Calm before the storm!

This is the time of year when things slow down in prep for the mad ambition of the New Year! I used to hate this time of year because I didn't want to slow down, I always felt like I was losing momentum! But as I've gotten older, I've started to see this time as a little down time to gather my thoughts and put my goals on paper. Some how when you write down your goals they become real! So today I want to give you three tips for preparing for the most successful year of your life!

1. DREAM BIG! Don't be afraid of big goals. Stop fearing all the "what-ifs" and go for it! There will always be obstacles in life, but if there is a will there is a way!

2. Break down your big goals into smaller goals. It's tough to visualize your goals if they are too large. However when you break it down all the small goals make it really easy to visualize the larger goal.

3. Make a vision board. I'm really serious! Get out the markers, magazines, glue stick, and poster board. Invite some friends over and make a party out of it with some skinny margaritas! It's tough to stay motivated all the time, having a visual to keep you fired up is so important.

Enjoy a little R&R now because I'll be back "next year" with some great workout, nutrition, and motivational tips for you!

Have a happy, safe, and super fun New Year's Celebration! Cheers!

Handle the stress!

Hello everyone, I hope you all had an amazing Christmas! The holidays are a time to be with family and friends. But let’s be honest... Sometimes being around the ENTIRE family, all together, can be just a little bit stressful. Trust me, I know! Today I want to share three things to help you deal with family and friends that will help you avoid the stress.

1. Handling the Food Pushers (I learned this the hard way): Every family has Food Pushers. They’re the ones who keep pressuring you into eating food when you have absolutely no desire or interest… I used to spend the holidays with an Italian family and there is no way to say no when they’re piling food on your plate. There were SO many times I’d eat SO many calories…and couldn’t believe I’d done that because it was so not worth it!

Here’s the solution: keep a positive attitude, share your goals, and don’t feel like you HAVE to eat something just to be polite. Just say No Thanks! Even jump up from the table and show them a new exercise you’ve learned. Yes, they might think you’re nuts, but you’ll distract them from scooping another helping of mashed potatoes on your plate!

2. The Beeline to Stress Central -- the Kitchen: Please don’t do this! Why? If you’re stressed and you hang in the kitchen…you’re going to inhale tons of holiday goodies in a feeding frenzy. What do you do instead? Go for a walk! It’s a much healthier way of dealing with the stress.

3. Guilt: Don’t beat yourself up because you go a little off track and eat a bunch of cookies or a piece of pie (with ice cream!). One or two unhealthy things will not put on the pounds. Let yourself enjoy a treat or two and a nice holiday meal…and then get right back on track!

Hope these tips help! The Holidays are all about laughing, having fun, and sharing time with friends and family. Don’t let stress ruin it for you. I'll be back with more tips to get you fired up to get in the best shape of your life in 2011!

Kim

Shopping tips!

Hello everyone! It’s full up holiday season and Christmas is just around the corner! Today I’m going to give you some tips to help you stay fit as you finish up your holiday shopping!

As our daily routine gets thrown off course it’s important that our health goals say on track! Just because your not on your usual routine doesn’t mean you’ll put on the pounds in the crazyness of the holidays.

Remember, at the end of the day your goal is to create a caloric deficit. Here are some tips to help you do just that.

First, be sure to start you day off on the right foot with a good breakfast. It’s so important and will help you avoid all the holiday temptations.

Second, pack snacks before heading out to shop. It only take 5 mins to toss some snacking in your purse. This can save you from the calorie, sugar, and fat nightmare of the food courts.

A good snack has three components:

1. Fruits or veggies. Such as an apple, banana, celery, or cherry tomatoes

2. Protein to help maintain your energy. Such as nuts or string cheese

3. And third, grains for fiber. Granola bars or whole grain crackers

My all time favorite snack is a "road wrap". Just take a whole grain tortilla, toss in some lean lunch meat and some veggies, roll it up in some tinfoil and you are good to go. Grab a packet of mustard at the mall and you've got a perfect snack!

And lastly, if you must eat at the mall your best bets are a grilled chicken sandwich without the mayo, a salad with grilled meat, or a slice of veggie pizza avoid the meat as it’s full of fat.

At all cost, avoid the sugary shakes and coffee drinks, mega high calorie cinnamon rolls, and giant pretzels. They will just load you up with empty calories and leave you hungry.

On to the exercising… the key is to move your body as much as possible. If your anything like me, I don’t’ mess around as I rip through the malls! Here’s a few ideas to help you burn more calories.

1. Get there a bit early and do a few power laps while you window shop.

2. Wear comfy shoes so you can Avoid the esculators and take the stairs.

3. Wear a pedometer and check your steps. It’s really fun to watch the steps add up and it makes it a bit more rewarding when you have to go all the way back to the other end of the mall when you forget something! Plus, they make great stocking stuffers!! Aim for 10,000 steps a day.

I hope you all have a very happy holiday season! I’ll be back with more great holiday tips!

UGH, that was me!

OK, so I know what you're thinking, "What does she know about feeling fat?" Well, believe it or not, it was my chunky state that lead me to being a trainer! As some of you may know, I had a baby 6 months ago and let's just say my "cover girl" body was thrashed. Well worth it of course, but none the less, it was hard to look in the mirror. I didn't fit into any of my clothes and being a well known trainer, I was feeling the pressure to get my buns back in shape asap. If you've had a baby, I'm sure you know the feeling and if you haven't, don't worry, there's a happy ending to the story!

So here I am about a month after Jake was born.

EKKS! Truth is I laughed when I was shooting this picture, and then cried on the way home. I knew I could lose the weight, but I really didn't know if I'd get my "pre-baby" body back. I'd love to say I loved getting back in shape, but to be honest, everything that I loved doing became hard. I was so out of shape and felt like I was starting all over again. 15 years of working out seemed to be gone in 10 months.

My point is, if I can do it, so can you! When I lost my motivation and felt like I wasn't going to do it alone, I called up 3 of my friends and we filled the calender with fun new classes and workouts. I even had a few days that I scheduled 2 workouts. The workouts were hard, but in the end, I felt so much better and my confidence was building while the pounds were dropping. I got back to my prebaby weight exactly 3 months after Jake was born. It took a bit longer to tone up and get my prebaby body back in about 5 months. Here's a picture of Gunter, Jake, and I on the beach last week while we were in Costa Rica.

Yep, those are abs you see peeking out by Jake's feet! Needless to say, I'll never take my fit self for granted ever again.

I wanted to share this with you so you know that you can do whatever you set your mind to and it's more then OK to reach out for help from friends and family. Don't wait til the new year to set your resolutions, plan ahead and get started!

What's stopping you from reaching your goals and who can help you?

Motivationally Challenged?

When it comes to getting in shape, and staying in shape, one common question that always arises is "How the heck do we stay motivated?" I wish I had a one size fits all answer, but the truth is, everyone must find what motivates them. However, with that said, I will tell you one thing that I PROMISE will motivate you for life... RESULTS!

That's right, I can't say it loud enough! Results motivate more than anything in the world!

I have a reputation for being really hard on new clients. I don't except excuses, no, or I can't. I demand that you follow what I ask and there are few exceptions, period. I've been know to "fire" clients because they are not ready for change. I don't train people for the money (although it does come in handy when the bills roll in!), I train to to get results!

I've never had a client get hurt, fall off the back of the treadmill (as you've seen way to many times on The Biggest Loser), I don't take my clients to the point of puking (I need them to have those calories for the workout!), and I've never had a client that I can't whip into shape. Now I know that might sound a bit blunt, but it's so crucial to be a bit tough in the beginning. My theory is this: If I can get them to break the bad habits and really stick with the nutrition and tough exercise regime for a few weeks then they WILL get results. Then, my job becomes much easier because the results motivate them instead of me cracking the whip!! It took me many years to figure this simple concept out, but it truly works.

Now I know not everyone can have a trainer by their side. 99% of the time we are on our own to make it happen. I say "we" because believe it or not, I struggle with motivation from time to time too. I've never been one to jump out of bed and be excited to go kick my own butt! I think that most people think trainers are just born with the "love to workout" gene!

I really want you all to do some soul searching and let me know your top 3 motivational tips. You won't want to miss my Thurday Blog, I'm going to share a photo that will SHOCK you guys! Let's just say I haven't always been in "cover gal" shape and I too have to work at it just like you all!

Here's my top three motivational strategies!

1. Commit with a friend or two. Literally get out the calenders and WRITE down what you are going to do. Make a cancel agreement like whoever cancels owes the other lunch, a facial, or something else fun!
2. Make a vision board. Take an afternoon to cut out pictures that inspire you, write down your goals, and post them somewhere that you can see all the time.
3. Set up a photo shoot. Now, I'm not necessarily talking about a strip down to your undies shoot (although I love that idea too!!), it can be as simple as asking a friend to take some good photos of you and your pup or signifiant other, or just some fun pics for facebook!

YOUR TURN....I can't wait to hear what motivates you!

I’m not “just a Trainer”!

For the first eight years of my career, when someone asked me what I did for work I would reply, “I’m just a trainer”. In my free time I’d compete in fitness competitions.

I won the Ms Galaxy in 2000, then went on to Fitness America, and then became and IFBB Pro Fitness competitor. I did everything I could that was fitness related. However, I was still looking for a “real career” while passing time as “just a trainer”!

It wasn’t until I landed the roll on the weight-loss show, The Biggest Loser that I truly realized the impact that I had on people lives. All of the sudden the emails came flooding in from past clients and people whom I had trained, or taught aerobics to, telling me how I had changed or saved their lives.

One day, on my first season of The Biggest Loser, I walked on to the set and my whole team was crying. I thought it was some stupid drama, but instead they had gotten their medical reports back and had tears of joy.

Blood pressures had dropped into normal ranges, cholesterol levels were normal, they were no longer pre diabetic, etc etc etc!

It was right there in black and white on the lab reports and I had done it totally through proper nutrition and exercise.

It was that day that I realized, I’m not “just a trainer”, I’m saving lives and this was exactly what I was put on this earth to do. It was defining moment for me. For the first time in my life, I looked in the mirror and I felt proud and accomplished.

The best part of my job is inspiring people to make healthy changes in their lives. Here are some small things you can start doing today to get on track:

1. Get excited about making healthy changes. A positive attitude will make all the difference in the world!
2. Have a positive attitude and “play” for exercise, get back to what you love. For example, put on your favorite tunes and go for a walk.
3. Grab a healthy snack, such as an apple and almonds instead of an energy drink, candy, or soda.

What motivates you to stay on track?