Slim People in Progress

3 Months of Free Fitness Coaching Videos

Recently I told you about a new book by my colleague Rachel Cosgrove. Her book, The Female Body Breakthrough hit #19 overall on Amazon.com the day it launched. That is HUGE when you consider the millions of books on Amazon. It also was #1 in sports training, sports coaching and health and fitness categories.

At the time, Rachel was offering 3 months of fitness coaching on video as a bonus for people who bought the book on launch day. However, I got an email from Rachel and she told me she's offering the free coaching videos to EVERYONE. I don't know what value Rachel puts on this, but I'd say it's got be worth at least several hundred dollars.

I've been watching the videos and they are good. I just watched #4 and Rachel discusses the difference between aerobic exercise and strength training and why you need to focus on strength if you really want to change the shape of your body. Every video so far has been excellent. If I lived closer to Rachel's gym, I'd be a member.

My recommendation is that you grab a copy of Rachel Cosgrove's book (or ask for it for Christmas!) and sign up for the videos. The video coaching will accelerate your progress through her fitness program.

Are the ANTs Spoiling Your Picnic?

Back by popular demand, Lynette Patterson shares some strategies about how to neutralize negative thoughts.

Are the ANTs Spoiling Your Picnic?

Each day, the average person has 80,000 thoughts...60% of which are negative. It’s not enough that these negative thoughts lead to anxiety and depression, Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) actually increase the stress hormones, including cortisol, which promotes fat storage (not fair, right?). So it makes sense to believe that eliminating, or at least reducing, these negative thoughts would create a difference in your health. But how?  So glad you asked!

Let’s begin by better understanding the ANTs. You know the ANTs are in your pants when they are:

• Automatic – you don’t decide to think them and they may have become such a habit that it is hard NOT to think them   
• Negative – They make you feel bad about yourself. For example, “I’m useless, I’m lazy, I’m fat, I’ll never be good at it”.
• Believable – They simply feel real and they seem to be true. You even accept them as a fact in your life. “My metabolism is slow and I’ll always be overweight. My genes are like my moms and I’ll always be this shape.”

Luckily, you CAN neutralize negative thoughts by asking these questions when they appear:

Get the Skinny and Keep Your Wallet Fat: Weight Watchers

Get the Skinny and Keep Your Wallet Fat:  Weight Watchers
by Guest Author Nadia Crum

Seeing your family in a few short weeks? Wanting to look your best for this upcoming holiday season?  When the reality of the holidays gatherings kick in, many of us search for a quick fix diet that will help us shed a few pounds in time for reunions with family and friends we may have not seen for quite some time. 

So many questions are raised:  What diet should I choose?  What types of eating programs will help me lose weight quickly—without having to eat crazy weird foods?  And with my ever growing holiday gift list, how on earth will I manage to afford some fancy diet plan?  In this series of articles, I will be reviewing some of the most popular diet programs available to you today and providing you with hints and tips to cut your healthy-eating grocery bill and make losing weight more effective and affordable.

The Skinny:  Weight Watchers

The basics behind Weight Watchers are simple:  every food and drink under the sun are assigned a points-value based on a complex equation of their caloric and fat values as well as their dietary fiber content.  Then, based upon another complex equation of your age, gender, activity level and a few other factors, you are assigned a daily target points value—that is, an allotted amount of daily points to “spend” on food however you choose.  The program is available both in brick and mortar buildings in the form of weekly support meetings, or entirely online using interactive tools and calculators with the support of a very active set of forums; you can also utilize a combination of both.

Quick Strategies for Knowing Portion Sizes

I don't know about you, but I have a problem with portion control. What I think is reasonable often turns out to be bigger than I think when I take the time to weigh and measure. This guest post by Jenn Givler is a great reminder for how to judge the amount you're eating.

Quick Strategies for Knowing Portion Sizes

How much is too much?

Tracking calories - writing down everything you eat and drink - can be tedious, time consuming - a big pain in the rear.

But, it’s a real eye opener. And - it keeps you honest and accountable. So I’m a big fan of doing it.

As busy women, though, we don’t always have time to measure everything out, look at the back of boxes, or think so much about food.

Here are some quick ways to keep your calories in check:

1. Serving sizes can be smaller than you think.

1 cup is the size of your fist.

1 ounce of cheese is about the size of your thumb. However an ounce of nuts or candy is about 1 small handful. And an ounce of chips or pretzels is about 2 small handfuls.

1 teaspoon is the size of a stamp.

2 Tablespoons of salad dressing is about the size of a ping pong ball.

Mobility vs Flexibility - What's the Difference?

Mobility vs Flexibility - What's the Difference?
Guest blogger: Narina Prokosch, RN CPT

Often during our warm up routines at the gym, clients will mention feeling a stretch in certain muscles during some of the drills. This will then lead to an explanation of what it is we are hoping to accomplish during the warm up and what you should be feeling. As you may know, we go through several drills prior to a more dynamic warm up that will lead into the strength portion of your workout.  The drills are specifically designed to increase mobility through a joint.  You need a certain amount of mobility or the ability to move your joints through a normal range of motion.  But what is mobility and what is flexibility?

In a nutshell mobility is the ability of the joint to move through a range of motion and flexibility is the ability of the muscle to stretch to allow movement.  In this article we are going to deal with mobility.  Physical Therapist Gray Cook's analysis of the body and its function is by means of a series of joints.  Each joint has a specific function and is prone to specific dysfunctions.  He evised a table that describes the body on a joint-by-joint basis from the bottom up: