It pains me somewhat to say that but in fact this year I was the Runner Up in the Best of 417 awards.

Sure it’s disappointing but I’m actually proud of that runner up status. It reminds me of my senior seminar in political science. Dr. Connor was known as kind of a hard ass. A smart ass and a hard ass. The class grade was based on participation, a presentation and a paper. Even though it was an undergraduate paper, he treated it more like a master’s level thesis.  Planning of that paper and presentation started only a couple of weeks into the class and there were milestones that had to be met along the way to get full credit at the end. There was also lots of reading for the in class discussions.  It was one of the hardest classes I have ever taken.

I got a B in that class. I was really proud of that B too. I worked harder for that B than any A I had ever received.  That’s what made me so proud. I had given it my best effort and come out not on top but with some recognition for my hard work and some notes on where I could improve. I learned not just about the subject matter but about myself: what I was capable of and what areas I needed to improve.

This year’s contest affected me in the same way. The runner up status is recognition that I am proud of. It means that many of you believe in me, what I do and that I deserve the title of Best Personal Trainer in 417. But it also means there are many who don’t know me. They don’t know my own story of transformation and that I’ve walked a mile in their shoes. They don’t know how hard I work to give the best I can to each and every client.

Or perhaps they do know me but just don’t think I am the best. That means I need to step up my game. That means I need to continue to work harder and smarter, finding ways to give you what you need to achieve your fitness goals.

Let’s open the discussion here. My focus for 2012 is to be my best so I can bring out your best. I want that title again in 2013. Tell me what can I do better, what do you need from me to achieve your goals? How I can earn your vote for the Best Personal Trainer in 417 2013?

The Fit Truth: Diet foods won’t make you fit.

The 4^th Key to Real Fitness is Food Quality.

Last week we talked about quantity. Balancing calories in with calories out is important. But so is learning about the quality of the calories consumed. A donut and a chicken breast may both have 240 calories but you will feel a whole lot different after eating the chicken breast than you do after eating the donut.

The clients who are the most successful, who show the best results in fat loss (which is different then weight loss, remember?) are ones who take the time to learn about food. They aren’t afraid to clean out their cupboards and start over. They embrace the idea of lean protein and stop being scared of carbs. Fats are no longer a four letter word.

I do have clients who try to slide by with 100-calorie snack packs and frozen meals to hit their calorie goals. In the beginning they do okay.  If you’re making better choices (after all a 100 calorie pack of popcorn is better than a bag of potato chips) you will see some progress. But eventually that progress will slow and frustration will set in.

Meanwhile, my clients who are getting in touch with real food are talking about how much food they eat. They don’t feel hungry.  They feel good! They have more energy! Their kids are asking for seconds! They are saving money since they aren’t eating out 3-5 times a week. Eating real foods is a win-win for your health, waistline and wallet.

They also allow themselves to have an occasional treat. This is the real world after all. We all have birthdays to celebrate and vacations to enjoy. But they are honest with themselves about what a treat is: not an every day occurrence.  A treat is something to be enjoyed once a month or even once a year, like your grandma’s chocolate pie that she only makes at Christmas. A true treat then should be enjoyed and savored. It should not be a source of guilt nor should it be saved up for or paid for the next day. This is not a process of deprivation and starvation but balance and being real.

Your food quality action plan is:

1. Educate yourself. If you don’t know foods that are good examples of protein, carbs and healthy fats pick up a copy of Nutrition For Dummies. I love the Dummies series of books because they break down potentially technical subjects into easy to understand chunks. Learn the basics.
2. After you’ve got the basics, pick up a copy (or subscription) of Clean Eating Magazine. Every issue has a variety of recipes plus snack suggestions in their meal plan. In my opinion it is the best source of healthy recipes out there. You’ll get variety and the recipes change with the seasons.
3. Do a cupboard cleanse. Out go the snack packs of cookies and crackers. Dump the diet soda down the drain.  Check condiments, sauces, cereals and breads for high fructose corn syrup. If HFCS is there, in the trash it goes.
4. Make a list of the clean eating staples for your next grocery trip. Include non perishables like natural peanut butter, oats, beans, lentils, whole grain flours, frozen vegetables, quinoa, whole wheat pasta and green tea.
5. Shop once a week with a list and a plan. Weekly because you’ll need to pick up at least some of the perishable items (like bananas and eggs).
6. It’s okay to take short cuts. Buy things like baby carrots, pre cut fruits (in their own juice only) and single serving bags of raw almonds if it’s going to help you make time for things that really require prep.
7. Again, this is a process. It will never be perfect. Just do the best you can, making the best choice available in any given situation.

So that’s it. Those are the 4 Keys to Real Fitness. They aren’t sexy or earth shattering. There’s no promise of an easy button or super fast weight loss. It is going to take some work.

But they are real. It’s not a “diet”, a road map to fleeting weight loss that leaves you as soon as you return to normal. It is the road to a new normal. It’s a transformation, slow and steady over time, to a life focused on living and not dieting. It just takes that first step to start this journey. Are you ready to say goodbye to the diets and take the brave first step to a new way of living?

See all articles in the series The Fit Truth.

image by IPBrian

But there is one myth that, quite literally, weighs on us as we approach New Year’s Day. It is the one that tells us that when we step on the scale on January 2 will be about 10 pounds heavier than we were before Thanksgiving.

Fear not, however. The 10 pounds the average American is alleged to gain from eating too much pumpkin pie and drinking too much eggnog in the six week holiday season is indeed a myth. A National Institute of Health study in 2000 tested this theory by measuring the weights of 195 volunteers before, during and after the six week holiday season. What they found was the average weight gain was only about 1 pound.

Yet, the myth still persists and is spread even in fitness circles. Perhaps it is because some people do gain excessive amounts of weight during the holidays.  After all, if 1 pound is the average weight gain, and we know that some people didn’t gain any weight at all, some people exceeded that average as well. The study showed that about 10 percent of participants gained more than 5 pounds during the 6 week holiday season.  Its results concluded that there were 3 factors that influenced who gained 5 or more pounds and who didn’t.

The Top Factor: Being overweight or obese.

This means your best offense is a good defense. If you are fit, healthy and focused on staying that way all year, the holidays don’t prove to be as much of a challenge.  So don’t wait till January 2 to start a fitness program. Do it now and have a foundation to help you navigate the holidays and minimize the damage.

The other two Top Factors: Level of hunger and level of activity.

Level of activity will be addressed by your defensive measure of starting a fitness program.  As your schedule gets busier, remember that something is always better than nothing. As a part of your fitness program, have quick activities you can do that easily at home or on the road.  Also workouts can be broken into 10 or 15 minutes segments, making it easy to fit in on hectic days.

Keeping hunger at bay, and addressing the third factor, can be more challenging because of another myth-saving up calories for a big meal.  The worst thing you can do is to go to a party or a family Thanksgiving meal hungry. When we arrive hungry with blood sugar levels plummeting, everything looks good.  Eating normally throughout the day is a much better strategy and will help you make better choices.

During the holiday season we will be overwhelmed with choices at office parties, holiday open houses and family festivities. The key is to be proactive: have a plan, stay active and eat normally. Knowing the facts will help you stay below average when it comes to holiday weight gain.

I honestly cannot believe I am writing my 3^rd list of Top Holiday Fitness Gifts. I don’t know which surprises me more:  the speed at which Christmas has rolled around or the fact that I’ve been blogging for over 2 years.

Yet here we are. We’re ready to shop for those fitness buffs in our lives and to select items for our own wish lists.  Here are some suggestions based on my favorite things and wished for items.

• SPRI High Density Black Foam Roller: I am a new convert to foam rolling. Think of it as the poor man’s (or woman’s massage). I do this with all my clients now. Recovery is key to your success and this tool helps you be ready for the next challenging workout.
• Kusmi Russian Tea Sampler Gourmet Gift Pack: I discovered Kusmi tea on my recent trip to Paris. They have the most amazing blends of tea, I just adore them. Tea has wonderful anti-inflammatory properties and can be relaxing at the end of a long day.
• Tanita BC-549 Plus Ironman Full Body Composition Monitor: Traditional scales just give you weight, which doesn’t tell the whole story. Checking your body composition on a regular basis can show you how your body is changing when your weight doesn’t. I’ve had a Tanita scale for over a decade and they make great quality products.
• Under Armour Must Have Bag: I must have one of these bags. This stylish tote is on my wish list to replace my battered back pack.
• Lebert Equalizer: I just added this piece of equipment to my own arsenal of tools. You can do inverted rows and knee ups in the comfort of your own home with these handy and portable bars.
• Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector: This makes a great stocking stuffer for the person who is always washing their hands. I wash over and over and my hands get very dry. This works miracles for me.
• Stainless Steel CamelBak Groove Water Bottle: This sturdy bottle comes with its own filter letting you fill up anywhere. It makes for stylish and easy hydration.
• GoFit 15lbs KettleBell:  I love kettlebells for a quick full body workout. Need an indoor cardio option? Try intervals of kettlebell swings.
• Apex Deluxe 3 Tier Dumbbell Rack: If you leave your weights lying around you’re just an accident waiting to happen. I have one of these at home and one at the studio to keep everything nice and tidy.
• Ryka Women’s Assist XT Fitness Show: This is the shoe I am wearing now. They are comfortable with good support for high impact plyometrics.  Pretty stylish too.

You can also check out my lists from previous years:
Top 10 Health and Fitness Gifts for 2010
Top 10 Health and Fitness Gifts for 2009
Top 10 Health and Fitness Books for Gifts

Stay tuned, next week I’ll share my Top 10 Fitness Books for 2011.

This week was rough, but good. I work from home, so I usually get to sleep in as long as I can—until the puppy wakes me up. But this week, I got up at 7:20 five mornings to meet my best friend and running partner, Sarah Austin, and go running.

We ran the South Creek Trail and traded off pushing her 9-month-old in the jogging stroller (hello, shoulder work out!). We met one morning at Phelps Grove Park to do pace work. Five mornings, up before the sun. This is good for me; I can feel it. Just 10 weeks until the half marathon.

Pamela and I did some really great training sessions this week, too. I am learning lots of new exercises to strengthen my core and firm up some areas that are too flabby—I just know I’m going to get “teacher wings,” the under-arm flab that sways as you erase the board, so we’ve been targeting my arms.

My favorite part of this week was goal-setting.

At the end of each session, Pamela and I sit down and talk. Early on, we looked at the half-marathon training plan I had put together. Another day, we discussed some of the small healthy changes Pamela wants me to make with my eating. Drinking only 12 ounces of Dr. Pepper a day is one that I am doing pretty good at so far—I’ve had 8 Dr. Pepper-free days since I started working with Pamela!

This week, we looked at long-term goals. Here’s what I’m aiming for.

Long Term Goals

• Reduce weight to 170 pounds by June 1, 2012
• Reduce body fat percentage to 32% by Thanksgiving
• Complete half-marathon October 23, 2011 with a time of 2:38 or under

Short Term Goals

• Complete all runs as outlined for the next 4 weeks
• Daily completion of food log
• 3-5 servings of vegetables per day

Eek. I love that these are specific, doable goals, but I hate that I’ve let myself go so far. How did I get to 34.9% body fat?!  How did I get to the 211 pounds I weighed during our first session?!

Alas, I know exactly how. I stress eat. I don’t watch my portions. I don’t consciously to eat healthful meals every day. I stopped running.

But I have hope for change! Pamela is a great leader. She is asking me to step out of my comfort zone and make some small eating changes that I have trouble making on my own.

She’s teaching me to think differently about snacks and food and—another weakness of mine—beer. She accepts my excuses, and then reminds me that it is exactly those reasons that I am in this problem in the first place.

I’ll leave you this week with one final thought. We’re creatures of habit. We like our comfort zone. But how comfortable is your comfort zone really?

Is it comfortable to stand in front of the closet wishing you could still fit into that cute top? Is it comfortable wishing you could skip a social because you feel so self-conscious and fat in my clothes? Wanting to melt into the floor at work because your pants are so tight or your clothes so baggy?

No. That is no comfort zone. And it always takes some doing to undone what we’ve done to ourselves.

Did you miss one of Linden's Posts? See them all at this link!

I am asking for your vote for Best Personal Trainer because I am not one to rest on my laurels.  You were kind enough to make me the winner for 2011 and I still feel I owe you a huge thank you for that one!  I hope that every day this year I have not just lived up to your expectations but exceeded them.

You see, I’ve never been happy just “getting by”.  I was the girl in high school striving for the 4.0 and wouldn’t be satisfied with performance assessments that said “meets expectations”.  I want to be the best, to go above and beyond. Since you named me the Best in 417, I have worked every day to be the best.

I don’t think being the best means putting together the hardest workouts and shouting at you to “Give me 20!”. Being the best isn’t about making you run extra sprints as punishment for missed workouts or margaritas.  Being the best isn’t about having the biggest gym or the latest fad equipment. To me being the best is helping you feel that YOU are the BEST.

Everyone comes to me with a different goal, a different definition of what their BEST is. My goal as a personal trainer is to move you forward on this journey, to meet those goals and find your personal BEST.  How I do that is by giving you my BEST:

• We start were you are. My goal is not to break you but build you up.
• It’s the one time were it really is all about you. I design your program for you, not by picking a program to fit you into.
• You won’t get lost in the group because there are no groups, just you and me. I’m putting the PERSONAL back in personal training.
• It’s not just about the session.  I am full service, when you need me I am there.

I believe these things make me the best and I hope you do too.  If so, then please take a few minutes to vote for me as the Best Personal Trainer in 417-land. Here’s how:

1. Go to the 2012 Best of 417 Readers' Choice Awards Page
2. Vote for all your 417-land favorites.
3. Be sure to Enter the Math answer and Click Next Page at the bottom of each page/tab.
4. On page 4 (Shopping + Services) enter the following for Best Personal Trainer:

Pamela Hernandez, Thrive Personal Fitness

1. Finish the survey by entering your information on the last page.

Thank you for your vote and all of your support all year long!

Last Thursday the USDA put to rest the Food Pyramid we’ve all known, memorized and talked to for decades and launched their brand new tool for teaching people how to eat.

A plate.

To me, this is the first sign of how out of touch the USDA is with the issues facing most Americans when it comes to eating.

The problem is most Americans don’t eat meals involving plates. They are lucky to eat at a table at all. Many eat in their cars, at their desks, on the couch or at their children’s baseball practice but not at the actual dinner table.  They eat whatever is easy to grab and doesn’t require cooking or utensils.

The plate, found at www.choosemyplate.gov, is sound in its advice. I often tell clients to think of their plate in 4 quarters: ¼ for protein, ¼ for starches (grains, fruits, starchy veggies) and half for the fibrous or leafy veggies. This is the advice I give them for parties or business meeting buffets where they need to manage food without the advantage of tools like measuring cups and scales.

This advice comes with much coaching about good choices. Why a premium chicken breast at Mickey D’s, with its multitude of additives, is different than a chicken breast you buy at the grocery or your local farmer. Why a real fruit smoothie at the same establishment, pumped up with sugar and flavoring, is not the same as a smoothie you make at home with fresh fruit.

People are confused about food, what’s good and what’s not, and the new guidelines don’t help make it any clearer. If a person gets most of their nutrition from a drive up window or the frozen food isle, the plate is a nice ideal but it doesn’t help them make that transition from junk food to real food.  After all, I could meet the guidelines of the plate with mashed potatoes, peaches in syrup, a pork chop, rice and ice cream.  Yet this plate would still be somewhat of nutritional nightmare.

When I suggest to someone they stop eating a breakfast burrito from the drive up as their usual breakfast their first question is “Well…then what do I eat?” Real food is often something exotic and foreign, like tofu to a meat eater.  To me it’s an easy question to answer-make your own burrito. Scramble some egg whites, add peppers, onions, mushrooms and low fat cheese. Wrap in a whole grain tortilla. It doesn’t fit the plate but you have protein, whole grains, dairy and veggies. Grab a banana and you’ve got an on the go breakfast.  This makes sense to most people. A breakfast plate just isn’t a realistic goal for many in our on the go world.

The issue is food and real world norms about food have to change, not the symbol.  You can use a pyramid, a plate, a map or Legos but nothing is going to work until we stop accepting overly processed junk as food and start teaching people what real food is all about.

photo by IPBrian

I know, I say that all the time but I really do mean it. I just have to say it again because I was reminded over the weekend how fortunate I am to have the most supportive and amazing people in my life.

Last Saturday was the Grand Opening celebration at the new location I share with Dunham’s Martial Arts.  Chris Dunham, the owner, is so patient and gracious when I get the wild idea to have an open house. It kind of creates chaos for a few weeks, but I think they are so much fun and I really wanted to show off the new space to friends, family, family of clients and anyone else who just might happen to wonder in.

When you decide to have an open house you never really know what to expect. It’s like moving, your buddies say they’ll be there to help but on the big day you really know who your friends are.

Yesterday I was blessed with more friends than I could have imagined.

We started at noon with a slow trickle but by about 12:30 people really started rolling in. Some I knew and some I didn’t. Always a good sign. It really kicked into high gear shortly after that when my friend Connie Shoemaker, from Spa Salubrious, set up to do chair massages (of which I did not have time to partake) and my other friend Abba Anderson, Acupuncturist, arrived to start sticking needles in those willing to give acupuncture a try.

photo by IPBrian

Perhaps it was the promise of free relaxation or Seedy Bars from Black Owl Bread Company or the smell of burgers and brats on the grill from Middletons All Natural Meats , but people just kept coming. I was running around like a crazy fool for almost 3 hours. It was the best 3 hours any girl could have asked for.

How could it not be? It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon with a million other things going on and yet my friends, family, clients and business associates made the time to come see me, let me show off my space and listen to me babble about how great the new location was. While it may not have seemed like much to them, it meant everything to me.

photo by IPBrian

In fitness and in life it’s a hard path when you don’t have the support of others. You can go it alone, but it makes it 100 times harder. In fitness, I’ve been lucky to always have support at home from my wonderful husband. When we started the business, it seemed like it was just me and him against the world.

Yesterday proved that is the farthest thing from the truth there could be.

I want to  thank everyone who came Saturday, everyone who sent wishes from a far and everyone everyday who makes me smile and keeps me pushing forward when I don’t think I can.

photo by IPBrian

See you at the next open house.

I have been experimenting with meat making.

Faux meat that is. 

There is a magical substance known as vital wheat gluten you can use to make a vegetarian meat substitute called seitan.  I recently rediscovered the recipes in La Dolce Vegan! for various seitan recipes for faux beef, faux chicken, faux turkey etc. 

Using various combinations of things like Bragg's, nutritional yeast and spices you can make your own “flavors” of seitan. It’s easy and it’s so much more affordable than buying seitan at the health food store.

Another great benefit is it can be frozen for up to 6 months. I’ve been making big batches of faux chicken and faux beef so I always have something quick I can throw together with some veggies, beans or quinoa.  My grocery budget loves it and it has really inspired some cooking creativity.

Here is my first faux meat creation. This recipe is a great quick dinner using easy ingredients.  

Seitan Fajita Pockets

• 2 cups frozen 3 pepper and onion blend
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 cup chopped zucchini
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp chipotle chili powder
• 8 oz faux chicken seitan (homemade from La Dolce Vegan! or store bought)
• ¾ cup black beans, cooked (see my post How to Make Beans in a Crock Pot)
• half a lime
• 8 pita pocket halves
• Optional additions-cheese, avocado, salsa or spinach

Heat non stick skillet over medium high heat.  Cook pepper/onion blend, garlic and zucchini till soft and pepper/onion blend is cooked through.

Add chipotle chili powder and ground cumin, mix well and cook another 1-2 minutes.

Add faux chicken and beans. Cook till warm, 2-3 minutes. Squeeze juice of lime over mixture.

Fill each pita half with 1/3 cup of filling. Add any additional toppings desired.  Makes 8 half sandwiches.

Fun with faux meat! Give it a try and tell me what you think.

Check out our recipe section for more healthy meals.

When you believe in yourself anything is possible.

When others believe in you too, that’s when the magic happens.

I want to thank all of you who believed in me enough to vote for me as Best Personal Trainer for the Best of Issue of 417 Magazine.

I am honored deeply by the fact that many of you took your valuable time to express your confidence in me and to give me your support in my journey.

And what a journey it has been. If you had told me 15 years ago that I, the overweight girl who loved nothing more than to curl up with a good book and bag of potato chips, would not only be a fit athlete but a personal trainer named the best in my hometown I would have asked you if you had recently hit your head.

Yet, here I am.

So what does it mean to be named the Best Personal Trainer in 417-land? Honestly, I am not sure. Since this is my first year, I am anxious to see what such an honor brings my way.  I can promise you, on my end, things won’t change that much.

My goal still remains the same: to help you learn how to move and eat to live a healthy and fit life.  

My hope is that being awarded such an honor will give me the opportunity to do that for more people.

Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart.