Pre-New Years Resolutions

September 28, 2008 By

 

Wanna be a rebel?

Why follow the masses and wait until January 1 2009 to start working off the excess fat you are desperate to get rid of?

With just about 14 weeks left until the new year you can make a real dent in your weight loss goals if not reach them entirely!

Imagine going into the new year being able to focus on something else other than your body for once.

Aren’t you tired of that yet?

There are only 3 sessions left this year of Booty Boot Camp.

That’s 12 weeks of expert fitness instruction and focused nutrtitional guidance.

We are excited to be bringing you lots of great new programs to make Booty Boot Camp even better including:

  • Step-by-step meal-by-meal weekly menus and grocery lists
  • one-on-one personal training along with boot camp
  • Personalized workouts for your "off" days or when you are traveling
  • And lots more!

Log onto http://www.getfitwithsarai.com/boot-camps-for-women.html to check out the new packages and check the next session start dates.

I’m always here to help

Sarai Jones

Filed Under: Exercise and Fitness, Fat loss, Nutrition Tagged With: , , , ,

The Starbucks Diet

September 23, 2008 By

 

So my post on http://twitter.com/BootyBootCamp (if you’re not following me, please do) where I mentioned drinking a Starbucks Vivanno caught a lot of attention from my Booty Boot Camp girls.

You wanted to know if it was “ok” to drink when you are on the go without sabotaging your fat loss efforts. I was pretty sure I had remembered the nutritional facts correctly but I wanted to double check so here it is.

It turns out that the between the two flavors; Chocolate-Banana and the orange-mango-banana, the chocolate-banana Vivanno is the better choice (which makes me happy because I think it tastes the best). Even though it has 20 more calories (270 compared to 250) and a little more fat (5g vs 2g), it also has a less carbs, less sugar and more protein, so overall this is my pick.

They both have 6g of fiber (about 25% of your recommended intake) which explains why they keep you full for a long time.

You can also add a shot of espresso to the chocolate-banana or a shot of matcha to the orange-mango-banana but beware, while the espresso does not do much to the nutritional value of the chocolate-banana (it brings everything down a gram or two) the matcha sends the orange-mango-banana into the unsuitable category. The one shot adds 40 calories, 10g carbs and 10g of sugar.

So while I would rather have you drinking a vivanno instead of eating a starch loaded sub-way sandwich with very little protein or some greasy fast food option, I still want you to be aware of the fact that these
drinks do contain a higher amount of sugar than you want to take in on a normal everyday basis. Most of this is due to the fruit content but if you are trying to reduce the fat on your body, keeping your blood sugar stable is key, and too many sugar loaded meals can keep you spiking and crashing for hours thus slowing down your fat burning process.

A couple of tips to bring down the calories and sugar even more would be to substitute non-fat milk
for the regular 2% and ask for 1 or 2 less pumps of the bittersweet cocoa used in it.

My best tip: Be prepared. I would say 9 times out of 10 you know if you are going to be working late or on the road for more than an hour or two. Pack your little cooler with a healthy high fiber, low sugar, protein
packed meal that you can eat on the go and save the vivannos for a treat. I’ll take my own advice and lay of the starbucks. 🙂

Sarai Jones

www.getfitwithsarai.com

Filed Under: Fat loss, Nutrition Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Healthy Breakfast Idea

September 9, 2008 By

 

Looking for a healthy breakfast idea?

One of my clients gave me a serving of a great hot cereal for breakfast. She was in a concoction making mood and came up with the recipe and I think it’s pretty good and healthy too.

What should I have for breakfast? is the question I get most often from my boot camp ladies and personal training clients and this is a good option.

The recipe is for a large batch of dry cereal that you can then cook in single servings as desired.

Give it a try.

Danette’s Morning Mix

1 bag ground flax seed (16 oz)
2.5 oz. (1.5 cups) wheat bran or wheat
germ
1 c. ground almonds
2 scoops vanilla protein shake powder

Mix it all up in a zip loc bag and keep it in the freezer (because of the flax).

To make a single serving:

  1. Mix 1/4 cup cereal mix with 1/2 cup water
  2. Cook in
    the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.

You may add a little sweetener and about 2 teaspoons non-dairy creamer or non-fat milk to make it nice a creamy.

Note: Just like with any hot cereal, play with the quantities of water, cream,
sweetner to get the taste and consistency you like.

I calculate aprox. 157 calories per serving or less and it’s loaded with both protein and fiber

Enjoy!

Sarai Jones

Filed Under: Nutrition, Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

When Only 30lbs In 30 Days Will Do

September 5, 2008 By

 

Ok, I’ll admit, all women are a little preoccupied with their weight. But I recently met with someone about my personal training services that I would say fell into the category of obsessed with weight loss. Not just any weight loss, FAST weight loss.

She listed to me every fad diet and gimmick under the sun that she had tried to lose weight including some
pretty dangerous prescription diet drugs.

This person bluntly told me that the whole 1-2lbs a week thing didn’t cut it for her. She was only interested in super fast weight loss.
She wanted to see 4-5lbs a week come off every single week. That was the only way she was going to stay interested.

Of course I told her about the difference in scale weight and body fat and how slower safe weight loss would result in long term results that she could maintain for life.

Not interested.

I told her that in just 3 months she could get to her goal and learn the habits along the way that would keep her there.

Not sexy enough.

I told her that if she did not decide to finally do things the right way 90 days would roll around and she would be right where she was now.

Yeah, ok, but can I lose 30 lbs in about 4 weeks with you?

I left that appointment shaking my head, wondering why someone would be so stuck on doing things in a way that she had proven to herself time and time again would not work.

Have you ever heard of self-sabotage?

One way women often do this when it comes to fitness and fat loss is by setting unrealistic expectations of what they can do or what they should expect.

For example: Trying to lose 30lbs in 30 days, trying to exercise 7 days a week from day one. Expecting to be able to keep up with other women who have been exercising for months or years. Feeling like if they haven’t eaten perfectly all day the day is a total loss.

If you read my blog post from a few days ago where I talked about “trying” to do something, you now realize that “trying” is nothing more than giving yourself a way out.

Well the same is true of unrealistic expectations.

Trying to be perfect and then failing because you are not is a vicious cycle you will be bound to repeat for your entire life.

When you set the bar so impossibly high for yourself that you can’t help but fail, you are doing nothing more than giving yourself a way out.

I know I ask this a lot but……aren’t you tired of that yet?

If you want a step-by-step nutrition program and a tough, enjoyable, effective fitness plan that will get you to your goal as quickly and safely as possible, come talk to me.

http://www.getfitwithsarai.com/boot-camps-for-women.html

Sarai Jones

Filed Under: Fat loss, Mental Health, Nutrition Tagged With: , , , , ,

The 5 Most Outrageous Weight Loss Myths

September 2, 2008 By

 

These days you can’t go anywhere without hearing about a new weight loss breakthrough. A pill, a cream, or a new fad diet – you name it and it’s going to solve all of your weight loss problems in 30 days or less. Or not.

The truth is that most of the things you hear about weight loss are hype. Plain and simple.

Here are the top 5 myths about weight loss:

Myth #1: You can spot reduce fat from specific areas of your body

This myth is as old as the hills, yet it persists. It must be that the thought of melting fat from any desired part of the body is so appealing, however untrue it may be.

In reality your body will lose weight wherever it wants to. It’s safe to assume that you’ll lose fat ‘last place on, first place off’. So if you put on weight first in your thighs and then on your waist, then expect it to come off your waist first and then your thighs.

Myth #2: You have to count calories for weight loss

There are so many fad diets out there that paint the picture that weight loss is a complicated process. You have to eat certain foods at certain times and avoid other foods at all costs. Of course all of these popular diets conflict over which foods you should or shouldn’t eat.

The truth is that you don’t have to make weight loss such a science. Simply eat healthy fresh foods that haven’t been processed, and eat smaller amounts than you’re eating today.

No brain science there, just results.

Myth #3: You will bulk up with resistance training

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard women tell me that they won’t do resistance training because they don’t want to bulk up. Each time I have to hide my smile.

You see, the process of bulking your muscles takes a lot of hard work. You have to consume high amounts of protein and you have to consistently tax your muscles to fatigue. And you have to have the male hormone testosterone coursing through your body. In short, there is no way to accidentally bulk up.

Myth #4: You can get a six pack from crunches

Just focusing on crunches will not make your midsection chiseled. Hey, ab crunches are great, and you should do them, but don’t rely on them to get into great shape.

A trim midsection will only come as a result of proper nutrition, effective cardio and consistent resistance training.

Myth #5: Cardio is the most important exercise for fat loss

Most people think of cardiovascular activities when they think of working out. Going for a run, riding a stationary bike, or taking an aerobics class. Well, times have changed and so should your workout.

The benefits of resistance training now trump straight cardiovascular training. Resistance training strengthens your heart while toning muscles and increasing bone density.

Cardio workouts are not completely a thing of the past, they should fit into your overall plan for health and wellness. The benefits of resistance training, especially in fat loss, are astounding.

Do you have other weight loss beliefs that simply aren’t delivering results?

Email me today and I’ll help you bust the myths, discover the truth, and create a fitness and fat loss program that will give you the body that you deserve.

http://www.getfitwithsarai.com/contact-sarai-jones.html

Sarai Jones

Filed Under: abdominal training, Exercise and Fitness, Nutrition Tagged With: , , , ,

Picky And Proud!

August 29, 2008 By

For years my husband has called me a picky eater.

I’ll admit I always strongly disagreed.

So one day after he said that to me I asked him why.

He said because everything I eat has to be “gourmet”.

Now by gourmet he meant that on the rare occasions when I would allow a treat I would never just eat a McDonald’s cheeseburger or some preservative packed bakery concoction from the mini mart. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: , ,

Need A Reality Check?

August 28, 2008 By

 

I recently read a study article where researchers had a group of women work out as hard as they wanted to on a treadmill. Then the researchers had the women estimate how many calories they felt they had burned.

Guess what?

The women estimated that they had burned quite a bit more than the actual amount of calories that they did burn.

The researchers then took that same group of women and put them in a room with food and asked them to eat how many calories they thought they had just burned.

You guessed it…..

The women ate a lot more than they thought they burned.

So in reality, they burned less than they thought they did, and they ate more than they thought they burned.

What does this add up to?

A big fat “plateau” (I have a theory about most plateaus but that’s for another post)

You CANNOT out work a bad diet.

You just can’t. End of discussion.

One of my clients turned me on too a cool little widget from Kaiser that I think you will find very useful.

It called “The Burn It Off!” Fitness Calculator http://www.kpwidgets.org/widgets.html

You load this little gadget onto your desk top and whenever temptation strikes…you enter what you are contemplating eating and it will tell you exactly how hard you will have to workout to burn off that little cheat. http://www.kpwidgets.org/widgets.html

Now keep in mind, if you want to progress you’ll have to do your regular workouts PLUS that additional time to keep moving in the right direction.

How’s that for a reality check?

Want a reality check on what working out hard really means?

http://www.getfitwithsarai.com/boot-camps-for-women.html

http://www.getfitwithsarai.com/group-fitness-training-programs.html

Sarai Jones

Filed Under: Exercise and Fitness, Fat loss, Nutrition Tagged With: ,

Follow My Lead

August 21, 2008 By

 

Alright, this is going to sound strange, but hear me out…

A few months ago I signed up on a website called, www.Twitter.com (some of you may remember).

Over the last few weeks especially, many of you have been asking me for a sample meal plan or for my food log. So to make things easier and accessible to all, I have decided that a great way to use this nifty little site is to post what I am eating all day everyday.

I will be posting all of my meals, snacks, and nutrition tips over the course of the day so you’ll see exactly what I eat each day to get and stay lean.

I know, websites like this can seem a little funny(or “young”)at first, but I’m using it to help YOU out and I think once you start using it too, you’ll really like it.

So I’m committing to you that I’m going to post all of my meals each day, showing you how to eat fast, nutritious foods even when you are traveling or are really busy.

I’m holding myself accountable to you. By doing this, I’m going to be more focused on eating healthier than ever because I don’t want to have to report to YOU that I’m cheating on my diet.
(And if I do cheat, feel free to call me on it & tell me to get back on track!)

For many people, being ACCOUNTABLE to others is their #1 way to stay motivated and on-track with their diet and exercise program.

So head over to this site and “follow” BootybootCamp to see what I’m eating at every meal.
http://www.Twitter.com/bootybootcamp

You’ll also get little insider nutrition tips all day long.

By the way, you should follow my lead and start posting your daily diet and exercise
somewhere for someone who is holding you accountable.
I would love to have you posting on this free twitter site with me or you can post here on my blog.

Accountability is one of the major MOTIVATION SECRETS to success.
Check me out here:www.Twitter.com/bootybootcamp

Stay in touch!

Sarai Jones

Filed Under: Fat loss, Mental Health, Nutrition Tagged With: , , ,

Healthy Pizza

August 18, 2008 By

 

Healthy eating is not always the easiest thing to do.

I know I am always looking for the answer to the question "What’s for dinner?" (or lunch)

One of our Elk Grove Boot Campers,Renee, came up with this tasty version of a veggie pizza.

I can already think of quite a few variations using my favorite vegetables. I’m sure you will too.

Make the recipe as is, or use it as jumping of point to many creative dinners.

Give it a try!

Veggie Pizza

La Tortilla Wheat (80 cal)

1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese (80 cal)

1/4 cup of tomato sauce or pizza sauce (30 cal)

4-6 marinated artichoke hearts cut up it (depends on brand but about 100 cal)

1/2 cup of mushrooms (10 cal)

Bake at 375 until edges are light brown about 10min

Total calories=300

Its Yummy and filling!!

Sarai Jones

Filed Under: Nutrition, Recipes Tagged With: ,

Alcohol And Fat Loss

June 4, 2008 By

Summer is just about here and it’ll soon be time for picnics, barbecues and pool parties.

When it comes time to decide on an adult beverage, you need to know just what that margarita or beer is going to do to your get lean program.

Here are the facts:

  • Alcohol first passes through the esophagus as it travels to your stomach
  • From there, 20% of the alcohol is absorbed immediately by your bloodstream. The remaining alcohol travels to your intestines and is absorbed from there. [Read more…]
Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: , , ,
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