FIND THE STRENGTH TO STOP EMOTIONAL EATING

Emotional eating can be a big problem when you're trying to lose weight. You have a stinky week, and suddenly that pint of ice cream seems like the solution to your problem, Right? WRONG!! That's the old you. The new, empowered, and strong you can push through tough or trying times, knowing that things can and will get better.

Stop letting your emotions sabotage your weight loss. Establish healthy patterns of behavior and invest in your physical and emotional well-being.

I have been there! Emotional eating was my specialty and can really sneak up on you. I found that a good, hard workout definitely helps. Getting through the physically difficult workout gives me stamina and focus to get through the emotional difficulties. It has taught me to "suck it up" and push through it, and get over it!

There will be times, though, when you can be emotionally spent and what you really need is rest. You know your body - just listen to it.

REMEMBER, this is a lifelong commitment - today is just one day in your journey. Tomorrow is a new day and another step forward.

Bodies in Motion!!!! Loredana Petrucci, Psy.D.

At this time, you’ve achieved nearly two months of increasing your activity! Many of you also participated in the Spinners for Dinners Event to add to your fitness. With this, you helped things happen “full circle” by means of sharing time, teaching a class, donating funds and food. It was a fantastic experience for me to witness how much fun and generosity is shared amongst each other. What a great example of productivity! Working out and simultaneously lending a helping hand!
Moving forward, I encourage you to take the time to reflect on your past weeks activities, moments, if you will, and things that you have achieved. How do you want your body to be in motion? And, what highlights can you create and carry in your heart from your fitness ventures?

Less than 20 Days to Go

To be exact, you have 17 more days to go in this competition. To be a winner, you have to be a loser. Stay committed to your goals. Anything can happen in the last 17 days. You can lose, maintain or gain weight. The choice is your. But know the choice is not easy. It is not a single choice rather accumulation of choices made throughout everyday and every night. To eat this or not, to drink this or that, to go to the gym or not, to plan or not... Make healthy choices. No one should end this competition saying, "Could of, should of, would of".

Friday and Saturday

Well as you all know, we have our 2nd annual spinners for dinners starting on Friday and going all the way through Saturday. I hope all of you have signed up to take a class and support this great cause which is the Bea Gaddy Family Center. This is an excellent opportunity for us to see your faces in the gym when we aren't training together. With that being said, we hope you are making the most of the opportunities available every day of the week at the Canton Club. Everything you need to reach your fitness goal is at your fingertips, it's up to you to put it to use. Find your motivation and make your push because time is running out! How badly do you want to win? Prove it!

Hit the Road!

Hey, team! You’ve been doing an exceptional job so far and you may have noticed the numbers staring back at you on the scale have something in common with the temperature – both are dropping at a steady rate! What better way to celebrate your success than by setting a goal for yourself: running or walking in a 5K! There are tons of exciting races coming up including the Jingle Bell 5K where Jacki, Erin, and Angie will be running as elves! So lace up those running shoes because it’s time to train!

What’s that? You say running on the treadmill makes you feel like a hamster? Well fear not because this weather is PERFECT for training outside! Here are some ways to stay safe while exercising outside.

1) Walk/Run This Way!
No matter the time of day, run against traffic. You’ll be able to see what’s coming your way and the oncoming traffic will be able to see you. In the case of danger, you will have time to react.

2) Don’t be Afraid to Shine
Obviously, it is getting dark at 4pm or some other unthinkably early time. If you decide to hit the streets before or after sunrise, make yourself visible to drivers. Reflective vests, glow-in-the dark stickers, and reflective, Velcro wrist and ankle bands will all do the trick. It also goes without saying, but avoid wearing black or dark colors. Bright reds, oranges, yellows, and greens should be wardrobe staples. If you are worried about looking like a Crayola box, then basic white is a safe bet.

For more tips, or to see a list of fun races, visit the http://www.active.com. Keep up the good work. GO TEAM!

MOVE IT TO LOSE IT

Do you know someone who is getting amazing results from an insanely low-calorie diet? It may be tempting to severely restrict your calories in hopes of a drastic weight loss, but don't even think about it!! Truth is, very few people can maintain one of those crazy kinds of diets for more than a couple weeks. And to make things worse, most people on near-starvation diets gain back all the weight (and more) just a few months later.

In weight-loss terms, fat is energy and the best way to lose it is to use it. You have to do it with diet and exercise. If you diet without exercise, the majority of your weight loss will be from muscle. The minute you stray from your diet, the weight will come right back on.

The only way to lose it for good is to get moving! Exercise not only helps you burn calories, it also helps build, strengthen, and maintain lean muscle. Exercise has another benefit called after-burn. A great cardio routine keeps burning fat not just during your workout but for hours afterward.

The rule of the game is increasing your intensity. The exercise after-burn is also referred to as "excess post-exercise oxygen consumption." It represents the calories used up to return the body back to its pre-exercise state, or resting level, which can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 48 hours, depending on the intensity and duration of the workout. What's more, if you do a training workout in the morning and try one our Group X Classes in the evening you will reap the benefits of a twice-a - day after-burn without over training your muscles.

Doing any type of physical activity is healthier than sitting on the couch downing a bag of chips. And activities like bowling and golf do burn calories - but not enough. To see dramatic weight loss, you must do heart-pumping cardio. Cardio is any activity that is rhythmic, continuous, requires the movement of large muscles and raises your heart rate. Try my Group X Class, Rock UR Skinnies on Wednesdays @ 7pm or Jacki's Extreme CardioFlex on Thursday's @6:30 or Heavy Bag Bootcamp on Saturday's @9am or try one of our many Spin Classes.

You all are working so hard! Keep it up - oh and your heart rate too!

Inspiration Loredana Petrucci, Psy.D.

Ah, inspiration! What comes to mind when you hear that word. Maybe you think of a special someone, a figure, perhaps a quote, an image, a song. Whatever it is you think about, let that inspiration bring you to your next steps, goal achievement, and happiness!

I would like to take this time to share with you some inspirational quotes, images, songs, etc. that I simply came up with doing a web site search. I hope that you enjoy these, and that you will BLOG us back with some of yours!

Some quotes.....

I never did anything worth doing by accident,
nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work."
Thomas Edison

"If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you made me smile, the entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand."
---Unknown

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm ... As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others.
Audrey Hepburn

Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That's what little girls are made of; the heck with sugar and spice.
Bethany Hamilton

The steeper the mountain the harder the climb the better the view from the finishing line.
Anonymous

Some songs….

What a wonderful world. Louis Armstrong
Eye of the Tiger. Survivor
Only Time. Enya.
People of the World Spice Girls
It takes two. Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock
Right Now. Van Halen
Everyday. Dave Mathews Band

And, some images that inspire me are included throughout the blog. Close your eyes. What is the first thing you see. Close your eyes again. Think about........................inspiration! Enjoy!

As your team of personal trainers, we strive to make you feel inspired, supported, and encouraged. Let's hear from you! Add some things to the list of inspirational things in development!!! :)