I don’t know about you but its COLD where I live!

Many of my “go to” healthy foods end up having no appeal to me in the winter.
I haven’t been able to pop open a Greek yogurt or want an ice-cold protein shake since Fall really set in. I’m always cold so adding in something cold to eat or drink is not what I want.

With a cruise coming up in January, right after the holiday feasting season!, I had to figure out a way to keep my diet on the up & up so here’s an idea to keep your protein shakes working for you even when snow starts to hit the ground.

Winter Protein Shake:

Heat a mug of water in the microwave for 2 minutes.

Put a serving of protein powder and a packet of Diet Hot Chocolate in your Protein Shaker.

Add the hot water to the powder.

Stir it up to get all the powder of the bottom of your Shaker.

Close it up and shake until completely mixed.

You’ll end up with a nice warm protein shake that is disguised as a warm cup of hot chocolate.

What I use:

25 calorie hot chocolate mix

Vanilla Protein Shake Mix by Arbonne (Chocolate would probably be even better!).

Want it creamier?

Heat up some Almond Milk instead of water.

You can find Almond Milk for as little as 90, 60 or even 40 calories.

Remember, this is a snack so keep the calories in check.

So happy to have my shakes back for the winter. Happy Holidays

Motivation comes in many forms. Why do you work, why do you clean, why do you sign up to be on a committee, why do you exercise???

I believe you have to be very honest in why you are doing anything you do. Is it to get ahead in the world, to one-up your neighbor, to be a better parent?? It’s hard to stick with anything if you cannot be true to yourself about why you are doing it.

I honestly have never sat down with someone in the Fitness Biz and heard them say, “I’m tracking my cholesterol and my goal is to drop it 10 points.” Or, “My bone density test came back low so my goal is to do more resistance training and see if I can improve it over the next six months.” Trainers, just like majority of my clients, have a goal to look good…bottom line.

So, why do you exercise or want to start exercising? Maybe for better health, maybe because heart disease runs in your family or maybe to fit into an old pair of jeans. Whatever it is OWN IT! You have to really want something and be honest about why to reach that goal and get it.

I’ll focus on exercise (obviously). It is not easy to stay or get into shape. It takes planning, commitment and hard work on a daily basis.

I believe it can be one of the hardest things to stick with and get the results you want. Not because you can’t, because it takes consistency and honesty to get there. Too many people stop before they even start to see a change.

If you are in this place right now of wanting to be fit or change your diet and you keep “failing” it’s time to be real with yourself. Be honest and figure out why you want it. It can’t be because your neighbor works out or you’re “supposed to” workout. There has to be an end result that you want badly and will commit to get it.

Here’s your starting tips: 1. Figure out why you want to change and DON’T FORGET IT! 2. PLAN! Not for a day or a week but plan out a month of times you can exercise, meals you can prepare and grocery lists. 3. You CANNOT let excuses get in your way. There’s a ton of them and I hear them all.

If you can stick to something for a month and really stick to it, you will start to feel the change and that will become even more motivating than any picture on your refrigerator or any pair of jeans in your closet. Once you feel lean, energized, healthy you will want that feeling forever and you will know you can do it!

Our bodies are funny little machines. If you’ve had 2 good days you cannot celebrate with a meal at your favorite Mexican place. Even a good week can be wrecked by that and then back to square one, disappointment and frustration. Once you FEEL the difference you will learn your time line for you body.

For me, I have to be perfectly on my workouts and diets for at least 7-10 days and then one morning I’ll wake up and WHAM! There are the results. From there on it becomes way easier to turn down pizza for dinner or at least eat 1 slice compared to 3!!

Get motivated, get to the point where you feel the WHAM and you will get it 

We’ve felt it once already, Spring Fever! Then the stupid snow had to come back! Not long and it will be here again and suddenly the trails and sidewalks will be packed with runners in shorts again; even if it is only 50 degrees.

I know everyone will be excited to get out there and hit the pavement but don’t forget to be ready and take care of yourself in the process. Here are some things to think about and prep for now so you are ready to go as soon as the temps rise again.

Good Footwear – This is a must for any workout, running, cross training, aerobic classes… Head to your local foot gear expert shop and let them know your exercise of choice. They will fit you correctly to give your body the best support possible and help avoid injury to your feet, ankles and knees. If your shoes from your last Fall run were on their last leg or if you’ve been racking up the miles on the treadmill this winter it’s probably time for a new pair so get them now before you forget and end up running in old shoes and taking care of sore knees instead of hitting the trails.

Clothing – Think about breathable layers. My favorite combo is a fitted tank with a long sleeve shirt on top. I still favor the ‘Cold Gear’ type of clothing until it really warms up out. It’s not like wearing your thick, comfy sweatshirt but it will keep you warm with a lighter feel. A good running cap to cover your ears will be helpful during the spring transition. Getting cold wind blown into your ears the whole time can be uncomfortable and painful. Don’t forget to dress like it’s a little cooler than it actually is. Your body is going to warm up quickly and you’ll wish you left a layer or 2 at home. If it’s hard for you to step out the door and feel the chill warm up inside so the cool air outside will be refreshing when you are ready to go.

Have a goal – Sometimes the sun and snow free sidewalks are enough inspiration to get you out there. Soon enough that may begin to fade. Every city has tons of races all season long. Find one that is a good start for you like a 5k or up it for more of a challenge and do a 15k or ½ marathon. Joining a training group with other runners at your level is always fun and inspiring.

Have a Plan – Weather you’re planning to train for a race on your own or want a program to follow to help you change it up you can find tons of running programs for all levels on the internet. A very popular training site is http://halhigdon.com/. This site will have a variety of programs for you to follow no matter what level you are at.

Recruit a friend – We all know this is the way to go! Personally I can only run so long by myself and that’s usually about 30 minutes max! If I have a friend to chat with, a group to keep up with or my dog to drag me I can easily add another mile or two to my runs with out it feeling like pure torture!

Don’t get overwhelmed – New to running or exercising outside take your time. You might have a great first day from pure adrenalin of it all but if your 2nd venture out is not so hot, don’t worry! Everyone has a good and bad training day but pace yourself and increase your run time, distance or speed each week. Also think about where you want to train. If you live in Chicago starting your first run on the lake path near North Ave. beach might not be the best idea. It can be extremely busy and intimidating with runners, bikers, roller-blades, walkers…It’s kind of crazy! Instead choose for a less crowded path starting further north by Montrose Beach or further South around the Museum Campus or Navy Pier area.

Propper Warm Up & Cool Down - _DO IT, DO IT, DO IT!**_ Think of your muscles like a rubber band. Put that rubber band in the freezer, pull it out and try to stretch it. What’s gonna happen?? SNAP! Just like that you are out of the game. You need to let your body know what’s coming up, what you expect of it. When your workout is done reward yourself with a good long stretch to transition back out of the workout, just like you transitioned in.

ICE - if you feel pain ice it. Don’t heat anything right away unless your Doctor tells you to. If you are feeling pain that is usually caused by inflammation and heat can be more irritating. Ice is a safe bet and will calm the area down. If it lasts longer than a couple days have it looked at ASAP so you can fix it and get back out there. If you feel like you started to fast start your training again with intervals. Run a few minutes then walk for a minute. This does not mean you are not getting a good workout, in fact you are probably getting a better and more efficient workout and your body will feel better.

****Shin Splints** **– This is such a common injury when starting any running or exercise program. This is the most common thing I see at boot camp. Keep this site as a reference on how to avoid getting them and if you do how to treat them. Lots of info here on what they are, causes, treatment…http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/shin-splints/DS00271

Happy Spring Running! Not a runner, check out upcoming boot camps for a different type of fun outdoor workout.

It’s the New Year and many people are ready to get moving on some new goals and life style changes.

We’re in the 2nd week of 2011, have your “resolutions” already taken a fall? Do you even remember what you were going to change? I’m sure many of you are doing the “Oh yeah, I did say I was going to do blank this year.”

So far this year every morning show, news show or email article I see has focused on ways to Detox or Cleanse. There are so many different ways to do this and so many questions surrounding them I thought I would bring a nice, simply, non-scary view to the subject.

I’m not a Detox guru and I don’t use/promote any “brand” of cleanse but I do know when my body feels TOXIC and its time for me to get back on track! This is usually about January 2nd for me b/c let’s face it, January 1 is spent watching football or curing a hangover from NYE which usually includes some kind of burger to help the get rid of the booze. Don’t know why but I always crave a burger if I did too much drinking. Actually, I do know why but that info has escaped my mind at this time. I read info on why we carve certain things after drinking but let’s get back to the detox.

I do promote that my clients keep an eye on what they do during the holidays. I don’t tell them to skip it all and stick their chicken salad and water but be smart and choose wisely. My choice, Christmas Cookies and lots of them! After a couple weeks of that I actually feel like my body needs a major dose of Clean Eating. Here is what I do to get my body and mind back on track in January. It would not be considered a detox by any hard core CLEANSERS but it works for me.

Since I honestly don’t think I could keep up the energy I need to get up at 4:10am daily, teach boot camp, get my own workouts in then run a full day of work, housework and mom duties I choose not to do liquid only type detox. What I like to do is fill my body with really good for me food that is filling, lower in calories but gives me lots and lots of vitamins and nutrients that my December diet probably didn’t support.

Here is an example day:

4:30am - Oatmeal (plain, 1 serving which is ½ cup dry)

7:00am – 2 pieces of fruit chopped up with a cup of tea

10:30/11am (after my workout) – Big Bowl of steamed veggies (zucchini, squash, asparagus, celery, mushrooms, spinach..), squeeze some lemon juice over them when done.

2:30pm – another bowl of oatmeal

Dinner – Lean protein like chicken or fish with a big salad of spring mix greens, maybe more steamed veggies.

I may also add in another cup of tea and I also drink a few glasses of water with ½ fresh squeezed lemon in it.

If you are dying for something sweet at night, have a frozen banana (peel then freeze some bananas).

If I feel like I need more protein I scramble up an egg and 2 more egg whites and mix them in with sautéed veggie for lunch like a big omelet instead of just steamed veggies.

I didn’t feel hungry on this at all because the food is high in volume, water content and fiber. I normally do this for a few days then get back on a nice balance of eating well through each day with 1 “fun” meal a week.

If you are looking for the right detox for you check out a variety of them to see what works for you and what you are able to commit to and finish or like me take some pieces and parts of different ideas and make your own Jump Start that will get rid of the sugar cravings of the holidays, loosen the pants a bit and get you back on track 

Have a Happy and Healthy 2011! Diana

Check out my Top 10 Favorite Exercises of 2010!**

I am not a registered Dietician or recommend anyone follow the exact diet listed above. This information has been presented purely to share what I personally do and do not recommend anyone follow this exact day without consulting a professional.**