I’ve been guilty of it and I’m sure some of you are, too. You go out for drinks with friends but choose not to eat anything for fear of looking fat or bloated in your new skinny jeans. And after trying to lose weight, it’s futile to eat AND drink so you might as well just do one, right? But what is ditching dinner and downing drinks really doing to your body? Here’s what happens to your body within the first hour of consuming a cocktail:

http://fitbie.msn.com/eat-right/your-body-margarita?GT1=50002

I know, reality check right?! When you think about what drinking on empty does to your body, it kinda makes it not worth it. But I always say if you’re going to relax and have a fun night out go ahead and do it right. Eat, drink, and be merry! Just make sure you get up and do your Disaster Control Workout the next morning!

All the best,

Katie Kottmann, VP, CFT, SPN, Certified Pre-/Post-Natal Trainer

Goal Fitness & Nutrition, LLC

www.GoalFitnessandNutrition.com

What have YOU  got to lose?

Special thanks to Libby Salerno and Women’s Health Magazine

When I meet with a new personal training client I ask them what their goals are and why they are meeting with me now. Inevitably, 9 times out of 10, I get the answer “I want to lose weight.” Knowing they mean, “lose fat” I move forward, asking what they’ve been doing in their fitness program, but also what their typical food day is like. A lot of times people say they have generally healthy habits, but some admit to being horrible about their eating. No matter what they tell me I try to dig deeper and usually find out the most of them, no matter in what category they placed themselves, eat absolutely incorrectly for their goals. But once we can identify that problem, the key to losing fat is right in front of us, making it that much easier to lose it!

I know I’ve written blogs about this before, but it is seriously so important to know that nutrition will amount to at least 80% of your results!!! If you are busting your ass in the gym, but cannot seem to get your eating under control, you are completely wasting your time… and if you’re one of my clients, you’re wasting my time as well…. which doesn’t make me happy. You don’t have to work harder in the beginning to lose weight. You have to eat smarter! So here are some tips to get you losing fat (especially in the waist, hips, and thighs) as fast as possible!

*Eat more healthy fats! It takes fat to lose fat, so incorporate EVOO, almonds, natural peanut butter, and things of that nature to your daily nutrition. Try to keep it under 20% of your daily calories.

*Don’t eat carbs past 5 or 6pm. Carbs that aren’t used for energy get stored on the body as fat. The less excess carbs you have before you go to sleep, the less will be stored as fat.

*Do your low to moderate intensity cardio on an empty stomach. For the best benefit, do it first thing in the morning. This way you’ll be able to burn through any excess carbs and fat you may have stored overnight before you consume any more. Doing this type of cardio for 30-60 minutes will tap into your fat stores.

*Eat breakfast! Your largest meal of the day should be breakfast. This will give you energy to get through your morning and boost your metabolism by getting it going first thing.

*Fuel your activity. That is, eat for what you’ll be doing. If you have a desk job and you know you’ll just be sitting there for hours, don’t eat too much! One hundred calories per hour if you’re just sitting is fine. Now, if you have a pretty active job, you can up your calories.

*Eat 5-6 small meals/day. Doing so will keep your blood sugar stable, keep you satisfied, and keep you from crashing and eating too much. It will also keep your metabolism boosted.

*Eat your protein and green leafy veggies. Both of these take more energy for your body to breakdown than other nutrients. If you eat these, they can raise your metabolism and you’ll lose more weight without doing anything! Plus, protein is necessary for muscle repair and muscle building.

*Do a mix of weights and different intensity cardio. Heavy weights increase muscle growth which increases metabolism. High intensity cardio a couple of times a week boosts metabolism. Low to moderate intensity cardio burns fat. Doing a mix of all of these will keep you lean!

*Drink water! The average person needs 96 oz. of water/day. If you’re exercising or working hard, you need more! Get a water bottle and refill it all day long. You may pee more at first, but it will slow down as your body gets used to the increased consumption.

*Listen to your body. If you’re tired, rest. A lot of times we confuse fatigue for hunger so try a nap instead of the snack machine. And if you’re sore, give yourself a day to recover.

That’s a good start. If you have any other questions, send them my way. I’m always happy to help!

All the best,

Katie Kottmann, VP, CFT, SPN

Goal Fitness & Nutrition, LLC

www.GoalFitnessandNutrition.com

What have YOU got to lose?

I just got done reading this article on msnbc.com. I love it! It’s nice to know that over all these years, people have tried this and that to lose weight as easily and quickly as possible, but nothing works but good old fashioned sweat and proper nutrition. Read it and let me know what you think!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41321656/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/

All the best,

Katie Kottmann, VP, CFT, SPN

Goal Fitness & Nutrition, LLC

www.GoalFitnessandNutrition.com

What have YOU got to lose?

I wanted to make sure you all know you can follow us on Twitter @goalfitness

We’d love to read your tweets and be able to offer some great daily info to you and yours. Have a very happy weekend!

All the best,

Katie Kottmann, VP, CFT, SPN

Goal Fitness & Nutrition, LLC

www.GoalFitnessandNutrition.com

What have YOU got to lose?

Your wedding day is most likely one of the most important days of your life… arguably THE most important day! So it’s okay to feel like you want to take your body to the next level. I train so many brides (it’s kinda my forte) and they always ask me the same questions:

-How long will it take to lose weight?

-When should I start training for my wedding body?

-Should I go hard now or wait a little bit longer?

These are all great questions, and ones that have pretty simple answers. There’s a simple time line you can put into place to make sure you are ready for wedding day, and will be able to fit into your gorgeous gown. If you follow this plan, you’ll be set!

The time it will take to lose the weight you’d like will obviously vary by person. Think about a 1-2 lb weight loss each week, and time it out from there. And of course, the harder you work and watch your food intake, the quicker the number will go down. But be realistic and know that plateaus happen. Assess your motivation level and be honest with yourself.

Start your nutrition plan now! Finding a plan that works for you far in advance will help minimize the stress and pressure you may feel closer to the wedding day. Certain plans work for some but not others. Find what works with your body by attempting different items in your diet. Whether you are 6 months or a year away, you can always make a big difference in your healthy habits. You may find that you are almost to your wedding goal way in advance! In that situation, ride it out and stress about the flowers and cake, not your weight. Good for you! Doing this will also eliminate starvation and binge dieting. Those are absolute no-no’s.

Start your cardio and light total body weight plan now! Do light to moderate cardio most days of the week to lose fat, and light weights for 12-15 reps a few days a week to tone up. Again, no matter how far out you are from your wedding, this will set you up for your next phase of bridal body sculpting quite nicely. You’ll have a great foundation of fitness so you won’t have to struggle to push to the next intensity level as you really get down to business. And if you really want to look fab on your big day, that’s exactly what you’ll have to do.

Start your go-get-em workouts about 3 months before your wedding day! This means add in high intensity cardio a couple of times a week, do more weight toning, and stick extremely closely to your nutrition plan. You may need to cut out alcohol if you haven’t already, but you’ll thank yourself later. Many brides like to do bridal bootcamps to get that final push towards their “perfect” body. Whatever you choose, just do something you can stick to and be happy with your results.

Your seamstress will most likely want to fit your gown a few times before the wedding. However, if you have a good seamstress, she’ll do your final fitting at least two weeks before your wedding, allowing you time to get fit and still be able to pick up your dress the day before your wedding. (Of course, if you are having a destination wedding, please plan accordingly.)

As a side note from a previous bride herself, please order a dress that is bigger than you intend to actually be at your wedding. A large dress can always be taken in, but a small dress can never be let out…. well, with ease. And if you are doing more cardio, your rib cage will expand so you may have to have excess room for this if you plan on breathing during your wedding.

See, it’s so simple! It’s the same as anything else you have to prepare for your wedding… if you start now, it’s not so daunting closer to the wedding day.

Congratulations and enjoy this journey to marriage!

All the best,

Katie Kottmann, VP, CFT, SPN

Goal Fitness & Nutrition, LLC

www.GoalFitnessandNutrition.com

What have YOU got to lose?