Do you have a dress or suit you want to fit into this weekend?  Are you sick of that bloated feeling? 

With some easy changes to your every day diet, you can lose those last few stubborn pounds.

Jenny Maloney, Registered Dietitian at Midtown Chicago,  shares her expertise.

Eat Small, Frequent Meals

Instead of two or three large meals, eat smaller portions throughout the day to keep your metabolism working. This will allow you to burn more calories. 

Focus on Portion Control

Try to eat no larger than about a fist-size of each type of food on your plate. 

Choose Natural Fiber

Enjoy fruits, veggies, and whole grains, and avoid sugar and white flour. When presented with a choice in grains, opt for the whole grain version, such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, beans, oatmeal, whole grain cereal, and whole grain crackers.  Fiber takes longer for your body to break down and will keep you satiated until your next meal or snack. 

Cut Out Processed Foods

Not only does processing take out the nutrients from many nutrient-rich foods, they often contain hidden sugar, salt, and fat. Try for all fresh foods instead. 

Limit Your Sodium Intake

Reducing sodium will eliminate bloating.  Sodium is found in most processed foods. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables cuts down on your salt intake.  Salt dehydrates and causes our body to retain water, giving you that bloated feeling.  Drink more water and less diet sodas and coffee, as these drinks dehydrate you. 

By following these nutrition tips, you’ll eat healthier, which can decrease bloating, give you more energy, and hopefully lose that extra water weight gained by eating heavy food and processed food.

When are you getting started?

One of the most common New Year’s Resolutions is to improve health.

Unfortunately, most New Year’s Resolutions are also doomed to fail.

In the interest of saving you time in route to your destination (the body of your dreams, we hope!), let’s examine some of the most common exercise mistakes to determine whether you have what it takes to succeed.

Mistake #1: Doing Too Much, Too Soon

If it has been a while since you’ve exercised, or you have been exercising inconsistently, your body isn’t going to respond well to a strenuous program right off the bat. Choose a schedule that you can stick to (e.g. one hour per day, three times per week), and begin at an intensity level that feels challenging, but not debilitating.  Make sure to incorporate adequate time for a warm-up and cool-down.

Mistake #2: Forgetting Proper Technique

When it comes to resistance training, technique is the difference between getting results and getting injured, or not seeing any improvement at all.  It starts with proper posture, which means keeping the core engaged (imagine how you would brace yourself if someone was about to punch you in the stomach), and standing tall with a neutral spine, shoulder blades pulled back, and head lifted.

Courtesy of Denverpost.com

Also, make sure you know the purpose of the exercise you are about to perform.  What muscles are working?  What is the proper range of motion for the exercise?  Is this the most effective way to target the muscles I want to work?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, it’s time to talk to a trainer or instructor, or do some research on your own.  Time spent now on learning how to do the exercise correctly means less time to your goal.

Mistake #3: Choosing Quantity Over Quality

If doing an hour of cardio means walking on a treadmill while you catch up on the latest episode of Law and Order and you barely break a sweat, then that hour didn’t do a whole lot to help you improve your fitness (the same concept applies to doing a lot of repetitions with almost negligible weight). Working out should feel challenging, and the good news is, challenging yourself appropriately will lead you to the results you want in less time.

Courtesty of Workoutequip.com

Mistake #4: Always Doing the Same Thing

Don’t worry; you don’t have to give up cycling if that is your favorite workout. Just make sure that you are changing your exercise intensity from time to time (alternating hard days and easy days, or increasing resistance over time), and maintaining a balanced program.  That means incorporating cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility training.

Now for the Number One resolution-killer

Mistake #5: Ignoring the Truth

Make sure you are answering the following questions honestly:

• Do I have the time and motivation to reach the goal I have set for myself?
• Am I choosing the right exercises for my current fitness level that will help me get where I want to go?
• If your goal is weight loss – am I overestimating calories out and underestimating calories in? (For assistance, check out our post on Heart Rate Monitors.)
• Do I have a method of measuring my progress that isn’t just stepping on a scale (e.g. monitoring heart rate at a given pace, distance covered per unit time, reps completed before reaching fatigue, documenting how you feel)?

If the answer to these questions is “No,” or “I’m not sure,” you may be setting yourself up for failure. Give yourself your best chance at fitness this year – avoid these detrimental mistakes, create and stick to a plan, and go for it!

What are your fitness goals this year?  What steps are you taking to achieve them?

Why do we care about trends? Researchers study them, writers report them, teachers teach them, and tweeters tweet them.  Although there are many advantages to being “in the know,” one of the most important reasons to pay attention to trends is that they can help us prepare for and adapt to changes ahead.

Over the past six years, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has identified trends in the fitness industry with their ”Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends” (you can view the full 2012 survey text here). Come January 1, some of the most popular resolutions will be health- and fitness-related, so let’s get a jump on meeting our goals by looking at what the 2012 fitness trends mean for us.

Educated, certified, and experienced fitness professionals are the core of a rapidly expanding industry. In spite of tough economic times, consumers still place a lot of value in getting and staying healthy.  The fitness industry has responded to this need by employing qualified trainers and instructors.

What does that mean for you? You can breathe a little easier knowing that you can trust your fitness professionals to lead you in safe and effective workouts, helping you reach your goals faster and giving you more bang for your buck.

Strength training is here to stay. Having been near the top of the trends list for several years, strength training is the first training “type” on the trends list, accompanied by personal, core, functional, and group training.

What does that mean for you? Since most of us sit at a desk all day, adding a little weight-bearing exercise such as resistance training can help improve our energy levels, mood, and overall functionality. Expect fitness centers to continue to update equipment and training options to facilitate strength-training programs that meet the needs of all types of exercisers – a stronger body is yours for the taking!

No one will be left behind. Training options are becoming more population-specific, with new programs being tailored to the aging Baby Boomer population and the fight against childhood obesity (just to name a few). Your fitness professionals are trained specifically to work with a variety of individuals from athletes to people fighting obesity or other diseases.

What does that mean for you? The fitness industry is actively trying to meet you where you are to help you get the most you can out of an exercise program, regardless of your goals or fitness level.  In other words, you don’t have to start off looking like Jane Fonda to make exercise a part of your life.

It’s all about energy. Zumba, boot camp, and spinning are growing in popularity.  These group classes are high-energy and fun, and put the emphasis on pushing your physical limits.

What does that mean for you?Releasing stress through dancing, high-intensity training, and cycling will leave you feeling strong, accomplished, and ready to tackle life’s challenges.  You just have to be willing to give them a try.  And although not “trending” anymore, Pilates fans shouldn’t be worried that their favorite class is going to disappear; only time will tell whether these new arrivals and old favorites will continue on as actual trends rather than fads.

The key this year is to work with Midtown to customize a fitness program that will leave you feeling refreshed, rejuventated, and (hopefully) like you had a darn good time.

Now that you know what’s to come in 2012, it’s time to use this information to start doing something that will work for you.

Your 2012 motto shouldn’t be “once I meet my goal, I’ll be happy.” Instead, how about you take a chance on what the industry is giving you and say “it’s time to give myself knowledge, revitalizing energy, and a sense of accomplishment, and add some more fun to my fitness routine.”  Now that’s a reason to work out today.

What do you think of these trends? Have you already tried any of these fitness programs or plan to in 2012? What are you going to do differently in your workout routine this year?

Jenny Maloney is a Registered Dietician and NASM- and ACE-certified personal trainer for Midtown. An expert in improving health and fitness through proper nutrition, Jenny shares tips for eating wisely this holiday season.

Most people gain weight during the holidays.  If you don’t lose the added weight, you could gain 25-50 pounds in five years!  This weight gain is mainly due to the high-calorie, high-fat foods that traditionally go along with holiday meals — and too much of it. 

Why not try to make healthy and smart choices that will help you to maintain or even lose weight?

Here are some tips to keep weight gain to a minimum while still enjoying yourself this season:

• Look at all your options before making your final food choices; make sure all the calories you consume are worth it.
• Grab a small plate or even a napkin to prevent you from overeating
• Always put veggies on your plate if they’re available
• Eat a portion-controlled plate; you can always go back for seconds if you are still hungry
• Eat slowly
• Don’t starve yourself the day of the event; eat healthfully throughout the day so you don’t make bad choices
• Watch the alcohol consumption; 1 glass of wine or 1 beer can add an extra 120-150 calories to your total calorie intake for the day
• Exercise on the day of the event so you burn some extra calories
• When you are home, use measuring cups and tablespoons to portion out your foods; if you are out, use real life objects to figure out the right portions
  • 3 oz=deck of playing cards
  • 1 cup=fist or baseball
  • ½ cup=1/2 tennis ball
  • 1 teaspoon=1 dice
  • 2 tablespoons=1 whole walnut

What’s your tip for enjoying the holidays without overindulging?

Now that we are smack-dab in the middle of the holiday season, you might feel like the size of your to-do list rivals Santa’s “Naughty v. Nice” one.  Fortunately, having less time doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice fitness.

Let’s take a look at a few ways to trim your workout time (and your waistline) along with your Christmas tree.

Courtesy of moveablesuccess.net

Circuit-style weight training and combination moves: Instead of resting between sets, perform exercises one after the other to effectively rest muscle groups without losing time. Work opposing muscle groups back-to-back, such as chest and back, or alternate upper and lower body exercises to ensure adequate recovery time.

You can also combine upper and lower body moves, such as a squat with a biceps curl. Just make sure the “up phases” of the exercises are done at the same time to maximize effort. And here’s an extra benefit - the lack of rest in this style of training gives you a little cardio boost!

Interval training: You may think interval training is just another buzz word fitness professionals and heart rate monitor aficionados throw out to make you sweat more, but the cardiovascular benefits of this training method are proven. The basic idea is to increase your effort to near-maximum exertion for a period of time, followed by a recovery period.

For example, perform one minute of running (or stair-climbing, or jumping rope, or spinning, etc.), followed by one minute of walking, or some other lower-intensity version of the same exercise.  You can also intersperse cardio moves (high-intensity interval) with strength-training moves (recovery interval).  Make sure you adequately warm-up and cool-down when performing this type of training to help the body adjust to the intensity.

Courtesy of examiner.com

Creative Combos: Get creative by completing your workout and your holiday to-do list simultaneously. Power walk while shopping at the mall. Do squats or hold a wall-sit while putting finishing touches on your decorations. Dance, lift cans, or do push-ups on the kitchen counter while cooking. Practice abdominal contractions while driving in the car. Choose a new exercise for each of the 12 days of Christmas. It’s up to you!

Bonus Tips: Stick to a plan and use your time wisely. If you want to continue your structured workout, try to find uninterrupted time by turning off your cell, or doing your workout while your kids are at school. If it’s too hard to find a set time, break up your workout by starting your day with a brisk walk or core work. Get in as much as you can in the time you have, but don’t forget your cool down.

Any activity you do this season will add up to help you trim your waistline (or at least hold off the effects of that extra glass of egg nog). So what are you waiting for? Get excited for your new plan and get ready for a new you come January!

Have you changed your workout routine because of the holidays? What are you doing differently?

The holiday season can be a time of great joy, but also of great stress. There are gifts to buy, parties to attend, and a general sense of busyness permeates our lives.

Yoga is a great form of exercise for stress relief, a way to center ourselves, and to become more mindful of the true meaning of the holidays celebrated this time of year.

Marlene, yoga instructor at Midtown Overland Park, recommends the following five yoga poses for stress relief:

1. Triangle

Feet: a wide stance and parallel, right foot should be at 90 degrees and left foot slightly facing in.

Arms: place your right hand on your shin or if you can all the way to the floor and extend your left arm up bringing your arms to a “T” shape.

Breath: Take 5 deep breaths. Come up slowly and repeat on the other side. To finish bring your feet parallel.

2. Side Angle

Feet: face your right foot out and face your left foot in. Bend your right knee until it is just over your right ankle. Check to see if your right thigh is parallel to the floor.

Arms: Place your right arm down by your ankle, and reach your left arm by your left ear to create a long line of energy from your left heel through to your left fingers.

Breath: take 5 breaths, come up slowly and repeat on the left side.

3. Half Moon

Feet:with your right foot turned toward the right, bend your right knee and place your right hand in front of your right pinky toe. Lift your left leg and extend both legs.

Arms: lift your left arm up bringing them to a “T” shape.

Core: engage your core and legs. Energy should flow from the center to your fingers and toes.

Breath: 5 breaths and come up slowly and repeat on the left side.

4. Tree

Feet: lift your left foot to your right ankle, knee or inner thigh.

Arms: start with your palms together near your heart. Once you are steady, lift them above your head.

Core: engage your core and lengthen from your fingers down through your tail bone.

Breath: 5 breaths and repeat on the other side

5. Head of the Knee

Feet: sit on the floor with your legs extended. Bend your right knee into your left thigh.

Arms: inhale and extend your arms up, exhale and fold forward keeping your hips grounded.

Breath: take 5 breaths and inhale as you come up. Repeat on the left side.

What’s your favorite stress-busting yoga pose?

Member blogger Kathleen Hermann talks about ways for families to engage in fun fitness activities during the holiday season.

We all have holiday traditions, from Aunt Linda’s green bean casserole to fireside carols to the annual donning of the matching sweaters.

However, a lot of our traditions around the holidays focus on heavy, fat-laden foods. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Traditions are important, and the holidays are a good time to indulge as long as we do not indulge to excess.

Still, it is a good time to assess whether your family has any healthy holiday traditions, namely involving physical activity. If not, then why not consider starting one?

Growing up, we watched my father every Thanksgiving morning amble through a Turkey Trot 5k. A former college basketball star measuring 6’8″ in height, he was by no means a runner and it was often humorous to watch him lurching down the final stretch. Nevertheless, he loved how running that race (which was, in fact, the only race he ever ran each year) made him feel on Thanksgiving Day.

As soon as we were old enough, us kids joined him, engaging in a friendly competiton with eachother for place and time. There was something special about knowing no matter the weather — and we had our share of unseasonably warm days as well as days with a foot of snow — we knew where we would be Thanksgiving morning. After an endorphin high of running a race like a Turkey Trot in a huge crowd of like-minded runners, the rest of the day was gravy (pun intended).

There are, in fact, many different ideas for holiday traditions involving fitness, with  new opportunities forming each year. It’s not important what you do as long as you do your best to mix the holiday, family and friends (or even pets) with fitness. Here are some ideas for healthy traditions you may not yet have tried:

1. Run a Turkey Trot Next Year
Did you know that the first “Turkey Trot” was started right near us in Buffalo during Thanksgiving of 1896? Back then it had only six runners, but today that same Buffalo race regularly has over 10,000 participants. Now there are Turkey Trots all over the country, of differing lengths and terrains. If running bores you, look for a Turkey Day challenge obstacle-like race. The feeling of having accomplished something will make the food taste that much better.

2. Backyard Touch Football
This is a fun, special tradition that many families have already incorporated into their holidays for generations. Instead of sitting on the couch in a food-induced coma, head out for your own friendly-family or neighborhood competition. Children especially will cherish watching adults take part in a fun family game with them.

3. Take a Holiday Walk
There’s no sweeter image to me on holidays than when I see entire generations of a family out walking down the road in a big pack. The sight of an elderly grandmother pushing a stroller, uncles and aunts engaging in jesting banter, and mixed-age children running ahead just seems to be one of the best ways to unite as a family. Even if it is only you and your dog celebrating this year, take a special walk -perhaps on a nature trail- and enjoy the time to reflect on the holiday and giving thanks.

4. Engage in a Seasonal Activity
The holidays are a great time to let your inner child run free. Whether there are young ones with you or not, there’s no reason you can’t go tobogganing, ice skating, or build a large snowman. All of these activities will  have you sweating off enough calories for that pumpkin pie you ate.

Holiday traditions don’t have to be focused only on sugar cookies and stuffing. Embrace a tradition involving physical activity and your holiday will combat stress, lift your mood, and make the time richer and brighter. More importantly, you may not end the holiday season five pounds heavier and feeling like a sloth. It is never too late to start a new tradition!

Does your family have a healthy holiday tradition or story?

If a personal trainer said the following to you, “After 10 Pilates sessions, you will feel the difference. In 20 sessions, you will see the difference. And in 30 sessions, you’ll be on your way to having a whole new body,” what would you say?

Now, as a trainer and Pilates instructor, I’m a little biased. That said, Pilates is awesome and life-changing. It might be relatively unknown in some parts of the country, but we are trying to change that.

Want to know more about Pilates and its creator, Joseph Pilates? Read on!

Joseph Pilates was a gymnast, diver, and bodybuilder. When he moved to England in 1912, he earned a living as a professional boxer, circus-performer, and self-defense trainer at police schools and Scotland Yard. It was in England that he developed an integrated, comprehensive system of exercise where the mind controlled the muscles.  He called it “Contrology.”

When he moved to NYC, he trained clients on his system of exercise, with a focus on core postural muscles that help keep the human body balanced and provide support for the spine, throughout the 1960s.

Joseph Pilates developed a series of exercises on a variety of equipment to work towards a more pain-free and balanced body. In particular, Pilates exercises teach awareness of breath and of alignment of the spine, and strengthen the deep torso and abdominal muscles.

The most common pieces of Pilates equipment used today are the Reformer, the Wunda Chair and the Pilates Cadillac.

The Reformer is the most well known of the Pilates machines. It has a sliding carriage and uses spring tension and straps for your hands and feet. This is my favorite Pilates exercise machine to work on! It is also what Joseph Pilates hoped that every home in America would have in their living room (would you have this in your living room?).

The Wunda Chair also utilizes spring tension and the exercises can be challenging: lying on your back and stomach, seated, standing, and kneeling positions that are both demanding and energetic movements.

The Cadillac was named by Joseph Pilates at the time when its namesake automobile was the most prestigious car in the U.S. The Cadillac was used for individually selected rehabilitation exercises. It is still used that way today, as well as for facilitating more movement and flow into the exercises.

There are four major purposes of Pilates:

1. Strength (We all need that!)

2. Stretch (Most of us need this too!)

3. Stability (Balance is important)

4. Stamina (It’s a cardio workout too)

On top of all of that, it exercises your body and your mind, which is a really good thing.

Why do you love Pilates?

It’s 2pm and you are three hours away from being done with your work day. 

If you’re hungry, low in energy, or feeling lethargic from a heavy lunch, then a healthy afternoon snack can give you that extra energy to finish your work day and avoid overeating at dinner. 

Snacking has had a bad rep in the past because the word “snack” conjures up images of  chips or candy bars. 

However, snacks can and should be healthy and one of the most important parts of your day. 

When choosing a snack, try to include carbohydrates, protein, and fat.  The carbohydrates will give you immediate energy while the protein and fat will satiate you.  Aim for about 100-to-200-calorie snacks to give just the right amount of energy without making you feel too full. 

Snacks are a good way to add more nutrients to your diet as well.  Fruits and veggies are hard to fit in throughout the day so incorporate them into your snacks. 

Here are some healthy, 200-calories-or-fewer snack ideas from Midtown’s own Registered Dietician, Jenny Maloney: 

• An apple with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
• 4-6 oz. yogurt with ½ cup berries
• light string cheese and an orange
• handful of trail mix (nuts, dried fruit, and dark chocolate chips)
• ¼ cup hummus with raw carrots
• ¼ avocado, tomato slices, and 4 whole wheat crackers

What’s your healthy go-to mid-day snack?

If you spend a lot of time around the club, you’ve probably heard talk of Heart Rate Monitors (HRMs). 

Courtesy of Polar Electro.

Trainers are recommending them to clients, group exercise instructors are recommending them to their classes, and friends are comparing their “calories burned” in the locker rooms. 

But will a HRM work for you? 

Like all things in life, that depends.

Heart rate monitors can range from $50-$450, it’s important to decide whether a HRM is a good investment before you buy one.

Here are 5 ways a HRM can help you, and what other considerations are necessary to make sure your expectations are met as safely and effectively as possible. 

HRMs can help you:

1. Improve your health: HRMs can help you find and maintain the right exercise intensity to reach your goals.  If you are working to attain the 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise (50-70% of maximum heart rate) 5 days per week recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the device will tell you whether you are doing that.  Higher-end models can provide specific zone intensity and time requirements to reach weight loss and fitness performance goals.  

Unfortunately, your HRM won’t tell you what activities to do, how to do those activities correctly, or how to balance the other components of total health – nutrition, sleep, etc.  From inexperienced exercisers to elite athletes, additional input from a doctor or trainer may be needed to paint a complete picture of an individual exercise program.

2. Measure your effort: Measuring the work-rate of the heart is the most accurate method of determining how much benefit you are deriving from your workout, and using a HRM is more accurate than interrupting your workout to take your pulse manually.  Apart from user-error (e.g. the strap falling off, or accidentally stopping the training computer during a workout), HRMs are pretty dependable, as long as you always remember to use it!

3. Exercise safely: Feedback from HRMs can help prevent you from exercising too hard in a single session (and thus burning yourself out for several days), and from over-training in general.  A heart rate that is higher than you expect it to be before, during, or after a workout, can be a signal that your body needs more rest.  Most models don’t see the whole picture, however. 

For example, certain medications can affect your heart rate, and your monitor can’t account for working an active job (think construction worker) if you only wear it during structured workouts.  Again, listening to your body and asking for advice from a health or fitness professional can round out the picture.

4. Track your progress: Some HRMs are able to store and display weeks’ worth of training sessions, which will help you identify possible training errors, or hopefully just reinforce that you are staying on track!  From the perspective of someone who never really liked math and can’t always remember how much she ran three days ago, it’s a nice benefit.  However, all of the tracking and reporting tools are usually not available unless additional equipment or software is purchased.

5. Put the fire back in your program: Most of us probably never thought we would be taking orders from computers, but I have to admit, I can’t help feeling a little guilty when my HRM tells me “incomplete training week” or “train a lot more.”  That is usually enough motivation to get my butt to the gym. 

Some of you may prefer a social or physical push to exercise that can make a digital reminder more of an annoyance than a motivator.  But at least for me, having that little screen tell me that I met my training goal for the week feels like the extra pat on the back I couldn’t give myself.

What do you think?  Is a heart rate monitor worth it?