Sometimes it really is a matter of your body holding on to those last few pounds and you needing to pull out some tricks to get your body to let go of them. However in my experience working with lots and lots (hundreds!) of women I find that really there are just some things you need to buckle down on and clean up (usually in the diet) to get back on track and get over this “plateau”.

So since it’s now officially spring let’s do some spring cleaning of your weight-loss habits.

These are the top 3 areas that most of us aren’t really being as diligent as we can:

Diet: Decide on ONE thing that you can give-up for a week. That one thing that deep down you know is holding back. Maybe it’s your Carmel macchiato, that nightly glass of wine, bread or pasta at every meal…..you know the one thing that you constantly try to justify or think you can work off. You don’t have to give it up forever, just 7-days. I’ll bet you end up finding that A). after 4 or 5 days you don’t want it nearly as much as you thought and B). you’ll drop a pound or two without changing anything else.

The ladies in my boot camp started this last week for our March challenge and are seeing some real changes because of it.

Sleep: Lack of sleep makes you fatter. Simple as that.

People who get less sleep report having greater appetites and greater feeling of hunger, specifically for high carb, high fat foods. Why?

Because getting less sleep leads to decreased leptin levels, leptin helps to control your brains hunger and craving responses. Also, people who sleep less are over an hour more sedentary per day; and you know; the less you move the less calories you’re burning. So starting now schedule in a power nap.

My new favorite app is Pzizz. This app is designed to stimulate deep sleep fast. I’m usually a tosser and turner at night but when I sleep with this app in my ear I wake up 7 hours later in the EXACT same position I went to sleep in! I am so rested it’s crazy. But when I do have a short night of sleep or just get tired from my world domination activities I use it to steal a super effective 15 min power nap. Love it.

Move More: I’m not talking about your workouts, I’m talking about just moving more in your daily life. You can workout as hard core as fighter or pro athlete but if you then sit on your butt the rest of the day only walking from kitchen to family room or from cubicle to cubicle you’re probably wondering why you are not losing fat as fast as you’d like. The calorie burn difference between someone who just works out and then is fairly inactive and someone who works out AND moves throughout the day can be as much as 2,000 calories a day! Yeah, you need to get moving!

Get a pedometer and aim to get at least 10,000-12,000 steps a day. It’s not that hard, pace around when you’re taking a call, walk your dogs a mile or two a day, take the stairs, park at the far end of the parking lot, do spontaneous burst of 100 jumping jacks throughout the day. Just make more of your day about moving!

Toss It!: Oh yeah and while we’re at the spring cleaning, throw away your scale!

Whether it’s in the bathroom, the basement or in the bedroom, it’s taunting you. Every day it beckons for you to step onto it. It’s the first thing you think of when you wake up and we always want to hop on the scale before bed.  This obsession is one of the reasons you should cut ties with the scale; set it free so you can set yourself free of its chokehold.

Did You Know that your scale weight can fluctuate up to 5 pounds in one day!

This is due to:

-Weight of food & beverages

-Water loss from exercise

-Water gain from menstrual cycles

-Water retention from high sodium intake

-Weight of non-voided bowel contents

The scale is NOT the real barometer of progress.

Instead try focusing on:

-How you feel after rushing up a flight of stairs

-Not tiring out as quickly when you play with your children

-Your new-found ability to change the water cooler bottle at work without any effort!

-Diminished cravings for sugar

Try these simple steps today and enjoy the warm weather to come.

Yours in spring cleaning,

Sarai Jones, Booty Boot Camp

https://www.facebook.com/sacramento.bootcamp

P.S. The next Skinny Jeans Transformation Challenge starts in April!

I really enjoy smoothies for breakfast because I can cram greens, flax and chia seeds in there and start my morning off feeling great.

But today I was going into my website to pull down the recipe booklet and I thought of you all; my faithful readers and I decided to share it with you too.

So here it is:Top Ten-for now-Smoothies

I say “Top Ten for now” cause I have TONS more recipes in fact I just bought a book: 100 Best Smoothies and my repertoire has almost doubled! I love this book. Some of the recipes need a tweak here and there (less sugar, a scoop of protein, etc) but some of the combos I never would have thought of or tried had I not seen it somewhere first like the Apple Celery smoothie…don’t knock it til you try it, tasty stuff right there especially with my tweaks.

Anyway, it got me thinking that I want to hear what recipes for smoothies YOU’VE all got. And I want to give away up 5 copies of the book: ‘100 Best Smoothie’. All you have to do is head over to my fanpage on fb https://www.facebook.com/sacramento.bootcamp and put down your favorite smoothie recipe. It doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated. Just share what you like to throw in a blender for a meal, snack or desert. On Tuesday I’ll draw 1 name for every 10 entries to get a copy of ‘100 Best Smoothies’ and send it to you. If you live close to my boot camp studio you can come in and pick it up and I’ll also throw in a week of BBC if you’re not currently a member (no obligation!). This is open to everyone, members and non-members.

So let’s see those recipes! Here is my fanpage again: https://www.facebook.com/sacramento.bootcamp

Winners will be drawn on Tuesday morning!

It was a nice morning, I led a special 9am Booty Boot Camp workout and then we did a quick setup and all sat down to a simple yet delicious brunch while I threw out some facts and tips and answered questions about nutrition and fat loss. I already can’t wait for the next one!

A lot of what I informed the ladies about came from the new Detoxify Your Fat Program Some very powerful info about the SCIENCE of weight/fat loss and how hormones affect your progress and super simple ways to combat it. Some of this I have been teaching for a long time but it was nice to see the scientific back up in easy to understand langue. If you have been having problems making progress on your goals then you’ll want to check it out. Detoxify Your Fat Program

I also want to share a few of the recipes from the brunch cause they make great healthy choices for everyday too. And they were all so easy.

Spinach n Sausage Mini Quiches

TIP: You can make a batch and freeze then pull out two at night to thaw and heat up in the morning with oatmeal, toast or some other starchy carb)

8 ounces turkey Italian sausage, (removed casing and crumbled into small pieces)

1 teaspoon olive oil

8 ounces frozen spinach (drained)

¼ cup sliced scallions

¼ cup shredded Swiss chess

1 teaspoon ground pepper

5 eggs

3 egg whites

1 cup 1% milk

1. Preheat oven 325. Coat a nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add sausage and cook until golden brown (6-8 minutes) transfer to a bowl to cool Add oil to the pan and cook spinach and green onions for 3-5 minutes.

3. Transfer to the bowl with the sausage. Let cool for 5 minutes the stir in cheese and pepper.

4. Whisk eggs, egg whites and milk in a medium bowl. Divide the egg mixture evenly amount the prepared muffin cups ( I had used the ¼ cup measuring cup ) Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the sausage mixture into each cup.

5. Bake until the tops are just beginning to brown 25 minutes ..( Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Place a rack on top of the pan, flip it over and turn the quiches out onto the rack. Turn upright and let cool completely.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories 142, Fat 10g, Carbs 2.3g, Protein 10g (got this recipe from a client, not sure where she got it)

Smoked Salmon Canapés

Tip: Great hor d’oeuvres to bring to a party

¼ cup finely chopped green onions

¼ tsp dried whole dill weed

1/8 tsp ground white pepper

¼ fat-free cream cheese, softened

1 tsp fat-free milk

16 party slices (1-1/2” square) pumpernickel bread, toasted

4-oz package thinly sliced smoked salmon

Combine first five ingredients in a small bowl, mixing well. Spread 1 teaspoon cream cheese mixture on each slice of bread. Top with a thin slice of salmon. Makes 16 canapés. Per Canapé:  37 calories, 3 g protein, 4 g carbs, 1 g fat (recipe from a super old edition of Muscle & Fitness Hers magazine)

Sweet Potato & Apple Casserole

TIP: This is a great no-added sugar dessert!

2 Medium sweet potatoes

1-1/2 tbsp unsalted butter (see notes below)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ginger

1/8 tsp allspice

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½ inch rings

2 Tbsp maple syrup

1. Trim the ends of the cooked sweet potatoes (see below for how to cook) and slice into 1/2 –inch rounds.

2. Mix together the cinnamon, ginger and allspice.

3. Butter a small casserole dish (3-1/2 qt) with half the butter (I used cooking spray). Make 1 layer of apples, top with 1-layer of sweet potatoes and top with another layer of apples. Sprinkle half the spice mixture over the 3 layers. Drizzle with half the maple syrup. Top with another layer of sweet potato and top with a layer of apples. Sprinkle the rest of the spice mixture on top and the other half of the syrup. Dot with the rest of the butter (I did not).

4. Cover and bake for 45 minutes or until all is very tender, about 45 minutes.

6 servings. Nutrition per serving: 111 calories, 1g protein (recipe from nov/dec ’09 Fitness magazine)

Enjoy the recipes. And don’t forget to check out Detoxify Your Fat Program

1. Availability of healthy options that are in line with your plan

2. Once hunger sets in it’s hard to stick to your plan. The drive-through smells really good when you’re hungry!

3. Cost, eating out all the time gets really expensive!

So my mantra is to prepare, prepare, prepare!

You also need to prepare for being unprepared. What I mean is stashing healthy non-perishable options in your car, purse, office, your most visited friends, etc. I try to never be without something healthy to eat. Even if I stash it and forget about it for months, the day will inevitably come when I realize I’m hungry and didn’t pack a cooler and I think, what am I going to eat and then I remember “oh yeah, I have that ____ I stashed for emergencies.”

I made a video of my latest stashed food and it’s also good for your everyday breakfast.

Here it is

Obesity, type-2 diabetes, and soda addiction have all risen together steadily and scarily over the past decades. Coincidence? Not a chance. Soda is sabotaging your body.

What’s so bad about a little bubbly liquid?
Lots and lots of calories and zero nutritional value. Sugary soft drinks account for almost 10% of the average American’s daily caloric intake. That’s a ton of empty calories that lack any of the nutrients, fiber, or minerals your body needs to function. Because soda’s missing what your body craves, no matter how much you drink you’ll still be left feeling hungry. So, on top of hundreds of empty calories, you pile on additional food that still counts against your ideal daily allotment. Remember, there is one absolute truth: if you take in more calories than you burn you will gain weight.

Your odds of becoming obese increase as much as 1.6 times for every 12 ounces of soda you drink over the course of the day. That’s because one small can of soda holds a whopping 140 calories of added sugar. Reality check: at most fast food restaurants, a 12 ounce serving of soda is considered the kiddie size.

Go directly to fat jail.
All these added sugars are simple sugars, meaning they are readily and easily absorbed. When you take in such a high volume so quickly your insulin spikes. Your body can’t handle the rapid influx, which leads to extra glucose being stored as fat. You don’t get any lasting energy from the liquid carbs; you get that familiar and inevitable crash. Instead of being ready to hit the gym to burn off any extra fat, you’re so exhausted you just hit the couch. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.

I’ll just switch to diet soda!
Not so fast. Recent studies show that over time diet sodas still cause weight gain. If you drink 2 or more servings of diet soda a day you are 5 times more likely to increase dangerous visceral fat in your midsection. That extra fat puts you at greater risk for diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses.

Let’s say you only drink a single serving of diet soda a day. Diet soda is still high in sodium. The more sodium in your body, the more water you’ll retain. Which means if you’re trying to lose weight, diet soda can actually make it that much harder move the scale in the right direction. And let’s not forget the artificial sweeteners in diet soda – a BIG no-no!

Instead of sodas, why not reach for healthier and even more refreshing beverages?
If you won’t give up the carbonated bite of soda, mix two parts seltzer water with one part 100% fruit juice – like powerhouse pomegranate or cranberry. You’ll get your pleasant pop and fizz along with rich antioxidants and vitamins. Embrace homemade smoothies made with fresh fruit and almond milk or Greek yogurt for added protein.

Maybe it’s time you jump on the green tea train. Even if you sweeten your tea, you’re more likely to check your sugar intake when you’re the one spooning in the sweetener. Or reach for that oldie but goodie, pure H2O.

One thing is for sure: cut out sodas and you’ll start to feel lighter than carbonated air.

Let me help you rid yourself of the nutrition which sabotages your health and help you make better choices you can trust.

Call or email me today!

You have to take responsibility for your actions and your decisions. Eat the cheeseburger and fries or not. Say yes to dessert or No… it is your choice.

I say, make conscious decisions; choose to be on or off. I don’t just miss a workout. I choose not to work as scheduled. I don’t just start munching on chips; I choose to eat some chips with my sandwich this day. I don’t give in to cravings of chocolate or ice cream; I decide that I do in fact really want them and that I will feel better and not worse after I eat them (if that is in fact the case).

I know that all of these actions have consequences and I know that those consequences MAY push my reaching my goal out further but I am the one making those decisions so I accept full responsibility for the results of those decisions (I say May push the date out cause your plan should allow treats, so if it’s on plan then not all treat will push out your goal attainment). On measurement and picture day I know that I get what I worked for. If it’s fantastic it’s cause I did an extraordinarily focused job of sticking to my plan. If they’re good but not great, I can look back and know my decisions directed that. If I’m less than pleased…..I know exactly what consistent decisions led to that result.

I accept responsibility for all of it. No one shoved that mojito down my throat. My car did not drive itself to Coldstone for the 4^th time this month….(not true just an example, lol. I swear). It’s me, I did it all and I never felt one ounce of guilt about it.

Now do I learn from my decisions? Yes of course. I learn that if I want to reach a certain goal by a certain date I may need to make different decisions. I may be disappointed but there is no one to blame but myself. No guilt, no regrets. Food is my friend…..there are just some friends I may need to visit less.

In the words of pre-school children everywhere: “You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit”.

Conscious, guilt-free choices. Focus on that in 2012.

On another note: All this month I am leading 7:30 am outdoor workouts on Mondays and Wednesdays and they are open to ALL. That means YOU. I’m celebrating my 4^th year in service and I thought I’d give you a present. Doesn’t matter if you used to come to BBC all the time. Came once or twice a long time ago, have never been and really want to…..7:30am is open to you (that means fre.e). Just shoot me an email and let me know when you want to start (I plan the workouts based on expected class size). Classes are in front of the BBC studio in South Sacramento. Come see me.

I don’t mean that you should have only ate healthy things.  Rather I hope you are content with the fact that you made conscious decisions of what you were going to eat, enjoyed it, and feel no guilt about it today.

I think we “dieting” women spend far too much time feeling bad about what we’ve eaten. Food becomes “good or bad” and let’s face it; except for those that are trying to get on stage and compete in a figure contest, the rest of us healthy minded but “real” women are going to eat those “bad” foods sometimes. What I often hear the next day is “oh, I was so”bad” I ate…..” . Well it hit me in the last few months that that mindset, the “I’m so bad” mindset, is way unhealthier than the food. I mean who wants to live in a constant state of guilt?

So here are 5 quick questions to ask yourself before you indulge in treats. I know it sounds like a lot but once it becomes your habit it takes about 10 seconds to think it through:

The first one can eliminate the need for the next four:

1). Do I really want this? Or am I just bored, sad, excited, stressed, feeling hopeless, depressed, trying to fit in, afraid of standing out, etc…

If not, leave it (you may need some tricks to get over cravings). If you DO really truly want a certain food then quickly ask yourself the rest…..

2). Do I know the facts of the situation?….do you know how many calories are in beer, chips, pizza, chicken wings, cheeseburgers, etc. Do you know what a serving of the above actually is and looks like? Do you know what the above mentioned things do to your blood sugar and fat burning abilities? Again, it’s not about good or bad, just: do you know? That’s all I’m asking, Do you actually know?

So as you can see, this is going to require that you educate yourself on food and nutrition. It’s not long and tedious. In fact, I try to clue my clients in on all this stuff in small doses so that they can absorb it without feeling like its hard work.

3. Do you have a goal and a plan? And do you know what it is going to take to reach that goal as planned? “I want to lose weight” is not a goal and a plan, it’s a wish. You see, if you know that you want to get into X skirt by X date, and to do that you need to lose Xlbs (or inches) then you also know that you need to exercise X times a week and eat a certain way X% of the time. It gives you a new perspective on skipping workouts or not, and eating “off-plan” or not.

I can help you fill in the X’s. And btw- your plan can and SHOULD include treats and goodies.

4.  Is eating this in line with my plan? -I’ve allotted myself a certain amount of treats, is this in line with that number?

Ok and now the big question:

5. Have I been living according to my plan and therefore can enjoy this treat, still be on my plan and feel no guilt tomorrow? And here is the super duper, crazily important step: If the answer is YES then enjoy and absolutely do not allow yourself to feel any guilt WHAT-SO-EVER. NONE. I am telling you this as the 100% truth, as soon as I adopted this mindset, I have been reaching my goals faster and more consistently than ever before. Let me tell you eating a (small) bacon cheeseburger and cajun fries and finishing it off with a Magnum ice cream bar feels sooooo good when you can wake up the next day guilt-free! As opposed to the way I used to be, waking up thinkin “I gotta go run 5 miles cause I was so bad this weekend”.  All week I would stare longingly at some treat food and think “no, that’s bad” and then cave in on the weekends of course and feel guilty on Monday. No more. If you see me at a restaurant with a (mini) poozookie in front of me I’m going to proudly say  “heck yeah, I’m eating this and it‘s D-licious and I feel no shame cause you know why? I have a plan and I’m working it baby. Poozookie included.” It’s liberating. Food is my friend! I can have anything I want, anything. I just need to make sure I work my plan. That’s the only catch. You can feel the EXACT same way. You just have to change your mind about good and bad food (and work your plan).

Now if the answer is no……….you have to repeat this to yourself: I know that this week I have not stuck to my plan, I have missed workouts, I have been off-track with my eating. I know that if I eat this I will be setting myself back on my goal since I have been off plan. By choosing to eat this I understand these facts and promise not to complain about my jeans that won’t zip, the Costco size muffin spilling over my skirt or the fact that my unexpected reflection in the mirror causes me to do a double take. I am making the decision to eat this and I am ok with it.

If you need help figuring out your goal and your plan, how to work in your treat and how to live food-guilt-free then give me a call 916-57BOOTY.

But there’s this one that is so simple and so effective but is often overlooked. In fact when I start to tell people how to do it they usually just start nodding their head like “yeah, yeah ok I got that, but what else?”

Sometimes I wanna grab their head, stop it from nodding and say : No, really pay attention, this is BIG and you’re just throwing it away!”

What is it?

Your post workout nutrition.

Leaving boot camp or your gym workout or finishing your DVD whatever…. running errands, doing chores and then eating something 2 hours after your workout (or worse, going to bed without eating) is putting MAJOR brakes on your progress in losing fat, weight and gaining lean muscle. I mean it’s almost to the level of tragic when it comes to how you will actually progress vs how much you could progress by doing one simple thing: Get in a ratio of 2:1 carbs/protein within 60 minutes after the end of your workout.

Clinical studies by top universities have proven the most important 60 minutes of the day to make your body burn off a lot MORE fat and calories than it otherwise would … is within the first hour after finishing your workout!
If your body does not get these nutrients it needs right after your workout, you are flushing a lot of your exercise efforts down the drain.

You will also weaken your fat-burning metabolism. You will also lose muscle, suffer more pain, have more fatigue and your performance will suffer the next time you workout.

But did you catch those very specific numbers? It’s not just “eat something, anything”. It’s a ratio of 2:1 (some experts also like a 4:1 ratio). That is what your body needs. A post workout meal, with the right amount of protein and carbohydrates, may allow your body a perfect replacement for those lost nutrients after your workout.

For just 30 days give your post workout nutrition the proper focus. Get in a drink or snack with a ratio of 2:1 carbs/protein within 60 minutes of completing your workout and watch the difference it makes.

Alright here is a tasty, tasty recipe that has the right ratio of protein and carbs and it doubles as a dessert. Make a batch and eat a serving within 60 minutes of each workout this week and for the next 30 days.

Muscle Mousse

2 Tbsp. low-fat milk
4 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 medium banana, quartered
1 cup plain, low-fat Greek yogurt

In a blender, blend milk, sugar, vanilla, and the quartered banana together at high speed until mixture is smooth. Pour into a bowl and fold in yogurt. Chill mixture for at least 45 minutes in refrigerator; when chilled, spoon mousse into 4 containers. Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information (per serving): Calories 93, Protein 4.75 g, Fat 1 g, Carbs 16.75

Or if you’re not going right home or didn’t get a chance to make a batch ahead of time. Try this specially designed pre/post workout shake. You can keep it in your gym bag and start drinking as soon as you hear the words “you’re done!”. Prograde Workout

See, the way I see it they’re insulting your intelligence.

Who’s “they”?

THEY are the talking heads you see on TV and hear on the radio. And I’m convinced they’re trying to make you fatter.

Every year at about this time all you see, hear and read about are people making the big three New Year resolutions – more money, quit smoking, and to lose weight.

Now, I don’t know the success rate of the first two, but as a fitness expert and someone who has helped dozens and dozens of folks lose weight and get in better shape, I can tell you (and statistics prove) that most people who resolve to lose weight in the new year are doomed.

In fact, an article I just read on CNN.com said that most people who have a new year resolution to lose weight will fail.

In the same article, clinical psychologist Mark Crawford of Roswell, Georgia said that one reason people fail is because they sabotage themselves.

I believe this to be true.

I’ve seen it myself.

You’ll start off in mid to late December telling yourself that you will commit to losing weight starting the new year. Over the weeks building up to the new year you formulate a plan of sorts… to eat less, make better choices, exercise more, and pick up better habits.

And that’s the EXACT roadmap to failure!

And that’s why I’m writing you today – to warn you of this impending doom IF YOU’RE ABOUT TO MAKE THIS “NEW YEAR RESOLUTION” MISTAKE.

Here’s what I mean.

Look, I’m going to be brutally honest with you, because I can’t see the “media” telling you this truth any time soon.
The reason most people fail at losing weight in the new year is because…

1. Your goals are probably un-realistic and so you’re already setting yourself up for failure.

2. You’re unprepared. Sure you have a general idea that you want to lose weight. But you most likely do not have a game plan.

3. Your goals are unclear.

4. You lack support. Because the going WILL GET TOUGH and your support system is what will see you though to your goal.

Imagine going to another country you’ve never been in before. Now imagine if I handed you a GPS but didn’t give you an address (a goal). You’d probably fail at getting to your destination, wouldn’t you?

Now imagine if I said your destination was a house about 150 miles north. Well, you now have a general idea, but you’ll still never get to your destination and therefore fail.

Get the picture?

Now imagine if I handed you a GPS AND gave you the address of the house you needed to end up at.

Once you type your goal destination into the GPS, it will give you VERY specific turn by turn directions AND a very realistic timeline in which you’ll arrive.

Duh!

Makes sense, right?

Yet, nearly 96% of all people who set weight loss goals for the new year don’t know how much they want to lose.

And if they can pin point a number they want to lose – they still don’t have a “turn by turn” game plan to get there.

Now the reason I’m on this soap box and having this rant is because I’m sick and tired of good people being misled and being told half truths.

Frankly, I hate the idea of a “new year resolution”. That’s just way too much pressure on anyone. PLUS, the way I see it, you can do anything you want, anytime you want.

You don’t need to wait till the New Year. If you’re the type of person that I think you are, I’m willing to bet that you can do anything you put your mind to and you can do it whenever you want.

Now, if when you want is now, then start now.

And if when you want is in the New Year, fine with me, start then. But do it because you made the decision to do it and not because the talking heads on TV and radio influenced you to do it.

And now that you know how NOT TO FAIL, you can achieve whatever goal it is that you want to achieve.

I believe in you!