Source: http://www.personaltrainingco.com/personal-trainer-in-ashburn-explains-the-wit-concept-and-his-boot-camp-clients-in-ashburn-exemplify-it/

When I started my first  business around age 21, I had a mentor teaching me the ropes and giving me assignments to help me reach my goal but I wanted to know how I would know when I would succeed and see some results.  I wanted to know exactly what it would take to get there.  That’s when he taught me about the WIT concept.  “What is that?”, I asked.  He said, “Whatever It Takes”.  You’ve got to be willing to do whatever it takes to reach your goals.

By adopting this principle and idea, I tripled the size of his business in less than a year.

Don’t see obstacles as roadblocks but opportunities to think creatively and flex your problem solving muscles because when you’re committed, there’s ALWAYS a way.

Kelli & Mike Dillon – Working out before dawn!

I want to give a HUGE shout out to a husband and wife who are practicing the WIT concept this month.  We’ve been working to get a Boot Camp off the ground for a rapidly growing community in Ashburn and Kelli Dillon stepped up and recruited enough people to make it happen.

Here’s the amazing thing.  Kelli just had her 6th, count’em, 6th child 3 months ago.  She had every reason to say, y…

Source: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2016/03/23/a-step-by-step-guide-to-meal-planning-and-prep/

This is an article by NF Team Member Staci. This is part two in a two part series. Missed the first article? Head on over and check out Why You Should Meal Prep.

So, you’re convinced that it’s at least WORTH A TRY to see if this meal prep thing can save you tons of time, money, and help ensure you level up. That’s awesome!

Today we’re going to start with the easiest version of meal prep, which we’ll call “level 1.” Now, make no mistake, just successfully accomplishing this meal prep every week can be an enormous aid in effortlessly leveling up. In fact, it was the exact meal prep that we are going to go over today that helped me lose fat and build strength years ago.

So, let’s get to it: In today’s step by step guide we are going to make five meals: lunch every day. I highly suggest you start off with just one daily pre-prepped meal, and I suggest lunch. Why?

If you work a 9-5, it’s most likely the meal you have the most control over, since you’re away from your family.
Many people are already looking to bring their lunches to work or school with them.
Going out to lunch every day is expensive and the options are often extremely unhealthy.
When you’re stressed at work, it’s so easy to just go to the break room and grab some leftover pizza or cake (or anything else) – but if you have your meal with you, it’s much easier to say no.

When I first started, I just swap…

Source: http://www.theptdc.com/2015/12/how-to-help-with-an-eating-disorder/

YOU’RE AT THE FOREFRONT OF A DEADLY ILLNESS.

You think you’re dealing with fitness progress, when in actuality you’re dealing with an eating disorder.

This paradigm is frightening. In most cases, it’s not just the personal trainer who is oblivious to someone suffering with an eating disorder. The sufferer is also in denial.

It’s hard to distinguish if your client is simply dedicated or dealing with a serious medical issue. And chances are if the awareness isn’t there, you might be perpetuating this cycle with the advice and guidance you’re providing your client.

I worked as a personal trainer for 6 years. I dealt with hundreds of clients who would openly discuss the relationship they had with food, alluding to restrictive behaviors and deprivation. At the time, being uneducated on the illness I assumed it wasn’t detrimental and they just set demanding goals for themselves in a pursuit of self-excellence. I didn’t know how to help with an eating disorder.

I was wrong.

I was dealing with cases of

anorexia
bulimia
binge eating disorder
orthorexia nervosa

on a daily basis. Because I wasn’t aware of their case, I was suggesting things to clients that would increase the severity of their eating disorder and the undying quest for perfectionism.

<p…

Source: http://nextlevelfitness.com/before-after/

So the last twelve weeks have been challenging, but totally worth it.  Did I win the contest?  No, but I did win my challenge to myself.  I lost 12 pounds and dropped 8% bodyfat.  Is that normal?  Not usually.  Depending upon body type and where your starting point is, I typically see no more than 1% drop per month.  The bare naked truth is – to see extreme results you have to make extreme changes.

How did I do it?

I cranked my workouts into high gear, I forced myself to get back into cardio and the big one……I started eating right again.  Now that I’ve started the habit, it isn’t hard to keep going.

You can do this too!  Find a source of motivation that’s effective for you, whether it be a picture, an event, or someone like me to keep you accountable.

“Before and After” isn’t a one-time thing, it’s a way of life.  Self improvement should never stop.  So get up and challenge yourself!

The post Before & After appeared first on Personal Trainers & Fitness Gym – Next Level Fitness Nashville TN 37203.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/7DysV7aBU18/

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” ~Anais Nin

Do you remember a time when you wanted to crawl under the bed and stay forever?

Perhaps you’d been dealing with chronic pain and anxiety, had recently experienced divorce or the loss of a loved one, maybe even lost a job or two. I had experienced all of these things in just a few short years, and, judging by the loud knocking as I hid, was about to have my car repossessed, too.

I called my dad and told him I was a bit depressed. “Don’t be,” he counseled.

“Don’t be?” I repeated. “Oh, okay, I’m fine then.”

“Yep, like that.”

This way of dealing with the painful feelings, of ignoring and burying them as we force ourselves ever onward, is often expected of us.

It’s natural—scary things happen to us in life. We fall down unexpectedly, we fight, we fail, we are betrayed, abandoned, overwhelmed by loss. The subconscious starts enfolding us in protective layers when we need them so that we can move forward with life.

But what happens when we don’t let go once the need has passed?

Believe it or not, emotions, especially those that needed to be dealt with long ago, can becom…

Source: http://www.foodpolitics.com/2016/03/gmo-labeling-its-happening/

When the Senate last week failed to pass a bill that would block individual states from passing laws requiring GMO labeling, it meant that Vermont’s labeling law would go into effect July 1.  Vermont passed its bill in 2014.

Too bad for the Grocery Manufacturers Association and its food and biotech company members who spent hundreds of millions of dollars fighting labeling requirements.

Food companies now have a big problem.  If they want to sell products in Vermont, they must comply with GMO labeling.  Also, if other states pass slightly different laws, they will have to do labels state by state—a compliance nightmare.

Hence their attempt to get Congress to preempt Vermont’s law.  That ploy failed.

The result: one huge food company after another says it will voluntarily institute GMO labeling to comply with Vermont’s requirements.

Campbell’s
General Mills
Mars
ConAgra
Kellogg

As quoted by Reuters, General Mills says:

We can’t label our products for only one state without significantly driving up costs for our consumers, and we simply won’t do that,” Jeff Harmening, head of General Mills’ US retail operations said in a post on the company’s blog. “The result: Consumers all over the country will …

Source: http://www.karpfitness.com/fitness-motivation/

Well here it is: the middle of February, that time when our New Year’s resolve may begin to fade. Have you fallen victim to this post-January motivation block? Luckily, we’ve got the tips to get you – and your workouts – back on track! 1.)  Start with the first workout…Getting back into your fitness routine for the first time after … Read More

The post Mid-February Motivation appeared first on Personal Training Vancouver.

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Source: http://www.personaltrainingco.com/personal-trainer-in-ashburn-va-asks-is-it-time-to-switch-to-barefoot-running/

Is It Time To Switch to Barefoot Running?

In Mexican Copper Canyons in Northwestern Mexico there resides a reclusive tribe of people able to run ultra long distances. Called the Tarahumara Indians, they commonly run barefoot (or with a thin piece of leather under each foot) more than 100 miles at a  time, at incredible speeds without getting the routine injuries many runners face.

Author and journalist Chris McDougall, who is also a serious runner, was tired of being repeatedly injured. He set out to uncover their secret.

The key thing he noticed is that they don’t do the traditional heal strike when they run because, with limited padding, the impact would be too jarring on the foot. Instead they run with their fore-foot hitting the ground first. The basic idea is that this is how the human body is designed to run.

But because modern running shoes (which have only been around since  the early 1970s) elevate the heel and offer overall padding to the foot, the majority of people (75 to 80%) run with their heel hitting the ground first.

In other words, humans have altered their natural running style  to conform to the design of the running shoe. As a result of McDougall’s 2009 book Born to Run barefoot running  grew in popularity.

While some may actually run barefoot, you can now buy what are  called “minimalist running shoes.”  These give you the barefoot running benefits and sensation, but with a little…

Source: http://refineryfitnesspdx.com/chocolate-love-5-clean-dark-chocolate-bars/

Good Afternoon and Happy Valentine’s Day!

I hope everyone is having a great day so far and that you are taking some time to spend it with the one’s you love, because that is what this holiday is really about.

BUT, I also know that Valentine’s Day is also associated with CHOCOLATE and the good news is that Chocolate can actually be a part of a healthy diet, especially Dark Chocolate.  Woo Hoo!

Cacao, the main ingredient in dark chocolate,  is loaded with antioxidants. It has 30 times the antioxidant content of red wine and 20 times the content of green tea! Dark Chocolate is not only great for your heart and brain but also for your hormonal health too.

Dark Chocolate can:

Reduce Stress
Lower your cortisol levels ( the main stress hormone made in your adrenal glands.)

Suppress your appetite
Reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke
Trigger endorphins that make you feel ‘oh so happy’ just like exercise!

I recommend consuming 1 oz of Dark Chocolate (72% cacao mass + ) daily for maximum health benefits.

My favorite CLEAN Chocolate Bars are:

Honey Mama’s Cacao-Nectar Bars
They are a cacao-honey raw food dessert. Made…

Source: http://www.sonima.com/food/savory-yogurt/

Yogurt is no-doubt a versatile superfood. You’ve topped it with fresh fruit, granola, honey or agave, and other yummy ingredients. You’ve added a dollop of the Greek stuff to soups, baked potatoes, desserts and used it to make dips, dressing and sauces. And because the fermented milk, made with live bacterial cultures, is rich in calcium, protein, probiotics, vitamins and minerals, it’s smart to come up with interesting ways to incorporate it into your daily diet.

Which is why you might start to see spicy and savory yogurt options at your local grocery store. Popular Greek yogurt brand Chobani is already stocking supermarket shelves with new flavors like Chipotle Pineapple and Sriracha Mango. And they’re actually really good! You don’t have to wait until this brand or others come to a store near you. Give your sweet tooth a break, and try crafting your own salty bowls with fresh herbs, spices, seeds, nuts, and more.

1. The Everything Bagel

When you want that bagel fix without all the calories and carbohydrates, this recipe hits the mark. The savory blend of seeds and spices tastes just like an everything bagel and the yogurt offers the same tangy appeal as cream cheese. Top it off with smoked salmon for a delicious bowl that makes a great breakfast or satisfying afternoon snack.

<img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-14251" src="http://42qvfh3mv3rb2buuh1oh6s0z.wpengine.netdna-cd…