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Everything you need to know to shape up your booty for swimsuit season. Keep reading for the essential exercises that target your glutes to give it the shape and tone you’ve been wanting.

Better Booty Exercise #1: Hip Lift
A great exercise to work your glutes is the hip lift. To do this exercise, lie on the floor with your back flat, knees bent, and feet resting on the ground. While keeping your arms at your sides on the floor, lift your bottom and lower back off of the floor. Hold for a few seconds, and then slowly lower yourself. Repeat. To work your muscles even more, lift a leg in the air when you raise your bottom off the ground. Lower yourself and then repeat, lifting the other leg.

Better Booty Exercise #2: Leg Lift
To do a leg lift, lie on your side and prop yourself up on your elbow. Raise your top leg slowly into the air, as high as you can, so your legs make a “V” shape. Hold for a few seconds, and then slowly lower your leg. Repeat 10 times, turn onto the other side, and lift the other leg.

Better Booty Exercise #3: Banded Shuffle
This is a great exercise to get your heart pumping and to work your butt. To do this exercise you’ll need an elastic sports band. Stand up straight with your legs hip-width apart and tie the band around your lower legs. Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor, your back is straight, and your abdominals are tight. While in this squatting position, take several steps to the left, then several to the right. You may need to use your arms for balance, but your butt muscles should feel it the most.

Better Booty Exercise #4: Plié Squat
Another form of squat is the plié squat. If you don’t have an elastic band, this is the exercise to add definition and shape to your butt. Start by standing with your legs slightly more than shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed out to the sides. This is what ballerinas call the plié position. For balance, hold your arms in front of you. While keeping your back straight, slowly squat to the ground until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold this for five seconds and stand back up. Repeat 10 times.

Better Booty Exercise #5: Lunge
A fifth exercise that targets the muscles of your butt, thighs, and hips is the lunge. Putting one foot out in front of the other, lower your body toward the ground, keeping your abdominals tight and your torso straight. Lower until the front knee is bent at 90 degrees and not extended past your toes. Stand back up and then extend the opposite leg and bend. Perform 10 repetitions. For an increased workout, hold dumbbells in each hand.

Better Booty Exercise #6: Run or Walk
Running or walking outside or on the treadmill are other great exercises that work your butt while giving you a cardio workout to burn fat at the same time. Make it your goal to exercise 30 to 45 minutes at least three times a week, including walking or running each time.

Burn, Baby, Burn! These exercises are excellent ways to burn extra fat off your butt while adding the definition you desire. Not used to working your gluteal muscles? You’ll definitely feel the burn the first few days, but the end result will be worth the effort!

If you’re serious about transforming your body then call or email today to set up a consultation with me. Together we will create the perfect program that will quickly get you into the body that you deserve.

Don’t wait – call or email today to get started.

Starting your day off with a breakfast that is low in carbs and filled with protein and healthy fiber is a key way to stay on track with your fitness and fat loss goals. Many breakfast options today are filled with simple sugars and grains which sets you up for a day filled with poor food choices. This recipe for Egg and Sausage Casserole is filled with all of the energy-packed ingredients you need to power your day, to burn fat, and to feel great. Enjoy the leftovers for lunch or dinner!

Servings: 6

Here’s what you need…

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ½ cup onion, chopped
• 4 links chicken sausage, sliced into ¼ inch rounds
• 2 cups broccoli, chopped
• ¾ cup shredded cheese, divided
• 8 eggs, beaten
• ¼ cup milk
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a large casserole pan with olive oil.
2. In a small skillet, place the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat.
3. In a medium bowl combine the tender onion, chicken sausage rounds, broccoli and ¼ cup of the shredded cheese. Spread this broccoli mixture over the prepared casserole pan.
4. In a large bowl combine the eggs, milk, pepper, salt and most of the remaining cheese (save a handful to sprinkle over the top of the casserole). Pour the egg mixture over the broccoli mixture in the casserole pan.
5. Cover the casserole pan with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and continue to bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, cool for 10 minutes, serve and enjoy!

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 197 calories, 14g fat, 4g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, and 14g protein.

You head to the gym because you know that exercise burns calories and helps you to shed extra kilos.

Knowing this, you may think that losing weight should be easy with enough exercise. However the truth is that if you aren’t accustomed to exercising and are out of shape, beginning an exercise program may actually lead to an initial increase in your weight.

This fact, however, shouldn’t stop you from exercising, as you’ll eventually turn the weight corner and start losing.

What is it about exercise that may cause some people to gain instead of lose weight?

Muscle: One of the main reasons exercising can lead to initial weight gain is that it promotes the growth of muscle.

If you are not used to working out and haven’t used certain muscles regularly, after exercising your muscles will be sore and will increase in size. While you may burn off fat, muscle is denser than fat. Therefore, the weight you gain is in your muscles.

Don’t sweat it. Since muscles take up less space than fat, your extra weight doesn’t necessarily translate to larger size. In fact, once you start working out, you’ll become thinner, even if you maintain your previous weight. Instead of using a scale to determine if you are slimming down, have your body fat tested regularly or measure your body at certain areas.

If you see that you’re losing inches, then you know you’re on the right track.

Cardiovascular activities like walking, running, or swimming will encourage the growth of lean, toned muscles. Other activities such as weight lifting promote the growth of larger, stronger muscles.

But there is good news in this. If you stick with the exercise program, your muscles will soon stabilize in size and after a time, become toned. After your muscles are strong and able to handle more strenuous workouts, you will be able to burn calories faster.

While it may be frustrating and disappointing to see the scale go up after starting an exercise routine, it shouldn’t stop you from exercising. You may just be building muscle faster than losing body fat. This can be especially true if you’re genetically prone to building muscle fast. The key is to incorporate bouts of cardio exercise in addition to strength training. That way you will burn plenty of calories during your routine and be more able to shed pounds.

Eating Habits: When you work out and burn calories, your body will feel the need to replace those burned calories.

This may make you feel hungrier than usual, which can cause you to eat more than normal—sometimes without knowing it. A good idea is to keep a food journal to track of the actual number of calories you are consuming.

You may also end up eating more calories and justifying their consumption since you’re exercising. After a good workout, you may see an ice cream sundae as a reward for the calories you burned. Just be careful. If you’re interested in losing kilos, you can’t simply break even with your caloric intake and the amount of calories you burn.

At the same time, eating too few calories can be counterproductive and slow your weight loss. Without enough calories, your body may slow its metabolism. So eat plenty to keep your body well fueled, but choose healthy calories that will help your body recover after a workout and grow stronger.

Hydration: Depending on the time of day you weigh yourself, the scale may read differently. Your weight can fluctuate as much as five kilos depending on the amount of water or food you have recently consumed or the amount of water you have shed in sweat. It is therefore important to weigh yourself at the same time each day.

My exercise programs are specifically designed to produce results quickly.

Call or email today to test drive a program that will get the numbers on your scale headed in the right direction.

Pizza cravings have derailed many well-intentioned dieters, so it’s essential to have a solution that doesn’t leave you filled with regret and excessive calories. This recipe for Zucchini Pizza Boats delivers all that you love about pizza – the flavors of basil, marinara, pepperoni and cheese – and swaps out the calorie-laden crust for guilt-free and fiber filled zucchini. Enjoy as a meal, an appetizer or as a snack.

Servings: 6

Here’s what you need…

• 6 organic zucchini
• ½ cup organic spaghetti sauce
• ½ cup mozzarella, shredded
• ¼ cup sliced olives
• ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
• 35 grams uncured pepperoni, sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a shallow baking dish with olive oil
2. Wash the zucchini and slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out some of the zucchini flesh to make little boats. I used a knife to slice down the sides and then a spoon to scoop it out. If the zucchini is soft then you won’t need to use a knife. Arrange the zucchini in the prepared pan.
3. Spoon some spaghetti sauce in each zucchini boat and then top with mozzarella, olives, basil and pepperoni. Bake for 20 minutes or until the toppings are cooked and the zucchini are soft. Enjoy!

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 90 calories, 4g fat, 10g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, and 6g protein.

This recipe for Cajun Salmon is a simple and flavorful way to eat a lean dinner. The Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli are delicious enough to save the leftovers for a mid-afternoon snack! Start your healthy eating and cooking with these recipes.

Servings: 2

Here’s what you need…

Roasted Cauliflower & Broccoli:

• 1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
• 1 head broccoli, chopped into florets
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• ½ lemon, juiced

Cajun Salmon:

• 2  salmon fillets
• 2 Tablespoons Cajun seasoning blend
• ½ lemon, sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C. On a rimmed baking sheet combine the cauliflower and broccoli florets with the olive oil, salt, black pepper and garlic. Roast for 20 minutes, until lightly charred. Toss with lemon juice.
2. Reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees C. Rub the salmon fillets with the Cajun seasoning. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, until flaky. Serve with lemon slices. Enjoy!

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 406 calories, 19g fat, 12g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, and 30g protein.

Not happy with your body?

It’s hardly your fault.

Have you ever stopped to notice how many times you’re bombarded by food marketing each day?

Ads come at you from magazine pages, T.V. commercials, on websites and billboards, each boasting of cheap, convenient and tasty ways to cure your hunger.

The question “What’s for dinner?” has never been more complex than now.

Extensive menu options and large entrees have distorted your concept of a proper meal, and before you know it you’ve fallen into the trap of the chain restaurant, the drive thru, and the take-out line.

But wait – truly healthy eating is simple.

First, block out the blizzard of food marketing around you.

Remember that advertisers want your money, and they don’t stop to consider if the food they promote will expand your waist – that’s your job.

It’s safe to say that, with few exceptions, any food that you see marketed should be avoided. When was the last time you saw an ad for grilled white fish and steamed broccoli?

So what does truly healthy eating look like?

A healthy meal contains lean protein, fresh vegetables and the occasional modest serving of whole grains.

Just as importantly, a healthy meal does NOT contain:

• Refined sugar / corn syrup
• Fried / fatty food
• Full fat dairy food
• Processed food with chemical additives

Healthy Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. What you decide to eat when you first wake up will set the tone for the rest of your meals that day. Try these healthy options:

• Scrambled egg whites, sliced tomato and steamed spinach.
• Whole grain oatmeal, a scoop of protein powder and sliced fruit.
• Homemade breakfast sandwich: Multi-grain English muffin with lean turkey slices and egg.

Healthy Lunch

It is important to plan your lunch ahead of time in order to avoid turning to a fast food joint or vending machine. Pack your lunch the night before and carry it with you. Try these healthy options:

• Dark baby greens topped with chopped chicken breast and diced tomatoes.
• Albacore tuna (packed in water), mixed with finely chopped cucumber.
• Lettuce Wrapped Sandwich: Lean turkey slices, lettuce, tomato and mustard.

Healthy Dinner

Dinner is the meal where most people splurge and eat far more calories than they should. Eating at home is the first step in reducing your dinnertime calories. Try these healthy options:

• Grilled white fish, sautéed spinach and whole wheat couscous
• Baked chicken breast, steamed broccoli and brown rice
• Try the recipe for Cajun Salmon with Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli below.

While healthy eating is a huge factor in achieving your ideal weight, exercise is the other half of the equation. Your exercise routine should be challenging and should be done on a regular basis.

I know that you have more than enough in your life to think about without having to plan your own exercise routine. Leave that job to me—call or email today to get started on a personalized fitness program that will leave your body no choice but to shed those unwanted pounds.

Yes, it is possible to enjoy Spaghetti night while living a fit and lean lifestyle. This is accomplished with noodles made from fresh zucchini and a sauce that is simply made and packed with protein. Feel free to sub in ground beef for the minced beef if desired.

Servings: 6

Here’s what you need…

• 2 kg minced, grass-fed beef
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 8g can of tomato sauce
• 1 Tablespoon chili sauce
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 4 zucchini
• ¼ cup fresh parsley

1. In a large skillet, brown the beef over medium-high heat. Drain the skillet and turn down to medium heat.
2. Add in the tomato paste, tomato sauce, chili, cherry tomatoes and sea salt. Mix to combine. Sauté until the cherry tomatoes are soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Peel the green skins from the zucchini, the run through a spiral slicer to create long, thin spaghetti noodles.
4. Plate a handful of zucchini noodles topped with the beef sauce and a sprinkle of parsley.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 255 calories, 7g fat, 9g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, and 33g protein.

It happens to everyone. That moment when you realize that it’s time to do something about your weight.

It may happen when you’re looking in the mirror or standing on the scale.

Your first thought is to go on a ‘diet’ but as quickly as that enters your mind the ghosts of a hundred diets past return…along with all the frustration.

Then you wonder, why bother?

The weight will come back, as it always has. Then you’ll be back in front of the mirror as discouraged as ever.

The answer is not to go on another diet.

The answer is to change your lifestyle.

Making the Change. It’s time to lose your ‘all or nothing’ mentality. Embrace simple, small changes that will add up to big improvements in your lifestyle. These are your main venues for change:

What You Eat. Let’s face it, most of the foods you eat aren’t the healthiest. Some are downright terrible (the burger and fries you had last week). While others are simply excessive (the snacks you eat while watching TV).

The solution to cleaning up your daily diet is NOT to go back on a ‘diet’. In fact, I never want you to go on a ‘diet’ again. (Yes, you heard me right!) Instead I want you to make permanent healthy changes to your eating habits.

Here are some practical examples:

• Choose salad over chips
• Don’t add butter to your food
• Eat fresh produce with every meal
• Limit desserts to one or two per week
• Cut out mindless snacking
• Drink water, not soft drink

I don’t expect you to eat a perfect diet every day of the week – that’d be ludicrous. You should, however, make MORE healthy choices every day than unhealthy ones.

How You Move. Exercise is a huge component to a healthy lifestyle, and quite frankly you’re not getting enough of it. How often does an entire week go by without you ever lacing up your tennis shoes? Don’t disregard the importance and power of a good workout.

Your new healthy lifestyle means exercising on most days of the week. This may seem tough, but I have the perfect solution – my training programs were created for busy people just like you who only have so much time to dedicate to exercise.

I understand how hard it is to find the motivation to stay consistent and to push yourself. Make exercise a no-brainer—contact me to get started on a lifestyle enhancing program today.

Here are simple ways to move more:

• Watch less TV
• Stretch stiff muscles every day
• Play at the park with the kids
• Go for a jog
• Do some push ups every morning

While none of the above are meant as substitutes for a solid exercise routine, they are great ways to become more active and to improve your lifestyle.

Your lifestyle is the balance of all the choices that you make regarding your body. Swing the balance in your favor—make a majority of your choices health conscious.

So the next time you’re in front of the mirror you won’t worry about your weight.

You’ll relish it.

Are you ready to transform your lifestyle and body? Call or email me today to get started.

Your doctor feels like a broken record.

That’s right—he’s sick and tired of telling you how important exercise is to your health because YOU DON’T LISTEN.

He’s sick of explaining how so many of your health problems will improve or even disappear as the result of a consistent exercise program.

He’s tired of tallying your controllable risk factors that include physical inactivity and obesity.

So why does he continue to give you the same lecture?

Because he’s seen exercise change lives.

He’s even seen exercise save lives.

1. Feel Great: The first thing that patients tell their doctor after starting an exercise program is how much better they feel. People don’t realize how bad they feel. They get used to feeling bad. Then when they start exercising they feel so much better.

Your energy levels boost and you feel great.

2. Pain Be Gone: Next patients notice a reduction in aches and pains. Chronic muscle and joint pain that they’ve lived with for years begins to fade. For some, joint replacement surgery is postponed. For others, arthritis pain is reduced.

Your muscles and joints feel better than ever.

3. Goodbye Coronary Heart Disease: While patients can’t feel this healing benefit of exercise, it is the one that saves lives. Exercise removes two of the major risk factors that lead to heart disease: 1) physical inactivity and 2) obesity. Exercise also increases your good cholesterol (HDL) and lowers your blood pressure.

Your risk of heart attack or stroke is reduced.

4. Goodbye Type 2 Diabetes: Patients with type 2 diabetes gain substantial benefits from exercise. Exercise improves the body’s use of insulin, and the related weight loss improves insulin sensitivity. Of course patients with type 2 diabetes need to get guidelines from their doctor before starting an exercise program.

Your blood sugar levels are better controlled.

5. Goodbye Sleep Apnea: Patients with sleep apnea are often caught in a destructive cycle. Their weight promotes occurrences of apnea then inadequate sleep promotes weight gain.

With all of these benefits it’s hard to see why anyone would avoid exercise. What’s your excuse?

• I know you’re tired…exercise gives you energy.
• I know you’re in pain…exercise alleviates your muscle and joint pain.
• I know you’d rather stay in bed…exercise makes your sleep more restful.
• I know you’re pressed for time…exercise improves your efficiency and extends your life.
• I know you don’t know where to start…that’s where I come in.

Reply to this email or call me and we’ll schedule a consultation where I can show you the fastest and safest way to reap all of the benefits of exercise.

Then the next time you see your doctor he won’t give you a lecture.

He’ll congratulate you.