Friday, July 30th, 2010
Juliet Deane is a certified personal trainer at The Training Studio in Marlboro, New Jersey.
Have a habit of eating without really noticing just how much is going in? Join the crowd, it’s a behavioral addiction that is contributing to the rising obesity rate in adults and children. See a candy dish and thoughtlessly grab a few? Sit down with a full bag of snacks and find your fingers hunting around for corner crumbs before the show is over? This is called impulse eating and it greatly increases your risk of packing on body fat. Here are a few tips to change your munchie ways before they get out of hand:
- 1.) Stash the grub out of sight. Keep your goods behind cabinet doors and ditch the candy bowls you keep around the house or office.
- 2.) Use a smaller plate. This is a portion control and perception trick to give you the satisfaction of a full plate and keep you from filling up the X Large serving platter you’ve been using at dinner and telling yourself you were “good” because you didn’t have seconds.
- 3.) It is very important to eat regular small meals throughout the day but don’t use the clock as your only cue. Eat when you are hungry. If you don’t get hungry try to eat for hunger (smaller meals than your currently eating) so that you can build your body awareness and metabolism.
- 4.) Keep serving bowls of extra food off the table. Shockingly enough that 4 foot walk to the stove top is a deterrent to double dunking into the biscuits or mashed potatoes.
- 5.) Train yourself to eat only in specific places. This sounds odd, but really isn’t. Eat in the kitchen, dining room, cafeteria and restaurants that offer healthy dishes. Ditch risky spots such as the couch, bed, car and computer desk.
- 6.) Focus on your food. Multitasking is NOT good when it comes to learning to eat for hunger and not for impulse or relaxation. It’s for this reason, the above mentioned no-no spots are hazardous to your waistline. When you are distracted, You will not likely realize just how much you are eating and exactly when you are satisfied as compared to stuffed.
Change takes practice but every one is capable as long as they are willing to embrace it and be excited about it.
Tags: building healthy habits, diet, fat loss, life style changes, marlboro personal trainer, morganville personal trainer, nutrition support
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Thursday, April 15th, 2010
We’ve all been there, your doing soooooo well following your program and workout schedule…you see results but on any given day it never seems like enough for the amount of change you’ve included in your life. So what do you do? Start to panic that you wont reach your goal in time and then use that negative emotion to derail your progress and self sabotage. Yikes. Now what?
Take comfort in knowing that your not different in that respect. There is nothing freakish about that behavior, it’s unfortunately common. Many people go about the same cycle and it’s vicious enough to keep some individuals from their goals for a life time unless they seek out steps to change their “on again” “off again” ways.
So where should you start?
- Tell people about your goals and express how much they mean to you. Tell the people you usually tell last because they actually call you out if they see you doing something totally contradictory- like drinking alcohol or reaching into the bread basket when your out to dinner. Yes, sometimes when it’s hard to be your own parent you have to entrust that task into another. That eyebrow raised surprised/questioning look still has a profound effect on your behavior.
- Now surround yourself with people that care about YOU and your goals and understand them. This might mean making new friends at the gym, park, where ever but many times your drinking buddies now don’t make a great transition in fit pals that will support your lifestyle changes. Unfortunate but true. But if you hang around people that “drag you down” you have no one to blame but yourself.
- Invest in your body and new lifestyle. The biggest returns you can get are on your body and health investments. They’ll never stop paying you back. But committing to change by enlisting the help of a professional, joining group training classes and purchasing comfortable training gear, tells YOU something about yourself. Not only are you committing to yourself but you’ll feel accountable. I personally recommend the gear because you start feeling the part of a fitness buff which is huge and you wont be turned off or distracted by draping sloppy old t shirts and pajama pants in your way or in the mirror. Feeling confident doesn’t have to pricey but you should dress for success along the way. Make the investment and show yourself you really mean it for LIFE this time.
- Last tip for today: don’t be afraid or avoid talking to someone when you start to self doubt, freak out about a deadline, or feel down about your progress. We attach a lot of emotion to the way we look and feel about our bodies and in the beginning you’ll have plenty of emotional days that can lead to self sabotage. Its normal, but not excusable now that you know you’re not alone AND you know you should get those feelings out. A true fit pal can talk you down off the kitchen counter instead of offering you a pint of Ben & Jerry’s and for that you will know you have a real friend for life.
Now keep rockin’ and remember, you spent a lifetime building the body you have. You can’t undo it all in a month but you sure can have successes your entire journey!
Tags: diet, exercise, fat loss goals, healthy life style, marlboro personal trainer, morganville personal trainer
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Monday, March 8th, 2010
No big shocker that when your trying to change your body composition aka get “toned” and tight while ditching the lunch lady arms, you have to find other ways to celebrate and luxuriate beyond food. Our culture, scratch that, MOST cultures surround good times with celebratory meals, sugary cakes and liquor. So. What now? What about you? Relax, as soon as your done pouting about not being a ringleader in the food festivities, you’ll come up with something better. Better for you both physically AND mentally. Finding other ways to feel like your treating yourself on a regular basis will be a pivotal tool in your long term results and most importantly-happiness with your lifestyle. So when the true celebrations roll around, you fitness has earned your the right to enjoy.
It could be a hobby, a simple everyday luxury like a cup of coffee and 10 minutes of silence, or whatever works for you. So I wanted to open this blog up for you to support each other with some great ideas to get through the initial or final stages of a nutrition program that is build for results and not always for comfort. I’ll share a couple of mine and I hope to get some more great ideas from all of you. 
- Take a relaxing, hot shower (a great escape I turn to time to time to unwind) Always feels like a fresh start
- Playtime with the pup. He’s always silly and ready to go. Pets have a knack of loosening up even the tightest cranky pants
- A hot cup of coffee or uniquely flavored tea. I take my time with it and choose flavors (sugar free for coffee) that appease whatever cravings I may have. Do one better and spend this chill time with some close friends and catch up. Talking about your life-the good, bad and yes the little uglies here and there- will prevent your pent up emotions from steering you toward the fridge.
- Read something. Watch tv for 5 minutes and you’ll probably see a half dozen fast food commercials. Not the greatest for fragile will power. Get lost in an interesting read and pass the munchie time by broadening your horizons. If your super busy, I get it, just set a timer for 15-30 minutes so you don’t procrastinate on important projects.
- My favorite, I set a certain goal to have (blank) amount of really successful days or weeks and then reward myself with getting a massage for all my hard earned work and discipline. Never fails to motivate me. The key is to actually set a goal in order to win the prize.
Tags: boost your mood, diet, fat loss, fitness goals, marlboro personal trainer
Posted in Fitness, Nutrition, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
Monday, February 22nd, 2010
Let’s get right down to business. Here are your next couple steps to progress in no particular order. Step one take your scale and throw it out the window. Step two, make sure the coast is clear.
Why? Because your own pants are a way better indicator of changes in your body composition when you don’t know what your body will look like with more lean muscle. Now that you are exercising “for real” and not just cardio-cizing yourself into a skinny fat oblivion, you might not know what to expect as you get more lean mass and lose fat. Do you have a pair of sexy pants you bought one “skinny summer” that make your butt look fat? Well sometimes it’s the pants and other times… it’s your butt. Just sayin’. 
But just because they might look a bit frightening or you can’t get them up your thighs, all is certainly never lost. These pants are your new best friend. They’ll tell you the truth even when you don’t want to hear it, they won’t sugar coat it, and they will give you the praise you deserve when you work hard and earn your body some cutey booty points. I recommend a non elastic waist for best booty-buddy results. We tossed the scale because no one can say what your new and improved body will weigh when you like the way you look. You may actually look better when you are 5-10 pounds more than your lightest weight on the scale but are leaner and more fit looking. It’s ok if you don’t believe me just yet. Just keep up with your nutrition, strength and conditioning and you’ll see for yourself.
When the pounds seem to take there time coming off, it doesn’t mean that your not getting the results that you are looking for, a tighter, more defined body. But in order to watch and feel the changes directly, you need a good form of measurement that isn’t obsessed with numbers and focuses on your actual goals which are feeling better and looking great in your jeans. Gauge this directly by marching into the skinny section of your closet and grab a pair of old faves. No, you are not trespassing. Your butt belongs in those jeans and you deserve to be wearing your clothes instead of them wearing you. Select a pair that you can just barely get buttoned and are much less comfortable than the jeans you’ve been falling back on every day. Keep them out. Try them on once a week to stay motivated. Don’t wash them or do anything to them that would give you an excuse as to why they aren’t sliding on. You’re not wearing them out just yet, just keeping them handy for reliable feedback.
Well? Go get them! What are you waiting for? Don’t be afraid that they fit tighter than you thought. You’re starting point is not to be judged, it’s what happens next week that needs to be assessed. If you’re ever afraid to try them on at the end of the week it might just be that you subconsciously know that you didn’t follow your program as closely as you should have. Everyone I work with that is following their nutrition and training is excited to show me their food log and even to take measurements. If you’re not, you’re telling yourself something. So get excited and slip into something a little less comfortable! You’ll have the evidence you need to stay motivated & feel great about your progress whether YOU see it or not. Let the jeans do the talking.
Tags: diet, fat loss, morganville/marlboro personal trainer
Posted in Fitness, Nutrition, Strength Training | 4 Comments »
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
Day two is officially in! Have you been logging your food? If not, I bet if you opened a blank document on your computer screen you could remember everything you ate today (unless you really want to forget-in which case, you need to write it down as a reality check.) You don’t actually think that just because no one saw or it’s not on paper, that it doesn’t count, do you? Just do it already and get the ball rolling on positive changes.
For those of you already over the first mission-starting a food journal, we’re moving on. What did you have for breakfast today? I had 1% low fat cottage cheese, apple and organic peanut butter. I have to take my breakfast on the go by 5:30 every morning so that works for me. BUT I have other options ready to go for mornings I’m not in a rush and an option for when I’m in oops-I-hit-snooze-4-times mode, so that I never risk skipping the most important meal of the day. Just look how happy it makes this fella!
Eating a well balanced healthy breakfast is essential to firing up your metabolism, balancing your blood sugar and assisting you in much better decision making at your next meal or snack. You simply cannot afford to slack off on meal one not only for the above reasons but also for the mental aspect. If you feel like you screwed things up first thing, and tell yourself “you’re off” or you’re a failure at your new program, well then, you’ll most likely live out that self-defeating mantra. So shape up and get ready for…whatever the morning throws your way.
What do some simple, well rounded Meal #1s look like?
- 1 omega egg with 5 whites and veggies, 1/2 cup oats & 3 fish oil
- 1 cup 1% cottage cheese w/ large apple & Tbs Organic Nut Butter (try slicing the apple into the cottage cheese and adding cinnamon)
- (better than a skipped meal)-Protein shake in water, almonds and any piece of fruit I can grab
When it comes down to it there is no such thing as a good excuse. Keep your shopping list tailoring to the reality that rough days happen, oversleeping happens and you need to have the basic supplies to keep up with life.
Please feel free to post your fave breakfast solutions! You may just help someone find a new fave or find one yourself!
*scroll over the word “comments” below for a link to post*
Tags: boost your mood, build a metabolism, building healthy habits, diet, eating clean, marlboro personal trainer, meal ideas, Nutrition, personal trainer, weight loss
Posted in Fitness, Nutrition | 15 Comments »
Monday, February 15th, 2010
My Journey Down The Aisle
News Flash! For those of you who don’t know, Mike Hanley from The Training Studio & HanleyStrength.Com and I are getting hitched in June and beginning our life as a Super, Butt-Kickin Duo!
Changing lives, fighting lovehandles and sculpting tushes on a daily basis. 
BUT! That doesn’t mean that the hectic wedding planning and long days at the studio don’t take it’s toll on my energy levels just like the next working girl. When It finally comes down to that little window when I need to squeeze in the “me time” to make sure I feel and look my best for our big day, I have to admit, I’m feeling a bit lackluster. I’m also not going to name names by mentioning Holly, Jaime and Mara as Co-Bride-To-Be-Babes and the slew of beautiful ladies like Laura, Diesel, Nicole, Jackie, Amy, Jamie….the list goes on, who will be strolling down the aisle in honor of their Rock Star Friend status to the brides to be as well. Life’s a stage ladies! So lets team up and give it our best side!
I’m turning my blog into a support forum for ANYONE who wants to make changes, stay motivated, learn new diet and exercise tips and feel like they have a place to check in on a regular basis. Making sacrifices in your lifestyle to get results doesn’t have to be a drag. So let’s all keep putting our best foot forward “left together, right together, left together….” and make the journey down the aisle, or to the beach, or where ever your vision takes you-together!
My first results-driven tip? Start your food journal today! This is a must if you want to know what’s working and what’s not. Feel free to post your meals on the blog. It can help keep you feeling accountable and you will have someone to glance at it and offer suggestions. I started my log up today as well. I use a free online food journaling program called FitDay check it out. It won’t cost you a dime. Join The Journey AND the Body Blog for better strategies and more support! Post if you’re on board!
Tags: Bride to be tips, diet, exercise, fat loss, marlboro personal trainer, morganville personal trainer, motivation, nutrition support, weight loss
Posted in Fitness, Nutrition, Strength Training | 29 Comments »
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009
I bet many of you are already thinking it…it seems to be the time of year when you move past making wish lists for your loved ones and start scratching up a wish list for yourself in the New Year. With the blur of glitter, tinsel and candle light fading fast you find the time to evaluate yourself and your life over the past year. Do you remember what you vowed to do last year? Well? Dare I ask? There is no shame in not being able to achieve all your fitness or weight loss goals all by yourself. There IS shame in knowing you need guidance and the proper tools to succeed but do nothing to seek out a solution.
Health and a great body are not as ridiculously expensive or out of reach as the media would have you believe. You do not need personal chefs, a trainer 7 days a week for two workouts per day and a closet full of ipod-ready, climate proof training apparel dangling neatly over a slew of top of the line fitness shoes and those lame booty lifter sandals in every shade available. Would it help? Probably not even. Because everyone’s results start upstairs. No, I’m not talking about the level 2 cardio deck at your local gym. You’re results start in your mind-your attitude, motivation, effort to seek out quality knowledge and strategies that will once and for all help you achieve that elusive fit body.
So step 1. Resolve to STOP crash dieting and overtraining for a month before you feel like crap and quit. If that cliche’ worked, everyone in the world would be fit and fabulous by spring. So why not try something new? Something that has potential to change your life and leave your resolutions for something more profound than losing weight.
Step 2. Write down your goals and collect your measurement tools. For example, if you want to fit into your size 5 jeans comfortably enough to not have to do squats to stretch them out before a night on the town then pull those jeans out of the drawer and keep them accessible to gauge your progress. You can also pull out a favorite bathing suit and take pictures-front back and side. NOBODY wants to but its motivating and you’ll be glad you have them to compare to new ones later. Lastly, notice I didn’t say lose 40 pounds. Forget the scale and go for the “look” you’ve always wanted, not some random number.
Step 3. Clean up your diet. Ditch meals in wrappers or boxes like snack bars, cereals, frozen meals and other processed foods. Opt for natural sources of food like lean proteins, veggies, fruits and nuts. Sound too simple? Well, if your hooked on junk food it can be a challenge but it’s only hard if you make it hard. What do I mean by that? Calling your boyfriend is easy, calling him when you want to dump him? Seems hard. But its still just a phone call. It’s all in how you perceive it. So when you go to grab a snickers or bagel with cream cheese and you remember you should be eating natural foods… you decide either stick to your goals and find something healthy you like, or you eat it anyway. Not a hard choice. Just a choice.
I know that this can be YOUR YEAR. Because I’ve seen many finally have “their year” and make it happen for themselves. It’s doable. But first things first, don’t do what you did last year and start on step one!
Tags: diet, fat loss, Fitness, marlboro personal trainer, morganville personal trainer, Nutrition, personal trainer, weight loss
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Monday, May 4th, 2009
While maintaining your body weight can be relatively painless, losing the last ten pounds or first 20 takes discipline and a positive attitude towards your new and improved lifestyle. But is it possible to go overboard? Just when you thought you had no will power at all…you could have gotten yourself into a groove for a major diet flop.
One of the most common mistakes we see on a regular basis is dieters eager for quick results want to crash diet and drop their calories to a sudden, all time low.
Unfortunately there is no such thing as overnight fat loss but there IS a such thing as wreaking havoc on your metabolism and fat loss efforts by not eating enough.
If you’re not consuming at least 1,200 calories per day (and even more if you’re active) your body thinks its starving and flips an emergency switch to start storing all your calories as fat, instead of burning them during the day. It’s a basic survival mechanism.
Research has shown that people who don’t eat consistent, regular meals tend to consume extra calories later to make up for the deficit. For example, skipping lunch and your mid afternoon snack will most likely lead to a large dinner of foods you might not have otherwise chosen if you weren’t so hungry. That pesky sweet tooth and munchie cravings will kick in too!
The biggest problem now, is that with this eating pattern, your metabolism will slow with an extra low calorie intake during the day. Not only that, but now your body is going to crave more heavy foods and then store that lump sum of calories right away as fat.
Ok, so skipping meals and snacks is more than bad, it’s totally counter productive to your goals. What now? Work on eating 4 smaller meals to 6 mini meals of whole foods like lean proteins, your favorite fruits and vegetables and small amounts of healthy fats at each meal.
Not sure how much your eating? Check out www.FitDay.com it’s a totally free online nutrition logging program that can help you stay on track with you dieting goals!
Tags: build a metabolism, calorie counting, crash diet, diet, eat more to lose weight, eating clean, eating disorder, effects of eating disorder, fat loss, fat loss goals, food cravings, free nutrition tips, metabolism, Nutrition, nutrition support, quick results, satisfy your cravings, slow metabolism solutions, sweet tooth cravings, weight loss
Posted in Nutrition | 1 Comment »
Monday, April 6th, 2009
One of the biggest myths and misconceptions in weight loss is telling yourself that your body is what’s holding you back from your fitness goals and your genetics are the blame. I’m sure you’ve all heard someone out of shape say “I just can’t lose weight, I have a slow metabolism!” Well, I have heard this many times and seen it proven wrong many times, so it’s my pleasure to break the good news to you…YOUR METABLOLISM IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT.
You might not be in the 1% of genetically gifted individuals that can eat whatever they want, but we average Joes’ just need to get over it. There will always be someone out there that genetically breaks the rules. For instance, that 98 year old neighbor that has smoked two packs of cigarettes a day and eaten junk food their whole life but has no health issues. Or that girl friend of yours that eats buttered bagels and cheesy tuna melts for lunch but never gains a pound. Well get off the pity pot because there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a normal or average metabolism.
If you come from an overweight family, or have hereditary thyroid issues, this just means that you may be predisposed to having to work harder at your fitness goals. It is by no means a lifelong sentence to be fat or out of shape. People with a family history of high blood pressure, may have high-ER blood pressure but through training and nutrition can keep it within normal range. This person isn’t destined to have a coronary if they take good care of their body.
On the other hand, I must tell you it is also common to take a normal metabolism and slow it down by yo-yo dieting, crash dieting, fasting methods and/or an unfit sedentary lifestyle. But again, the good news is that you can rebuild and make a better metabolism and well, the bad news is that you don’t have that excuse anymore. So, let’s stop finger pointing at the genetically elite. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I looked at an Olympic Sprinter and complained to my friends that I couldn’t sprint to my mail box in 2.3 seconds. Catch my drift?
Please post comments and thoughts and stay tuned for tips on building a healthy, fat-burning metabolism!
Tags: boost your metabolism, fat loss, Fitness, fitness goals, lose weight, marlboro bootcamps, marlboro personal trainer, Nutrition, six pack, slow metabolism, training, weight loss
Posted in Fitness, Nutrition | 3 Comments »
Monday, February 16th, 2009
We are now a month and a half into the new year. Are you seeing the health and fitness results that you set out to achieve? Sometimes we can be too drastic with our health and fitness goals which makes it very difficult and even seemingly impossible to keep them. The following are basic but super effective methods at making progressive changes to keep you on point with your goals. I call them the ABC’s of making change.
Attainable-Something realistic and achievable. It makes no sense to set yourself up for failure with drastic and over the top goals, especially when your just getting started. Short term goals will keep you fresh and inspired by guess who….you! Seeing yourself succeed is exactly what the doctor ordered to help you feel in control and motivated!
Believable-If you don’t actually think your capable of achieving what you set out to do, then The Mission IS Impossible. Do you feel as though you’ve failed yourself time and time again? Do you think you will be fat or out of shape forever? Well you’re not destined to failure. It’s much more likely that you just aren’t setting proper goals. If you want REAL RESULTS for a LIFETIME, you need to start off by conquering simple goals one by one until you build your self esteem. Along the way you will be moving closer and closer to the lifelong results you’re looking for at a pace that keeps you feeling in control and motivated.
Clear- Now this is important. Your goals MUST be clear and measurable. Share them with your personal trainer, family and friends so they can keep you accountable. A good example of a clear goal would be eating a healthy breakfast consistent with your diet plan every single day. Another example would be to add 20 minutes of cardio after every strength training session for this upcoming week. Both goals are basic, simple and measurable.
The ABC’s of Goal Setting are applicable to EVERYONE. No matter what your fitness level or training/nutrition experience-every journey big or small, begins with a single step. So stop wishing for change and get started!
Tags: family fitness, fat loss, fat loss goals, Fit Families, Fitness, getting healthy, getting motivated, getting results, goal setting, healthy lifestyle, life style changes, staying motivated, training, training goals, weight loss, weight loss goals
Posted in Fitness, Nutrition, Strength Training | 1 Comment »
