Traci's Tips - 2-22-08

Trainer Traci at Fitness World West gives us the tips of the week(I will give you an actual entry in a little while):

1. Focus on foods that are healthy for you and what you should be eating instead of the ones that are bad for you that you shouldn't eat. You will find it much easier to crave the healthy foods!

2. Exercisers need fat, but healthy fats! Look for foods with Omega 3,6 and/or 9 rather than trans or saturated fats!

3. Ideal intake portions of Oily Fish 3-5, Mixed Nuts 2-4 and Oil capsules 12-14 (2 per day) per week! This will help keep your joints lubricated and prevent some grinding within joints. (And they are healthy fats!)

4. When lifting or doing your resistance training, do not rush through it. Take your time, do each rep on a 2 count through the contraction and relaxation.

5. Mix up your cardio & weight training routine. Try doing it in a different order.
If you are looking for inspiration for new things - get a trainer, they can really shake things up.

Exercises of week: 3 x 15
-Crunch with knees bent up. Keep abs tight through reps, don't release.
-Curl ups. Lay flat, bring arms up then shoulders and continue to peel yourself off the ground until you are reaching to your toes with your hands. Keep abs tight throughout! Reach top, then release back down very slowly keeping core engaged.

Yours in fitness, Kate

Traci's Tips - They're Back!

After a couple of weeks of 'having a life' - both good and bad - my trainer at Fitness World West, Traci is back with a handful of tips for your health:

1) Try to stay away from canned vegetables and fruits because they contain too many preservatives, salt and unwanted sugars.
2) Your diet is the number one reason that will cause you to gain or lose weight. Helpful hint. If you it doesn't make you feel good then don't eat it!!
3) On the supplement side of things: Natural vitamins are not better than synthetic. Reasoning is because the synthetic vitamins look the same as the natural ones to the body so the body can not tell a difference.
4) Glucosamine may help with arthritis! Check it out if you have concerns.
5) To build more muscle eat your protein after your workout.

Thanks Traci!

Yours in fitness, Kate

Traci's Tips - 1/18/08

Here are Trainer Traci's Tips for the week:

1. Average heart rate for women at rest is 75. Check yours, count the beats for six seconds and multiply that number by 10.
2. new breakfast menu! great way to kick start your day...
rolled oats (1/2 cup), brown sugar (tbsp), almonds, dried cherries, skim milk (1/2 cup)...microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes and enjoy!!

3. Tied down to a desk job?! here are a few exercises to try...do some chair squats--stand up and sit down 10 times this will work your lower body and loosen up the legs..

4. no time to get to the gym...pick up a workout video to do at home try poise fitness core training..work that mid section!

5. Moves of the week: 4 x 15
Hamstring Curls on a Physioball
Planks (hold flat position on elbows and toes)
20 seconds on each

Yours in fitness, Kate

Traci's Tips - 1/11/08

1. Increasing the intensity of your workout can help you burn more calories after the workout without the added time! So increase your intensity 2-3 times a week!

2. Check your heart rate regularly while exercising to make sure you are working at a good rate to burn those calories more efficently.

3. Get into a regular routine of getting out of bed a little bit earlier to do some extra exercises to kick start your metabolism for the day!

4. You get to eat more, when you start exercising! When mixed with healthy foods and a good workout routine, you will actually need to take in more calories instead of cutting out calories and you will still see a weight loss!

5. Exercises of the week: 3 sets of 15
Overhead Dumbbell Press
Sumo Squats with Dumbbell

Traci's Tips - 1/4/08 & Caucus Hangover

I am exhausted. I have had one hour of sleep in the last 38 hours. I am going home to eat and go to bed. I promise you a real post about me and how I fared during the caucuses tomorrow. In the meantime, something truly useful, Trainer Traci's weekly Tips:

1. Make some goals, make them realistic and measurable.
2. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables throughout the day to keep you full and metabolism working.
3. No time to get into the gym, get yourself doing 3 sets of 10 reps of different exercises at home.
4. Make a lifestyle change this year and get yourself into healthier eating and exercising habits.
5. Exercises of the week: 3 x 15 added to your regular routine
Tricep Bench/chair Dips
Side step squats

All right, vision is getting blurry... (but I did workout earlier)

Yours in fitness, Kate

Traci's Tips - 12/28/07

Here's trainer Traci's tips for the week. She is off to Colorado to do something I find fascinating - snow boarding. I find it so interesting since I do not believe I have the grace for that or skiing. But for the first time ever, I believe I have the fitness. As I am sure that the skills can be learned, if not the grace, I will put this on my list of things to try in 2008. There are more, but I will cover those next week, as I am sure you will as well.

Traci's Tips of the week:

1. If possible, trade out the old office chair for a fit ball or physio-ball. This will help with your posture and will also keep you more alert. This also has several other benefits!

2. Get up and walk around when you get a few minutes of free time. This will get your blood pumping and flowing a little bit. It will also help you burn a few extra calories!

3. Make yourself a new playlist to workout to. You will find that it pumps you up just a little bit more than your last one and may give you that extra kick you were looking for!

4. When celebrating the new year pick the drinks that are not as high in calories but contain fruit! Real fruit, like smoothies.

5. Moves of the week: 3 x 20
Ski Jumps- side to side with 2 feet
Reverse Crunches- pulling the knees to chest using abs
Do some extra cardio as well to help burn those holiday treats off! :)

Yours in fitness, Kate

Traci's Tips - 12/21/07

Trainer Traci is headed out on the road for the holiday, but she sent her tips before she left:

-Clean your house! This helps increase self-esteem and decreases stress.
-Add some fresh flowers to your home. Helps decrease anxiousness & increases happiness.
-DANCE!!! To your favorite songs for 15 minutes and burn 112 calories.
-Adds weights to your routine because stronger muscles equals stronger bones!!
-Exercise: *Physioball push-ups 4 x 15
*Bridges 4 x 30 sec

I am running shirt on time today because I haven't done a lick of Christmas shopping. (We got paid today.) So I am off and running. I promise you a final side dish recipe tomorrow.

And if you are wondering, yes, I worked out with Traci this morning - I will ALWAYS make time for that.

Yours in fitness, Kate

Party Recipe #5 & Traci's Tips

We will start with trainer Traci's Tips for the week:

1. Drink some water every hour to help keep you alert.
2. Give yourself a posture check once a day. This will keep those back muscles from getting weak.
3. Listen to music while driving a little louder than normal. This helps decrease stresses in the body.
4. Add a little avocado to your diet. Great nutrients in it for the body and much healthier than mayo, or sour cream!
5. Exercise of week:
Side lunge---Front Raise with dumbbells 4 x 15

Our final party recipe of the week is one of my FAVORITE foods of all time. There used to be a little Chinese place in what is now the East Village that had the best ever. But this recipe is pretty darn good as well. It's from the Food Network.

Note that only makes 6 rolls, so for a party you will have to adjust for your number of guests.

Soft Asian Summer Rolls with Sweet and Savory Dipping Sauce

For the summer rolls:
2 ounces Vietnamese or Thai rice noodles
6 rice paper rounds
1/4 cup, or 12 fresh Thai basil leaves (or regular basil leaves), rinsed and dried
6 medium shrimp, cooked and halved
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup, or 12 whole large fresh mint leaves, rinsed and dried
3 red-leaf lettuce leaves, leaves, spines removed, leaving 6 halves

Bring water to a boil and cook rice noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse and cool (makes about 2 cups).

Line up ingredients in small bowls before beginning to make rolls. Fill a large bowl or saucepan with very warm water. Place a rice paper round in the hot water. Soak for between 30 seconds and 1 minute, or until rice round is pliable and pattern on the round is barely visible. Remove and place on a clean, slightly damp kitchen towel.

Place 2 basil leaves on the inner edge of the rice round, about 1-inch from the edge and leaving about 1-inch on each side. Top with approximately 1/4 cup cooked rice noodles. Place 2 shrimp halves on top. Top with about 2 tablespoons carrots, then 2 leaves of mint. Fold 1 piece of lettuce leaf and place on top of pile.

Bring the edge over filling and tuck underneath. As you continue to roll, fold in the sides. Finish rolling, repeat with the other rolls, and reserve under a damp cloth or paper towel. When ready to serve, slice in half and serve, cut ends up, with dipping sauce.

Vinegar Dipping Sauce:
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons warm water
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon chili sauce (recommended: Sriracha)
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon fish sauce or low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon finely shredded carrot
1 scallion, thinly sliced

Dissolve sugar in warm water, combine with other ingredients, and chill until ready to use.

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving Calories 90
Total Fat 0g Cholesterol 9mg
Sodium 100mg Carbohydrates 18g
Protein 3g Fiber 1g

That's it for another week of recipes. Next week healthy side dishes for the "big" meal coming on the 25th.

Yours in health, Kate

Traci's Tips - 11/30/07

After I let her take a week off for family and Thanksgiving last week... ;) Trainer Traci is back with tips this week:

1. Stretching is very important for making your body more limber and less sore. Be sure to add in a stretching routine to your regular workout.

2. For beginners - starting a walking routine can help reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, increase cardiovascular endureance, bone strength and burn calories to keep weight down.

3. Try cutting 100-200 calories out of your diet everyday for a year and you will lose 10-20 lbs without working out. Now just think if you were working out 5 times a week how much quicker you would see those results!

4. When doing your resistance training be sure to have "proud Posture" in other words don't slouch! Keep your shoulders back and down and stick out that chest a little!

5. Exercises of the week: 4 x 15
Squats/Leg Press
Push-ups

Thanks Traci!

Yours in fitness, Kate

Traci's weekly Tips for bettering your body:

1. Tired of running, try the elliptical for 20-30 min instead. You'll get a great workout w/o the impact.

2. Do cardio 30 min plus 3 times a week do start.

3. Change up your routine to keep your body guessing.

4. Eat lots of veggies! Take some to snack on throughout the day.

5. Exercise of the week: Dumbbell Row
Lat Pull
4 x 15 with your reg routine

Find Traci Here.

I'm headed to Fitness World West to see her myself.

Yours in fitness, Kate

Traci's Tips - 11/9/07

Well, I early this morning my abs finally got sore from Traci's workout the other day. Today she killed my abs again and grinned all the way through it AGAIN. She's lucky I like her and think she is brilliant, because I wouldn't take joy like that from just anyone. ;)

Here's Traci's weekly column to help you do it on your own:

1. Biking is great to work the legs and get a good cardio burn without the impact on your knees and ankles.

2. Don't go hungry before a workout. Be sure to eat something for your body to burn. Good foods before working out are generally protein and carbs.

3. Go for Green Tea instead of Coffee. Less caffeine, plus antioxidants.

4. Limit your fat intake and take supplements to aid in getting vitamins your body needs!

5. Exercise of the week:
Bicep dumbbell curls standing on 1 leg
Tricep Kickbacks
4 sets of 15 with your regular routine.

Thanks Traci!

Well, I am going to bed now, so I can get up and be ready for pilates tomorrow at Fitness World West.

Yours in fitness, Kate

Traci's Tips - 11/3/07

It's Friday, so it's time for my trainer Traci's weekly tips:

1) When walking to exercise add some 5 lbs weights, it will help build a little muscle and give you a little bit harder workout.

2) Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. While exercising you should drink at least 20 oz of water.

3) Stretch, Stretch, Stretch! Important to stretch muscles to prevent tears and strains. Also, be sure to make it a fluid motion...don't bounce.

4) Food Journal and count your calories. This will allow you to see what you are putting in your body and maybe rethink some of those unhealthy foods.

5) Exercises of the Week:
Chest Press
Chest Flies
Do 4 sets of 15 of these with your normal routine and you will begin to feel the strength increase in your chest and arms.

Thanks Traci!

Well, I am off to Fitness World West to work with the woman herself, right now!

Yours in fitness, Kate

Traci's Tips

This will normally be posted on Friday's, but we are just getting things up and running. So here is the first installment of a weekly feature called "Traci's Tips".

Traci is of course, my trainer at Fitness World West and she rocks! Listen up and enjoy!



1. Add some heavy weight training after a cardio workout to spike your metabolic rate for an hour after exercising. This will burn an additional 25% of calories you just burned!

2.Try working out in the morning! Great way to get your metabolism started for the day!

3. Exercises of the Week: Walking Lunges
Bridges
Do 4 sets of 20 of those within your workout and feel the results!

4. Instead of just turning up the resistance on the Elliptical, try speeding up! It's going to burn just as bad and give you a great cardio burn as well!!

5. Cut back on fatty foods and eat more lean protein. This is going to help you build and tone your body's muscles.

Thanks Traci!

There you go, just a couple of ideas to add to your growing wealth of knowledge as you get more fit. Or as I did 15 months ago, start your journey.

Yours in fitness, Kate