5 Foods to Avoid for a Tighter Waistline

1. BBQ Sauce-  Yep!  You heard right.  Why? Because of the large amounts of high fructose corn syrup which is known to cause weight gain.  (bbq sauce as well as any other condiment with high fructose corn syrup)


2. Dairy- Keep your dairy to a minimum. Things like whole milk, ice-cream, cheese, etc. should not be a part of your daily meal plan.  (moderation is key)


3. Deep Fried Foods-  when frying food you add hundreds of extra calories to your meal. 


4. Bread -   White bread contains no fiber and has been stripped of its nutritional value during the refining process.  Though wheat bread is a healthier alternative, certain brands still contain ingredients like high fructose corn syrup. (read the label & choose wisely) Bread should not be a part of your daily meal plan. 


5. SODAS-   Sodas are full of empty calories(ZERO NUTRIENTS) and contain high amounts of high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavoring.  Any drink high in carbonation will cause stomach  bloating. 


**Note: AVOID HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP & anything that has a label with unfamiliar ingredients (ie. words you can't pronounce). 

Healthy Eating & Exercise during Pregnancy

Many of us think that when you are pregnant, it's the ultimate excuse to pig out on junk foods. Though you're eating for two, this is the worst time to load up on empty calories like fast food & soft drinks. While it is necessary to gain weight during a pregnancy, eating healthy foods are essential in the development of the fetus.

 Adding an additional 250-350 healthy calories a day will not only increase your chances of delivering a healthy baby, you will also avoid gaining tons of post baby fat. It's okay to indulge in a pregnancy craving every now & then, just enjoy them in moderation.  


Thinking you may harm the baby by exercising during pregnancy is another problem that will leave you with unwanted post baby weight. Prenatal exercise helps women get back in shape.

*Doing light to moderate exercise (consult with your doctor)

*Closely monitoring your heart rate as well as your body temperature.  

*Be careful with movements that require extensive lower back  movements

So contrary to popular belief; through healthy eating and exercise,  you can bounce back to a sexy post baby body if you are proactive. 


Note: Always consult with your physician before exercising or making changes to your diet while pregnant. 

Excuses

"Excuses are tools of the incompetent that build monuments of nothingness & those who specialize in them seldom do anything else." (Thomas J. Smith)


In the Personal Training  profession, we've heard every excuse in the book when it comes to not exercising & eating healthy.   Translation of those excuses:  "My health isn't important to me." At least that's how we hear it.  We all make time for things that are important to us, but why is it when it comes to doing something that will better "your" health there's a list of reasons why you don't have time? Don't get me wrong, I understand the day to day task of life can be very draining....family, kids, work, meetings, etc. But there's 24hours in a day & 168hours in a week.  So you don't have time to exercise for 1 hour or even 30 minutes? Especially when your health is on a constant downward spiral...... 

Benefits of exercising:

*Exercising consistently will help maintain Fat loss

*Boost energy

*Combats health conditions & diseases

*Improves your mood

Don't know where to begin? Try this quick workout in the privacy of your own home or gym.*** Do each exercise for 1 minute then move on to the next one.  Continue until all are complete then repeat 3x.

Full Body workout:

*Push-ups 

*Body Squats  

*Walking Lunges

*Bench Dips

*Jump Rope 

Rest for 1 minute & Repeat

OR

Modified Version:

*Push-ups on knees

*Chair Squats (sit in chair & stand up/repeat)

*Walking Lunges

*Bench Dips

*Jump & Jacks

Rest for 1 minute & Repeat

You only get one shot at this thing called LIFE, So why are you making excuses for Living? 

XOXO

Laquisha Smith

Personal Trainer at Body By Kariim

Kariim's Before & After

While prepping for a photoshoot back in 2011, I decided I wanted to take a before photo of myself and track my progress along the way. So 10 weeks out I took the before photo. By the end of the process, I had turned 25lbs of FAT into Healthy Lean Muscle. 

Even as a Personal Trainer, I too have had a weight loss journey. 

It just goes to show that we are all human but with discipline & determination all things are possible.