The Balanced Trainer

Enjoy everything in life: Exercise and Nutrition included

[thebalancedtrainer]

Kinda obsessed with this weird looking green stuff - liquid #whey - so #healthy and #free as the by product of #yogurt and it makes the best #bread and #pancakes I've ever made

[thebalancedtrainer]

$89 #grocery shop - not my lowest bill but it is definitely one of the best deals with tenderloin, London broil, 3 milks (cow and almond), diapers, 3 boxes of cereal, deodorant and body wash along our normal #food

[thebalancedtrainer]

#homemade yogurt and berry sauce (warmed up frozen berries, water and maple syrup, pureed) - #kid-friendly #snack that any #mom can get behind

[thebalancedtrainer]

Eating WHILE living

As I have said before (I think), life is too short to live it constantly dieting and pushing yourself to do workouts that you don’t want to do. Honestly, life is too short to do anything you don’t want to. I talked about this in my last post (remember that? months ago) but I want to break it up further and talk about eating.

There must be a balance between living a healthy life so you can live a long life and knowing that if you are leaving this world next week you have enjoyed every taste, meal and moment you had.

I do believe that you can be healthy at any weight or body type but that doesn’t mean I believe you can sit on the couch and eat cheetos all day (my preferred activity as a child). That isn’t healthy. Some people, no matter how much they workout and eat a BALANCED diet will maintain a heavier weight then they may wish. Those people are healthy.

So here are some tips on how to eat that balanced diet (not in terms of food restriction) to be the healthiest person you can WHILE fully living life.

1. It is all about small changes and compromises. Slowly adjust one snack or meal at a time to make it healthier. Or even slightly adjust one recipe at a time. Possible adjustments are going from processed to homemade, taking out a ¼ of the sugar in the recipe, changing the form of oil in a recipe … Remember, SMALL changes. This will take time.

2. Listen to your body. Eat when your body tells you you are hungry and stop when your body tells you you are full. This may take slowing down during meals so your body has the opportunity to tell you it is full. If you are hungry and it hasn't yet been 3 hours since the last time you ate, try drinking a glass of water. Our bodies have a tendency misinterpret thirst for hunger. If you are still hungry, eat! and adjust your future meals to make sure they have enough substance (check tip 4). Books and diets have no idea what your body needs or wants - only your body does, so trust it.

3. Eat what you want. Do not deprive yourself of something that you are craving. The chances are very high that if you do this you will end up making up for it later when you eat more than you should (anyone heard of a “cheat day”). This way when you do eat something deliciously unhealthy, you don’t have to binge because you know you can have it anytime you want.

4. My one rule that I try to follow for our family is to eat ¾ of a plate of carbohydrates and ¼ of the plate of protein. Carbohydrates is our body’s main source of energy and protein is our longest source of energy. This can mean whole grains and once in a while when you are craving it non-whole grain carbs, veggies and/or fruit. Experiment and find some healthy foods that you enjoy. When you combine the two at every meal (and snack) you get the benefit of the quick satisfying energy of carbohydrates and the slow release energy from the protein.

5. Enjoy food. Cooking and eating should be a process. Find new ways to love both. Find some healthy foods that you do like. Try to make as much at home as possible. They should be savored and enjoyed. They should involve friends, music and wine (or mimosas if it is early). Eat like this and you won’t feel deprived. You won’t go to a party or event and stress about what you are going to eat. You won’t need to give yourself a “cheat day” in which you make up all of the calories you may have lost throughout the week. But most importantly, you will be living.

       Life is way too short to not eat a brownie when you a really craving it.

[thebalancedtrainer]

Tonight's #dinner - #turkeyburger , carrots and peas, #rice , and banana

[thebalancedtrainer]

#snacktime today is #yogurt with #granola and warm up frozen #fruit #delicious

[thebalancedtrainer]

Pizza Dough Recipe

Tonight or this weekend, instead of calling Dominos or Papa John’s, get off the couch, turn on The Avett Brothers radio (seriously, it’s amazing) and relax while kneading some dough. 

Here is our favorite recipe. Not hard at all, cheap, fun and at least a little healthier than the store/restaurant version which you can’t control.

Pizza Dough

3 cups flour 

1 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. olive oil

large dash of garlic powder

1 tsp. salt

1 package of yeast or 2 1/4 tsp. of yeast

1 cup warm water (105 - 115 degrees)

Dissolve the yeast in the water and set aside. Mix dry ingredients. Add the water/yeast mixture and the oil to the dry ingredients. Mix on low in a mixer with a dough hook until it starts to clump around the hook. Knead by hand for about 5 minutes. Form into a ball and lightly cover the ball and the bowl with more olive oil and cover with cling wrap. 

Let it rise for about an hour or until it is twice the size. 

Preheat the oven to 500. 

Roll out the dough, add toppings and bake for about 12-15 minutes until cheese is bubbling and dough is golden. 

Enjoy a delicious, home cooked and healthIER dinner. And remember it is the small changes over months or years that add up to a healthier lifetime. 

[thebalancedtrainer]

I have been using #spraydeodorant for a few months and love it! Excited to try #dove #feelssogood

[thebalancedtrainer]

First #greensmoothie of the season! #healthy #snack

This is my favorite green smoothie so far. I found the basic recipe on simplegreensmoothies.com and then adjusting for me. For best results, blend the liquid and spinach until smooth, then the the banana and finally the fruit. - 1.5 cups of almond milk - ½ cup of water - 1 cup of frozen chopped spinach - 1.5 cups of frozen banana - 1.5 cups of frozen fruit (strawberries, pineapple and mango)

[thebalancedtrainer]

A Balanced Life

With New Years two months behind us, I have been seeing a lot about weight loss on social media. A lot of what I see looks like the weight loss trap that people have been falling into for decades: grande plans to completely refigure their way of life, that only last a few months.

As a personal trainer and weight loss specialist, clearly I believe in being fit. I believe in working out. I also believe in eating healthy. But I differ in how I see that working in real life. 

I don’t believe …

1. You need to be a certain weight to be healthy.

2. You need to completely cut out certain foods.

3. Working out should be hard. 

4. If you lose weight by cutting out foods you love and working out at insane times and intensities, the weight loss will be sustainable. 

I do believe …

1. You should feel comfortable in your own skin no matter what weight you are. (I know this is hard) There is research now that shows that health isn’t determined by weight. 

2. You should listen to your body and eat when you are hungry and just as important, stop when you are full. This is an idea that diets go against pretty heavily. A diet, book and/or nutrient counting cannot tell you how much is right for your body - only your body can do that.

3. Moving should be a part of your everyday life.  Running around with the kids or dog. Getting out of the house to do yard work. Going shopping for groceries and clothes instead of shopping online. Working out should and can be fun and should not make you feel worse. I promise you can find something that you enjoy if you try.

4. Health should be something that you commit to for the rest of your life (even if that takes the next 5 years to get where you want to), instead of the next three months. 

5. People need to give their body and mind time to reach a healthy lifestyle. 

I am not saying don’t strive to be healthy. I am not saying don’t workout or move because would rather sit all the time. I am not saying go out and eat a plate of brownies. 

I am saying, let yourself enjoy foods when you really want them. Know that you can have it again, so there is no reason to gorge. Begin trying to make healthier food choices. Find a way to move your body that you enjoy. And give yourself time!

I know results make the journey easier but watching every pound is going to break you down. So, change what you consider results. Stop seeing success or failure as pounds lost or gained. 

Instead, focus only on what you can change: your habits and behaviors. Make changes to your lifestyle the goal and success of a healthy lifestyle the results. 

                               If you do this, I can guarantee you success. 

[thebalancedtrainer]

Killed my #HIIT class this morning with this #tabata #workout plus 4 more rounds

[thebalancedtrainer]

I love when my #workout renders my #arms useless. Try this workout for #fun #enjoymoving

[thebalancedtrainer]

Too #busy to make stovetop oats in the #morning? Don't buy flavored #oatmeal - go with the plain and #sweeten it yourself with a splash of vanilla, a banana and cinnamon #compromise #cutdownonsugar #timesaver

[thebalancedtrainer]

The name suggests that it is #healthy but this small 8oz bottle has 18 grams of sugar out of the 25 grams suggested by American Heart Association. #cutdownonsugar

[thebalancedtrainer]

Perfect day for a #run - added #1mile from last weekend with #strengthtraining and #balancedeating

[thebalancedtrainer]

#balanced #lunch #proteinandcarbs #babyledweaning

[thebalancedtrainer]

TRX time! #tabata #wakeupcall