It can’t be done by dieting alone.  And as a matter of fact, DIETING Sucks!  I’ve been there. Where its crunch time, where we’ve put off doing what’s needed to drop enough fat to look good before hitting the lakes for the Summer, or simply put those few extra pounds on from not being as active over our lovely Winter months.

Nothing is more stressful than being just a few weeks away from vacation or Summer and realizing you have not reached your desired weight-loss goals.   So, I normally start 12-14 weeks out. And rather go on an extreme DIET (which I never do……because they don’t work),  I alter my food program…..change things up a bit,  eat healthier, workout HARDER… and throw in cardio-intervals as necessary.

One of my FAVORITE non-diet snacks for my sugar tooth is cottage cheese mixed with Greek yogurt and a few shredded almonds thrown on top.   The cottage cheese absorbs the flavor of the yogurt,  the almonds add crunch… and the whole snack curves your sweet tooth.

 I eat this at least once a day on top of my other meals, because it’s that good. It also packs in some great PROTEIN, which helps curve your hunger!  Now, if you’re not a fan of cottage cheese, I understand.  I wasn’t either until I mixed it with yogurt. Give it a try you may be pleasantly surprised!   This has become my favorite #1 healthy snack of all time.

 The first step to reaching your Summer weight-loss goals is to PLAN now!  Don’t look back at what you didn’t do, simply look forward and then kick it into full speed ahead!  If you need some help, give me a call…….

I’d love to help you reach your goals by Summer!

 Email me at: debfinnestad@aol.com to set up your first consult!

 Train Hard & Expect Results,

Deb

 Home is Where the Heart Is                

 If home is where the heart is, why do so many people neglect their heart, both physically and spiritually? Is your heart suffering due to a lack of exercise or to the foods you eat? Maybe your heart is bogged down with negative emotions (anger, jealousy, bitterness, hatred, fear or resentment). In either case, the heart becomes cluttered with an emotional filth that leaves no room for physical cleanliness. Would you enjoy living in a home that is dirty, cluttered, dangerous, and gloomy? I imagine most would answer that question with an emphatic “No!” Why, then, would anyone live with a heart condition that is equally harmful and depressing?

 Your heart is the central operating unit for the entire body, pumping blood, oxygen, and nutrients to every cell. It’s the home base, if you will, from which the entire body receives its commands, including the mind and its ability to think. Phrases such as, “Home is where the heart is,” “Home sweet home,” “A man after His own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14), even “homesick” are reminders of where we long to be…HOME!  If you are out of shape and depressed, however, do you stuff your home and your heart with things that never fill the hole left by what you are truly seeking? If we long to be home and our heart is the “home” from which we operate to our fullest potential (when we’re healthy), we should honor that home-clean it, purify it, fuel it, and exercise it to offer maximum benefits. The rewards are even far greater than what the heart offers physically. The heart is the home to a healthy mind, body, and spirit.

 The first step in clearing the filth that has entered your heart (emotionally or physically) is to change the way you think. When you recognize and accept that you are worth the effort it takes to have a clean and healthy heart, you are ready to put the following necessary steps into action:

 1. Emotional triggers:  Address them! Whether your triggers concern past or present issues, decide to let go and release the negative thoughts, feelings and actions that go along with that emotion. Ask yourself:  Does my attitude serve me or those around me? You may be hanging onto anger and resentment even though the person against whom the emotions are directed has been set free (because she/he did not allow emotions to run her life). Do you find yourself stuffing your emotions with food, alcohol, drugs, lust or shopping, to name a few? If so, consider what your future may look like five years from now if you continue down that path.

 2. Action Plan: Put a specific plan in place for every day. Journal your eating, exercise, feelings and actions. Such accountability will develop into a daily pattern or habit. Hiring a coach/Personal trainer or checking in with a close friend also works wonders to keep you accountable.

 3. Measure: Take time each week to check in and measure your results. There is no greater motivator than seeing the progression that leads to one’s goals.

 4. Reward:  When positive results are clearly shown, a healthy reward is key to encouraging you to continue reaching new and perhaps even greater goals.

 Once you get to the “heart of the matter,” you will appreciate that home indeed is where the heart is-and that taking care of your heart is critical for you and for those who love you most.

 Blessings Always,

Deb

Soon, we will be offering our wonderful classes and programs in Ankeny churches and can’t wait to serve you there! If you belong to a church that would like to learn more about offering fitness classes or wellness programs, please give us a call. We would love to help you gets started!

December 2010 Class Descriptions

December 2010 Class Schedule

There is a class for everyone this November! Check out our new Pilates class added to our early morning schedule as well as our new DANCE class on Friday mornings! Deb will be teaching the Friday morning class that will not only be FUN…but will get you movin’ and groovin’ while you sweat off those unwanted calories!

For you DRUM CLASS lovers, please consider coming to our Saturday morning DRUM class at 8am on Saturdays! This class is a favorite to many and we have moved this class to Saturdays to include more people…AND JENNY GETS TO TEACH IT!!!

Click on links below for a complete calendar and for class descriptions!

See you in CLASS!

November Class Descriptions – 2010

November Class Schedule

Go to this site to learn more…..order yours today!  I will be adding some exercises and workouts that you can do using this, watch for more to come!

Click on link below to order:

http://www.bwculture.net/?Click=4373

Hard & Expect Results,

Deb

 Anyway, it reminded me of conversations I have had with clients over the years. They will tell me how they’re feeling fitter, stronger, leaner, their clothes are looser and they are in a few notches on their belt. People have noticed and commented on how they are looking but all of this counts for nothing because the scales haven’t moved.  (Sound familiar?)

 My first reply is to get the scales moving you need to throw them out the window! Either that or understand that there is a lot of good things happening and that your weight (which measures everything, good and bad, muscle, fat, blood, bones, water, hair etc etc etc) on the scales isn’t the only measure that is important. In fact it can be one of the least important especially if it takes away from all of the other great changes you are making to your body and health.

 So what I am trying to say is focus on the positives and don’t let small negatives ruin your mindset and motivation!

 Have a great week,

 Deb

Remember that classes are INCLUDED in your membership fee so you really have nothing to lose! Simply jump into any class and give it a try…

Hope to see you in a class very soon! God bless.

October 2010 Class Schedule

October 2010 Class Descriptions

Straight UP” i THINK OUR EXISTENCE ON EARTH is merely an exercise, teaching us to be humble and obedient to God! Sin is an insult to God.

American Christians often fail to understand we Have the right to show anger, love, hostility, compassion, and question everything! A True Christian can have a strong faith and still think about everything. Yes we will pay our consequences. As American Christians we get so obsessed with being “Christ-like” we are afraid to be human. Let these emotions be your guide not your way of life.

This is an email I received from a friend who has the pen name “Under His Thumb, and I am Still Free!”

We all know we should exercise often but sometimes we let other things get more of our attention. CLASSES can offer a wonderful variety for us. Our class schedule for September is full of some of your FAVORITES…like Drums Alive and Dance options as well as some NEW options like Balletone and MAX.

All of these classes are designed for all fitness levels and will allow for you to workout in a FUN, and SAFE environment alongside other men and women working toward a healthier spirit, mind, and body.

Remember that our classes are FREE with your monthly membership dues and that you do NOT have to pre-register for our classes…simply show up and be ready for some fun!

September 2010 Class Schedule

September Class Descriptions 2010

Nope. It’s TIME. Or rather the lack thereof.

“We know that 50 per cent of the population doesn’t [exercise]
and the most commonly cited barrier to exercise is lack of time.”
This quote comes from exercise researcher Martin Gibala, a
kinesiology professor at McMaster University in Hamilton.

I can testify: as a Personal Training for over 15 years I can tell
you that 60% of gym members quit in the first 3 months.
And that’s an industry stat across North America. 

Gibala put his theory to the test in a study that was published
in the Journal of Physiology. In it Gibala compared a group who
exercised “traditionally” — 90 to 120 minutes per day — with
another group exercising far less:  Only 20 minutes per day and
only three days per week.

That’s a whopping one hour per week folks!!

In just two weeks both groups showed improvement in both exercise
performance and oxygen uptake. (Remember, fat burns in the
presence of oxygen.)

The kicker is that both groups were almost identical in their
improvement. Why? Because the brief exercise group trained with
greater focus and more intensity — exactly how I suggests you
train.

This is just one of dozens of studies that confirm the benefits
of shorter but more intense workouts.

However, there is a catch:  Train too hard and you will shut down
your fat-burning furnace. 

Your body perceives over-exertion done over an extended period of
time as a sign of pursuit. It can trigger an ancient hormonal
sequence that says, “I’m being chased by a tiger! Horde the fat!”

The body literally shuts down what it considers to be unnecessary
activity in favor of self-preservation. And guess what? Burning
off those hips and love handles is not a biological necessity.

You have to learn when to hit it hard AND when to rest and
recover.

Finally, you have to put yourself into the proper mental state in
order to see greater results in the shortest period of time.

Just remember these three key points:

    1.  Time is the greatest barrier to fitness.
    2.  Workouts can be short and very effective.
    3.  The body goes where the mind directs.

Until next time, train smart.

Deb