1. Be Consistent: exercise at least 3 times each week.
2. Be Challenged: keep your routine intense.
3. Be Patient: true fitness results take time.
4. Be Excited: find a form of exercise that you love.
5. Be Advised: call in a professional, like me, for premium results.

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There are plenty of exercise misconceptions out in the world, some of which may be holding you back from your best body.

Do the following 5 exercise myths sound familiar? This may be exactly what you need to hear.

1) Exercise on an empty stomach burns more fat.

This theory says that if there’s no fuel in your body to burn then you’ll end up burning fat, but research has proven otherwise. Instead of pulling the energy from stored fat, there’s a better chance that your body will look to energy in your bloodstream and muscle stores. Further drawbacks to exercising on an empty stomach include shortened workouts due to lack of stamina, and dizziness or nausea from low blood sugar.

Instead of going hungry, enjoy a small, nutritious snack about 90 minutes before you exercise.

2) Cardio is more effective for weight loss than weights.

For some reason women seem to love the idea that they will burn more fat by running on a treadmill than by lifting dumbbells. Sorry ladies, but cardio alone is never as effective as a routine that also includes resistance training. Strength training is essential for building lean tissue, which increases your metabolism and decreases your body fat.

If your goal is weight loss, then make friends with some dumbbells.

3) If you exercise enough, then you can eat anything you want.

This myth makes me cringe, as I’ve seen so many people throw away their hard-earned fitness results by overeating. Even if you exercise daily at an intense rate, your diet still matters. To top it off, most people overestimate how many calories they burn as well as underestimating how many calories they are eating. This can be a fattening combo.

For best results, maintain a calorie-controlled diet filled with fresh, wholesome ingredients.

4) For optimal fat burn, exercise longer at a low intensity.

Wouldn’t it be nice if this one were true? Then instead of pushing it hard in the gym we could all simply go for a nice, long stroll to burn fat. Umm, usually if something sounds too good to be true that’s because it is too good to be true.

Intensity matters when it comes to getting great results, so challenge yourself.

5) Unless you exercise often, exercise is a waste of time.

I hear this myth in the form of an excuse from people who haven’t started an exercise program due to the idea that they won’t be able to exercise enough to make it count. Research continues to prove that any exercise is better than zero exercise. So you can only exercise once a week? Do it.

Any exercise is better than zero exercise. Contact me today and we will get you set up with an exercise program tailored to your lifestyle.

The sooner that you get started on my results-driven exercise program, the sooner you will be living life in your new, slimmer body.

What are you waiting for?

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We all have our favorite things to order when we eat out or get take-out. As you’ve seen above, these items can be made at home, in a much healthier way.

This is cool because it allows you to eat the same foods that you love, while losing weight and getting closer to your fitness goals.

It’s easier than you think. Make a list of your top 5 restaurant entrees and go online to search for healthier ways to cook them.

Start with the previous recipe for Crispy Orange Chicken.

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There’s no questioning the fact that the foods you eat go far in determining how quickly you’ll meet your fitness goals.

And if you’re eating a number of your meals out at restaurants then you’re going to want to keep reading because the average restaurant meal contains more than 1,200 calories.

Most people have no idea just how fattening restaurant entrées are. In fact, the following information may shock you.

Here, in no particular order, are 5 of the most fattening restaurant dishes along with tips that I’ve included to equip you in making lighter, healthier versions of these dishes at home.

Bad Food #1: Cobb Salad
Cobb salads are loaded with cheese, bacon, egg, and topped with a creamy dressing. Sure, you’re eating a salad, but that salad is likely to contain more calories than a burger.

At-Home Version: Making a lighter Cobb Salad at home is easy and quick. Start with a dark lettuce, like spinach or arugula, to get the most nutritional value. Top it with hard boiled egg whites, baked turkey bacon, light cheese, avocado and drizzle lemon juice and vinegar for dressing. This at-home version has dramatically lower calories while still providing you with a satisfying, tasty dish.

Bad Food #2: Spinach Artichoke Dip
When it comes to appetizers, spinach dip is filled with veggies so its calorie content is often underestimated. Don’t be fooled: just half a cup of this creamy dip will set you back about 350 calories. And if you finish the bowl yourself then you’ve just taken in 1,000 calories in dip alone, not to mention the chips or pita bread you scooped it with.

At-Home Version: That delicious creamy spinach flavor can be recreated at home by using low-fat milk, spinach, some olive oil and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. A quick Google search for ‘light creamed spinach recipe’ will give you plenty of recipe options that are much lower in fat and calories than the restaurant version.

Bad Food #3: Chicken Tenders
Fried chicken of any kind from a restaurant is going to be loaded with more fat and calories than you’d believe. Even a serving on the kid’s menu will tip the scales at over 800 calories.

At-Home Version: Making faux fried chicken at home is easy and surprisingly delicious. Whip up a few eggs with some Dijon mustard, garlic powder and onion powder. Dip your skinless, boneless chicken tenders in the mixture and then coat with almond flour, thyme, paprika and salt. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes or until no longer pink, flipping once halfway through. Turn on the broiler for the last couple of minutes to make it nice and crispy.

This at-home version will save you hundreds of calories that would have ended up around your waist.

Bad Food #4: Sliders
Sliders are so small, there’s no harm in enjoying a couple of, right? Wrong. Despite their petite package, enjoy a couple sliders and you’ll have taken in more than 1,000 calories.

At-Home Version: The biggest problems with the restaurant slider are its fatty meat content and the refined-carbohydrate bun. So at home you can remedy these two issues. 1) Use lean, ground turkey to create petite patties. Use your grill pan to cook them with minimal oil. 2) Instead of the carbohydrate-filled bun, use large pieces of butter lettuce to wrap around your patties. Add sliced tomato, low fat cheese and grilled onion and secure the whole thing with a toothpick. These at-home sliders are guilt-free!

Bad Food #5: Pasta
Eating a pasta-based dish at a restaurant is weight-loss suicide. There’s no way to escape all those carbohydrate calories unscathed. The 1,000+ calories found in the noodles will quickly end up stored on your body as fat.

At-Home Version: There are two really easy and guilt-free ways to mimic pasta noodles at home. 1) Bake a spaghetti squash until tender, then scoop out the soft, angel hair-like strands and top with your healthy pasta sauce. 2) Using a vegetable peeler, create long strips of zucchini and top with your healthy pasta sauce.

Cooking more of your meals at home, using the tips above, will save you many hidden calories and goes hand-in-hand with regular, challenging workouts in seeing you to your fitness goal, Call or email today and I will schedule a time to meet with you one-on-one to strategize the quickest and most effective route to getting you to your fitness goals.

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