Do You Need the Treadmill to Lose Weight?

Cardio or strength training? It's one of the hottest debates in the fitness world. Read on to find out the real truth 👇

Abs are made in the kitchen

It doesn't matter if you are burning your calories on the treadmill, with weights, or walking up and down 500 flights of stairs all day (please don't do that). The equation to weight loss is simply taking in less calories than you are burning. I know people who have lost massive amounts of weight by simply counting their macros and being more mindful of what they put into their body. Exercise enhances the amount of calories burned in a day which creates a bigger deficit. Once you simplify weight loss and take it off of the unachievable pedestal you have placed it on it will become much more achievable!

Intervals are the best way to burn fat

There absolutely is a time and place for the treadmill (or any cardio machine) during a workout. My question is are you maximizing your fat burn potential during your cardio?

The human body constantly craves balance and whenever we put a stress on the body disturbing that balance (ya know that initial spike of your heart rate and breathlessness during the beginning of a run?) the body works extra hard (aka burns more calories) while trying to bring you back to that state of equilibrium. That is why your heart rate will regulate and you will start breathing easier once you are a couple minutes into your run. Although YOU may be happier that you feel less uncomfortable, your body is actually not working as hard anymore.

So how do you tell your body to get it's rear in gear again? Change up your speed, change up your incline, don't let yourself get comfortable! This way juuust as your body is like "hey girl, we got this" you can be like "nahh guess again"

Next time you're at the gym try out this workout:
 

Beginner sprint workout
10 rounds of :20 sprints with a :10 rest
Only takes 5 minutes to complete!

A bodyweight circuit will give you the same effect

If you do not like the treadmill you do not have to use it to burn fat!!! Let me repeat- you do not have to use the treadmill to get your cardio in!!!!

If you're anything like me you feel like you want to stab a knife through your eye before committing yourself to "cardio day" and for your eye's sake- you don't have to! Cardio for fat burn is simply getting your heart rate up to about 80% of it's maximum.

Ideal Heart Rate Equation
220 - your age * .80

My favorite way to do "cardio" is to take a lot of my favorite strength training moves- lunges, squats, rows, etc. and do higher repetitions with just body weight and minimal rest. This is a sneaky way to get your cardio in while still doing the exercises you love!

Don't forget your strength exercises!

Yes- it's true that cardio burns a lot of calories, buttttt the more muscle you have on your body the more efficient your body is at burning fat on it's own!

Do you dream of the days you can binge on pizza and beer for a day and not have to worry about paying for it during your next weigh in? Build some muscle onto your body! Plus- once you lose the weight don't you want to find some nice toned muscles under there?
 

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If You're Going Through a Hard Time Read This!

I have been going through a bit of a hard time recently. Life has thrown some unexpected shit my way, and my motivation has been up and down to say the least. The old me probably would have used this as an excuse to “take a break” from my fitness routine. Whenever something went wrong in my life my self care went down the drain.

These past 6 months I’ve decided to take a new approach to the way I deal with adversity. This time I used my fitness as an outlet, I poured every single one of my emotions into moving my body (which looked very different on different days). The emotions were still there, and I still had to move through them, but taking that one hour to myself 4-5x a week allowed me the space to process the things I needed to process. I am not suggesting that exercise is some magic pill that will transform your mental health, it is simply a tool and healthy outlet to help with something you are struggling to move through.

According to mental heath blog Talkspace, exercise is by no means a substitute for medication and psychiatric care, it can diffuse excess anxious energy. Working out regulates adrenaline, the chemical that gives us our fight-or-flight response to danger. It’s been shown by many studies and meta-analyses that exercise is associated with reduced anxiety in clinical settings.

I’d like to lay out the process that I used for you to try during the days you need an extra push, when you just feel it’s all not worth it. And as always, if you are struggling (with fitness or life) I’m here to listen!
 

Xoxo

Nichole

Give yourself some space

If you’ve just been hit with heart shattering, deeply disturbing news give yourself space. Cry about it, hit a pillow, call a friend. Your emotions need to just be heard before you can work on healing them. If this process is carrying on for longer than you’d like, set an expiration date. Pity parties are necessary sometimes, but they are also like that last friend who doesn’t get the hint to leave the party. You gotta kick her out eventually. Plan to reevaluate your goals in 3 months.

Don't set crazy expectations for yourself

Is this the time you should be hyper focused on losing those 20lbs you’ve been insecure over? Probably not. Crazzzyyy things can happen to your body when you’re working on releasing emotional baggage so it is absolutely possible, but the key is not adding MORE pressure onto yourself during this time. You should view this exercise routine as more therapeutic than anything.

Have options for different motivation levels

Your motivation is going to be like a rollercoaster when you’re dealing with emotional shit. I promise you there WILL be days when you aren’t even going to want to leave your bed, and that’s okay! This is a long term lifestyle and no one is perfect 100 percent of the time. I signed up for class pass and utilized group fitness a lot throughout the last 6 months. I quickly realized my normal lifting routine was not enough to get me going all the time, and I always had a class to fall back on.

I suggest you pick 4 different ways to move your body and number them based on how much motivation & effort it takes to complete. Then the day of your workout if you find you’re just not feeling the heavy lift you had planned you have 3 other options to move your body while still prioritizing your self care. AND because you allowed yourself a little break when you needed it, you will be more likely to crush your lift the next day! Here is an example of the list I’ve been using. 1 is what requires the most motivation, 4 requires the least:

1. Heavy lift

2. Boxing or yoga on class pass

3. Just move your body lift

4. Meditation using insight timer app (totally recommend and it’s free!)

*note that not all of these options have to be physically exerting. I meditated and took a walk sooo many times and didn’t feel bad about it at all.

Don't feel that you have to do this all alone

When you are stuck in your own head NOTHING gets accomplished. Emotional release work takes a team and I wouldn’t be anywhere near who I am today without the help of my therapists over the years. I truly believe that reaching out to a therapist when you are feeling overwhelmed should be just as normal as reaching out to a doctor when you have the flu or break a bone. Although the stigma is getting smaller mental health is not talked about nearly enough. Below are a couple of great resources to get started if reaching out to someone feels right for you.

Psychology Today:

Search your location and insurance. You get a bio for each therapist so you can see who fits well with your needs

Therapy Matcher:

Call the phone number and you can talk directly with someone to help find a therapist that is right for you

Better Help:

Not ready to see someone in person? Better help has qualified, professional, and affordable therapists that all work remotely

How to Eat Out While Staying On Track

Today I wanted to talk about the elephant in the room- what to do when you go out to eat. NO ONE wants to compromise fun and social gatherings for a healthy lifestyle because that's plain old booring, plus what good is that rockin' body you're building if you can't show it off? ;)

Going out to eat or drinks with friends shouldn't be the end all be all of your healthy lifestyle. Some of the most dedicated and successful people I know are the same people that will gladly share a burger and beer with me on a Friday night. Why? Because they know that life is all about balance. 

XOXO Nichole

Here's the deal....

Check the menu beforehand 
This is a great way to avoid getting caught up in the moment and making an emotional eating decision. Try to chose something with a lot of protein (chicken breast, steak, salmon, etc.) and you can even ask for double veggies instead of a carb if you would like.

 Pick either an app or desert
YOU DO NOT NEED BOTH! Appetizers and deserts are historically very carb heavy and are generally not filled with many nutrients. If you are splitting with a friend eat slowly so you don't end up eating more than half

Take half to go
This is hands down the reason I started losing weight when I first started working out. I started telling myself before I even got the meal that I was only going to eat half. I paced myself, ate slow, and took the other half home. Not only did I always have lunch for the next day but I realized that I didn't NEED the whole meal. I felt completely satisfied only eating half. 

Pick a lower calorie drink choice 
Alcoholic drinks can have upwards of 300 CALORIES!! Eeewwww. Don't even get me started on the amount of sugar in them. Making smarter drinking choices can have huge effects on your daily calorie intake (ps keep reading for my go to "healthy" drinks)

Ask for butter, dressing, sauces on the side
These are where the majority of calories hide in popular restaurant meals. As delicious and complimenting as they are to the meal the amount chefs put on is simply unnecessary. Get it on the side next time and only put on what you NEED.

TREAT YO SELF
If you've been having a rockin' week, meal prepped like a boss, crushed your workouts, TREAT. YO. SELF. If you don't let yourself have fun and let loose every once and a while this will not be fun for you. Plain and simple. If this isn't fun you're not going to want to do it. One unhealthy meal won't kill your progress just like one healthy meal doesn't give you abs.

Pick a lower calorie drink choice 
Alcoholic drinks can have upwards of 300 CALORIES!! Eeewwww. Don't even get me started on the amount of sugar in them. Making smarter drinking choices can have huge effects on your daily calorie intake (ps keep reading for my go to "healthy" drinks)

Ask for butter, dressing, sauces on the side
These are where the majority of calories hide in popular restaurant meals. As delicious and complimenting as they are to the meal the amount chefs put on is simply unnecessary. Get it on the side next time and only put on what you NEED.

How to Drink Without Completely Derailing Your Progress

Spiked Seltzers

These are ahhmazing when you want something refreshing but not heavy. White Claw is the best brand I've tried. In my opinion some have a weird after taste and I think these are delish. Gluten free, sugar free, and a whopping 100 calories per can- you can't go wrong!

If you're into more of the hard stuff..

Tequila is made from blue agave (unfortunately the cheap doesn't qualify here) which makes it gluten free and is known to lower blood pressure and cholesterol! Have you ever been stressed out with a margarita in your hand?? Didn't think so. It is generally an alcohol low in sugar as well which means less hangover the next morning! Make sure you are staying away from crazy flavors and mixes as those are normally the sugar culprits.

What about ciders?

Ciders are gluten free which means low carbs, which is a winnnn. However most ciders are LOADED with sugars. Make sure to dauble check sugar content before going all in. My tried and true favorites are Ace, Harpoon, and Woodchuck

The 7 Commandments of Motivation

If you made a resolution at the beginning of the year to go to the gym more, eat healthier, or lose weight, first of all congratulations! The first step to making a change is making a commitment to it.

Now that we are more than 3 months into the year I'm sure you've experienced some of the ups and downs that come with habit change. Typically this is the time where initial excitement wears off, excuses start to arise, and you have to make a decision- push through the uncomfortable thoughts or give in, give up, and feel crappy about yourself.

 Whether you are happy with the outcome or feel you still have some work to do, you did the hardest part already- made the decision to make a change! I have been doing this for over 5 years now and when my motivation is running low (which it is more often than you'd think) these are the commandments I always come back to.

1. When in doubt walk it out
If you are in a rut, feel overwhelmed, don't know what to do at the gym, or just plain don't wanna- take a walk! Walking is EXTREMELY therapeutic (especially if you can leave your technology at home) and will give you a chance to refresh and clear your head.

Try committing yourself to just ten minutes of walking. If you are already at the gym I bet after the ten minutes are up you'll feel more motivated to accomplish something else!

2. Have a plan of action for WHEN you want to give up
We all know it's going to happen eventually. You are not a motivation machine 24/7. Humans all have lazy days and periods where motivation is low. What separates the successful is that they have a plan for when they don't have motivation

Mine is a yoga video, yours can be whatever you LIKE to do that is also considered physical activity. A walk outside with your dog, a youtube video, a cardio machine, get creative! This plan can and probably will change as you grow and figure out what works for you and what doesn't. The important thing is you have a plan.

3. The more colorful your plate the better
This is an awesome rule of thumb when you are in a social situation and want to still make healthy choices. I always love to make my plate as colorful as possible. Generally the more colorful your food is (fruits, veggies) the more nutrient dense it is. Things like chips, crackers, pasta, regular, potatoes are bland looking and not very nutritious. Also colorful food is way nicer to look at ;)

4. Add don't subtract
The brain wants EXACTLY what it is we tell it we can't have. Did you tell yourself no sweets after dinner this week? I guarantee at 9pm midway through your Netflix binge the only. damn. thing. on your mind is that chocolate cake in the fridge.

Instead of swearing off anything and everything indulgent I might tell myself I can have half of the piece of cake and ADD two protein balls that I already have prepared in the freezer. That turns my chocolate-y, carb-y, sugary desert into a bit more balanced, macro friendly snack. Win/win for all and my brain doesn't think I just deprived myself.

5. Celebrate wins
What good is crushing your goal if the only thing that's going through your head is "well that's only 5lbs, I still have SO much more to go" "I don't deserve this yet" "nobody got time to celebrate"

Booooring!! Treat yo'self you deserve it!! This goes deep deep into brain psychology. Every single time we celebrate a success or a win the brain releases endorphins to our body that physically make us feel good. Like the way you feel after the first sip of coffee, or when you see your bestie for the first time in forever. When you feel these endorphins it motivates you to want to do more so you can get a hit of them again! See where I'm going with this?

6. Find a tribe
This goes along with celebrating. Find yourself a group of like minded people who will want to celebrate with you. This can be as simple as a group chat or Facebook group that include other people with similar goals and aspirations to you (like the one I created for this challenge ;) ). You could even join a club sport, walking group, anything that will keep you around other people who are just as motivated as you are! Your tribe will be there to get you out of a rut, bounce ideas off of, and lend support.

7. Find balance in ALL aspects of health
What good is a "perfect" body if you don't have friends and loved ones to celebrate with? What good is a lively social life if you don't feel good in your body? What good is a solid workout routine if you are really unhappy deep down and haven't worked through the mental stuff yet? Your successes are only as good as the balance around them.

What I mean by this is don't throw other aspects of your life out of balance to achieve "health" because it ultimately will lead to unhappiness and self sabotage. Remember WHY you are doing this and that your health and fitness is only one aspect of your overall health. Nurture every part to truly find happiness.

What Separates Those who Achieve Success from Those Who Don't

I have been in the fitness industry for 5 years now. I have worked with hundreds of women over the years. Each time I meet with a new client she comes in with a goal and her motivation is through the roof. Some women absolutely. crush. it. while others, despite their best intentions, fall short of the goals they were so eager to achieve as time goes on.

There are certain things I have noticed over the years that separate the ones who achieve success from the ones who don't. It is so very true that it all begins & ends in the mind. If you haven't been able to achieve what you would like to, as you're reading ask yourself if you think like a successful person does.

1. Successful People are Patient & trust the process

One of the fastest ways to failure is setting a goal & expecting it to happen like, tomorrow. Successful people know that it's a marathon and not a sprint. They know that life gets in the way sometimes and motivation comes and goes. They know that there are going to be plenty of days that they just don't want to do it, but they do it anyways. This really loops in with the first point. Their reason for wanting it is sostrong that they are always looking at the bigger picture.

2. Successful people REALLY want it

I don't think anyone would say no to losing a couple of lbs, but those who succeed are the ones who deep down, to the core, will do whatever it takes, want it. They know that it will take work, and change, but that it will be worth it to achieve the end goal. They are readyto listen to advice and implement the tools necessary to get there.

3. Successful people know they have to take a look at their diet

If you have been following me for a while or have ever worked with me before, you know that I am veryanti "diet." My motto is, if it's not something you feel you can sustain for the rest of your life, don't bother with it (PS as you get more into your new healthy lifestyle what you think you can sustain changes, so take it one step at a time). Instead of focusing on what you need to take out of your diet, think about the things you could add. A greens powder or an extra serving of protein a day is a great place to start.

4. Successful people don't make it only about the scale

The scale is a bitch, I'll be honest. It was probably a good 2-3 years into my journey before the scale really budged (mostly because I refused to look at my diet). Some days seeing no change (or even watching it go up from time to time) really sucked. I teach my clients to look at the other benefits they are receiving from their workouts. I personally found that when I missed more than a week of workouts my anxiety was sky high, my mood plummeted, and I just felt blah. Although I started this journey to lose weight THAT is what keeps me disciplined 5 years later. I am happy to report that it's been a full 2 years since I've missed more than a week of workouts and I am now successfully completing 3-5 workouts a week.

I am currently accepting ONE MORE person into my online training program this month.

WHAT YOU GET:

• 1-3 workouts delivered through an easy to use app with video demonstration

• 1 30 minute accountability phone call per week

• Unlimited chat support/ form checks

• Unlimited nutrition guidance

click HERE to sign up for your free, no strings attached, 30 minute coaching call.

I hope you have an amazing weekend!!
xoxo
Nichole