Shape up with Sherri

You now have all components for a toned and strong core!

2010-05-14T13:53:00.000-07:00

Dear clients, friends and family,

Here is your final Day Six of your 6-Day Core Conditioning program. You now have all all critical components of a solid core conditioning program with movements and exercises in a variety of planes and angles. As a reminder, your core is not just your abdominal region. It includes all layers of the abdominal musculature (deep and superficial including the external/internal obliques, rectus abdominus and transverse abdominus), the muscles surrounding the spine on the posterior side of the body, the hips and glutes, and the pelvic area. This program will hit everything!

A strong core provides strength that radiates out to the rest of your body so you can move with more grace, power, efficiency and be less likely to get injured.

Day Six Exercises include:

• Full sit –up (ascending reps)
• Holding V-sit
• Holding V-sit with Rotation
• Extension up and forward fold

Note: Today's program is hard-core so take as many breaks as needed and be sure to modify any movements that don't feel great on your body.

Here's the video clip so you can follow along.

Here's a direct link if you can't see the video above...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJvGS6SYbz4

My suggestion is to complete Day One program on Monday, Day Two on Tuesday and so on. Then take one day rest and repeat the sequence the following week. All you need is about 5 minutes or so every day to really challenge your core from all angles. Follow the program for about 6 weeks and email me your results. A strong and toned core is the ultimate goal!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Core Conditioning Combo #5 - Follow the whole program to a 6-pack!

2010-05-10T17:02:00.000-07:00

Dear clients, friends and family,

Here is Day Five of your Core Conditioning program. By the end of this week, you will have all 6 days of your Core Conditioning program! Hopefully, you have mastered Days One-Four and are ready for some new exercises. Practice these and Day Six will come on Friday.

This 6-day program will address all critical core components and include movements and exercises in a variety of planes and angles. As a reminder, your core is not just your abdominal region. It includes all layers of the abdominal musculature (deep and superficial including the external/internal obliques, rectus abdominus and transverse abdominus), the muscles surrounding the spine on the posterior side of the body, the hips and glutes, and the pelvic area. This program will hit everything!

A strong core provides strength that radiates out to the rest of your body and you will move with more grace, power, efficiency and be less likely to get injured.

Day Five Exercises include:

• Bicycle Crunch
• Alternating Leg Lowers
• Straight Leg Extension Crunches
• Dead bug (Arm and Leg extensions)

Here's the video clip so you can follow along.

Here's a direct link if you can't see the video above...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkE4pbY6D_g

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

ps. Practice these moves as well as Day 1-4 over the next few days and stay tuned for Day 6 coming on Friday.

Important exercises if you sit at a computer or desk all day!

2010-05-07T08:47:00.000-07:00

Dear clients, friends and family,

Here is Day Four of your Core Conditioning program. This circuit is especially important for those of you who work at a computer or desk all day. It will help to improve your posture, elongate your spine and work those weaker posterior muscle groups. Hopefully, you have mastered Day One, Two and Three and are ready for some new exercises. Practice these and Day Five will come on Monday.

By the end of next week you will have your complete Six Day Core Conditioning workout. This program will address all critical core components and include movements and exercises in a variety of planes and angles. As a reminder, your core is not just your abdominal region. It includes all layers of the abdominal musculature (deep and superficial including the external/internal obliques, rectus abdominus and transverse abdominus), the muscles surrounding the spine on the posterior side of the body, the hips and glutes, and the pelvic area.

Remember, when you have a strong core, that strength radiates out to the rest of your body and you will move with more grace, power, efficiency and be less likely to get injured.

Day Three Exercises include:

• Back extension breaststroke
• Reverse back extension Leg Lifts
• Plank on elbows for 15-30 seconds
• Child’s Pose for 15-30 seconds

Here's the video clip so you can follow along.

Here's a direct link if you can't see the video above...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D78oDg1uPAo

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

ps. Practice these moves as well as Day One, Two and Three over the next few days and stay tuned for Day 5 coming on Friday.

More Core Conditioning Exercises!

2010-05-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

Dear clients, friends and family,

Here is Day Three of your Core Conditioning program. Hopefully, you have mastered Day One and Two and are ready for some new exercises. Practice these and Day Four will come on Friday.

This 6 day core conditioning program will address all critical core components and include movements and exercises in a variety of planes and angles. As a reminder, your core is not just your abdominal region. It includes all layers of the abdominal musculature (deep and superficial including the external/internal obliques, rectus abdominus and transverse abdominus), the muscles surrounding the spine on the posterior side of the body, the hips and glutes, and the pelvic area.

Remember, when you have a strong core, that strength radiates out to the rest of your body and you will move with more grace, power, efficiency and be less likely to get injured.

Day Three Exercises include:

• Side Leg Lifts
• 4 part Leg Lifts
• Double Leg Lifts
• Hold Top Leg, Lift bottom leg
• Side Plank – hold for 30-60 seconds

Here's the video clip so you can follow along.

Here's a direct link if you can't see the video above...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbOyb5mMQE4

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

ps. Practice these moves as well as Day One and Two over the next few days and stay tuned for Day 4 coming on Friday.

As promised, here is Day Two of your Core Conditioning program

2010-04-30T12:45:00.000-07:00

Dear clients, friends and family,

As promised, here is Day Two of the Core Conditioning program. Hopefully, you have mastered Day One and are ready for some new exercises. Practice these and Day Three will come on Monday.

As a reminder, your core is not just your abdominal region. It includes all layers of the abdominal musculature (deep and superficial including the external/internal obliques, rectus abdominus and transverse abdominus), the muscles surrounding the spine on the posterior side of the body, the hips and glutes, and the pelvic area. So this 6 day core conditioning program will address all of these areas and include movements and exercises in a variety of planes and angles.

Remember, when you have a strong core, that strength radiates out to the rest of your body and you will move with more grace, power, efficiency and be less likely to get injured.

Day Two Exercises include:

• Bridging – variable contractile speeds
• Alternating Oblique Crunch
• Hinge Crunch
• Torso rotation knee drops side to side

Here's the video clip so you can follow along.

Here's a direct link if you can't see the video above...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXeUX47GL50

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

ps. Practice these moves over the next few days and stay tuned for Day 3 coming on Monday.

Core Conditioning Combo #1 - Follow the video & just give me 5 minutes!

2010-04-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

Dear clients, friends and family,

I bet there's one thing we all have in common and that is the desire to look and feel our best. And in my experience, most people would love to have a flat, toned, rock hard abdominal region. But abdominal conditioning is about more than just vanity. When you have a strong core, that strength radiates out to the rest of your body and you will move with more grace, power, efficiency and be less likely to get injured.

It's important to note that your core is not just the abdominal region. It includes all layers of the abdominal musculature (deep and superficial including the external/internal obliques, rectus abdominus and transverse abdominus), the muscles surrounding the spine on the posterior side of the body, the hips and glutes, and the pelvic area. So a solid core conditioning program will address all of these areas and include movements and exercises in a variety of planes and angles.

I've designed a 6 day Core Conditioning program. You will complete one circuit each day for six days and each day will require about 5 minutes of your time. Then you rest on the 7th day! By following this program, you will hit all the important areas and movements each week.

So here's how I'm going to do this. I'll send you 2 circuits each week - one early in the week and then one late in the week. That will give you some time to practice all of the movements. So you'll get each of the 6 days over the next 3 weeks. Then once you have all 6 days, you'll start the 6 day program and follow it for 6 weeks. That will bring you right to the start of summer. Can you imagine how incredible your abs will look by then?! Just remember to follow a good nutrition and cardio program too for the best results!

Day One Exercises include:

• 90/90 Leg extensions
• 90/90 Crunches
• 90/90 Torso rotations
• 90/90 Reverse lift

Here's the video clip so you can follow along.

Here's a direct link if you can't see the video above...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VyjnSpgKPc

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

ps. Practice these moves over the next few days and stay tuned for Day 2 coming on Friday.

Change your Program & Change your Body!

2010-04-23T16:10:00.000-07:00

Dear clients, friends and family,

If you really want to change your body, you've got to change your program and mix it up. And now that summer is upon us, it's the best opportunity to spice up your program. Do something different. Enroll in a new activity. Sign up for an event like a Triathlon, 10km Fun run or Adventure Trek. Try a new class. Hire a trainer. Just commit to doing something different.

Since the warmer weather is upon us, it's a really good opportunity to also ensure you're getting outdoors for some of your workouts. Take up cycling. Try an Outdoor Bootcamp program. Go kayaking. Get yourself some Vitamin D and get outside of the four walls of a gym. The fresh air will do you some good.

For those of you who are local, our new Group class schedule starts May 1st. We're offering some really fun new classes including some Outdoor Bootcamp programs. Plus you can still drop in for our Learn to Run or Triathlon programs. Call us at 360.574.7292 or 503.287.0655 for more details.

Here's the link to our new schedules that begin May 1st. Best advice we can give you is to schedule your workouts into your dayplanner - always carve the time out for yourself first!

http://www.nwpersonaltraining.com/subs/services/group_training.php

Here's a link to the list of upcoming summer adventures we're hosting. Tons of fun stuff going on and we'd love for you to join us!

http://www.nwpersonaltraining.com/subs/events/events.php?event_type=upcoming

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

'Bring your Child to Work-out Day!" THIS Thursday!

2010-04-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

Dear clients, friends and family,

Thursday is National 'Bring your Child to Work Day'. We hope you take a different spin on it and "Bring your Child to Work-out Day!"

If you workout with us in Portland or Vancouver, we're hosting a special parent and kids workout day. Take your child to a class with you or bring them to your personal training session. It will be a great bonding experience and an opportunity to teach them to love to move their body! If you don't workout with us, check with your gym to make arrangements.

Bottom line - These days kids hardly get any activity. Most schoolwork involves sedentary activity and with television and video games as after-school pastimes, the temptation to sink into couch potato-land becomes pretty overwhelming for our kids. Check out these startling stats:

• Children today are approximately 40% less active than they were 30 years ago
• 20% of children and teens are overweight enough to threaten their future health
• One report states that the number of overweight children ages 6-11 has increased by 50% in the last 15 years and by 40% in those ages 12-17. Lack of exercise is considered a major contributing factor
• 40% of children already have at least one risk factor for heart disease and reduced fitness due to an inactive lifestyle
• Children spend an average of 26 hours a week watching television and also spend 25-30 hours a week sitting behind a desk

Here’s some goals you should strive for. The American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for exercise and children are as follows:

• Children should be involved in daily physical activity like walking or cycling around the neighborhood, performing household chores or running errands
• Children should exercise three times a week for at least 20 minutes with activities that require moderate to vigorous levels of exertion, like brisk walking, stair-climbing, racquet sports, jogging, dance, swimming laps, skating, cross-country skiing or cycling.
• For most children, it’s fine to do 15-20 minutes of resistance or strength training sessions twice a week using higher repetitions (25 reps) and lower resistance as long as there’s proper instruction and supervision
• Children should stretch on alternative days for 60 seconds each stretch
• Vary the activities to work different parts of the body
• Involve children in deciding what to do

Kids who exercise can experience the following benefits:
• Daily physical activity builds a healthy heart and stimulates muscle and bone growth
• Healthy, fit kids have more energy, sleep better and often have better eating habits than their sedentary peers
• One six year study found that the academic performance of students who exercised regularly had significantly improved compared to students who did not participate in regular physical activity
• It appears that children benefit from better concentration, memory, creativity, problem-solving ability and overall mood for up to two hours following exercise
• One report states that exercise can boost a child’s self-confidence and self-image. It also reduces aggression and decreases anxiety and depression.

Let's start 'em young folks!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Why are Americans the Fattest Country in the World?

2010-04-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
The Japanese drink very little red wine & suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
The Italians drink excessive red wine & suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
The Germans drink a lot of beer & eat lots of sausages and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

Conclusion: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you…

Ha ha! In all seriousness Americans work the longest hours, are the most stressed out and take the fewest holidays in the world. So use this as a reminder that we need balance in our lives. It's all about the yin & yang. You can't go hard all the time because eventually you burn out.

Take a moment to just breathe. Breathe deeply. A deep cleansing breath bringing positive energy into your body. Oxygenate your entire system. That in and of itself brings forth great health benefits.

You know best what will help to relax you and counter any life stressors. Maybe it's a bath, reading, getting a massage, hanging with your friends, going to a movie, taking a holiday, meditating, taking a yoga class, praying...Whatever it is - just do it. Your health depends on it!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Have you ever wanted to finish a Tri?

2010-04-12T08:02:00.000-07:00

Dear clients, friends and family,

Have you ever wanted to finish a Triathlon?! Well, if there is a will, there is a way! I've had 100% success ratio with anyone ever wanting to finish a Tri - I can definitely get you to the finish line. Don't swim? No problem. You can side stroke, back float or doggie paddle to the swim finish. Don't run? No problem. You can walk the whole thing!

Our Group Training clinic starts this Saturday at our Vancouver Training studio at 9:00am. Call 360.574.7292 to register. The cost is $199 and includes the cost of the actual Triathlon ($70) so it's a great deal. The group support is fabulous. If you can't join us but want to follow along on your own, email me at sherri@nwpersonaltraining.com and I'll send you a copy of the training program that we will be following.

It's a fabulous way to get in shape for summer, take your fitness to a whole new level and get super toned and fit!

Happy Swimming, Biking & Running,

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Learn to Run and then Jump out of a Plane??!!

2010-03-22T15:44:00.000-07:00

Dear clients, friends and family,

Spring has arrived! As the days get longer and warmer, we typically want to spend more time outdoors. It's also a time of year when many people get inspired to start taking better care of themselves - especially with summer and swimsuit season just around the corner!

Many people will start a running program to help jump-start them into shape. However, most new running programs don't last very long because people wind up getting injured because they've done too much, too soon. So I wanted to pass along a good Learn to Run program that will ease your body into the impact forces associated with running.

Follow this program 3x/week on alternating days.

Week One: (Run 1 min. Walk 4 min) x 4 = 20 minute workout
Week Two: (Run 2 min. Walk 3 min) x 5 = 25 minute workout
Week Three: (Run 3 min. Walk 2 min) x 6 = 30 minute workout
Week Four: (Run 4 min. Walk 1 min) x 6 = 30 minute workout
Week Five: (Run 5 min. Walk 1 min) x 5 = 30 minute workout
Week Six: (Run 6 min. Walk 1 min) x 5 = 35 minute workout
Week Seven: (Run 7 min. Walk 1 min) x 5 = 40 minute workout
Week Eight: (Run 8 min. Walk 1 min) x 5 = 45 minute workout
Week Nine: (Run 9 min. Walk 1 min) x 5 = 50 minute workout
Week Ten: (Run 10 min. Walk 1 min) x 5 = 55 minute workout

This program will get you in great shape and prepare you to run a 3 mile run by summer!

Note: We are also starting a Learn to Run program at the end of this month at both our Vancouver and Portland locations. Nothing like a group to keep you accountable and get you to the finish line! Call 360.574.7292 or 503.287.0655 for more details or to register.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

ps. Have you ever wanted to jump out of a plane? I'm tandem skydiving this Saturday March 27th in Molalla Oregon. The cost is $180 per person and I'm freaked out so the more people there to do it with me, the better! If you're interested, email me at sherri@nwpersonaltraining.com

Exercise isn't supposed to be painful!

2010-03-09T11:12:00.000-08:00

Dear clients, friends and family,

An effective exercise program does not need to be painful. In fact, there is no study to date that has found extreme muscle soreness indicates a good workout and yet, so many people gauge the intensity of a workout by how stiff they are the next day.

Most of us have experienced muscle soreness. Remember the feeling after your first day of skiing, your first spring run or your first fitness class? This sensation is referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) because it takes about 1-3 days after the workout for the stiffness to kick in. The severity of DOMS is dependent on the novelty and intensity of the activity. So if you participate in a new sport and you go really hard, expect to be very stiff. Even if you are really fit, if you do something your body isn’t used to, you’ll probably pay for it unless you take it easy.

The message is, if you’re training appropriately, there’s no need to be extremely sore. It’s OK to think “Hey, my muscles feel like they had a great workout yesterday.” However, if you have a problem getting out of a chair, walking or even just moving, you’re training too hard - and not very sensibly. Calling in sick for work because you worked out too hard the previous day is not going to make your company very happy or get you the results you want!

While lifting weights you will experience muscular fatigue, a slight discomfort and a temporary “burning” sensation at the end of a set that goes away as soon as the set is finished. During cardiovascular exercise like running, cycling or fitness classes, your heart will be beating more quickly, you will be breathing heavier and you may feel fatigued at different points of your workout. These sensations are all normal.

However, during exercise, you should not feel sharp pain. This is not normal and you should stop the exercise immediately and consult a sports physician or physiotherapist. The key to exercising safely is being able to distinguish between muscular fatigue and pain.

To reduce the likelihood of extreme muscle soreness, always warm up, cool down and stretch. If you are participating in a brand new sport or activity, progress very slowly. Don’t go hard on your first day. Give your body a few workouts to adjust and then gradually pick up the intensity. For example, if it’s your first day of biking, choose a flat route, take lots of breaks and go for only a short ride.

Once you’ve established a consistent exercise routine, there are no extra health benefits from pushing yourself to be extremely sore. Pain is a warning signal that you have done too much, too soon.

If you do find yourself suffering from DOMS, back off on the intensity of your program and progress more slowly.

“No pain, no gain” is a myth. Pain is not necessary and may in fact be detrimental to improving your fitness and getting results.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

When is the best time to do abdominal exercises?

2010-03-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

Is it better to do abdominal exercises before or after a workout? A.M., Vancouver, WA

Actually, there are pros and cons to both. Performing abdominal exercises before a workout will help to warm-up and prepare the core/abdominal muscles for the actual workout which will involve these muscles in some manner. However, you must be careful not to overly fatigue these important muscles prior to exercise as they are the spine and pelvis support network. If totally fatigued for example, prior to a loaded back squat and/or deadlift, poor form and injury may result. So if you do your abdominal exercises before your workout, you would want to take it easy and train at a sub-maximal level for the rest of your workout.

If you wait to perform your abdominal exercises at the end of the workout, you can train them more aggressively because you won't have to worry about the over-fatigued state as we mentioned above.

You can even perform abdominal exercises during a workout in between exercise sets so long as the intensity does not exhaust the abdominal muscles and compromise the quality and/or safety of any of the other exercises in the workout. For example, sometimes a workout circuit I will follow will be a lower body exercise, upper body exercise and then a core exercise and repeat this template with different exercises each time through.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

ps. Join us for March Muddy Madness on Sunday March 21st.

http://www.nwpersonaltraining.com/subs/events/event_details.php?event_id=67

Use your head to get results...

2010-02-15T10:31:00.000-08:00

Did you know that Neuromuscular Facilitation can really make your workouts a lot more effective? Neuromuscular what? Neuromuscular facilitation is just a fancy term for Muscle Smart or teaching your muscles to contract more effectively. You see, your muscles are under direct control from your nervous system. In order for your muscles to work, a nerve stimulus must arrive at the muscle which will cause it to contract. So the coordination between your muscles and your neurological system is critical to maximize any movement or exercise.

Studies demonstrate that most strength gains that occur in the first month of someone starting a new weight lifting program are a result of this phenomena. It has been coined the “Learning Effect” and occurs as the nervous and muscular system learn to work together as a team.

This muscle-nerve relationship can be used to your advantage to maximize the effectiveness of your workouts. A number of studies have been done to measure this effect. One study had it subjects perform a number of standard weight lifting exercises. The subjects were hooked up to EMG’s to measure muscle activity as the exercises were performed. Stage two of the study had the subjects perform the exact same exercises with the same speed and same resistance so that they mimicked the first stage exactly. The only difference was that the second time around they had the subjects really focus on what they were doing. They had them concentrate on contracting the muscles that were supposed to be working in each exercise. Basically, they had them put their mind into it. In this second stage, the amount of measured muscle activity significantly increased. So the message is clear - the mind-body connection is critical to maximize the work a muscle will do.

On a practical level, what does this mean for your workouts? There are definitely some exercises you can dissociate from. For example, you can get up on a treadmill, plug in an 8 minute mile and then allow yourself to think about your day or read a magazine or watch TV. You will burn the same amount of calories whether you focus or not. But, with weight lifting, focus is critical. We sometimes see exercisers sitting on a leg press machine reading a magazine and just going through the motions. We feel obliged to tell them that if they put down the magazine and focused, every rep and set would be so much more effective and they’d see results much more quickly. A lot of exercisers would find that if they just concentrated while they were performing the movements, they wouldn’t have to do 2-3 sets of each exercise. If it’s a really good set, one set is often enough. Wouldn’t you rather get the same results in a shorter period of time? Would you rather spend 40 minutes or 2 hours in the weight room? Think of all the extra time you’d have if your workouts were more efficient!

An understanding of this entire mind-body scope has taken on a whole new level of interest. A lot of coaches are realizing that on any given day, there are a number of athletes who could possibly win an event. The one who stands on top of the podium, generally is not the one who is the most fit or talented but the one who tapped into the enormous amount of strength stored inside of our bodies. This untapped strength is only accessible if the mind can overcome any limitations or barriers. For example, did you know that it was once thought that a 4-minute mile was humanly impossible? It wasn’t until that barrier was broken that others were able to tap into the strength that was always there. Within one year, another 5-6 people broke the 4 minute barrier and within another year, another 50!

We would literally astound ourselves if we actually learned to really effectively coordinate the brain and the body. Our physical capabilities would be phenomenal. So although you may not be gearing up for a 4-minute mile, learning to use your brain during your workouts will definitely take them to the next level.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Is it best to do cardio before or after a weight lifting workout?

2010-02-12T05:16:00.000-08:00

Dear clients, friends and family,

I get this question asked all the time...

Is it best to do cardio before or after a weight lifting workout?

It's actually best to mix up the sequence of your routine during your weekly
regime. For example, if you always do your cardio exercise first, next
workout do a brief warm-up, then do your muscle conditioning exercises and
then finish with your cardio. Then next workout, do your cardio first and
muscle conditioning last. It will be a completely different workout and a
new stimulus for your muscles and your heart.

Or intersperse cardio intervals within your muscle conditioning session for a killer workout. For example, you could do a Lower Body exercise, then an upper body exercise, then a core conditioning exercise and then a 3 minute cardio interval. Repeat again with different exercises.

With that said, if your primary goal is muscle conditioning and developing muscle tone/bulk, you may want to do your muscle conditioning first when you have the most energy and strength so you can really focus on this area. And vice versa if your focus is on cardio conditioning.

Hope that gives you some direction to your workouts!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

ps. Happy Valentine's Day - Remember to give Fitness not Fatness for V-Day. And if you do indulge this weekend, be sure to get your workouts in! It's all about balance!

Important Tips for Indoor Cardio Training

2010-02-08T11:09:00.000-08:00

Dear clients, friends and family,

Since the weather in most of the country requires many of us to be exercising indoors at this time of year, I thought I'd provide some tips on Indoor Cardio training. I hope this gives you some good ideas.

• The American College of Sports Medicine recommends a frequency of 3-5 cardio workouts per week, a duration of 20-60 minutes and an intensity of 60-90% of your maximum heart rate each week to maximize cardiovascular fitness. Investing in a heart rate monitor will definitely keep you honest!

• If you are using indoor cardiovascular machines, try staying on the same machine for only about 10-15 minutes and jumping from machine to machine instead of staying on the same machine for extended periods of time. This will create better muscle balance. It's better for someone to spend 10 minutes on each of the stairmaster, rowing machine, bike, treadmill and elliptical rather than spend 50 minutes just on the stairmaster. If you are using the same machine or performing the same activity all the time, the muscles targeted with this exercise will continue to get fitter but the other neglected muscles will get weaker and muscle imbalances are sure to surface. By varying your machines you will develop a more overall toned physique and reduce your risk for repetitive stress-type injuries. And finally, mixing up your indoor machines will also help to prevent boredom. Most exercisers have no difficulty going for a 2 hour bike ride outside but after 10 minutes on a stationary bike you start to go stir-crazy!

• It doesn’t matter what machine you’re on, it’s imperative that you maintain proper posture. This includes contracting your abdominals to stabilize your spine and maintaining proper alignment by lifting up and out through your chest and keeping your shoulders back.

• Most indoor machines offer a variety of program options. Try to avoid getting into the habit of always punching in the same program and the same level each time you workout on a machine. Mix it up. One workout try the steady climb program and the next time, try the intervals. Then go for the hill or the random program. Each program will challenge your body in a different way.

Treadmill Tips:
• Make it a goal to not hold onto the rails while jogging or walking. Instead, use your muscles to balance and support your body.
• Keep your abdominals contracted, look forward and avoid swinging your arms side-to-side and crossing the mid-line of your body.
• Once a month, try a time-trial workout. Program in a distance like 5km (3miles) and record how long it takes you to complete. Next month, try it again and this time try to go a little faster. As you get fitter, you should be able to perform the same distance in a shorter period of time.

Eliptical Trainer Tips:
• If your Eliptical does not have poles, do not lean onto the rails. Instead, develop the balance and stability to use the machine without holding on. Pump your arms just like you were running.
• While exercising, make sure that you're knee caps always point forwards. Avoid allowing your knees to collapse inwards.
• While exercising, try to keep the weight of your body distributed evenly on all 4 corners of your feet. Avoid allowing your arches to collapse inwards - avoid pronating.
• Once a month, try this workout test. Program in a 10 minute manual workout. Record how far (in miles or kilometers or steps climbed) you get at the completion. Next month, try it again and this time try to go a little farther in the 10 minute time-frame. As you get fitter, you should be able to go further and further in 10 minutes.

Stairmaster Tips:
• Do not hold onto the rails while on the stairmaster. Most people hold on for dear life and take fast, choppy little steps. This technique is very ineffective at burning calories and maximizing fitness goals. Most of you will find that you’ll have to reduce the level you normally perform at once you let go of the rails, because your muscles will have to work so much harder to support your body weight. This increased intensity will get you results much more quickly and you’ll find you’ll also develop good balance and stability.
• The next important tip is to make sure that your steps are not too shallow. Think about the height of a step you would take while walking up the stairs and strive for this. Remember to work through the full range of motion. Tiny, fast steps are not effectively engaging the lower body muscles and instead, using a lot of momentum.
• Try not holding onto the rails for 40 seconds and then holding on for 20 seconds. Do this for 10 minutes.

Recumbent Bike Tips:
• The most common error with technique on a bike is seat adjustment. It’s important to position the seat so that you are positioned neither too far back or too close. When the leg is in a fully extended position, you should only have a slight bend in the knee. Make sure your knee is not maintaining a large bend throughout the entire cycle and vice versa, make sure that the seat isn't positioned so far away that you have to rotate your hips to spin.
• Because you're reclined back, it's easy to slouch while riding. Remember to keep upright posture throughout the entire workout. Keep your abdominals contracted inwards, your chest lifted and shoulders back.
• Program in a hill workout and try to keep your RPM’s (how many times your legs cycle in a minute) constant even while climbing the hilly parts of the program. This will be a leg-burner!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Vegan Challenge is over!

2010-02-04T09:45:00.001-08:00

Dear clients, friends and family,

Well, I did it. One full month of no meat, dairy or eggs. I honestly didn't want to do the challenge but it's amazing what a little peer pressure will make you do. And I'm super glad I did it. Here's the final assessment and what I learned...

1. I now have a huge respect for anyone who is Vegan. In order to be Vegan you have to be extremely disciplined. It was tough to sometimes say no when I wanted to say yes and I only did it for a month. If someone makes this choice for their lifetime, I can only respect their decision and be in awe of their will power.

2. I lost a total of 4.5 pounds on the Vegan challenge. Starting this challenge, I literally thought that I was going to lose huge amounts of weight and waste away to nothing. But fortunately, I figured out foods that I enjoyed that filled me up and gave me the energy I needed to maintain my exercise and lifestyle. The good news is that if someone's goal was to lose weight, I lost about a pound a week which is actually a really healthy and more permanent way to lose weight. The 'Biggest Loser' type losses of 10-25 pounds a week are crazy and a very short term approach with negative long term ramifications.

3. I have been introduced to a lot of amazing new foods. I actually really like Shredded Tofu cheese, Tofu Cream Cheese, Soy Chocolate pudding and Soy Ice Cream. I will continue to buy these products. I also now love Quinoa pasta - yummy! There are new brands of food that I really enjoy like the "Imagine" Soups. I've always used Rice Milk so I'll continue with that.

4. I now eat a lot more Organic fruits and veggies - a very, very good thing.

5. I can't wait to eat my veggies with Ranch dressing again. I did not like the Soy Ranch dressing - but that could have been because I had to make it myself. So perhaps more a testimony to my skills in the kitchen! Gross! Jackson tried it and gagged!

6. Eating out was super hard so I found I didn't eat out as much as usual on this challenge. So I actually saved some money this month! That was a nice added perk!

7. My energy was great on this diet. The intensity of my workouts didn't suffer at all even though my diet was so restrictive so that was a big suprise. I've been on other diets that have caused me to lose a lot of weight but I felt horrible and my workouts really suffered.

8. I didn't get sick at all during this challenge and there have been plenty of people around me sick so I've definitely been exposed to illness. So overall, I felt great on this type of diet.

So now what? Well, I don't think I'll be able to call myself a true Vegan. I think I'll be an 80/20 Vegan. I'll probably have a burger every once in a while. When I eat out, I'll probably have some dishes with cheese and meat. But for the majority of the time, I think this is a super healthy way to eat for me.

Overall, this was a fabulous challenge and I want to thank Ted, Derrick and Alison for inspiring me to try it out. It was a great learning experience.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

The problem with nutrition...

2010-01-29T16:23:00.000-08:00

Dear Clients, Friends & Family,

Do you ever feel like this - the more you know, the more you realize you don't know? I often feel like that about nutrition. There is so much information out there and so much conflicting good research that it's sometimes difficult to know exactly what to eat. This poem sums it up...

The Dieter's Lament

Cholesterol is poisonous,
So never, never eat it.
Sugar too, may murder you,
There is no way to beat it.
Fatty foods will do you in;
You just cannot avoid it.
Some foods once had vitamins,
But processing destroyed it.
So let your life be ordered by
Each documented fact,
And die of malnutrition,
But arteries intact!

At the end of the day, use your common sense. Consume a lot of fruits and veggies. Eat organic and non-processed as much as possible. And listen to your body and what it's telling you. If you're looking food, feeling great, have tons of energy and are free of disease and illness, you're probably doing the right things. Bottom line - don't stress out about what you're eating because that's not good for you either!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

My positive and negative report...

2010-01-26T08:22:00.000-08:00

Dear Clients, Friends and Family,

When you have some time, sit down and watch this clip on the keys to living long and healthy. There are some great tips!

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_buettner_how_to_live_to_be_100.html

I also wanted to share some of the resources that many of you have sent to me throughout this Vegan challenge.

http://www.vegcooking.com/

http://www.doctoroz.com/challenge/go-vegan

http://www.oprah.com/food/Tal-Ronnens-Vegetarian-Recipes

http://www.vibrantvegan.com/

One of our clients also suggested a great book 'The Vegan Table' by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

My suggestion would be to create a folder in your inbox titled "Vegan Info" and store this info there for when you may need it.

My personal journey has been interesting.

Positives: Still feeling great despite the diet restrictions. My energy or ability to workout at the intensity I like hasn't been affected. Haven't been sick (knock on wood). And I have been introduced to foods that I really, really like and had it not been for this Vegan challenge, I probably would have never tried these items.

Negatives: Despite the diet restrictions, I've only lost 3 pounds. Just goes to show you, weight loss at the end of the day falls back to calories in vs calories out. And regardless of what you're eating, if you're not burning more than you're eating, you won't lose weight. I burn a lot but I also eat a lot. If I were doing a more strict vegan diet - ie a lot more fruits and veggies and less processed foods - it would be harder to consume a lot of calories and therefore, weight loss would happen more naturally. The difference for me is I have substituted high calorie cheese products with high calorie cheese substitute products - ie Tofu cheese, Soy Sour Cream etc...Fortunately, I only want to lose a few pounds so that's not my primary motivation for trying out this Vegan challenge.

At the very least, my hope is that I've been able to share some ideas that will help each of you strive for your personal best and live your life to the fullest!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Here are lots of great recipes for you...

2010-01-21T20:47:00.000-08:00

Dear clients, friends and family.

Still going strong on the Vegan Challenge...

I have received so many Vegan recipes from all of you and I was thinking that the most efficient way to share that information would be to post these recipes to our Website in our Client Zone. We post various articles on a number of different topics relating to exercise, health, fitness and nutrition. One of the sections is for recipes. You'll find all kinds of ideas for eating healthy in this section - whether you're trying the Vegan challenge or not. It's a great resource for you so be sure to check it out. Remember Knowledge + Action = RESULTS!

http://www.nwpersonaltraining.com/subs/client_zone/articles_faqs.php

I haven't been sharing my daily nutrition lately because I was recognizing that my daily food intake doesn't vary much day to day. But that's just me - I wouldn't necessarily recommend that for everyone. I just keep things in the kitchen pretty simple and consistent. My daily logs weren't providing any additional information that could help you so I decided to cut back the daily reports so I don't overload you.

I did try something new, super easy and yummy today for lunch. So I took a Whole Wheat burrito shell and spread some SoyNut Butter on it and then cut up a banana over top and rolled it up. Loved it and I bet your kids would love it too!

Listen to this interesting workout experiment I tried. Wednesday nights I've been doing Hot Yoga. I weighed myself before the Yoga class and then again after the Yoga class. Guess how many pounds I lost in a 90 minute Yoga class - 3 lbs! Can you believe it?! That's a lot of weight. But it's all water weight and you'll put it right back on again but isn't that fascinating. I do like the heat - but I'm one who is often cold so the heat feels really good to my body. Hot Yoga is definitely not for everyone - people getting dizzy and almost passing out all around me - and that my friends is not healthy!

Stay healthy and happy,

Sherri McMillan

What does our Registered Dietitian eat?

2010-01-18T23:57:00.000-08:00

Dear Clients, Family and Friends,

I wasn't able to blog all weekend...just too busy. After this month, I'll probably drop back to blogging just twice per week. I think that's realistic for me and easier for you to digest too. I attended a Blogging Seminar and they challenged us to blog everyday as the best way to Blog. But for me, I think that's just a little too much. So if I miss, always know it's not because I'm not thinking about you all...

The only really interesting thing about my nutrition plan this weekend was I had 2 glasses of wine on Friday night and 1 glass of wine on Saturday night - still Vegan ;). I'm a light-weight when it comes to alcohol generally anyways, but I noticed I didn't feel so hot the next mornings. I was thinking that perhaps because I've been eating so clean that my body really responded more negatively than usual. It just goes to show you that once you change your nutrition, your body doesn't like it very much if you expose it to junk, toxins or unhealthy choices!

We thought it would be helpful for you to view a daily Vegan meal plan from someone who knows what they're talking about when it comes to nutrition - our Registered Dietitian Alizon Ozgur. Let's see what she's been eating on this Vegan challenge.

Breakfast: quinoa bagel w/ Earth Balance spread, handful of walnuts, pineapple chunks and an orange, coffee w/ vanilla soy creamer

Snack: SO delicious chocolate yogurt (made with coconut milk) - this company is from Eugene

Lunch: Vegetable soup (homemade), banana, iced tea

Snack: Vegan trail mix cookie, Orange

Dinner: Oregon Harvest veggie patty (Chez Gourmet brand from Lake Oswego) edamame salad (Whole Foods) Sourdough baguette

Evening snack: Popcorn (air popped)

Alison was actually featured in the Columbian newspaper today discussing good general nutrition. Check it out below. She is also doing a talk on Turning Back the Clock THIS WEDNESDAY at our Vancouver studio from 7:00-8:30. You can reserve your spot by calling 360.574.7292.

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/jan/18/working-fat-into-fitness-dietician-offers-advice/

Here's my Nutrition plan today:

Breakfast: Organic granola cereal, organic banana, strawberries, organic rice milk

Lunch; Spinach salad with balsamic, Veggie sandwich on WW bread (avocado,spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers)

Snack: Apple

Dinner: Veggies and Hummus, Quinoa pasta with melted Tofu cheese. Side note - Quinoa pasta is my new best friend. Loved it. It tasted like normal pasta, was gluten free and is an excellent source of a complete protein (contains all 9 essential amino acids). You can buy it in the natural or gluten-free section in your grocery store.

Snack: Organic granola cereal, banana, strawberries, Soy yogurt

Exercise: 1 hour Muscle and Cardio

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

The world has turned upside down - the Vegan writes an Anti-Vegan report!

2010-01-14T22:19:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone.

My Inbox is flooded with comments, ideas and tips from all of you. Thank you so much for your insight and I will be sure to share as appropriate! It's so cool that we're all just trying to help each live our best lives! There are so many emails though, I don't know if I'll be able to get it all in before the month is over - but I will try!

Now, you are not going to believe this...Ted, our in-house Vegan, has written an anti-vegan report. Here it is:

Vegan or not Vegan - the argument can go on and on and I am sure it will.

Many scholars and doctors believe one thing, many believe the other and will argue it to their graves.

Just to show how easy it is I will argue against myself.

Arguments against Veganism by Ted
1. Vitamin B12 is necessary and can not be found in plant foods.
2. Historically there has never been a Strict Vegan society.
3. Saturated fat has been given a bad name. Inuit and Native populations have been shown to live very healthy lives on diets rich in saturated fats.
4. There is a symbiotic relationship between man and domesticated farm animals. We feed them, they provide food for plants and become food themselves.
5. There are very healthy nutrients found in meat and dairy when the animals are treated correctly
6. Dr. Weston Prices studies which took place between 1920-1930 showed that populations drinking whole, raw milk and milk products were essentially healthier than their counterparts.
7. If people suffer from conditions such as anemia, a vegan diet lacks iron and may not be ideal.

I think the real attack should not be on Vegan or Not Vegan. It should be on the Standard American Diet AKA S.A.D

Can a Vegan diet be healthy? I believe so. Can a non-Vegan diet be healthy - I also believe so. If you are a Vegan eating processed food, I do not believe that is a better option than a non-vegan eating whole foods, and vice versa.

We all just need to pay attention to what goes into our bodies and how it is not only effecting our health but the health of our planet. Because ultimately they will cross paths.

Ted, well said! Thank you for taking the time to share!

Okay, team, here was my meal plan for the day:

Breakfast: Organic orange, WW bagel with Soy-nut butter and jam

Lunch: Organic, non-dairy Tomoto soup, Toby's Tofu Sandwich, Veggies and Hummus

Dinner: Big Salad - Romaine Lettuce, Peppers, Cucumbers, Tofu Shredded Cheese, Red Tortilla chips smashed up to give it some crunchiness. Megan, are you happy?! Megan is one of my clients who suggested that I needed to eat more greens and salads. When does the client get to tell the trainer how to eat?! ;)

Snack: Tofu ice cream sandwich

Exercise: 35 minute run, 3:34 1000 meter row (Kara, read it and weep!)

Seize the day, not the couch!

xoxo
Sherri McMillan

Read till you get to my rant...

2010-01-13T21:49:00.000-08:00

Hey Team.

Tonight's Blog will get the Anti-Vegans going...notice I'm alternating back and forth between Pro and Anti-Vegan sentiments. Gotta keep it fair! :)

Pro-Vegan Input from Ted Schatz:

While I do respect the point of view of anti-Vegans, there are as many holes in their theories as Swiss cheese. HA - pun intended!

1. Junk food is Junk food -Vegan or not.
2. The small percentage of Vegans and Vegetarians could not possibly have a significant negative environmental impact. The majority of soy grown is not for human consumption at all. IT IS TO FEED LIVESTOCK.
3. Primal Diet. If you are eating a Primal Diet, you would not eat cooked food. Where do you draw the line in history that states this is a Primal diet and this is not? Along the same lines, depending on the line in history, Primal man did not drink milk of other animals and current anthropological studies show that Primal man did not consume large amounts of meat. Yes some, but out of necessity not health.
4. There are plenty of Naturopaths that argue a Vegan diet is healthy.
5. There are plenty of current studies showing that a Vegan diet is healthy when done correctly.
6. The studies most quoted by Anti-Vegans are the Weston Price foundation studies. The original study was done by a Dentist around 1911. There is so much more current research out there.
7. Yes small amounts of meat can be part of a healthy diet. But, there is not a single legit study showing a meat based diet is healthier than a plant based diet.
8. If you kill an animal humanely you still kill something and if it is not necessary, then why?

Thanks for the insight Ted! Remember everyone, all of this is to get us thinking and talking and researching...and most importantly considering what we put into our bodies.

Here's my Food Intake for the Day:

Breakfast: Organic Granola and Almond Cereal & Banana. Plus Bagel with Soynut Butter and Strawberry Jam.

Lunch: Organic Tortilla chips, Organic Black Beans, Tofu Shredded Cheese, Cut up Peppers

Snack: Soy Chocolate Pudding - my new favorite treat

Dinner: Veggies & Hummus, Sandwich (I tried that Toby's Tofu Spread which wasn't too bad and kinda reminded me of Egg Salad), Olives

Snack: Tofu Chocolate Fudgcile

It looks like I had a big sweet tooth today huh?!

Exercise: 55 minute run this morning with a girlfriend. Then tonight I drove across the city to take my 90 minute Hot Yoga class and I was 3 minutes late and they wouldn't let me in. Man, that gets me going! I'm so the opposite in my classes. Hey, if someone makes the effort to get there and they're late - I don't care how late - I want to welcome them and help them feel great about their effort and the fact that something is better than nothing! So instead of doing 87 minutes of Yoga, I got none. That just doesn't make any sense to me. So what if it's a little disruptive to the class if I'm late. Part of the practice of Yoga is your ability to stay focused no matter what distractions, obstacles, pressures, stressors etc come your way. If someone quickly slips into your Yoga class and it really bugs you, man, life is going to be really hard! Okay, I'm ranting...Breathe Sherri Breathe. Maybe this was a lesson for me to learn to just let it go and to go with the flow.

Gotta go to bed! Sleep is critical to health!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

What does Ted eat?

2010-01-12T21:54:00.000-08:00

Dear Clients, Friends and Family,

We thought it would be cool for you to see a Day-in-the-Life of a Vegan, one of our trainers Ted Schatz, who has been living this lifestyle a lot longer than me. I don't want you to think my Vegan diet is 'Ideal' - I'm definitely fumbling along as I try to figure this out and getting tons of great tips from all of you that I want to continue to share over this month. I think it will be very interesting for you to compare the differences in quantity of food intake for Ted compared to me.

So here is Ted's Food Intake for the day. Note, all fruits and veggies for Ted are usually organic.

Breakfast- 2 cups Natures Path Organic Optimum Performance cereal, 2tbs Macnarthas organic almond butter, 1/2 cup Good Karma organic original Rice milk, 2 cups of organic fair trade coffee 4tbs Good Karma Chocolate Rice milk in coffee

Snack- 2 small apples, 1 bannana and 2 clementine oranges

Lunch- Hummus Light Meal / Jeruselum Cafe (1 cup hummus, 3 peices of Pita Bread, Salsa, Red and Green Cabbage)

Snack 2- Small apple, Banana, Handfull Raw almonds

Dinner- Stir fried veggies (Red peppers, Green peppers, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Carrots) 2 cups cooked Organic Jasmine Rice

Dessert- 1/2 cup Luna and Larry's coconut milk Dark Chocolate ice cream

Exercise- 1 hour Indo-Row plus various lifting throughout the day

Okay, now here's my intake for the day:

Breakfast: 1 cup of Organic Granola and Almond Cereal, Rice Milk, Organic banana

Snack: Organic Pear

Lunch: Whole Wheat Burrito - Rice, Beans, Veggies

Snack: Organic Veggies, Organic Tortilla Chips & Hummus

Dinner: Brown Rice, Peppers, Organic Beans and Tofu Cream - This was super simple and actually quite yummy. I got home at 8:15pm and was pretty hungry but I had to get the kids ready for bed so I didn't have a ton of time. I had purchased those Minute Brown Rice Instant Cups and all I had to do was put it in the microwave for 1 minute..hey, it was only a minute and there's really not a ton of other stuff in it. Then I warmed up some beans and cut up some peppers. I mixed it together and started eating it but it was pretty boring and bland even for me. So I grabbed a tablespoon of Tofu Sour Cream and mixed it in and it made the world of difference and instantly became super yummy! Took about 2 minutes to prepare. Quick and easy is key for me!

Desert: Soy Chocolate Pudding. This is my new favorite treat. I like it better than normal Chocolate Pudding! Delicious treat!

Exercise: 30 minute run and 1 hour Muscle/Cardio

I love how there are so many options for Organic Fruits and Veggies now. I shop at Fred Meyers and it seems like just recently the variety of Organic options is so much greater. I want to thank all of you who have been eating and demanding organic from the mainstream grocery stores for a long time because you have paved the way and made it easier for the rest of us. Soon everything will be organic and local will be the norm!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Mess-up #2 - Hey, no one is perfect!

2010-01-11T19:08:00.000-08:00

One week down, 3 to go to determine whether this will be a longer, more life-time commitment.

I've had a few comments regarding my caloric intake and suggesting it might be a little low. Well, put it this way, after one week, I've lost 3 pounds so I'm definitely in a deficit. A healthy, long-term weight loss approach is about 1-2 pounds per week so I'm close. One of the ways I gauge appropriate intake is how I feel. And so far I feel great and definitely have the energy for my workouts which is the most important thing for me. Probably where I'm lacking most is my lunches. I'm still trying to figure out what to bring for lunch. Typically I used to eat out most lunches so trying to figure out what to bring from home besides veggies, chips and hummus has been interesting. I'm sure as the month progresses, things will change and I'll get into more of a routine.

Eating out is the most difficult part of a Vegan challenge. In fact, I found out I messed up again. The BOCA Burger that I ate at Red Robin's yesterday that I was so proud of, well, I was informed that it's not a Vegan burger. I even asked and they told me it was Vegan but it's got some cheese in it. Well, here I am showing again how easy it is to screw up and a true example that no one is perfect! In fact, one of our trainers Derrick who is probably the strictest Vegan that I know told me he was eating this one food for a while and then found out it had eggs in it.

If I were to project where this will all finish for me, my guess is, since I'm more like an 80/20 girl, my diet will probably end up being strict Vegan 80% of the time and then living it up the other 20% of the time. We'll see...

My Nutrition for the day:

Breakfast: 1 cup of Organic Granola and Almond cereal + Organic Banana

Snack: Pear

Lunch: Veggies (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, celery) + Tortilla Chips + Hummus

Dinner: 2 Burritos: Whole Wheat shell, Organic Refried Beans, Tofu Shredded Cheese, Tofu Sour Cream and Peppers

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

ps. Remember if you are local, we are going snowshoeing this Sunday. It's going to be a blast and we'd love to get to know you all better.

http://www.nwpersonaltraining.com/subs/events/event_details.php?event_id=98

How do you do Vegan at Red Robins?

2010-01-10T21:31:00.000-08:00

Dear clients, friends and family,

I hope you had a fabulous weekend. Here's the report for the day.

Pre-run: 1/2 a grapefruit

Breakfast: Organic granola and almond cereal with rice milk & Organic banana.

Snack: 1/2 a bagel with tofu cream cheese

Lunch at Red Robins: This was the biggest obstacle to see if I am really able to commit to this Vegan challenge for a whole month. I love a Red Robin Hamburger so I was definitely tempted but I really wanted to stick with it. So I ordered a salad with Italian dressing & a BOCA Veggie Burger. While it wasn't as good as the normal burger, it definitely provided the same type of sensation of eating a burger and was a great substitute. It was actually a little spicy for me - my mouth was on fire for a while but I'm a little sensitive to spicy foods. I'm not sure if it was the Burger itself or something they put on it. I left Red Robin's feeling pretty successful - especially because I didn't even have one Red Robin fry. Now that is quite the accomplishment!

Dinner: Surprisingly I was still full at dinner time from the Veggie burger so I didn't feel like eating anything substantial. So I ate 2 vegan chocolate/coconut cookies and that satisfied me for the rest of the night. Wasn't the healthiest dinner but I just wasn't hungry which is really weird for me.

Exercise: 30 minute run

Monday is the start of a new week. Plan to be successful with whatever your goal is!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Negative Comments about a Vegan Diet

2010-01-09T22:06:00.000-08:00

Dear clients, friends & family:

In the spirit of transparency, I wanted you to all know that not everyone believes a Vegan diet is the healthiest choice. I've received a few emails from people who have reported that they have tried a Vegan diet and suffered issues to their skin, hair etc.

The email below from one of our clients expresses this type of concern. Fortunately, I agree with Erica. I think you have to know your body and try different things to figure out what makes you look and feel your best. That's what I'm doing with the Vegan challenge - trying it out for 30 days and seeing how my body responds and providing tips, resources and reporting my findings to all of you. I've done this in the past with various nutrition approaches. I enjoy reading the material and experimenting - I think of it as part of my nutrition education. For example, the South Beach Nutrition plan is very popular. I tried it and although I lost 15 pounds in 2 weeks, I felt horrible with such a low carb approach to my nutrition. I had no energy for my intense workouts and was dragging my butt so it wasn't the approach for me. But there are numerous other people who swear by this nutrition plan. I'm starting to believe that there isn't a One-Size-Fits-All approach to Nutrition. A Vegan Diet may not be for you or me, but trying it out for 30 days will provide a good assessment of how your body responds to this approach. I've received about 50 emails from people who have told me that a Vegan diet significantly improved their health. Vegans are very passionate about their approach to nutrition and have shared lots of great tips that I will pass on to you.

It's interesting to note that Food Inc. the documentary that started our internal challenge does not promote a Vegan Diet - just a local, organic diet as Erica mentions below.

So I will continue to record my progress with the Vegan Diet - both positives and negatives. So far, I've lost 2 pounds and I feel exactly the same as before which is great because I want to keep my energy high. It's been a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. I'm definitely eating a lot more vegetables and beans which has to be a good thing. Whether I will continue after the 30 days - well the jury is still out on that one.

Here's Erica's comments. By the way, I love how Erica can express her opinions and concerns in such a loving and respectful way. Thanks for being such a wonderful woman Erica!

Please don't send me anymore information about vegan diets. I don't feel that you should be sending them to anyone unless they expressly ask for it. The way things are today, telling people about your diet is like telling people about your religion. It's fine to believe what you believe and practice what you practice, but it's not for everyone, and it's best to wait until you're asked to start preaching. As for what doctors have to say about nutrition, I encourage you to visit the website below and see what this nutritional therapist/neurofeedback specialist has to say about the matter.

http://www.primalbody-primalmind.com/

I have my degree in food service & minored in nutrition, and I know very well the implications of a vegan diet. It works for some people, and it can be disastrous for others. Sending out this information as a blanket statement to all people could very well guilt people who need meat to stay healthy into a diet that depletes them of energy and necessary nutrients. As for environmental impacts, the way so many vegans & vegetarians over compensate for the lack of protein with soy & starchy grains is having a crushing effect on the economy, the environment and indigenous cultures who've seen their lands bulldozed for as much for soy & grains as for pastured animals. I know your heart is in the right place, and I work every single day to make conscious choices and reduce my negative impacts on the environment & enhance my health & quality of life. Unfortunately, I am at this point mildly miffed that I turn to your business for improved health, and I'm getting advice that luckily I am smart enough not to take.

I mean no disrespect, I love your gym, and I'm about to have yet a third friend join because I rave about the life changes I've experienced there. Thank you for everything you've done to make it what it is. I just can't handle being challenged to eat a way that goes against everything my body, my naturopath, and my evolutionary history (that I share with you and every woman at the gym) tells me: Eat lots of local plants and local animals that ate the plants they were designed to eat. It's simple enough for me, and that's how I live.

Sincerely & with love,

Erica

Erica, thank you so much for your feedback and insight. It gives everyone something to think about. I'm sure there's lot of people cheering you on!

In honor of sticking to the challenge, here was my food intake for the day. To clarify, I'm not suggesting you follow my meal plan for the day. Just giving you an idea of how I'm approaching this...

Breakfast: 2 organic Flax Waffles and an orange

Snack: Apple and Banana

Lunch: Veggies, Chips & Hummus, Dried Fruit

Dinner: Salad, piece of Bread, Gnocci & Tomato Sauce, Vegan cookie (A huge thank you to Derrick's wife for this delicious treat!)

Exercise: 30 minutes of IndoRowing

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

ps. Snowshoeing is next Sunday January 17th. Join us if you can. Call 360.574.7292 to reserve your space. We are going to have so much fun!

What's the first thing to put into your body every morning?

2010-01-08T22:40:00.000-08:00

Day 5 of the Vegan Challenge

Last night, many of our clients watched Food Inc. and then had a discussion with Alison Ozgur, our registered dietitian and Derrick deLay, one of our trainers. If you haven't watched it yet, it's quite eye-opening and definitely makes you really think about what you put into your body.

Since starting this Vegan Challenge, I've had many people share various tips and recipes for Vegan dishes that I will share with you over the month. I've had a few clients email me about something called "Toby's Tofu Pate", a great alternative to Egg salad. It can be found in the health food section of Fred Meyers, New Seasons, and Whole Foods and is a great quick lunch option. I think I'll pick some up this weekend and try it out.

Here's my Vegan Meal plan for the day:

One thing I wanted to mention is that every morning before I eat anything, I drink between 16-32 ounces of water. It always makes me feel better and feels like a good flush before I start eating anything.

Breakfast: Orange & Bagel with Tofu Cream Cheese (this was my first time trying the Tofu Cream Cheese - and I swear you can't tell the difference)

Lunch: Bean, Rice and Veggie Burrito

Dinner: Veggie Nachos - Nacho chips, organic beans, peppers, tomatoes and Tofu shredded cheese

Exercise: 1 hour Step Cardio + 1 hour Pilates/Yoga

Have a great weekend!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

What does Dr. Dean Ornish say about a Vegan Diet?

2010-01-07T21:38:00.000-08:00

Day 4 of the Vegan Challenge:

Derrick deLay, one of our Vegan Trainers, sent me the following information from Dr. Dean Ornish, one of the world's leading medical doctors specializing in health, fitness, nutrition and the positive effects on cardiovascular disease. He provides some fabulous tips and two yummy recipes for Vegetarian Chili and Pancakes. Enjoy!

http://www.21daykickstart.org/celebrity/ornish/index.cfm

Here's my meal plan for Day 4:

Breakfast: Oatmeal, Organic Banana, Strawberries

Snack: Organic Apple

Lunch: Veggies, 2 Rice Cakes, Red Tortilla chips

Snack: Tortilla chips and Soy Cheese

Dinner: Vegetarian Chili - Yummy and very filling!

I'm not hungry so that's the most important component for me. I need my energy! The only thing I've got to figure out is how to get more protein in my lunches but so far, things are feeling great.

Exercise: 40 minute run

Living Life to the Fullest,

Sherri McMillan

ps. If you're local, join us for our Snowshoeing event next Sunday January 17th. Click on the link for more details. http://www.nwpersonaltraining.com/subs/events/event_details.php?event_id=98

I messed up and it's only Day 3

2010-01-06T21:21:00.000-08:00

Day 3 of the Vegan Challenge

Breakfast - Organic granola and almond cereal, organic banana, strawberries and organic rice milk. Yep, the exact same thing as the last 2 days! Creature of habit.

Snack - Organic Pear

Lunch - Yakisoba noodles and vegetables. This is where I messed up. I was so pleased that I didn't have the chicken and it still tasted so delicious. I was thinking this Vegan thing was pretty easy. Then I found out Yakisoba noodles are made with eggs. Oops! Well, it was an honest mistake. I can't believe I messed up though and it's only Day 3! Next time, I'll opt for the brown rice.

Dinner - Tomato soup with baked pita chips crumbled up in the soup to give it some consistency (The brand was Imagine and the soup was awesome and non-dairy based) Yummy! Then I had 2 "Enjoy Life" soft chocolate cookies which have no dairy, egg, soy or any other common allergens. They weren't my sisters' cookies but they weren't bad and definitely satisfied the sweet tooth.

Exercise: 50 minute run with a Girlfriend and then a 90 minute Hot Yoga class with a few other girlfriends. Definitely got my girlfriend estrogen fix today which is actually a really important part of a healthy, balanced life!

One of our clients Kim Hash, sent me a link to a number of vegetarian recipes. This would be a great additional resource for those of you who like to be in the kitchen and need a little more variety in your diet.

http://www.oprah.com/menu/food/menus/20091015-tows-tal-ronnen-vegan

Hope this is all helping. Whether you go Vegan or not, I think you'll be able to get some ideas to help you live your best life!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Day 2 - Important tips regarding Dairy

2010-01-05T21:12:00.000-08:00

Okay, you're going to learn a little bit about me during this month challenge...

I'm super predictable - and when it comes to food some may think super boring! :) It's interesting to note that I never met my biological dad but I've been told by those who knew him that every morning he would work out, then go to the same restaurant, sit in the same booth and order the same breakfast everyday for years! I'm sorta like that. Perhaps there is a predictability gene?!

So what did my Day 2 of the Vegan challenge look like? Well, read yesterday's blog and today's meal plan was pretty much identical! I guess if I like something, I stick with it for a while!

So instead of re-reporting exactly what I did yesterday, instead I'll share some interesting points of information with you.

Those who have issues with eating dairy point to the information in the following link to support their non-dairy stance. It may provide some validation for you. So far I've been successful with avoiding dairy by using various substitutes. At the very least, go for organic dairy.

http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/dairy.html

Oh yes, and of course most importantly, I moved my body for 1.5 hours today. There's nothing like exercise to make you feel amazing!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

ps. If you're local, remember to come to our studio this Thursday night from 7:00-9:00pm for Movie Night. Food Inc is playing and it's FREE!

pps. Call us at 503.287.0655 or 360.574.7292 if you'd like personal coaching to help with your nutrition and/or exercise plan and provide you with the accountability that most people need to stick with a plan long enough to experience fabulous results.

Here is Today's Meal Plan

2010-01-04T22:43:00.000-08:00

Dear clients, friends and family.

My intent for the next 30 days is to share my Meal plan and provide tips that will help you look and feel your absolute best. Feel free to follow along with the Vegan challenge or just take the tips that best appeal to you.

Day 1 of the Vegan Challenge was a success. It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. Here's the meal plan for the day.

8:00am: Organic Granola & Almond Cereal with strawberries, organic banana & Organic Rice Milk

10:30am: Organic pear

2:00pm: For lunch, I brought one of those single size vegetable trays with the veggies already cut and washed. There were carrots, celery, broccoli, and cauliflower. The hardest part of the day was not dipping my veggies in the Ranch dip but it wasn't too bad. I ate the veggies with a Rice cake and some Tortilla chips.

5:30pm: I am so impressed with this part of my day. For those of you who know me well, you know I don't cook. Well, the dinner I made tonight was pretty awesome. I almost wanted to take a photo and send to you all because I was so pleased with myself. I started with some Organic Red Tortilla Chips, then placed some Organic Black Beans over top. Then I melted some Tofu Shredded cheese over top - seriously, I could not tell the difference between this and regular cheese. Then I added some cut up orange peppers and organic tomatoes. Totally delicious - and quick and easy which is critical for me.

6:30pm: Soy Chocolate pudding. Oh my goodness - this was a highlight of the day. I can't believe how yummy this chocolate pudding was. Completely satisfied any craving for something sweet!

Exercise - 1 hour Muscle and Cardio

On a side note, I did a Guest appearance on KOIN Local 6 today discussing how to stick to your health and fitness plan long enough to experience great results. There may be some tips in here to really help you as you launch into your New Years Fitness program.

http://www.koinlocal6.com/content/keepitlocal/default.aspx

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

The Vegan Challenge Begins - Here are some tips.

2010-01-04T14:26:00.000-08:00

Dear clients, friends and family,

Today is the official start day of the Vegan challenge - a chance to flush our system and eat really clean and fresh for a whole month.

Here are some guidelines, courtesy of Derrick deLay, one of our trainers and the author of www.VibrantVegan.com, to make vegan/vegetarian month easier for you. Please feel free to forward this to anyone you think might benefit from a diet rich in fruits, veggies and whole grains.

1. Focus on being Vegan one day at a time.
2. Plan, Prepare and Pack your food so you don't fall back into old habits
3. Instead of looking at this month as giving up something (like cheese), look at it as an opportunity to try new foods.
4. Do your best to eat whole foods. Fake meats and cheeses and overly processed foods are OK every now and then, but the bulk of your diet should be whole foods. (Note, I didn't follow this guideline. If I was going to have even a remote chance of succeeding at this challenge, I needed some cheese substitutes. So I purchased some Tofu cream cheese, Tofu sour cream, Tofu Shredded Cheese and some soy-based Yogurt. I made Burritos last night with the Tofu shredded cheese and seriously couldn't tell the difference and my kids ate them up like crazy!)

Here's a shopping list to help you.

Grains
Rolled oats
Loaf of bread (Whole-grain)
Brown rice
Quinoa
Whole wheat pasta

Milk - Try Soy, rice, almond, or plant-milk of choice

Beans
Black, Pinto & Garbanzo beans (canned or dried)
Dried green lentils

Fruits
Bananas
Apples
Berries (fresh or frozen)
Raisins

Vegetables
Broccoli (fresh or frozen)
Spinach (fresh or frozen)
Lettuce
Carrots
Cucumbers
Canned tomatoes
Marinara sauce

Did you know that going vegan for this month reduces your impact on the environment as much as taking your car off the road for 1160 miles! That is the equivalent of not driving your car for the entire month!

Last but not least - remember exercise and moving your body has to part of any health and wellness program. I don't care how healthy you eat - if you're not moving your body, you're not as healthy as you could be!

Every night (okay, I won't promise every night), I will blog what I ate for the day to give you ideas. Together, we can do this! It will be interesting to see how our bodies respond.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

ps. Our 10 week Fat Loss program would be a very nice compliment to this challenge. You can get more details at http://www.nwpersonaltraining.com/subs/events/event_details.php?event_id=105

Okay, here's the plan to completely Transform your Body & Change your Whole Life!

2009-12-31T07:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Clients, Friends and Family,

It has been my honor to provide resources, guidance and support on your quest to be your Personal Best throughout 2009 and I look forward to continuing with you on your journey throughout 2010.

I mentioned in my last blog that I was starting to ramp up my nutrition in preparation for a more aggressive nutrition plan to launch in 2010. Let me explain how this started. First, two of our trainers Derrick deLay and Ted Schatz are strict Vegans and have challenged the rest of us to a Vegan diet for one month. So I've been seriously considering and prepping for that. The dairy will be the hard part for me so I haven't made the mental commitment to that yet but we'll see... Secondly, I watched the documentary "Food Inc" this weekend and that furthered my motivation to try this lifestyle and see how my body responds. If you haven't watched the documentary yet, I would encourage you do - maybe even this weekend - and let it be part of your 2010 nutrition and fitness plan launch (ps. You can watch it "On Demand"). If you're local, join us on January 7th at our Vancouver studio when we will show the documentary and then lead a discussion and Q & A afterwards. Call us at 360.574.7292 to reserve your space now.

If you decide to attempt a Vegan diet (or any spectrum of vegetarianism), follow along with my blog where I will post my eating plan and various tidbits to help us along the path.

Another great resource to provide excellent tips on implementing a more vegetarian diet and fabulous recipes is Derrick's website 'Vibrant Vegan'. You can visit his site at http://www.vibrantvegan.com/.

Finally, one of our instructors Karle Wagner sent me the following list and I thought it would be wonderful to share as we ring in the New Year. Here's to the best year ever!

OPTIMAL HEALTH & WELLNESS HANDBOOK 2010

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants..
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray and/or meditate.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2009 .
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing! (It's the hard thing)
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. God/the Universe heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come..
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank God/the Universe for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Last but not the least:
40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about.

I love you all and wish you the very best new year - full of lots of love, happiness, laughter, peace and your best health ever!

xo
Sherri McMillan

ps. If you are local and would like a little extra guidance, our trainers and nutritionist are here to help you personally. Many people often need a coach overseeing your specific plan and progress. We're also hosting a 10 Week Fat Loss program starting mid January which will provide you extra motivation and tools to ensure you really transform your body and change your whole life! You can get more details at http://www.nwpersonaltraining.com/subs/events/event_details.php?event_id=105

It's time for a flush of the system...

2009-12-28T08:55:00.001-08:00

Dear clients, friends and family.

I hope you enjoyed a fabulous holiday and are ready to focus on your health and fitness. You're not out of the woods yet - you've still got New Years to enjoy!

But if you're like me, you're ready to start a little flush of the system. Probably lots of toxins and junk in your system so time to get rid of it!

This week, I'm ramping up my water, fruit and vegetable intake. That will help a lot!

Next week, I'm starting a more aggressive nutrition challenge - I'll tell you more about it later. Maybe you'll want to join along with me.

So even though it's not January 1st yet, start taking some healthy action steps today so you'll have the momentum going by next week.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

2 Tips for Looking Hot for the Holidays

2009-12-16T07:25:00.000-08:00

Dear clients, friends and family.

Looking and feeling your best is a potent combination of exercise and healthy eating. It always has to include both! So here is your next exercise and nutrition tip to get you Looking Hot for the Holidays.

Nutrition Tip: Part of the problem leading to our epidemic rates of obesity and overweightness is people eating past the point of fullness. This will always lead to energy storage and increased body fat levels! So learning to stop eating when you're full is a big step in the right direction. Use the following hunger scale to help guide you.

The Hunger Scale – Learn to use this scale to rate your hunger and fullness

0 – Ravenous, Primal Hunger. I’m so hungry I could die!
1 – Extremely Hungry, dizzy, shaky, faint
2 – Very hungry, irritable, finding it hard to concentrate
3 – Stomach growling
4 – Hungry but not ravenous
5 - Totally comfortable
6 – Feeling like I ate too much
7 - Stomach is stretched/uncomfortable
8 – Very Full/Stuffed
9 – Very Full and Bloated/Overstuffed
10 – So Full it Hurts, Feels like I’m going to explode, Feel sick to my stomach

LEVELS 0-2: Signifies ravenous hunger. This is when you are most likely to overeat. Avoid this stage!

LEVELS 3-4: These are the best times to eat. Your body is saying that it needs food.

LEVELS 5-10: Starting to eat at these levels indicates emotional, not physical hunger.

Eating until you reach level 6 and higher may indicate that you've lost touch with your physical hunger.

Exercise Tip: Incorporate Interval Training into your Workouts. Here's why.

The benefits of higher intensity exercise are as follows:

*Expends more calories per minute

*More efficient – burns more calories in less time

*Most effective method for improving fitness conditioning

*Most effective method for raising anaerobic threshold. Your anaerobic threshold is the stage of exercise where you feel very tired and feel the need to either stop or slow down. You may feel dizzy or nauseous if you stay at this level too long. By incorporating higher intensity activity into your exercise workouts, you raise your anaerobic threshold. This means that you can exercise at a higher intensity before you start to experience those uncomfortable sensations.

*Most effective method for inducing training adaptations. Incorporating this type of training into your program will enable your body to handle the higher intensities more easily. You will find that intensities that used to leave you breathless and fatigued, no longer challenge you anymore. Soon, you will be able to expend more calories per minute compared to when you first started exercise. When people first initiate an exercise program, a comfortable calorie burning level is approximately 5cal/min. Elite athletes can expend more than 20cal/min and sustain it for over 2 hours! As a result, it takes them a lot less time to burn one pound of fat.

*Most effective method for increasing fat mobilization. This means that as you get fitter, you actually get better at burning fat. Inside of your fat cells, you have enzymes called hormone sensitive lipase and lipoprotein lipase. Hormone sensitive lipase, the "good guys", are responsible for releasing fat from a fall cell to be used for energy. Lipoprotein lipase, the "bad guys", are responsible for the uptake of fat from the blood stream into fat cells to be stored. Lipoprotein lipase functions to develop our unwanted bulges. If you have lived a sedentary lifestyle and have eaten a poor diet all your life, you will have a lot of the "bad guys" and they will be very good at their job. You will have fewer "good guys" and they will not be so competent with their responsibilities. The goal is to get more good guys doing their job. But changing the internal chemistry inside of your fat cells may take years. So in the beginning you may not be experiencing results as quickly as you want because you body is actually working against you. But with consistency in your training program, your body will soon start to work for you. Soon you will have increased your ability to mobilize and use fat as a fuel. Training in a high intensity zone will make you fit quick and enable you to enjoy this wonderful training benefit. Soon you will be burning more fat during and after exercise. You will become a fat burning machine!

*Experience a higher EPOC (excess post oxygen consumption). Have you ever wondered why you continue to breathe heavy and sweat after your workout is done? Why doesn't your breathing and body temperature go back to normal immediately? After exercise you consume a greater amount of oxygen to assist your body in recovering from the stress of the workout and the demands it placed on your body. It is important to know that EPOC uses fat as its fuel. At higher intensities, your EPOC is greater translating into a greater caloric and fat expenditure post activity. Although the effects of EPOC are small, if you expended an additional 100 calories post exercise as a result of a high intensity exercise session, within 100 workouts (5 months), you would have burned an extra 10,000 calories or 3 pounds of fat!

*Intervals are the best way to add intensity to a workout by adding brief, high-energy outputs followed by active recovery phases which will avoid fatigue and injury.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Sometimes you need a little 'bad' to get the 'good'...

2009-12-07T16:52:00.001-08:00

Dear clients, friends and family,

I hope you've been enjoying the Holiday season so far. Here's my two quick and easy tips to keep you on the path of looking and feeling your best.

Nutrition Tip: I'm a big believer in doing whatever it takes to get you to eat your fruits and veggies - they are that important! I use this technique with my kids too. Envious friends are always asking how I get my kids to eat so many fruits and veggies. Well, sometimes, you've got to add some 'bad' to get them to crave the 'good'. For example, cheese melted over broccoli, celery with cream cheese, salt sprinkled on cut peppers, fruit with yogurt and granola, apples with caramel, carrots and ranch dip etc. Try this approach and watch your fruit and veggie intake increase dramatically!

Exercise Tip: Invest in the right gear. If it's cold and rainy, it doesn't matter if you've got the right clothing that keeps you dry and warm. You never want the weather to get you out of your routine - especially in the northwest when the weather is so unpredictable. Fortunately, there's lots of great specials right now. Plus you can always put your needs on your Holiday Wish-list!

Yours in Health and Fitness,

Sherri McMillan

If you're busy but still want to look and feel your best, you've got to read this...

2009-12-02T11:29:00.000-08:00

Clients, Friends and Family.

I was just reading this great article that I wanted to pass onto you. This counts for your Exercise Tip for the Day - it's actually full of great tips!

http://health.msn.com/blogs/second-opinions-post.aspx?post=1383814

Nutrition Tip for the Day: When you are super busy, try to eat something quick and easy so you don't go too long without eating anything. Because when you do that, we all know what happens! Your healthy eating plan goes out the window! Here's some On-the-Go ideas for even the most time-starved individuals.

*low-fat yogurt, granola and fruit
*raw vegetables and yogurt dip
*fruit and yogurt dip
*Powerbar or Harvest crunch bar
*Rice Cakes and hummus
*glass of juice or milk
*hard boiled egg
*low-fat crackers and cheese
*a couple fig bars

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

I've got a little rhyme for you...

2009-12-01T17:13:00.001-08:00

Who says you have to wait until January 1st to transform your body and achieve your goals?!

Start today - Think of this little rhyme...

One positive step here,
One little action there,
That's gonna be your Bikini next year! :)

Exercise Tip for Today: Variety is key. Try a class you've never tried before. Consult with a trainer. Sign up for a new program. Register for an adventure. Do something that gets you out of your comfort zone to shake things up a bit and stimulate your body to respond positively!

Nutrition Tip for Today: Holiday parties are starting up. Pigging out on chocolates, cookies and cakes and drinking till you see three of everything is enough to make you feel like you’ve been hit by a truck! It’s perfectly okay to indulge a little over the holidays but you’ve still got to keep your health and fitness goals in check. Instead of forbidding any treats over the holidays rather, focus on drinking 8 glasses of water, consuming 5 vegetables and 3 fruits every day, eat breakfast, and consume 5 small meals/snacks each day. If you’ve still got room for your favorite Christmas cookie, go for it. But eat them slowly and really enjoy the taste. At parties you may find yourself eating a lot later than usual. Try to eat something small earlier and then at the party you’ll be less likely to overeat right before bed. And fill up on veggies at the party first - then you'll be less likely to eat everything in sight!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Yes, you can cheat!

2009-11-25T14:04:00.000-08:00

Dear clients, family and friends,

It's a proven fact that stress can make you fat. So if your goal is to look and feel your best, you've got to figure out how to either reduce your stress or respond to it better. I thought this would be a timely topic considering the holiday season begins tomorrow.

Exercise Tip #1: Breathe. Take 60 seconds to just stop and breathe deeply and be in the moment. Just this very act of oxygenating your entire system including your muscles, tissues, heart and organs brings forth incredible health benefits. Can you stop and do it right now? It's only 1 minute. What do you have to lose?! (besides some negative energy and a lot of stress!)

Exercise Tip #2: Cheat Days are okay! (I thought this would be a good tip considering tomorrow!)

A successful nutrition plan will focus on what you need to be consuming every day rather than what you should not be eating. For example, set a goal of eating 3 fruits for the day instead of deciding to not eat any chocolate. In addition, allow yourself one or two "free" days every week. For example, if you love pizza, and chocolate, then one day a week allow yourself to indulge in these items. This will eliminate the feeling of being deprived of your favorite foods and you will be less likely to experience the inevitable binge that goes hand-in-hand with total elimination of your favorites. This type of plan is feasible for most people. You are not telling yourself you are never going to eat chocolate again, but instead, just limiting how much and when you will indulge. Just make sure you don’t go crazy on your free days. It’s not a free ticket to gorge! And try to avoid making deals with yourself regarding your free days. If Saturday is your free day, make sure you stick to Saturday. For example, avoid indulging on Thursday because there’s an office party and then promising that on Saturday, you will skip your free day. Often you end up of taking more free days than you agreed to and all of a sudden every day turns into a ‘free’ day.

We prefer to follow the 80:20 rule for nutrition, which states that if you are eating well 80 percent of the time, you can allow yourself to indulge the other 20 percent. Eating well 80 percent of the time will definitely keep you healthy and will be a much more enjoyable process. This type of belief system is long-term focused. It is important that you decide to only do things that you can see yourself doing for the rest of your life. The only way to do this is to achieve your goals while upsetting your life as little as possible. Look at it this way – even our Northwest Personal Training Personal Trainers indulge so don’t try to be ‘perfect’.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Two simple tips to improve your fitness and change your body.

2009-11-24T16:13:00.000-08:00

Dear clients, friends and family:

Thanksgiving is two days a way so I'm hoping my daily exercise and nutrition tips will launch you into a very healthy and happy holiday season - minus the 10 pound typical weight gain.

Nutrition Tip: If you have planned your meals correctly throughout the day, you shouldn’t need to eat anything right before bed. Often the calories that are consumed after dinner are those that are eaten not because you are actually hungry and need the energy but because of habitual patterns or boredom. Think of it this way – you are just going to bed. How much energy do you really need? If you find yourself needing to eat late at night, choose something that is low in calories just to get you by until morning.

Side note: Here's a recipe from the American Heart Association for Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry salsa that you might enjoy as a healthy alternative for Thanksgiving dinner.

http://www.goredforwomen.org/recipes.aspx?id=990

Exercise Tip: If your goal is fat loss, try to burn at least 300 calories per workout session. Obviously, anything is better than nothing but if you can commit to at least 300 calories, you will get to your goals much faster. One of the best ways to estimate caloric expenditure is to invest in a Heart Rate monitor. Perhaps you can put it on your Christmas Wish-list?! We find the Polar monitors the most accurate and user-friendly.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Did you know that I am super lazy?!

2009-11-23T15:41:00.000-08:00

Hey clients, friends and family:

I am extremely ambitious when it comes to my career. I love what I do and I work hard. In fact, I've been accused of being a work-a-holic! Likewise, when it comes to workouts, I am very consistent, disciplined and hardly ever miss a workout. I like to challenge myself with various physical adventures and I love the feeling of really exerting myself. And for my kids, I am an energetic mom that likes to play and do fun things with the kids.

But for some reason, as soon as I enter the kitchen, I become the most lazy, lethargic, unmotivated person around! If it takes 20 minutes, forget it. If it requires multiple ingredients, cooking and fire - yeah, that's not happening. I am the queen of quick and easy in the kitchen. Get me in and get me out as quick as possible. So adhering to a healthy nutrition plan with this type of mind-set can pose a challenge. But I've learned to accept who I am and work around my little limitation which brings me to today's nutrition point to get you looking and feeling great for the holidays.

Nutrition Tip: Eat your veggies! We all know we should be eating more vegetables for optimal health and fitness. But for some reason the act of cleaning and chopping veggies for 10 minutes or so is just too much of an effort for me to fathom (but working out for 2 hours - no problem...Go figure?!) so I purchase a lot of my veggies already pre-washed and cut and ready to eat. Sure, they cost a lot more but because I do this both myself and my kids eat a ton more vegetables. So if you're lazy in the kitchen like me maybe this approach would work for you too! Another quick and easy way to ensure you're getting enough veggies is a product called "Greens Plus". It's a blend of 29 nutrient-rich Superfoods, Sea Vegetables and Herbal Extracts that you mix with water or juice that gives you a nice little extra insurance. You can pick up a jug of this at most health food stores or the health food section of your grocery store.

Exercise Tip: Make some Muscle - Strength training is the true fountain of youth! When you lose muscle mass so many other health variables are negatively affected including your strength, endurance, tone, posture, bone density, metabolism, body composition and more. So commit to hitting the weights at least two times per week and watch your whole body change!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Two simple and effective tips to get you Looking Hot for the Holidays!

2009-11-20T11:04:00.000-08:00

Hey Clients, Friends and Family.

Here are your next two tips to get you looking and feeling your best for the holidays.

Exercise Tip: It's all about the effort!
So today one of our clients was mentioning to me how much she loved a certain Elliptical trainer over a different model. I asked her what was the main difference. She said she really loved working out on her favorite machine because it's so much easier, hardly feels like she's working out at all and yet, she burns the most calories on that machine. Do you see the problem here?!

Let me explain to you how caloric expenditure is calculated on cardio machines. Each manufacturer uses a mathematical algorithm to estimate calories burned based on a few variables such as duration and intensity. However there are no Cardio machine police! So manufacturers are free to be as generous as they want with these formulas. And of course, most understand that if their machine reports a higher caloric expenditure, more people will want to use it and therefore they will sell more units.

Bottom line - if a particular machine or exercise feels harder, it is harder. And therefore if you are working harder, you are burning more energy and calories and that translates into more fat burned!

Remember this - if you are going easier, you are going to have to go longer. And if you are going harder, you can go shorter to burn equivalent calories. So mix it up people and train your entire system!

Nutrition Tip: First thing in the morning, before you put any food in your mouth, drink at least 8-16 ounces of cool, refreshing water. Flush out your system and start your day off on the right foot!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

One Exercise and One Nutrition Tip that you can commit to right now!

2009-11-18T10:31:00.000-08:00

Hey clients, friends and family.

Instead of waiting until New Year's to resolve to carve out time for yourself so you can look and feel your best, let's make a commitment to ramp it up right now. Why wait? There's no better time than today. Plus, we'll get you looking and feeling amazing for the holidays!

So over the new few weeks, I'm going to regularly offer you a quick and easy exercise and nutrition tip. Some will be basic - stuff you've heard before but a good reminder! And others may offer a new approach that may help you lock into your program.

Make one small change at a time - it's often the small but consistent changes that bring forth the biggest results!

Exercise: It's Wednesday and many people experience the mid-week workout slump. So if this is the case for you or you recognize another day during the week when you really struggle with sticking to your workout, try a different approach. Plan something on this day that you would never want to miss. Maybe you schedule a tennis match or bike ride with your best friend. Or maybe you plan to always take your favorite instructor's class this day. Maybe you sign up for a new program like Zumba or Dance lessons that you would absolutely love. Perhaps you schedule an appointment with your trainer so you absolutely can't miss your workout. Or maybe you need a restorative day so you schedule in a Yoga class or stretching session. Bottom line - plan do something that you know you will 100% commit to and soon the day that you once struggled with will become your most consistent day.

Nutrition: If you struggle with portion control, try Psyllium Husks as a method to decrease appetite. Psyllium seed husks are indigestible in humans and are often used as a source of dietary fiber. They are used to relieve constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and improve regular GI transit. Some recent research is also showing them to be promising in lowering cholesterol, controlling diabetes and providing a sense of fullness therefore helping with portion control and weight management. You can purchase Psyllium Husks powder that you mix with water and consume 10-15 minutes before your meal. You can pick up at your Natural Food Store and/or the Natural section in most grocery stores.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Read this before Thanksgiving!

2009-11-17T10:41:00.000-08:00

Many of us are still dealing with Halloween Candy and now Thanksgiving is about a week away. It’s enough to take even the most-disciplined, die-hard exerciser off track.

In America, Thanksgiving dinner goes hand-in-hand with an all-out gorge until you’re about to burst. A retreat to the couch follows because you’re just too stuffed to move. It doesn’t have to be this way – everyone always regrets it afterwards. Remember last year’s moans and groans “Ugh, I shouldn’t have ate the second helping of stuffing and sweet potatoes!”

This year, we’re going to help you be more pro-active:

It’s estimated that the average American can consume 5000+ calories on Thanksgiving Day. Most people enjoy a bigger than usual breakfast, Thanksgiving meal and we can’t forget the left-overs later in the evening. Now if you were an Olympic Athlete this wouldn’t be too much of a problem but since the only activity most people do on Thanksgiving is the walk from the kitchen to the TV, Thanksgiving can wreck havoc on your health.

Plan a Healthy Thanksgiving Meal: If you’re in charge of dinner or helping to plan, keep these tips in mind:

• Schedule the meal earlier in the day. Thanksgiving Dinner between 2:00-5:00 will allow some time for the body to digest the heavy meal before you hit the sack. Or do Thanksgiving the European way – schedule Thanksgiving as an all- day celebration and serve small dishes every hour or so. This seems so much healthier and civilized than mom busting her butt all day long preparing a meal that is consumed ravenously in 5 minutes. Spread the calories out throughout the day and you’ll be less likely to feel awful.
• Minimize the carb overload – Instead of preparing sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing and rolls choose only one or two of these dishes. It will save a ton of calories and you’ll feel less ‘stuffed!’ (pun intended!)
• While guests are arriving, have a vegetable platter available for them to munch on
• Serve a delicious soup as the appetizer
• Serve a beautiful salad
• Serve two or three different types of vegetables at the table
• Use skim or semi-skim milk for all your recipes
• Serve water with dinner

You can have Desert: But before desert is served, insist everyone go for a beautiful walk around the neighborhood. Or plan some fun activities while you allow your body to process the meal. For example, plan a fun game of charades, break out the WII, or maybe pull out the Holiday decorations and have the family help get your house looking festive. Or maybe earn some brownie points with mom, grandma or Aunt Jane by raking some leaves.

Get your workout in: Head to the gym for a quick workout (many are open for limited hours including our facilities in Portland and Vancouver WA) or take a run, walk or bike ride around the neighborhood. If you’ve got family visiting, do it first thing in the morning before people wake-up. A workout will actually make you feel better and help to suppress your appetite so you’re less likely to overeat. And consider ramping up your workouts over this next week so you're expending a little more energy in anticipation of the increased caloric intake next Thursday.

You can still enjoy a wonderful dinner and atmosphere without having everyone feeling bloated and horrible for the rest of the evening and suffering a Thanksgiving Hang-over the next day!

Forward this email to everyone you are celebrating Thanksgiving with this year so you're all on the same page!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

When was the last time you saw a guy in a wheelchair Bungee Jump?

2009-11-10T14:57:00.000-08:00

We place our own limits on ourselves. When I lived in Vancouver BC, I had the fortunate honor to be Rick Hansen's Trainer - the man who wheeled around the world raising millions of dollars for spinal cord research. He told me once he had to decide to focus on the 1000 things he couldn't do anymore because he didn't have the use of his legs or the 100,000 things he still could do. And he has gone on to live the most incredible life inspiring so many others that you can do anything if you want it bad enough.

He just recently Bungee Jumped in Whistler BC. You've got to watch this clip. It is both hilarious and inspirational showing you that you can do anything when you put your mind to it! It will be a highlight of you day!

If you can't see the clip above, clip on this direct link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtAJFIOz8xs&NR=1

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

ps. If you are local, please join me this weekend for our 3 hour Exercise-a-thon to collect food and clothing for a local shelter. Click below for more details. We'd love to see you there.

http://www.nwpersonaltraining.com/subs/events/event_details.php?event_id=72

When was the last time you had Geese chasing you?!

2009-11-09T11:52:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday!

I just finished presenting at the fabulous CanFitPro fitness conference in Vancouver BC. I often hear from clients that they have a hard time keeping up with their fitness routine when they travel. I always explain to them that if you want something bad enough, if your health and fitness is really that important to you, then there are NO EXCUSES! That's right - no excuses. It doesn't matter if you're tired, jet-lagged, your hotel doesn't offer a fitness facility, or you can't find a gym in the area - you've got to make it happen.

For example, today it was raining in Vancouver BC so it would have been easy to talk myself out of going for a run. But I went anyways and here's what happened. First, I found a beautiful trail along the river that was a breath of fresh air and once I got outside, the rain didn't bother me at all and it was actually quite incredible. I would have never got to experience this had I not left my hotel. Then I stumbled across the new 2010 Olympic Oval being built and was able to run all around it and check out how awesome it was. That was pretty cool. And then on my way back there was this group of Canadian Geese hanging out by the trail. It felt so nice to connect with nature. And then as I ran by the geese, a few proceeded to chase me and nip at my butt. I think they were mad that I moved to the states! :) So anyways, had I not gone out for my run, I would not have experienced that exciting adventure!

Bottom line, no matter where you are or what you're doing, you need to do something to move your body today. Don't ask yourself "Should I workout today?" That's the wrong question because the answer will always be yes. Instead ask yourself "WHAT should I do to move my body today so that I can look and feel my absolute best!"

Have a fabulous week!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

ps. If you're starting to look for good stocking stuffers for the holidays, one of my books might inspire one of your loved ones to get off the couch. Click below for more details.

http://www.nwpersonaltraining.com/subs/products/products.php

Happy & Healthy Halloween

2009-10-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

Happy (& Healthy) Halloween

Halloween is on Saturday and although it’s so fun to dress up, as fitness professionals it’s not one of our favorite holidays. The last thing our kids need is more sugar, fat and a candy binge! So how can you promote moderation and a healthy diet without coming off as the world’s worst parents?!

Go against the norm: The American Dietetic Association offers the following suggestions for nutritious Halloween goodies. You may not be the favorite Halloween house on your block but at least you can feel good about the fact that you’re not sending your neighbors’ kids into sugar oblivion!
• Mini rice cereal bites
• Packages of trail mix
• Cereal or energy bars
• Small boxes of raisins
• Small packages of dried fruit
• Sugar-free gum
• Mini juice boxes

Does it have to be candy? Many kids would enjoy just as much some cool, new Halloween pencils or pens, spooky stickers, tattoos, or spider rings.

Control Consumption: If you leave it up to the kids, they’ll have half their candy eaten before bed-time on Saturday night! Instead, sit down with their stash, and separate it into small sized snack pouches that limit how much candy they have per day. Not that we’re saying that kids need candy every day but at least it’s a start! Explain to them clearly how much and when candy can be consumed. For example, you may set limits that prevent candy intake before bed or in the morning before school. But you may allow a small snack bag only after they eat their nutritious lunch.

In Oregon and Washington, 24.5 percent of 8th graders are overweight or at risk for becoming overweight and this number is increasing every year. As parents and teachers, we need to limit children’s consumption of candy year-round so now is a good time to discuss the benefits of a healthy diet and the ramifications of an unhealthy one.

Move their bodies: The rise in childhood obesity is partly due to the fact that kids are just not moving their bodies as much as they need to. Computers, video-games, TV and the fact that only 54.8 percent of Oregon eighth graders participate in daily PE is wrecking havoc on our kids’ health. So take this weekend as an opportunity to promote an active lifestyle and get them outside for a hike, a long walk or a bike ride. Their bodies will thank you for it!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Don't buy Halloween Candy yet!

2009-10-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

If you haven't purchased Halloween Candy yet, don't do it until Saturday. Because otherwise you know what will happen. You'll probably end up eating half of it between now and then and will have to go out and buy more!

If you already have purchased, then put it somewhere very inconvenient to access. For example, put it in the garage on the highest shelf or in the attic that you would need to use a ladder to get at. Or store it at your neighbors house - just make sure you tell them they can't eat any of it either!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Nutrition Principle #8 to Losing Weight and Looking & Feeling your Best

2009-10-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

Nutrition Habit #8 - Avoid or Limit alcohol in your Diet

I'm probably not going to be very popular after today's posting...

Although alcohol is low in fat content, it is very high in empty calories. In addition, alcohol activates the enzyme that uptakes fat from our bloodstream and stores it in our fat cells. Therefore any food you consume in combination with alcohol will more likely end up in our fat storage depot areas like our hips, thighs and abs. And finally as we all know, alcohol lowers our inhibitions making us more likely to make poorer choices - including poorer food choices! So practice moderation in this area.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Nutrition Principle #7 to Losing Weight and Looking & Feeling your Best

2009-10-13T11:28:00.000-07:00

Nutrition Habit #7 - Eliminate any unhealthy temptations from your environment (work, home, car) and replace with healthy alternatives.

This is one of the most important principles for me. If you’re like most people myself included, if it’s there staring you in the face, you’ll eat it. Make it more difficult to access the foods that stumble you and sabotage your efforts. Eliminate the following from your environment:

*Cookies, chocolate bars, pastries, candy and any high-calorie, sweetened snack foods
*Salty foods such as potato chips, pretzels, taco chips, crackers, and other packaged munchies
*White bread, white rolls, white buns
*Ice cream and high-sugar frozen deserts
*High-fat spreads and dips
*Sugared soft drinks and beverages
*Alcoholic beverages
*Any food that can be classified as junk food or that you habitually binge on

Do you need a kitchen make-over?

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Nutrition Principle #6 to Losing Weight and Looking & Feeling your Best

2009-10-09T07:05:00.000-07:00

Nutrition Habit #6: Commit to Shopping at least once per week and stocking up on healthy choices.

What happens if you get home and you are starved and there is nothing to eat? You are more likely to choose a less-healthy item or dial up a take-out restaurant and order something high in fat and calories. If you want to commit to a healthy diet, you have got to commit to setting up a framework for success. This includes planning a trip to the grocery shop weekly and then potentially one or two smaller trips to the store or Farmer's Market to top up on fresh fruits and veggies. You can not expect to adhere to a healthy diet without making this very important commitment to yourself.

Shop from a grocery list prepared when you are not hungry or stressed out
Determine exactly what you need for a particular period of time. This is where meal-planning for the week ahead really helps. For example, keep what you’ll eat for breakfast, lunch and snacks pretty simple and consistent. Then decide what you’ll eat for dinners each night. For example, you might decide Monday you’ll make a home-made vegetarian pizza. Tuesday, you’ll make salmon, vegetables and rice. Wednesday, you’ll do a vegetable and pasta marinara and salad. Thursday, you’ll do a shrimp and vegetable stir-fry. Friday, you’ll eat out. Saturday, you’ll do chicken or veggie burgers, vegetables and salad. And Sunday, you’ll make healthy burritos. Then buy what you need to make each meal throughout the week. Don’t overbuy – Be careful of bulk buying. And try never go grocery shopping when you’re hungry!

As soon as you get home, plan time to clean, cut and chop fresh produce to ensure it’s ready to be eaten (unless you buy the pre-cut and washed). Cook-a-thons will also make sticking to your nutrition plan a lot easier. Opening the fridge to find a bowl of chili, home-made soup, pasta salad or chopped vegetables will make it more likely that you grab for these healthier items.

Great foods to put in your shopping cart:

Whole Grains:
Oatmeal
Cold cereal – Cherrios, , Bran, Granola
100% whole grain bread or English muffins (or other bread products)
100% whole wheat pitas
100% whole wheat tortillas
100% whole wheat pizza shells
Brown Rice
100% whole wheat pasta

Meats (unless you are a vegetarian then chose vegetarian options!):
Skinless, boneless chicken breast halves and/or frozen cut-up chicken for stir-fries
Skinless salmon filets / 1 whole fish
Skinless turkey breasts
Sliced cooked salmon, turkey or chicken
White porkchops
Ground turkey or lean beef
Frozen chicken or vegetable meat patties

Dairy:
Skim milk or low-fat soy/rice/oatbran milk fortified with vitamin D and calcium
Eggs
1 bag of part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
Container of feta-cheese
Low-fat probiotic Yogurt cups

Frozen Foods:
Bags of frozen veggies – green beans, peas, broccoli, corn, stir-fry
Bags of frozen fruit – blueberries, raspberries, strawberries
Frozen Meals – Lean Cuisine or Healthy Choice – When you’re too tired to cook or in a hurry, these are life savers. They are low in salt, calories, fat and Trans-fats plus they’re actually quite yummy!

Canned/Jarred Foods:
Beans
Soups – look for low sodium
Tomato Sauce
Kalamata Olives
Sun-dried tomatos
Soy-nut peanut butter or all-natural peanut butter (no trans fat, no added sugar)

Drinks:
Bottled Water/Flavored Water
100% Orange with pulp/Cranberry/Grapefruit Juice (fortified with calcium, magnesium and Vit. D)
V-8 (low sodium)
Green Tea

Fresh Produce: Fruits/Vegetables
You’ve got complete freedom in this area. Buy what you love. Here’s some must haves…
3-5 bags of salad mix like Romaine, Spinach or Mixed Greens (make it easy to make salads everyday)
Bag of cut-up stir-fry veggies
Pre-cut and washed veggies – carrots, broccoli, sweet peas, cauliflower, celery, asparagus, mushrooms (make it easy to eat your veggies!)
Peppers – red, yellow, orange, green
Tomatos/Cucumbers/Onions
Apples/Pears/Grapes/Bananas/Oranges/Grapefruit/Tangerines – plus whatever is in season

Spices/Extras:
Olive oil
Salt/Pepper/Garlic
Soy sauce – low sodium
Balsamic vinegar
Salad dressing/Salad spritzers - vinaigrettes are a great choice
Marinara sauce
Cinnamon
Other favorite spices
Flaxseed
Psyliium

Snack-Foods:
Rice Cakes
Popcorn
Nuts – raw walnuts/almonds unsalted– don’t buy too much. And once you get them home, put them in mini-ziplock snack bags separated 10 to a bag
Dried fruits – apricots, cranberries, apples…
If you have a real sweet tooth and are looking for healthier options to prevent the 500 plus calorie dessert binges, try the following:
Yogurt and granola
Weight-watcher deserts – they typically keep them at 100 calories per serving
Pudding cups – 60 calories per cup
Gum/Small bag of hard candies – when you feel a craving coming on, chew on some gum or pop a hard candy and suck on it for a while. It will often do the trick.
Frozen yogurt – but just buy the smaller cartons to prevent eating a whole gallon

I hope this helps give you some direction for your next grocery trip.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Nutrition Principle #5 to Losing Weight and Looking & Feeling your Best

2009-10-07T12:07:00.000-07:00

Nutrition habit #5 - Control your Portion Sizes

This is an important principle - you've got to pay attention to your portion sizes. We are victims of a society that is hooked on supersizing everything…supersize drinks, monster size cookies, muffins and bagels and astronomical sized restaurant entrees. For many of us, it may not be that our food choices are poor, we may just be eating too much of a good thing. Out of control portions will lead to weight gain and often cause people to feel lethargic.

Here is a very important message to remember. If at the end of the day, you have expended fewer calories than the number of calories you have consumed from any source, you will store these calories as fat. Here is how it works:

Let's say you consume an extra 1,000 carbohydrate calories in the form of plain pasta. It takes about 30 percent of the calories consumed to break down the dietary carbohydrate and store it as body fat. So out of the 1,000 extra carbohydrate calories, 700 will be stored as body fat. Now, let's say you consume an extra 1,000 fat calories in the form of creams. It takes about 3% of the calories consumed to break down this dietary fat and store it as body fat. So, out of the 1,000 extra fat calories, 970 will be stored as body fat.

It is obviously better to be consuming a diet rich in carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables and whole grain products because less of the excess will actually be stored as body fat. But you will still store excess carbohydrates as body fat and you will gain weight, whether your diet is low in fat or not. If your diet contains more calories than you expend in a day, you will gain weight regardless of the source of the calories.

When reducing food intake and portion sizes, the reduction should typically occur in the following order:
*Reduce fat intake
*Reduce alcohol intake
*Reduce sugar intake
*Reduce starches (pasta, breads, rice)

It is also wise to pay close attention to serving sizes listed on labels. Sometimes what is listed as one serving size is unrealistically small. So you may trick yourself into believing that you are consuming an item that is low in caloric and fat content, when in fact, what you are actually consuming is four times the listed serving size.

Here are some realistic portion sizes:
*A serving of meat, fish or poultry should be about the size of the palm of your hand
*Your fruit and vegetable servings should be about the size of a tennis ball
*A serving size of cottage cheese, rice, pasta, cereal or other starch is the size of a tennis ball
*A slice of bread, one small roll, or a half bagel or bun counts as one serving
*A serving of sandwich cheese is one slice
*A serving size of fats, oils, nuts, seed is about the size of your thumb

Techniques for Reducing Portion Sizes:

*Use a smaller plate. Instead of using a traditional dinner plate, use an appetizer/salad size plate instead. This will force you to start with fewer calories right away. We’ve been taught as kids to eat what’s on our plate. So a bigger plate automatically means more calories.

*Divide your plate into 4 parts. A quarter of the plate will be reserved for a starch (whole grain rice, pasta, bread/roll), a quarter of the plate will be reserved for protein and the last half of the plate should be reserved for fruits and/or vegetables.

*20 minutes before you eat your meal, have a cup of soup, a handful of walnuts, a small salad, a cup of juice or 8-16 ounces of water. This will help to suppress your appetite.

*To help control portions, keep a food log and submit it to a professional.

*To help avoid mindless, late-night eating, brush your teeth after dinner. Pop a breath mint or breath strip. Go for a walk. Read a book. Take a bath.

*Buy single serving items or place snacks in small plastic baggies to help control portions.

*Avoid buying in bulk. Studies show that when people buy in bulk, they also eat in bulk. Remember – if it’s there, you’ll eat it!

*Eat slowly. The brain needs 20 minutes to receive the signal that you’re full.

* After food is placed in front of you, wait 5 minutes before you eat. Place small mouthfuls of food on fork/spoon. Completely swallow food before you add more food to fork/spoon. Put down utensils in between bites. Use smaller utensils. Consciously take time to taste, chew and savor food.

*Stretch out meals, making them last 30 minutes. Take a five minute break about 10 minutes into your meal

*Take sips of water or other non-caloric beverages between bites

*Introduce a one or two minute delay between courses

When eating out:
*Order one meal and ask for two plates so you can split the meal.
*Don’t order super-size meals; opt for regular or kiddie portions instead
*Share desserts
*Order water immediately
*Order butter and salad dressing on the side
*Ask for your meat broiled and without any additional fat added
*Ask for your chicken to be prepared without the skin
*Order a salad instead of french fries
*Ask for skim milk
*Order a tomato instead of cream sauce for pasta dishes
*Order plain bread instead of garlic bread
*Take one piece of bread from the basket and then ask for the basket to be taken away. Or ask for a complimentary vegetable platter instead of bread basket.
*Order tomato and broth soups instead of cream-based soups
*Order fresh fruit desserts
*Hold the sauce on burgers and instead use ketchup, mustard, relish, tomato and lettuce
*Do not be afraid to ask for any type of substitution

Become aware of your impulses and urges:

What traps you into overeating? Is it a certain time of day? Is it the people you hang with? Is it paired with some type of activity? Do you get the urge to eat in certain places? Do you turn to food when you’re tired after work?

*Make a list of substitute activities. They must be activities that compete with the action of eating - ie. it’s difficult to eat while doing the activity. For example, a hobby, gardening, play a game with family/friends, learn a new sport, visit your neighbors/friends, write in a journal, give yourself a manicure, read a magazine/book, plan your next vacation, Relaxation/breathing exercises, walk/jog/swim/bike ride/go to gym/exercise video/dance to some upbeat music, shower, bath, get a massage, listen to music, prayer, meditation, housework, pay bills, balance your check book, complete a home improvement project, rearrange your furniture, wash your car, clean out closets/drawers, run errands, floss, take dog for a walk, video games
*Then when your impulse or urge surfaces, immediately start your substitute activity. The urge should pass.

If you recognize that you need to focus on controlling your portion sizes, you may initially feel a bit hungry for a few weeks. But that hunger-sensation won’t last long. Your stomach is capable of shrinking and will learn to be satisfied with the smaller meals. Plus when you’re eating the right type of foods, you’ll have more energy and your appetite will effectively suppressed making your plan much easier to adhere to.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Nutrition Principle #4 to Losing Weight and Looking & Feeling your Best

2009-10-06T11:23:00.000-07:00

Nutrition Habit #4: Stop Eating Three Hours before Bedtime

If you have planned your meals correctly throughout the day, you shouldn’t need to eat anything right before bed. Often the calories that are consumed after dinner are those that are eaten not because you are hungry and need the energy but because of habitual patterns or boredom. Think of it this way – you are just going to sleep. How much energy do you really need? If you find yourself needing to eat late at night, choose something that is low in calories just to get you by until morning.

So many men and women, myself included, experience incredible results when they implement this action step. Try it and see what happens.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Nutrition Principle #3 to Losing Weight and Looking & Feeling your Best

2009-10-05T17:22:00.000-07:00

Nutrition Habit #3: Plan your meals so that you consume 5 small meals and snacks throughout the day

See if you recognize yourself in any of the following. You skip breakfast, guzzle coffee all morning and then, practicing great self-control, you eat a tiny lunch. By mid-afternoon, you are starving and so you grab a quick pick-me-up chocolate bar or muffin. By the time you get home, you are hungry, irritable, tired and ready for dinner. You stuff yourself at the dinner table and then snack all evening. You go to bed on a full stomach, and tomorrow the cycle begins all over again.

In today's busy environment, this type of eating pattern is common and has your body working against you rather than for you. Many people who do not eat breakfast and consume only a very light lunch are tricked into believing that they are reducing their caloric intake when, in fact, they are actually setting themselves up for a snacking binge in the late afternoon, followed by an overload at dinner and into the evening. The result is just the opposite of what you intend: Total calories consumed during the day will end up being higher rather than lower! And the scale gives you the bad news that you are gaining weight.

The theory is this: Our bodies are not very good at burning calories from a big meal, especially in the evening when all our systems tend to slow down. Many of our evening calories, then, are more likely to be stored as fat.

Your metabolism, the rate at which you burn calories for internal functions, is like an engine – the more often you give it fuel, the better it works. When you deprive your body of food, even for short periods of time, your metabolism automatically slows down in order to preserve energy. And a slowed metabolism makes it much more difficult to lose weight and much easier to gain weight. The type of diet that is not consistent in caloric and nutrient intake will also lead to a more rapid loss in muscle tissue - we want to avoid this at all costs. The good news is you can get your body to work for you instead of against you. The rule should be that you do not go any more than three to four hours without eating something.

Think of starting your day by revving your internal engine. This means regardless of whether you are a breakfast person or not, you must develop the habit of having something to eat in the morning. Your momma was right – breakfast is the most important meal of the day but it does not need to be a 5-course meal. A piece of fruit with yogurt, or half a bagel with peanut butter or light cream cheese, or cereal and milk or eggs, toast and juice will do the trick. Then a few hours later, try a small snack like a piece of fruit and a cup of yogurt. By lunchtime, you are not going to have a problem making a healthy, low-fat, low-calorie choice. A half-sandwich and salad or bowl of chili or vegetable soup might be an appropriate lunch. A few hours later, in the afternoon, eat another light snack like a handful of walnuts, and some celery and carrot sticks or crackers and cheese. By the time dinner comes around, you will not be ravenous and you will be less likely to indulge and consume too many calories. This type of eating pattern keeps your metabolism revved all day, keeps your blood sugar at a healthy level, will keep your energy levels up and will help avoid the tendency to over-eat at any meal. You'll be a lot more enjoyable to be around also.

Most of us have been conditioned to believe that dinner should be the largest meal of the day, so changing your eating patterns is not going to be easy. It will not happen overnight. You will probably have to change other old habits too. If, for example, you snack in the evening while watching TV, you might need to go for a walk in the evening instead. If you find yourself bored in the evening and eating because there is nothing else to do, think about enrolling in an evening course or start reading a good book. Breaking habits is very difficult in the beginning but eventually it will become second nature.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Nutrition Principle #2 to Losing Weight and Looking & Feeling your Best

2009-10-02T14:05:00.001-07:00

Nutrition Habit #2: Drink More Water

Did you know that 50-70% of our total body weight is water? The brain is composed of 70 percent water, lungs are nearly 90 percent water and our blood is about 83 percent water, which helps digest our food, transport and eliminate waste and toxins, mobilize fat, and control body temperature. Think of it this way, every tissue cell, organ and system is comprised of water and functions optimally only in the presence of adequate water levels. So even fat loss will not occur at an optimal rate if you are in a dehydrated state. Plus water helps to suppress our appetite.

Water is our life force, in fact, we could only go a few days without water before our body would start to deteriorate and die. According to the American Dietetic Association’s Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, the average adult loses about two and a half quarts or about 10 cups of water daily through urine and sweat. Just cover your entire arm with a plastic bag and within a few minutes you’ll get a very visual display of how much water we lose in a day. Think of the good old-fashioned sweat suits designed to make you sweat and lose weight. Yeah, you lost weight but it wasn’t fat weight, it was very valuable water weight!

To maintain your body’s fluid balance, you need to replace at least the 10 cups of water (80 ounces) everyday. This amount needs to be increased in hot weather conditions or for those who exercise who may lose up to a liter per hour during a workout. Plus, as we age, there is a general loss of water in all tissues – it’s like the plum to prune effect! Wouldn't you prefer to be a healthy, hydrated plum rather than a dried up, old prune?!

But, unfortunately most people exist on a daily basis in a dehydrated state. In fact common complaints like headaches, lack of energy, feeling tired and lethargic, being prone to sickness and injury, kidney stones, constipation and achy joints and muscles have been associated with dehydration. If most people would commit to drinking 10 glasses of pure water every day they would notice a great improvement in their overall health, body composition and energy levels.

Keep in mind though, we obtain water in our diets from drinks, either plain water or as part of other beverages and from solid foods, especially fruits and vegetables. So we encourage clients to get at least 80 ounces (10-8 ounce or 5-16 ounce glasses) of pure water and see how their body responds. Any other additional fluids you consume in the form of juice, milk, or herbal teas will be a bonus.

In the beginning, your body and its tissues are not used to this higher level of fluid and so they will initially just flush it out. And yes, you will be spending a great deal of time in the restroom but it won’t last long. Eventually, your need to run to the washroom all day should decrease. Your body will soon adapt to your hydrated state. You thirst mechanism will also become more efficient and you’ll find that the more you drink, the more thirsty you become. That’s a great sign!

Most people know they should be drinking more water but they don’t. We’ve found it’s not in the knowing, it’s in the doing! You’ll have to take some action steps to help you adhere to this goal. For example, purchase a water cooler for home and work so you always have cold, refreshing water available. Be sure to drink some water every time you pass the cooler. You can also purchase an 80 ounce water bottle from many grocery and department stores so you can fill up your bottle in the morning and make it a goal to finish the whole thing before you go to bed. This works great for a lot of people. Have your bottle with you wherever you go. If you don’t like the big water jug idea, drink a 16 ounce glass of water first thing in the morning and then 20 minutes before each meal and snack. You’ll easily hit 80 ounces. Many athletes use what’s called a ‘Camel-Back’, a water sac that hooks on like a back pack with a water-hose that allows you to drink easily and continuously throughout workouts. This is a great way to replenish all those extra fluids during tough workouts. During workouts, you should strive to drink 8 ounces of water every 15 minutes. Note: During long bouts of intense exercise (2 hours or more), you can drink TOO much water! It's best to use a sports drink instead of just plain water, as this will help replace sodium and electrolytes lost in sweat and reduce the chances of developing hyponatremia, which can be life-threatening!

Take my word for it – water is important to your overall health. I hope this clarifies and provides better insight to the importance of water in your diet and weight loss.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Nutrition Principle #1 to Losing Weight and Looking & Feeling your Best

2009-10-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

Nutrition Habit #1: Consume a balanced diet that is rich in Fiber

Carbohydrates (CHO): are fruits, vegetables and whole grain breads, pastas and rice. Carbohydrates in your diet will be sent to your liver and either burned for energy or stored as fat (70% conversion ratio). Did you know the only energy your brain can use is carbohydrates? That’s why low-carb diets never work for the long-term. You wind up being tired, irritable and have a hard time focusing.

You will want to ensure your diet is 50-60% carbohydrate content - approximately 50% of your total calories should be in the form of fruits and vegetables and complex carbohydrates which are your whole grain products and no more than 10% from simple carbohydrates (cakes, cookies, ice cream etc.) Be sure to avoid white (enriched, refined, bleached) breads, pastas and rice. Avoid foods where sugars like High Fructose Corn Syrup are listed as one of the first few ingredients.

And you're also going to want to limit your intake of no-fat or low-fat products. You are probably thinking "What? Limit no-fat foods? But aren't they the answer to all my fat-loss prayers?" It is interesting to note that since the explosion of no-fat products onto the market, our population continues to get fatter and fatter! You would think we would start to get skinnier as we consumed more of these no-fat products! But what do you think makes those no-fat products taste so good? Sugar –and lots of it! And what do you think sugar is made of? A lot of calories! Excess calories, whether they come from no-fat cookies or full-fat cookies, are still going to show up on our hips and thighs and abs.

Protein: Protein gets broken down into small amino acids which go to the liver to be used for growth, repair, and maintenance of muscles and tissues. If not used, it will be converted to glucose and then fat (70% conversion ratio)

Balance your diet with 15-20% protein. You can go to our website at www.nwpersonaltraining.com to determine your individual protein needs. Click on Client Zone. Then click on Cool Tools.

Good Sources of Protein:
*Salmon, along with most other fishes and sea foods.
*Poultry (w/out skin and white meat is leaner)
*Beef (Lean cuts)
*Pork (white cuts)
*Soy Products
*Egg Whites
*Whey Products

Fat: Fats get broken down into smaller fatty acids and are used for cell functioning, insulation (protection and warmth) and energy. If not used, it becomes an amazing source of stored energy
The average person carrying 30 pounds of body-fat is carrying 105,000 calories of stored energy – that’s enough energy to complete 40 marathons back to back!

Your diet should be 20-30% fat content. Note: A no-fat diet is unrealistic and unhealthy.

Reducing Fat: While reading labels, look at the order of ingredients. If fat is listed as one of the first, second or third ingredients, the product is likely to be high in fat and is best to be limited or avoided. Items like lard, animal shortening, oils, butterfat, whole milk solids, shortening, and margarine are all fats.

Some obvious foods that you are going to want to avoid are as follows:
*Fried foods – fried foods are saturated in fat and oil and calories!
*Creams – very high in fat content
*Processed foods – like cakes and cookies, etc.

While a reduction in fat is usually a good thing for most people, there is a point of diminishing returns and health risks. Just so you know, fat is the best fuel ever designed! We can make fat out of almost anything we eat and use it for energy. Can you imagine if your car could do that? Put in potatoes and the engine miraculously converts them into gas. In goes apples and instantly we get gasoline. Fat is an amazing fuel that provides us with a limitless amount of energy. Instead of hating fat and blaming it for all our problems, we should be astounded and respect it for its outstanding capabilities. Certain fatty acids are also necessary for good health, and "fat soluble" vitamins require fat for absorption into the system.

It is true that most people do not have to worry about getting too little fat in their diet, but there is another reason to be less obsessed about reducing fat to super-low levels; fat contributes to feelings of satiety (fullness) and helps reduce food cravings. Many people who cut a lot of fat out of their diets, often eat far too much of other ”non-fat" foods that are high in calories. So the key is to just make sure that your total fat intake is within the accepted guidelines of 20-30% of total daily calories. No more than 10 percent of this should come from saturated fats. The average fat content of most diets is greater than 43 percent – this of course, is one of the reasons our society is getting fatter! When deciding to reduce your fat intake, remember that there are fats in your diet that are obvious – these are the ones you can see – foods such as butter, margarine, cooking oils, spreads, and fat on meat. And there are also fats that are hidden in processed foods such as cakes, cookies, ice cream and potato chips. It will be important to limit your intake from both these fat sources.

Unsaturated fats, especially the monounsaturated ones, are considered healthier and are found in nuts, seeds, olives, and vegetable oils. However, we’ve discovered many people consuming very high amounts of nuts because they’ve heard or read nuts are healthy. A healthy amount of nuts is a HANDFUL. More than this and you are consuming a huge amount of calories. They call it “Trail-Mix” for a reason! You should be on a HIKING TRAIL expending a huge amount of calories to need the energy from the trail-mix. It’s not called “Office-Desk Mix” or “Sitting watching football Mix”!

Increasing your Omega 3 & 6 Fats found in fish, walnuts, olives, avocados, flaxseed is also a healthy habit. You can obtain healthy levels by eating a 4 ounce serving of fish three times per week or 2-gram fish oil every day or an ounce of walnuts a day.

Saturated fats are found in animal products such as beef, butter, dairy products and lard. You have probably also heard of trans fatty acids. These are the end products of a process called hydrogenation, in which vegetable oils are hardened. You should avoid consumption of this type of fat. Butter is a saturated fat and margarine contains trans fatty acids, both of which can increase the risk for heart disease.

As you begin to reduce the amount of fat and increase the amount of fruits, vegetables and whole grain products in your diet, your fiber intake will automatically increase. Fiber is so important in our diets because it keeps us full longer therefore, helping to suppress our appetites. But as you initially start to adopt many of these healthy habits, you may notice that you start to experience a lot more intestinal gas. To reduce the initial negative effects of a high fiber diet, change your diet gradually, and soon your body will adapt to your new, healthier diet. You may also want to consider taking a product that will help you manage these side-effects such as Beano. You’ll get the recommended 20-35 grams of fiber each day by consuming a minimum of 2 servings of fruit, 3 servings of vegetables and 4 servings of whole grains.

Sample Meals when you’re Busy:

You’ve got to get the kids ready for school…laundry started….dishwasher emptied. You’ve got emails to answer…Appointments and meetings to make…Projects to complete…Your daughter needs to be dropped off at soccer practice; your son at basketball. Many people report that life is so busy that it’s difficult to stick to a healthy eating plan and instead, they find themselves resorting to fast-food way too often. But eating well is what’s going to provide you the energy and the mental stamina to perform at your best. Here are some quick solutions to eating healthy:

Try these balanced, quick breakfast options: You have got to eat breakfast no matter how busy you are. Think of it as filling up on an empty tank. Imagine how much better your engine will rev when it’s got what it needs.

*low fat yogurt and some mixed raisins, granola and dried fruit
*cold or hot cereal with milk and fruit
*toast and fruit
*peanut butter and banana sandwich
*bagel with cream cheese and a piece of fruit
*homemade muffin and a banana
*fruit smoothie made from milk, yogurt and fruit

Here are some easy, lunch ideas to go:

*raw veggies with a container of plain yogurt for dipping
*sandwiches (tuna in pita bread or thick whole wheat bread, vegetables & cheese on a bagel, turkey & vegetables in pita bread, ricotta cheese & jam on your favorite bread, hummus & tomato on a baguette, cottage cheese & pineapple on a kaiser bun)
*pita pizzas with vegetables and tomato sauce
*low fat crackers and cheese
*left-overs from dinner
*soup or chili made on the weekend
*baked potato
*pasta salad made on the weekend

Here are some healthy mid-morning and a mid-afternoon, low-fat, high-energy snack ideas.

*low-fat yogurt and fruit
*raw vegetables and yogurt dip
*fruit and yogurt dip
*Powerbar or Harvest crunch bar
*Rice Cakes
*glass of juice or milk
*hard boiled egg
*low-fat crackers and cheese
*a couple fig bars

Wind down in the evening with one of these dinner options:

*Whole grain Pasta with Marinara Sauce
*Salmon, Tuna or other fish option with vegetables and brown rice
*Vegetable stir fry with chicken, beef or fish
*Chili
*Homemade Pizza
*Hearty salad with chicken, nuts and crunched tortilla chips

It’s difficult to achieve great things and be great, when you don’t feel great. So make the commitment to paying better attention to your nutrition, and enjoy the positive consequences to all areas of your life.

Free Days:

And when we say balanced - we really means balanced. A balanced diet will help you maintain a healthy body composition and weight and provide you with the nutrients for optimal health and functioning. All foods can be eaten in a healthy diet - you just need to have some boundaries and parameters. A successful nutrition plan will focus on what you need to be consuming every day rather than what you should not be eating. For example, set a goal of eating 3 fruits for the day instead of deciding to not eat any chocolate. In addition, allow yourself one or two "free" days every week. For example, if you love pizza, and chocolate, then one day a week allow yourself to indulge in these items. This will eliminate the feeling of being deprived of your favorite foods and you will be less likely to experience the inevitable binge that goes hand-in-hand with total elimination of your favorites. This type of plan is feasible for most people. You are not telling yourself you are never going to eat chocolate again, but instead, just limiting how much and when you will indulge. Just make sure you don’t go crazy on your free days. It’s not a free ticket to gorge! And try to avoid making deals with yourself regarding your free days. If Saturday is your free day, make sure you stick to Saturday. For example, avoid indulging on Thursday because there’s an office party and then promising that on Saturday, you will skip your free day. Often you end up of taking more free days than you agreed to and all of a sudden every day turns into a ‘free’ day.

I suggest (and follow) the 80:20 rule for nutrition, which states that if you are eating well 80 percent of the time, you can allow yourself to indulge the other 20 percent. Eating well 80 percent of the time will definitely keep you healthy and will be a much more enjoyable process. This type of belief system is long-term focused. It is important that you decide to only do things that you can see yourself doing for the rest of your life. The only way to do this is to achieve your goals while upsetting your life as little as possible. Look at it this way – even our Northwest Personal Training Personal Trainers indulge so don’t try to be ‘perfect’. That will just set you up for disappointment!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Understand these simple nutrition principles to help achieve and maintain your ideal weight.

2009-09-30T11:53:00.000-07:00

Most people approach nutrition and dieting with unbelievable will power and determination. But unfortunately, will power will only last so long then biology and physiology takes over. Here’s an analogy – Try holding your breath under water for as long as you can. No matter how much you want to stay underwater, eventually biology kicks in and you have to come up for air. The same holds true with dieting. If you’re eating in a manner that stimulates your appetite, eventually, you are going to give in to the cravings regardless of how bad you don’t want to. So by understanding and adhering to the following nutrition tips you will approach nutrition and fat loss in a more educated fashion. You are going to outsmart your system!

Do you remember this physics principle? Energy cannot be created nor destroyed; only transformed from one form to another. So energy coming into our bodies through food or drink must be transformed into another form of energy – either the energy to produce movement or stored energy (body fat) for later use.

Consider the following Weight Loss/Gain/Maintenance Equation:

Weight Lost: Calories In < Calories Out
Weight Gained: Calories In > Calories Out
Weight Maintained: Calories In = Calories Out

You can’t change this equation. But it’s important to understand all the variables that control each part of the equation.

What Controls Calories In?
Eating and Drinking provides you with calories in. You’ve probably heard that a calorie is a calorie. And although this is true, some calories that you consume can actually stimulate your appetite causing you to eat more. Or some foods are so dense in calories but provide such little volume that when you eat them, even though you’ve consumed a great deal of calories, you’re still hungry. And some food make you tired and less likely to want to move your body and less able to perform at your best. If your goal is fat loss or weight management, the best foods to eat are nutrient-rich foods that are lower in calories, fill you up and suppress your appetite. If your goal is to improve your energy levels and perform at your best, the best foods to eat are also nutrient-rich foods.

What Controls Calories Out?
You either expend calories by using them, storing them for later use or excreting them as waste

We use calories through:
*BMR: Basal Resting Metabolism – the amount of calories we expend at rest just to exist as human beings. BMR can be raised (This is what we want): eating, exercise, muscle mass (1lb of muscle expends 40 calories/day. BMR can also be lowered (This is what we don’t want): skipping meals, starving, resting
*Exercise
*NEAT – Non-exercise activity thermogenesis - Spontaneous Activity
*Excess post-oxygen consumption (EPOC) – The extra energy we burn after a workout is done
*Food Thermogenesis – The energy expended to digest food; the cost of digesting foods differ

The bad news is that it’s a lot easier to put the calories in than it is to take the calories out. Think of it this way. How long does it take to burn 1000 calories? About 90 minutes of exercise or 10 miles of running! How long does it take to consume 1000 calories? In about 5-10 minutes! So nutrition is at least half the battle in terms of losing body fat or maintaining your ideal physique.

There is no trick to eating well. It is the stuff we have all heard before. Drink lots of water. Consume your required intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grain products. Minimize fat, alcohol and sugar intake. But there seems to be a gap between knowing what to do and actually adhering to these simple guidelines. There is no special grapefruit, cabbage, Low-protein or High-protein diet or pill that will get you the results you want quickly. And knowledge alone is not power! We all know what we have to do! It is finding the motivation and inspiration to make and adhere to very small changes in our nutrition plan that will facilitate success. Finding the motivation to stick to a healthy nutrition plan day-in-day-out is all it takes. Here's the good news - you don't have to starve yourself and you don't have to limit your diet to carrots and broccoli.

With nutrition, the very small changes to your eating habits will often bring about big differences. The new habits just need to be consistent on a long-term basis. Perhaps start with one area at a time. Once you have that habit mastered, tackle the next nutrition goal. One step at a time and soon your diet will provide you with all the nutrients necessary to achieve optimum health.

Over my next series of blogs, I'm going to provide you with some easy nutrition tips and guide you through designing your own nutrition program. It is necessary for you to design a program that you realistically believe that you could follow for a life-time. Remember, I do not believe in any quick fixes. We're talking about a life-long effort.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Missing a Workout is so much more than Missing a Workout!

2009-09-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

Consider how much discipline it takes to workout three to five days a week. Think about how hard it is to keep stretching beyond our comfort zones and how challenging it is to exercise at high intensities. Consider the self-resolve required to eat healthy foods and drink lots of water every day when temptations surround us everywhere we go. But if you have the courage to respect your body – the temple that houses your mind and spirit – personal mastery will not be far away. It says a lot about who you are as a person when you invest the time to take care of yourself. It says you respect and love yourself enough to do the things necessary for you to be at your personal best. Each time you get into the gym for a workout on a day when you just don’t feel like exercising, you grow a little stronger as a human being. Each time you go for a run or walk on a cold winter’s day when you just feel like staying under the warm, cozy covers, you strengthen your character. When you endure a tough workout, it enables you to persevere through any other challenge in your life. Working on improving your physical conditioning will not only enrich your life and make you a better person, you’ll also become a better parent, a better spouse, a better and more productive worker, and a better friend.

Exercising regularly, eating well and taking the time to relax and nourish your body will make you feel happier. It will provide you with more energy than you have ever known. It will give you greater stamina and mental toughness and make you a clearer, stronger thinker. It will make you more patient and loving. There are 168 hours in a week. Surely each and every one of us, regardless of our hectic schedules, can carve out three to five of them to care for our bodies and work on mastering our physical state.

You must remember that a missed workout is much more than just a missed workout! When you miss a workout, you don’t just stay at the same level you were at – you actually take a few steps back. Every time you miss a workout, you have done something to strengthen the habit of not working out. When you’ve made the promise to yourself to exercise so many times per week and then you break that promise, you start to lose trust in yourself. With each missed workout, you start to lose self-confidence and begin to question whether you can actually stick with it at all. A missed workout fuels self-doubt and makes that negative habit stronger. Miss enough workouts, and eventually that negative habit of not working out will replace the positive habit of exercising that you have worked so hard to cultivate. Every time you fail to do the right thing, you fuel the habit of doing the wrong thing. So the next time you’re trying to justify pressing the snooze button and skipping your workout, or working through lunch instead of taking a walk break or heading right home after work instead of stopping at the gym, just don’t do it. Don’t even think about it. Don’t even allow yourself the opportunity to talk yourself out of doing what you know you need to do to be at your best. Just remember that you’ll feel like a million bucks once you’re done. The real challenge for most people is not the workout itself, but actually overcoming the negative thoughts that try to sabotage very good intentions.

“The greatest irony of our physical life is that when we are young, we are willing to sacrifice every bit of our health for wealth, and when we grow old, we are willing to sacrifice so much of our wealth for just one day of health.” Don’t let this happen to you. The little things in life are actually the big things and the quality of success that you will experience in your life ultimately depends upon the tiny choices you make every minute of every hour of every day. It’s the small daily acts and habits that define how big we end up living.

Looking Good, Feeling Great & Living Life to the Fullest!

Last 3 Exercises for your Pumping Nothing Workout

2009-09-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

Today is Day 7 – the last day - of your Pumping Nothing workout. You now have 21 different exercises you can do absolutely anywhere with no equipment whatsoever. So the next time you can’t get to the gym, are on holidays or on a business trip...NO EXCUSES!

Here are your last three exercises to complete your Pumping Nothing Muscle-conditioning workout.

Try about 60-90 seconds for each exercise for a 4.5 minute mini-circuit. You might be motivated to just follow along with this clip and get a few minutes of movement. Or you might combine all clips for a 40 minute blast.

If you can’t view this clip, here is the direct link to YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7FlFZGfqDA

Today’s exercises are:

Hamstring Curl
*Stay strong in your core
*Resist on the way in and on the way out
*Do for about 60-90 seconds total each side

Plank, Cobra & Downward Dog
*Keep your core strong throughout the entire set
*Continue for 60-90 seconds total

Bridging
*Keep you abdominals contracted throughout the entire set
*Contract your glute muscles on the way up and on the way down
*Try for 60-90 seconds total each side

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

3 more Muscle Toning Exercises you do with no equipment

2009-09-17T11:16:00.000-07:00

Today is Day 6 of your Pumping Nothing workout - 18 different exercises you can do when you can’t get to the gym, are on holidays or on a business trip. I took my nephew, niece and sis through this workout when I was hanging out at their place in Canada and it kicked their butt. So whether you’re just getting started or you’re hardcore, there’s something for you!

Here are the next three exercises to add to your Pumping Nothing Muscle-conditioning workout.

Try about 60-90 seconds for each exercise for a 4.5 minute mini-circuit. You might be motivated to just follow along with this clip and get a few minutes of movement. Or you might combine all clips so far for a 30 minute blast.

If you can’t view this clip, here is the direct link to YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP_Ph8vXi90

Today’s exercises are:

Standing Side Leg Lift:
*Try not to lean while you lift your leg to the side
*Do for about 60-90 seconds total each side

Tricep Pressups
*Keep your core strong
*Continue for 60-90 seconds total

Opposite Arm and Leg Extension with Rotation
*Keep you abdominals contracted throughout the entire set
*Focus on reaching and lengthening versus lifting upwards
*Try for 45-90 seconds total each side

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Day 5 of your Pumping Nothing workout brings you 3 more exercises you can do anywhere!

2009-09-16T13:45:00.000-07:00

Today is Day 5 of your Pumping Nothing workout. You now have 15 different exercises that you can do absolutely anywhere using no equipment whatsoever. Keep these emails on file for the next time you can’t get to the gym, are on holidays or on a business trip.

Here are the next three exercises to add to your Pumping Nothing Muscle-conditioning workout.

Try about 60-90 seconds for each exercise for a 4.5 minute mini-circuit. You might be motivated to just follow along with this clip and get a few minutes of movement. Or you might combine all clips so far for a 25 minute blast.

If you can't view the clip above, click below for the direct YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIwUbOOIunY

Today’s exercises are:

Airplane/Knee Lift/Walking Lunge & Touch Down
*Try a mini-lunge, intermediate or deep depending on how strong your knees are
*Keep your core strong into airplane and as your reach towards the ground
*Do for about 60-90 seconds total

Side Pushups
*Continue for 45 seconds each side

Full Sit-ups + V-sit Rotations
*Keep you abdominals contracted throughout the entire set
*Focus on a long spine during the rotations
*Try not to use any momentum or strain during the full sit-ups
*Feel free to adjust your range of motion during the full sit-ups
*Try for 60-90 seconds total

Yours in Health and Fitness,

Sherri McMillan

3 more Muscle Toning exercises you can do anywhere!

2009-09-15T10:54:00.000-07:00

Today is Day 4 of your Pumping Nothing workout. Keep these emails on file for the next time you can’t get to the gym, are on holidays or on a business trip. There are never any excuses for why you can’t get your workout in because everything you will ever need, you will always have with you!

Here are the next three exercises to add to your Pumping Nothing Muscle-conditioning workout.

Try about 60-90 seconds for each exercise for a 4.5 minute mini-circuit. You might be motivated to just follow along with this clip and get a few minutes of movement. Or you might combine the last few clips for a 20 minute blast.

If you can't view this video clip, click on the following direct YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1BeDJDW4LU

Today’s exercises are:

Lunge & Kick
*Try a mini-lunge, intermediate or deep depending on how strong your knees are
*Keep your core strong as you kick
*Do about 45 seconds each leg

Supine Arm Presses
*Continue for 60-90 seconds total using various angles

Prone Back Extensions – Upper/Lower/SkyDive
*Keep you abdominals contracted throughout the entire set
*Focus on reaching and lengthening versus lifting upwards
*Try for 60-90 seconds total

Three more Pumping Nothing Exercises

2009-09-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

Today is Day 3 of your Pumping Nothing workout. Remember, you don’t need any equipment whatsoever to give yourself an incredible muscle conditioning workout. Review the last two posts for more tips.

Here are the next three exercises to add to your Pumping Nothing Muscle-conditioning workout.

Try about 60-90 seconds for each exercise for a 4.5 minute mini-circuit. You might be motivated to just follow along with this clip and get a few minutes of movement. Or you might combine the last few clips for a 15 minute blast.

If you can't view the clip above, click here for the YouTube file:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCPPej8D-wM

Today’s exercises are:

Circle Squat & Jump squat
*Only reach as low as you feel comfortable
*Continue for 30-45 seconds in each direction and then finish with a Power Squat

Push-ups with Leg Lift
*Try this from either your knees or toes depending on how strong your upper body is
*Alternate Legs
*Keep your core strong throughout the entire exercise
*Try for 60-90 seconds total

Side lying Lateral Leg Lifts
*Lift one or both legs
*Keep your core strong throughout the entire exercise
*Try for 30-45 seconds each side

Yours in Health and Fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Here are your next 3 Muscle Conditioning Exercises you can do anywhere!

2009-09-10T15:20:00.000-07:00

Today is Day 2 of your Pumping Nothing workout. Remember, your body is the BEST piece of equipment ever and you can keep it strong, fit and conditioned with absolutely no equipment whatsoever! Review yesterday’s posts for more tips.

Here are the next three exercises to add to your Pumping Nothing Muscle-conditioning workout.

Try about 60-90 seconds for each exercise for a 4.5 minute mini-circuit. You might be motivated to just follow along with this clip and get a few minutes of movement. Or you might combine today and yesterday’s clips for a 9 minute blast.

Today’s exercises are:

Alternate Leap Lunge
*Only reach as low as you feel comfortable
*Choose low or high impact
*Continue for 60-90 seconds total alternating legs

Prone Arm Lifts
*Press thumbs towards the ceiling
*Continue for 60-90 seconds

Single and Double Leg Extensions
*For stabilization - Only extend and lower as low to the ground as you can keep your abdominals engaged and your low back stable
*Continue for 60-90 seconds

Here's the clip:

If you can't view the video clip, go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPcc4iig0dA

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Tone up with 3 Pumping Nothing Exercises

2009-09-09T14:27:00.000-07:00

I recently conducted a workshop titled “Pumping Nothing” at the world’s largest Fitness Conference, CanFitPro in Toronto Canada. The principle was simple – that is that the body is the BEST piece of equipment ever and you can keep it strong, fit and conditioned with absolutely no equipment whatsoever! So what does that mean? No excuses ever! Muscle conditioning is critical for fat loss, posture, bone density, endurance, strength, weight management and more. If you can’t get to the gym because you’re on holidays, home with a sick child or on a business trip, you can still give yourself a fabulous workout!

The template for this workout is as follows:

Warm-up
Lower Body Exercise
Upper Body Exercise
Core Conditioning Exercise
Repeat multiple times with different exercises
Cool-down and stretch

So I thought it would be fun to give you some video clips of the exercises we did. I apologize for the filming – this wasn’t a professional production – just a friend taking some clips at the workshop. But you’ll get the idea.

Each day, I’ll share with you three exercises – lower body, upper body and core. We did about 1.5 minutes for each exercise for a 4.5 minute mini-circuit. So you might be motivated to just follow along with this clip and get a few minutes of movement. Or you might combine all the upcoming daily blog posts for a full one hour workout with a variety of different exercises that you can do absolutely anywhere. Even right now at your desk!

Today’s exercises are:

Lunge with Rotation
*Try a mini-lunge, intermediate or deep depending on how strong your knees are
*Keep your core strong as your rotate towards that front knee
*Do about 45 seconds each leg

Pushups with Rotation
*Try this from either your knees or toes depending on how strong your upper body is
*Keep your core strong throughout the entire exercise
*Do about 60-90 seconds total

Leg Extension with Core Crunch
*For stabilization component - Only lower as low to the ground as you can keep your abdominals engaged and your low back stable
*Do about 60-90 seconds total

Here's the clip:

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

4 Tips to a Achieving your Dream Life

2009-08-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

I just returned from IDEA, a convention in California for Health professionals from all over the world. I attended the keynote with Matt Weinstein, a motivational speaker and author. He said the problem with all the self help books is that they're too hard to remember - the 8 secrets, the 7 Habits etc...So he's come up with the 4 unforgettable keys to a Successful Life. He promises that you will never, ever forget them! I thought I’d share them with all of you in hopes that it will help you live your dream life.

#1 Key to an Incredible Life: ‘ Row, Row, Row your Boat’
This is your boat – your life! And if you want something, you’re going to have to work at it – you’re going to have to row, and row, and row some more. You’re going to have to put some muscle into it. Rowing can be a challenging activity but you can direct which way you want that boat to go! This is your life to create!

#2 Key to an Incredible Life: ‘Gently down the Stream’
Go with the flow. Don’t fight so hard. It's so much easier to row your boat downstream rather than upstream! You’ve got to Focus on your strengths – that will make everything so much easier.

#3 Key to an Incredible Life: Can you already guess it??!! Yep – “Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily”
Be positive. Be content. Focus on what you have versus what you don’t have. Look for the good in everything. Notice everyday miracles. Incredible opportunities come to those with a joyful spirit. No one wants to be around or offer opportunities to those who are negative! Why? They are just going to complain about it anyways!

#4 Key to an Incredible Life: ‘Life is But a Dream’
Life should be a dream – a pleasant, beautiful, wonderful dream - Not a nightmare. Reality happens first in your mind. Dream big for your life. Make the life that you want so vivid in your mind that it’s easier to make it come to fruition!

That’s it! Four keys that you will probably never, ever forget. Simple but powerful messages! We’ve all heard it before and now all we have to do is live it! I hope it gives you a little boost for your week!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

By challenging yourself, you challenge others!

2009-08-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

"Do something everyday that scares or challenges you!" I love this photo of my friend Tamara as she jumps off a 20 ft cliff into Crater Lake. She inspired me to jump shortly after - a big accomplishment since I'm crazy scared of heights. That's how inspiration works. Someone sees someone else do something cool and they think "Hey, maybe I could do that too!" So do something amazing and you'll most likely inspire someone else too!

This thought process reminds me of this poem...

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?” Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory of God….And as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Marianne Williamson – Read by Nelson Mandela

So let your life shine brightly and as you do so, it will inspire others to live their best life too!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

I was wrong...

2009-08-07T05:50:00.000-07:00

I used to say "Use the Scale and Plan to Fail". I've seen so many people get so discouraged by a scale reading even when they were doing everything right. So I would often tell clients not to get on the scale or to limit it to monthly to avoid any issues. But research now shows that I was actually wrong.

When your goal is fat loss or weight management, weigh-ins offer you an objective, quantitative way for you to monitor your weight loss progress. In fact, people who have succeeded with weight loss often report that they self-monitored themselves using weekly weigh-ins. The most recent research shows greater progress in those who do daily weight monitoring.

Avoiding the scale means weight gain can easily accumulate without you realizing. I've seen so many clients utterly shocked at the number on the scale because they had avoided it for years. Regular monitoring can provide you with the information you need and often the motivation to take action before weight gain gets out of control. This way you’ll know quickly if you’re slipping at all and can take appropriate measures to get back on track.

The only downfall to measuring progress using a scale is that it doesn’t tell you anything about changes in body composition. So for example, if you’re gaining muscle because you’re working out and since muscle is more dense that fat, this change will not be represented on the scale and you may think you’re not doing that well. Also, weight can change significantly and quickly due to factors such as water retention. This can often lead to frustrations and discouragement when in fact, you may have been doing really well.

So my only advice is don’t get obsessed with what the scale reads. Start with only measuring yourself once per week at exactly the same time and focus on the action steps you can take to move the scale numbers in the right direction. Focus on getting your workouts in and eating healthy and the scale will take care of itself. It is also helpful to use a variety of measuring tools such as girth measurements, body fat assessments, Polaroid photo shots and how your clothes are fitting. This will give you a much better view of the whole picture.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Fitness Bucket List

2009-08-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

I'd like to encourage you to complete a Fitness Bucket Wish-List...all the fitness related adventures you'd like to do before you die.

And then start training for one of these events and/or adventures.

Many people take this approach – ‘As soon as I lose the weight/get fit, then I’ll start doing the things I’ve always wanted to do”. But we take the opposite approach. Let’s set the goal and in the process of training for the event or activity you’ve always wanted to do, then you lose the weight and get fit!

And please, promise me, you'll put a Crater Lake adventure on your fitness wish-list. Just this weekend, we took 14 of our clients on the most unbelievable hiking and biking adventure. Watch the clip and be inspired - you HAVE to do this at some point in your life!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Does stress make you fat?

2009-07-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

My fat loss blogs have sparked a lot of questions and interest. Here's one question that I thought I'd share with all of you. I think many of you can probably relate.

"I read that it's hard to lose weight when you're stressed out. If that's true, that would explain a lot in my life. My job is extremely stressful and although I eat pretty well and exercise weekly, I just can't seem to lose any weight. How does stress affect my weight loss?" J.P., Vancouver,WA

There has been quite a bit of research recently measuring stress hormones and how they affect our fat cells and fat metabolism. Dr. Pamela Peeke has been the leading researcher in this area and she has found that our body interprets any kind of stress in our lives as physical stress and immediately responds using the "Fight or Flight" response. Unfortunately, most of the stress in our lives is not physical stress but rather, work, kids, financial etc - more of the emotional or mental type of stress. But nonetheless, as our stress increases, the stress hormone, cortisol, is released into the blood stream.

Cortisol has two negative effects in terms of fat loss. One -it causes the body to crave more fat and sugar. Consider the last time you were really stressed out. What did you grab for - a tuna sandwich or ice cream? And secondly, it causes the body to uptake more fat into the fat cells in order to store energy. Both act as a defense mechanism to enable the body to fight off the stress - unfortunately, since we're not really undergoing physical stress and don't require the extra energy we just get fatter.

The message is clear. People who want to lose body fat need to manage their stress better. Take baths, get massages,write in a journal, read, pray, practice deep breathing, participate in Tai Chi, Yoga or meditation classes. Do whatever it takes to either interpret your stress differently or take care of yourself so that stress doesn't tear you down.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

ps. We offer some amazing Yoga & Meditation classes at both our Vancouver and Portland studios. Email me at sherri@nwPersonalTraining.com if you're interested. I'll forward you a Free pass so you can try out our programs for yourself.

Part 2 - Fat Loss: Safely, Effectively and Permanently

2009-07-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I hope I didn't keep you in suspense all weekend!

Here are the last 5 tips to achieving your fat loss goals. For those of you who have been successful fat losers, please add comments at the end. The more tips from those who know what works, the better!

#6: Practice the 80:20 rule. You can’t expect to be perfect for the rest of your life and setting super impossible high expectations will definitely set you up for failure and feelings of inadequacy. Instead of saying, ‘I’m never going to eat chocolate again’, decide that you’ll eat it only once per week. Instead of determining that you’re going to eat perfectly 7 days a week, decide that you’ll eat really healthy 5 days a week and then 2 days, you’ll allow for a few indulgences. This is much more realistic and is something that you can adhere to for the rest of your life. We have to stop thinking “All or Nothing”. This just leads to failure and then the resultant binges. Remember that if you want to be 10 pounds lighter 10 years from now, then it’s not what you do over the next 6 weeks, but rather what you do for the next 10 years! So ask yourself, what type of a nutrition plan can you follow forever?

#7: Limit your alcohol intake: Alcohol poses a number of problems. It is high in calories and lacking nutrient value. Some researchers have also suggested that because alcohol is metabolized in the body first, any food consumed in combination with the alcohol will be more easily converted to fat. And finally, and probably most importantly, alcohol reduces your inhibitions. You may be more inclined to indulge or make poor choices because you aren’t able to think clearly or examine the long term consequences. Most people won’t commit to never drinking again, but instead of drinking every night with dinner, limit it to 1-2x/week.

#8: Increase your daily activity: Try to think of ways that you can be more active throughout your day without having to actually exercise. The calories expended from walking a few extra blocks, taking the stairs, or performing errands in an active fashion really add up! If we could learn to just be more active throughout the day, we wouldn’t have to spend hours in the gym!

#9: Try not to eat large amounts of food past 8:00pm. Eating late at night often goes hand-in-hand with high-fat snacks and overeating. Secondly, it never feels good to go to bed on a full stomach!

#10: Keep an activity and food log. Record your daily exercise and what and how much you eat. Some researchers have found that just the act of recording the foods you eat, result in better choices and a healthier diet. Also by writing everything out, you may also start to notice patterns. For example, you may observe that the days you don’t exercise are also the days you eat poorly. You can then take appropriate action. It’s also a good idea to set daily goals to break the long-term ultimate goal into smaller chunks and to keep your goals in the forefront of your thoughts. Be sure that your goals are behavioral in nature (ie. drink 8 glasses of water, exercise for 30 minutes, eat 5 small meals) instead of body-focused (ie. I will lose 1 pound this week, I will drop 10 inches by Monday etc.).

Last final words of wisdom are to be patient. Safe fat loss often takes months and sometimes years - definitely not weeks or days! Be persistent and consistent! Finally, accept your genetics. If you come from a pear-shaped family, you most likely will always be a pear-shape. But you do have the choice of being an in-shape or an out-of-shape pear-shape! Don’t compare yourself to other women or men, instead, try to implement these changes because they are healthy changes and you deserve to take care of yourself! We know from experience that if being thin is your goal to make you happy, you’re never going to be thin enough to be happy! So learn to be happy in the body you’re in right now!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Fat Loss: Safely, Effectively and Permanently

2009-07-24T06:26:00.000-07:00

As a Personal Trainer, the number one request I get from clients is fat loss. Since I received a lot of emails after my last post on high intensity versus low intensity exercise and how that translates to fat loss, I’m going to stay on this topic and cover the Top 10 things you can do to lose fat – safely, effectively and permanently. You’ll only get tips from me that will provide lasting, long-term results. I’ll cover the first five today and the last five on Monday.

It’s interesting to note that these days the general public is more health-conscious and the availability of low and no-fat products has increased dramatically and yet, our population continues to get fatter. In fact, the average adult weighs 8 pounds more than just a decade ago!

So why do we continue to gain weight? Some researchers have estimated that our population expends 500-800kcal less per day compared to a few decades ago because of labor-saving devices like escalators, elevators, remote controls, computers, and urban transportation. We don’t even have to leave the house for fast-food! If we do go out for dinner, Valet Parking cuts out the few blocks of walking to our vehicle. We’ve got to face it – laziness rules! Case in point - analyze this photo closely.

We also live in a society where food is in abundance. Portion sizes tend to be huge and processed foods fill our cupboards and fridges. Some researches have suggested we consume 100-300kcal more per day than a few decades ago. Expending less energy, consuming more food and a society where exercisers are a minority results in a society that is getting fatter!

So what can you do about it? You’ve got 4 choices: diet, exercise, both or liposuction. The first option will definitely result in failure. Ninety-eight percent of people who go on diets gain the weight back. It appears that losing the weight in the first place, is not the hard part. In fact, people successfully lose weight all the time. It’s keeping the weight off that’s the hard part. The problem is that when you diet you lose valuable, energy-burning muscle tissue which drops your metabolism making it easier to put the weight back on. And secondly diets are, by nature, a short-term phenomenon. You often feel deprived during the diet-stage and thus, once you’ve lost the desired weight you return to old habits and patterns and the weight is quickly regained.

The second option to lose fat is exercise. This is a good choice but unfortunately, for many people, exercise by itself is a painfully, slow process. A fat-loss exercise program may exhibit a 2% change in body-fat over a 12-18 week period which would translate into 3 pounds of lost fat. That’s equates to about a pound lost per month. When people are looking for immediate results, they often don’t have the patience to wait!

The third option is to exercise and diet simultaneously. Research has found this method to be most successful at reducing body fat and, most importantly, helping to keep it off.

The final option, surgery/liposuction, is a costly choice. Furthermore, if the diet and exercise habits of the individual are not altered, the individual will eventually get fat again. Even though they may have less fat cells, the fat cells they still have can get bigger!

Here’s the Top 10 Tips for a Fat Loss program that incorporates exercise and healthy eating that will ensure you reduce your body fat safely, effectively and permanently:

#1. Aerobic Exercise: The American College of Sports Medicine recommends aerobic exercise 5-7 days/week for 20-60 minutes each session to maximize fat loss. If you’re just starting with exercise you may want to take a couple months to progress slowly into this 5-7 days/week range. Aerobic activities like walking, running, cycling, swimming, fitness classes, hiking, cross-country skiing, stairclimbing and rowing will do the trick. These activities expend a lot of energy and will burn up a lot of fat and thus, should be a focus of your exercise program. The intensity of your aerobic workouts should be within a 5-8/10 on the rating of perceived exertion scale. This means you should be able to work up a sweat, feel your heart pumping and be breathing more rapidly. We also encourage you to split your weekly aerobic workouts into easy, moderate and hard days to vary the intensity and train all energy systems. High intensity interval training will definitely get you in great shape fast allowing you to burn more calories overall during each workout translating into faster fat loss.

#2: Resistance Exercise: Regular strength training workouts are also critical to maximize fat loss. Muscle is an energy-burning tissue and therefore, if you have more of it, your metabolism revs at a higher rate making it easier to burn fat both during and after exercise. You don’t need to spend a lot of time in the weight room. Pick exercises for all the large, major muscle groups and perform just one set of 8-15 reps. You should be able to get in and out of the weight room in 30-40 minutes two to three times per week. These short muscle-conditioning workouts are sufficient to achieve the results you’re looking for and are the best way to actually sculpt your body.

#3: Eat 5 small meals and snacks each day. Studies indicate that when people eat more regularly throughout the day, they are less likely to overeat or indulge in less-healthy choices. Food at regular intervals also maintains a more balanced blood sugar level which keeps your energy levels higher throughout the day. Try to consume smaller meals or snacks every 2-3 hours during the day. Be sure to include protein and high-fiber foods at each meal/snack to help keep you full longer.

#4: Drink 8 glasses of water every day. Our body is 50-60% water and when we are dehydrated, our body and it’s organs and systems don’t function at their optimal level. This limits your ability to exercise intensely and ultimately, will affect your ability to burn body fat. Many scientists also suggest that headaches, minor aches and pains, low energy, sleeping problems and injuries may be a result of dehydration! Eight glasses of water each day will replenish the fluids you lose throughout the day as a result of normal human respiration.

#5: Focus on what you should be eating instead of what you shouldn’t be eating. Ensure you consume 5 vegetable and 3 fruit servings every day. Fruits and vegetables are high in nutrients and water-content and low in fat and calories. It’s much more difficult to overeat when your diet consists largely of fruits and vegetables. If you fill up on your fruits and veggies, you’re going to have less room for the high-fat, nutrient-poor foods.

Stay tuned on Monday to receive the last five tips.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

What's the best method for burning fat - long & slow or short & fast?

2009-07-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

A number of years ago, you may remember many fitness professionals prescribing lower intensity activity to maximize fat loss. Many fit people lowered the intensity of their workouts fearful that they were not burning fat. Unfortunately, they were misled and many people still believe that low intensity activity is the best way to maximize fat loss. In fact, I just heard a well-known doctor (mind you a psychologist not a physiologist) recommending that if people want to burn fat they need to slow down! So it caused me to want to include the following information in today's blog. I hope it helps to clarify the issue for you.

The reality is that the activity that expends the most amount of calories will lead to the most amount of fat burned.

Yes, during lower intensity activity you will burn a higher percentage of fat and during higher intensity activity you will burn a higher percentage of carbohydrates or sugars. But the important point to note is that during low intensity activity you are burning fat at a higher percentage of a lower amount of calories. When you exercise at a lower intensity you are definitely expending less calories. The selective use of fat as a fuel, specifically at lower intensities, does not translate into greater fat loss, regardless of how tempting it is to draw this conclusion. The more important focus with regard to calories expended, is not the percentage of energy coming from fat, but rather the total volume of fat used and the total number of calories expended. Let’s look at the math.

At 60% max heart rate (easier intensity)
• Approximately 50% of calories come from fat (50% from sugars)
• Approximately 8 kcal/min are expended
• 60 minutes x 8 kcal/min = 480 total calories
• 50% x 480 kcal = 240 fat calories

At 80% max heart rate (more vigorous intensity)
• Approximately 40% of calories come from fat (60% from sugars)
• Approximately 11 kcal/min are expended
• 60 minutes x 11 kcal/min = 640 total calories
• 40% x 640 kcal = 264 fat calories

From these figures you can see how fitness leaders could have been misled. If you were to examine only the first line, the percentage of fat being burned as fuel, you would definitely prescribe lower intensity activity. However, if you examine the whole picture, it is clear that higher intensity activity definitely expends more calories and also more fat. Here are some more statistics to convince you.

It takes approximately 3,500 calories to burn one pound of fat. Compare the following exercise programs.

Program A – Easier intensity (approximately 5kcal/min) – For example, easy walking
• 30 minutes of activity 3x/week
• 150kcal/session x 3x/week
• 450kcal/week
• It would take 8 weeks to burn 1 pound of fat

Program B – Same intensity as above but for a longer duration
• 60 minutes of activity 3x/week
• 300kcal/session x 3x/week
• 900 kcal expended per week
• It would take 4 weeks to burn 1 pound of fat

Program C – More vigorous intensity (approximately 10 kcal/min) – For example, jogging or power walking up and down hills
• 60 minutes of activity 3x/week
• 600kcal/session x 3x/week
• 1800 kcal expended per week
• It would take 2 weeks to burn 1 pound of fat

If you followed Program A, it would take you eight weeks to burn one pound of fat! Most people would give up by then. If you could easily handle the higher intensity of Program C, wouldn't you prefer to just wait 2 weeks to burn off that pound of fat deposited around your waist, hips or thighs? Remember though, if you can't handle the higher intensity of Program C, follow Program B which means you can maintain the easier intensity but you just have to go longer.

Time is definitely an issue for a lot of exercisers and most don't want to spend hours in the gym if they can get the same results in a shorter period of time. Consider this. At 60% of your max heart rate, it would take you approximately 40 minutes to burn off 300 kcal. If you could handle a higher intensity and were able to exercise at 80% of your max heart rate, it would only take you approximately 27 minutes to burn the same 300 kcal. If time is a factor and you do not have a lot of time to waste, would you rather exercise for 40 or 27 minutes and still burn the same amount of calories?

If I have not convinced you yet, consider this. Did you know that the highest percentage of fat that you burn during any activity is during rest! At rest, you are using approximately 50% fat as your fuel – that is the highest % of fat you can burn – you are never burning 100% fat. That's right, just sitting here reading this blog, you are burning the highest percentage of fat you could possibly burn. That is because your body can only store a limited supply of carbohydrates (sugars) and so during rest, the demand on your body is low and your body wants to spare your precious sugar stores. Since you have an unlimited supply of fat stores, your body would rather burn fat during rest.

But remember that although you are burning a higher percentage of fat at rest, you are expending very few calories (approximately 1kcal/min) so overall you are not burning a lot of fat. If type of fuel utilized was the critical factor for fat loss, then we would be prescribing more rest because this is when we burn the highest percentage of fat as fuel. But it is a higher percentage of a lower number of calories. So, of course, we know it is ridiculous to even consider rest or sleep as a high fat burning activity.

One last note. Examine elite level athletes like sprinters. The majority of their training sessions involve high intensity, sugar-burning activity. But have you ever seen a fat sprinter? Of course not. Although, they are burning a lot of carbohydrates or sugars during their training sessions, they are also expending a lot of calories and a lot of fat. In fact, some sprinters eat over 5000-6000kcal/day without gaining any fat!

The benefits of higher intensity exercise are as follows:
• Expends more calories per minute
• More efficient – burns more calories in less time
• Most effective method for improving fitness conditioning
• Most effective method for raising anaerobic threshold. Your anaerobic threshold is the stage of exercise where you feel very tired and feel the need to either stop or slow down. You may feel dizzy or nauseous if you stay at this level too long. By incorporating higher intensity activity into your exercise workouts, you raise your anaerobic threshold. This means that you can exercise at a higher intensity before you start to experience those uncomfortable sensations.
• Most effective method for inducing training adaptations. Incorporating this type of training into your program will enable your body to handle the higher intensities more easily. You will find that intensities that used to leave you breathless and fatigued, no longer challenge you anymore. Soon, you will be able to expend more calories per minute compared to when you first started exercise. When people first initiate an exercise program, a comfortable calorie burning level is approximately 5cal/min. Elite athletes can expend more than 20cal/min and sustain it for over 2 hours! As a result, it takes them a lot less time to burn one pound of fat.
• Most effective method for increasing fat mobilization. This means that as you get fitter, you actually get better at burning fat. Inside of your fat cells, you have enzymes called hormone sensitive lipase and lipoprotein lipase. Hormone sensitive lipase, the "good guys", are responsible for releasing fat from a fall cell to be used for energy. Lipoprotein lipase, the "bad guys", are responsible for the uptake of fat from the blood stream into fat cells to be stored. Lipoprotein lipase functions to develop our unwanted bulges. If you have lived a sedentary lifestyle and have eaten a poor diet all your life, you will have a lot of the "bad guys" and they will be very good at their job. You will have fewer "good guys" and they will not be so competent with their responsibilities. The goal is to get more good guys doing their job. But changing the internal chemistry inside of your fat cells may take years. So in the beginning you may not be experiencing results as quickly as you want because you body is actually working against you. But with consistency in your training program, your body will soon start to work for you. Soon you will have increased your ability to mobilize and use fat as a fuel. Training in a high intensity zone will make you fit quick and enable you to enjoy this wonderful training benefit. Soon you will be burning more fat during and after exercise. You will become a fat burning machine!
• Experience a higher EPOC (excess post oxygen consumption). Have you ever wondered why you continue to breathe heavy and sweat after your workout is done? Why doesn't your breathing and body temperature go back to normal immediately? After exercise you consume a greater amount of oxygen to assist your body in recovering from the stress of the workout and the demands it placed on your body. It is important to know that EPOC uses fat as its fuel. At higher intensities, your EPOC is greater translating into a greater caloric and fat expenditure post activity. Although the effects of EPOC are small, if you expended an additional 100 calories post exercise as a result of a high intensity exercise session, within 100 workouts (5 months), you would have burned an extra 10,000 calories or 3 pounds of fat!
• Intervals are the best way to add intensity to a workout by adding brief, high-energy outputs followed by active recovery phases which will avoid fatigue and injury.

So, the bottom line is that everyone can benefit from incorporating high intensity training into their program once they have completed about 2 months of initial level base conditioning. Please note however, that every workout should not be a high-intensity workout. Doing so could result in burn-out, over-training and injury. The recommended fitness prescription is one that includes all intensity training zones. That is, sometimes you go easy and long and other times you go hard and fast. This will ensure you train all of your energy systems and minimize overtraining. Reminder – Don’t start a new fitness program with high intensity exercise. Complete a couple months of easier, base conditioning first and then slowly start to add your intervals.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

4 Stretches to do if you're super tight!

2009-07-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

Stretching offers numerous health benefits, unfortunately, most people either don't stretch correctly, long enough or skip it all together. The most neglected component of fitness is stretching and for those who are the most tight, stretching is usually such an uncomfortable experience that they avoid it all costs.

After working in the fitness industry and training clients for over 20 years, I have a system that has even our most rigid, tight, "can't touch their toes" clients, enjoying their stretching segments. We've found that if we can make a stretch comfortable enough that a client doesn't even realize they're stretching, they will often hold it long enough to allow the muscles to lengthen.

For this reason, we've found wall-stretches to be most successful at increasing the enjoyment of the stretching segment. While our clients are stretching, their back is in its neutral position which is very comfortable. They don't have to use any of their muscles to support their back. They can instead just relax and focus into the stretch. They can also read or watch T.V. in this position which will increase the amount of time they hold any stretch for. Our clients find these stretching segments so enjoyable that they hold the stretches longer than they ever have before and are now stretching everyday. They would have never dreamed of stretching this much before!

Here are some sample wall-stretches:

Hamstring: Lie on your back with your legs against the wall with your heels towards the ceiling. Find a position where you can feel a light stretch in the back of your thighs. To make the stretch more intense, move your buttocks closer to the wall. To make the stretch less intense, move your buttocks further from the wall. Hold this stretch for as long as you feel comfortable. Try to relax and breathe in to the stretch. Feel free to read a magazine or watch T.V. while holding this stretch.

Hips and Back: Start with your legs in the hamstring stretch position. Now slowly let both legs fall to one side until they are resting comfortably on the floor (if you’re tight, it’s okay to have the legs suspended above the floor also). Try to feel this stretch through your hips and lightly through your back.

Adductors: Start with your legs in the hamstring stretch position. Now slowly separate your legs into a V-position until you feel a light stretch through your groin area.

Glutes: Move yourself back about one foot away from the wall. Position one leg so that the bottom of the foot is in contact with the wall and the knee is at 90 degrees. Cross the other leg over so that the ankle is resting on the thigh. To make the stretch less intense, move your buttocks further from the wall. To make the stretch more intense, move your buttocks closer to the wall or lightly press the crossed leg away.

Remember to hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds. This is when the real stretching actually begins and also remember that light stretching is much better than deep, painful stretching!

Try it out and let me know what you think.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Staying consistent during the summer holidays.

2009-07-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Clients & Friends,

I've had so many clients tell me they're having a really hard time with workout consistency now that the kids are home from school and they are out of their routine. I have written some previous posts to give you some ideas on how to make sure you still get your workouts in no matter what.

Today, I wanted to show you a video clip of me going out for a run with the kids. You'll have to excuse my amateur filming skills - it's definitely not Jim Martin MVP Video Production quality. But hey, do you know how hard it is to film when you're running?! Anyways, I hope you don't get dizzy - maybe just listen and not watch. Click on the link above. Listen to some of the things that Brianna says. I'm confident that by involving your kids in your workouts, they'll get something out of it too!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

ps. Happy Independence Day!

A huge congratulations to all of our clients who participated in the Summer Solstice 6 mile run/walk

2009-06-29T10:53:00.000-07:00

Our Summer Solstice event was a huge hit! Check out the video clip above. I hope it inspires you to join us next year! It's pretty amazing how awesome you feel when you cross the finish line!

Cut and paste the link below into your browser for an event recap.

http://www.nwpersonaltraining.com/subs/events/event_past_recap.php?event_id=63

You still have time to sign up for our Girlfriends & Dudes Triathlon on July 19th. YES, YOU CAN!!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Don't set the goal as weight-loss. Try this approach instead!

2009-06-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

Many people take this approach – ‘As soon as I get fit and lose weight, then I’ll start doing the things I’ve always wanted to do.” We suggest you take the opposite approach.

Set the goal and in the process of training for the event or activity you’ve always wanted to do, then you will get in great shape! It puts purpose to your workouts. And it’s such a positive, motivating focus.

For example, let’s say you set a goal of finishing a 10km fun run. Setting this kind of goal, because it has a deadline, provides a compelling reason to stick to the program and not miss workouts. In contrast, if the goal is to lose 10 pounds in 2 months, if you get off track, you can negotiate with yourself and say, “Well, I guess I can wait an additional week or two to achieve my goals.” But if you get off track with your training program while preparing for an event, you can’t call the event organizer and ask them to postpone the event because you aren’t going to be ready. Every workout or skipped workout will either positively or negatively affect your performance and your ability to achieve your goal. In addition, once you cross the finish line, that’s something no one can ever take away from you. You will always have your medal, t-shirt, and photos crossing the finish line. Whereas, with weight loss, you could lose the weight and then gain it all back next month and feel like a failure. Plus there is a lot of status associated with conquering a tough challenge or finishing a event, so your self esteem receives a huge boost providing you with the belief that you can achieve the next goal. We have also found when someone succeeds at a goal such as this, they then inherently look towards the next goal – it’s just human nature. So after you finish the 10km, then often you’ll decide to attempt a half marathon, full marathon, a challenging hike, a triathlon, etc. It’s a positive spiral. Whereas, with weight loss, it’s often a negative spiral. You may lose the 10 pounds but may still not be happy. Some people who have the most ‘perfect’ bodies are those that struggle with their body image the most!

For all these reasons, we suggest you keep the focus away from Body Image and instead focus on behaviors, events and actions. The end result is that you actually will start to lose weight, tone up and get in the best shape of your life en route to the finish line!

So grab a piece of paper and write down all the fitness goals you would like to achieve. This is your personal fitness wish list. Write down anything you have ever thought of achieving with regards to your own individual health and fitness. Which goal, if you achieved it, would make this year unbelievable? Have you ever wanted to hike the Grand Canyon, complete a marathon or triathlon, cycle through Italy, learn to Scuba Dive or inline skate or rock-climb, cycle the Oregon coast, or would you just be happy with working out 4x/week consistently? What are you health and fitness wishes? The only rule with this wish list is that none of your goals can be related to your body size, shape or weight. Stay away from listing a goal such as losing 10 pounds or 4 inches off your hips. Let's keep this list positive, action-oriented, and focused away from body image. Then circle one item on this list, that you will focus on completing in the next 3 months. YES YOU CAN!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri

ps. On that note, if you’re not doing anything this weekend, join us for our annual 6mile Run/Walk, Live Concert and community fundraiser for the Kearney Breast Center.

http://www.nwpersonaltraining.com/subs/events/event_details.php?event_id=63

pps. Or perhaps you'd like to try our Girlfriends & Dudes Triathlon on July 19th. It's a short distance so you can do it. And if you're not feeling up for the whole thing, inspire a few friends and form a relay team!

http://www.nwpersonaltraining.com/subs/events/event_details.php?event_id=64

You've got to watch this video - it may be life changing...

2009-06-14T16:53:00.000-07:00

Father's Day is one week from today. Before you decide what to do for that special guy - dad, hubby, brother, son - watch this inspirational video first. It is one of the most incredible stories of all times! It's 6 minutes long but trust me, absolutely, totally worth it. I've watched it at least 20 times and I am still in awe! I have competed in triathlons with this father-son team and it is one of the most humbling and inspiring experiences ever! So click on the link, sit back, relax and be inspired...

Your dad will probably never remember the tie you bought him. Your husband will probably never recall the backyard BBQ kit you got for him. Your brother will probably never remember the gift-card.

But they will forever remember the hike you took them on, the bike ride with a lunch stop, the golf game, or perhaps an event you enrolled each other in. The best gifts are those that involve time being spent together doing something you both love and/or doing something that offers a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.

So you've got one week to plan an active, fun day with that special guy in your life. Create a memory that will last a lifetime!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri

ps. On Saturday June 20th, we are offering a Dad's Bootcamp at both our Vancouver and Portland studios from 8:00-10:00am. That could be the start of a very special weekend. Call 360.574.7292 or 503.287.0655 to register.

No Excuse for Excuses...

2009-06-12T08:24:00.000-07:00

If you're a consistent exerciser and never struggle with sticking to it, you can skip today's blog. But if you're like most people, and let work, the kids and other responsibilities get in the way, read for some tips on how to overcome these obstacles so you have the energy for work, kids and other responsibilities...

Not enough time: If you have trouble finding time to exercise, you’re not alone. A perceived lack of time is one of the most common excuses for not starting or for quitting an exercise program. But it really doesn’t wash. We have clients who manage large businesses, clients with 6-8 children and clients who seem to do it all. How do they do it? They make health and fitness a priority in their life. When life gets rough, exercise is usually the first thing to go when, in fact, it should be the last. Exercise is the glue to mental sanity when life becomes chaotic. Somehow, when others need you, your needs tend to end up on the back burner. Someone at work asks you to complete a project, your spouse needs your attention, the kids need some quality time, your friends are asking you why you haven’t called, and you’ve got a to-do list that extends well into the next 6 months. You can see how easy it is to convince yourself that the morning workout can wait until lunch and then until after dinner. Or maybe tomorrow and finally, “I’ll get back on track next month!” Commitments, responsibilities, and the demands of work, family and social life are always going to be there. When you allow yourself to put your own needs second to everything and everyone else, you’ll end up the loser. Research, in fact, shows that exercisers are more productive at whatever they’re doing. Translation: You’ll be able to do more when you’re in good shape. As for believing exercise is a huge time commitment, even 10-30 minutes a day, if done consistently, can result in health benefits. Here’s some tips to help you fit exercise in your day:

• Make an appointment with yourself, just as you would for your doctor or dentist or a meeting with your boss. That way, when someone asks if you can meet at 5, you can honestly say, “Sorry, I’ve got an appointment. How about at 4:00?”
• Stop putting it off! “I’ll start exercising right after New Year’s…in the spring…right after I’m finished with this huge project…once the kids get older…once the kids leave home…after I’ve retired…” Stop making excuses. Now’s the time to start because there will always be things competing for your time. You can choose to make exercise a priority in your life now or wait until you’re forced to make it a priority. We take our health for granted until we get sick. People who swear they don’t have a minute to exercise, then find themselves hospitalized for bypass surgery and out of commission for weeks, soon recognize that the extra time taken to exercise would haven been well worth it! The message is clear. Unless you take care of yourself now, one day you may find yourself unable to take care of your business, family or any of your other interests.

No energy: Those who exercise regularly know from experience that exercise actually leaves you with more energy!

Too old too exercise: No, you’re too old NOT to exercise! Every decade a 30 year old sedentary individual will suffer from a 10 percent decrease in muscle mass and aerobic capacity and a reduction in flexibility. Bone density deteriorates starting at age 35. By the time you’re 68, you’ll have experienced an 80 percent decrease in strength. By age 80, an individual will have lost half of their muscle mass. The good news is that if you exercise, these stats will improve dramatically. Even people as old as 90 have experienced the positive benefits of exercise, so it’s never too late to get started.

Hate exercise: In the beginning, exercise may feel like a chore but eventually it’ll become a need for both physical and mental health. It’s important to find activities you enjoy doing so that you’ll participate regularly, see the results and get hooked. Use music, try hiking or walking and add variety to your program to make it more fun. Exercise with friends. Studies show you tend to achieve better results that way because it’ll become more difficult to skip workouts plus you won’t get lonely during your workouts. There’s also no evidence to suggest that exercise needs to be painful. If it hurts that much, you may be doing too much, too soon.

Too out of shape to exercise: One survey found the top reason why people choose not to join a gym is because they want to get into better shape or lose weight first. This backwards approach may never get you to your goals. Find a gym that’s not intimidating and where members seem comfortable going at their own pace and wearing whatever they want.

Gym scene isn’t your thing: Sorry this won’t wash. There are literally hundreds of things you can do at home to get in shape. Your local book store will have books on designing your own program. Rent a fitness video. Hire a personal trainer to come to your house and design a program for you.

Health Woes: The health benefits of exercise always outweigh the risks. Certain conditions may make exercise more difficult but you can work around most problems. Consult with a professional who can design a program that addresses your specific concerns.

No or slow results: One of the biggest hurdles new exercisers face is that the effort often doesn’t match the result. They’ve been exercising religiously for five weeks and jump up on the scale. Ugh, no change! They feel the program must not be working and give up. Unrealistic expectations can be a real downer. Instead of measuring your success by the scale, measure it by your energy levels. Monitor how many more repetitions you can do of a particular exercise. Keep track of how many more minutes you can do of a given activity. You may be making more progress than you think.

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri

Learn how to stay motivated from someone who exercises everyday and has been consistent for over 30 years!

2009-06-08T16:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday.

I wanted to wait and send this out a little later in the afternoon so you could assess whether you've started the week off on the right foot or not. By now, you should have a plan for the week - Which workouts will you do when? Leaving it up to how you're feeling on any given day doesn't tend to work very well and can easily lead to an inconsistent effort.

Instead of me preaching my message, I thought I'd introduce you to one of our members who has been a consistent, everyday exerciser for 30 years. She has obviously figured out what she needs to do to stick to her workout program. She's got some great tips that I believe will help you if you have a hard time keeping the commitment to yourself. Click on the link and enjoy.

What’s the #1 thing you need to do to stick to your exercise program?

2009-06-02T03:05:00.000-07:00

You’ve got to make the experience fun and enjoyable!

The biggest problem I face as a fitness trainer is that I’m offering a product that most people hate. Unfortunately, the majority of people do not like to exercise! So it’s my job to make the exercise experience as enjoyable as we possibly can.

Here’s some ideas:

• Participate in a program that you enjoy. Check out this 2 minute clip above of my Outdoor Bootcamp program. You’ll notice I’m giving my clients a great workout but also notice how they are laughing and joking around while I’m kicking their butts! If you like what you see, you can get more details and sign up at the following link. If this is not for you – figure out what is. Maybe it’s dancing or cycling or beach volleyball. Whatever it is, it’s got to be something you enjoy enough to want to do regularly enough to achieve great results.

http://www.nwpersonaltraining.com/subs/events/event_details.php?event_id=88

• Participate in fun active events so you develop strong relationships which will ultimately create an awesome working out environment. It's always easier to stay consistent when you're doing something you love with other really fun and cool people!

Check out this photo of me and my clients participating in a 5km Fun Run and finishing second in the costume division this past weekend. We enjoyed a fabulous workout and had a TON of fun! Can you believe we ran 3 miles in this thing!

Keep it fun people and you’ll want to stay consistent!

Yours in health & fitness,

Sherri McMillan

The best thing we can do for our kids!

2009-05-29T19:52:00.000-07:00

If you have kids, you've got to help them learn to love to move their bodies and eat well at an early age. Then it will be easy to continue as they get older!

I had the opportunity to work with some Vancouver kids today to teach them that working out and eating healthy can be a ton of fun. Check out the video above. It's so cute!

Here's the reality...

These days kids hardly get any activity. Most schoolwork involves sedentary activity and with television and video games as after-school pastimes, the temptation to sink into couch potato-land becomes pretty overwhelming for our kids. Check out these startling stats:

Children today are approximately 40% less active than they were 30 years ago
20% of children and teens are overweight enough to threaten their future health
One report states that the number of overweight children ages 6-11 has increased by 50% in the last 15 years and by 40% in those ages 12-17. Lack of exercise is considered a major contributing factor
40% of children already have at least one risk factor for heart disease and reduced fitness due to an inactive lifestyle
Children spend an average of 26 hours a week watching television and also spend 25-30 hours a week sitting behind a desk

As the school year winds down, parents can plan ahead to ensure your kids get lots of activity this summer. “Go outside and do something" or "Go ride your bike” you yell to your kids as you watch your favorite daytime show or football game. The “Do as I say, not as I do!” approach doesn’t have a very good track record. Children tend to mimic the actions of their parents so, if the extent of your daily or after-work activity consists of channel surfing and munching on chips, guess what fitness rituals your children will develop. The lifestyle habits you’re developing in your children today will determine how much junk will clog their arteries 30 years from now.

There are tons of activities that you could easily be doing with your kids. Cycling, inline skating, walking, hiking, a trip to the local pool, a pick-up game of basketball or soccer, … You could even design your own workout together including walks to the local park and calisthenics using the available equipment. The possibilities are endless.

Here’s some goals you should strive for. The American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for exercise and children are as follows:

Children should be involved in at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity like walking to school or cycling around the neighborhood, performing household chores or running errands.
Children should exercise three times a week for at least 20 minutes with activities that require moderate to vigorous levels of exertion, like brisk walking, stair-climbing, racquet sports, jogging, dance, swimming laps, skating, cross-country skiing or cycling.
For most children, it’s fine to do 15-20 minutes of resistance or strength training sessions twice a week using higher repetitions (25 reps) and lower resistance as long as there’s proper instruction and supervision.
Children should stretch on alternative days for 60 seconds each stretch.
Vary the activities to work different parts of the body.
Involve children in deciding what to do.

Kids who exercise can experience the following benefits:

Daily physical activity builds a healthy heart and stimulates muscle and bone growth
Healthy, fit kids have more energy, sleep better and often have better eating habits than their sedentary peers
One six year study found that the academic performance of students who exercised regularly had significantly improved compared to students who did not participate in regular physical activity
It appears that children benefit from better concentration, memory, creativity, problem-solving ability and overall mood for up to two hours following exercise
One report states that exercise can boost a child’s self-confidence and self-image. It also reduces aggression and decreases anxiety and depression.

So start them young and be a great example for them!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

What to do when you conflict?

2009-05-28T22:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday on my morning run, I saw the oddest thing. This man was riding his bike while smoking a cigarette. My first thought was "What an interesting combination!" It made me think that many of us may have conflicting behaviors that don't align with our ultimate vision for our lives.

For example, maybe you exercise regularly but your eating habits are horrible. Or maybe you eat well, but never workout. Perhaps, you're really successful in your career but are really overweight and out-of-shape. Maybe you're in great shape but you've got huge amounts of debt. Maybe you're filthy rich but have been married and divorced five times and can't seem to maintain a solid relationship.

It seems that happiness, what we all ultimately strive for, can only be attained when we have a balance in all realms of our life - physical, work, mental/emotional, relationships/social etc. When we are struggling in one area it seems to inhibit our abilities to be at our best and live our dream life.

No one is perfect but it does help to recognize which areas of your life are not lining up with what you want your life to be. Recognition and awareness allows for positive actions in the right direction.

Also, keep in mind that making positive action steps in one area can lead to positive actions in other areas. So don't beat yourself up if you're not where you want to be yet. Take it one step at a time. For example, my cycling smoker may learn to love biking so much that one day he decides to stop smoking because it inhibits his ability to progress and continue a more fuller enjoyment of cycling. It has been shown that smokers that take up exercise are more likely to quit smoking so cycling smoker is on the right track!

Are there any parts of your life that need to be put on the right track to your Personal Best? I've got a few redirections myself...

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri

What will you do?

2009-05-25T22:03:00.000-07:00

"A healthy body is a guest-chamber for the soul; a sick body is a prison.." F.B.

If your body truly hosts your soul, what will you do this week so it functions at it's best?

Avoid the Most Embarrassing Situation of your Life...

2009-05-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

My little guy Jackson is taking a nap right now so I thought I’d take the time to fill you in on a lesson that was affirmed for me yesterday.

Started the morning off with a brick workout with my Triathlon Group. We did an 11 mile cycle followed by a 3 mile run. A perfect workout on a perfect day. Afterwards, I had about 1.5 hours to get home, showered, grab some lunch and head to our Portland studio for a 2 hour meditation course that we were hosting. My little girl wanted to hang with me so we decided we’d grab a quick sandwich at Rosemary’s café, a quaint little deli in downtown Vancouver that we both love. When we arrived at Rosemary’s, there was a note on the door saying “Closed for Memorial Day weekend”. So I blame what happened afterwards on Cheryl, the owner of Rosemarys! At this point, we didn’t have a ton of time, she was hungry and I was starving due to my earlier brick workout. She pleaded to go to McDonalds and I said absolutely not – something to do with the fact that I worked at Micky Ds for 5 years when I was younger (a separate topic for another blog!) So we compromised on Burgerville – the route that any Northwesterner trying to be healthy will take while trying to justify eating fastfood. Afterall they do use local ingredients…And isn’t it all organic?! Not to mention they are very community-oriented and environmentally friendly. Yes, they do make it very easy to justify…

So needless to say, I’m not sure whether it was the fact that I had to eat so quickly to get to the meditation course on time, or whether it was because it was a fast food burger or whether it was because I ate so close to the start of the meditation course (what was I thinking – aren’t you supposed to meditate in a fasting state?!)…Anyways, I’m sure you know where this is going…Right as our meditation instructor was leading us through the most tranquil visualization technique…As we were focusing on very slow, deep, cleansing breaths. As we were imagining our breath inhaling as a pristine white light purifying our entire system and thoughts…As we could hear nothing but the tick and tock of the clock in the distance, we were all startled and I mean ALL-the entire room-startled by a loud eruption, a monstrous, groaning and moaning as if something was being tortured and enduring a slow death. I literally jumped. And then a sense of complete mortification engulfed me as I realized that that sound was coming from me – deep inside my belly as if something was trying to escape. I nervously murmured a low apology to all those around me. A few giggled.

The next 2 hours became a constant struggle between trying to focus on tightening my core to control my inner mumblings, whispering a few apologies when squealing sounds would loudly emerge to disturb and distract all those around me and at the same time, trying to personally benefit from this meditative session. Once I realized that it was going to be impossible to actually truly achieve a meditative state in my current situation, I contemplated leaving. I’m sure many around me wished the same. But I decided to endure after feeling a sense of hope when a number of minutes would pass where my intestines would calm down and I could almost relax only to be rudely awakened by a ‘cat in heat’ screech. I was mortified to recognize that the instructor knew what was happening even though I was at the back of the room and she at the front when numerous times she mentioned cues such as “No matter what else you hear, acknowledge it but then refocus back on your breath” or “Regardless of what your body is experiencing, recognize it but then return to your meditation.” I could only imagine some of the other gals around me smirking. Or worse, being annoyed by my involuntary gurgles!

Finally, the meditation session ended and I could escape. I offered a few light-hearted apologies to those around me. One gal mentioned, “Wow, that must have been some good lunch you had!” I laughed at myself and mumbled something in response but then quickly retreated.

So where is the lesson and why am I telling you all this?! At the very least, I’ve ruined your appetite so you will consume less calories at your next meal! 

• Grab & Go. I could have avoided this whole scenario by having some quick food options available that we could have grabbed on our way out. Fast Food isn’t really faster than pulling together a quick sandwich, raw veggies with dip, fruit, granola and yogurt, hummus and pita, crackers and cheese…I could have had some energy bars in the car to tide us over until after the course. We think Fast Food is fast but often it takes longer, costs more and can obviously lead to some pretty significant short and long term health concerns!
• Eat Slowly. Your food will digest better, you’ll feel full more quickly, be less likely to overeat and avoid the most embarrassing meditation session of your life!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

How to stick with your fitness plan no matter what...

2009-05-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

"Thomas Edison was asked why he kept going when he failed at creating the lightbulb 2000 times. Edison replied that he did not fail but learned that making the lightbulb was a 2000 step process."

If you haven't quite found your fitness rhythm, never give up. Sometimes you got to start and stop a number of times before it sticks forever!

Over the years, I have noticed a number of characteristics separate those who succeed with fitness and those who do not. Those who succeed buy into the "Four Laws of Success". You've got to get your head around these thought processes.

First Law – The law of possession. You need to understand that if you are going to achieve results, it is going to be up to you. The phrases "If it is going to be, it is up to me" or "If I think I can or think I can't, I'm right," ring very true. You have to take ultimate responsibility for success or failure. You must be willing to make and stick to the changes. You can not completely rely on someone else like a personal trainer or workout partner to make it happen for you and likewise, you can not blame the kids or your partner for any failures.

Second Law – The law of effort. Anything worth achieving is worth working for. Exercise and healthy eating takes discipline, will power, character, persistency and a commitment to delayed gratification.

Third Law – The law of consistency. A month-long effort is not going to get you where you want. In order to achieve any goal, you must stick to your game plan on an ongoing, long-term, consistent basis. Getting off track for a week is no big deal if you are consistent in your efforts. But if you are regularly tempted away from your program, you will not succeed. Consistency and persistency are the keys to manifesting any goals. Remember that if you want to be 10 pounds thinner 10 years from now, it is not what you do over the next eight weeks that matters, it is what you do over the next 10 years. Fitness is a life-long thing! There are no short-term, quick-fix solutions. Safe and permanent fat loss often takes years – not weeks or months!! Researchers have found only one characteristic common to those who succeed with exercise. All such people move towards their goal one step at a time. They are committed to constant, never-ending improvement. In practical terms, it means that regardless of anything else – busy work schedules, lack of energy, lack of time, feeling old, feeling lazy, hating exercise – they made no excuses! They kept exercising, taking their long-term goals and splitting them up into smaller goals. They took it one day at a time.

Fourth Law – The law of self-efficacy. If you are already questioning whether or not you can actually make the required changes, you are going to have a difficult time with your program. You must believe you can do it! Think of self-esteem as a bank. Each time you keep a promise to yourself, the store of self-esteem gets bigger, making it easier to keep the next promise to yourself. Each time a promise is broken, however, your self-esteem goes down, making it easier to break the next promise. Reinforce this belief in yourself by surrounding yourself with others who are doing or have accomplished what you're attempting. After all, if they can do it, so can you!

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan

Try a Circuit Workout for a Change of Pace.

2009-05-21T08:39:00.000-07:00

"People often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn’t have it in the beginning." Mohandas Gandhi

Next workout, try a Circuit Workout. Here's what I'd like you to try. Perform 5 minutes of cardio exercise like walking, running, skipping, stepping or cycling. Then complete a lower body, an upper body and a core exercise. Then do another 5 minutes of cardio and then complete a different lower body, upper body and core exercise. Perform about 8-15 reps of each exercise. Go through this circuit workout 5 times with different exercises for a cardio and full body workout.

Try it and then tell me what you think.

Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail!

2009-05-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

Have you heard that saying before?

Well there's a lot of truth in it. It's Monday and I strongly suggest you set your plan and intention for the week. You can do this for all areas of your life - work, fitness, family...

Write it out - the brain processes things better when you can read it and not just think it.

So in terms of fitness, what will you do every day. Provide as much detail as possible. So instead of saying, I will workout four times this week. Instead, write, I will take Sherri's Monday noon Outdoor Bootcamp class, then I'll go for an hour walk on Tuesday and do 10 minutes of core work afterwards. On Wed I'll take my favorite Yoga class with Ted. Friday I'll do my personal training session with Kristin.

Do the same for nutrition, work, family time etc. It's nice to know that you're in the driver seat to create the life you want to live!

You get the idea. Set the plan and then work the plan!

Exercise without Exercise!

2009-05-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

How can anyone with kids and a job find the time to exercise? Time constraints are the number one reason most people don’t start or quit an exercise program. When life gets rough, exercise is usually the first thing to go when it should be the last. In fact, research shows that exercisers are more productive at whatever they’re doing. So instead of thinking that exercise will take up precious time, consider that exercise will actually give you more time and the energy to do the things you’ve always wanted to do.

The good news is that exercise doesn’t have to involve a huge time commitment. Just moving more throughout the day would eliminate the need to spend hours and hours at the gym. On average, we expend 500-800 calories less per day than we did 30 years ago. Let’s face it, the age of technology is making us fat. Escalators, elevators, remote controls, computers, the internet,…we never have to leave the house, and if we do, we sure don’t need to walk or take the stairs to get where we’re going! Things have gotten so bad that someone has actually invented an indoor treadmill for your cats and dogs so you don’t even have to leave the couch to take them for a walk. That’s pretty frightening and down-right lazy! And what about those People Walkers - the ones where people who are completely capable of walking just stand on to get from A to B. Come on, is this what our country has come to?! People don't realize that by using those machines to walk for you, your overall strength, conditioning & health will deteriorate so quickly that one day you may not be ABLE to walk even if you wanted to!

The moral of the story is obvious. If we just start moving more in our lives, we won’t have to spend so much time at the gym! The Surgeon General’s Report concluded that light activity equivalent to gardening, walking or performing household chores for 30 minutes every day would be enough to offer health benefits. It’s nuts that the Surgeon General has to come out and tell us to just move our bodies for 30 minutes a day. But if you think about it, most people don’t. We wake up, sit to eat breakfast, drive to work, sit at our desk all day, drive home, sit and have dinner and then hang out on the couch watching TV all evening.

Other studies have found that just 10 minute brief workouts interspersed throughout the day are better than nothing and will provide benefits. So here are some easy tips on how to increase your daily caloric expenditure without actually “exercising”.

· Are you always looking for the perfect parking spot closest to your destination? Do you sometimes find yourself frustrated or circling the block waiting for a spot to open up? Make it a goal that you’ll begin to always look for the farthest parking stall or you’ll park at least one to two blocks away from where you’re going. The calories expended will add up and you’ll find it a lot less stressful.

· Are you an escalator or elevator junkie? Have you taken the elevator up or down just one flight? Commit to always taking the stairs if you need to go less than 5 flights.

· Leave the car in the garage and walk, run, cycle or inline skate to do quick errands.

· Take a 10 minute walk before work, at lunch or after dinner. Every little bit counts!

· Schedule active outings with your family or friends. Go for a hike, bike ride, skate, or walk together. Enroll in an active family camp or register for a rock-climbing, kayaking, or cross-country skiing program. Sign up for ball-room dancing or Yoga together.

· Do a few light exercises like knee bends, toe taps, heel raises or tricep dips while making dinner or during TV commercials

· At work, get up, move and stretch every 30 minutes. It’s bad for your back to sit in the same spot for any longer than this anyways.

· Choose to stand more than sit. Choose to sit more than lie down. Try to choose the more active route of performing any daily task.

Practicing a few of these ideas will get you into better shape without putting a drain on your time bank. Remember, every little bit counts!

Finally, consider this. For those of you who feel you don’t have enough time to exercise, if you really look at your schedule, I'm confident you’ll find the time. It comes down to you making the time - making exercise a priority in your life. There has to be a compelling reason for you to want to make the time. You have to feel that you and your health deserve it. Are you going to wait for the by-pass, osteoporosis to set in or extreme overfatness before you find the motivation to start exercising? Find a reason today and you’ll find that fitting exercise into your schedule will be a lot easier than you imagined!

On that note, I'm going to ride my bike to work!

Should you sleep in or are you being lazy?

2009-05-13T10:27:00.000-07:00

Your alarm goes off so you can get up for your morning workout. But you're tired so you press the snooze button and decide to sleep in. Are you being lazy or doing the right thing? Here's a few guidelines to help you decide.

Energy creates energy. If you're tired instead of saying "I'm too tired to exercise!" instead say "I'm so tired today, I really NEED to exercise!" Even a quick, easy workout will wake you up, get the endorphins flowing and make you feel great about yourself. You just have to change your mind-set.

Watch the clock. Research shows we need 7 plus hours to achieve optimal health and maximize fat loss. So if you're well below 7 hours, it may be better for you to get a bit more shut-eye and workout later in the day.

Let your body decide. One of our friends uses this guideline to help her. When the alarm goes off, if she falls immediately back to sleep, it tells her her body really needs a little more time to repair and recover. But if she just lays there awake pondering whether she should get up, then she knows she's just being lazy and she should get up and workout.