“Dear Christi, I find working out with a trainer essential for me to stay motivated to actually exercise. But, they are definitely not all the same, and I am trying to find the right person to help me achieve my pre-wedding fitness goals. And, the cost (or the investment, as I like to consider it) can be daunting. How do I find a “bridal fitness professional” without bleeding my pocketbook dry? Why does it have to be so expensive??? Do you have any suggestions for finding someone? I live in Los Angeles and have a “trainer” right now, but I’m getting nowhere with improving my fitness level. Plus, after nearly six months, it’s getting extremely boring, my wedding is approaching and I am not where I want to be! ~ Judy”
What is a Bridal Fitness Professional?
A bridal fitness professional is certified through a reputable association such as the ISSA, ACE, NASM, NSCA, ACSM and is very knowledgeable and focused on helping you meet and reach your goals beyond telling you what exercises to do and counting reps. A bridal fitness professional has experience working with brides (and grooms) and understands the special time frame and time constraints around a wedding.  The professional can incorporate ideas  as a bride (or groom).  The true bridal fitness professional knows how to put together a complete program for you based on your goals and time-line.   The program should educate you, inspire you, keep you motivated and accountable.

Most bridal fitness professionals will have a web site that will provide information about their background, education, philosophy, services and will include testimonials from satisfied brides.

Most “Bridal Fitness Professionals” are independent, self-employed, and are career professionals. If you are working with someone and not satisfied with the results you’re getting, speak to them and let him/her know of your concerns. Your “trainer” or “Bridal Fitness Professional” should be receptive to your concerns, ask questions, and come up with a solution to correct your concerns.

Gym Trainers vs. Independent Trainers
Buyer beware. Many of the “chain gyms” choose a “trainer” for you. Most of the time, they are not independent, fitness professionals and work for the gym. You have no idea what this person’s education, training, experience, knowledge, etc., is. There is also a very high turnover rate of “trainers” who are employed by the gyms, they are paid very little and turnover is high.  Some gyms require little or no education of their trainers.  This is not to say that some gym trainers are great.  Just be aware and interview your gym trainer before hiring her.

While there are many “trainers” out there that are nothing more than rep counters, there are many Bridal Fitness Professionals who are very knowledgeable in health, fitness, nutrition and have an understanding of the special needs of a bride.  She will have your best interest at heart when working with you. A true “Bridal Fitness Professional” stays up to date and educated on health, fitness, and nutrition as well as self-improvement.  She is also up on what’s happening in the bridal and wedding industry.

When choosing to work with a Bridal Fitness Professional either in person or on line, I highly recommend that you speak to that person on the phone first. That will give you an opportunity to ask questions and know if that person truly is a match for your goals. Whenever someone shows an interest in my services, I always encourage that person to allow me to call them or have them call me so we can discuss their goals, time line and personal situation.

The Workout
As a Bridal Fitness Professional, I do my best to teach my clients the reasoning behind the type of workout they’re doing and how a particular exercise works a particular muscle to get the result they want. When people understand the whats, hows and whys about an exercise, it helps to motivate them that much more so that they don’t feel they’re doing an exercise just for the sake of doing it. I also vary the workouts so that my clients remain challenged, motivated, don’t get bored and to avoid plateaus.

A true “Bridal Fitness Professional” will be focused on you, keeping an eye on your form and technique and making adjustments as needed.

Nutrition
Nutrition is vital towards building a healthy, fit, body. A calorie is not just a calorie.  A Fitness Professional will be knowledgeable about nutrition, but will also know her limits. When technical advice is necessary, she will refer you to an RD or ND to take you to the level you want to go.  Personal trainers are not educated on putting together “diets” for their customers.  They should be skilled on the basics and know when they cross the line.  If your trainer is suggesting specific diets or supplements, beware.

A Fitness Professional will help educate you about basic nutrition and help keep you motivated when it comes to embracing new lifestyle habits while letting go of bad habits.

Health
Health news has become more and more prominent and there are many news sites that have sections devoted strictly to health and fitness. There also are numerous scientific research and science journals reporting on the latest findings about health, fitness, nutrition, supplements, etc.

A Bridal Fitness Professional will be up to date and informed on the latest health news and can inform you about any news, as needed, specific to your health and fitness needs.

Nutritional Supplements
A “Bridal Fitness Professional” will be informed on the basic science behind many of the popular nutritional/sports supplements on the market and can help steer you in one direction or another.  There again, is a fine line between their true expertise and crossing into an area off limits for a trainer.  Beware, use your own judgment and when in doubt, check with your doctor.

Self-Improvement/Motivation
Improved health and fitness is a mental process as much as it is a physical one. A true “Bridal Fitness Professional” will be knowledgeable about self-improvement and have a positive mindset. When coaching a client, a “Bridal Fitness Professional” will pick up on innocent comments that reflect a negative mindset or signs of resistance that the bride  isn’t aware of.   Subconscious resistance or negative thoughts will keep you from achieving your goals.

A true “Bridal Fitness Professional” will teach you to re-frame negative thoughts or resistance into a more positive mindset. Examples of this are turning “can’t” into “can; “have to do” into “want to do”; “should do” into “will do”.  Your “Bridal Fitness Professional’s” job is to help you see when you are in a self defeating mode, and try to help you turn that energy positive.

An investment in you
Now that you have an understanding of the benefits of what a “Bridal Fitness Professional” can do for you, this certainly gives you a clearer picture that they are much more than “rep counters” and that they truly help improvement your health, fitness, lifestyle, while building your self confidence and encouraging a positive mindset.

Myth: Following a very low-fat diet is guaranteed to help you lose weight and protect your heart.

Truth: Reducing calories and increasing activity helps shed pounds. Fat is necessary in moderate amounts. Without some fat it is difficult to absorb fat soluble vitamins like E, A, and K. Good fats actually protect your heart.

Which are the good fats?

Last night, during bootcamp,  we were talking about the fact that Monique Lhuillier is now offering lower price point bridesmaid dresses, which led us to the fact that Nordstrom is now offering a bridal boutique (more on that subject soon), which led us straight to the subject of bridal shoes  (amazing how the subject matter cascades while running).

I just learned of a great website myshoes.com where you can search and compare prices on bridal footwear.  They don’t actually sell anything themselves, they just help you find the pair of shoes you are looking for at the best price.  How cool is that???

Gabrielle is having a really hard time finding the shoes she needs in a size that works.  Maybe this is her answer.  Gabrielle, let us know if myshoes.com can help!

This site is really fun!  Here is a sample of their .tv selection:

How much protein do you need when you are exercising regularly?

The equation is easy:

.8 gm/kg body weight for the light to moderate exerciser (most of us)

1.2 gm/kg body weight for  the heavy duty exerciser (power lifting, extreme sports training)

Here are things to remember:

1kg = 2.2 pounds

So, if you weigh 150 pounds you need to divide by 2.2 to get kg

150 pounds = 68.18 kg

68. 18 kg  x  .8 gm = 54.54 gm protein per day or 218 calories from protein or about 10% of your overall calories based on a 2000 calorie per day intake.

If you are working out really hard – as I know some brides do before their weddings, then you will want to kick up your protein intake a bit to accommodate your muscle growth or to shield against muscle loss.

150lbs = 68.18 kg

68.18 kg x 1.2gm = 81.8 gm protein per day.  This is a big jump as it accounts for a difference of 27.8 grams or 111.2 calories (4 calories per gm carbohydrate and protein, 9 per gm fat, 7 per gm alcohol) for a total of 327 calories of protein per day.

Most Americans get more protein than they need, and you can see why.  It’s easy to go over what our bodies need.

I know several people heading to Greece for honeymoons and vacations this year. In honor of this popular destination, let’s re-discover the healthy (bride) benefits of their particularly well regarded diet.

In addition to weight loss, this diet reduces heart disease risk

I went to the farmer’s market this week, so I have a well stocked refrigerator.  The fresh lettuce is crying for a hearty salad.  Here is what I am making for dinner tonight.

Big head of fresh lettuce
Roasted Green Beans (I grill them with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar)
avocado
fresh market tomato
fresh peach
feta cheese

Laura’s Poppy Seed Dressing:

3 T Apple cider vinegar
4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 T honey
1/4 c olive oil
1 tsp poppy seeds

yum!!

Erica, one of our dedicated Healthy Bride’s is getting Married tomorrow in Portland, Oregon.  A big HUG and warmest wishes go to you Erica!  Have a blast on your day and honeymoon.  We can’t wait to see the photos.

I often hear people say that they are going to lose weight by “cutting carbs”. When I hear that, I often think “what does that mean?” When I ask for further clarification, I usually hear that the person is not eating any bread or pasta. So, what does that do? Usually it is a convenient way to cut calories, and not much more. Cutting out food groups rarely works for people. I found this article about why eating carbs is a good thing.  I agree

I’m not naming any names, but I have a family member who rarely eats carbs. The reasoning? In their words, not mine, “they make you fat.” (And chances are, thanks to the Atkins craze, you too know at least one of these no-carb eaters.)

It makes no difference to me that this person avoids carbs, but what does bother me is the misinformation “carbohydrates make you fat.” They don’t. Sure, if eaten in unnecessarily large quantities they could contribute to weight gain, but, then again, so could too much of any food. In fact, carbohydrates are a healthy addition to your diet.

Here are 6 reasons to keep carbs in your diet:

1. Carbs can help boost your mood. Researchers suspect that carbs promote the production of serotonin, a feel-good brain chemical. In a study from the Archives of Internal Medicine, people who followed a very low carbohydrate diet for a year—which allowed only 20 to 40 grams of carbs daily, about the amount in just 1⁄2 cup of rice plus one piece of bread—experienced more depression, anxiety and anger than those assigned to a low-fat, high-carb diet that focused on low-fat dairy, whole grains, fruit and beans.

2. Carbs can help prevent weight gain—and even promote weight loss. Researchers at Brigham Young University in Utah followed the eating habits of middle-aged women for nearly two years and found that those who increased their fiber intake generally lost weight. Women who decreased the fiber in their diets gained. Many carbohydrates contain dietary fiber, which is actually an indigestible complex carbohydrate.

3. Carbs are good for your heart. Research suggests that increasing your soluble-fiber intake (a type of fiber found in carb-rich foods like oatmeal and beans) by 5 to 10 grams each day could result in a 5 percent drop in “bad” LDL cholesterol. Similarly, people who eat more whole grains (think brown rice, bulgur, quinoa) also tend to have lower LDL cholesterol and higher “good” HDL cholesterol.

4. Carbs will help you trim your waistline. Swapping refined grains for whole grains may help reduce total body fat and belly fat, according to new research in the Journal of Nutrition. In the study, adults who ate about 3 servings of whole grains a day had about 2.4 percent less body fat and 3.6 percent less abdominal fat than those who ate less than a quarter of a serving.

5. Carbs will keep your memory sharp. After overweight women followed a “low-carbohydrate” diet for a week (they were told to completely eliminate carbohydrates from their diets) they did worse on tests of working memory (i.e., why did I walk into this room?) and visuospatial memory (remembering locations on a map) than their counterparts who followed a “low-calorie” diet, based on American Dietetic Association guidelines, in a study from Tufts University.

6. Carbs will help you blast fat. Eating a breakfast made with “slow-release” carbohydrates, such as oatmeal or bran cereal, three hours before exercise may help burn more fat, according to a recent study from the Journal of Nutrition. Here’s why: in the study, eating “slow-release” carbohydrates didn’t spike blood sugar as high as eating refined carbohydrates, such as white toast. In turn, insulin levels didn’t spike as high and because insulin plays a role in signaling your body to store fat, having lower levels may help you burn fat.

Brierley Wright, MS. RD.  is an associate editor at EatingWell.

To be the healthiest YOU possible, find local farmer’s markets and buy your produce (and even bread and meat!) there – you can look up local markets by going to www.tilth.org.

Change up your fitness routine every 4-6 weeks to prevent a workout plateau both for your muscles and your mind.

5-Minute Cold Cucumber Salad

Stay cool with this easy-to-prepare summer salad. One serving provides 246% of your Daily Value (DV) for vitamin
C and 52% DV for vitamin A.

Prep and Cook Time: 5 minutes Ingredients: 1/2 medium red onion, sliced thin 1 medium clove garlic, chopped 1 medium cucumber, halved, seeds removed, and sliced 1 medium tomato, cubed 1 medium red bell pepper, diced 1 TBS feta cheese 6 kalamata olives, cut into halves or quarters 2 TBS fresh lemon juice Sea salt and pepper to taste Fresh or dried dill (optional)

Directions:

1. Chop garlic and slice onions and let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Combine all ingredients and serve.

Serves 2