Blog Archives

How to get Amazing Abs

Everyone wants a flat stomach. Some will do hundreds of crunches daily in hopes of getting those elusive 6-pack abs, but will crunches alone get you there? The truth- no. Your nutrition is what will get you to drop the extra belly fat and sculpt a lean mid-section. The following is an example of my daily flat belly meal plan and abdominal conditioning schedule.

Of course a healthy nutrition plan alone will not get you the cut look of a 6-pack. Below is an example of my weekly abdominal conditioning routine.

Follow my simple plan to get your stomach flat and toned. Oh, and don’t forget to drink plenty of water!

Posted on | Image

This is Why You’re Bloated

The foods that you put into your body directly effect your ability to lose, maintain or gain weight. While  fast foods, frozen foods/prepackaged foods may be convenient and quick for your schedule, these foods are making your fitness goals less convenient…in other words slowing down your potential progress.

This is why you’re bloated- Lack of fiber, cheese and over-processed foods are blocking up your system and inhibiting natural digestion. The liquids that you are drinking (soda, alcohol, etc) are the exact ones that are dehydrating and bloating you. Our bodies weren’t designed to handle some of the foods that are now popular to the majority.

Beat the bloat- Eating balanced meals is a challenge if you allow yourself many hours between meals. Keep healthy snacks like sliced celery, carrots or fruit on hand so that your body doesn’t go into starvation mode/fat storage mode. Have you ever noticed that if you wait many hours before eating dinner, when your meal is finally ready to be consumed, your stomach hurts and you end up bloated after the meal?

Drink lots of water – You should be drinking at least half of your body weight in ounces of water each day. I don’t believe in the “don’t drink water if you’re not thirsty” saying. Stay hydrated to beat bloating.

Stay regular- This means eating lots of fiber, especially in the mornings to enable healthy digestion and elimination. Add flax seed to your morning oatmeal or some leafy greens to your morning smoothie.

Limit sodium intake- This means straying away from any pre-packaged foods, frozen foods and sauces. These foods are loaded with sodium to preserve their taste. They will do nothing good for your body.

Eating balanced meals, keeping track of your portions, and drinking your daily quota of water will help you manage bloating and stay on track with your fitness goals. Consult with your personal trainer or nutritionist to find the best plan for you!

Posted on | Image

Your Workout Nutrition

Are you showing up for your workout sessions on an empty stomach? Or leaving your training session feeling starving and weak? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions or both, you’ll love this quick lesson in workout nutrition.

Pre-Workout Nutrition- Your body needs fuel in the form of food to function. When you first start a new workout routine along with a healthy diet, the general tendency is to skimp on calories before and after a workout. Most people think that this is necessary to lose weight- this couldn’t be further from the truth. I notice it with some of my clients who show up feeling tired before their training sessions. Either they haven’t eaten in a few hours or they ate the wrong things before the session. I have also seen dizziness, nausea, headaches and overall fatigue which are all symptoms of hunger and/or improper nutritional preparation before their sessions. Nine out of ten times when I ask a client when the last time they ate was, the answer is 2 hours ago or more. This is catastrophic to your weight loss goals.

So how can you avoid this feeling and what pre-workout rules should you follow?

What you must realize is that the energy you get from the foods you eat is ultimately what is going to decide how your workout goes. If your metabolism is already slowing down from hours of not eating, it is going to be difficult to rev it back up and start burning calories, that your body is now clinging onto for dear life, in your workout. You are exercising to burn calories, right? Make it a habit to eat a high carbohydrate healthy snack prior to your training session. This could include an apple, Lara Bar, banana or carrots-NOT a protein bar, save his for post-workout.  You may be saying to yourself that these snacks are sugary, but you need carbohydrates to get through your workouts efficiently. (If you or your personal trainer are pushing hard enough, you will burn off the sugar, so don’t worry.)

Post-Workout Nutrition- Post workout nutrition is for muscle recovery and development. Immediately following a run, for example, you want to replace electrolytes lost through sweat during your run by drinking an electrolyte beverage. Think about it, have you ever seen an athlete NOT with a water bottle? And guess what, that’s not just plain old water in there. There are many electrolyte beverages out there like Gatorade to try. After a workout (think legs, upper body, abs day) you want to support the workout you just did by having a protein shake or protein bar immediately following the workout to aid in muscle growth and recovery. (when i say growth, I don’t mean bulk- I mean muscle breaking through and saying goodbye to cellulite!) You might also want to consider having a snack. The body is in fat burning mode immediately following a workout so it’s okay to consume a few extra HEALTHY calories at this time.

So no more starving yourself before and after sessions, okay? Do we have a deal? Your body will thank you for it in the long run and I know you will thank me when you start to see a major breakthrough in your training results. If you have any questions as far as healthy snacks, brands and recommendations go, please don’t hesitate to ask!

Posted on | Image

Ditch the Scale

After interviewing hundreds of personal training clients over the past few years, I have found one common concern amongst Women: the dreaded number on the scale. I have met Women who weigh themselves daily and even multiple times per day! The truth is that by doing this, they are sabotaging their fitness goals before they even hit the gym.

Your body is more than just a number, it is a look and a feeling. My mission as a Women’s fitness expert and San Diego Personal Trainer is to change my clients way of thinking that the scale ultimately controls their fitness level. The scale isn’t going to change the way you look. In fact, it may negatively haunt your body image for the rest of your life. We cut off friends and boyfriends when they make us feel this way, right? So why keep such an intimate relationship with the scale?

Let me show you a perfect example: Sorry to get graphic here, but you have to see this.

Would you rather weigh less and look like this? The Woman in the photo below may have a low number on the scale but is what I would consider “skinny fat.” Meaning that while her weight is low, her body fat percentage is high. This leads to just as many health risks as being obese! To top it all off, “skinny fat” victims are usually cardio freaks who do nothing but cardio, no weight training.

Or would you rather weigh a bit more and look like this photo below? Healthy glutes aren’t flabby. Firm glutes are a sign of a great strength training program. If we’re striving for attractiveness and optimal health, this is the ideal shape you should be shooting for. The best news is that you don’t have to bulk up to have a great backside. It’s just a matter of firming up what’s already there!

 

 

I don’t know about you, but I’ll take the appearance in picture #2 over the low weight and flab in picture #1 any day! So do yourself a favor and stop obsessing on the scale and stick to a consistent nutrition and workout plan.

Posted on | Image

My New Veggie Diet Detox

Over the past few weeks I have been experimenting with my nutrition. For a while I had been feeling like my energy level was low, I was taking frequent naps during my breaks between clients, and I couldn’t seem to get rid of excess bloat around my midsection. I started reading books about “beauty detox” and even considered going Vegan but realized that would mean giving up fish which is really the only type of protein I eat anyway. So I opted to go back to my Vegetarian roots.

You can never eat too many of these!

I feel very lucky to have been brought up vegetarian. When my athletic performance started to suffer in my late teens I decided to start forcing myself to eat some meat (not red). This helped me out tremendously as a dancer and helped me to develop some gorgeous lean muscles. As more time went on I slowly introduced chicken and fish into my diet and now fish is pretty much the only protein that I consume. But I was starting to decrease the amount of vegetables and fruits that I consumed.

Avocado is a great addition to your salad.

My lunches used to consist of things like tuna or turkey sandwiches and I would always feel extremely lethargic after eating. So tired that I was taking a nap between clients in the afternoon (even after getting 8+ hrs of sleep each night). I began eliminating the sleepy carbs and protein from my lunches and replaced them with an abundance of vegetables. Now my lunches consist of salads with tons of veggies and avocado or stir fry veggies over brown rice. If I worked out in the morning I will have a protein shake after lunch too. For dinner I have been eating veggies like broccoli or green beans with a lean protein like chicken or salmon.

Could defnitely eliminate a few items from this picture...

I have noticed a big difference in my energy levels and abdominal progress since adding more fruits and veggies to my diet. I think it is very important to listen to your body and make adjustments if something just doesn’t feel right. For example: if your stomach burns after you eat a certain food, chances are you may be allergic to an ingredient in that food. So why eat it again? At the end of the day nutrition is common sense.

Posted on | Image

Nipping Fat in the “Butt”

Aug 8

Posted by

About 8 weeks ago I set a fitness goal and stuck with it – As a professional dancer I never had to worry about my body or losing weight and after having a few years off from the 8 hour dance day grind I started noticing a few changes in my body. Although I had been working out daily with my clients, I hadn’t been doing much specifically for my body. And I was eating properly but not super clean. My once hard, firm thighs were starting to get a bit soft and my glutes were beginning to develop the dreaded dimples that most Women live their whole lives with. I’m not complaining about my body by any means (5’4,” 110 lbs is less than what my dancing weight was proving that muscle weighs more than fat) but the vision that I have of myself is different from this and I was ready to nip it in the “butt.”

My Facebook post at the start of July

I embarked upon a “4 weeks to fierce” program to get firm and flab free by my Birthday, July 13th. I printed out a cute calendar that I use for my clients cardio schedules to write on every day for inspiration. I have to say that I find Facebook and Twitter to be super motivating and encouraging for those with weight loss goals so don’t be afraid to post your workouts there. I also downloaded an app on my iPhone called My Fitness Pal where you can log your meals and exercise. You can even invite and add friends for encouragement!

Moving forward, with some consistency and sticking to my plan I was starting to see results! I was eating clean and loving it and finding time to do my own personalized workouts between clients. After a few weeks it had started to become a habit. I didn’t want to eat bad, it felt good to push myself in workouts and I felt like I was in control of my body again. I started making more time for ME.

B-Day was a hit!

Five weeks in and I was still going strong. My Birthday party was a success and I felt confident again in the way my legs and tummy looked. I even rewarded myself with some amazing Birthday cake. I had my drink sponsor, Sinless Cocktails, send me 2 gallons of their 5 calorie Margarita mix for a tasting party too!

My Birthday has long passed and I am still sticking with the program. I am now 8 weeks in and there is no turning back. I love the way my body looks and feels. Through this journey I have even created new exercises to target those stubborn areas of the legs, stomach and glutes that my San Diego personal training clients are now reaping the benefits of. I am looking forward to seeing the changes that these new exercises make for my clients as well as for myself. I think that as a personal trainer it is important to keep creating…when you stop creating you lose your audience.

Today's bikini body!

I wrote this story as a bit of inspiration for all of you. Everyone is less than happy with some part of their body. I don’t think that anyone ever feels “perfect.” Whether you are 160 pounds or 100 pounds focus and goal setting is the key to your success on your fitness journey. Don’t lie about your bad eating or lack of exercise. Your trainer knows when you are lying but the worst is when you lie to yourself. It’s not healthy to lie to yourself.

So set goals! Write them down. Post them on your refrigerator so that you see them every time you reach for the ice cream. I wouldn’t encourage you to do this if it didn’t truly work…

Posted in fitness, weight loss

Leave a Comment

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Unhealthy Eating- The Joke is on You

Dec 20

Posted by

Just in time for Christmas I want to discuss a pet-peeve of mine: Unhealthy eating and those who brag about it. I offer nutritional guidelines to all of my San Diego personal training clients and individualized nutrition plans to those who need the extra support. Unfortunately, sometimes the need for help is beyond my realm of expertise.

I look at eating as the classic angel on one shoulder, devil on the other scenario. Before every meal, you have the opportunity to make a wise, healthful decision or a disastrous life-shortening one. Put simply in writing it is obvious which choice you would make, but come meal time impulse can override any good intentions.

The best advice that I can give is to stay true to your beliefs. If you’ve recently embarked upon a new health and wellness routine you know that it’s never going to be easy, but if you keep giving in to unhealthy temptations you will never win the weight loss battle. If you allow yourself to change, it can be as easy as flipping a switch if you choose to eliminate unhealthy foods and patterns from your life. Make a choice and stick with it.

Food is not an emotional healer. Food can however act as a destructive enabler.

Committed to Your Health,
Nikol Klein
www.nikolklein.com

Posted in fitness, nutrition, personal training, weight loss

Leave a Comment

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Eating Made Simple

Mar 25

Posted by

Eating Made Simple- For the Working Woman

If you are like most San Diego Women these days you work, take care of the kids, enjoy the company of friends, travel or all of the above. We all know that eating healthy is about planning and preparation. Not all of us have the time to prepare a healthy meal each night, so we often fall short of our nutrition goals by eating out. The following is an idea that I have developed to help you set up an entire week of healthy eating in advance! It’s called the Sunday Pre-Pack.

The Sunday Pre-Pack is setting aside 3 hours or so every Sunday to write out your menu for the week, shop for the week, and prepare your meals for the week.  Once you have decided which meals you will be having (your trainer can help you with this), hit the grocery store. Make sure you get enough because this grocery list will have to cover 7 days. When you return home, start cooking!

Lunch, daytime snacks, and shakes often present the most problems, so they should definitely be made in advance. You can cook all of the meat and chop up all of the fruits and veggies that you will need for those meals on Sunday. Have them ready in storage containers so that you can grab them in the morning before heading out to work regardless of the kind of day your boss may have in store for you.

If you don’t have a blender set up at work, check out hand held blenders like The Magic Bullet. This way you can make your protein shakes on-the-go. If this isn’t ideal, you can even pre blend your shakes at home and store them in the fridge at work.

The Sunday Pre-Pack will ensure that you do not go hungry or skip meals during the day. With a few hours of preparation and careful planning you will be sure to reach your weight loss goals!

Posted in weight loss

Leave a Comment

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

New Years Fitness Resolutions

Head out for a run with friends to stay on track.

Every year, Millions of people dash to the gym on January 2 in hopes of making a fresh start and fulfilling a New Years fitness goal.  The truth is that most of these people will fail at their resolutions, giving up after only a month.  Change is never easy, but with simple goal planning, you’ll have no more room for excuses.  Change starts with your commitment to yourself!

Here are a few tips to help you keep moving forward;

1.)  Choose an attainable goal. Start with something realistic.  For example; starting a consistent gym routine 3 days a week, or lose 5 pounds by the end of the month.  Let’s face it, we can’t all attain the body of a female model, so there is no reason to create that kind of goal for ourselves.
Start simple.

2.) Write your ideas down. Yes, keep a journal.  Write out your goals, and make sure that you note your progress.  When you take time to really write out what you want, the more it will solidify in your mind.  Also keep a training journal to record what you do in the gym each and every time you are there.  Or use one of the workout cards that we offer here at Fit For Her.

3.) Get a training buddy. Do you know someone else who is in a fitness rut?  Give them a call!  Working out with a partner can be a very productive, motivating way to reach your goals.  Plus, you are more accountable on those days that you might not feel like going to the gym.

4.) Hire a Professional. If you feel that you have done everything you can on your own, and still aren’t seeing results, consult a personal trainer or dietitian.  Sometimes just doing the things that we know or have worked on in the past are not enough.  A personal trainer or dietitian may have new ideas and tips that could make a life-changing difference to get you out of your slump.

5.) Never give up. Stay positive.  It may take some time to attain your goal, and there will be a few bumps in the road.   Change takes patience.  No results are immediate.  It will take 6-12 weeks to start seeing results.

5.) Join a Boot Camp. A group setting can be very motivating and fun! Try out your local Boot Camp. Most Boot Camps offer free sessions to first time clients.

This year, break the mold by following through with your New Year fitness resolutions! With a little motivation, you can achieve anything.

Committed to Your Health,

Nikol Klein, Certified Personal Trainer / Nutritionist

Posted on | Image

Healthy Thanksgiving Tips

Nov 20

Posted by

Thanksgiving is next week, and if you are one of my San Diego Personal Training clients, you don’t want to sabotage all of your hard work. Did you know that the average person consumes over 2000 calories at the Thanksgiving dinner table?

Here are a few tips to keep you on track with your fitness and dietary goals while not depriving yourself of a good Thanksgiving meal!

1.) Eat lots of skinless Turkey- Keep your protein to carbohydrate ratio in check by eating lots of Turkey. Skip the skin which is loaded with fat, sodium, and cholesterol though.

2.) Don’t wait all day to eat- A lot of people hold out on eating all day for Thanksgiving dinner. If you eat a good breakfast and lunch before Thanksgiving dinner, you will be less likely to overeat.

3.) Portion sizes- If you want to try all of the delicious dishes at the table, stick to smaller portions.

4.) Skip Seconds- If you have eaten well throughout the day and have a good ratio of protein to carbohydrates on your plate, you shouldn’t need a second serving. Resist the temptation.

5.) Up your water intake- Chances are you may be having an adult beverage with your meal. To even out the effects of alcohol and to avoid a second glass, make sure you are drinking plenty of water during your meal.

By practicing these healthy Thanksgiving tips, you should stay slim through the holidays. Next challenge…Christmas!

Posted in fitness, nutrition, weight loss

Leave a Comment

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

← Older Posts
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 3,708 other followers