How Tyra Banks Lost 30 lbs

The former Sports Illustrated cover girl and Victoria Secret stunner shed 30 lbs this year by changing her eating habits and doing 30 minutes of cardio everyday.  A self-proclaimed junk food addict, Tyra Banks said she has regained control of her eating habits by working with a nutritionist to create healthy and satisfying meals and wrote down everything she ate in a food journal. 

To burn the calories, Tyra bought a new treadmill to workout at home. "I got rid of one of my couches in my living room and I watched Sex and The City episodes on the treadmill" she says. "So Sex and the City lasts 30 minutes – that's how long I'm on the treadmill. It's about working with what you've got, and knowing, and learning what's right for your body."

Tyra is proof positive that a few healthy changes and additions to your lifestyle make a huge difference in the long run.  You just have to be consistent!  Habits are hard to break, but harder to create.  If you are thinking about skipping your workout today, it's going to be even easier to skip tomorrow.  Strengthen your willpower and make the experience enjoyable.

Tyra's Takeaways:

1. Write down what you eat.  Countless testimonies of successful weight loss and research keep proving that a food log is key to shedding the pounds quickly.
2. Find your cardio motivation.  Create a great playlist on you iPod, or watch a series of your favorite show to make the time fly.
3. Buy something new.  You don't have to buy a new treadmill, but buying something new can release the feel-good hormones and help you feel excited about working out.  A pair of shoes, yoga pants, or even a cute water bottle will do the trick.

True or False: Will Drinking 80 oz of Water Help You Lose Weight?

True!  Researchers at Virginia Tech showed that people who drank two glasses of water 20 to 30 minutes before every meal lost weight more quickly initially and lost significantly more weight than those who didn't.  They presented their findings at last year's obesity conference in Phoenix, Arizona.  They also found that people ate an average of 75 fewer calories at meals when they drank 20 oz of water beforehand. This may not seem like much, but if you ate 75 fewer calories at lunch and dinner for the next year, you could lose about 14½ pounds!

It's very difficult for the body to differentiate hunger from thirst. If you don't drink enough water throughout the day, you may mistake thirst for hunger and eat more than you really need, which can also impair weight loss. Staying well hydrated is critical. Being even 1 percent dehydrated can cause a significant drop in metabolism, which can also interfere with weight loss. Water-based foods like soups, vegetables and low-fat dairy, are key to weight loss because they lower the calorie density of meals. That can help you reduce calories without reducing portions.

I know what you are going to ask next - "Isn't it bad for my electrolyte level if I drink too much water?" Most people should be far more concerned with not drinking enough water versus drinking too much. Drinking massive amounts of water (gallons and gallons) can cause a dangerous condition known as hyponatremia (low sodium levels in the blood), which can cause confusion, irritability and seizures and may even lead to a coma.  This condition is very rare in healthy people but can sometimes be seen in the elderly or in endurance athletes who sweat significantly and drink water only to replace lost fluids.   If you are participating in an endurance race, always have some sort of electrolyte hydration.  Nuun is Sassy Fit's favorite hydration solution!

Take-away tips:
1. Drink 20 oz of water before meals
2. Try to drink 20 oz of water BETWEEN meals
3. Incorporate water-based foods (soups, vegetables and low-fat dairy) into every meal
4. Drink Nuun when you will be exercising for several hours

That's Just Figtastic

Of all the fruits, figs are one of the most perishable; once harvested, they last only about a week, and no more than a few days in your refrigerator. Fresh figs are a great source of energy and vitality, and many say they have aphrodisiac and fertility-boosting powers. Nutritionally, they are one of the highest sources of calcium in the plant world. Both dried and fresh figs are impressive sources of soluble and insoluble fiber, which are important for cardiovascular and digestive health and for removing toxins from the body. Figs are also loaded with antioxidants. A single fig contains more polyphenols, which help fight free radicals in the body, than a cup of green tea or glass of red wine. Four fresh figs only contain 120 to 148 calories. Spanish Franciscan missionaries brought figs to California in the late 18th century. They knew a good thing when they saw it, and so should you!

Try this delicious fig recipe for a snack or dessert. 

Fresh Figs with Mascarpone and Warm Spiced Honey

Ingredients 

8 small (or 4 large) fresh, ripe figs, stems trimmed, halved lengthwise

1/3 cup mascarpone (or fat free cream cheese), softened

1/3 cup mild honey

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

4 sprigs fresh mint

Directions

1. Arrange the figs cut-side up among four plates. Use the back of a teaspoon to gently press into the center of the flesh and create a small indentation.
2. Add a dollop of mascarpone to the center of each fig half and set plates aside.
3. Place honey and spices in a small heat-proof bowl and set over a pan with simmering water. Cook over medium heat, whisking to blend, until the honey is liquefied and warm, 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle honey over each fig, garnish plates with mint sprigs, and serve immediately.

A Saturday Morning Hike in the JUNGLE!

Hello my fellow Sassy People! Well, I'm still here in Taiwan and I am LOVING it! Let's see, Saturday morning we got up early and headed to Sansia, a little town north of where I am in Neili. We got off the train and took a 30 minute taxi ride up to the trailhead of a great hike. I'm not exactly sure how many miles we went but it was probably one of the most rustic hikes I've ever been on and we were gone for 6 hours. Both the trailhead and the trailend were undisclosed and it was a little funny to just start a well known hike from the back of somebody's backyard and pop out on the side of the road someplace on the mountain. Quite the experience...

Fit and Fabulous at Forty!

Happy Friday!  This is Kelly filling in for Amanda -- miss you girl!

image from here

One of our clients turned 40 this week, and we wanted to share about how she prepared to enter into what many people say is one of the best decades in life.  We began this quest with her in January, when she approached us determined to reach a new level of health and wellness by her birthday.  Seeing her hard work and commitment to her goal was so inspiring.  While all of our clients work hard, this client in particular had a special level of commitment that I honestly believe people only experience a few times in their life -- when they realize they are at a new chapter in life and see the opportunities that lie ahead.  I love this quote, "The more reasons you have for achieving your goal, the more determined you will become" by Brian Tracy.  The more reasons you can link to losing weight and living a healthier lifestyle, the more dedicated you will be.

Here are a few things our client did this year for jaw dropping results at her 40th birthday (she seriously looked amazing!):
1. Group Support: In addition to her personal training sessions, she gathered 5 girlfriends for a boot camp workout three times a week in their neighborhood.  You won't flake on working out if it's fun and your friends are counting on you.
2. Meal Planning: She wasn't a calorie counter, so she used a meal delivery service to ensure she stayed within her caloric range and was then able to continue the portion sizes on her own once she got into a routine.
3. Short Term Goals: Staying motivated for 11 months is challenging, but short term goals are key.  She would set little goals to accomplish before weekend trips, holidays, etc. to keep her on track.


The 40th Birthday Workout
This is the ladder workout we did on her Birthday.  It's a tough workout but she rocked it! For each group of exercises, you will do 10 reps of the first and then immediately do 10 reps of the other. Return to the first exercise and complete 9 reps, and then 9 of the second.  Continue on this format until you have worked your way to 1 repetition.  Try to only stop after the entire ladder is completed.  This is a full body workout.  Enjoy!

1. Push-ups
2. Pull-ups (or Lat Pull Down)

1. Squats
2. Alternating jumping lunges (10 on each side)

1. Burpees
2. Bicycle Crunch (10 on each side)

1. Jumping Jacks
2. Low jumping jacks

1. Plank-ups (low to high plank)
2. Superman

1. Dips
2. W shoulder press (5-8 lbs)

1. Core Ball Pass
2. Torso Twist with medicine ball (8 lbs)

What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals
- Zig Ziglar

Happy Birthday!  May you achieve all that you are capable of in your 40's.

Pre-Feast Motivation

The Little Black Dress Contest

photo from refinery21

BOO! Costume Contest Results

We wanted to see how creative our clients, tweeples and Facebook friends could be on Halloween and invited them to submit a photo of their costume. There were a lot of fun ideas, but these three definitely took the loot!

Jen aka @Hotel_Max went ALL out!  She is our first place winner and receives a free personal training session with Sassy Fit!  Check out these incredible photos and the details she put into her face paint!

We had two people place at second, winning a $25 dollar Sassy Fit gift certificate. Ardith aka @ardith_laverne who rocked her legs in black tights and a body suit as Ms. Britney Spears from her Circus tour.  "All eyes on me, in the center of the ring, just like a circus" and Meghan as a glamorous Pan Am flight attendant (note the fully-functioning snack & beverage cart)!

Thank you to everyone else for submitting your photos, we enjoyed each and every one of them.

See you next Halloween!