Abs Are Made In The Kitchen

You made the decision the change your lifestyle. You are ready to do what it takes to get in shape and feel healthy and strong. But being in the kitchen and preparing meals every day is challenging. You don’t know what you are doing and the healthy meals you were so excited just days ago don’t taste as great. What to do?

“Take it one step at a time,” advises wellness coach Elina Fuhrman. “Changing your lifestyle takes patience and the kinder you are to yourself, the more successful you will be.”

7 Steps To Lean Out

1. Take inventory. “Make sure you have the tools to cook healthy meals,” says Fuhrman, who successfully changes her own lifestyle years ago. “Make a list of what you already have in your kitchen and what you need to invest in.”

2. Stock up on basics. “Knives, cutting boards, kitchen scale and measuring cups are a must for anyone embarking on a healthy lifestyle,” says Fuhrman. If you are on a budget, but only two knives, a chef’s knife to chop, slice and mince and a small paring knife.

3. Invest in a commercial blender. “Vitamix and Blendtec are expensive but they are the Rolls Royce of blenders and the best kitchen investment tools,” says Fuhrman. Not only will you be able to make quick protein and green smoothies in your Vitamix in just minutes, no other blender will help you create nutritious soups, nut butters, sauces and even frozen desserts.

4. Juice your way to health. Having at least one green juice per day is great for boosting your energy and when you are under the weather, a few ounces of wheat grass can mean a 24-hour recovery or a week of bed rest. Fuhrman says that everyone needs a juicer with attachments to create quick green juices and recommends a Samson juicer that juices veggies, wheat grass and roots like ginger and turmeric.

5. Buy a food diary. Maintaining a diet log actually helps you achieve your weight loss and health goals. In my years of training clients, I ask everyone to keep a diary and keep it handy while you are cooking in the kitchen. Fuhrman says that food journal can also help with planning meals and recipes for each day.

6. Don’t forget grilling and steaming tools. Grilling and steaming are the best for healthy eating so investing in a kitchen steamer and stovetop grill will help you with your meals. Steaming is great for cooking veggies without adding oil, plus they retain the most nutrients in comparison to any other cooking method. Needless to say, besides juicing and blending, this is by far the healthiest cooking method to choose. When steaming, slice the vegetables into similar sizes so they cook evenly. You can also use the steaming basket for fish.

7. Plate properly. One of the best tricks to eating less is having smaller plates. Make sure your plates are not larger than 9 inches, the size of a dinner plate. “If your meal doesn’t fit on a plate, don’t eat it,” says Fuhrman.

The most important thing in creating healthy meals is using the freshest ingredients and lots of herbs and spices instead of salt and store-bought sauces. Fuhrman recommends buying a few cookbooks and experimenting with simple recipes before getting comfortable on more complex dishes.

10 Tips on How To Lose The Last 10 Pounds

The holidays are long gone. New Year’s resolutions are long forgotten. And we are once again lamenting that those “extra ten pounds” just won’t go away. LA health and fitness expert Jason Kozma says he gets more questions on losing the last 10 pounds than on any other fitness-related subject. “Losing the last ten pounds is very possible,” he says. “It’s just most people don’t want to hear that it takes a combination of diet and exercise to get rid that extra fat.”

Kozma who sculpted the bodies of athletes and celebrities, says just working out in the gym won’t do the trick. “You won’t fit into that magical number jean size you’ve always wanted or minimize a ‘problem’ area by spending an hour a day on a treadmill.” Kozma explains that losing weight and getting a toned body is a process and that a proper diet is the key to getting into that hot little black dress.

Kozma has been motivating people for over two decades and offers 10 tips on losing the last 10 pounds faster.

1. Don’t skip your meals and especially breakfast. “You have to jump-start your metabolism, so your fat burns faster,” says Kozma.
2. Log your food. That will make you aware your eating habits. “My clients are always surprised how much more they actually consume once they look at their logs,” Kozma explains.
3. Look through your logs and see where you could make different choices. Small changes can go a long way to losing the last ten pounds and those small changes will add up quickly.
4. Eat every 3 hours.
5. Eating 5-6 times a day will maximize your energy and stabilize your blood sugar so you won’t be hungry.
6. Eat foods that will optimize your metabolism like high fiber foods, low fat foods, and lean proteins.
7. Eat your carbs early in the day so your body gets a chance to burn them.
8. Make working out a priority.
9. Take a “before” picture of yourself and put it in a visible place. “Having that ‘before’ photo is a huge motivation to stick to your plan,” says Kozma.
10. Just do it! “Nike put it brilliantly,” points out Kozma.  Consistency is the secret to a lean body. It’s the single ingredient that keeps people from reaching their goals. Nutrition, cardio and weight training when done consistently are guaranteed to bring you success. No diets, no tricks or trendy exercises will do that.

He says that selecting the right personal trainer who can help monitor the progress is as important as sticking to the plan. Having an expert like Kozma to navigate the diet and exercise landscape can make the difference between baring your shoulders at your high school reunion or not making it and faking a cold. To schedule your interview with Jason Kozma, email him at [email protected].

3 Ways To Speed Up Your Training Results

You have been working out consistently and eating right, yet results aren’t coming as they used to. When you start exercising after being in a sedentary state for so long, results are immediate and apparent. After months and month of performing the same routine over again, the body will actually get used to the workout and slowly stop showing results. When this occurs, there are three methods you can use in order to start kicking up your results.

#1: Do Exercises with Complex Movements.

Try not to choose exercises that target only one joint. These are known as isolation exercises and should be limited for now. Isolation exercises that you may be in your workout plan include bicep curls, triceps extensions, hamstring curls, and crunches. Complex movements are exercises that use several various muscles at once while will work the body and increase the production of fat burning hormones. Complex movements are basically exercises that are mixed together, such as doing shoulder presses with a squat in between each repetition.

#2: Perform Exercises Slower.

When exercising, the goal isn’t to finish as fast as you can. Rushing through your workout can have negative effects and can be quite counterproductive. The main concern here is the speed in which you lower a weight when weight lifting. Lowering the weight is actually more important that lifting it. Make sure to put your full focus in lowering the weight in order to get the full effects from the negative contraction.

#3: Active Rest and Drop Set Exercises.

Even though you are resting in between sets, you are only resting a specific part of your body. Other muscle groups can be working out during your thirty second to one minute rest period. Cardio exercises such as shadow boxing and mountain climbers are perfect to do as an active rest period. During your final set, it may also be good to what is known as a drop set. A drop set is a form of active rest that builds your muscle strength as well as endurance, which naturally leads to an increased fat burning process. It can only be done when you do a one set to failure weight lifting exercise. When you workout to the point of exhaustion, drop the weight by about eighty percent and do it again. You can even drop the weight as many times as your body can handle it.

By utilizing the methods above, you will definitely start to see results show once again. Another method you could do would be to consult with a personal trainer who will know exactly which strategies you should use as well as provide you with their own personal methods that you may not find anywhere else. Our Personal training in Los Angeles is growing more popular every day, and the reason that is happening is because of the fact our personal trainers know exactly how to get you to your goal quickly and effectively.

Bonus Tip: Exercise consistently

Exercise consistently! Every health study in the world talks about the benefits of consistent exercise. You don’t need me to tell you to get up off the couch and get moving. But I will anyway. Get up and get going! Walk, run, bike, skate, hike, swim or surf. Lift weights. Stretch. Breathe. Move. Get out of the house and get to the gym, yoga studio, spin studio, hell, even the dance studio. Get your body moving, get your heart pumping, get sweaty. Kick up your metabolism, build up your endurance and get in shape. The first step is the hardest.

Bonus Tip: Ask for Help

I’m here to help! Feel free to ask, that is. I’m happy to share some of my favorite tips with my clients, friends and fans. But all the tips in the world won’t necessarily give you the motivation you need to get in shape and feel great about yourself. Email me today to create a great, motivational workout and nutrition plan that’s right for you. My trainers and I will work with you to get you the body you’ve always wanted. If you’re not in Southern California, no sweat! I have a great online personal training program I’ll tailor to your specific needs. We’ll be in touch via 21st century communications – text, phone, my app, Zoom, whatever it takes to get you in shape. Call me today. What have you got to lose except the extra inches?