Sixty-Something and Successful at Slimming

I have a super-fun client who is in her upper-sixties, and when she first came to me she said (almost verbatim), "I eat well and I don't think I need to lose weight.  I just want to get more energy."  Instantly, I could see that she needed to lose fat and gain some lean, healthy muscle, as well as increase her stamina ... and she also needed to gain a more positive outlook on change at this phase of her life.

After the first 2 months of personal training with me (I train her and her daughter together -- the daughter does more weight and longer reps, and they both end up equally worn out after each session), she had lost 6 inches everywhere.  She had not lost weight, but she had put on about 2 pounds of lean muscle.  Her strength and excitement for regular exercise had grown, but she hadn't changed her diet much.  She soon fell ill for a while and backslid on the exercise.  Regardless, she didn't gain fat because her metabolism had been charged up through regular exercise.

It has now been a little over 4 months of training, and she has lost about 12 inches all over her body.  She is lifting heavier weights, maintaining a higher energy level throughout the session, walking faster on her own during the week, and discussing dietary changes with me more often.  Last week I got her to do some barbell work.  She was hesitant to veer away from the normal style of workouts that I had been doing with her.  Yet, now that we have broken through and changed not only her eating habits and exercise habits but her outlook on pushing herself, she eventually accepted the challenge.

My client asked me to film her doing some barbell exercises, so she could brag to all of her friends, and this is what I shot.  Take a look at that smile!

Easy & Warm Winter Meal that's a Better Choice than Pizza

Low-Calorie, Big Portions: Red Pepper and Lentil Bake

(Copied and pasted from "Fitsugar.com", By: Leta Shy)

Note From Alli: A client of mine texted me in a moment of weakness, telling me she was tired and craved pizza. I have those days, especially on lazy Saturday afternoons.  I advised her to try a warm, chewy lentil soup instead -- that's what I do when I'm craving a warm, gummy, carby meal. Below is a recipe for a make-ahead dish that is easy to freeze then thaw in your next "pizza crave". 

INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cup lentils, such as Puy or green
2 1/2 cups low-sodium, organic vegetable broth
4 red bell peppers, deseeded and chopped
1 large cooking apple such as Granny Smith or McIntosh, peeled, cored, and chopped
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 cup white wine
14 ounces canned chopped tomatoes
1 ounce shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 ounce shredded parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. - Heat the olive oil gently in a large saucepan, add onion and garlic, and fry for five minutes until the onions are translucent.
3. - Add lentils and stir, then add vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
4. - Add the peppers, basil, apple, white wine, and canned tomatoes and mix well.
5. - Transfer the mixture to an oven-proof 9-by-13 baking dish and sprinkle cheese on top. Cook in oven for 30 minutes.
6. - Serve immediately, or freeze remaining portions in individual servings.(Makes 4)

New Year, New You: A Quick "How-To"

Yes, you can change your life in one year.  For better or worse, what you do with your body and your food over the next 12 months can change the course of your life. -- physically, emotionally and spiritually.  As a personal trainer and nutrition counselor, I've been a part of dozens of lives who have changed remarkably since last January: mothers who have learned to value and treat themselves well on new levels; fathers who have admittedly felt more attentive, more alert, more active with their families; writers who have experienced more clarity and vision for their projects; teachers who have become more connected with their students and have made greater impact this year than ever before; and hearts that have been awoken to new hope.

Want a quick "How-To"?  

The following are the 5 W's and How to change your life in 2014:

1.) Who?  Are you going this alone, or do you have a buddy, spouse, significant other or trainer by your side (or all of the above)?  Are you willing to make positive choices/progress for yourself regardless of others' progress, setbacks or belief systems? If your answers are "yes", then you have a great chance of making it long-term.

2.) What?  Set a tangible goal.  Do you want to lose weight, find a significant other, move on from bad habits/bad relationships, heal your relationship with God and/or family members?  Write it out, blog about it, tell a friend or counselor/pastor, etc.  Put it out there!

3.) When?  Set a timeline.  If your goal is to lose "x" number of pounds, calculate how long you think it will take you -- even with the most strict diet and exercise plan, you will generally lose up to 2 pounds per week (after the initial water and waste loss of about 5-6 pounds).

4.) Where?  Set a place where you are most comfortable implementing changes.  Do you like the gym atmosphere, or do you like being outside for exercise?  Which is the most convenient, motivating and practical at first?  For mommies with young children, you can go to pretty much any major gym in town, like Crunch Burbank, and get excellent child care while you work out, sauna and shower for 2 hours, or you can go walking/jogging the hilly streets of town with your stroller if you have children who sit still for longer periods of time.

5.) Why?  Find your true motivation.  Why do you want to devote so much time, energy and emotion into meeting your goal?  Why now?  Who is telling you this is what you want: you or someone else/society pressure/your doctor?  Write this down, also, and keep it somewhere readily available when you fall victim to self-doubt or pressure.

6.) How?  If your goal is weight loss, do you plan to diet, exercise more or do both?  Studies have shown that those who believe that increasing their exercise will speed up their weight loss have poorer results than those who believe in changing their eating habits.  Your nutrition is 70-80% of your weight loss success.  Exercise is super important for overall health, but it only complements your healthy food habits, when it comes to weight loss.


Bottom Line: Get out a paper and pen or your fast-typing fingers and make a list from 1-6, following the above outline.  Find joy in the process of envisioning a new YOU this year ... and make it happen!  It is possible.

Non-Fat? Not for Me! -- How to Avoid Weight Gain Over the Holidays

The hubby, kids and I went to Yogurtland in Downtown Burbank after dinner, and I was excited to have some dessert that is a little bit less guilt-inducing.  As I strolled down the line, I looked for a sugar-free option, but the best I could find was "non-fat" New York Style Cheesecake flavor.  I laughed at the description because it said it was a good alternative if you're trying to watch your waistline.

In case you haven't heard, the "non-fat" revolution is over!  We fought the war over which is better for you: "non-fat" or "sugar-free", and "sugar-free" won (in most cases).  Unless you are on a severely calorie-restricted diet, you don't need to worry as much about the fat content in your food as the sugar content... as long as you're not eating ribeye steak, bacon or sausage as your meat option every meal.

So why all the hype about "non-fat" (desserts are the most highly attractive for this kind of advertising)?  Because most non-fat foods have lower calories than foods with fat in them.  Nutritionists agree that if you want to lose weight, you should reduce the number of calories you take in and increase your exercise -- the goal is to burn more calories than you eat.  However, the non-fat foods still have loads of sugar.  Unless it is a manufactured "diet food", like those put out by the "Atkins" or "South Beach Diet" companies, the "non-fat" food probably has 2-3 times the amount of sugar in one serving than your body can burn.

Too much sugar leads to well-fed, happy fat cells that want to stick around in your body (most often in your waistline).  It can also lead to insulin-resistance, which causes inability to focus, weight gain, diabetes, bloating, increased blood pressure, and more!  Furthermore, sugar rushes have been proven to make you crash and crave within about 30 minutes, whereas sugar-free foods with protein and some fat have been proven to stave off hunger and have not shown an increase in overall weight gain in recent studies (International Journal of Obesity, April 2012).

As a fitness model and bodybuilding competitor, I stay well under the AHA's recommendation of 24g of sugar per day for a highly active female 30-45 years old.  It is very difficult unless I read every label carefully and check each restaurant's nutrition guide.  It gets cumbersome, but I would rather not revert to my old habits of overeating the wrong stuff (lots of fruits and smoothies, non-fat ice cream and non-fat milk, all of which sound "healthy").  Simply by cutting out as much sugar as possible, I lost 10 pounds in one week, then I tweaked other parts of my diet and exercise plan and lost 40 more pounds.

Bottom line: don't be fooled by the "non-fat" label, look at the amount of sugar that's added to make it bulky or tasty.  Try to stay below 20g of sugar every day, the American Heart Assoc.'s guideline for moderately active females 30-45 years old.  And if you're trying to make a healthier meal for the holidays, cut the sugar down (or cut it out by using Stevia or other natural sugar-alternative) and choose leaner cuts of meat.  Skip the cookies, unless you are at a party or special event or plan on burning off those calories and more at the gym that day.  Try some of the new, and quite tasty, sugar-free candies out on the market.

Why Walking DOESN'T work for Weight Loss

Do you walk your neighborhood for exercise a couple of times per week? Do you walk every day? Good for you! Studies have shown a direct correlation between walking and cardiovascular health, reduced risk of diseases and even certain cancers, and increased mood and self-confidence.

What most news media fail to mention is that walking your neighborhood (or strolling on the treadmill) is not recognized by the medical field as a weight-loss exercise.

Watch the following 1-minute video and decide for yourself if you want to stick with your neighborhood walk (for the benefits stated above) or if you want to amp it up and actually hit your weight loss goals while receiving the same benefits.... Then, call or email me for personal training!

"Mommy the Salad" (a.k.a. "You Are What You Eat")

My two-year-old loves making up nicknames for people in our family.  Daddy is "Daddy the doctor" or "Daddy the Raffi", her sister is "Abby the Sissy" or "Abby the Boo-Boo", and I am "Mommy the Salad".

My name is Allison, but my little one thinks it's Alice, like "Alice in Wonderland".  Somehow, her little brain has transposed the sounds in the name Alice to sometimes sound like "salad".  So, she often introduces me saying, "Mommy's name is Salad."

I don't correct her in front of anyone within earshot because I actually like her calling me "Salad" or "Mommy the Salad".  It means that somewhere deep down she associates me with salad, which I eat multiple times per week.  She always sees some sort of lettuce or vegetable medley on my plate, breakfast, lunch and dinner.  My body at all times is digesting and integrating into each cell the healthy nutrients of my consumed vegetables, so in effect I am "the salad".  I take pride in that, and I regret when I don't eat enough veggies in a day (notice I didn't say "fruits and veggies" because I rarely eat fruit -- but that's for another post on sugars at a later date).

So, if you ever have lunch with us (either out at Daphne's California Greek or some other healthy casual dining place around town), you will notice half the plate covered with salad and/or some vegetable mixture ... And you will probably hear my two-year-old ask if she can have some of my "Alice".

Road to Pro

Squeezed into Size 12 "skinny jeans" two years ago -- happy, but uncomfortable.

Training hard at Crunch - heavy equipment needed!

Hitting it super hard for 14 months straight. (Before then, it was multiple medium-weight workouts per week.)

Read the sign above my head.

First competition in May, 2013

Second competition in Nov., 2013

Winner - 1st Place, 2 Divisions