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10 Minute In-Home Christmas Workout!

Christmas time is officially here! With all of the “have to do’s” this month, many people don’t think they have time for an effective fat-burning workout. Well, I am here to tell you that that is not true! In fact, you can get in a great workout in the comfort of your own home!

You may be wondering how you can maintain and even improve your body composition at home with no equipment. Well, to be honest; the possibilities are endless! I’m going to share with you a few workouts you can incorporate into your busy schedule that will allow you to burn fat and sculpt your body in as little as 10 minutes!

For this workout, you will do each exercise for 1 minute each. Perform the first exercise for 1 minute, and then move immediately to the next. Continue doing this until you complete every exercise, and then rest 2-3 minutes and repeat 1-2 more times.

1) Squats
2) Pushups
3) Squat Thrusts*
4) Jumping Jacks
5) Staggered Pushups**

*Squat down, put your hands beside your feet, kick your legs back so you are in a pushup position, and then kick your feet back up to your hands, and stand up.

**Place one hand a few inches in front of the other; do pushups in this position for 30 seconds, and then switch hands for the other 30 seconds.


Here is another in-home workout to help you lose fat and sculpt your body!

Perform the designated number of reps for each exercise, and proceed through the circuit with no rest. After every exercise is completed, rest about 2 minutes and repeat 1-2 times.

1) Squats—20
2) Jumping Jacks—50
3) Pushups—15
4) Mountain Climbers*—10 reps each leg
5) Squat Thrust—12 reps

*Get in the top part of a pushup (arms straight) and bring one knee up to your chest; as you return that leg to the start position, bring the alternate knee up to your chest.

There you have it! Two awesome workouts you can do at home in less than 20 minutes! Now you have absolutely no excuse for not getting in a terrific workout!

No BS Nutrition Info that WORKS!

Whenever a person plans to go on a diet they envision weight scales, measuring cups, flavorless food, hunger pangs, and even hippies chasing them down with granola. Well, maybe not that last one, but you get the point.

No one ever says, “Yay! I’m going on a diet!” Have you even noticed that the first 3 letters in diet are die? It’s no coincidence. No one wants to go on a diet because they perceive future suffering and misery. Many people think they will have to give up their favorite foods. Many people think they can never eat treats again. Well, in my opinion, many nutritionists and fitness professionals are making nutrition way too complicated.

Is it practical for someone who eats the majority of their meals away from home in the form of fast food, drinks several cokes in a day, and only eats vegetables in the form of fried potatoes to drastically change their eating habits in one day? Would it be realistic (and would it be long lasting) for this person to wake up the next morning and eat all natural foods and drink nothing but water? No! The person may last a couple of days, if even that, before they returned to their old eating habits!

The key is to make small gradual changes that produce long lasting results. Having changes that produce short-term changes only is not enough!

Here are my guidelines for nutrition. No filler, no fluff, and it may not be politically correct, but it’s damn effective.

1) Consume whole, natural foods. These are items that don’t come in a bag or a box, and are usually single ingredient items. Examples: fruits, vegetables, lean meats, raw or dry roasted nuts, seeds, legumes, etc.

2) Do not purchase anything that has these words on the ingredient list: high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated, or colors and numbers (e.g. Yellow5, Blue3, etc).

3) If you consume any grains at all, limit them to post-workout only. Grains are items such as breads, cereals, rice, corn, crackers, tortillas, pasta, etc. By consuming them after a workout, your body uses the carbohydrates in the foods to build muscle and restore muscle glycogen stores. Limiting them to these times (if you eat them at all) helps to prevent potential fat gain.

4) Increase your daily intake of fruits and vegetables. Yes, this is nothing new. Fruits and veggies are loaded with good-for-you nutrients such as phytochemicals, antioxidants, and a host of other things that are necessary for good health. Begin slowly by adding 1 fruit and 1 vegetable to a meal a day. The next week, try to include a fruit and vegetable in 2 meals a day.

5) Consume caloric-free beverages. Drink more water. Period. Caloric-free beverages include water and unsweetened teas and coffees. Here’s a bonus tip: drink a full glass of water immediately before each meal; this will help fill you up quicker if you are trying to lose some extra fat.

6) Be cautious where you get your information. Food corporations who promote their foods as being “figure friendly” and even “healthy” do not have your best intentions in mind. All they want is for you to buy more of their products; not to help you acquire better health, but to get more of your money. General Mills, Kellogg’s, the dairy industry and other food companies don’t give a rip about your health, and they are not qualified to tell you how and what to eat. Keep that in mind the next time you see an advertisement.

7) Make a time to enjoy foods that don’t necessary fit these guidelines. If you plan on restricting your favorite foods for a long period of time, you are just setting yourself up for disaster. The more you tell yourself you can’t have something, the more you want it and the more likely you are to binge on it. Have a meal once or twice a week where you don’t make it conform to the above guidelines. Enjoy these meals guilt-free, and then get back on track.

8) Revolve your eating regime around your life not vice versa. This is another area in which I greatly differ from many experts. Five to 6 small meals a day may be the ideal, but for some people it just isn’t practical. I strongly believe that if you adhere to the principles listed above, the rest is just details for someone looking to lose fat and acquire better health. There are too many important things in life, so don’t spend excess time worrying about your eating habits and exercise regimen.

So now you have some general guidelines, but where do you go from here? As I mentioned earlier, take things slowly. Try to incorporate 1 or 2 principles each day, and go from there. Don’t try to drastically change everything overnight; it’s just not effective.

Beware of the Thanksgiving Thief!

Health conscious people everywhere: Beware! There is a Thanksgiving thief on the loose!

Okay, so here is where I differ from most health and fitness experts: I don’t believe in “dieting” on Thanksgiving. Many experts will tell you to “not eat this” and “don’t cook that” on Thanksgiving. They’ll give you nifty tips on how to cut calories and stick to your diet.

These tips work, and help you stick to your eating habits. But at what price? I mean, who wants to spend a happy day with family strategizing about how to eat at dinner? Who wants to think about the best ways to maneuver around your favorite holiday treats? Why in the world would you want to make a happy day so stressful? It only comes once a year for goodness sake!

Here is my honest opinion: enjoy the day! Eat the foods you want, and don’t stress out about it. If you want some corn-bread dressing and pumpkin pie, go for it.

Now, I do have a few tips that I would adhere to, however.
1) Eat the foods that are special to the occasion. For example: mashed potatoes seem to be a staple at Thanksgiving, but you can have those anytime. Other things like sweet potato casserole (my favorite!) is a once in a year treat. Enjoy the foods you only get on special occasions and leave the other stuff alone.
2) Don’t intentionally overeat. We’ve all eaten so much after Thanksgiving that we want to change into sweat pants and pass out on the couch. There is no need to eat all of that food at once. Get the foods you really want, and don’t eat things you don’t really care for. Who says you have to try everything that is served?
3) Get in a workout. On Thanksgiving morning, be sure to get in a workout. You could easily get in a great bodyweight workout in only 10-20 minutes! Just do pushups, bodyweight squats, and jumping jacks. Cycle through those for 10-20 minutes, and you’ll have gotten in an awesome workout. What a great healthy way to start the day!
4) Enjoy yourself! Some people think they have to feel guilty for enjoying their favorite foods. I can’t think of anything more ridiculous. Enjoy the day and enjoy the company you share food with!
5) Give the leftovers to family and friends. You don’t need to keep pies and what not around your house after it’s over. Enjoy the day, eat what you want, but then get rid of the desserts and other items that don’t adhere to your eating habits.

You can also cook some dishes with healthier substitutions, but don’t do it if it just isn’t the same. For example, I love my Mom’s sweet potato casserole. I’m sure it could be made with sugar substitute and what not, but, you just don’t mess with my sweet potato casserole! No one wants their favorite dishes to be turned into some healthy-hippie version that tastes like cardboard. Only tweak recipes if you have tested them first or you are confident the change will not be noticeable.

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy it, get in a workout, and then get back with your healthy eating habits the very next day. Don’t stress about food, life is way too short!

Go Nuts!

Unfortunately, some people still think they must avoid fat if they want to lose fat and get a smaller waist line. Others think that following a low fat diet is healthier.

Well, I'm here to tell you that both of those assumptions are wrong!

Not only can fats help you lose fat, but they are necessary for survival and optimal health. You need fats to provide and help absorb fat-soluble vitamins, and they are used to build many cells in your body.

Fats also help you feel full longer because they slow down the absorption of food. Fats also don't cause a dramatic spike in your blood sugar like refined (and many unrefined) carbohydrates do. Also, fats make things taste better!

Now don't think I'm telling you to load up the shopping cart with high-fat foods like donuts, french fries, and double bacon cheeseburgers. Certain fats have the best health benefits. The two fats that provide the largest health benefits or mono- and polyunsaturated fats. These are found primarly in plant sources: olive oil, nuts, avocadoes and olives, just to name a few.

The fats you want to avoid (especially trans fat) are found in many baked goods and items that come in a bag or box. Look, from research I have read, I will tell you this right now: do not consume trans fats. I would avoid all of them at all costs, even if it's just 1 gram.

Now, on to nuts and why you should be eating them! In 3 large studies, people who ate nuts frequently had a 39 to 60 percent reduction in their risk of dying from heart disease compared with those who ate nuts the most infrequently. Another large study found that consuming a 1-ounce serving of nuts 5 or more times a week resulted in a 27 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who rarely or never ate nuts.

Nuts are loaded with vitamins and minerals, and they are plentiful in healthy fats. The best way to incorporate them into your eating habits is by consuming them raw or dry roasted; no other ingredients should be on the label!

What are you waiting for, get crackin’! (Sorry, I just couldn’t resist the pun!!)

High Fructose Corn Syrup

If you can recall from a previous post, I mentioned that high fructose corn syrup is one of the greatest contributors to the caloric consumption of Americans.

I think a little background information would be helpful right now. At first, there was just plain table sugar. And at one point, it used to be fairly expensive. This wasn't so for an average person, but for food manufacturers it was a high price item. The cost was a main reason why sucrose (table sugar) wasn't in every single item. As a result of the price, manufacturers were on the look out to find a cheaper replacement for sugar.
This is where high fructose corn syrup came into play.

After processing the corn, a substance is produced that can sweeten products at a fraction of the cost of sugar. The main problem with this substance is that it is now found practically everywhere, including products that didn't used to be sweetened!

Dr. Johnny Bowden said it best: "corn syrup may be natural because it's made from corn, but so is ethanol, and I'm not drinking that either."

The commercials are an attempt by wealthy companies to keep people buying their products. They are not concerned with your health. They want you to buy more of their products so they can make more money. That is it.

I heard a wonderful nutrition tip the other day, and I will pass it on to you.

Look at food labels and avoid all of these items and you will be on your way to better health and a smaller waist line:

1) High fructose corn syrup
2) Hydrogenated oil
3) Colors and numbers (yellow 5, blue 3, etc)

Mrs. Kentucky

Tammi was so much fun to work with! She is not one to ever use excuses for not training; something most people with her schedule would do all the time. As you will see, she is a very busy woman! I thought I would share some of her words with you:

"When I met Nia, I was an out of shape, over-weight, mother of 4 small children (ages 1,2,3 and 4 at the time). I was frustrated with my life and the lack of energy I had. I was always considered a thin and even "skinny" girl; managing weight had never been an issue in my life. I am not sure that I ever weighed above 108, even thought I wasn’t at all what you could consider muscular or even well toned.

I have to credit Nia with giving me my life back, and the term "giving me my life back" doesn’t really fit because it was more like she helped me achieve a whole new life. I am now a firm believer in "strong body=strong mind." Working out has given me a confidence in myself that I have never had. I have a figure in my 30's that is much better than what I had in my 20's or even my teens. The energy that came with this new workout and lifestyle is amazing. Keeping up with my 4 kids is now a breeze and I don’t ever again have to worry about "how to get up the stairs" again because I felt so out of shape.

Nia helped me become disciplined and also helped me to learn more about weight lifting and a healthy lifestyle in general. She always made sure I used the proper form in all exercises, which is really important. When you are working toward a goal you sure don’t want to be sidelined with an injury. She also made working out fun. I looked forward to the gym and the way she would change our routines so my body wouldn’t adjust and quit responding. It was exciting to see the changes that our work outs made. It was also wonderful to have energy and to feel so good.

I can never thank her enough for the encouragement she gave me that kept me with it and kept me sticking to my gym routine. Under her direction, I won several pageants including Mrs. Purchase Area 06, Mrs. Kentucky USA International 06 and Top 10 at Mrs. USA International, and Mrs. Kentucky America 4th runner up 07 and 1st runner up 08. I am currently working with her on some new routines and am considering competing in Bikini America and Figure. I have come a long, long way from that frustrated, defeated mom of four whose husband told her she was "heavy."

I cannot say enough about Nia and the programs she has put together for me. I encourage you to start your own journey today....you never know where it will take you."