There are many things that can get in the way of a good workout. There are children commitments, going to the doctors, banking, housework, making dinner for the family, and just pushing it off until later in the day. There are times that we forget what is most important. Making sure that we live healthy lifestyles is the most important thing. If you are not healthy and happy then you are not going to make anyone else happy. You may have self-confidence issues or it is hard for you to get off the couch and play with your kids. Commit to making a change in your everyday life and work hard at giving yourself that hour devoted to improving your health.

After you make that commitment just think about how you feel after the workout is finished. You get that energy kick. Also, you look good and feel great. It seems like when you are with your trainer the problems of everyday life go away. It will not always be easy and as trainers we understand that you will have peaks and valleys. Just stick with it and working out will give you a chance to get away from the everyday grind. Getting away from everything for that short period of time will make you happy in your everyday life.

As trainer’s it is important for us to keep you motivated and help you realize the positive effects of a great workout. Your hour with us should be an important part of your day that leaves you feeling great. We want to challenge everyone to commit an hour a day and realize how that hour will change your life.

Keep your body guessing in your workouts. If you go to the gym everyday and do the same circuit of machines you may have noticed that you are not getting the results you want. It is good to change things up and throw new exercises into your program from time to time.

Trainers will notice when your progress begins to plateau and make the necessary changes in your program. The change could be as simple as a modified limb or body angle to make your muscles recruit new muscle fibers. Exercise should be a fun experience and usually the program just needs a change. Even the biggest workout enthusiasts hit a wall at some point in their training.

As trainers we have a big bag of tricks that we use to keep workouts different while accomplishing individual goals for clients. We use boxing, running intervals, elliptical intervals and bodyweight exercises. You can train for a marathon or start a more power training phase. Talk with your trainer and keep them up to speed on how you feel your body is progressing and get the results that you want!

With the summer right around the corner, what is better than grilling out with some friends? At times our diets may take a hit from the food that we grill. There are tasty replacements for some of your grill favorites. Not only can you grill your favorite meals but you can also have a healthy dessert on the grill. Try grilling some of your favorite fruits and taste some awesome flavor. We have placed Fernando’s favorite grilled peach sundae below for you and your friends to try at the next summer barbecue.


Ingredients (Recipe from eatingwell.com)

2 peaches, halved and pitted
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 scoops nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt or fruit sorbet
1 tablespoon toasted unsweetened coconut

Preparation
1.Preheat grill to high. Brush peach halves with oil. Grill until tender. Place 2 peach halves in each bowl and top with a scoop of frozen yogurt (or sorbet) and coconut.
Nutrition
Per serving: 154 calories; 4 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 28 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 2 g fiber; 41 mg sodium; 319 mg potassium.

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 fruit, 1 other carbohydrate, 1/2 fat

How to enjoy a drink without declaring war on your diet

By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD WebMD

Weight Loss Clinic - Expert Column edited by Fitness Together Lake Forest

Reviewed By Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD/LD

If women say, "This dessert is going straight to my hips," men should say, "This beer is going straight to my belly."

That's because it's difficult for your body to use alcohol calories for energy. Which means -- watch out! -- those calories usually get turned into fat. A gram of alcohol is worth 7 calories, compared with a gram of protein or carbohydrate, worth 4 calories each.

So what's a beer-drinking or wine-sipping weight-conscious person to do? How can you walk through the alcohol minefield without blowing up your healthful intentions?

•Consider alcohol beverages weekly -- and moderate -- "treats" instead of a daily ritual.
•Eat before imbibing. You'll be less likely to over-consume and as the meal's protein and carbs are used as energy the negative metabolic effects of the empty alcohol calories are moderated.
•Make better beverage choices. Choose certain beers, wines, and other drinks, and you can minimize the carb and alcohol calories coming from your cocktail.
100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall

Take your pick: want fewer calories or fewer carbohydrate grams? Non-alcoholic beers have fewer calories than light beers but "light" beers have fewer carb grams and "low-carb beers" fewer still (averaging 95 calories and 2.6 grams of carbohydrates). Choose either kind of brew and you're ahead of regular beer drinkers, who imbibe 140 calories and 13 grams of carbohydrates with every bottle or can. Check out the carb and calorie stats below.

Non-Alcoholic Beers

There are two domestic and two import non-alcoholic beers available. My husband says the imports seem to have more flavor, but the domestic beers are good, too.

Beer (12 oz) Calories Carbohydrate (g)
O'Doul's 79 13.3
Sharps >58 12.1
Clausthaler non-alcoholic 89 18.8
St. Pauli N.A. n/a n/a


Light Beers

American beer makers seem to be into the "light" beer act these days. Which one tastes best? My guess is if you like Coors you'll probably like Coors Light, and if you're a Bud imbiber, you'll probably like Bud Light best. Check out the difference in calories and carbs below.

Beer (12 oz) Calories Carbohydrate (g)
Coors Light 102 5
Miller Lite 96 3.2
MGD Miller Genuine Draft Light n/a n/a
Bud Light n/a n/a


Wine contributes few carbs but around 160 calories per cup, with only sweet dessert wines tipping the scales in both calories and carbs. One way to make your one delicious cup of wine last longer is to make a spritzer by blending wine with an equal amount of seltzer, club soda, or diet 7 UP. Purists, of course, can simply sip theirs as is, or enjoy it with a meal.

Wine (1-cup) Calories Carbohydrate (g)
Dry White Wine 158 1.5
Medium White Wine 160 1.9
Red Wine 170 4
Sweet Dessert Wine 362 28