15 Essential Fat Loss Tips

If you’re on a mission to slim down and tone up then it’s really important to hone your fat loss rather than simply weight loss. Losing pounds feels good, but if those pounds are precious muscle, then you’re actually hurting your overall ability for fat loss. In order to ensure that the weight you’re losing is FAT and not MUSCLE take the following 15 Essential Fat Loss Tips to heart…

Fat Loss Tip #1: Keep Track

Your willingness to track your food intake is equal to your desire to lose fat. Being serious about losing fat means taking note of every calorie you consume, making sure these calories contain enough protein, and stopping when you meet your daily allowance. *Download apps such as Myfitnesspal or Calorific to help you keep track.

Fat Loss Tip #2: Eat Breakfast

Possibly the most fundamental eating tip of all time, a healthy breakfast with a good protein source will help your body have good calories to burn throughout the a.m. hours, letting you get to lunch without being tempted by that mid-morning doughnut.

Fat Loss Tip #3: Avoid Getting Too Hungry

Dieters often fast until they can’t take it any longer. Unfortunately, many poor choices are made in the heat of the hunger moment. Keep healthy (high protein and low carb) snacks nearby to stave off hunger and drink plenty of water to avoid eating when you should be drinking.

Fat Loss Tip #4: Underestimate Your Routine

Yes, you just pumped iron for an hour and ran six miles. But you probably didn’t burn as many calories as you think. To keep from overeating after a workout, grab a bite immediately after, but make it a small bite. And drink plenty of water. Then wait. Your brain needs time to tell your body it’s full.

Fat Loss Tip #5: Stay Home

Your favorite restaurant may be calling your name, but don’t listen! By cooking your own dinner at home, you’ll sidestep a variety of pitfalls that occur while eating out.

Fat Loss Tip #6: Reduce Alcohol Intake

It helps you relax and—if you drink red wine—can offer health benefits. But alcohol also comes with a lot of useless calories. To avoid having more calories to burn than necessary, skip the bar and grab another glass of water.

Fat Loss Tip #7: Redirect

Sticking with a fat loss plan gets hard. The next time it gets unbearable, grab your phone and walk out of the danger zone (your kitchen) and call a friend or loved one. Ask how life is going or plan a movie night—just talk about whatever will take your mind off the temptation that will ruin your efforts.

Fat Loss Tip #8: Hit the Hay

Remember when your parents gave you a curfew because “Nothing good happens after midnight”? This is particularly true when fat loss is your goal. Get to bed to avoid late-night snacking and help your body function its best!

Fat Loss Tip #9: Go Green (First)

There are lots of good foods out there that you need—lean meats, dairy, etc. But don’t let these be the bulk of your diet. Start your meals with something healthy and green to keep your carb count low.

Fat Loss Tip #10: Weigh Yourself

You might not like the idea of jumping on the scale, but if you don’t weigh yourself, you may not recognize your progress. Just as you should count your calories, you should also count your pounds and make adjustments to your eating and exercise routines as needed.

Fat Loss Tip #11: Disconnect Diet from Life

Life comes with ups and downs. Your diet should not. When stressed, don’t go to the vending machine. Put on your walking shoes and get going.

Fat Loss Tip #12: Keep the Burn Going

Working out is not supposed to be a walk in the park. To push your body to its potential and to burn more calories, don’t take long breaks between exercises. Rest no more than 30 seconds after an exercise to keep your body shedding calories and pounds.

Fat Loss Tip #13: Goodbye Sugary Sweet

Everyone needs a quick sweet on occasion. Make sure yours is natural, whole fruit rather than regular old sugar. Every day, it seems more research is showing that refined sugars and high-fructose corn syrup increase your likelihood of weight gain more than anything else.

Fat Loss Tip #14: Move Now!

Maintaining a consistent, challenging exercise program is essential for your fat loss, but don’t let that be your only exercise. Build 15-minute windows throughout your day during which you can take a brisk walk. You’ll be more alert at work and the pounds will keep dropping.

Fat Loss Tip #15: Don’t Give Up

You may think it’s too easy a tip to list, but very few people have the will power necessary to keep with a program long enough to see the desired results. Commit yourself today to being one of those few. If you’re not yet one of our esteemed clients then now is the time to join in and experience a whole new level of fitness and fat loss. Give us a call today to get started.

Starting Out Right

Breakfast is the most influencial meal of the day. If you start your day with sugary pastries or a greasy breakfast sandwich, the rest of your food choices will follow suit. However, when you start your morning with a wholesome and nutritious meal you’ll be more likely to continue with good choices throughout the day. Try the Spinach & Egg White Wrap recipe below as a nutritious start to your day.

Spinach & Egg White Wrap

From the Desk of John Hall Studios

This wrap is delicious for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It’s ready in a flash, tastes amazing, and is filled with lean protein, veggies and whole sprouted grains. Try it today, and don’t be surprised if you get hooked!

Servings: 2

Here’s what you need…

•              1 teaspoon olive oil

•              1 garlic clove, minced

•              1/4 cup tomato, finely chopped

•              2 cups spinach, roughly chopped

•              1 cup egg whites

•              dash of salt and pepper

•              2 sprouted grain tortillas

•              2 Tablespoons pesto (purchase it pre-made, or combine ½ cup walnuts, 2 cups basil leaves, 2 cloves garlic, ¼ cup olive oil, and 1 Tablespoon lemon juice in a food processor and blend until it becomes a paste.)

1              Spread a tablespoon of pesto over each tortilla and set aside.

2              In medium sized skillet warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until golden. Add the tomato and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until it is soft and wilted. Remove the veggies from skillet, set aside in a bowl.

3              Pour the egg whites into the skillet, season with salt and pepper. Cook until the egg is no longer runny.

4              Arrange half of the egg whites in a line down the center of each tortilla. Top with half of the veggies and then fold the ends up and wrap like a burrito.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 288 calories, 10g fat, 28g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, and 21g protein.

Call today for a consultation and assessment!

Email: Pumpstrainingandpilates@gmail.com

Phone: 219-548-3480

Web: Pumpsfitnessinc.com

Stay Fit on Your Vacation

Leaving town for a summer get-away? If you’re not careful your trip will quickly turn into a fat trap.

We don’t want your fitness results to disappear before you return home. Keep reading for our 2 simple steps to avoid the dreaded vacation fat trap.

There are plenty of strategies and techniques out there for staying fit on vacation, but most are fairly complicated. We’re not going to give you a list of 27 things to remember in order to avoid those vacation pounds – you are getting away to relax, after all! We’ll keep this simple and effective.

The following 2 steps are all that you need to take with you on your vacation to ensure that you come back looking and feeling amazing.

Step #1: The 1/3 Rule

Most vacation pounds are gained as a result of constant indulgence. Each meal becomes an opportunity to eat your heart out to the tune of “I’m on vacation!”

Look, We get that you’re on vacation and want to enjoy the richer tastes of life, but doing so at every meal is going to do a lot of damage to your waistline.

Rather than indulging constantly, we want you to adopt the 1/3 Rule. This means that only 1/3 of your meals ought to be eaten with the mindset of “I’m on vacation.” At this one meal each day you are allowed to eat things that are normally off-limits. Enjoy your favorites and do so with no guilt.

At your other 2 meals each day you’ll keep things lean and green. Fill up on lots of greens, veggies, and lean proteins. Pass on the breads, grains, potatoes and anything with sugar. Drink water, and avoid beverages that contain calories.

Step #2: The Exercise Rule

This step is just as important as the first one, so don’t drop the ball on this one: Each and every day you must do some form of exercise.

Notice we said some form of exercise. We didn’t say that you had to go to a weight room to do a traditional workout. While on vacation, exercise should be diverse and exciting.

Your vacation activities can become your workout. Take a hike, go exploring on foot, swim in the ocean or bike through a foreign town. If you aren’t able to fit a vigorous activity into your day then start by doing this body weight routine:

•              20 push ups

•              30 seconds of jump squats or jumping jacks

•              20 lunges

•              30 seconds of plank hold

•              30 seconds of rest

•              Repeat from the top 3 times

Enjoy your vacation! And when you get back into town call or email us for a fitness and fat reduction consultation and we’ll show you a step-by-step plan for getting you the body that you deserve – in less time than you think.

Be Excellent

The most important aspect in becoming and staying fit is to be persistent. You can exercise every day for a week, but if you follow that week with a month of no exercise then you’ve lost all ground. Find an exercise program that you are able to consistently do and then stick with it.

In the words of Aristotle, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

From the desk of John Hall Studios

Easy Baked Salmon

Salmon is filled with quality protein and omega-3 benefits, making it the perfect center of your healthy dinner. Serve your salmon on a bed of fresh or braised greens. Servings: 4

Here’s what you need…

For the salad:

•              ½ cup plain Greek yogurt

•              1 lime, juiced

•              3 garlic cloves, minced

•              1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander

•              1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

•              4 (3oz) wild caught salmon fillets

1              Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

2              In a small bowl combine the yogurt, lime juice, and garlic. Put half of the yogurt mixture aside in the fridge. Coat the salmon with the other half of the yogurt mixture and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3              Place the salmon on prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. Turn on the high broil for an additional 5 minutes until the top of the salmon has browned.

4              Serve the salmon on a bed of kale with a dollop of the reserved yogurt.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 172 calories, 6.9g fat, 62mg sodium, 1g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, and 24.6g protein.

Call today for a consultation and assessment!

Email: Pumpstrainingandpilates@gmail.com

Phone: 219-548-3480

Web: Pumpsfitnessinc.com

Let’s simplify your fat loss

From the Desk of John Hall Studios

The main reason that you’re not happy with your weight is because of what you eat.

It’s hardly your fault.

Have you ever stopped to notice how many times you’re bombarded by food marketing each day?

Ads come at you from magazine pages, T.V. commercials, on websites and billboards, each boasting of cheap, convenient and tasty ways to cure your hunger.

The question “What’s for dinner?” has never been more complex than now.

Extensive menu options and large entrees have distorted your concept of a proper meal, and before you know it you’ve fallen into the trap of the chain restaurant, the drive thru, and the take-out line.

But wait – truly healthy eating is simple.

First you need to block out the blizzard of food marketing around you.

Remember that advertisers want your money, and they don’t stop to consider if the food they promote will expand your waist – that’s your job.

It’s safe to say that, with few exceptions, any food that you see marketed should be avoided. When was the last time you saw an ad for grilled white fish, steamed broccoli and a side of brown rice?

So what does truly healthy eating look like?

A healthy meal contains lean protein, fresh vegetables and a modest serving of whole grains.

Just as importantly, a healthy meal does NOT contain:

•              Refined sugar / corn syrup

•              Fried / fatty food

•              Full fat dairy food

•              Processed food with chemical additives

Healthy Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. What you decide to eat when you first wake up will set the tone for the rest of your meals that day. Try these healthy options:

•              Scrambled egg whites, sliced tomato and whole grain toast

•              Whole grain oatmeal, sliced fruit and a protein shake

•              Homemade breakfast sandwich: Multi-grain English muffin

with lean turkey slices and egg

Healthy Lunch

It is important to plan your lunch ahead of time in order to avoid turning to a fast food joint or vending machine. Pack your lunch the night before and carry it with you. Try these healthy options:

•              Dark baby greens topped with chopped chicken breast and

      diced tomatoes

•              Albacore tuna (packed in water), mixed with finely

      chopped cucumber over brown rice

•              Homemade sandwich: Sprouted grain bread with lean

      turkey slices, lettuce, tomato and mustard

Healthy Dinner

Dinner is the meal where most people splurge and eat far more calories than they should. Eating at home is the first step in reducing your dinnertime calories. Try these healthy options:

•              Grilled white fish, sautéed spinach and whole wheat

couscous

•              Baked chicken breast, steamed broccoli and brown rice

While healthy eating is a huge factor in achieving your ideal weight, exercise is the other half of the equation.

Your exercise routine should be challenging and should be done on a regular basis.

We know that you have more than enough in your life to think about without having to plan your own exercise routine. Leave that job to us—call or email today to get started on a personalized fitness program that will leave your body no choice but to shed those unwanted pounds.

Check Your Fiber Score

How much fiber do you eat each day? Grab a pen and paper and tally it up: Beans, one half cup (7); Vegetables, one cup (4); Salad, one cup (2); Fruit, one piece (3); Fruit juice, one cup (1); White bread (1); Whole grain bread (2); White rice, one cup (1); Brown rice, one cup (3); Intact Oatmeal, one cup (4); Meat, poultry or fish (0); Eggs or dairy (0); Sodas or water (0).

If you scored less than 20: You need more fiber in your diet. Boosting your fiber will control your appetite and cut your risk for many other health problems.

If you scored 20-39: You consume more fiber than most people, but adding more fiber to your diet will continue to make foods more satisfying and cut your calorie intake.

If you scored 40 or more: Congratulations, you are getting plenty of healthy fiber in your diet. An added bonus for you is a reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and digestive problems.

Call today for a consultation and assessment!

Email: Pumpstrainingandpilates@gmail.com

Phone: 219-548-3480

Web: Pumpsfitnessinc.com

SPOTLIGHT ON……  Kori Howard!

June 2016!!

                                     BEFORE                                 AFTER

Kori is a teenager who resides in Valparaiso with her family.  The following are comments from her biggest fan; her mother!

            “After years of getting little to no physical therapy for a mobility issue, we finally decided to try something different.  After researching for a month, looking at credentials and testimonials of different places in NW Indiana, Pumps Fitness was chosen.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was hoping that Kori would build enough strength in her legs so that she could run normally and become stable enough to walk without being clumsy.

Ian has far exceeded my expectations!  Kori now runs normally and can pass her PT tests.  The turning point for me was when I saw her jumping rope.  I just cried.  She has never been coordinated enough to do that!  This achievement came after only a few months of coming twice a week. 

Ian has been so pleasant and fun for my daughter.  She loves coming here and being challenged. 

The best and most unexpected benefit of all has been that Kori has lost almost 40 pounds and now we have to buy all new clothes because they are all falling off of her.  What a wonderful problem to have!

Thank you for everything!”

Kathy (Kori’s Mom)