It's here - whether you're ready or not. Just look at the seasonal shelves in your favorite store. Retailers like to call it ‘holiday season' but let's be more accurate. 

Weight Gain season begins now and runs straight through New Year's. 

The next two months will bring ample opportunity for you to expand your waistline. Of course the choice is yours. 

Why discuss it now and not mid way through December? Because now is your opportunity to plan for the weeks ahead. Once the craziness begins, you'll be too busy to put a plan into action. 

So let's take this moment of clarity, this calm before the storm, to outline a two-part plan that will save your waist from unwanted holiday inches. 

Part One: Your Exercise Plan. 

Exercise is the first thing people cut when they get busy, and the holiday season is notorious for empty gyms. This year do something different-obligate yourself to exercise. Promising to yourself won't do it, you need to promise to others so that you won't drop the ball.

• Sign up to work with a fitness expert - This is the perfect solution for consistent, challenging and effective workouts. I'll give you the attention and assistance that you need to power through the holidays in better shape than ever - talk about motivating!
• Join a class - You won't be as effective exercising on your own during the busy holiday season, so join a class for accountability. Find something challenging that gets your heart rate elevated and uses strength training.
• Get a serious exercise buddy - Some friends can be an awesome help while others end up pulling you down. When looking for an exercise buddy consider the following questions:
  
  - Do they share your fitness goals?
  - Are they fairly encouraging?
  - Do they give up easily? 
  - Are they at your fitness level?

Part Two: Your Diet Plan. 

The holidays offer ample opportunities to indulge, so you need to hammer down some guidelines before hitting that buffet line. I'm not saying that you shouldn't indulge in any seasonal treats, but use moderation. Don't use the holidays as an excuse to eat until the point of being uncomfortable - will you really miss that bloated feeling? Decide which treats to cut out this year. 

Don't bring edible treats to the office or to parties. You know that the leftovers will come home and you'll end up eating far more than your share. This year do everyone a favor by not gifting fattening treats. 

When faced with a buffet line, load your plate first with greens, vegetables and lean meats before breads and heavier foods. Also drink water with your meal and keep alcoholic beverages to a 2-drink maximum. 

Beware of holiday drinks - most are brimming with calories. Hot drinks from coffee shops, cocktails at parties and creamy eggnog are all very enjoyable and all filled with empty calories. Stick with hot tea or unsweetened coffee. 

Everywhere you go during the holiday season brings you face-to-face with a plate of sweets. To avoid being a bore but without adding inches to your waist, try the one treat rule. Each time you're in a social situation that involves sweets just eat one, and enjoy your treat slowly. 

You don't have to gain weight this holiday season. The key is your mindset. 

If you approach the holidays with the mindset of, 'I deserve to indulge and I shouldn't have to exercise' then you'll enter 2015 a few pounds heavier, a little less healthy, and with lower energy than ever before. 

I believe that you deserve better. I believe that you should enter 2015 in better shape than you are today, healthier than you've been in a long time, and with more energy than you thought possible. 

I'm here to help - call or reply to this email to set up a fitness consultation with me. I'd love to show you how to transform your body over the weeks to come.

Guarantee Your SuccessThe quickest, easiest way to guarantee that you'll meet your fitness and weight loss goals is to work one-on-one with a qualified fitness professional. 

You'll be held accountable with your workouts and you'll be instructed properly and shown techniques and strategies that will expedite your results. 

Call or email today and get a 7-week head start on your New Year's Resolution. Imagine all of the progress that we will make together in 7 full weeks! You will enter 2015 looking and feeling like a whole new you.

Women everywhere complain about the size of their thighs. Fat and cellulite have a way of ending up there – especially in the upper, inner thigh area. 

I'm often asked how to quickly and easily reduce fat in this unwanted thigh region, so today's article is all about reducing your thighs. 

First I need to remind you that it's not possible to spot reduce fat from one single part of your body, so my 3 steps to reduce your thighs will work by reducing your body fat percentage as a whole. It sure would be great if we could point a magic wand and make fat shrink from one particular spot, but that's just not how the human body it built. 

The great news is that your entire body will become leaner and sexier in addition to your thighs shrinking! 

Here are my 3 steps to Reduce Your Thighs... 

Reduce Thighs Step #1: Ban Liquid Calories 

Liquid calories are a major problem for many, resulting in countless unwanted pounds and inches around their thighs. These calories are easy to overlook, since you're just drinking and not actually eating anything, but don't doubt for a second that they are adding up quickly. 

The best strategy to take, when your goal is to reduce your thighs, is to cut out liquid calories completely. This is an easy way to instantly cut hundreds of calories per day without feeling deprived. Simply replace those high calorie beverages with water or unsweetened coffee or tea. 

I'm sure you are aware of which beverages in your diet contain calories, but I'll remind you with this list anyways: sweetened coffee drinks, blended coffee drinks, smoothies, sodas, energy drinks, alcoholic drinks... 

Stick with water and unsweetened coffee and tea and watch how quickly you drop in size. 

Reduce Thighs Step #2: Focus on Protein and Fiber 

Want to know what lean, fit people all have in common? They focus all of their meals and snacks around protein and fiber and avoid sugar and simple carbs. It's really that simple. 

Now when you look at your current diet, which is likely filled with high carb and high sugar items, then making the switch to a diet focused around protein and fiber may seem hard to do. The truth is that any change is difficult, but once you make it you'll quickly adjust and will begin a whole new, leaner lifestyle.

Cut out the packaged, high carb and high sugar items from your diet. Plan each meal around vegetables and lean proteins. This simple nutritional shift will make all of the difference in quickly dropping your body fat. 

Reduce Thighs Step #3: Exercise Smart 

There's exercise, and then there's smart exercise. 

Exercise is good, and will get you to burn some calories and even build some muscle. It will raise your metabolism and improve your cardiovascular health. It will even reduce your thighs. All very good things. 

Smart exercise will get you more of these benefits in less time. 

So what makes exercise smart? 

By doing a progression of movements with increasing intensity. By changing your workout often, to keep your body guessing. By varying your speed and range of motion. By incorporating complex, full body movements. By stimulating different muscle groups in each session. 

Creating smart workouts is what I do for my clients. 

Since my clients are not a trained fitness professional with the knowledge and skills to create smart workouts each day, I do all of the work for them. They simply show up and reap all of the benefits possible from each workout session. 

If you haven't yet become one of my clients, today is the day! Let's get you in here for a fat-blasting workout that will shrink your body in all the right places. 

Call or email today and learn to exercise smart.

Think You CanHenry Ford famously said, "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you are probably right." 

This is never more true than with a fitness and fat loss goal. 

Do you think you can reduce your body fat? Do you think you can learn new, healthier eating habits? Do you think you can become that lean, fit version of yourself? 

Whether you think you can or think you can't, you are probably right. 

I personally KNOW you CAN meet all of your fitness goals. That's what I've dedicated my life to – seeing YOU experience results. 

Call or email me today and let's do this!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It’s also the easiest meal to mess up. Donuts, breakfast sandwiches, pancakes, waffles, hash browns, sugary cereals…there are so many ways to start your day off in a fattening way. 

Read on for 5 No-Effort Breakfasts that deliver in taste, nutrition and speed. 

1. Egg Muffins
Traditional fluffy bakery muffins sure are delicious, but that’s the fast track to weight gain. So instead let’s enjoy a protein-packed egg muffin in the morning. These egg muffins are quick, last up to 4 days in the fridge, and will fill you with wholesome energy. 

Egg Muffins

• 6 omega-3, organic, free range eggs
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• handful of organic shredded cheese
• sprinkle of salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line muffin tins with paper liners or grease with coconut oil.
3. Mix up the eggs, add bell pepper, cheese and seasonings. Fill 6 muffin tins.
4. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the egg is fully set.

2. Green Smoothie
Not all smoothies were created equal. In fact, most smoothies are nothing but cups filled with simple sugar – fat traps that are marketed as health food. This green smoothie recipe is different. Packed with wholesome protein and nutritious greens, it’s big on flavor, nutrition and the energy that comes from real food ingredients. 

Green Smoothie

• 1 cup coconut water
• 1Tablespoon almond butter
• 1/4 cup wheat grass
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 scoop high quality, low carb chocolate protein
• 1 inch slice of banana
• Optional pinch of Stevia
• 1/2 cup ice

1. Combine all the ingredients in your high speed blender then blend on high for a full minute, or until the tiny pieces of spinach have disappeared and the smoothie turns a brilliant shade of green.

3. Hard Boiled Eggs & Apple Slices
You’d be hard pressed to find a healthier or quicker breakfast than hard boiled eggs and apple slices. It’s filled with healthy protein, fiber and energy prompting nutrients while being quick and portable. 

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

• 6 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Place the eggs in a saucepan in a single layer. Cover with an inch or two of cold water. Add the salt to the water. Bring to a rolling boil.
2. Turn off the heat, leaving the saucepan where it is. Cover and sit for 10-12 minutes. Drain the hot water from the saucepan and run cold water over the eggs. Peel and enjoy.

4. Pumpkin Protein Smoothie
Pumpkin is the flavor of the season, so let’s enjoy it in this quick, nutritious smoothie recipe. The problem with most smoothies is the sugar content, so I’ve made this smoothie to be low in sugar yet still high in flavor. 

Pumpkin Protein Smoothie

• 1 frozen banana (or half if you want to save on calories and carbs)
• 2 cups ice cubes
• 11/2 cups water
• 1 scoop quality vanilla protein powder
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• dash of nutmeg and cloves

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a high-speed blender and mix until smooth. Serve immediately.

5. Turkey or Ham Roll Ups
This is a very quick breakfast idea that tastes amazing. It’s filled with protein, good fats and wholesome fiber. Best of all you can make this in 5 minutes or less, throw them into a ziplock bag and eat them on-the-go! 

Turkey or Ham Roll Ups

• 6 slices high-quality turkey or ham
• 3 Tablespoons almond butter
• 1 apple thinly sliced
• 1 Tablespoon raisins

1. Spread some of the almond butter down the center of each turkey or ham slice. Line with a few slices of apple and a sprinkle of raisins. Roll up and enjoy.

Don’t forget that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Now you have 5 wholesome, quick recipes to fuel your mornings and keep you on track for healthy eating all day long. Start your day right and the rest of the day will follow suit. 

Healthy eating is only half of the fitness formula. Eat a healthy breakfast and then come workout with me. Call or email me today to get started on a fat loss program that really works.


The Evil Breakfast IngredientThere’s one evil ingredient that shows up in nearly all fattening breakfast foods. It’s sweet, it’s pleasing and it’s packed with empty calories. 

That’s right, it’s SUGAR. 

Cereals, pastries, smoothies, juices, jellies, sweetened coffee drinks, packaged granola bars…the list goes on and on, but the common denominator is refined, white sugar. 

Cut this evil ingredient out of your morning breakfast and you’ll quickly be leaner, healthier and filled with more energy.