Sunfare

I am always looking for ways to make the lives of my clients easier. There is no excuse to be unhealthy! Lack of time is an infamous excuse. If you are looking for sympathy due to your busy life, don't come to me. Lack of time is an opportunity and challenge to become more efficient. Are you up for the challenge? Will you take this opportunity to fine tune your life and create time for the important things in life?

So, we've already established the importance of good nutrition. The way I see it, you have a few choices to achieve your nutrition goals.
1. Plan and prepare your meals.
2. Hire someone to plan your meals, like a nutritionist. OR
3. Hire someone to plan and prepare your meals.

You can hire a nutritionist and a chef which may be surprisingly affordable, check around. You may find better deals with new graduates or ask around. We often find what we are looking for, just put it out there.

I recently had a meeting with Sunfare, healthy meal delivery service. I met Carl, the very charismatic, energetic, and involved owner of Sunfare. Sunfare delivers fresh, healthy meals in Southern California as well as Phoenix, Arizona.

I met Carl at the Southern California location and was greeted with fresh fruit and a bottle of water. I toured the facility, hair net and all! The facility was beyond clean, the employees looked happy and the food was being delivered and prepared right there. They get daily produce deliveries and prepare everything with a homemade flair. The meals are customized, and there is a lot of variety. You choose how many meals, ingredients you like, and there are vegetarian options. I even got a day of meals and I must admit, it was indeed delicious. Here's a peek at my meals for the day.

Breakfast: Quesadilla w/ Salsa and Cantaloupe

Lunch: Tuscan Chicken Salad w/ Watermelon

Afternoon Snack: Prociutto Wrapped Caprese Kabobs (I ate this before I took the pic, I was hungry! :-))

Dinner: Mediterranean Salad

Dinner: Herb Grilled Salmon

Evening Snack: Roast Beef w/ Chipotle Mayo and Grapes






One of the best things about Sunfare, besides the outstanding customer service is the packaging is made from corn and potatoes, totally biodegradable! I think this is a great solution for the lack of time excuse!

New Beginnings

It's funny how things come full circle. Not haha funny, but ironic. Nine months ago I stopped working for a boot camp and now I am starting my own. It's an outdoor adult fitness boot camp. I am excited about it. I knew I wanted to be apart of this because the business model works with the synergy of other trainers. We all work together yet put the work into building our own camp. Good thing I live in LA, the weather is mild and people love to exercise. Okay, maybe I am reaching, but people are willing to workout. It's apart of the budget and something that gets a spot on the to-do list. It's a great start. Good enough for me!

Perhaps I should clarify "stopped working for." I was fired...yeah, for being too ambitious. Being an independent contractor should never be mistaken as an employee and I run my business as such. Long story short, took a gig to teach an indoor fitness class and it was perceived as a threat to the boot camp so I got the boot. I was bitter after, I knew I was a great trainer and I just didn't get this idea of my class being a conflict or threat. I am always looking for the silver lining and I do believe things happen for a reason, so I let it go and took it as a sign to work on my own fitness business. I have never been happy to have a "boss."

What we do when the window of opportunity opens determines whether we lose, maintain, or gain position. Whenever things get tough and scary, I think about my true passions in life. I tell myself to proceed in love, not fear. I write what I want in life. I visualize what I want in life. I believe, even if i have to pretend to believe, I believe I can have the life of my dreams. And I repeat this process until it becomes real. This is what I tell my clients who hit the wall and don't think they can lose the weight, or don't think they can change their eating habits, or don't think they can stop smoking, or don't think they are worthy of being in a healthy body. The list goes on. I firmly believe we can be, do and have the desires of our heart. Sometimes we have to give ourselves permission to have a new beginning...a fresh start...a do-over. It may not be easy but all things are possible.

Eating Out

Quick Tip: When dining out, especially at American restaurants, only eat half your meal, especially if it is a splurge meal!

I enjoy dining out, but the calorie count is through the roof at most restaurants, unless you order from the lite menu. I usually eat half and bag the rest or share. This is easy on your body and your wallet.

Meal I shared at Panini Cafe Downtown, Los Angeles. Chicken skewer with Romaine Avocado Salad and Rice. Half was plenty!

Indulge

As a fitness professional, people look to me for inspiration and answers to their questions and concerns about their bodies and health. I am a firm believer in enjoying life and indulging in the pleasures of life. Yesterday, I had a Peanut Butter Cupcake! It was so good! :-) This was surprising to some. From my experience, if you eat a good diet loaded with veggies and fruits, stay hydrated (water is best), and exercise, then you cannot fail. My days are filled with spin classes, yoga, walking, jogging, body-weight exercises, and stair climbing, so I do not feel guilty when I indulge in a little something something.

I get that everyone isn’t a trainer and constantly being active, but it doesn’t mean you can’t apply what I do to your life. My tip to you is to challenge yourself to add more activity in your day, it could be anything…stairs, push-ups, walking, dancing, or jumping. Get moving!

Gotta Love My Job!

One of my regular, hard working, peddle pushing, sweat dripping, One Artist Wednesday spinners wrote this great post! Check out her blog at http://djh222.tumblr.com/

One Artist Wednesday

Fitness is an important part of my life. From running half marathons and getting lean with ballet based classes to trying yoga with septuagenarians and struggling through beach bootcamp I’ve tried a variety of classes and experienced a number of inspiring instructors. When you work out 3-5 days a week you better LOVE what you’re doing and who you’re doing it with, which is why I am currently addicted to SPIN classes at the YAS (Yoga And Spin) Downtown LA location.

Each Wednesday at the 5:15pm class our instructor Kristie puts in a special CD of music for that specific session - one with a single artist that will get our blood pumping for 45 minutes. “One Artist Wednesday” is a great way to combine my love of music with fitness. One of the best instructors I have ever had, Kristie LaTray is physically an amazing example of what every woman in the class is aiming for while shouting encouraging, supportive words to help you feel strong in who you are today.

This month she’s shaken things up a bit and every Wednesday there are two artists battling it out for the ruler of SPIN class. Last week Beyonce beat Janet Jackson. Who will take the crown tonight?

SWEAT

I went to Austin Texas last week and participated in 7 fitness boot camps in a 48 hour time period. Why I did this is another story. Granted it was hot as a pepper pudding, as my mom would say, but before the workout even began, I was sweatier than a glass of ice water in a Bikram yoga studio. When I looked around I realized I was sweating more than everyone else, including the men...not so fabulous!

Today I taught two spin classes back to back and I was sweatier than a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Over the years, I've noticed an increase in the amount of sweat my body has been producing. And over the years, my fitness level has been advancing. This lead me to do a little research about sweat.

From a biological standpoint, I know that sweat is the body's cooling system. The body releases a plasma fluid containing electrolytes through the sweat glands and then it evaporates from our skin thus cooling the body. But why do I sweat more now that I am in the best shape of my life? Well, sweat can depend on our genetics, gender, environment, intensity of the workout and our training level. Hmmm... okay, I can say my workouts are more intense now, so that's a factor. Come to find out endurance training leads to more sweat in many instances. So this is why I sweat so much. I also learned that the more sweat the body produces from endurance training, the less sodium it loses in the through sweat. Guess I will continue to pass up those sports drinks.

Fat Burning Tip #9

Eat all food groups. Each day our body craves protein, carbohydrates (yes carbs!)and fats. Our body is designed to use protein, carbohydrates and fat to function and provide us with energy. Each type of nutrient helps us in different ways.

The key to burning fat is quality, quantity, and timing of the food you eat. Eat the best of these foods in small portion sizes often.

Peace Yoga

Last night after teaching Ultimate Fat Burn and a spin class, I treated myself to yoga at Peace Yoga downtown taught by Cherie Rae. I love this place! The space is warm and inviting. Upstairs is a raw food cafe and downstairs is an amazingly beautiful yoga room. I looks like a nicely designed yoga cave. Last night, i arrived late, right after my spin class, Cherie doesn't mind. :-) I found a space and jumped right into class. It didn't take long before my body became an inferno and the sweat came pouring out. After practicing a series of sun salutations, hip openers, and balancing poses, I welcomed corpse pose and relaxed to the sounds of a live harp.

After yoga, I went upstairs and hit up the cafe. I had raw pizza and kale salad. The raw pizza is basically flax crust topped with avocado and tomatoes and some other indistinct but tasty spices and the kale salad was fresh and delicious. If you have not tried gourmet raw food, you must! It is surprisingly delicious and your body will love you for it. :-)

Living Food

Ever wonder about the food you eat? I was at Peace Yoga speaking with Cherie Rae drinking a fabulous smoothie made by her and we were talking about living food. Living food is what raw foodies call everything from the earth like berries, cherries, broccoli, carrots and etc. This food remains living until we cook it. Many fruits and vegetables are most beneficial in their raw state or slightly steamed. I am making a pact with myself to eat more "living" foods. It's amazing how good I feel when my diet is packed full of vegetables. I feel more energized, light and happy. Try it and notice the difference.

The Food Challenge

I am so peeved. I bought a brand new Kenmore Fridge 2 years ago and it is broken. Of course I did not buy the extended warranty. Silly me for thinking it would last a while. I remember Refrigerators lasting a good while, at the very least 7 years, right? They just don't make things the way they used to. Fixing it costs about what I paid for it. Needless to say, I am not getting it fixed. I am moving within the next few weeks and more than likely my new apartment will have a Fridge, so I made the decision to go without.

Now the challenge is eating healthy and not spending a fortune. So far I have been hitting the market every couple of days or so. I've found a bag of salad greens can last a good 24 hours. Today I bought spinach, tomatoes, blackberries, watermelon and some chicken from El Pollo Loco. For lunch I had 2 pieces of chicken, rice (homemade brown rice), and a spinach-tomato salad with balsamic dressing (homemade) and watermelon. I still have some salad and fruit left. As a matter of fact, I just had some blackberries for my mid-afternoon snack today with a peanut butter sandwich. Tonight, it's going to be black beans, brown rice, salad and watermelon.

Fat Burning Nutrition Tip #8

Get rid of the processed foods! Canned food, processed meats, high-sodium frozen foods and canned soups, etc. Avoid white flour, and added sugars. If you want to lose the fat and have a healthier more energetic life, let it all go.

Okay, so there are some exclusions in this tip. If you eat canned, avoid meals in a can like chili, ravioli, spam, spaghetti, and etc. Ultimate Fat Burn approved canned foods are in their most natural form and include tuna, salmon, sardines, beans, veggies, and fruit all in spring water or their natural juices.

Fat Burning NutritionTip #7

Get rid of the junk food! It may be hard, as salty and sweet snacks and drinks can be quite addictive. This is necessary!

Is there anything else to say here?

Fat Burning Nutrition Tip #6

Eat fresh produce (i.e. fruits and vegetables) whenever possible, you can never overdo it on these foods, especially veggies. Eat a variety of raw vegetables and fruits daily. Vegetables are a packed with nutrients to keep you feeling full and when you eat enough of them often, you will see your cravings for salt and sweets curbed!

I do my best to eat foods that are in season. If there is a farmer's market nearby, they usually have great deals on in season fruits and veggies. I also look for new recipes using veggies I've never eaten or rarely eat. This can sometimes be a disaster, but you never know til you try it!

Fat Burning Nutrition Tip #5

Prepare your meals. Whenever possible, prepare your own food. You save money and calories. You know exactly what you are adding to your food and you control your portions. When you eat out, the food often has additives that make for a higher calorie meal.

Again, this takes time and effort. So what, just do it. You gotta do what ya gotta do to get what ya wanna get! Commit!

Mondays are the best days to do something that frightens you. It's good to get out of our comfort zone. Now I'm thinking about what I might do today...

Fat Burning NutritionTip #4

Plan your meals. Planning makes your life much easier. Take snacks with you everywhere you go and know what you are eating for the day. This keeps you on track calorie wise and helps your energize your day with healthy food choices.

Yes, this one takes time and effort. Instead of whining and crying about how hard it is, just do it. Yes it takes time, yes it will take some effort. No one said it was easy. Commit. Commit. Commit!

Fat Burning Nutrition Tip #3

Eat every 2-4 hours. I am not saying sit down to a huge meal every 2 hours, but graze throughout the day on highly nutritious food. The goal is to never be hungry. Ever notice when you are hungry, the temptation to eat heightens and you are more likely to eat whatever is in sight? Avoid this by eating often.

Let me tell, This is a hard one for me. It is so easy to fall into the trap of being too busy to eat. Each and every time I do this, my hunger leads the way and I find myself eating something fast and full of fat and calories and then it has the nerves to not even taste that good!

The best thing to do is take a time out and eat!

Fat Burning Nutrition Tip #2

Write it down! Fat loss is a simple equation of calories in vs. calories out, meaning work out more calories than you take in. You have to know what you are eating and drinking. Quality of food matters just as much as your quantities. I suggest keeping track for at least a month, by then you will get the hang of things and have better intuition about your diet.

Keeping an online journal is better. Join a free site like www.myfitnesspal.com or 411fit.com to keep track of your calories. At first it may seem tedious because you have to input your data, but you can save meals and foods you eat often. I like the online journals better because you can see the breakdown of your calories from protein, fat and carbs as well as sodium. It's good to know all of this information. Knowledge is power!

Fat Burning Nutrition Tip #1

Know your daily caloric goals. You must know how many calories you need to consume daily to meet your energy needs. To keep your metabolism functioning efficiently and your body burning fat (rather than storing extra calories as fat) this is a MUST.

Here is a cool formula to help you calculate your resting metabolic rate (RMR), amount of calories your body needs to function. Keep in mind this is a rough estimate, but it will get you on the right track!

1. Calculate your RMR
Body weight x 10 = RMR

2. Calculate your daily activity burn
(everyday activities i.e. walking, talking, laughing, etc.)
RMR x 20% = Daily activity burn

3. Add your numbers
RMR + Daily activity burn = maintenance factor

Example: a 5’10”, 140 pound woman
RMR = 140 (body weight in pounds) x 10 = 1400
Daily activity burn = 1400 (RMR) x 20% = 280
Maintenance Factor = 1400 + 280 = 1680