Posted on January 2, 2012 by admin
Happy New Year’s Resolution time!! If you’re like 90% of Americans, your Resolution is to lose weight this year. Let me help you be successful! As the “Makeover Queen” with over 20 years of personal training and experience in the fitness industry, my programs have gotten thousands of people to not only reach their goals, but to keep them within 5 lbs of their goal weight, permanently. Here’s the deal:
1. It’s all about math (mostly). It’s true. When losing weight you must burn more calories than you take in. Once you reach your goal you can reset you daily caloric intake to a higher amount but you have “get a little uncomfortable (with your diet) to get comfortable (with your body).” And honestly, the only thing that has proven to work is calorie counting and measuring your serving size. If you’re like me, you’ll slightly er lie to yourself about how many calories you THINK you ingested or how many calories you THINK you burned on the treadmill (“I ran 3 miles that’s got to be good for 500 calories burned” hehe). The only way to successfully do this is to be accountable or record your daily food intake and exercise. Apps are great for helping you do this and my favorite is www.myfitnesspal.com. You don’t have to have an iPhone or Droid to participate…you can do everything online. Even if you’re not the type of personality who likes to write things down, try it at least for 2 weeks. It’ll give you a feeling for what your eating habits should be to attain your desired weight.
2. The more you move, the more you can eat (and the more you’ll lose-eating more) .I’m not just talking about general exercise but also every day movement. The people who move more not only burn more calories during the movement but also burn more at rest because they have more muscle (muscle burns more calories than fat). The key is to not only move more, but to include traditional strength training in your weekly workout….especially if you’re over the age of 35. A small percentage of muscle mass is lost every year above that…causing our metabolisms or calorie burning mechanisms to slow down.
3. All calories aren’t created equal. So MyFitnessPal says that you can consume 1200 calories and you think “Perfect! I love Scooter Pies so I’ll just eat 1200 calories of them.” Remember what your momma said? “You are what you eat.” Not only will eating a high sugar/high fat diet leave you feeling like crap, nutritionally deficient and at a risk for developing maladies like Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease or worse, it will make you look awful. This is where body fat percentage comes in. You can be 150 pounds and 15% body fat and you can be 150 pounds and 30% body fat. There’s a big difference aesthetically. The key is to eat a balanced diet that includes protein, complex carb and a little fat at every meal (this includes snacks). This will give you a healthy, toned look at your goal weight.
I’ll be back with more blogging on which programs are best for which body type, age and gender. Good luck and happy dieting!!
Xoxo
Larysa
Posted on December 28, 2011 by admin
The holidays can be a bit challenging for your diet because if your house is like mine, you’re surrounded by sugar and yummy treats given to you by loving, well meaning family members, friends and co-workers. Although 1 or 2 days of feasting isn’t bad for you (I am the queen of preaching moderation) consuming a lot of sugar over time can do some crappy things to your body. You probably know that eating excessive sugar can cause you to be overweight, have cavities and leave you predisposed to getting Type 2 Diabetes. But here are some daily, tangible things that you may not realize sugar does to your body:
1. It can make you koo koo. The key to losing weight and feeling energetic is keeping your blood sugar stable. You can accomplish this by eating well balanced meals (protein, carb and fats together) that have lots of fiber and cause your body to take longer to digest. Your body runs through sugar which causes your blood sugar to spike, which in turn causes insulin to be released. As soon as insulin is released your body is triggered to store excess calories as fat. Which is not good. In addition, because sugar is a simple carb it gives your body a quick dose of energy. Which feels good initially, but as your body uses the energy up, you start to crash (ever watch a kid after eating candy? They go nuts then fall on the sofa). So raised blood sugar levels make you fat and drain you of your feel good energy.
2. It can give you a cold. When there is excess insulin in your body, your immune system goes on high alert. Hormones are released as your body fights the inflammation caused by the excess insulin. Unfortunately, if your body is constantly fighting this war, it leaves you susceptible to other issues and maladies like colds, viruses, etc. People who consume more sugar and have poorer dietary habits are known to have more sick days than those who eat healthier.
3. It can cause you to break a bone. Sugar causes your blood pH to be acidic which is an unnatural state. Calcium and minerals are drawn from your bones and teeth to lower acidity which can predispose you to bone density issues and teeth problems (this is in addition to decay). In addition, cancer and tumors are known to thrive in acidic environments (it’s one of the reasons why cancer patients are put on macrobiotic diets). A test for certain cancers is to feed the tumor a sugar solution and see how quickly it grows.
So what should you do? As I said, sugar in moderation is ok but it’s excessive, daily consumption that really does the damage.
1. Eat natural forms of sugar when you can. I love honey, agave and maple syrup.
2. When you consume sugar, eat it with protein and a little fat to buffer the blood sugar boost.
3. If you’re going to eat sugar, eat it later in the day so as to not set up a craving for it throughout the day (sugar is known to be addictive)
4. If you’re a sugar addict, ditch it slowly. For example, if you’re used to putting 3 teaspoons of sugar in your morning coffee, reduce it to 2 for a week, then 1 the next week, then eliminate it completely.
As for artificial sugar substitutes, they cause more harm than good and still boost your blood sugar (which is why they’re not allowed on the Atkins Diet). Ditch these completely from your diet and don’t look back. I’ll blog about how horrible they are in a subsequent blog.
So, now, what to do with the leftover fudge, cookies and candy that are staring you from your kitchen counter? Bring them to work, freeze them for future company or hand them out to neighbors. They’ll be happy, you’ll be happier and your body will be happiest!
Xoxo
Larysa
Posted on September 10, 2011 by admin
Most of you know how important I think whey protein is to getting a hot, lean body because of it’s high protein content (typically 25+g per serving) which is essential for building muscle, which boosts your metabolism and it’s portion control (typically 200-300 lowfat calories per serving)….but recent studies have shown that whey protein can enhance weight loss because of it’s high branched-chain amino acid content. BCAAs can improve insulin sensitivity (stabilizes your blood sugar which is important to weight loss) and keep you feeling full longer. Whey protein has a higher content of BCAAs than other proteins like chicken, beef or fish. It’s also been shown that whey protein modulates hormones that help weight loss.
Who should drink whey protein? Everyone in my book. Moms trying to lose weight who need an easy, portable snack or meal; guys trying to put on muscle without the fat; kids who don’t eat enough protein; vegetarians and anyone over the age of 40. After 37 your body starts to lose a small percentage of muscle every year. Muscle is what is responsible for most of your metabolism. The less muscle you have the slower your metabolism. So as you get older your metabolism slows down as a result of muscle loss. It’s the reason why your 85 year old grandma can only eat 800 calories or else she’ll gain weight.
How do you incorporate it into your daily life? Substitute it for a meal or snack. I have mine for breakfast. I make it in a blender and put it in a “to go” container and run to work. It’s perfect!
What kind should you get? A preservative, artificial sweetener free kind. What you don’t want to do is do something great for your body and then sabotage your effort by adding extra crap that you don’t need or isn’t good for you. You can get “clean” whey protein at any GNC or health food store. Costco and Sam’s Club are now carrying whey protein also. I prefer the powder form that you make yourself but there are “ready to drink” varieties that are great. If you make your shake you can add yummy additions like fruit and nut butter. Ice always makes it festive! In addition you can make it dairy free by using coconut milk, almond, rice or soy milk. I LOVE coconut milk!!! Here’s a recipe that I created that makes my mornings fun!
Pina Colada For Breakfast
1 cup coconut milk
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
1/2 cup pineapple
1/2 cup ice
VOILA! Blend for a minute and go!
Happy sipping!
xoxo
L 
Posted on July 22, 2011 by admin
Dancing can be a great self-esteem builder for girls…and you all know how passionately I feel about helping them feel confident and healthy. I’m encouraging all girls between the ages of 9 and 18 to enter the Best Bones Forever! Let’s Dance Contest featuring Savvy. This is a contest for every girl regardless of her dancing abilities. It’s about having fun and getting active with friends!
I was so psyched when I was asked to be the newest ambassador of Best Bones Forever!, a national bone health campaign of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health. We’re teaming up to encourage girls everywhere to “grow strong together, stay strong forever” by getting plenty of foods with calcium and vitamin D and 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Check out the Best Bones Forever! website for yummy bone healthy recipes and fun activities.
One of my favorite (and girls’ favorite also) bone-building activities is dancing. Dancing works the whole body, so encourage all the girls you know to participate in the Best Bones Forever! Let’s Dance Contest! The contest invites girls ages 9-18 to grab their friends, choose one of the five Savvy songs, choreograph a dance routine, record their routine and then upload the video to the contest website all for a chance to win a trip to appear in a Savvy music video! This is also an activity moms can do with their daughters! Burn some calories and give your bones a boost by helping your daughter and her friends choreograph their dance routine. Learn more at www.bbfletsdance.com.
Good luck!!
xoxo
L
Posted on May 16, 2011 by admin
Being the foremost authority on tween girl fitness, I thought it’d be helpful for me to share my thoughts about the recent controversy over an ad on kids’ channels for Skechers Shape Up sneakers. The ad, in cartoon form, shows a girl playing a concert to her screaming fans as the band sings, “Heidi’s got new Shape-Ups, got everything a girls wants. She’s got the height, got the bounce, yes, she’s looking good and having fun.” The commercial continues showing Heidi getting chased by junk food.
So parents and some professionals are screaming bloody hell because they believe that this is sending a message to our girls causing them to get crazy obsessed about their weight and looks at such an early age….and because they’re trying to sell an adult product to kids. Wake up and smell the glittered, Britney Spears perfume people! Your tween daughters, students and nieces are already thinking about their looks and weight! I know- I meet with them everyday! And they’ve got good reason to! 25% of kids are overweight or obese in the US and the most immediate consequence of being overweight as described by the girls themselves is social discrimination. Right…being teased, ridiculed and ostracized. And studies have found that the most critical ages in a girls’ life are the tween years. Healthy habits, experiences and patterns established during this time will affect a girl’s self esteem for the rest of her life. Holy pressure! And girls know it. And their parents know it. It’s why I receive at least 10 calls a week from moms, dads and coaches asking me to help….privately. It never ceases to amaze me how people want to push this issue under the rug and whisper about it. As evidenced by the outrage of this commercial. It’s no secret that our kids are getting fatter. And we do them no justice by not talking openly about it and just hoping it’ll go away. Kids are growing up faster and becoming more mature, quicker. It has been my experience in working with girls for 20 years that knowledge is power. Teach them about how to keep their bodies healthy using words like strong, empower, fit and confidence. Show them what it takes to be at a healthy weight, what to eat and proper portion size. It only helps them to know. Because when they’re kept in the dark, that’s when they experiment on their own. Everyone wants to look good….even kids. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. But it’s important to emphasize that although looking good may be a priority, it’s important to feel good and treat your body right by doing healthy things.
As far as the commercial is concerned, I would have preferred that they mention how confident and strong Heidi felt, but I see nothing wrong with it. It’s been my experience with Skechers that they have remained faithful in empowering girls to strive to be their best and healthiest. Whether or not Shape Ups work is a different story, but hey, if a girl feels great in them and it causes her to walk more as a result, then hooray! Mission accomplished.
And as for the issue of selling an adult product to kids, maybe parents should attack Bonne Bell for shoving non stop fuchsia lipstick ads down my daughter’s throat because, quite frankly, I think her lips are beautiful already.
Tags: Bonne Bell, commercial, confidence, empower, fitness, girls, junk food, kids, Kim kardashian, self esteem, shape ups, skechers, tone ups, tweens, weight loss
Filed Under: Uncategorized
Posted on April 22, 2011 by admin
You’re going to expect me to write something…but you’re going to be
surprised at what you read. So the secret is…”To Go” containers. I’m not kidding!! Look in the bags of every fitness professional, body builder and athlete. Look in their sinks! You’ll find tons of plastic and glass containers filled, half eaten and fully eaten, pre-measured meals for/from the day. It’s our secret. But quite honestly, it’s not much of a secret. Studies have shown for years that the secret to losing weight is not deprivation but moderation. Aka portion control. The best way that you can control what is going into your body is to measure it out for yourself. In addition, when you “bring your food” you control the ingredients in what you’re eating and the way it’s prepared ensuring weight loss success! And it doesn’t even have to be a “bring your food” thing. By measuring out appropriate serving sizes you can eliminate the diet bashing, mindless eating that most of us do at home!
So help yourself be successful at losing weight. Invest in some BPA free plastic or glass containers and start using them now!
Tags: body builder, diet, fitness, get in shape, health, organize, portion control, rubbermaid, tone up, tupperware, weight loss
Filed Under: Uncategorized
Posted on April 10, 2011 by admin
Nothing says de-motivation to a kid who wants to play more than a flat bike tire or a tennis racket with broken strings. So do your kids a favor and take time right now (or very soon) and organize the stuff in their outdoor “play box”. Replace rackets with broken strings, buy extra tennis balls, pump up basketballs and make sure there’s enough equipment for everyone to play (because it’s no fun playing catch by yourself). Also, organize the equipment so it’s easily found. Use buckets, a shelfing system or huge Tupperware to separate sports items needed for different activities and keep the items that are needed to play a sport, together. One more big thing…keep the stuff at a level where kids can reach. Because there’s nothing like your kid asking you to get his mitt from on the top shelf of the cabinet when your hands are wrist deep in meatloaf mix! Oh and one more thing..do yourself a favor and teach them, right away, how to put back the stuff after they’ve played with it!! 
Posted on April 4, 2011 by admin
Not sure if you guys/gals have seen the coolest, newest invention that I’m addicted to. It’s called the Soda Stream and it’s ingenious. But for more reasons than you think! I originally bought it for Christmas for my hubby, Steve. He’s obsessed with seltzer and I was tired of lugging bottles of it home and seeing the empty bottles collect in my basement while shaking my head that I’m glad our recyclables go in the basement because I’m sure the “green police” would have handed us mass citations!! It’s so cool because what you do is just add water to a bottle that is included, and any flavoring you might like. Add a little CO2 and voila you’ve got seltzer! It’s cheaper for you, better for the earth and better for your health! You get to regulate how much carbonation you consume and because they offer a wide range of sugar free, diet and natural flavoring, you know what you’re putting in your body is better for you. I’ve found though, that it’s just as is great for my kids and recommend it to my clients for their kids! Kids love soda. It’s a fact. But now you can make healthy soda for your kids. Actually…they can make it for themselves. My kids love doing it! We mix 2 parts juice with 1 part homemade soda and enjoy. They don’t miss the crappy store bought stuff and I feel better that what I’m feeding them isn’t wreaking havoc on their health. In fact, it’s making them healthier! Amen to that!
BTW Soda Stream is available at Bed, Bath and Beyond so download one of their coupons on line to save. You’ll have more money to buy more of their yummy flavors!
Xoxo
Larysa
Posted on March 11, 2011 by admin
Here’s how we met. I was in agony with incredible acid reflux. No medication was helping me (not that I was thrilled to be taking it anyway) so I googled “natural cures for acid reflux”. Zico Pure Coconut Water and aloe vera juice were listed. I’d noticed that Zico Pure Coconut water was getting so much attention in the press and knew it was readily available so thought, “what the heck” it couldn’t hurt. Was I surprised!!!! Not only did my acid reflux become markedly better with one serving, I noticed that my rings were spinning around. Hmmm coconut water, a diuretic?!
You see, water balance in your body is determined by the proper balance of sodium and potassium. If you consume too much sodium, you get bloated…if you consume too much potassium, you get dehydrated. Way, way long ago, our diets used to be very rich in potassium. Our caveman ancestors ate 11,000mg of potassium and 700mg of sodium daily. Today, in the US, daily potassium consumption has shrunk to 2,500mg and sodium has increased to 4,000mg! Scientists believe that you can’t flip flop this ratio in such a significant manner without huge consequences. We’ve felt those consequences in the form of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and stroke to name a few. In addition, it bloats you. And being bloated is just plain uncomfortable. Your clothes don’t fit right, your body doesn’t feel right. Your eyes get all puffy.
So what to do? Well, you can consume less salt and processed foods (which I recommend anyway), as well as eat foods rich in potassium. But why not help your body out the easy way by drinking one serving of coconut water daily? I do and recommend it to all of my clients, friends, family and any passersby willing to listen 
Now, the thing about Zico Coconut water is, well, it’s somewhat of an acquired taste. My mother took a sip and exclaimed, “This doesn’t taste like a pina colada!” And I had to explain to her that, no, she couldn’t add rum to make it taste better. 
The key to yummy coconut water is to 1. pick a brand that you like (because they all taste differently) and 2. drink it chilled. There are so many different types of coconut water now available on the market: plain, with aloe vera, with pulp, without pulp, with other juices. I happen to love plain w pulp but experiment with different brands to see which is the tastiest to you!
And lastly, do yourself a favor and try this experiment. Weigh yourself in the beginning of the week (“before I started a serving a day of coconut water”) and at the end of the week (“after I started drinking coconut water”) and note the difference. My clients have lost an average of 5 total pounds drinking it.
Happy sipping!
xoxo
L
Posted on March 6, 2011 by admin
Can you feel it?! Bathing suit season is right around the corner! No need to panic. I can help you! Here’s a great diet to get you motivated to lose up to 5 lbs this week (my client lost 4.5 lbs on it last week!) It’s a little strict but hang in there because it works!!
BREAKFAST
*Scrambled eggs (1 whole, 3 egg whites)
*1 teaspoon dried basil
*1 cup green tea
*1 cup water with 1 ounce lemon juice
SNACK
*Sliced Granny Smith apple with 1 teaspoon cinnamon
LUNCH
*Spinach (cooked or raw); dress the spinach with flavored vinegars like fig, raspberry or orange!
*3-4 ounces salmon, mackerel or halibut (grilled, baked or broiled) with 1 teaspoon dried spices such as oregano
*8 pecan halves
*1 cup water with 1 ounce lemon juice
SNACK
*1 cup green tea
*1 cup raw veggies (I love orange and red pepper and cucumbers
*8 pecan halves
DINNER
*Large romaine lettuce salad with carrots, tomatoes and red bell peppers; dress with 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice to taste
*Steamed asparagus, broccoli or brussel sprouts
*3-4 ounces any lean protein (grilled, baked or broiled) with spices such as 1 teaspoon oregano
*1 cup water with 1 ounce lemon juice
*1 cup blueberries
Good luck and write with any questions !
xoxo
Larysa
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Happy New Year’s Resolution time!! If you’re like 90% of Americans, your Resolution is to lose weight this year. Let me help you be successful! As the “Makeover Queen” with over 20 years of personal training and experience in the fitness industry, my programs have gotten thousands of people to not only reach their goals, but to keep them within 5 lbs of their goal weight, permanently. Here’s the deal:
