December 2016
Fit News You Can Use
 
Give the  Gift of Fitness
At JZTrainedme Fitness there are no quick fixes, no gimmicks, no hassles, no monthly payments, no gym fees and no contracts. Just real fitness for real life with real results. My private home gym is located in Bartlett. Visit jztrainedmefitness to view testimonials, results and my home gym. Mention this post and receive one FREE session after your initial free assessment.
Offer applies to new clients only and expires on 12-31-16.
December Plank Challenge
  I challenged my clients to improve their planking skills this month. On November 30th they had to hold a plank with good form for as long as they could. Then starting December 1st, they either had to add 5 seconds or 10 seconds to their plank time every day. 

1st Place - One FREE session
2nd Place - 1/2 off a session
3rd Place $10 off a session

Almost all of my clients are taking part in the challenge and they are doing great! Not only are they strengthening their cores, but they are improving their form and having fun along the way. Many of them even have their family members doing it along with them. They are accomplishing times they never thought possible. I am so proud of them and many of them have already surpassed the 2, 3 and 4 minute marks! 

Look for the announcement of the winner in the January newsletter plus details on the JZTrainedme Fitness January challenge!  
Forget those New Year's Resolutions and think
New Year's Solutions instead!
   2017 is just around the corner and it's that time of year again when people start thinking of their New Year's Resolutions. Losing weight continues to rank as the #1 resolution and it also continues to be the resolution that people fail to accomplish 80% of the time.

This year toss those resolutions out the window and challenge yourself to come up with New Year's Solutions instead. If your not living a healthy lifestyle, it's about time you ask yourself why? What obstacles are in your way? Why is it so difficult for you to stick with it? Why do you give up? What keeps you from staying motivated? Are you being realistic with yourself?

It's important to determine what's preventing you from succeeding. You don't know what to do, you don't like working out, you don't have time, you don't know what to eat and/or how much to eat, you're not sure whether you should do more cardio or more strength training or a combo of both, you won't do it unless you have some type of accountability, you're not sure how or where to fit it into your daily schedule, you don't like working out alone. List all your obstacles on a piece of paper and number them according to difficulty, one being the most difficult. 

Now take that list and focus on the top three to five only. When you try to do too much at once, failure is almost surely to be imminent. You have a whole year ahead of you, 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days...surely you can come up with solutions to successfully conquer those obstacles that have been holding you back year after year.

Start with your number one obstacle and then list 3-5 solutions to overcome that obstacle. Be creative. Now do that same thing with the remaining obstacles. You may find some overlap...great, that's not a problem because you may be able to conquer two obstacles at one time.

Again, start with your number one obstacle and your list of solutions. Again, number them in order of the most probability with success, pick one or two and then and make a plan to make it happen. Determine what actions you need to take or tools you need to ensure your solutions are successful.

For example if your number one obstacle is - I don't have time to workout. Hopefully your solutions look something like this:

  1. Grab your planner and identify down times where you can fit it in
  2. Wake up earlier
  3. Break you workouts up into 10-15 minute increments (once in the morning, once at lunchtime and once after work)
  4. Workout at lunchtime
  5. Propose walking meetings; instead of sitting in a conference room for a half hour, walk it out while you talk it out

Once you identify one or two solutions that are realistic for your lifestyle and attainable, set a time frame for completion and once you see it through to fruition, move on to the next obstacle/solution plan.

Give it a try and see what you can do when you create solutions instead of resolutions. What have you got to lose? Oh yeah, maybe that extra weight once and for all!

Happy New Year - Happy New You!

Tips to Stay on Track During the Holidays
  It's the most wonderful time of the year with gatherings of family and friends and being thankful for all of our blessings. And then, of course, there's the meals, drinks and desserts. So how does one stay on track and deal with all of those temptations. Try some of these tips to help you:

1. Think PC - portion control. Everything is okay in moderation, so don't deprive yourself of your favorites because that will just make you want them all the more. Allow yourself to enjoy them but don't go overboard. Have a little taste of everything you love so you are satisfied.

2. If you're hosting, make some dishes that are healthier or if you're heading out for the holidays, bring along one of your favorite healthy dishes. Make this your go-to side, snack or dessert when you feel like indulging a little.

3. Don't skip meals. Many people think that by skipping breakfast and/or lunch before family gatherings will allow you more calories and though there is some truth to that theory...this is also one of the best ways to guarantee you'll overeat and overindulge. If your satisfied and satiated prior to that big meal, you'll be less likely to overdo it. 

4. Make a plan of action. Set some limits on your portions, for example, no seconds on the higher calorie dishes, only 5 cookies or 2 drinks. Again, allow yourself some indulgences but set parameters for yourself to keep from going overboard.

5. Don't skip your workout. Make sure you plan to get some activity in, even if it's for a short amount of time. Just like any other day, you always feel better when you do it and always regret it when you don't. This also applies to holidays too...perhaps even more so.

Holidays can be tough when trying to stay on track, but if you're prepared, you can enjoy all the festivities and no guilt!


The Benefits of Protein
Protein is the most important macronutrient we can consume and most people are eating just enough of it to get by or just aren't eating enough of it period. Protein packs a lot of benefits and is especially important when losing weight is a goal.

Benefit #1: Protein helps you feel more full with less food so consider replacing some of the fats and carbs you are eating with protein

Benefit #2: Protein increases muscle mass and strength and can reduce muscle loss when losing weight

Benefit #3: Protein is good for your bones and can help to maintain bone mass better as you get older and can help lower the risk of osteoporosis and fractures

Benefit #4: Protein can reduce cravings and the desire for late-night snacking

Benefit #5: Protein can increase metabolism and increase the amount of calories you burn which can equal up to 80 to 100 more calories burned each day

Benefit #6: Protein can help you keep weight off and in some cases increasing protein from 15% to 18% of calories reduced weight regain by 50%

Benefit #7: Protein can help you keep fit as you age; lifting weights or doing some sort of resistance exercise can help reduce the muscle wasting associated with aging

Here's are some high-protein foods that should be a part of your daily caloric intake:

Eggs                                   Almonds                         Chicken Breasts
Oats                              Cottage Cheese              Greek Yogurt
Milk                                    Broccoli                            Lean Beef
Tuna                                  Quinoa                             Lentils
Ezekiel Bread                    Pumpkin Seeds              Turkey Breast
Fish/Shrimp                     Brussel Sprouts             Peanuts


December Featured Recipe
  Parmesan Garlic Crusted Cod
  • 1 package of fresh cod filets or frozen filets (1lb or 6 medium size filets)
  • 2 tsp Dijon Mustardīƒ˜
  • 1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
  • 1 tbsp Parlsey finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp Parmesan (grated)
  • 1 Garlic Clove, minced
  • 1 tbsp of Olive Oil
  • Non-stick Cooking Spray
Spread the dijon mustard on the top of each filet. Mix panko bread crumbs, parsley, parmesan, garlic and olive oil. Press the crumb mixture onto the mustard on each filet. Press down firmly to make it stick. Cover cookie sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray. Place filets on sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes and then broil another 5 minutes. Fish is ready when crumbs are golden brown. Serve immediately.

Contact
  JZTrainedme Fitness
  www.jztrainedmefitness.com
 Bartlett, IL 60103
Real Fitness for Real Life
Real Goals - Real Plans - Real Results