal plan that only worked for her, she planned out her family dinners to include healthy food for everyone as she watched her own portions to fit her calorie requirements.  I've seen too many people fall off the wagon because they put themselves on ridiculous food requirements and leave the rest of the family out of the picture.


These things may sound like a pain in the rear  but this is how it gets done. You cannot expect to see results without putting some mental power into the process.  Some of you may have already realized the obvious- putting the mental power into your meal plan with planning, shopping and execution  is much more difficult than the physical power you put into your workouts.  






YOU MAKE THE CHOICE. 

Thanks for reading!  Next week I will share the 10 things I learned through my own fitness journey - Hint Hint....It's never ever too late!

AMEN!   As highlighted in my previous blog, one of my local clients decided enough was enough.  She made a very simple conclusion for her fitness journey:  She was tired of stopping and starting over....the process was exhausting and began to drain her of everyday life.  

As she mentioned in her testimonial ,the goal was to once and for all, make this a lifestyle and not a short term project.

She made up her mind to KEEP GOING and STOP STARTING OVER.  How many of us have been there?  Very few of us get it right the first time.  As someone who has stopped and started over more times than they have fingers and toes to count with, I get it.  Once I became fit for a lifetime and became a personal trainer, I made it my mission to help others make this a LIFESTYLE.  

So- now I'm going to contradict myself.  Yes, it's a lifestyle but at the same time, you need to set a date with the calendar- a realistic date that will keep you accountable to your goals yet give you the "push" to not fall off the wagon.

Personally, I prefer a 12 week time frame when working with my clients.  Why?



You can't give a program one week and expect results.  You need to give your program 12 weeks to make changes as necessary.

My client has been on the program for 3 weeks.
Her starting weight was 157 lbs and her waist measured at 33.5 inches.

 At the end of 4 weeks, she will hit the scale and have measurements taken - we will also reevaluate the meal plan and make necessary changes. 

MEAL PLAN:

*  Eliminated all processed food from diet as well as alcohol.  

* Her meal plan has her eating 1450 calories/day based on her activity level.  Her breakdown is:
- 40% of total calories is protein
- 30% of total calories is carbohydrates 
- 30% of total calories is fat.

* I cannot express enough how easy it is to OVER THINK your meal plan.  As long as you keep the processed foods out and use clean/fresh foods, you are doing it right. But there are a few things you can do to ensure success:

1) Listen to your body.  Do you need 5-6 small meals day or are you OK with 3 large meals and some small snacks?  I think this is all dependent on your activity level.  At the end of the day, your calories in vs. calories out will determine success but you also need to be smart with the way you plan your food intake.

2) Eat your protein:  Protein is essential for muscle building and muscle recovery.  It also helps you feel full all day long- not to mention your metabolism has to work harder to digest protein vs carbs or fat.  So, you get a lot of bang when it comes to speeding up your metabolism.  Calculate the amount of protein you need each day ( I use 1 gram per pound of body weight and adjust as the body weight drops/gains depending on your goals). Use this number to calculate 40% of your total calorie needs- and this is all dependent on your activity level and lean muscle mass.  

* Carbohydrates are not the enemy but you can be strategic with them.  After calculating your carbohydrate needs ( 30% of total calories ) , put the majority of your carbohydrate intake around your pre/post workout meals and spread the rest throughout the day.  If you are not working out for the day, spread your carbohydrates evenly throughout the day.

* Fats are good but they also have their purpose in your daily meals. DO NOT CONSUME FAT POST WORKOUT.  Fats slow down the absorption of carbohydrates, so your PB2 or avocado may not be a good choice at this time. The goal post workout is to get those carbs into the body ASAP and rebuild glucose levels.  Fats eaten with carbs are great to help keep blood sugar levels normal so spread out your fat intake evenly throughout other meals each day.

EXERCISE PLAN:

* 3 days/week in the weight room using body part splits:   One day/week is legs and the other 2 are upper body-switching up the exercises/splits/reps each week.

* Cardio is 2-3 days of HIIT ( high intensityinterval training) and 2 -3 days week of moderate cardio ( 30-45 minutes).  HIIT is performed on non weight training days.

When it comes to cardio, more is not always better.  The very first thing your body adapts to is the cardio program.  So- you have to keep doing more cardio in order to stay ahead of the game.  But, if you use intervals 2-3x/ week, you will keep your body working hard and burning MORE calories during the session .  Less time and more calories burned?  YEP!   But, you can't do it everyday- your body needs a break so I recommend maximum 3/week.  



The reason for featuring a client during their program is to show the good, bad and ugly that comes up during the process.  Every person is different but each one of us has something to overcome - and that is the similarity.

Thanks for reading-if you have any questions please feel free to email me kathy.laucius@yahoo.com

Have a great week!

.

Was this your motto at the beginning of 2013??  Halfway through the year- where are you with your goals?

Well, you may be like most people - you have already forgotten that special "feeling" you had when you set your goal/resolution.  Holding on to that special feeling is important- it stays with us to remind us WHY we do what we do...but for some that is easier than others.

If you haven't already written down your goal, do it now.  Research shows that the success rate is higher for those that write down their goals and keep it visible as opposed to keeping in inside their head.

Looking back on the beginning of the year, did you set REASONABLE goals?  Did you vow to wake up at 3 am just to get to the gym when you know it's not possible?  Did you vow to eat clean every single day, even on the weekends, when you know special occasions will occur??

Remember that this is a lifestyle commitment - so it won't happen overnight.

Here are some simple thoughts to help keep it all in perspective:

1) Don't get frustrated if you're not there yet -attitude means everything. 

2) Slip ups are normal.  The key is to not let one bad day turn into a bad month and on & on...

3) Reevaluate and choose baby steps - make a plan to do ONE thing each week to get you closer to your goal.

4) Understand that change is part of the process.  Don't run from it - embrace it.  If it was easy, everyone would do it.

5) Commit to your decisions.  You must decide what you are willing to do and not do.  Again, don't set yourself up for failure committing to a crazy workout time or vowing that you will never have another piece of cake the rest of your life.  Set realistic goals and commit to them.

6) Stop waiting for the perfect day or time to get started.  It will never be perfect. 

7) Plan, plan, plan - plan your meals, plan your workouts, plan your relaxation time.  As much as possible, don't leave things up to chance. 

8) Leave the insecurities behind.  I know it's hard- trying to make changes yet wondering if they will ever come to fruition?  You must believe in yourself to see results.

9) Enlist a support system.  Find someone to keep yourself accountable to: family member, trainer, co-worker, etc.  Better yet- enlist another  person to take the journey with you.

10) Focus on the feeling of accomplishment.  Remember the time you worked out when you didn't feel like it or you made the right choices with your food? Remind yourself that you DO have it in you.

Remember- if you start today, just think where you will be by the end of 2013.

Stop talking - start DOING!