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

We recently partnered up with DeFrump Your Bump and Libby Salerno in an effort to show women of all stages and ages that they can definitely look good no matter what!

If you’re an expectant Mommy you’ll love DeFrump Your Bump. This site offers the what’s hot and what’s not of the most fashionable Moms-to-be. Whether you’re just starting out and are stuck in that first trimester awkward phase, starting to show and your pants aren’t fitting anymore, or you’re in your final trimester and don’t quite feel attractive in anything…. this site has tips for you! You’ll never wonder what to wear again, and you’ll definitely never have to sacrifice the pain of drab clothing for your sweet little pea.

Libby Salerno is a Personal Stylist and offers advice and assistance with every single stage of your life and wardrobe. My favorite service she offers (I’m biased) is helping clients who have recently lost weight and just can’t figure out how to dress their new bodies. Sometimes we just need a little assistance pulling it all together. I’m happy to refer my personal training clients to her, should they need advice. She also offers services for bridal parties, corporate clients, moms, and many others. She is affordable and totally worth it. Don’t look like a slob on accident… call her! Trust me, she’s a pro!

Both sites can be linked to through our blog in the ‘Links’ section.

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?

Just wanted to remind you all that you can access our free Basal Metabolic Rate and Body Mass Index calculators at the following web address:

http://www.goalfitnessandnutrition.com/bmr_calculator.php

Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is basically the amount of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period if you were to just lay awake on the couch. Our calculator takes into account your activity level so you know even more accurately how many calories you burn each day. Once you figure this out, you can determine how much you should be eating to lose weight. Remember, an average healthy weight loss per week is 1-2 pounds. It takes a deficit through food or exercise of 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound.

Your body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women. The only problem I have with this measurement is that if you’re really tall, really short, or really muscle-dense, you will be off the charts on your BMI. I’d stick with the BMR to know if you’re in the healthy zone as far as the amount you’re carrying around. Too much is no good!

All the best,

Katie Kottmann, VP, CFT, SPN

Goal Fitness & Nutrition, LLC

www.GoalFitnessandNutrition.com

What have YOU got to lose?

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?