Wednesday Wisdom: Got a case of Constipation?

After a summer of traveling, eating strange foods, and changing time zones, I thought I’d hit on the topic of constipation. Yes I know its not glamorous but its real life! There’s a lot of factors that go in to a healthy track system in our bodies and I wanted to share my findings. There are also a few misconceptions that are going around that I wanted to clear up. A regular schedule is a happy schedule ;) 

Here are my top tips to keep your insides running regular

1. fiber PLUS water: We’ve all heard that fiber helps us poop right? Which is true, but the second and very important part to this point is that if you are increasing your fiber intake, you need to increase your water intake as well. Fiber increases the bulk of your stool so it can move along on its merry way, but water is crucial for it to move. So remember, if your increasing fiber, make sure your getting enough water as well.

Suggested Fibrous foods:

    • prunes• green Veggies• ground flaxseed (can throw into smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt,         etc)  • Low sugar Fruits with fiber (kiwi, apple, avocado)  • rolled oats

Suggested Water consumption:

    • Adult Males: 12-14 Cups/day

    • Adult Females: 8-10 Cups/day

2. Natural Laxatives (used the right way): You may have used over the counter laxatives in the past, but did you know that over time those products can cause more harm then good? They can inhibit your bodies natural process creating dependence on them. Here’s some healthy, natural laxatives:

    • Chia Seeds - soak them in a liquid before consuming. This creates a gel like coating         that can act as a lubricate in your system. (try my overnight oats recipe here)

    • Aloe Vera - Aloe vera latex also has anti-inflammatory components that reduce swelling     and and improve function of the digestive organs. It also actually helps increase the         water content in your intestines.

    • Probiotics - or “good bacteria” in your gut that makes your body able to balance various     types of “bad bacteria.” They help create a healthy environment in your gut. Probiotic         foods include things like kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi and probiotic yogurt. If you can, try to buy dairy products that are organic, as they are easier on digestion, such as goat milk products, organic kefir, raw dairy products or dairy that doesn’t contain A1 casein. It’s possible that low-quality pasteurized/homogenized dairy, or too much dairy in general (especially if someone has symptoms of lactose intolerance), can cause inflammation and contribute to digestive dysfunction.

3. Regular Exercise: Last but definitely not least, exercise helps get those muscles moving that push your waste through your body. Not to mention it helps with other causes of constipation such as relieving stress! If you’re feeling a little backed up, try going for a run, but don’t go too far ;)

Well there you have it! Here’s to healthy and regular bowel systems, Cheers!

Wednesday Wisdom- 3 Simple Summer Swaps to keep that bikini bod!

Summer is full of pool parties, back yard barbecues, Weddings, vacations, and a lack of structure. No one wants to be burdened with a bunch of diet rules and regimens with all this fun stuff going on! Which is why I came up with some of my favorite, easy healthy swaps to keep you on track this summer. You can still enjoy all the summer parties, without losing all your hard work in the gym. It just takes learning a few healthy habits and making educated decisions. 

1. The Ice-cream Swap: Something that always sounds good in the summer is icecream, and its a party dessert favorite for sure. An occasional ice-cream won’t kill you, but an everyday addiction is what we want to avoid. Try making some healthy frozen treats to give you that same sweet and refreshing satisfaction. 
   1. mix plain frozen yogurt with fruit. pour into popsicle molds or plastic cups. Freeze for a few hours. Remove and enjoy like a popsicle or with a spoon!
   2. Banana Ice-cream: keep frozen bananas in your freezer at all times. Chop them up and blend in blender or food processor. Can mix in PB, coco, or cinnamon for a healthy combo!
   3. The Cone Trick: If you’re at a party and they’re serving up ice-cream, go for the smallest portion option. When you serve ice-cream in a bowl, you naturally serve up more. When you have to fit it in a small cone or cup, the portion is going to be smaller, but appear bigger when served like this. 

2. The BBQ swap: What’s summer with out a BBQ? Well you’re typical BBQ menu can be packed with extra calories and sugar. But don’t worry, healthy swaps to save the day!

    1. Go for the green salad over the fruit/jello salad. You’ll save on sugar and calories.

    2. Wrap your burger in Lettuce, lose the bun! Lower your carbs, keep the protein.

    3. Skip the chip bag. Just by leaving out the potato chips you’ll save loads of empty calories and that unhealthy fat that we don’t want in our bodies. Instead, if you’re in need of something salty, bring some grilled or baked veggies to the party with you’re own salty seasoning. You’ll benefit everyone there with this healthy side dish. 

3. The Party Approach: My third tip isn’t necessarily a swap, but more of a strategy. When you have a busy party week coming up, with weddings, holidays, etc. go in with a game plan. Decide on what dessert you want to splurge on, and what you’re going to say no to before you go, so that you don’t have to make the decision when the cake table is staring you down. 

    - For example, cousins wedding is next weekend. My plan may be, “If there are cookies, i’m having one. But if it’s just cake, I don’t even like cake so that I can skip.” easy enough!

If you know you have a holiday weekend coming up, plan the rest of the week so you’re eating really healthy, then the weekend splurge won’t be as big of a deal. It’s all about being prepared and planning ahead. 

    - For example, if I know my cousins wedding is next weekend, Friday night, Monday through Thursday I’ll eat my lean and green for dinner, balanced meals throughout the day, and stay clear of sweets. Then when Friday night comes around, I’ll enjoy a slice of wedding cake and really enjoy it, without the guilt. 

Keep it balanced, plan ahead, and you’ll be just fine! 

NEW TRAINING PROGRAM!!!

So excited to introduce my brand new program to you guys! I call it the Track Star Stair Master program. While in Paris I had access to an awesome park with hills, stairs, benches, and space to run free. That was my gym for 6 months, no equipment, no fancy stuff, I would just use my sandbag for weight days, and the park for the rest. Well I thought since it's summer, so many of you have access to good weather, bleachers, parks, stadium track and field, or some kind of stair set with open space. I wanted to share this guide that is full of 12 awesome workouts that are all unique and fresh to add to your routine. This guide is meant to be added to your current workout schedule. I recommend adding in 2-3 Track/Stair days with 2-3 days of weight workouts. 

I'm also really excited about the meal guide portion of this program. I've turned the focus to the best meals to consume pre & post workout. I've prepared you with the best foods to fuel your body for your best workout! Also, I've included how to re-fuel your muscles after your sweat session. You will be able to maximize your results from the workouts with the right fuel. I've included my favorite recipes that I know you'll love! 

I love these workouts! If you're a busy mom, you can bring your kids along with you to the track and they can totally be entertained. You get to enjoy the beautiful outdoors and catch some rays while you're at it. These workouts are awesome to do with a partner or group, so tell your friends and have them purchase the program with you! You can both follow a long together and meet up for extra motivation! (please only one user per purchase though, thanks for the honesty :)

If you want a fun and convenient way to work your entire body, get your heart rate up and sweat, then look no further, this program is calling your name girl!

Find it right here and lets get started!

WEDNESDAY WISDOM: Getting the most out of a short workout!

Short on time? Want to know how to get the most bang for your buck with your workouts? Having worked a lot with young moms who are crazy busy juggling life, and being a busy woman myself, I’ve learned how to make the most out of precious workout time. You don’t need to spend hours in the gym to get results. Its all about Quality, not Quantity. Your eating plays a huge part as well, but thats a discussion for another day. Whether you’re traveling and don’t have much equipment, or you have 30 minutes in between carpool pick ups, these are the tips I’ve discovered to get the most out of a quick workout.

1. More muscles = greater calorie burn. Think of your muscles as calorie burners. Exercises that incorporate more muscles at once will burn more calories than a single muscle isolation exercise. For example, a squat with a shoulder press is going to burn a lot more calories than just sitting at a shoulder press machine and isolating the shoulder muscle. Take away message: When you’re short on time, combine exercises to work multiple muscles at one time.
2. The bigger muscle groups will burn more calories than smaller muscle groups. This may seem obvious, but I thought I’d point it out anyways. Similar to my last tip, if muscles are calorie burners, the bigger once will burn more right? So for example, your legs and back are bigger muscle groups than your arms or abs. When you want to burn more calories quickly, add in some explosive leg movements to the workout. Take away message: work bigger muscle groups for a bigger calorie burn. Stay clear from single muscle isolation exercises if you’re short on time.
3. Minimize your rest time. When you only have 1/2 hour you want to be working through as much of that 1/2 hour as you can! this means shortening the rest time in between workouts. HIIT and Tabata are great styles for quick and effective workouts. With tabata you typically do 20-30 seconds full out intensity, with 10-15 seconds rest in between. Keep spiking your heart rate through the entire workout. Avoid resting over 30 seconds between exercises. This means getting rid of distractions and committing yourself for the time you have. Take away message: When you’re short on time, use it effectively, working more, resting less.

So there you have it! 3 easy tips to follow when creating an effective, time efficient workout. Now here’s a little circuit I put together using only your body weight, and maximizing calorie burn with multi-muscle exercises, and incorporating larger muscle groups. 

THE CIRCUIT: (do 45 seconds each, with 15 seconds rest in between)

• Plank with cross knee crunch (alternating legs)
• Forward and Back squat jacks
• Push up - Pike toe taps
• Surfer Get ups

(FULL VIDEO HERE.)

Rest 30-40 seconds after each round. Repeat circuit 3 rounds for a 15 minute workout. 

You can check out more of my Time Efficient, Body weight workouts in my online trainer programs at www.bodydesignbybrit.com/store

WEDNESDAY WISDOM: Are some fruits better than others? Breaking down High Sugar VS. Low Sugar Fruits

Since its summer time, I thought I'd write a little bit about my favorite summer treat, FRUIT! So many good fruits are in season this time of year, I love it! But fruit definitely fits in the category of "moderation is key". Fruit is healthy, of course, but it contains sugar. Sugar is the main cause of weight gain, and by controlling our sugar intake, we can better reach goals of weight loss if that's what we're aiming towards. With my clients I suggest sticking around 35g or less of sugar per day for weight loss. This adds up quicker than you think! I typically recommend 1-2 pieces of fruit per day. Sugar from fruit is much better than reaching for a bag of skittles or a donut because you're getting the fiber, vitamins, minerals, etc, that comes with a piece of fruit. But I was curious, what fruits should I be more cautious about with my sugar intake?

Here's a list of 5 low sugar fruits to keep around this summer, and also my favorite way to eat them! I have also included the top 5 highest sugar fruit which you should try to limit in your diet. 

Hope you enjoy this Wednesday wisdom!

Lowest sugar fruit:

1. Avocado: only 1 gram of sugar per avocado! Basically my favorite food ever, I can eat it any way! But I really love it in a smoothie or with cottage cheese and salt and pepper, simple and delicious!
2. Raspberries: only 5 grams of sugar per cup. I love raspberries fresh like candy, or stirred into plain yogurt and made into a healthy Popsicle! 
3. Blackberries: only 7 grams of sugar per cup. I love black berries stirred into some plain yogurt and granola for a light pre workout breakfast.
4. Strawberries: only 7 grams of sugar per cup. I love strawberries dipped in melted dark chocolate for a guilt free sweet treat to end the night. Or in my favorite summer salads {spinach, strawberries, avocado, red onion, slivered almonds, feta cheese, vinaigrette dressing}
5. Casaba Melon: That bright yellow, round fruit about the size of a cantelope, with slightly wrinkly skin. It is the lowest sugar melon with 5 grams sugar for 1/2 cup. Try one sliced with cottage cheese, or sliced with a drizzle of lemon juice.

Highest Sugar Fruits

1. Lychee: 29 grams of sugar per cup! Yikes! But loaded with calcium, so moderation is key. They take so long to peel open that you probably couldn't get to a full cup unless you have all day ;)
2. Figs: 27 grams of sugar per cup. However, they are packed with healthy fiber, so maybe just don't eat a whole cup at once :)
3. Mango: 23 grams of sugar per cup. Mangos are my favorite, so I had a hard time putting them on the list, buuuut I always split the mango with my husband, or put just a few frozen cubes in my smoothie, so it's never quite a full cup ;) For your next date night, instead of buying a tub of ice cream, split a mango! It's very romantic, and healthy!
4. Cherries: 18 grams of sugar per cup. No wonder they taste like candy! If eating cherries, only grab a few, avoid sitting next to a bottomless bag.
5. Grapes: with 15 grams of sugar per cup, be careful. a cup can go pretty quick with these convenient little poppers. If I eat grapes I have them as a frozen sweet treat when I'm craving a Popsicle. Simply stick a bundle of fresh grapes in your freezer for an hour or two. Great poolside summer snack, just watch your portions! 

Enjoy some fresh in season fruit this summer, try new recipes or keep it simple, just remember portion control. HAGS :)

-Britt

WEDNESDAY WISDOM: Increasing our Discomfort Tolerance (3 Strategies for Reaching Hard Goals!)

Any dream or goal we make that results in a positive change in ourselves requires a bit of discomfort. Most people quite or backdown from their goals because of this discomfort. If we're not used to feeling this, it can be scary, different, and usually we don't like it. Fitness goals are a great example of this because the discomforts are obvious and physical. Whether it's pushing through that final rep, feeling a little hunger from decreasing your portion sizes, resisting that cupcake, or getting a couple of inches deeper in your squat. Self imposed discomfort is a foreign feeling to many, but we can all improve. I've trained clients that had never felt the burning muscle sensation that comes with a tough workout, and their initial reaction was to stop. One of the benefits to having a personal trainer is so that you don't stop when it gets hard :)

Similarly, most of us our so used to food being so abundant, we eat mindlessly and have never really reached the point of true hunger. We just eat when we think we're supposed to eat, or when everyone else is eating. What would happen if we actually waited until our body told us it was hungry? 

I want to talk about some strategies we can use to increase our discomfort tolerance to reach those goals that may seem so far away or too hard in the moment. This takes desire and some mental toughness, which I know we all have! All of us are at different levels with this. Find your starting point and work from there. Here are 3 strategies for increasing your discomfort tolerance:

1. Extend discomfort time. For example, say it's Friday, on your way home from work and you can't wait to dive right into that cookie dough you have sitting in your fridge after a long week. Well instead of having it right when you get home, tell yourself you'll wait an hour, and then you can have some. By doing this, you are training your body to live through a little discomfort and proving that you'll survive. In applying this to exercise, if you always run for 30 minutes on Tuesday morning, try running for 35 or 40 minutes, or run 4 miles instead of 3. Push yourself one bit at a time, further than yesterday, and you will be surprised with how far you've come!
2. Remove the unhealthy conveniences. Back to the last example, if you always go straight to your fridge after work and there's cookie dough staring at you, that seems pretty convenient and hard to turn down. Or if you walk in your house and your big comfy couch and TV are sitting right there, it will be very convenient just to plop yourself down for the night and conveniently miss your gym time. Some ways to remove these unhealthy conveniences may be to take a new route so that you don't pass McDonald's tempting drive through on your way home. Or set a reminder on your phone to not go through the kitchen when you get home, or lay your gym clothes out on your couch instead of the remote control. Whatever your unhealthy habits are (we all have them) be realistic with yourself, acknowledge them, and set up healthy road blocks for yourself. 
3. Create a contract with yourself. The most important documents in our lives usually require us to sign and date. Well why shouldn't we apply that standard of importance for helping us reach goals with our health? This is a strategy that I've been playing around with lately and it's actually very helpful and powerful. Lets say you know you should exercise, but everyday something more appealing shows up and takes priority and the exercise is postponed until tomorrow, and tomorrow, and the next day, etc. You may not have the discomfort tolerance built up yet. Well, what I suggest is to write up an official document for yourself, stating the thing you want to do, when you are to do it, and a consequence if you don't fulfill your end of the deal. It may look something like this: "I, Brittney Motzkus, hereby declare that this week (specific date) I will brush my teeth within 10 minutes of finishing my dinner at home so that I am not searching for dessert afterwards or late night snacking. If I fail to do so, I must eat a spoonful of Wasabi, with Husband as my witness... (Sign, and Dated)." As you can see, you can have fun with this! But there's something about an officially contract that holds us accountable. 

Typically, the more important things in life require more effort, more sweat, more tears, more determination, more mental toughness, but that's what makes the outcome that much more sweet! With these strategies, I hope you can find the courage and determination to set goals for yourself and reach them. Know that you can accomplish hard things, even if it's one little step at a time! 

WEDNESDAY WISDOM: My Top 10 Healthy Habits for Staying Lean ALL YEAR ROUND

I'm starting a new tradition around here and its called WEDNESDAY WISDOM! Has a nice ring to it right? Each week on Wednesday I'll share some words of wisdom about health. I would love recommendations for topics! Comment on my instagram or this blog post with topics you want me to cover! 

This week I'm sharing my top 10 healthy habits to stay lean all year round. Often times we Here about quick fixes, getting lean for summer, lose those holiday pounds, etc. How can we reach goals and stay there? Want to get off the roller coaster ride? I'm here to help. These aren't quick tricks, or drastic diets. These are habits that I've integrated into my daily life over time. Don't think you need to change all at once, and some of these may not fit into your specific needs and lifestyle. My advice is to pick one or two at a time to work on, only bite off as much as you can chew. One baby step at a time. With consistency, you will develop healthy habits in your own life!

1. I Drink lots of water and only water. By this simple habit, you will cut out so many extra calories and sugar. This alone can kickstart your weight loss.

2. I Priorities sleep (7-8 hours). When you're well rested you think clearer, crave less junk food, have energy for a good workout, and cortisol levels go down (reducing fat storage in your body). Plus, studies show that getting enough sleep leads to a longer life!

3. I only eat out 1-2 times per week. When you prepare your own meals, you're in control. You can always prepare healthier options at home. Plus, it's easier on the wallet! Of course there's those occasional weeks with more parties and festivities and that's just part of life, enjoy! But stick to your game plan when you can.

4. I take the stairs when I have the option. It may seem like a small thing, but those extra steps and movement throughout the day add up and you can end up burning a couple hundred extra calories each day! I'm a huge believer in adding any kind of extra movement in your day.

5. I don't buy junk food. If it's not around the house, I'm less likely to eat it. This doesn't mean I never have treats, but when I do have a treat, I am going out for it so it's more of a special occasion. I am making a conscience decision, not mindlessly finding my spoon at the bottom of the ice cream tub in my kitchen. Or habitually reaching for the bag of chips I see staring at me in the pantry. And if you do have treats around the house after a holiday or party, it's ok to throw them out or give them away!

6. I load up on veggies. First place I go in the grocery store is the produce section, and I stock my fridge with easy to grab, chopped up veggies. We all typically eat whatever we have around, the most convenient right? Why not make it healthy!

7. I schedule in my work out. Literally, I write it down in my day planner and check it off when I'm done. This makes sure I'm not doing anything else in that block of time and gives me the satisfaction of checking it off each day when I finish!

8. I listen to my body. Although I'm not perfect at this, I try to eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. We are all good at this when we are children, but somewhere along the line we lose this awareness. Stay away from rules that say what time to eat, foods you can or can't have, etc. Instead, I stick to my whole food, veggie based diet, meat sparingly, whole grains, low sugar. And the timing varies, some days I have 2 meals, some days I have 6 meals, it just depends on my bodies needs! I think sometimes we try to over complicate it!

9. I change up my work out routine daily. I get bored and it can become monotonous doing the same workouts so changing up the routine is crucial for me. Also crucial, making sure you include exercise that you enjoy! You may not enjoy every day and that's ok, but having something like a hike or spin class you really look forward to helps keep it fun! (in need of some ideas? try out one of my plans here to get you going).

10. I eat chocolate every day (well almost every day ;) I used to have a very powerful sweet tooth. I've found that if I keep a bar of dark chocolate around (70-80% cacao) I just break off a small corner of it after a meal and I don't even crave dessert! It's rich enough that it satisfies me for a long time. One of my favorite little tricks! If your an all or nothing type, meaning you will eat the whole chocolate bar if you start, then you may want to stay clear of this approach, or try individually wrapped chocolate so you only have one at a time.

So there ya go! Remember to take one step at a time for long lasting results. It's not a race to the finish line. Listen to your body, everyone is different!

I would love to hear some of your own healthy habits, comment below! Also let me know of any Wednesday Wisdom topics you would like me to cover in a comment below. Also, share this with a friend who you think would appreciate the content. :)

Top 3 Weight Loss Tips: Lessons from Living Abroad Part 2

A year ago around this time we were getting ready to move to Europe, just a couple of weeks out from take off. Our plain tickets were purchased, the packing list had begun. I was in a routine where I was training pretty hard every day at the gym, a long with training for my first marathon at the end of May. Most days consisted of waking up extremely early, driving, training clients back to back, then I would go to my second job at Altra Footwear and fit in my own work out in between. I would then drive back up to Salt Lake from Orem to teach night classes and train night clients. It was nuts. 

    I was thinking I was in the best shape of my life and one of my biggest fears of moving to Europe, which now sounds ridiculous, was getting fat. I laugh about it now but it was an honest concern. I thought that all I would have to eat in Germany was bread and potatoes. Then I would move to France and only have baguettes and cheese. While this is partly true (I have eaten my fair share of baguettes and cheese) I’ve been pleasantly surprised with my bodies reaction to the move. Rather than adding on a nice fluffy layer of carb chub, I’ve actually lost around 12 pounds while being here and feel the leanest I ever have! How is this possible you ask? Well as I’ve thought about this same question, I’ve compiled some observations. I trace it back to the beginning of our adventure, getting out of my routine rut. 

What I thought every meal was like in Germany :)

    Lets go back to June. On our way to Germany we made a stop in Iceland for 4 days. Keep in mind I had been in the routine of training hard, and eating a good amount of food to refuel my body every day. I was in that cycle of going harder and harder, and eating more to provide the energy. Planning our travels I got a little anxiety knowing my workout routine would have to change a bit, and I knew I wouldn’t be expending as many calories, so I would need to lower my intake. I think this was the best thing for me. I needed to get out of that cycle and get my metabolism back in check. Reset my system a little bit. Our 4 days in iceland we rented a car and drove most of the day, making little stops along the way, hiking a bit here and there, and taking in amazing scenery. I noticed my hunger levels went down, so I obeyed. We survived on a little oatmeal in the morning with fruit, and cracker, meat, and cheese sandwiches on the road. Not the most glamorous or nutritious, and I don’t suggest that meal plan for an everyday thing. But for 4 days of car camping travel it got the job done, and smaller portions were key. 

    We made it to Germany and our expat life began. The first 2 weeks were spent getting up early and going to offices, where we would wait in line to take care of administration stuff. These processes are SLOW and can be frustrating. The first thing I learned about Germans is that they love their paperwork! We were at the mercy of limited office open hours and the people who could help us translate. My regular morning workout routine had to be shortened or put on hold until the evening, or the next day. This was weird for me! But again, with less calories going out, I wasn’t eating nearly as much as before.

So lesson #1 learned: Take a reset. Lower activity level to lower food intake. You will become more in tune with what your body actually needs. More in tune with your intake and output correlation.

    The administration work settled down, and we were able to have more freedom and I picked up my morning workout routine again. It felt great! My appetite increased a little bit, but I noticed that I had freed myself from that cycle of eating more to fuel training more. I was more in control now. I had re-calibrated my exercise and food need. So combining the exercise routine with a more controlled food consumption was good. Also, the next change made was instead of being stuck to a rigid eating routine of every 2-3 hours or my muscles will eat them selves, I learned to only eat when I was hungry. And I actually allowed myself to feel hunger! (I used to teach to not allow yourself to really feel hunger, but I humbly stand corrected). I had been following the typical fitness model/bodybuilding commandment of eating every 2-3 hours to keep your metabolism going, and to keep your body from breaking down your muscles. I have now learned that this is totally unnecessary. Why should you eat if you’re not hungry? Allowing ourselves to feel hunger keeps us in tune with our bodies needs and we are more mindful with our eating.  

So lesson #2 learned: If you’re not hungry, you don’t have to eat! don’t try to force feed every 2-3 hours because you think your muscles will break down, or that your metabolism will shut off. This is not necessarily the case. Mindful eating is what we want to master. Your body can adapt to burning fat if you fuel it right and train. (that is a whole other blog post though :)

    After just a few days in Germany, my pre-assumptions were proven wrong. Germans eat other foods besides potatoes and brats haha who would’ve thought! They actually have amazing produce! And the same goes for the French, Its not all just baguettes, cheese, and croissants. Some of the best produce I’ve ever had, fresh, seasonal, and very affordable! I’ve loved it. My diet as been full of fresh veggies, organic fruits, lean meats sparingly (about 3 nights out of the week), and yes the occasional baguette and cheese. And I would be lying if I didn’t include all the fresh pastries and crepes that I’ve consumed (how can you pass up all those delicious french bakery’s?) This brings me to the third lesson learned. 

Fresh Markets!!

    Back in the states I could definitely notice the sweet treats and splurges that I had. I was always working extra hard on Monday to make up for the Weekend desserts. Each day I worked hard for an hour at the gym, and was active while training clients, but the rest of my day was sitting at a desk, or sitting in my car. I could never get past a certain weight and body fat percentage. I wasn’t necessarily looking to loose weight, I just thought that I had reached my comfortable peak. Here I’ve felt like the extra carbs and pastries have gone right through me, and taken some extra pounds with them. I contribute this to the power of walking! I used to think walking was just for old people who couldn’t do “real” exercise any more. Or the Sissy person’s form of exercise when they couldn’t handle the gym. I know, horrible thoughts. But my time in Europe has changed me. By adding at least 30 minutes of walking to your day, your fat burning potential will soar. I haven’t driven a car for an entire year (only on the occasional weekends being chauffeured by my husband on our adventures) but I myself have not driven. From our apartment I have to walk 1/2 mile (each way) to get to the train station to go anywhere. I walk 5 minutes to the grocery store, and carry 2 full grocery bags back. The gym I worked at in Düsseldorf was a mile run/walk from our apartment, which I went to most days. Our apartment was on the 6th floor with no elevator, and here in Paris we’re on the 13th floor. We have an elevator but each day I have to go up at least once with out it (a weird ritual I started that now I can’t break!). To go to church on Sunday we walk 10 minutes to the train, 5 minutes in between the train up and down stairs, 10 minutes from the station to church, and then repeat on the way back. I would say at least 3 days of the week I wander around Paris, walking for a couple of hours or more. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. I walk A LOT!

So Lesson #3 learned: Walk more, move more. Daily activity (outside of your structured workout) is a huge contributor to weight management! I give most of my weight loss credit to this simple change. I’m still working out hard 5-6 days a week for 40-60 min. I am still eating very clean and healthy 80% of the time. But the combination of the 3 has been the golden ticket for me. 

    My goal is to take this lifestyle change and bring it back to the states and inspire others to do the same. What if the stress and struggle of losing those last 10 pounds, or really reaching your best level of fitness could be solved with simply walking!? I’m sure most of us have a grocery store within walking distance. Have you ever thought to walk? Trust me, I used to drive my car across the street to the grocery store and never thought twice about it! I challenge you to find little parts in your day that you could add in some walking. You can start small. When given the choice of the elevator or the stairs, always take the stairs. If you’re faced with an escalator or stairs, take the stairs. Park at the back of the grocery store parking lot instead of battling for the front and center spot. Make it a family event. After dinner, rather then vegging out on the couch together watching TV, go for a walk instead. These have turned into some of my favorite times to talk with my husband, or just think on my own. Just try it for a week and see if you notice a difference. A difference with how you feel, with your energy and hunger levels, and a difference with your bodies fat burning capabilities. 

So to sum it up, the 3 big lessons about health and fitness that I’ve learned while being here in Europe have been ….

#1. When you’re stuck in a fitness rut, take a reset. Lower your activity level so you can lower your food intake. Get re-calibrated. 

#2. Practice mindful eating. If your not hungry, you don’t have to eat!

#3. The power of walking is greater than we think! Walk more, move more, every day!