Fit & Healthy Buffalo- Fitness Success After 40

  …about your fitness goals? Just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean your fitness goals no longer matter. If you lose sight of your fat loss goals entirely this month, you’ll have a seriously rude awakening come January 1. I have a better idea for you…let’s keep you focused on your fitness goals while making room for some fun this holiday season. This means that you’ll need to learn how to indulge with control. While that may sound like an oxymoron, it IS possible to let loose and enjoy without throwing away the results you’ve worked so hard for. Here’s how to stay fit this holiday season: Holiday Fitness Tip #1: It’s All About Moderation  Don’t try to deprive yourself of all the foods you love. This is unrealistic. Instead, be smart about what you choose to eat. Enjoy your very favorite flavors of the season but in moderation. Trim calories where you can by only eating those rich foods that you really enjoy. Also, be sure to limit the number of alcoholic bever

  You know those moments when you feel like you’re up against a challenge SO big, it seems like there’s no way out?  Maybe you feel like you have a lot of weight to lose, or maybe you’re up against a health concern that seems “impossible” to fix.  The next time you encounter a goal that feels overwhelming, here’s a story taken straight from the Green Berets — a U.S. Army’s Special Forces unit known for its resilience and tenacity. Back during the Vietnam War, Army 1st Lt. James “Nick” Rowe spent more than 5 years as a prisoner of war… During that time, he was trapped in a 3’x4’x6’ (0.91 m × 1.22 m × 1.83 m) bamboo cage, and consistently beaten, tortured, fed garbage, and worse. When he eventually escaped, Rowe (who went on to become a colonel) credited his focus on small victories — looking for any way to gain a slight edge — with helping him survive.  For him, the small victories were things like tricking his captors, finding an extra bite of food, or writing

  There are two distinctly different approaches to losing the fat and getting into amazing shape. One of these approaches works. (Every. Single. Time.) And the other approach fails. (Every. Single. Time.) I call these the Fitness Short Game and the Fitness Long Game. Let’s find out which game you’re playing… Fitness Short Game:  Those who choose to play short are looking for the quick fix. They are looking for the program that will give them dramatic fat loss results in the shortest amount of time. They want results, they want it NOW, and they don’t play to stick with it. This is the instant gratification crowd. Fitness Long Game:  Those who choose to play long are focusing on making lifestyle changes to sustain for the long haul. They are working on steadily adapting healthier habits and putting in the time and effort to maintain these improvements. They are patient and focused on their end goal, knowing full well that gratification will be delayed, and results will be pe

  Have you ever tried to quit a habit?  Depending on how long it has been a habit, it can be quite a challenge! I’ve got a powerful tip for you today that can help. Example: Let’s say you want to stop nighttime snacking. The next time you find yourself doing it, STOP (at least momentarily). Then, ask yourself without any judgment involved: What was happening just before you reached for those chips/cookies? Where were you? What were you thinking about? What were you doing? What were you feeling? Those questions can help you unearth the ROOT CAUSE of your habit. Nearly all of our habits serve a purpose. Or at least they did when we first started doing them. They may have eased boredom or loneliness, helped us deal with stress, given us a temporary shot of energy, and on and on!  But now the habit isn’t helping. You’ve outgrown it! When you can figure out the root cause SPARKING your habit, you are better equipped to find a ne

 Have you ever wondered how some people are able to maintain amazing bodies while you struggle with your weight?  They make it seem so easy to achieve and maintain results. What do they know that you don't? When you boil it down, the answer is quite simple. The missing link between you and your ideal body is good old motivation.  A healthy dose of motivation coupled with determination will get you almost anything in life. So how do you know if you're genuinely motivated? Motivation will tell you to get out of bed for an early workout.  Motivation will nag you to put down the doughnut.  Motivation makes passing on fries a reflex.  Motivation makes a sweat drenched workout exciting.  Motivation constantly reminds you why you do what you do. If your motivation levels are lacking, read the following four steps to turn on your motivation. Step #1: Pinpoint Your Motivator.  Motivation stems from having a goal. What is your goal? Why do y

 We’re in the last lap of 2023 — and if you want to end the year with a giant exclamation point of accomplishment, there’s ONE THING you can do: Zero in on your “Sphere of Control.” That means focusing on things you actually have control over, like:  Your actions Your mindset Your effort … And letting go of everything else. Here’s a graphic that shows how this sphere works: When you focus on the things you control, you move FORWARD toward your goals. A few health and fitness examples of your sphere of control: Your workouts The quality of the food you eat Your performance and consistency Plus, your efforts in your “things you can control” circle carry a bonus. They can power the “things you can influence” by helping you make gains there, too. Some health/fitness-related examples in your sphere of influence: Setting up your bedroom so it’s cool, dark, and quiet, to help you get a great night of sleep Being consist

Are there things about yourself that you'd like to change?  Your weight, your habits, and maybe even your outlook on life?  We are trained to think that change is hard, that it takes time. But it really doesn't have to be.  I'm here to argue that lasting change happens in an instant.  I understand that this goes against mainstream belief. Most people believe that change has to be a struggle. We expect to try and fail numerous times before ultimately giving up or succeeding.  Think about this - how many people do you know who struggle with their weight? They want to make a healthy change by getting in shape, but the change never seems to happen.  What is it in your life that you want to change? Do you have inches to lose? Do you have preventable diabetes? Do you have a pair of skinny jeans that you want to fit into?  What is keeping you from making this change in your life?  According to professional speaker and author, Tony Robbins, it's the preparation for change that

 You have so many demands on you. Your family relies on you for money, food, transportation, and a million other things. You hardly get a moment to yourself at the end of each day. It’s hard not to feel guilty about taking a moment to care for yourself. From the moment that your day starts, with making meals, getting ready for work, and getting the kids to school on time and yourself to work on time, you have demands on you minute-by-minute. It’s easy to start feeling like there’s nothing left for yourself, even though the benefits of self-care are well known. Why self-care? Every time that we board an airplane to jet to another city, we are reminded of the importance of caring for ourselves before attempting to care for others. “In case of emergency, air masks will drop the ceiling. If you are traveling with a minor, please put on your own mask before helping the minor.” The reasoning is simple: if you are not in good working condition (i.e. gasping for air) then

And it is something that you have complete control over… it’s the intensity with which you exercise. Intensity is something that’s difficult for the outside observer to measure but is felt within your body as you go through the motions of an exercise. It’s how hard you push yourself to go as heavy and as quickly as possible. It’s picking up a weight that feels hard to handle. It’s putting a boost behind each stride as you run. It’s resisting the urge to simply go through the motions. It’s outdoing your efforts from last time. Now I understand the urge to put out token effort in your workout, going through the motions while cutting corners along the way. We all have days when the weights feel extra heavy and our energy stores feel depleted, and those days will naturally be less intense. However, when low intensity workouts are your norm, you simply won’t ever achieve the results that you’re hoping for. And this is something that you completely control. So, as you go into your next worko

Have you ever wondered how some people are able to maintain amazing bodies while you struggle with your weight?  They make it seem so easy to achieve and maintain results. What do they know that you don’t? When you boil it down, the answer is quite simple.  The missing link between you and your ideal body is your go-to list of excuses.  Start with an excuse and expect to be excused from losing weight. Here are seven excuses that have ensured dieters will fail in their weight-loss attempts before they ever get started.  Excuse #1: I’ve Always Been Overweight Here’s a little secret: feeling sorry for yourself will not help you lose weight. Quite the contrary. Whining and crying that you’ve never been thin can actually work against you, as you start to see yourself as stuck being overweight. Do that long enough and all you can see in your future is an overweight you. If you’re going to really cut your weight, you’ve got to be able to envision a lighter you.  Excuse #2: I Worked Out, So I

  Talk to 10 people and you'll get 10 different opinions on the best way to get fit.One will tell you to attend an aerobics class. Another will swear by jogging.  Yet another will tell you that dance and biking worked for them.The truth is that there's really only one effective way to get fit. Before I get into the details, it’s important that we agree on the definition of 'fit'. Too often thin is mistaken for fit, and that's not what you should strive for.  When someone is thin, but has very little muscle tissue, they aren't truly fit.  Here’s why thin doesn’t equal fit:  Their body fat percentage will be higher than ideal—even though you won't see a lot of fat on them, if their muscle percentage is low then fat percentage will be higher.  Their resting metabolism will be low, since little muscle is present to burn calories at rest.  Their body won't be functionally strong, which will lead to injuries and frustrations. So how

 Here’s one small change to your daily routine that will help those unwanted pounds come off quickly and easily. ***Disclaimer: This sounds so easy but try it out before writing it off as too easy.*** The easy fat loss trick that you’re not doing is to drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water daily. This might sound boring, but take a moment to reflect on your water intake over the past few days. Did you even get close to the minimum of 64 ounces? Really, for optimal fat loss, you want to be drinking closer to a gallon of water each day. Why is water such a big deal? #1) Water Aids Fat Metabolism in the Liver When it comes down to the technical process of losing fat, your liver is where the action is. The key to having a highly functional liver, one that quickly removes metabolic waste and built up toxins, is to be properly hydrated by drinking a minimum of 64 ounces of water each day. Your liver is a filter for your body. When you aren’t drinking enough water

  I've got a “hack” to share with you today that could be a game changer in your journey to healthier eating.  It’s NOT a new supplement, a superfood, or a fad diet. But it IS more effective – and healthier! – than all of those things.  Welcome to The Plate Perfect Formula ! It will help you create a delicious, balanced meal every time you sit down to eat… WITHOUT the stress of counting every single calorie or fretting over portions.  All it takes is a dinner plate and this easy formula: 50% Veggies + 25% Starchy Carbs + 25% Protein + 1 Thumb of Healthy Fats = 100% Healthy Eating I told you it was simple! Here's the breakdown: Step 1: Fill half of your plate with veggies (& maybe a little fruit). This not only provides you with vitamins, minerals, and fiber but will fill you up without a lot of calories. Step 2: Fill one-quarter of your plate with unprocessed starchy carbs (think sweet potatoes, brown rice, or quinoa). These give you the m

There’s an old Japanese proverb … Fall down seven times, get up eight. No matter how many times you fail, you get up and try again. If you’re having a tough time… you’ve missed a workout (or two), or struggling with new healthy habits… remember this: Don’t dwell on your past struggles. Learn from them… and FOCUS FORWARD! No one’s perfect.  It’s important to remember that you don’t have ANY CONTROL over what has already happened. Wasting time stressing over it or beating yourself up doesn’t get you anywhere. But you *do* have control over what you do next. Ask yourself: What’s the next best action you can take? And then take that action. Remember, you are only one meal away from eating nutritious foods. You are only one brisk walk away from a workout. At Applied Fitness, we believe in the power of taking action and focusing on what you can control.  Sometimes slip-ups happen — but it's how you respond to them that truly matters. I

Have you ever been frustrated over a lack of results from your workout routine?  If so, you are in good company. Even the most seasoned athletes experience times when their results plateau.  When you continue to put in the same effort day after day with little or no results it is safe to say that you've hit your own fitness plateau.  Your body adapts quickly to any repetitive routine. The definition of 'insanity' is to do the same thing over and over while expecting different results. This holds true for your workouts. When your results stop then it's time to do something new.  I have good news - the following 4 tactics are guaranteed to crank your workouts up to the next level and to deliver the fast results you want. Tactic #1: Focus on Negatives Each time that you do a weight lifting repetition you are utilizing three types of strength. These are: Positive strength: the motion of lifting the weight. Static strength: holding weight in a contracted position. 

This month we are going to talk about balance – work/life balance, a balanced diet, etc. – but first, I want to dispel a HUGE MYTH. Here it is:  When you take on something new – or ramp up to reach a big goal – sometimes you have to throw the idea of “balance” out the window. AND IT’S A-OK TO DO THAT! (at least temporarily) Not only is it OK, but it can be a necessity. Think about it… when you: Start working out or eating clean Begin a new job Move into a new place Have a new relationship… It throws your old idea of balance into disarray, at least for a while. That’s because the new thing (whatever it is!) takes up more hours/bandwidth/energy, and that can mean giving LESS priority to some other things in your life. But there’s an ultimate goal… It’s to create a NEW idea of balance – one that includes the new thing as well as the other things that are important to you. It’s not about striving for perfection. Instead, it’s about

 Let’s talk about CHOICES. Specifically ONE choice – an exciting and potentially life-changing one. 🎯What if tomorrow morning, you woke up and chose to live as the most powerful version of yourself? As someone with a clear vision for what they want, a strong belief in their ability to take action, and the desire (and drive!) to bring it to life! Take a second to soak that in. Then ask yourself: How would you live your day? What would you turn your attention to? What would you decide NOT to focus on? What would be the TOP 5 actions you would take? And the biggest question of all… What would your self-talk sound like? To me, living a powerful life means that you are ready – and willing! – take responsibility for your life… … and (re)create it, in a way that serves you, your goals, your beliefs, and your life’s mission. How empowering is THAT? So… what will tomorrow look like for you?  Remember, the most powerful version of y