“You have to wake up with the dedication to go to bed with the satisfaction” I live my life by these words.

We only get one life, make it right. Start each day with a plan. Another one of my favorite quotes is “ failure to prepare is preparing to fail.” It isn’t that hard to make a lunch everyday, grocery shop every week, pick out a piece of fruit, throw some ingredients in a blender or grab a yogurt on your way out the door.

Half of our country complains about “money” and the other half complains about not having enough time! Well, there are some simple steps you can make to stop complaining about both!!

McDonalds breakfast sandwiches cost about 2-3$ … A whole bag of Thomas’ whole wheat English muffins, a container of eggs and a pack of cheese costs about 6$, and you can make at least 6 breakfasts out of those and that’s only because 6 English Muffins come in a pack!

Time is the next issue. Well, an egg can be beaten and then microwaved in 2 1/2 minutes, plopped onto a muffin with a slice of cheese taking a mere 30 seconds. Now the next excuse – microwaved eggs ?! Think about this question- how does McDonalds make their eggs?… They’re not freshly prepared like the diner, I’ll say that!

I’m not going to lecture you on how to save money and time. I will say “if weight loss is truly a priority, steps can and should be made to help make it easier. Because health and living is a priority. We should make every day count as if its our last, and the only way is to start every day out fresh, like a new start!”

Let’s face it, none of us are getting any younger, but that doesn’t mean we’re not getting better. After all, age is just a number, and it is never too late to get on track.
Did you know that experts say that exercise is the one step you could take to improve your health. Evidence shows that exercise can help build and maintain bone density at any age.
A well-rounded workout routine for people with arthritis including flexibility exercises can increase range of motion and help lessen pain and fatigue.
The foundation of good health includes not only exercise but also a proper diet. When eating habits are changed to a healthier pattern, blood pressure and cholesterol levels are usually lowered. So together exercise and proper eating will give you more energy and make you feel better. We should feel great no matter what our age!!
Barbara Nieves

Hiking is an enjoyable hobby because it’s a sport that you can experience at our own pace. Getting in shape for hiking is necessary before hitting the trails. You don’t have to be an elite athlete to enjoy the great outdoors but you do need a moderate fitness level for hiking.

Obviously, the terrain dictates the required fitness level. Hiking on flat ground is different from hiking in the Rockies. Different postures and muscles are going to be used; different cardio and breathing are needed to keep a strong stamina.

If you know the type of terrain you’re going to explore this summer, spend a month prior to heading out to condition your legs, back and cardio performance. It’ll make your journeys more enjoyable and memorable. Happy Hiking ! -Jason DeFalco

Im always amazed at the lessons we can learn from watching childrens movies. A recent evening cuddled on the couch watching Kung Fu Panda (while my soon-to-be 3 year old practiced her “dragon warrior” moves, inspired some deep thought on the way we view situations and its impact on our fitness journey.

Although the entire film was great (and there are a number of lessons to take note of), one message that struck me was  ”where you came from (or where youve recently been) does not determine who you are NOW or what you can do moving forward.

One teaching I want to pair with this is BEWARE of your THOUGHTS and SELF TALK. The power of your thought process has a HUGE impact on where you go in life and is a make-or-break when it comes to hitting goals or reaching success.

Of course these principles apply to all aspects of life, but can especially be of use when we struggle on our fitness and health journey.

If you have trouble getting (and keeping) in shape, whatever “in shape” may mean to you, I want you to pay attention to the words you say to yourself most often. If you are constantly giving yourself negative programming (“I just can’t lose weight, I could never look like THAT, Im not meant to be lean and healthy,” etc…) then that is exactly the message your brain will continue to give you “dont lose weight, dont look like that, dont be lean and healthy”).

Here are a few techniques I recommend to my clients at Healthplex Training and Weight Loss Center;

1. Watch your thoughts!  Rather than the negative self programming you typically give yourself, start telling yourself “I AM healthy. I AM fit, yes, I CAN do this!”

2.  Read 10 min of an inspirational book every day.  I highly recommend What to Say when You Talk to Yourself by Dr. Shad Helmstetter.  I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Helmstetter and listen to him speak about a year ago, and his teachings are amazing and can have a positive influence on all areas of life that you may want to improve.

3.  Hire Help! Sometimes we get discouraged, confused, etc before we even get started! Even if it is short term, it’s always a good idea to enlist the services of a certified fitness professional (I recommend FMS trained fit pros) to set up your individual programming and get you and KEEP you on track.

4. Get Moving! forget about where you’ve been. A new you starts NOW. With one foot in fron of the other, keep moving forward. With the right attitude and tenacity, you WILL succeed in your fitness journey.

Yours in Health,

Erin B.

Exercise does not outweigh your eating!

By: Amy Jones

Lately a lot of clients have been coming up to me explaining to me about these new apps in their phone which tracks food, calories and energy used and burned through daily activities and exercise.  I think this is a great tool to become more aware of your caloric intake on the day and to become more aware of what exactly you are putting into your mouth on maybe a daily basis.  (like what qualifies a vegetable or not) However there is one area of this program that I would like to “debate” so to speak and give you  a little insight on.  There  is also an area on this program where you can track and log your exercise.  Now I believe that all exercise is important and does in fact help you lose weight, but it does not serve as a purpose to eat more!!! I have had some people come up to me saying well I ran 3 miles and on my exercise tracker and food diary it now says I have 1600 more calories I can eat today!!! In my opinion this is where sometimes people who exercise- either gain weight or do not lose (no it isn’t due to muscle) .

85% of what you look like is what you eat.  That 15% is exercise, yes if you exercise A LOT and really hard you can transform what you look like definitely, but the truth is there are 24 hours in a day and only realistically 1-2 can be spent exercising- the rest is the diet.  So next time you track that food diary and exercise here’s some advice, either skip  the exercise portion and just concentrate on the food, or log the exercise but just use it as a guide is to how many “extra” calories you burned  and pat yourself on the back for that.  Keep your food within your normal range whether it be 1300 calories or 2000- whatever works for you and then just know that every time you exercise you are helping those extra calories burn off- not using it alone to allow yourself more food intake on the day!!! Because the truth is Abs are made in the kitchen not the gym!!