It’s February and the honeymoon is over. Those of you who set weight loss and/or fitness goals for the New Year are assuredly now realizing it might be more difficult and time consuming than you initially anticipated. Plain and simple: don’t give up.
First and foremost, ditch the notion of the “New Year Resolution.” Who can really keep up with those things, anyway? However, New Years’ Resolutions are a valuable introspection tool, showing us what goals we want to accomplish or ways we want to improve. Unfortunately, the ephemeral connotations of the “New Years’ Resolution” make them limited and generally pretty lame. So, forget it. Instead adjust your New Years’ Resolution into smaller, more digestible goals. Want to lose 60 pounds? Try losing five pounds in a month first. And then lose another five… and another… and another. Make your goals realistic and attainable, and you will avoid frustration.
Secondly, keep a level-headed perspective; just repeat this mantra, “it’s not that bad.” Exercise only requires 4-5 hours per week to be effective. For the record, that’s only 2.6% of your time. While we’re on percentages, also keep in mind that you do not need to eat squeaky-clean-healthy 100% of the time. Treat yourself once a week. Use your weekly treat to reward yourself for your hard work. These weekly treats will keep you sane and help you adhere to your program. You might have to cut back on a few cheeseburgers and blended coffee drinks, but you know what: it’s really not that bad.
Go forth and achieve your goals with good ol’ fashioned stick-to-it-ness. Just remember to set achievable goals (and then achieve them), it’s not that bad, and (one more) it’s good for you.
DID YOU KNOW?
You should drink 17 to 20 ounces of water two hours before the start of exercise, and 16 to 24 ounces for every pound of body weight lost after exercise.
Jennifer's Gems
Healthy Snack Bar Options:
Lara Bars: Gluten free energy bars that use whole, all-natural ingredients. Each Lara Bar flavor offers at least half a serving of fruit, and is a good healthy option for quick energy.
Mini Clif Bars: The smaller versions of Clif Bar are the lower-calorie counterpart of its big brother bar. These bars offer lots of good vitamins and minerals, not to mention a little protein and fiber to fill you up.
South Beach Bar: Higher in protein than the previously listed and still under 200 calories. This bar has a few more “unnatural” ingredients than Clif and Lara, but still a good option.
Fitness Q & A
Q:
Does eating late at night really lead to weight gain?
A:
Eating junk food late at night makes you gain weight. Eating junk food at any time of the day (morning, noon, or night) makes you gain weight. We all have different life/work schedules, which merit different eating schedules. What really matters is not what time you eat but WHAT you eat. If you are making healthy decisions with your diet-- eating lots of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins—it doesn’t matter the time of day you eat your final meal. One thing to keep in mind, however, is to set an eating schedule that establishes set times for eating during the day (note: this should be every 3-4 hours to keep your metabolism revved up). Don’t make your life like a childhood punishment; there is no need to go to bed hungry.
Member of the Month
Congratulations to Jane Gallagher!
Jane has lost a total of 9.75 inches since she began training in July 2010! There is a lot to be said for consistent training sessions and sensible eating. Jane has lost 5 lb total and as you can see her body has transformed into a lean mean fighting machine! Jane is a perfect example of how unimportant the numbers on the scale are!! We need to focus more on inches lost and percent body fat than actual weight loss because of muscle which adds to the numbers on the scale. Jane has also started running 3 days/week and wants to run the 10K in Richmond in April! You can do it Jane!
Step 1
Preheat oven to 475°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Step 2
Combine flours, cornmeal, salt and pepper in a large sealable plastic bag. Dip zucchini in egg white, shake in the bag to coat, and arrange, not touching, on the baking sheet. Coat all exposed sides with cooking spray.
Step 3
Bake on the center rack for 7 minutes. Turn the zucchini and coat any floury spots with cooking spray. Continue to bake until golden and just tender, about 5 minutes more. Serve hot.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Calories: 127
Carbohydrates: 23g
Fat: 2g
Protein: 7g
Dietary Fiber: 4g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Potassium: 524mg
Sodium: 427mg
Upcoming Events
We are now offering 3, 6, and 12 month boot camp contracts! If you are committed to getting results and you want the best possible price, signing up long term is your best bet. Signing up for a year knocks down the price to $10 per session, which is pretty darn cheap. Check out the website for more information regarding boot camps and pricing.
Current Boot Camps:
Mon/Wed/Fri at Noon
Mon/Tue/Wed/Thur at 5:30 p.m.
Mon/Wed/Thur at 7 p.m.
Running Club!
We have started our very own Fredericksburg Fitness Running Club! Running club meets every Thursday at 4:30 PM at the FF Studio. Be prepared for endurance training, ladder drills, hill challenges, interval training and more! Email Jennifer if you would like to sign up: jen@fburgfitness.com
INGREDIENTS