How is your week going so far? While I am sure you’re busy running around before the holidays with all the parties, shopping, and spending time with loved ones, I bet you are starting to think about ringing in the New Year as well. Have you decided on any resolutions yet?

Are you up for a challenge? (Directions at bottom of post)

A common New Year’s Resolution is getting to the gym more to workout. That is half the battle! But how do you make the most of your workout time at the gym?

There is no sense in wasting your valuable time if it isn’t going to help you lose weight, get toned, or just get healthy, is there? So, how do you make sure you are doing the exercises that will help you best reach your goals?

In order to get a customizable workout that takes into account your current health status and body shape, it is best to hire a personal trainer. They can run from $30+ per session, but most gyms offer a free session for just joining the gym. If you haven’t taken advantage of your free session yet, I highly recommend you start off the new year with a personal trainer.

Why would you want to work with a Personal Trainer?
  1. They can help you meet a goal such as lose weight, run a 5k, or get you in shape for sports.
  2. They can customize a workout for those with special health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, injuries, or women who are pregnant.
  3. They can help you determine your current fitness status and help you improve it!
How do you choose a Personal Trainer?
  1. Look for one with a Personal Training Certification from organizations such as ACSM, ACE, NASM, or NSCA.
  2. Choose one with the specialization for your current health condition (i.e. pregnancy, postpartum, injury, heart disease, etc.)
  3. Determine how many years of experience they have and any experience in your specific condition.
  4. Make sure they have liability insurance just in case something happens while you are on their watch.
  5. Determine the location you would like to work out at such as a gym, in-home, health center, weight loss clinic, etc.
  6. See if the Personal Trainer has a trial session to make sure your PT is a good fit and will best help you! Remember, it is all about you getting the help you need to reach your goals.
  7. A great Personal Trainer will devise a customizable workout plan, will help you evaluate your progress, gives you direct answers and in terminology you can understand, is a good teacher, is patient, and is someone who cares about helping you reach your goals.

The key is finding someone who fits well with you and your goals.

As you get ready for the New Year, decide on your resolutions and make sure they are doable. There is no sense in making resolutions that are too hard to reach. Make your goals short term and reachable.

For example, if you think you need to lose 50 pounds. Don’t make your goal ‘I will lose 50 pounds by March’. That is a big goal to reach and if you don’t reach it, you may become discouraged. Instead, make your goal I will lose 10 pounds in the next 6 weeks. This goal is smaller and easier to achieve. Once you achieve this goal, you will be more motivated to stick with your program and keep working your way to those 50 pounds.

New Year’s Resolution Motivation Tip: Start with small goals!

Ready for that challenge?
Leave a comment below and let me know what your new year’s resolutions are this year.
Let’s help each other stick to our New Goals for 2012! It’s easier to do things together than alone!

To your healthy & fit life,

P.S. If you have a question about fitness or a starting a ‘get in shape plan’, and would like to see your question answered on this blog, send your question to Amber or contact Amber on Facebook, Google+, or Twitter!

Have you ever tried to lose weight but couldn’t stick with it because it was too dang boring? There are more diets and weight loss plans out there than every before.

However, there is a great majority of them that limit what you can eat or make working out so hard who the heck is going to stick with it for longer than a few weeks or even a few days?
 
With almost ¾ of the American population overweight or obese, and the majority of these Americans trying to lose weight, it is no wonder that practically every week there is some new “hot” diet or weight loss product to his the market.
 
The weight loss industry is HUGE! There is one problem: Americans are still getting fatter. These products and diets are not helping American’s lose weight and keep it off! They are setting everyone up for yo-yo dieting and not for lasting healthy results.
 
So, should you give up on losing the weight altogether? Absolutely not! It is important to learn what you must do to live a lifetime of health!
 
Are you currently looking to lose weight and be able to keep it off, but don’t know where to start? Here is a list I have put together to help you determine the best strategies for keeping you motivated and enjoying your new healthy life!
 
Try Something New
 
The key to having fun while getting healthy and losing weight is to try something new. Have you tried that new workout class at the gym? What about joining a sports league in your community? Have you considered experimenting in the kitchen with whole foods?
 
By trying something new, you are opening yourself up for a healthy and enjoyable life. Losing weight and getting healthy does not have to be boring. Health food does not have to be gross. Experiment! By trying different things, you will find areas of healthy living that you didn’t realize you enjoyed so much. When you find something you do like and have fun doing, you will be more motivated to stay healthy! You never know if that new workout class will be your favorite thing to do during the day!
 
Meet New Friends
 
There is nothing better than getting social and meeting new people. You can learn so many things from people and they can help keep you motivated. Some of the people I have met at the gym have proven to be the best motivators and encouragers. They have also shared some great tips that have helped me take the next step to getting healthier!
 
Get Support
 
In addition to meeting new friends, look around you at the people you are surrounded by on a daily basis. In order to best reach your goals, it is important to get support. Find a friend that will help keep you motivated and on track to reaching your goals. It is so easy to get distracted and make excuses, but if you have a friend to hold you accountable, it is very difficult to not reach your health or weight loss goals.
 
Have you ever tried using a friend as a gym buddy? This will help both of you stay accountable by working out together. Who wants to let your friend down by skipping out on a workout?
 
The best support and motivator is a weight loss community! They have so many resources and tools and people working to help each other be successful!
 
Support a Good Cause
 
Whenever we are working toward our goals, it is always a great thing to be able to give back to the community or to a great cause. Look for community activities such as a run/walk that will keep you motivated to train for and will support a great cause.

Set and Track Goals
 
There is no successful person who has not set goals. You have to know where you want to be in order to get there. How much weight do you want to lose? When will you lose it by? Write it down and keep it somewhere you will see it often.
 
Meal, Fitness, and Progress Trackers
 
Trackers are great for keeping you honest about carrying out your action plan that will lead to your ultimate weight loss. This way you can look back and see how you are doing and how you can improve in order to reach your goals.
 
BMI and Metabolism Calculators
 
Calculators are great tools to determine where you stand and what you must do in order to reach your ultimate health. A BMI calculator gives a general guideline of what your goal weight should be to decrease your risk for chronic diseases.

Metabolism calculators are great for helping you determine about how many calories you burn during the day which can help you determine how many calories you should be eating during the day in order to lose weight! Remember that 3,000 calories equals 1 pound.
 
Reward Yourself
 
When you have been great at working so hard toward your goals, it is important to reward yourself for being successful when you hit certain mile markers. However, this does not mean reward yourself with food which would derail your weight loss goals. This means setting up rewards such as a new book, clothes, or a massage. What will be your reward for reaching your goal?
 
Prizes
 
Any weight loss transformation is not complete without awesome prizes! There is no greater motivator than awesome rewards for reaching your goals. 

Community
 
Joining a weight loss community is probably the most beneficial way you can reach your weight loss goals. It provides the weight loss support, prizes, trackers, planners, weekly success calls, recipes, weight loss success products, and fun times that will help you become successful!
 
Look for a community with a great cause you can support while you are reaching your goals!

To your health, life, and prosperity,

File:Happiness is Double Fries.jpgHave you found yourself reaching for that candy bar or for that cookie, looking around you making sure no one will catch you? Hey, if no one else sees you, it doesn’t count, right?
 
What about eating while you are watching TV or a movie only to find that bag empty only halfway through the show?
 
Or, maybe you can relate to the woman who beat up her inner self after giving into that extra piece of cake that was tempting her?
 
If you find yourself related to one or all of these scenarios, don’t worry! We have been there! No matter who you talk to, whether they have been fat or skinny their whole lives, we have all had our share of an unhealthy relationship with food.

With weight loss products and stick thin celebrities plastered all over the media, it is extremely difficult to maintain complete sanity when it comes to food.
 
However, mindful eating may be the key for keeping a healthy control over your food and not letting the food control YOU!
 
First, it is important to get your brain in control of your stomach by asking some questions before you eat something you will regret!

  • Are you truly hungry?
  • Is this food actually contributing to your health?
  • How will you feel after you eat this?
  • Am I eating this because it is staring at me?
  • Amy I doing this because I am bored, depressed, anxious, etc?

 

These questions may feel like simple or dumb questions to ask, but you must study up on your eating behaviors in order to start being in control! Any successful weight loss program will have taking control of how you think about food, fitness, etc first in the process!

 
Here are the top 5 key points for controlling your eating behaviors:

 
Eat while you are sitting at the table.
 
Are you guilty of eating at the couch or in your car? I know I am! It is so easy in our busy lives to skip the time consuming “dinner around the table with the family” but it can actually be hurting you more than you realize.

When you are not at the table, you are focused on eating quickly and your mind is focusing on something else. This often leads you to eating way more than what would satisfy your tummy leading to weight loss over time!
 
Keep the food dishes in the kitchen so you will be forced to get up from the table to get seconds.
 
Ever thought you wanted seconds? By keeping the prepared food over in the kitchen while you are sitting at the table, you are forced to be more mindful of the food in front of you and if you are truly hungry. It is a lot easier to dish yourself some more food because it is staring at you right there on the table.
 
Do not multitask while eating.
 
When we have our focus on something besides our food, like the TV, we tend to not pay attention to what and how much we are eating. We also do not truly enjoy our food. Spend some time paying attention to what you eat. Food is meant to be enjoyed, not something to be ignored while doing something else.
 
Eat slowly and enjoy your food.
 
By eating slowly you are able to truly enjoy the tastes and textures of that awesome food in front of you. You are more satisfied with your meals and are more mindful of what you are putting into your body. ENJOY!
 
Choose quality over quantity.
 
When you are eating food, are you paying attention more to how much food you have or more over the quality of food that is in front of you? Not all food is created equal. In our society today, there are more processed foods and chemicals in our food supply than every before. The issue is these are high in calories and lower in nutrients.

The key to a healthy life rests in the nutrients, not just getting enough calories into your body. The body needs more nutrients than calories in order to repair damage and function to optimum efficiency. Give your body what it needs to thrive!
 
In order for you to reach your weight loss goals, it is important to get a handle on your relationship with food and what you tend to put into your body. The key to a long and healthy life rests with your food.
 
In order for us to get healthy and by doing so, lose weight, we need to start focusing on nutrient quality of our food and not so much on the calories or fat, protein, carbohydrate content of the food. If we focus on eating more food that is higher in micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals, etc. we are setting ourselves up to getting more health benefits per calorie buck and less overall calories.
 
Choose fresh whole foods for 90% of your daily calories and try to limit processed foods to the smallest percentage of your daily food intake that is possible!
 
It is now YOUR turn to get healthy and lose weight!
 
What has been your biggest struggle with weight loss? Leave me a comment below and let me know!
 

To your health, life, and prosperity,

 
P.S. Mike just lost 77 pounds in 90 days! Next is YOU!
http://amberkeinath.bodybyvi.com

Losing weight may seem like it is a constant battle that you are unable to win. You may find yourself able to lose a little weight, but you can never fully achieve the full weight loss desired.

Here is a list I put together to help you understand what might be holding you back from getting better results with your weight loss attempts. I also wish to give you the skills necessary to keep the weight off for good!

1.      You may not be getting enough calories throughout the day.

Not getting enough calories throughout the day may be a common problem for dieters. The thought that losing a pound of weight for 3,000 less calories can lead people to think the fewer the calories, the more weight they can lose. However, if you do not get at least 1200 to 1500 calories during the day, your body can start to think its starving causing it to maintain its weight. So be sure you are getting enough calories to lose the most weight without putting your body into starvation mode.

2.      You may be getting too many calories throughout the day.

The flip side of dieters taking calorie restriction to the extreme, are the individuals who are trying to lose weight but not fully understanding the amount of calories they are getting on a daily basis. I recommend you keep a food journal for at least one week so you can get a realistic look at your eating habits. The standard American is getting about 600 more calories than they need everyday.

Study up on proper portion sizes to help control your calories. The key to healthy eating is focusing on getting more nutrients for your calorie buck. For more information on a healthy eating plan, grab your free food guide.

3.      Your workouts may be wimpy.

Make sure you are getting a great workout. It is one thing to go to the gym everyday. It is another thing to go to the gym everyday and workout hard until you are sweating. A good measure of getting a great workout is to make sure you are reaching your target heart rate when you are doing your cardio workout.

I also have a video on how to make sure you are getting a total body workout.

4.      Your kitchen may be the culprit.

If your kitchen is stocked like you always stock it, chances are it is not healthy or promoting your weight loss. Make sure you clean through your pantry and refrigerator and toss anything that is not healthy or has very few nutrients for your calorie buck.

When restocking your pantry and refrigerator, make sure you stock it more with whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains and very little packaged or processed food.

5.      Your workouts are missing strength training.

Ladies I know you dread strength training workouts. You are afraid of building too much bulk. But did you know strength training is the key for boosting your metabolism and losing more weight? By building more muscle, you are increasing your metabolism. This does not mean you must bulk up. Try doing more repetitions and less weight for your strength training workout so build that lean and toned muscle! Be ready for awesome weight loss!

6.      Your lifestyle is letting you down.

Is your current lifestyle setting you up for failure? Make sure you have a healthy environment that supports your weight loss efforts not tempts you to forgo your efforts. Create a home space that is uncluttered and relaxing when you are in it. Clean out your kitchen so it is a health promoter with lots of easy to fix healthy foods! By creating a healthy environment, you are setting yourself up to be more motivated and committed to reaching your weight loss goals.

7.      Your schedule is too flexible and not determined enough.

Make sure you schedule your workouts into your planner or calendar. This way there are no excuses for you not working out! It is also important to make out a menu for the week and do grocery shopping so you have everything you need to make healthy meals for you!

Make sure you are not too flexible in letting your healthiness slide “just this once” because that just sets you up for failure. You need to be determined to see this through and be successful. Do you really
want this?

8.      Your goals are not in writing.

Write out the goals you want to achieve and when you want to achieve them. Make them measurable and have a date of when they must be met. This will keep you motivated and in the right direction for ultimate weight loss. So, what do you want to achieve? When are you going to achieve them by? How are you going to achieve them?

Get out there and reach your goals!

9.      You’re bored.

Nothing kills a great weight loss plan like boredom. Do not let yourself get bored with your food or your workouts. As far as workouts go, find activities you can start doing that you enjoy that will get you moving! For your healthy meals, find recipes that are inspiring and taste great. Did you know the thought that healthy foods are bland and boring is a myth? There are so many different options out there!

Find a great whole foods recipe book and get experimenting! You may surprise yourself with how much you prefer healthy foods over junk.

10.     You do not have support.

Finally, it is important to have the support of your family and friends to help you lose the weight. If your family and friends are not supportive, it will make it that much harder to overcome the weight issue and get healthy for good! Find and hire a health coach to help you stay focused, motivated, and actually reach your goals. To get some help from a nurse, visit my health coaching” page.

I hope this list helps you figure out what your struggle with weight loss may be and allow you to correct the issue.

Question of the day: How many times have you tried to lose weight in your lifetime? Leave me a comment below and let me know!

If you have any questions regarding weight loss or healthy living, please feel free to email me at amberk@amberkeinath.com

To your success,

Yoga is a great workout to start incorporating into your weekly routine. There are many different benefits to engaging in a regular yoga workout and include such benefits of improving your flexibility, balance, posture, and strength.

So how do you get started with a yoga workout? Let’s go through the 7 great steps to get you on the road to fun yoga workouts followed by my 5 favorite yoga poses.

1. Do your research. There are many different types of yoga workouts out there that focus on different aspects of wellness. Power yoga is probably the most popular yoga workout in gyms and focuses more on improving cardio health and strength endurance. Find the yoga workout that seems most interesting for you.

2. Buy a yoga workout DVD or join a yoga class at a gym. When you are just getting started with yoga, I suggest you take a couple classes at a gym until you get the hang of the different poses so you can make sure you are doing them correctly to avoid injury. After a few classes, investing in a yoga DVD for home use can be a fun way to get a good workout at home.

3. Invest in the necessary yoga supplies. There are many different types of gear out there to aid your yoga workout. However, a non-slip mat and some comfortable clothes are really all that you need. Make sure the clothes you are using for yoga are comfortable and not too baggy to make it easy for you to do the different poses without your clothes getting in the way.

4. Get a workout buddy. This is not necessary but sure makes doing a yoga workout more fun. It also allows you to have the motivation and support to keep doing the yoga workouts. Yoga can be fun!

5. Maintain a yoga practicing schedule. Whether you permanent marker your yoga workouts on your calendar at home or enter it onto your Google calendar, make sure you have your workouts scheduled which will keep you coming up with that time excuse of why you aren’t doing your yoga workout.

6. Start out small. When just getting started with yoga, make sure you don’t overwhelm yourself by making too big of a commitment. Start with doing 1 or 2 yoga workouts a week and work your way up to how many you want to do. Remember that the more you do yoga, the easier the poses become and the more fun the workout is.

7. Have fun and feel great after your yoga workouts! The key to any physical activity is to have fun and enjoy it! If you don’t enjoy it, you will have trouble staying motivated to keep doing the workouts. So, if you aren’t having fun after 4 or 5 yoga workouts, find a different type of workout to spend your time doing.

Here are my 5 favorite poses or sequence of poses during a yoga workout:

1. Sun Salutation
2. Pigeon Pose
3. Seated Twist
4. Standing Balance
5. Warrior 1 and Warrior 2

Leave me a comment below and let me know what your favorite yoga pose is and why you like yoga.

It’s the New Year and you have made it your mission to get back into shape and just get healthy. You are not looking for a hard-core workout plan, but looking for a plan that will allow you to improve your overall health and well-being.

Physical activity is important for reaching and maintaining a healthy weight and improving your health. Due to the necessity of physical activity, it is important to understand the basics of fitness and how you can get a complete workout so your body can optimally perform everyday tasks.

Here is a quick guide for how much and of what exercises you need every week for a healthy life.

When you are working out for ultimate health, it is important to get a total body workout, to make sure your body stays a well oiled machine! Watch this video for the healthy workout plan:

Aim for 30 minutes of cardio per day and be sure to change it up so you don’t get bored! Try different exercises such as swimming, playing sports, running, walking, dancing, biking, or hiking.

Do strength training exercises 2-3 times per week with a one day rest in between. Be sure to hit all the different muscle groups such as abs, legs, arms, chest, back, and shoulders.

Balance training only requires a couple minutes of day of practice. You could also try doing a little tai chi which can be fun!

Stretching or flexibility training should be done at least twice a week and this can include just plain stretches or participating in a yoga class.

Core training can be done 2-3 times per week using a stability ball, benderball, pilates, or just plain crunches.

By getting a total body workout each week, you can achieve total body health. Don’t get overwhelmed, just keep working towards it and you can do great! Physical activity should be fun and a way of life, not a quick fix for losing weight. Find something you enjoy and get healthy.

Question of the day: What workout goals are you currently trying to achieve? Leave me a comment below!

 

To your health journey success,


P.S. If you are ready to learn more about how to create a life of health and wellness, join me by Clicking Here! Find and connect with me on my Facebook fan page and on Twitter!

Every week I do one “ask amber” episode where I answer one of your questions.

This week, I was asked by Katie on facebook:

Hi Amber! I was wondering what your favorite workout songs are for a cardio workout?

Well Katie, here is my video answer:

1. Naturally by Selena Gomez
2. Alejandro by Lady Gaga
3. Can’t be Tamed by Miley Cyrus
4. California Girls by Katy Perry (miss my homeland)
5. Bulletproof by La Roux
6. Mine by Taylor Swift
7. Undo it by Carrie Underwood
8. Take my Breath Away by Michael W. Smith
9. Get Back up by Tobymac
10. Live your Life by T.I (like the background vocals on this one: makes me smile while working out)

I may not have the best taste in music, but it keeps me energized for my workouts!

Do you have a favorite workout song? Leave me a comment below!

To your health journey success,


P.S. If you are ready to learn more about how to create a life of health and wellness, join me by Clicking Here! Find and connect with me on my Facebook fan page and on Twitter!

I finally have put up the Ask Amber video for today (I will be doing these every tuesday, so if you have any healthy living questions leave me a comment below and maybe Ill answer your question next week!)

Today the 2 questions that I was asked are:

Is brown rice really that much healthier than white rice? Aren’t they both just rice?

-and-

What should you eat before a morning workout?

(Check out the answers in this latest Ask Amber video below!)

So, what do you think of these answers?

Have you thought of another question you have of healthy living? (Ask me by leaving a comment below)

Well, when it comes to whole grains vs. enriched grains, the answer is always that whole grains win out! They have all the fiber, minerals, and vitamins necessary for your ultimate health. Throw out those white grains which do nothing more for you than raise your blood sugar level leading your body to store more fat.

As far as what to eat before a morning workout session, remember to stick to carbs! Don’t forget that these should come from whole food sources, not that stupid enriched junk I just finished talking about! If you have any other ideas for morning snacks, leave me a comment below!

To your health journey success,

P.S. If you are ready to learn more about how to create a life of health and wellness, join me by Clicking Here! Find and connect with me on my Facebook fan page and on Twitter!

One of the main questions I am asked a lot from my blog readers and video watchers is ‘what do I need to do to lose weight and keep it off?’ Well, there is not just one right answer for this.

In order to answer this question, I have put together a list of my top 5 tips for ultimate weight loss and being able to keep it off!

#1: Take inventory of your health and record your diet and exercise. Write down your pains such as back pain, lack of energy, or just plain don’t always feel good. Also, keep track of what you eat, when you exercise, and how you feel with each.

#2: Step on that scale regularly. If you are trying to lose weight, you are going to have to step on that scale and keep track of your progress.

#3: Wait before you take a bite. Are you really hungry or just bored and want to graze. Eat when you are hungry. Don’t eat because that’s what you usually do when you are on the computer or doing whatever.

#4: Don’t got hungry. Eat regularly throughout the day. Don’t skip meals. Eat as much as you want of vegetables and fruit!

#5: Gotta workout regularly. By increasing your muscle mass you increase your metabolism which helps you burn more fat!

With these 5 tips you will be losing weight before no time and keeping it off in the long run! How great will that be?

If you have any other tips to add to this list or comments for me, leave a comment below and let me know! Don’t forget to share this video with your friends!

Did you know the trick to weighing less is to eat more?

Your get healthy with Amber tip today is all about eating and enjoying more food in order for you to weigh less.

This all works by eating more whole foods and less processed foods. Processed foods are full of calories with pretty much zero nutrition. Even when the labels says its healthy, it still has a lot less nutrients for your body than whole foods.

Make half of your meals fruits and vegetables, one quarter protein, and one quarter whole grains. Drink lots of water. Get rid of the soda and fruit juices (unless the fruit juices are 100%). Soda actually dehydrates your body. It also has chemicals in it that interfere with the hormones in your body and makes your body think it is getting something healthy. It also can make you more hungry leading to you eating more. So drink water.

Pay attention to the type of calories you are getting. You don’t need to count calories in order to lose weight. You just need to always make the choices where there are the most nutrients for the calories you are taking in!

Slow down and enjoy your food!

Higher nutrient content fills you up and actually gives your body the nutrients it needs to thrive. This will then allow your body to finally feel it is getting the nutrients it needs leading to it shutting off its hungry sensors with less food.

Give your body what it needs! Eat more whole foods! There is an endless variety! Experiment and eat the colors of the rainbow (whole foods not skittles!).

Leave me a comment below and let me know what you think of the above weight loss plan. Do you think you could handle it?

Don’t forget to share this video with your friends and subscribe to my channel on youtube!

To your health journey success,


P.S. If you are ready to learn more about how to create a life of health and wellness, join me by Clicking Here! Find and connect with me on my Facebook fan page and on Twitter!

© 2012 Amber Keinath Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha