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How Do You Determine Results?

July 6th, 2018

Are you one of those women that starts their day off by getting on the scale every day? Or do you get on the scale on a Monday morning after the weekend to see if you’ve gained weight and if you have then your whole day is reined and you make everyone around you miserable? Then this blog is just for you!

When you first start a fitness program you want to do a fitness assessment with a trainer or health coach.This assessment should include: your weight, girth measurements, body fat, noting your dress or pant size and taking a before picture. After all you know what they say, a picture says it all right? All of this information is important and you will want to have to reflect on it down the road.

However, once you know what your weight is then you don’t need to revisit the scale every day. In fact at OCFM we encourage our clients to stay, “OFF” the scale and get to work on their goals. If you are trying to lose weight and you find yourself weighing daily and the scale isn’t moving in the other direction then this could really set you up for a negative mindset. Knowing that the scale is just one of the tools that will show you if you are getting results or not is important. It is also important that you know that the scale just reads back THREE numbers and it doesn’t break them down in a way for you to understand what they mean. Most women just assume that the three numbers are all fat, and that isn’t correct. The three numbers that you see include: lean muscle mass, body fat, bones, blood, your head, skin, and other internal organs. If you are working with a trainer or health coach then they can help to explain this to you.

It is important to understand that the best kind of results come from losing body fat and gaining lean muscle mass. When this occurs your female fat cells decrease, your muscle cells increase, you lose inches, decrease your body fat and fit into your favorite jeans. Now that is called getting results regardless of what the scale reads back to you.

After you have been training for about 3, 6 or 12 months redo your fitness assessment and take an after picture too. You will be amazed at what happens! It is important to note that you will get the best results by eating a healthy diet along with an exercise program that includes, strength training, cardio and flexibility.

This is what one of our OCFM clients did. She is an endomorph and it took some time but, she went to work and lost body fat, inches, weight and now fits into her favorite jeans.

She couldn’t be happier, she earned it for sure, and you can to.

Yes, a picture says it all, you can see that for yourself.

Congratulations, Gayle we are so proud of you!

You look fit and fantastic from the inside out!

 

Fit & fabulous @ 40 and beyond

OC Fitness Mama

March is National Nutrition Month

March 6th, 2018

At OC Fitness Mama we coach and encourage our clients to make good nutritional choices daily. We also encourage our clients to shop, plan and cook their meals. When you do these three things you are on your way to success. Taking time to plan meals is really the best way to get organized so you can be ready to go every morning. For example, planning your breakfast and lunches for the workweek is hugh. If you have to get up and help get your family out the door and you have no idea what to make for breakfast or lunch in the morning, it makes for a hectic morning and a very stressful one at that. However, if you plan your breakfast for the week then all you need to do in the morning is make the meal, or place it on the table if you have pre-planned and it is already made than that is great. An example of this would be oatmeal in a jar. Oatmeal in a mason jar made the night before for you or your family is easy, healthy and? great idea. Another idea would be to boil eggs the night before and have them ready to go for the morning with some whole grain toast and some fruit.? For lunches, do the same thing plan them for the week as well and make them the night before so you all you have to do is get them ready and take them. Salad’s in a jar, lettuce wraps, soups, sandwiches on healthy grain breads and left over chicken and rice from the night before are all great ideas. The main idea here is to think ahead, plan ahead and take time to shop for your meals.

Weekends are a great time to make some meals for the week and freeze them for dinner. Find some easy recipes on line or in your favorite cookbooks and get busy. Have your family help you and get some feedback what your family likes and get busy creating meals and then put them in containers and freeze them for the week. Then all you have to do is heat them up and they are ready to go.

If you have never planned meals before and feel overwhelmed by the idea go to?https://www.choosemyplate.gov/?

You will find a lot of great free ideas, information and education to help you get on your way with eating healthier. The website is free and has pictures of all the food groups, and will give you some inspiration just by seeing all the different colors of food. There are lots of things to see, learn and use to help you get started with better planning and healthier eating.? Eating healthy isn’t hard it just takes effort.

Putting together healthy meals for you and your family can be very rewarding and fun to do. Gather your family and start the planning, shopping and the prepping and you’ll be on your way to a new and healthier you!

 

OC Fitness Mama

Fit & fabulous @ 40 and beyond!

 

Create a new and positive mindset for 2018!

January 7th, 2018

Happy New Year!

With every new year comes those new year’s resolutions, expectations and the SAME mindset that we have had for many years. Every year we set out to tell ourselves that we will lose weight, and the list goes on and on. We do the same thing year after year only to find out that two weeks into the new year we have already fallen short and we are already disappointed in ourselves. We have to be able to set ourselves up for success with a brand new positive mindset for 2018!

This year I would like to suggest that you try to do it differently. If change with ourselves is going to really happen then we need to start with a fresh new mindset. A mindset that is different from all the years before. You have heard the sane, if nothing changes nothing changes. Well it’s the same thing when we set goals every year. We have to change our mindsets. What is important is to do it differently so that the changes can occur and we are successful with our goals. Starting every day with a positive, optimistic and fresh start is paramount in taking yourself into a new direction in this new year. If those negative thoughts and feelings start to flood your mind, stop them before they take you off course. Remind yourself that those old ways of thinking don’t work and you are now working towards a new way of thinking this year.

When I train or coach clients I ask them to sit down and write out 3 SMART goals. Smart goals are a great way to set yourself up for success because, they help you break down your goals and also help you start off with a fresh and realistic new mindset. Smart stands for (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound).? I find that asking clients to write down more than three is often overwhelming and they often don’t follow through. However, writing down three goals and using the SMART method. You can try to do all three goals at the same time, or split them up. An idea that I give our clients is tackle one goal and then the next and then the next. Some clients need to take extra baby steps to be successful and others can take on more at one time. What is important is that you find what way works for you and then get started.

This year take time to set yourself up for success with your goals and a NEW mindset. Success starts with doing it differently than you have done it in the past, now I think that’s a great idea don’t you?

Remember your health is your wealth!

 

OC Fitness Mama

Fit & Fabulous @ 40 and beyond!

Stay fit during the holiday season 2017!

December 3rd, 2017

Can you believe it’s already December? The year has seemed to really fly by, but one of the most magical months of the year is upon us and it is a wonderful holiday for sure, full of lots of family gatherings, parties, and eating and drinking things we many not normally include in our diet. Not to mention a schedule that is full every day until Christmas.

With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season the thought of you staying on track with your workouts and healthy eating might just seem impossible. Try to avoid the excuse of the cold weather and the long holiday “to do” list to derail your hard efforts for the rest of the year. You have come too far to just give up now and not finish the year strong. So what do you do with a list as long as the alphabet? The solution is simple: keep your workouts time efficient and effective.

At OCFM we coach and educate our clients on a way to increase their daily activity using something called,?NEAT: nonexercise, activity, thermogenesis. This idea of using NEAT daily comes from Dr. Levine’s book called, “Get Up”! In his book he encourages people to do what they can to stay active daily with everyday things such as housecleaning, yard work, vacuuming, laundry, parking further than you need to when going to a store and taking the stairs instead of the elevator?when possible. Looking for ways to use the NEAT lifestyle is easier than you may think and is very effective on increasing your daily steps and moving your body, our goal: is to move and sit less! As a coach and trainer, I like to say, Get Vertical as much as possible!

With your workouts try doing to H.I.I.T. cardio sessions 2-3 times a week for 30 minutes. You can do these types of workouts by using a bike, elliptical, treadmill, rower or doing outdoor walking. Warm-up for 2-3 min then do a 30, 45, 60 interval of work and then recovery for 30,45,60 sec or a little longer if necessary. Do this 8-10 times, the rhythm would be work/recover until you are done, cool down for 2-3 minutes at the end.

As far as your strength training, try doing one set 12-15 reps, 1-3 times a week of a full body workout. If you have time for 2 sets go for it, otherwise research has shown that one set will work when used when time is tight. Remember you can do your workouts in 10 minute sections as well, with cardio or strength training.

Plan your meals and try to cook as home as much as possible do some batch cooking and freeze food for later in the week. Have plenty of fruits and veggies on hand for snacking and keep the treats to a minimum. Stick with healthy protein chooses, and take snacks with you when you?re out and about. Stay hydrated and watch the alcohol intake.

Stay consistent with your workouts this year,? do?NOT put yourself on the back burner just because you?re busy, it’s really just another fancy excuse to not take care of yourself and your health is too important to do that! Give the gift of time to yourself to exercise and cook simply healthy meals during this holiday season and you will feel great for the holiday too.

Your health is your wealth and that’s your gift to you!

 

OC Fitness Mama

Fit & Fabulous @ 40 and beyond!

 

A Grateful Heart is a Thankful Heart!

November 2nd, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A grateful heart if a thankful heart and with November here? and Thanksgiving right around the corner it is a wonderful time to reflect on the people in our life who we love and our grateful for. This month it is important to slow down and take time to spend with the ones you love and cherish. LIfe is so delicate and precious, it is like a butterfly in the palm of your hand. Push too hard and it can be crushed in an instance.

Life today as we know it is full of stress, pressures, bills, responsibilities, health issues and all kinds of? issues, but it’s how we choose to re-act to all of those things in life that we all experience. As we all venture on this journey called, “Life”, one thing is for sure and that is as we get older we get wiser and we also start to understand that we shouldn’t: sweat the small things.

What really is important and where we should focus our time and energy is with our families, friends, and loving our neighbors far and near. When we look at life with a smile and a lot of love it becomes clear that we are all wanting the same thing to love and be loved.

So take the time to tell your family how much you love them, hold your children closely and let them know that they are loved and for your sweet husbands tell them you love them every day.

Life is a beautiful thing and often times we get so busy that we simply forget to slow down and smell the roses, this month be sure to slow down, take time to enjoy every day and remember to start each day with a grateful heart.

 

Fit & Fabulous @ 40 and Beyond!

OC Fitness Mama

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

September 30th, 2017

Did you know that exercise and good nutrition is more important than you may think when it comes to helping to prevent breast cancer and ALL cancers?

Well it is and according to the American Cancer Society research has shown that eating a poor diet and being sedentary are two of the main factors that can increase a person?s risk for cancer. However, there is some good news here to help you prevent it from happening to you.

At OC Fitness Mama we consider our studio as an educational place where we help our female clients by sharing with them the importance of disease prevention. This month we are going to be talking to all of our clients about helping themselves to prevent all cancers, not just breast cancer but ALL cancers. The importance of living a healthy lifestyle is so important and it is easier than most women think. Below are some ways to help yourself prevent cancer…take them seriously and you are going to help yourself be at a lower risk for cancer. It is worth it!

  • If you are overweight, get yourself on a program to help you lose 10% of your weight with-in a year. That is doable and something that is with-in all women’s reach. Hiring a trainer is one of the best ways to help yourself do this and be accountable to someone. Once you get to a healthy weight do your best to stay there and not yo-yo up and down. Being at a consistent weight is really important. By doing this you will decrease your risk of several cancers including: breast, anal, colon, kidney, pancreas and many more. Carrying too much weight is dangerous because of the excess body fat. The body then increases the release of estrogen and insulin in your blood stream and these hormones then circulate throughout your body and can cause the body to produce and stimulate cancer to grow in your body.
  • If you smoke or vape:? STOP!!! This is one of the most toxic things you can put? to your body…If you are a smoker or you vape we encourage you to get the help you need to STOP this habit. It could and will help decrease the risk of cancer in your body.
  • As we share with all of our OCFM clients: Get vertical! Stand more and sit less during the day, it is important to move more. Sitting is the new smoking and it is dangerous!!! See where you can help yourself at work with getting a stand up desk as well as getting up every hour to move and stretch.
  • Be sure to increase your physical activity and include, strength training, cardiovascular exercise, stretching and stress releasing activities. Sitting, laying around, watching T.V., playing video games and having a lazy lifestyle could cost you big time. Get your exercise in daily, best to do at least 150-300 minutes of cardio weekly. Make appointments with yourself in your calendar and then stick to them like doctors? appointments. Exercise will help control your weight and your hormones in your body. Remember also that a little goes a long way!
  • Eat healthy, if you are unsure how to eat a healthy diet hire a nutritionist or trainer who is qualified to work with you on a healthy eating plan. This is so important to do when it comes to decreasing your risk for cancer. Eat more of a plant based/Mediterranean eating plan and that will really help you do also fill full and give you more energy.
  • Watch your alcohol intake, take a look at the guidelines at the American Cancer Society. Women sometimes underestimate their intake of alcohol there is direct research to show that drinking too much increases your risk of cancers.

Share this information with the women you care about, it could help safe their live and yours too!

 

 

Fit & Fabulous at 40 and Beyond!

OC Fitness Mama

Follow Through!

August 27th, 2017

When you think of follow through what comes to your mind? More than likely you think of family responsibilities, work, children, volunteering and so many other things. However, have you thought about your follow through with your own health and fitness program? Do you put YOU on your calendar to take time out to take care of yourself? Well, if you haven’t yet, you should! YOU are just as important as everything and everyone else that is on your to-do list. In fact YOU should be at the top of the list and then your other responsibilities can be added. If you take care of yourself then, ?you are ready to take care of your families and others. Most of the time we as women do it the other way around, but we eventually pay the price.

As a trainer and a health coach my clients often share with me ?that they have resentments because, they have no time for themselves or to exercise. I get it, as a mother of three boys, a wife, business owner, volunteer and all the things on my to-do list… I understand! However, if you take the approach that if you ?take care of you first and then others, you will not endure resentments and will have more energy for all your commitments in your life. I share this phrase with my clients: If Mama is happy then everyone’s happy!

So when you are planning your week of work, children’s sports, and everything else be sure to include your 30 minutes a day for you and your fitness program. All of us can find 30 minutes a day for self -care. Write your appointment in pen on your calendar for put it in your phone, whatever works for you, then FOLLOW THROUGH with your agreement with yourself. Treat it like a dental or doctor’s appointment and make it a priority.?YOU are worth it and you will feel better for taking time out for yourself and your health. If you had any resentments about not taking out time for you, hopefully they will lessen, because you made the choice to take care of YOU!

 

Fit & Fabulous @ 40 and Beyond!

OC Fitness Mama

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How do you stay accountable to your training?

July 25th, 2017

How do you stay accountable to your training? Do you have a trainer or coach that you stay in touch with during the week? Do you check off the workout with a check mark in planner or calendar? Or do you have phone app that helps you to stay accountable to your workouts? What ever way you do it, it’s important to do something. Research shows that being a accountable to someone when you are are trying to reach goals is essential in getting results with anything that you are doing, whether it be your own personal fitness goals, business goals or with school and other areas of our lives.

At OCFM we like to help our clients stay accountable in between training and coaching sessions. What we have found to be helpful for our clients is to text us and take pictures of ?their meals on their cell phones. Most of our clients have a cell phone and so do we so it only made sense for us to have our clients stay in touch with us this way and stay accountable. They love it and it works too! We have had great success with doing this with them.

When new clients sign up with us at the studio, we talk with them about accountability and why it’s important to be accountable to their trainers or coach in between workouts. We also share with them the importance of this especially in the beginning of them working with us because it helps them them know that we care about them and if they are doing cardio, eating healthy and their stretching like we have suggested for them to do in order to get the results they desire. If a client is not doing some of the suggestions that we have made for them, then we can share with them that it’s important to still stay in touch with us and let us know if they are struggling so we can encourage them to get up and get moving again.

These tiny touches are just one way that we like to go the extra mile for our clients. They seem to appreciate it and also it helps them to know we are cheering them on. Everyone needs to be accountable to someone or something.

As the owner of OCFM, I am accountable to walking daily with my Fitbit. The days I walk outside on the Santa Ana River Trail I place a rock at the two-mile marker to help me see my accountability with how many rocks I can collect and place in this space I have created. It’s funny because the other day a young man was with a group of cyclist saw me do this. He looked at me like I was crazy and shook his head. I then decided to share with him why I was doing what I was doing and he then said to me, “that is a really good idea,” and he smiled at me. I share this with you because even as a trainer and heath coach, I also need things to help me stay accountable. It feels good and helps me to see more of the rocks pilling up. Who knows? Someone else might see me and will want do the same thing. I would love to see them do this, because if it helps me it could help them.

Find what works for you and stick with it. Being accountable, is important and everyone needs a way to do what works best for him or her. You will not only be inspired but you will also reach your goals faster and feel empowered.

 

Fit & Fabulous @ 40 and beyond!

OC Fitness Mama

 

 

 

 

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