1.     Park farther away from the office, or get off public transportation at an earlier stop, and walk the rest of the way.
2.     Take the stairs instead of the elevator, especially if you’ve got only a few floors to climb.
3.     Go for a walk during lunch. One way to do this is to skip your usual salad spot on the corner and find one a little farther away. If you bring your lunch to work, use the time you save buying lunch to take a walk around the block.
5.     Deliver messages by hand instead of by phone or e-mail, and walk over to coworkers when you need to chat with them.
6.     Instead of meeting in the office or over lunch, take it to the streets (or park) for a walk – or even to the gym.
7.     Take frequent breaks to get up and walk around.
8.     Find a gym near your workplace and exercise for 20 minutes during your lunch break or just before or after work.
9.     Use your headset or cell phone and walk around while talking on the phone.
10.     Stretch occasionally while sitting at your desk.

So, what do you do during the day to get in your exercise.

You and I know that in life each of us can run up against an excuse every single day. What do I mean
by excuse.

I can name 100 right now, and so can you…

Don’t have time to exercise;
My husband and kids won’t eat anything but high calorie foods;
No one in my family is lean and everyone is fat;
Eating healthy is too expensive;
My office vending machine has no healthy snacks;
I went off the diet again.
I haven’t exercised for so long I don’t know where my workout clothes are.
I strained a muscle.
I have a big deadline at work;
My workout buddy is on vacation;
I’ve tried to lose weight before and as usual, it’s not working!;
Gas is too expensive and so I can’t drive to the gym;

On and on and on… Right?

There’s always something.And so I say “so what”! You need to start saying this to yourself. When something comes up in your mind to block you from any goal, fitness or otherwise. Say to yourself, “so what”. How can I do it despite this road bump? Ask yourself how. And then wait for the answer. If the answer does not come. Ask the question again, and again, and again until you get the answer to the how.

One of the reasons you and I should not accept excuses from ourselves or from others is that there is always someone out there who is going through exactly what you are and they are still achieving success in fat loss, in business, in parenting, you name it. And even more impressive, I guarantee that there are thousands of people out there who have much bigger mountains to overcome and they too have been able to achieve fat loss success.

How bad do you want to be healthy and successful at every thing you do?

Go get my free report that will get you started on your fat loss journey: www.kathystrahan.com

Tell me what you have overcome to achieve fat loss. Tell me what your excuses are for not achieving fat loss. I really want to know. Please leave a comment.

Your Post-Exercise Fluid Needs
Most moderate exercisers will lose about one quart (4 cups) of fluid per hour of exercise, so try to drink about 16-20 ounces of water shortly after your workout to aid the recovery process. If you sweat a lot or the weather is hot and/or humid, consider weighing yourself before and after exercise, and drinking an ounce of water for every ounce of weight you’ve lost. Because heavy sweating also causes loss of minerals and electrolytes, consider using a sports drink with electrolytes if you need to replace more than 2-3 cups of fluid.

Your Post-Exercise Meal or Snack
As long as you’re staying within your overall range for the day, you don’t need to be obsessive about matching the following calorie and nutrient ratios perfectly.  Just be careful not to fall into the very common trap of thinking that it’s OK to eat anything and everything in sight because you just worked out.

Believe me, as a spin instructor, this is very common. I see it all the time, and it’s easy to do if we do not properly fuel our bodies before the workout. Many people are very hungry after a workout, making it easy to eat more than you really need, or choose foods that won’t really help your body. Eating too much of the wrong thing can do the opposite of what you want—and cause your body to store those calories as fat instead of using your post-workout food to refuel and repair your muscles.

So what does the ideal meal or snack look like?
Awe. Great question… Ideally, try to eat enough calories to equal 50% of the calories you burned during your workout. So if you burn about 600 calories during your workout, try to eat 300 calories afterward. This is not hard to do.

First, please do not worry about undoing the calorie-burning benefits of your workout–that’s not how weight loss works. In fact, eating will fire up your metabolic rate a bit. So, when we combine a fat burning workout, with the thermogenics of eating. That’s a powerful fat burning combination. As long as you’re eating
within your recommended calorie range (whether for weight loss or maintenance), you’ll be on your way to reaching your goals.

Carbohydrates.
After a hard workout, roughly 60% of the calories you eat at this time should come from carbohydrates. Contrary to popular belief, your body needs more carbohydrates than protein after a workout, to replace the muscle fuel (glycogen) you used up and to prepare for your next exercise session. Moderate
exercisers need about 30-40 grams of carbohydrates after an hour of exercise, but high-intensity exercisers need more—around 50-60 grams for each hour they exercised.

If you have some favorite high-carb foods that are lacking in the whole grains and fiber that are often recommended as part of a healthy diet, this is a good time to have them! Your body can digest refined carbohydrates faster during your “refueling window,” but if you’re a whole foods foodie, don’t force yourself to eat processed foods.

Protein.
While carbs are essential, it’s also important to include some high-quality protein in your post-workout meal or snack. This protein will stop your body from breaking down muscle tissue for energy and initiate the process of rebuilding and repairing your muscles. About 25% of the calories you eat after a workout
should come from protein—that’s about 10-15 grams for most people.

Fat.
Fat doesn’t play a big role in post-workout recovery, and eating too much fat after a workout won’t help your weight control or fitness endeavors. Only 15% (or less) of your post-workout calories should come from fat—that’s less than 10 grams.

How soon should you eat?
The ideal time to eat after a workout is within 30 minutes to two hours, when your body is ready and waiting to top off its fuel tanks to prepare for your next workout.

But if your appetite or schedule doesn’t allow you to eat a meal right after you exercise session, don’t panic. Your body can still replace your muscle fuel over the next 24 hours, as long as you’re eating enough food to support your activity level. If you can, have a smaller snack that contains carbs and protein as soon
after exercise as possible. Liquids like smoothies, shakes, or chocolate milk, and/or energy bars can be especially effective snacks after a workout.

Here are some sample food combinations for your post exercise meal:
Bread, a bagel, or an English muffin with cheese or peanut butter
Dried fruit and nuts
Cottage cheese with fruit
Fruit juice with cheese
Yogurt with fruit
Veggie omelet with toast or roll
Chocolate milk
Cereal with milk
Eggs and toast
Turkey, ham, chicken, or roast beef sandwich
Vegetable stir-fry with chicken, shrimp, edamame or tofu
Crackers with low fat cheese
Rice or popcorn cakes with nut butter
Smoothie (with milk, yogurt, or added protein powder)
A protein or energy bar
A protein or energy shake
Pancakes and eggs
Any regular meal that contains lean protein, starch, and vegetables

As a moderate exerciser, you have a lot of flexibility when it comes to timing your meals and choosing your foods. The most important thing is getting to know your body and how it responds to exercise, so that you can give it what it needs to perform at its best. Eating the right things at the right time after you work
out is essential to keeping your energy up, your workout performance high, and your body in fat-burning mode.

Wanna go from moderate to turbo-charged?
Do it right and get your body ready for summer. Check out some free tips and fat burning workouts from one of the top fitness experts I recommend, Craig Ballantyne

So, what about the rest of us average fitness enthusiasts who workout regularly?

We try to squeeze in 30-60 minutes of exercise most days of the week. Right? Do we have to be careful about what we eat before and after our workouts, too?

Well, here’s what some of the professionals have to say about the best way to eat, especially after a workout.

If you’re eating a healthy diet and getting enough calories to support your activity level, they say that we can probably rely on our own appetite, energy levels,

and experience to tell us whether we need to eat anything before or after exercise and what it should be. The basic rule here is: Find out what works best for us, and do that.

Well, this sounds like we need to experiment a bit, huh?

Obviously, there are some advantages to knowing how our body works and what it needs to perform at its best. The bottom line for healthy weight loss and fitness sounds simple: We must eat fewer calories than we use up — but not fewer than our body needs to function at its best. In other words, we must never go too low in our calorie needs because this could trigger the starvation mode and slow down the metabolism.

The professionals say that the size, timing, and content of our pre- and post-exercise meals and snacks can play an important role in our energy levels during our workout, how well our body recovers and rebuilds after our workout, and whether the calories we eat will be used as fuel or stored as fat.

Tomorrow, find out what you need to eat and drink to get the post workout results you want!

In the mean time, if you really wan tto turbo charge your results today, get Tom Venutos free report and find out the secrets to Burn The Fat

Click here

So, what does the Kentucky Derby have to teach us about hard, lean muscles?

Well, here’s the story…

My husband an I have some friends who are very well-known fitness professionals who have just returned from the Kentucky Derby.

It was their first time and they said that they had a fabulous time and that we should all plan to go next year. We certainly may do that…

But, here’s the point I want to make…

First, our friends described the attendance as totally packed with 151,000 people, which was the second largest attendance ever for the Kentucky Derby.

Interestingly, the women were dressed up along with their hats and the men were snazzed up as well. They took fantastic pictures.

Now, here’s the point… They noticed something very significant about the race horses as they filed by, and of course during the race.

What was so significant was the musculature  of the race horses.

Now I know horses are generally lean and muscular animals, but these race horses were very lean and muscular.  They were so impressed with how they could clearly see their leg muscles striations when they were walking past towards the track.

So, I asked, “But horses are generally quite lean, what was the difference here.”

They answered, “it’s that these horses run sprints”! They do this all the time! This is their workout style…

Wow! My friends saw first hand what regular interval training can do. Not just for a human, but for an animal as well.

I know I have talked to you about interval training and sprint training to achieve faster fat loss and body shaping. But this is a very powerful testimony to the concept of what interval training can do!

Look at human sprinters or those who train with intervals and high intensity exercises like I have discussed before.  They are very lean and muscular and it doesn’t come from lifting a ton of weights.

They do cardio intervals at high intensities with full maximal effort.

Race horses are the same way.  They don’t just go out for a jog that takes 1 hour.  They run and they run hard and fast for a short period of time.

If you still don’t believe the research that interval training works for humans, perhaps you will see that it works with animals and then you’ll make the connection to humans.

This is a very powerful statement to see how race horse leanness and fitness can be duplicated in humans.

Now, if you are sedentary, please get a medical clearance from your personal physician. Then, please start slowly and work your way into intense intervals. Please do not just go out and sprint a 100 yard dash straight off the couch!

However, for those of us who are advanced—let’s get out there and exercise hard and fast to burn our fat fast!

Now, if you’re interested in getting leaner, there is a great new ebook that you must check out, by Tom Venuto. Tom is one of the most respected names in the bodybuilding game because of the amazing physique he has built WITHOUT the use of steroids or other drugs.

You’ll also find out the shocking lies the diet and weight loss industry has fed us all these years. Click here.

Bringing you the best.

But while this is partly true, that belief unfortunately led many women to think that they could skip strength training.

So, now we have aerobics classes such as kick boxing and spin jammed packed with women who are in there almost every day, and many are not seeing the results that they really want.

I just got done reading another study that should change your mind about all cardio, no weight lifting.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics recently found that strength training – or weight lifting – plays a key role in controlling a woman’s weight. They discovered that women who lifted weights just twice a week were able to avoid the slow, one to two pound weight gain per year that’s so common as we advance past age 40.

While one or two pounds may not sound like a lot, over the years it can really add up. Another plus? Women who lifted weights had healthier hearts.

So how does lifting weights help keep us slim?

It’s simple – strength training builds muscle, and muscle cells burn more calories than fat cells. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, 24 hours a day – even when you are asleep! So if you aren’t already, make strength training a part of your fitness program. Your efforts will pay off for years to come! Listen to these secrets from weight lifting expert Annette Padilla…

Well, I can tell you one thing:

Endless crunches are NOT the answer.

It’s funny, but one of my buddies who is a personal trainer where I work out had a brand new client come in who wouldn’t believe this to be the truth.

It’s close to summer and swim suit season and She came in demanding they spend her entire 30 minute workout doing some sort of ab exercise.

My friend, the professional personal trainer who has been in the business since she was a teenager tried to explain the tried and true formula for getting flat abs.

But this client wouldn’t have any of it. She simply did not want to hear any of it!

Apparently the idea of combining proper nutrition and the CORRECT exercise program just didn’t make sense to her.

She wanted to focus in on one area.  She, like so many of us believe that we can spot reduce.

We know we can spot muscle build. Biceps, quads, triceps. but there are some who hold on tight to the notion that spot reducing an area works.

We tend to think that if we do 100 more crunches that this may be the answer. I wonder if she really believed that some sort of ab contraption was the secret to flat, sexy abs. I wonder if this woman
had just seen one too many infomercials. Not a very productive way to think.

Needless to say, that was her one and only workout session with my friend the personal trainer just couldn’t take her on as a client if she wasn’t willing to hear – and accept – the TRUTH.

Getting rock-hard abs isn’t rocket science. But there is science behind it. The human body is a very complex machine. And that is why it stuns me when people refuse to listen to trained professionals.

If we wan to get lean and finally lose the belly fat and the love handles, come on guys! Let’s get serious and learn and accept the truth.

We’re going to need to eat the correct nutrients at the correct times. We’re going to perform the correct exercises scientifically proven to melt fat from our body for up to 48 hours after our workout. We’re going to be disciplined.

Most importantly, when we know the truth, we’re going to succeed.

If you really, really want to get lean? I like the information Tom Venuto has in his Burn the Fat products. For a free report Click here

So, shed the old worn out exercise myths along with the fat. I know you can do it!

Bringing you the best fat burning secrets.

That’s right. Many studies indicate that the ideal order of things should be resistance first, followed by cardio. Read more below…

As I’ve been telling you, the new wave of cardiovascular exercise is interval training, and it is the most economical way to get results fast. According to researchers, intense cardio interval training is much more effective at improving aerobic capacity than long steady cardio training alone.

The key component is that interval training should ideally be done after a resistance workout because after a resistance training your body is in a state where glucose stores are nearly depleted and fat is the prime source for energy.

Now, let’s be clear. Intervals can be done with any cardiovascular workout. If you are walking, then what you do is walk for a minute, then increase your pace for 30 seconds, walk for one minute, then increase the pace for thirty seconds. The optimal number of intervals is six. If you really push hard, then your results will diminish if you have more intervals.

If you like cardio, then after your six intervals simply keep a moderate pace to complete the time you usually allot for your cardio. It’s just that researchers say that we do not need to spend hours on cardio like they originally recommended. It will not create any complications unless we’re talking about overuse injuries which would be the subject of another article.

Also, know that you can get very precise interval increases by using the percentage of your maximum heart rate. Or, you can use the perceived rate of exertion. This is a scale from 1 to 10. From very low #1 as if you’re sitting watching TV, to very high #10 this is not advisable. When we are exercising, we do not want numbers from 1-3 this is too low. And we do not want 10 or maybe even 9 unless you are a very well conditioned athlete.

BTW—Intervals should be done after about four weeks of beginner level training. After this period of time you can introduce some intensity training.

If you’re conditioned, then please intensify your short intervals to an 8 or perhaps a 9. An 8 would feel like you are very late for a flight. In fact, as you are approaching the aircraft, you can see the doors starting to close. Of course you’re sprinting to get there before the doors close and you are waving your arms. Can you imagine? You’d be out of breath by the time you crashed through the doors. Right? This is the intensity to work at when you are at the top of the interval.

In other words, when you increase the intensity of your work out your breathing increases, your heart rate goes up, and you begin to feel a bit uncomfortable. Or, very uncomfortable.

I’ll say this again. This is important. If you are sedentary, please get the green light from your physician to start an exercise program. But once you do, even a very unconditioned person can do an interval. It wouldn’t take much for an out of conditioned person to get out of breath and uncomfortable. On the other hand if you are conditioned to exercise, then just know that you can apply intervals to any cardio work out. Jogging, walking, elliptical, spin classes. Anything.

The key component is to make it a goal to perform your resistance training before the cardio if possible.

Researchers say that this may increase your fat burning capacity.

For more useful cardio and resistance training information from Craig Ballantyne, use the link below.
Click here

Bringing you the best fat burning secrets.

If you’re like me, you have celebrated your fortieth birthday, and you have a feeling that your metabolism isn’t quite what it used to be. The bad news is you’re right: calorie burn does decrease with age. But there’s also good news: you’re probably burning more than you think.

Just today I read some new research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition about average calorie burn is which I think will help us focus on what we can do, and not what we don’t want.

Drum roll. please! According to the study, men aged 40 to 69 expend about 2,900 calories. Women of the same age burn 2,300 calories daily. These averages are based on a person’s height, weight and activity level.

Wow! I don’t know about you, but these numbers sound surprisingly high if you compare them to a Nutrition Facts label, which implies the average person needs about 2,000 calories daily. They may seem downright decadent to one who has followed dieting plans where daily calorie caps are set at 1,200 or 1,500 calories. But they’re good approximations for how much energy people of this age group are expending.

One of the experts from the article points out that The reason people like us of all ages may assume we’re burning fewer calories than we really are is related to the fact that we underestimate our calorie consumption by a lot.

You and I know this is true. Think about it? Restaurant meals are about three times bigger than one person needs. And, they are generally filled with fat an sugar so that they taste good!

This expert points out that we regularly under report our daily calorie consumption by one-third.

Okay, now here’s something very interesting you need to know. Pay attention! As for that age-related decrease in metabolism, it’s probably most marked in our sixties and beyond. Why!

Muscle loss. Wow! This was especially found in women. And, as you know ladies, we have less muscle to play around with, right? So, what to do? How to stave off the dreaded middle age spread.

You know the answer to this. We need to begin a muscle toning and resistance training program. This is vital in so many ways. You and I know that muscle is our fat burning powerhouse in our bodies. So, the more we have, the higher our metabolism. And, the more muscle we have, the more independence an health we have as we age.

None of the old age related disabilities have to be part of our future.

So, please, if you have neglected this part of fitness, or if you know you need to power it up, get some step by step instruction. Please do not think you must do it alone. Get some good professional guidelines, then just start—please.

Go ahead and click the link below to learn more about a fantastic resistance training program that I use, and that I think you need to check out for your self. Click here

Bringing you the best fat burning secrets.