Do you have a wish or a goal for your health or fitness? Have you been resisting the first step? If you answered yes, then here are 4 things to think about.

1. Take action. Any action. Any small step that will start your journey on the path to your fitness or health goal. Whether it’s running a marathon, losing weight, lowering your cholesterol or whatever your goal is, take a single step TODAY.  It might be as simple as calling your best friend and asking for advice or doing a Google search for a new healthy recipe that you can make for dinner. Just start the process and the rest will come.

2. Don’t get overwhelmed with overwhelm. I heard this at a business meeting and I’ve never forgotten it. It sounds so simple and it is! Let’s say you have a goal of completing your first triathlon. You mull it over and over and start telling yourself how overwhelming it is to train for three sports, when will you have time, you don’t know how or where to swim, you have to get a decent bike, etc. The list could go on and on while you’ve effectivily paralyzed yourself into staying a couch potato! Take one piece at a time and stop telling yourself that you are overwhelmed. See #1. Take one small step TODAY.

3. Trust that you CAN do it. A big  mistake people make is assuming their secret fitness goals are too lofty or failed attempts at past endevours mean they will forever fail. Have you ever seen some of the people who cross the finish line in the Ironman? Granted it takes some of those finishers a really, really long time, but they set a goal, trained and did it!

Maybe your goal is to lose 30 pounds permanently and past attempts have failed. You must believe that the solution is out there, somewhere, and you just haven’t found it yet. It’s out there…keep your eyes and your mind open and KNOW, with all of your heart, that you can succeed and reach your goal.

“I failed my way to success.” Thomas Edison

Picture of woman crossing the finish line-she did it!

4. Get out of your comfort zone. It’s easy to wing it and NOT plan your meals, your workouts or even get to bed at a reasonable hour every night, but doing what you’ve always done keeps you in the same place.

Most goals worth achieving don’t come easy . Start getting used to the idea that reaching your goals will be a little uncomfortable. It’s a heck of a lot more comfortable to stay in bed when the alarm clock goes off at 5:00 a.m. than it is to get up and go exercise, but if that is the only time you have to work out, and you want to get leaner, stronger, faster, etc., then you must get used to the idea that 5:00 a.m. is a wonderful time of day and that you love getting up that early! Push beyond your comfort zone to see positive changes.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.” Aristotle

It is easier to hit the snooze button, but it won't help you reach your goals

Many of my clients come to me for different reasons – to lose weight, to finish their first running race, to get stronger and more. What they all have in common, though, is that they reached out to someone who knows more then they do, someone to keep them accountable and motivated and someone who will push them beyond their comfort zone. My clients, both private and in boot camp, inspire me everyday because they have looked inside of themselves and embraced the four items above.

One of my favorite stories is about a personal training client of mine. I am so proud of her because she has gone above and beyond what she ever though she could do! When Kay first called me:

• She had never exercised, beyond going for a walk.
• Her knees hurt and she thought she wouldn’t be able to do any exercise
  
• She had some weight to lose
• She was in her early 60’s and thought she was “too old” to start
  
• The thought of working with a personal trainer was intimidating

Kay’s registered dietitian had been encouraging her to call me for some time. The dietitian knew her weight loss plateau could be busted if Kay would just start to exercise.

Finally, Kay took the very first step. She called me. That’s all she had to do. Kay took action, one small step. Do you think Kay was in a comfort zone before that? You betcha! Do you think Kay was outside of her comfort zone when she called? You betcha! But Kay quickly got used to being “uncomfortable” (as you know, working out isn’t exactly cushy!) She knew she could do it and that all she needed was someone help her. Kay didn’t let the fact that she had never, ever before done “formal” exercise send her into overwhelm and paralysis! She just did it! Kay eventually worked her way up to taking some boot camp classes, too! All it took was a phone call.

Take after Kay. If you have a fitness or health goal that you’ve been stuffing in your back pocket, too afraid or overwhelmed to attempt, it’s time to take the first step.

ACTION STEPS:

1. List 1 thing you can do today that will get you going – and then do it!

2. Post your goal where you will see everyday – on your computer, dashboard of the car, nightstand.

3. Remember this by Dr. Denis Waitley – “There never was a winner who was not first a beginner.”

4. Have faith in yourself.

You cannot plough a field by
turning it over in your mind.
Author Unknown

Set your goals and take action to reach them. Hoping to get leaner, reading about fat loss, thinking about eating vegetables is only the first step. Now, take action!

boot campers who sweat for charity

Thank you for boot campers who came out to Flemington Boot Camps Charity Boot Camp Day on November 12 2011!

You help raise money for an important organization: The Center for Educational Advancement!

Next month’s Charity Boot Camp is on Saturday, December 10 at 8:00 a.m. and is for The Bruce Mast Memorial Walkway in Delaware Township.

boot camp

Everyone doing their best to work hard and push themselves. These women are great!

Keep it up, Ladies!

Marie V. Ande, CSCS

Flemington Boot Camps

I have mixed feelings about New Year’s Resolutions.

In the recent past, I have said “Why wait until January 1?” Setting goals and making resolutions just because of tradition are insane. Goals are left unmet and resolutions get broken. You just end up feeling badly. If you’re ready in November – go for it! If you’re ready in February, start then. If you are ready to change today strike while the iron is hot.

But, hey, listen, I still get the whole “New Year Resolution”/turn over a new leaf thought process. November and December are especially hectic and most busy moms are just trying to keep it together until December 26! The thought of adding another item, like “Start Exercising”, on the “to-do” list is just way more than any Mom can handle during the holiday chaos!

Whenever you decide to start implementing your resolution to get fit and healthy follow my 6 Step Resolution-Solution Plan and avoid another year of “That only lasted three weeks.”

1. Pick the day you are going to start and mark it your calendar (it doesn’t have to be on the family calendar). Choose a date the feels right to you. If it’s January 1 or February 7, it doesn’t matter. It should just feel right for you.

2. Pick one SMALL habit you will change that will take you in the right direction.Don’t try to start exercising, quit smoking, stop drinking alcohol and eat more vegetables on Day 1. You will mostly likely fail and, perhaps even worse, feel like a failure, which, by the way, will bring on a whole slew of additional bad feelings.

3.Write this one small thing down on paper where you will read it daily…at least several times daily. If you decide you ultimately want to lose 50 pounds and you want to start exercising you might write down “I now walk around the block one time three times per week.” Perhaps your goal is to add more intensity. Write down something like “I now do three rounds of my favorite circuit routine.”  Write down whatever you know you can do and, yet, will be a challenge. Continually increase your challenge, little by little.

4.Prepare in advance. Make any preparations the night, day or week before so you set yourself up for success. For example, if you’ve chosen to stop eating ice cream after dinner beginning on January 10 (remember, it doesn’t have to be January 1!), then on January 8 or 9, throw out any ice cream you have left in the freezer. If you really want ice cream, eat it during the day and go buy a single serving of it – just don’t bring it in the house! If you’ve decided to start running, make sure you have a decent pair of running shoes and comfortable running attire. Map your route and maybe even drive it so you are mentally prepared. Put your clothes out the evening before so when you wake up everything is all set to go!

5. Get support. No one can make really big leaps and changes without some outside guidance or support in place. This can be a professional trainer, an on-line check in program or your best friend. Just make sure that whoever it is has your best interest at heart, has the time to be there for you and capability to give you the type and amount of support you need.

6. Be willing to change and believe you can. The biggest thing about keeping resolutions is your willingness to change and really believing that you can change. Decide you want something different in your life and believe that you are worth it and deeply feel and believe that you CAN change! This may actually be the most difficult step and the most important step.

Following these guidelines will allow you to be successful and feel empowered. Success motivates you to continue striving ahead. If you make one small change at a time it is more than 80% successful than if you try to re-shape multiple old habits at one time. You’ll feel better about yourself, achieve your goal and never look back again!

1. You don’t get enough quality sleep at least 6 nights per week.
Yep, it’s that important. When you don’t get enough sleep, which for most people, is about eight hours per night, you might as well be showing up for your workouts with a hang-over. Studies show that you need at least this much sleep and only two nights of poor sleep negatively impacts your life.( Good luck parents of little children and babies! )The time you hit the hay counts, too. Ideally you should be sleeping by 10 p.m. (10 p.m. – 2 a.m. are the magic fat loss hours) for optimal hormonal balance. By the way, not only are your workouts negatively impacted by poor sleep, your satiety hormone, leptin drops by 20% and your hunger hormone, ghrelin, increases 30%. Double whammy!

2. You are dehydrated.
Most people don’t get enough water and it takes its toll on your workouts, not to mention other parts of your life. If you aren’t getting at least half your body weight in ounces of water (for example you weigh 140 pounds, you should aim for 70 ounces of water daily) you are probably drying up! Dehydration causes fatigue and your muscle fibers don’t fire like they should, therefore, you feel weak and tired and unable to push through a hard workout. Dehydration can reduce blood volume and diminish blood flow to organs,  slowing down your brain. Remember, too, that window shopping is not exercise and doesn’t melt fat! High intensity, metabolic resistance exercise burns fat up and if you are weak and tired due to dehydration, you aren’t even giving yourself a chance at fat loss.

3. You’re not eating enough protein.
Clean, lean protein will help you get through your workouts and improve recovery.  In my experience, women, especially, don’t eat enough protein. Protein contains the amino acid tryptophan, precursor of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that promotes a calm, relaxed feeling, which helps to fight emotional fatigue and it also contains tyrosine, a precursor to the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine, promoters of alertness, attention, and motivation.

ACTION STEPS:

1. Make quality sleep a priority. Turn off  the T.V. and electronic devices at least 30-60 minutes before you go to bed, black-out  your bedroom and avoid food (especially sweets), caffeine and alcohol within three hours before bed.

2. Drink half your body weight in ounces. Drink water throughout the day, don’t gulp it all at once. Place a container with your required amount of water and pour from that so you have a visual of what you need to drink.

3. Eat protein in combination with healthy carbs at every meal. Choose clean, lean sources of protein like grass-fed beef, wild fish and free-range chicken.

1.   They get plenty of sleep – According to Jillian Michaels “Sleep is critical for a strong immune system, metabolism, anti aging — the list goes on and on.” Look to get at least 7-8 hours per night.  If you’re trying to drop some fat, this is really important because only two nights of skimping on sleep will elevate your ghrelin hormone (hunger hormone) and decrease your leptin (satiety hormone)

2.    They don’t “diet”- They just eat healthy foods in reasonable quantities 90% of the time.

3.    They find a way to enjoy exercise- You’ll never stick to something you hate, so find something you enjoy. Bob Harper says, “For me, working out is a form of therapy, it’s cathartic for me, it’s a good stress reliever,” he told Parade in 2013. “I know that when I go to the gym I am taking care of myself and I know I’ll feel so much better afterwards.”

4. They eat breakfast – “I never miss breakfast,” says track superstar Sanya Richards-Ross. Not only are breakfast eaters healthier and leaner, they also have more energy and are in a better mood than non-rise-shine-eaters.

5.    They make exercise a priority- They don’t make excuses. They just do it! Joe Weider, The Father of Body Building says, “We have one body to last us for our time on Earth. That’s it. There are no do-overs. What we have is it, and if we don’t treat it right it will fail us, possibly long before our souls are ready to call it quits. That’s why we must make exercise a priority. Healthy eating too.”

6.    They get support – Show me a really fit person who doesn’t have a coach, mentor, spouse or friend to lean on for support. Setting up a support system is one of the most critical steps in reaching your goals, whether you are ready to up your game or just start up.

At the Elite Training & Performance Summit (ETPS), not only did I learn new facts and findings from leaders in my field, I got recharged, had fun and reconnected with people I only get to see a few times a year.

I really needed this time. Heading out to the ETPS, I had been stressed, not sleeping well, starting to get a cold and feeling stuck. Stuck in several areas of my life.

Here’s a quick story: My first flight out was cancelled. My second flight was delayed nearly three hours which means I wouldn’t be getting to my hotel until past mid-night (I’m usually in bed by 8:30 so this was gonna’ hurt!). My cold and cough was starting to come on stronger and I missed the pre-conference day. Ugh!

I see this guy get on my plane and had a very strong feeling he was heading to the same conference I was. After we landed, I thought “I’m going to catch up with him so we can split the a cab fare to the hotel” and that’s exactly what happened.

After 10 minutes in the cab, I was already becoming recharged and happier and motivated. This guy loved life, God and all people, and it showed! When I finally asked his name and he said Dave Jack, I knew why I had always heard is name spoken with admiration, respect and just plain awesomeness!

This guy didn’t inspire just me; he captivated the other 249 attendees and connected with people on a pretty deep level.

So again, to make a short story long and answer the question: What does this have to do with reaching your goals and not giving up?

It’s just to remind you that you’re not an island. Go and be with people who will inspire you, teach you, bring you up and pull you along when your down. It’s the relationships that matter and can make all the difference.

At Flemington Boot Camps, we work out and have fun. The women at Flemington Boot Camps support one another. It’s these relationships, in part, that keep women from giving up. It’s the relationship that you build when you’re trying to better yourself that support you when you hit a plateau.

Don’t give up. Surround yourself with people who see your greatness!

“Since first joining Flemington Boot Camps, I loved the changes Marie helped me make in my life; however, I recently decided to participate in her 6 week back to school transformation challenge and WOW, I cannot believe the results!  In just 6 weeks I lost 9 lbs!  My scale had been stuck for weeks and I knew I needed to make some changes if I was going to loose those last few lbs, but I never expected to experience such a dramatic transformation.  I followed Marie’s plan and gave it my all at her work out classes.  The differences I’m seeing in my body and overall health are amazing.  I’m healthier now than I’ve ever been, feel so much stronger, and have dramatically increased my energy and endurance.   I feel absolutely fabulous and countless people have asked what I’ve done.  The challenge helped me change my habits and even now that it’s over I have no desire to slip back into the bad ones.  I cannot believe how great I feel!  Friends that I hadn’t seen in quite some times almost didn’t recognize me saying that is wasn’t just the weight loss, but that overall I looked so much happier and healthier.  Thank you Marie Ande and Flemington Boot Camps!”

Jamie Gunderman

Why should you write down everything you eat and drink?

The most important reason is because it works!

Most of my clients find me because they want a safe, non-judgemental place to work out at and a trainer who will actually help them achieve the results they are after – Fat Loss!

Fat loss is important to many of us because we feel more energetic, healthier, more confident, stronger and just plain “Better” when we are of good body weight and “lean-ness.”

When a client comes to me and fat loss or improving  health is her primary reason for showing up, one of the first things I have her start is a food journal.

Some people blow it off.

Those who want to change, who want to look good, feel good, have more energy and fit into their short from two summers ago will follow my advice and fill out the food journal and hand it in.

It is a proven tool and winners of the fat loss game use it.

It’s just a tool.

What it is NOT is a judgement meter. I don’t really care what you are eating, I care that we fix what needs fixing.

I guess that’s not completely accurate because I do care what you are eating.

I care because I KNOW what you put into your mouth will make your body and mind feel good or feel poorly and I want you to feel GREAT! However, I don’t think differently of you as a person – as long as you have high morals and values, respect for others, don’t steal, your kind, etc. – if you drink a bottle of red wine and eat a block of cheese.

As your personal trainer and as a woman on a mission to help other women feel great, be strong and have positive, optimal health related  influence on their families, the only reason I care is because I know the impact it will have on your body, emotions and spirit.

Start today on your own food journal and stop putting emotions on the food you eat, just ask for help on how to build strategies around eating better quality foods that will give you more energy, confidence, strength and health.

Thank you Basil Bandwagon for hosting me!

The story she tells herself (and me):

    “Getting to my workout is causing me more stress and  it shouldn’t, so I have to stop working out so many days per week.”

What I heard:

“Everyone else is more important than me.”

Can you relate?

You have so many things to do and getting them all done just isn’t happening. You work, you have a few kids and they each go to different after school events, you volunteer, you’re a helpful neighbor, you have parents that need you—everyone seems to need you.

Here’s the kicker…You LOVE it! You love feeling needed, you love helping other people (And, hey, that volunteer work is only once a month so you CAN do it!).

Here’s the problem. When you decide to do something, another thing (or person) gets sacrificed.

There’s no other way. When you decide to do one thing, the time has to come from somewhere (or someone) else.

For many women, what ends up being pushed to the back burner is themselves and their health.

I realized early in life that your good health is your number one asset.

This is why I get angry when women tell me they “can’t” exercise. My head nearly explodes. I’ll get a headache from hearing this.

My dad was 51 years old when he passed on. I think he would have given just about anything to live longer and feel better while he was here on Earth. I think if I knew then what I know now, things might have been different. Perhaps I could have helped him live longer and feel better.

This is why I am so passionate about helping women become healthier, fitter and stronger. This is what it stems from. It stems from seeing my father die an early death.

You deserve to live healthier. You deserve to feel better in your body.

STOP PUTTING YOURSELF  LAST.

I work with women from all different starting points, most of the women haven’t worked out in a long time or ever. You don’t have to be afraid to reach out.

What are you waiting for?

What are you really telling yourself?

Over the years it’s not uncommon that I see some of my past clients out and about town and notice that they have gained weight since they stopped working with me.

I get that people’s priorities change.

However, seeing some of these women made me stop and think why had they gained weight again.

They were loving how they felt and looked…full of energy, stronger, more confident. They felt beautiful inside and out.

I know they learned great skills that can last a lifetime, so why didn’t it last a lifetime.

I started thinking about my own life and where I’ve slipped back into old habits.

Every time I’ve slipped up and gone back to old habits it’s because I dropped out of my support system.

At times, a full year may have gone by where I wasn’t plugged into my mentors. For whatever reason, I didn’t prioritize the time, money, or effort to see them or connect with them.

It’s crystal clear to me now, of course, after having setbacks, that I see the direct relationship between my success and my being “plugged in”.

I know that I HAVE to go out of my comfort zone and make it a priority to be in touch with my coaches and mentors.

Even my family has to go out of their comfort zones because I have to travel to meet with my mentors so Mike and Audrey have to adjust for my time away.

But in the end, it’s worth it.

I think the same thing happens with the women I see who no longer work with Her Fitness.

They lose their support system, they lose their vision and possibilities for themselves and they lose their accountability.

Here’s the lesson: We ALL need support and to surround ourselves with mentors, coaches and people who will help us get where we want to go AND help keep us going!

No successful person goes it alone.

This applies to all areas of life – fitness & health (weight loss), finance, spiritual and relationships.

If you slipped off the fitness and healthy eating wagon, don’t beat yourself up…just get back, get plugged in, find a coach or support system.

If it happens to be me and Her Fitness, great, but if not, that’s okay, too. Just get back to doing what works, and that usually involves help from others.

Besides, God has a plan for you and He wants you to be Healthy, FIT & Strong!

p.s. If you are ready to workout again with me, just reply back and let me know. If you’ve never worked out with me, reply back and let’s talk about it.

Staying positive is key when you are making changes to your nutrition and exercise.

Look at what is going well.

Look at what you are doing right…(and do more of that.)

I use the Hashtag #mindsetexercisenutrition on my Instagram posts because it is your MINDSET that comes first…. it’s how you think that helps you succeed when you are working on your nutrition and exercise.

Why do you want to change your nutrition and exercise?

Because you want to lose weight? Be more confident? Look more attractive? Fit into your clothes?

Yes…but, it’s more than that…..It’s how you FEEL, it’s the feeling that we all crave.

We all want to feel good and we know, deep down, the eating well and exercising will help us FEEL GOOD.

Even for those who don’t like to exercise, you know you like the BENEFITSthat eating well and exercise give you (hint, it’s that feeling).

So…focus on the Positive.

Focus on the progress your making.

Focus on the good feelings you have when you eat well and exercise.

Have a Positive Mindset

Our home is still without power and it may not be until next Monday that we are fully up and running.

Thankfully, my husband is on top of this this with generators and heaters and we do have city water and gas stove, so we are getting by better than other people and I am so very grateful for what we do have (and for my awesome husband for being prepared!)

Now, to get on to what I am so mad about!!

Mike and I agreed that I should know how to start the generator in case he’s not home to do it (we turn the generator off when we aren’t home and at night.)

When I attempted to get it going  (it is NOT a push button start) and  pulled the cord, all I could muster was a  Clu-Clunk!

I COULD NOT pull the cord with enough power to turn the engine over.

I was/am mad!

I am soooo mad that my current strength isn’t strong enough and you better believe I will be working on getting more powerful to be able to start that generator!

Maybe you can relate to not feeling strong enough in certain situations. 

Ladies, we  need to be strong!

We need to be able to help ourselves and to be helpful to others and there might  be a time when we need to be physically strong to be helpful.

Don’t be afraid of becoming “too strong” because you will look masculine. You will NOT look like a man!

Lifting weights is not all about burning fat and slowing the aging process.

It’s also about being physically capable.

If you are afraid to lift weights because you’re not sure what to do, how to do it safely, or maybe you are embarrassed because you are someone who “should know” know what to do….Stop being fearful of lifting because We are here to help you!

Most clients who first come to Her Fitness haven’t worked out or lifted weights in years or they have Never lifted weights, but you know what….we coach our clients to get healthy, fit and strong so you aren’t alone, don’t need to be afraid or embarrassed!

It’s so awesome and if you want to feel great, get stronger and be healthier just let me know by replying back.

You can always try us out with our 21-Day Jump Start program before committing to any long term group personal training program.

Have you ever experienced a change of routine and it throws off your whole day or week or month off? Of course you have.

It happened to me this past week and it is why you are getting this newsletter at 6 Pm’ish  instead of 6 AM!

It happens to all of us and it’s how you adjust that matters. 

What do you do when that change of schedule messes with your workout routine or your healthy eating?

You adapt, improvise or adjust. 

So you don’t have an hour to workout, then do 15 minutes of body weight exercises. You do 5-10 minutes of diaphragm exercises (aka, breathing exercises).

Let’s say you were running around late into the afternoon and now you don’t have time to make dinner, but while you were at Costco or Shop-Rite you were able to pick up a platter of shrimp cocktail or roasted chicken, pre-made salad and a package of blueberries.

Maybe it isn’t exactly what you intended or wanted, but it is better than not doing any exercise or going through the drive through.

Think of ways to make the best choice in your current situation.

Good – Better -Best….what’s the best choice right now.

Most of the time this frame of mind will keep you moving in the right direction.

By the way, we have power again!

AND, next Saturday, March 17, we are hosting a free workout at 8:00. It’s our Bring-A-Friend Workout for a Cause and the cause is The Midland School.  I hope to see you there!

According to Josh Hillis, in his book with Dan John, Fat Loss Happens on Monday, the two things that would yield you the best fat loss results are

1.) Grocery shop regularly

2.) Prep your food
That’s it!

It’s not 10 things you MUST do to have fat loss…it’s 2 things that will get you the most results.

Did we just talk about this 80:20 rule last week and here it is popping up again. Most of your results, 80%, will come from 20% of work.  Just shop and prep.

How is it that you can can manage your weight by just shopping and prepping?

It’s because when people over-eat and they over-eat the wrong stuff!

How many times have you over-eaten broccoli or eaten too much chicken breast? Not too many times.

How many times have you over-eaten, say Frosted Mini-Wheats ;)?  (I know I could eat a whole box of those things so I do NOT buy them.)

What if you had a stocked refrigerator without all of the junk food and all of your meals were pre-planned and prepped?

You’d skip the temptations more often because you already had something made.

Planning and prepping is PRE-DECIDING what you will eat. 

THIS is a big take away……you don’t have to make any decisions when you are not qualified (i.e. tired and hungry) if you’ve already done the work!

If you didn’t get to the grocery store this past weekend…go today and plan out a day or two of meals.