Fix Your Goals

Not reaching your fitness goals? The problem may not be with what you’re doing — it may be with the goals themselves.

The fitness goals you set need to be SMART: Specific, Motivating, Achievable, Relevant and Trackable.

Specific: What exactly do you hope to achieve? Instead of making the mushy goal “I want to get healthy,” say “I want to lose five pounds, drop an inch from my waist, be able to run five miles, and eat five servings of fruits and veggies per day.

Motivating: You need to be excited about what you want to achieve! If the idea of walking regularly on the treadmill makes you want to snooze, even if it’s a goal for a lot of fitness buffs, maybe it’s not the right goal for you right now.

Achievable: Nothing is more discouraging than a goal that’s too difficult to achieve. No one can lose 20 pounds (healthfully) in a month or be ripped in a week. Give yourself a break!

Relevant: The goal needs to make sense for you. If you choose some pie-in-the-sky goal because it looks good on paper, chances are you’ll ditch it within a month.

Trackable: If you can’t measure or track your goal, how will you know when you’ve achieved it? We’re talking numbers here! Instead of setting a goal to get fit, resolve to lose a certain amount of weight by the end of the year.

More on the Motivating goals: The reason we don’t reach our goals may be that they’re not exciting enough to motivate us. If this is the case for you, heed my life coach, who recommends setting big, audacious goals. For example, instead of making a resolution to walk three times per week, how about vowing to train for a triathlon? Instead of losing five pounds, why not resolve to enter — and win — a fitness competition? And rather than making the vague goal to nosh on more veggies, why not promise (as I’ve been doing for the last month or so) to eat a big salad every day of the week.

A quick note: I’m taking a hiatus from the Designer Way blog due to other commitments. I hope to see you — and motivate you — again soon!

Stay healthy,

Linda

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Phase Seven of “appropriate behavior at the gym: the do’s and don’ts, according to a guy with an opinion about anything and everything”
Don’t: Leave a stack of weights on the machine, bench or bar

    If there is anything that I am truly guilty of on a regular basis, it is this. I have a hand full of excuses as to why I do not do this. One: I am super exhausted after finishing a set at 100%, and just don’t feel like lifting any more weights. Two: they were on there when I first got onto the machine or when I first started using the bench, so why should I have to do double duty and pick up after myself and the person before me? Three: I see the next machine that I want to use or the weights that I want to use next, open and available, and I want to grab them before someone else does- I don’t have time to re-rack my weights. I constantly cycle these thoughts through my head when at the gym, but are any of these excuses actually valid? The answer is simply NO. By not re-racking the weights I am essentially perpetuating this vicious cycle of taking accountability away from myself and placing it on others.

Just like you hate it in real life when people pawn their workloads off on you for the simple fact that they know you will do it, and they can get away with making their lives easier at the expense of others. This is may seem like a harsh example or personification of the matter at hand, but in reality it all boils down to the same issue – you not taking accountability for your own actions.

You put the weights on the machine, you used the machine and now you need to put the machine back to its original form. But what if I got to the machine and it had weights already on it? Well, who the hell cares! If you are constructing a building and someone forgets to fill a corner a concrete foundation, do you just build continue to build around it? And when the building later falls do you say it wasn’t your fault because the foundation was incomplete? Or if you walk your dog and you see that there is already dog crap on the ground so you just let your dog do its business and leave the mess? Is it ok to just leave it because someone else did? No, it is just as much your fault as it was their’s for not completing the job or them not picking up their dog’s crap, for not saying or doing anything about it. I will be the first to admit that I need to be way more mindful of this at the gym and that I need start practicing what I preach with this one. For one reason and one reason only – this week’s “gym redemption.”
Let me explain further, I was watching TOSH.O on comedy central and I saw a segment that was titled “This Week’s Web Redemption.” This segment was simply taking someone that has failed miserably in front of the entire nation on YouTube or some other video streaming site, and giving that person a chance to redeem themselves in front of the entire network audience. I thought to myself ‘I bet this could be applied to the gym segments I do’, and after a weeks worth of watching people at the gym I realized that it was the absolute truth. The cool thing about these types of redemption is that the people on them are not asked to redeem themselves; they simply just make the transition on their own accord – shocking, I know. So for this week’s DO section I will give you all the weeks “gym redemption.”

Do: Re-rack your weights

    Case and point: This week’s “Gym Redemption”
For two weeks in a row I have noticed that these two extremely loud, foul mouth and definitely out of place vacationers, down for the summer break (probably), have been an absolute spectacle at the gym. Dancing around, jumping in on people’s sets uninvited, being extremely loud and obnoxious, grunting, trying to lift way more weight than they can handle and in doing so completely misusing the machinery and of course they never re-racked their weights. When it comes to misusing the gym, you name it they did it.

Anyway, one night they had three plates on each side of the bench (although they really only should have had two). Of course when they were done, they left those three plates on each side. The next person to use the bench was an older tiny lady. She was struggling just to move one of the plates. Now only one of these two people gets to be redeemed in this section. They were both talking to another person on the other side of the gym. Both of them saw the lady, and they both looked over, but only one of them actually ran over and re-racked all of the weights and apologized for not doing so in the first place. The other one continued his loud god awful conversation that I could here clear across the gym. I applauded (in my head of course – otherwise it might be awkward). The lady looked extremely happy that this person showed such gentlemanly manners, and looked excited that she could actually now use the bench because before she could not, being that she could not lift all the plates off.

Mystery Vacationer number # 1 you rock and have completely redeemed yourself. Mystery Vacationer number #2 you suck and you are still part of that sect of society that just doesn’t care: stop ruining it for everyone else. So, it is in fact important to re-rack your weights because you never know who will need the machine or weights next. Even if you are using dumbbells, why do you leave on the ground or by the bench? If someone wants to use that bench but can’t move the weights because they are too heavy, why should that person have to wait or have to move those weights? Well they shouldn’t have to, period! I personally am going to really work on making sure that I am constantly re-racking my weights when I am done with them…you should do the same. Once again this is simply my opinion, take it or leave it.

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Scaling Down on Serving Sizes

Okay, here’s the deal: For breakfast I have a blueberry smoothie. For lunch I have a grilled chicken salad with nonfat vinaigrette or a PB&J on whole grain bread. For a snack, I have raw nuts or another smoothie.

And for dinner: All hell breaks loose.

I’m a good cook, so when I make dinner, I tend to fix a plate overflowing with food. But we’re meant to eat one serving of each food, and I’m pretty certain one serving of pasta is not one giant bowl. I’m also not so sure a serving of mashed potatoes is “as much as I can eat.” So I decided to educate myself on what a serving size really is. Luckily, experts are starting to understand that we humans have trouble eyeballing measurements such as a half cup or a tablespoon, so they’re comparing proper portions with everyday objects. Here’s the scoop:

One serving of this food = The size of this item.

Veggies or fruit = One baseball.

Cooked rice or pasta = A rounded handful.

One snack, such as pretzels or chips = A rounded handful.

Meat = A deck of cards or the palm of your hand (not counting fingers).

Fish = A checkbook.

Nuts or dried fruit = One large egg.

Ice cream = A tennis ball.

Baked potato = A computer mouse.

Pancake or waffle = A CD.

Peanut butter = One thumb tip.

Cheese = Six dice.

Boy, some of these serving sizes seem so tiny! A thumb tip of peanut butter on a sandwich? A single CD-sized pancake, when we’re used to getting a stack of plate-sized flapjacks at the local breakfast joint? But there you have it — we eat way too much.

I know that if I can manage to keep my portion sizes under control, especially at dinner or when I have an occasional treat, I’ll become more fit and healthy. How are your portion sizes — are they reasonable or way too big? Do you plan to cut portion sizes to reach your weight-loss goals? Please share your experiences in the Comments below.

Stay healthy,

Linda

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Trainer Becs here reporting in on my training!

This is me last week, the week of Aug. 24th. I have realized that even if I just take a sip of some sort of Designer Whey product it helps me out with my cravings. I crave sweets like it’s my job too!

I’ve been eating six small meals a day and putting in Designer Whey whenever I crave the sweets and always BEFORE and AFTER my workouts. Every meal I eat I have a protein, 6oz and a veggie, 1 cup. I won’t eat any kind of bread product unless its my oatmeal in the morning. Bread will make my stomach puffy and I can’t have that for my contest. Eating the protein and veggie combo as many times as I do makes my body able to burn more calories because it has to work at digesting it. Drinking the protein before and after my workouts are easier to digest and won’t take as long to get the nutrients to my muscles. If you eat solid foods to close before working out then all your blood goes to your digestive system instead of your muscles and you feel weak or like you just can’t function in the gym…not good. So it’s best to get a liquid in.

I’ll be doing some long cardio sessions this coming week as well to trim off some more fat and will drink my protein water during!!! Pictures will come soon!!!
 
Trainer Becs

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Phase six of “appropriate behavior at the gym: the do’s and don’ts, according to a guy with an opinion about anything and everything”

Don’t: Ask to work in, use the machine in a different way and then not put it back at the personal original weight or placement.

 Boy, do I absolutely hate when this happens to me. I view this as a real life scenario that seems to get played out time and time again with that friend you have that is always finding new ways to make you not want to invite him, or others in general for that matter, back to your house. You know that one friend or acquaintance that just comes over and treats your house like it is his own (well probably treats it way worse) – a Kramer pretty much. He or she says they are coming over to hang out and watch the game but when they come over, they come with a keg and five unruly individuals that leave your house in ruins. Or it’s the friend that eats half of that candy bar that you have been saving or drinks half of the last beer that you were looking forward to and then puts it back into the fridge. It may be an extreme example but it is coasting on the same tracks for sure. I am using the cable cross for tricep extensions and you ask me if you can work in with me. I of course say yes without any hesitation because that is just usually how it works at the gym. But then you move the cable cross from the top to the bottom and lessen the weight by 30 to 40 pounds. I come back from the drinking fountain a little irked to find that you didn’t put the cable cross back up where I had it and then nonchalantly go to use it after putting the cable back up. I then slam the weights of the machine when I go to use it because I am thinking that I will still need to exert the same force to lift that extra 30-40 pounds that is no longer there. Then I look like a jackass, run the risk of throwing out or pulling something and I have to stop what I am doing and readjust the weights. All because you are choosing to be rude and lazy on my good graces. I let you in so that you didn’t have to wait for me to finish and you totally throw it in my face. And I can say something to you but why would I? You have already spent the majority of your life not getting these social norms, so what is a random guy at the gym’s opinion going to do for you. You will probably blow me off like you did with your parents when they tried to teach you this stuff when you were five. Just not cool man.

 Do’s: Just make sure you are not being invasive

 I could personally care less if you come over and move my cable from the top position to bottom position or change the seat height and weight of my machine, as long as you put it back when it is my turn to jump back into the exercise. I will definitely show you the same courtesy by readjusting the seat and weight back to what you had it on, even if I don’t have to, because it is just common decency to do so. You are in essence asking someone if you can borrow something and then completely changing it and then returning it without changing it back. If you borrowed my laptop to do a Spanish project and converted the windows key strike functions to Spanish and then returned it with out changing it back, I would be pretty pissed off when I tried to type something and everything came out written like a teleprompter for Telemundo. The same logic applies here at the gym. If someone is going to show you a strong sense of civility and let you work in with them, make sure that you are just as respectful to them as they were to you. All it takes is just paying a little bit of attention. Take a look at where their weight was at or where their seat was placed or where their cable was located and just remember to put it back. More often than not if you do this, when it is your turn they will put the weight, seat, cable, etc back to where you had it. Bottom line is, be mindful of your actions and surroundings, not only in the gym but in life as well. Trust me it might just get you a little farther in life. Once again this is simply my opinion, take it or leave it.

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Two more weeks until school starts! YIPPY, doin’ the happy dance. I feel like that commercial with the dad going school shopping, he’s happy and kids pouting. Wait a minute… I just thought about that commercial, since when do dads take the kids school shopping? Lol. It is stressful getting everything ready to start the school season. I have all girls and the tears and the ‘I got to haves’ and ‘nothing fits’ or is cute, not to mention the change of minds with every outfit… geez, sounds like me going clothes shopping. Maybe it has nothing to do with size… maybe its just a girl thing… ya think? I will be glad when school starts so I can find much needed time for me.

I do best with my weight loss plans when I take care of myself. Hard to do when you have a family. I hardly believe I have been blogging over a year now on Designer Whey’s  website. I have lost 30 pounds which is better then nothing. I still have 70 pounds to go so I am not giving up. The quest continues. I know how to lose weight. I have lost hundreds of pounds. My problem is keeping it off. I am not sure how to accomplish the keeping off part as I have never done it for very long. What will it take? Why do I struggle with keeping the weight off? I have a million excuses and reason to justify why I am still too fat. I do enjoy sweets; I have never been able to not have my sweets so I am very grateful for Designer Whey’s amazing powders. You can use the powders so many different ways in a variety of concoctions to please any craving you may have. There is a bunch of free recipes that people have shared in the forum or make your own hearts desire. You just have to take the time to mix what you are craving and enjoy it! Carry your 2GO packs with you.

I found a great cooking tool they are steam bags for the microwave, they will make you glad you have them. You can steam excellent corn on the cob, green beans and more cooked perfectly! I love the fall season mostly because I love fall harvests, especially peaches and apples, very yummy. I am probably weird; I lose more weight in the fall then any season. I think because summer has too many parties, too much ice cream outings, I take the kids to the beach and sit and watch them. The fear of them getting hurt keeps me watching instead of doing, lots of sport events, again, watching. Plus, I am not a hot weather type of person so I stay in the air conditioning, therefore not as active as I know I can and should be. Oh…oh…ooo I saw The Biggest Loser  new season starts September 15th! I can’t wait for the inspiration. I hope you watch too. I might join this gym real close by and it’s only $12.00 a month! No contract either. They have the basics, treadmill, weights, nothing fancy. No hot tubs or pool but it’s a place to go and it’s affordable. Something to think about for yourself as well, maybe you live in Michigan and have one of these no contract places near you.

My kids go back to school September 8th so that is my new “start date” to working on the next 30 pounds… Go Camille!…Go Camille! …drink Designer Whey!

Take Care Friends, I hope this finds you well and healthier then the day before. Designer Whey’s new website look is amazing! Great job team! I love the energy that comes from the site. I can tell you all put a lot of thought and time into the new look.

Camille

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Trainer Becs reporting in on my training for the Tournament of Champions Figure Competition  coming up on Sept. 12th! I finally got up the nerve to send a photo of me what I looked like a few weeks ago. I’m really self concious and just haven’t sent a photo of myself but I thought it would be good to show what Designer Whey has done for me and how it has helped me to transform my body. I took it by myself so it’s kind of a funny pic…oh well. This photo is of me 5 weeks before contest time. I’ll be sending a 3 week photo and then a final one as well. Nothing has helped me more to train for this and I can’t believe it’s almost time for me to compete. I have used every Designer Whey product to help me through these past 12 weeks I have been training.

I use the powder in the jug, orange mango , with water.
Before my workout I will drink a whole Protein Water   or half of the Protein Blitz  . Then drink either or after my workouts and sometimes during. I love all the flavors and use them all.
  

When I’m craving something sweet I use the Desginer Whey Biggest Loser Protein To Go Packs  ( raspberry  and blueberry ) and mix it with one cup of soy milk. The milk helps me to fill up so I’m not hungry.

When I want to go out with friends to dinner or any kind of function I take my To Go Packs of the Orange Mango  and Pomegranate . I recently went to Hawaii and took a whole bunch of these with me and it helped me the entire week not to cheat!!! 
 
This amazing company has helped me these past 9 weeks with muscle building, hunger control and energy! Thank you Designer Whey ! I will have photos coming next week to show me at 3 weeks out!
 
Trainer Becs

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Eating Out Without Piling on Pounds

I love to eat at restaurants. But being a nutrition writer, I know that what typically makes restaurant food taste so good is lots of fat (and bloat-inducing salt). Even that healthy-looking grilled fish is likely topped with a good-sized smear of butter. But who wants to cook every night? We all deserve to dine out once in a while. I’m at a healthy weight even though my family eats out a lot — so here are my tips for dining out without gaining weight.

Share. There’s a dessert at Longhorn that’s delicious — but it consists of two full-sized pieces of chocolate cake surrounded by several scoops of vanilla ice cream. (Oh yes, and whipped cream.) While we rarely order dessert, if we do we always split it among three or even four people. Another way to use this tactic: Order one fewer dishes than there are people at the table and share. For example, if there are four of you at a Chinese restaurant, you can order three (healthy!) dishes so you each get to taste everything without going overboard.

Watch out for watch words. No matter what the cuisine, words like crispy, smothered, fried and golden brown signal lots of fat and should make you head the other way.

Order sides. At one restaurant we frequent, I used to order the salmon — which included a salmon fillet and a salad anda baked potato and rice. I would eat until I was stuffed, and there would still be food left over. Then, one day, a friend said to me, “Why don’t you just order side dishes?” So now I typically order a salad and a baked potato and that’s plenty to fill me up. (When I’m feeling especially virtuous, I get the baked potato dry instead of with sour cream.)

Instead of sides, you could also order two appetizers; many restaurants now offer boiled pot-stickers with a dipping sauce, shrimp skewers, or other healthier apps.

By the way, this tip is perfect for vegetarians who go out to eat with non-veg friends. So many restaurants have a sorry selection of meat-free meals, but you can almost always put together a nice meal out of sides and appetizers.

Box it up. I mentioned this tip in my post Sneaking Health Into Your Day : When you order a meal, ask the server to box up half of it before bringing it to you. That way you’re not tempted by the mounds of food on your overflowing plate even after you feel full. Bring home the other half and you’ll have dinner tomorrow too!

Skip the soda. There are 155 calories in one 12-ounce serving of Coke, and something like 12 teaspoons of sugar. If you’re eating out, why not treat yourself to some wine, which has heart-healthy benefits, plus fewer calories and less sugar than soda? One serving of Sauvignon Blanc has 119 calories .

Just ask. I once went out to a restaurant with a fitness model-slash-personal trainer. Even though it wasn’t on the menu, she asked the server for grilled chicken breast with no added fat, plain steamed broccoli, and a dry baked potato. The chef was happy to oblige. You’ll never know if you can get healthy options unless you ask — and if enough people ask, more restaurants will start to offer them. Try asking for meats cooked without added fats, salads served with dressing on the side, crudité plates with fresh veggies, smaller servings (even if you have to pay full price), and veggies that are steamed instead of fried.

Okay, now you have the tools to get a healthy restaurant meal that won’t wreck your weight-loss efforts. Try them the next time you go out!

Stay healthy,

Linda

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About a year ago, I made a commitment to myself to get back into shape and start running again, so I signed up for the Carlsbad Half Marathon and joined a running club to help me train for the race.  I did not know what I was getting myself into at the time but now racing is my new addiction!  After running the Carlsbad Half Marathon, I signed up for more races!  I signed up for La Jolla Half Marathon, after I finished that race I decided to top it off with America’s Finest City to get my Triple Crown medal!

The first race was difficult, but was more of a mental challenge than anything. You have to tell yourself that you can do it and find your motivation to keep going.  There is so much excitement throughout the race!  You are surrounded by so many great people!  There are so many people along the way that motivate you in so many different ways.  You are surrounded by runners, all of who are running for different reasons.  As I run each race it feels like it is getting easier.  The miles start to drop like flies as I start getting closer and closer to the finish line.  My biggest challenge is the hills, I have to mentally overcome running up hills.

The most beneficial thing that I did was join a club to train for the half marathons.  The club holds me accountable for getting in my weekly miles and workouts.  It was especially helpful for the long runs.  It helps me so much to be running with other people to make the time fly by and for the support to keep going.  I highly recommend joining a club if you are interested in running long distances.

I ran most of the America’s Finest City race with my co-workers. It is nice to have running partners to keep you company, entertain, distract, and motivate you to keep going during the race.  The last two miles I got into the zone and decided to pick up my pace a notch.  My biggest motivation is seeing my Fiancé towards the end of the race; seeing him made me so happy and excited.  I also knew that the end was near after I saw him, so I started to book it!  The last part of the race is so exhilarating with so many people cheering you on and getting to run through the finish line.

After the race was over I got both of my medals and headed straight over to the Protein Water booth.  I needed protein after my long run!  It was so refreshing and just what I needed after the race.  Protein helps your muscles recover after workouts and boy, do I need that once I am finished with my runs!  I was sore for a few days after the race.  I had a hard time walking downstairs for the 2 days after the race, but it was well worth it!

I am going to sign up for the Triple Crown next year!  My new goal is to finish each race faster than the previous races that I have ran, versus my goal of finishing each race this year.  I would definitely recommend the Triple Crown to anyone that is up for a mental and physical challenge.  Not only are you doing something great for yourself, you are also raising money for a plethora of good causes!

by Jessica W, Designer Whey Employee

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Phase Five of “appropriate behavior at the gym: the do’s and don’ts, according to a guy with an opinion about anything and everything”

 Don’t: Grunt or yell while lifting

    I know, I know, I don’t know what it is like to lift 350 pounds, so I should not be commenting on the subject of grunting. And you are absolutely right, but I certainly know what it is like to max out and in doing so I refrain from the huge grunt or the loud yell. Maxing at any level whether you are maxing out with light weights because that is your strength level or you are maxing out with ginormous weights, exerts the same amount of concentrated, maximized energy. Therefore there should really be no excuse for grunting or yelling out while working out. I have seen a dude three times my size max out with out making a peep and you want to know why, because he did not feel the need to initiate the inner barbarian at that moment. Now I am fully aware that when you lift you need to pump yourself up mentally and get into that savage mode of thought, but it doesn’t mean you need to act it out. Realize when you let this inner barbarian take control you are really only making a spectacle of yourself. You are drawing attention to yourself which in most cases is bad. I say this because most of the cases I have seen where people are grunting or yelling, have been because they were not properly executing the exercise they were attempting. I see guys doing curls with weights they have no business lifting – wobbling unevenly, rocking the weight instead of lifting it, using there back to lift in an improper way and all the while (yes you guessed it) they were grunting or yelling while everyone around them either shakes their head or chuckles to themselves. Not only are you a spectacle but now you are at risk of ruining your muscle tissue all together because you improperly lifting. According to personal trainer for a very popular gym (both of which need to remain nameless) “chances are if you let out that rebel yell or that exhausted grunt, you are most likely doing something wrong…and while you may see immediate results doing it the wrong way, in the long run your muscles will suffer. Not to mention that you sound funky man.” Even if you are lifting correctly, there is still no reason to yell or grunt: curb yourself, you are not in the wild you are at a communal gym where others don’t want to hear you.

 Do’s: lift properly and just breathe man

    Proper breathing is an essential part of working out correctly and it allows for you not to be the village idiot when you lift. But before the breathing even comes into play make sure you are lifting correctly…first and foremost every time. When you lift, literally just breathe. “While lifting, you are supposed to inhale the resistance and exhale the release. But when you hear someone grunting,” our personal trainer informs us “it is usually when they begin the resistance…when they are putting the weight up.” You hear that, breathe in when you put the weights up don’t let a yelp out. “When you come down with the weight, you normally just hear a sigh even if you are one who grunts or yells.” I have never seen anyone get dirty looks or attract attention for letting out a sigh. Breathing the proper way allows better air circulation within the blood stream, and there for helps to better circulate the blood flow while you are lifting. It seems silly but breathing correctly while lifting makes a world of difference and it elevates the need for barbaric noises escaping your vocal chords. While I may not be a grunter, I have been breathing incorrectly while lifting for sometime now. After I was shown how to properly breathe while lifting it took a long while to really get it down, because chances are if you were doing it wrong, you were doing it wrong for quite a while- which in most cases wears a condition in your body that knows no other way but the incorrect one. So although it might be tricky and seem tedious and mundane, focus on your breathing. If not for yourself, at least for everyone else around you, that has to endure your god awful noises. Once again this is just my opinion, take it or leave it.

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