sumi, Author at Shaila Fitness

Stress Relief Tips

September 27, 2015 by sumi 1 Comment

If I had a dollar for the number of times a client has shown up to a session “stressed out,” I’d probably have a couple extra bills to throw around. Stress is a normal part of life; it’s how you manage and deal with it that helps you get on with the joy of living life. Here are some of my favorite stress relief tips; those that have worked for me, and those that I’ve heard work for you.

In reviewing these stress relief tips, keep in mind that I am not a therapist but merely a trainer with a good ear for listening and with a desire to help. Sometimes bigger problems (e.g., grief from loss of a loved one) are best handled via therapy. Either way, these stress relief tips below are no to low-cost, and range from low-tech to high-tech to encourage as many as you as possible to manage your stress levels.

Exercise! Yeah, duh, of course a trainer would say that, and you probably knew this one. But guess what? ANY form of exercise will do just fine. Zumba, weight training, dancing, walking, tennis, jogging, yoga, basketball, whatever. We all have our favorite way to break a sweat.

Weight lifting is my stress relief

Homemade Quest Bars

August 18, 2015 by sumi 1 Comment

Homemade Dark Chocolate Quest style Protein Bars

Quest protein bars are very popular with my clients. A lot has changed since I first reviewed the product several years ago and you can check that out my old review here Quest Bar review.

Since then, the brand has come out with several flavors, and revised their ingredient list to accommodate food allergies and changing tastes. More on them here: http://www.questnutrition.com/

Even though I’m not a protein bar fanatic, I have to acknowledge that they are a tasty convenience food, especially for busy people and travelers that want a good protein source. I’ve also seen Quest bars on enough of client food intake logs so I know they are popular for a variety of reasons, and they are sold widely now.

Homemade Quest bars are shockingly easy to make too. All you need the main ingredient that gives it the chewy consistency. And that is this:

Vitafiber Basic Syrup, is a sweet, low-calorie prebiotic fiber source that will help bind your homemade Quest bar and give it a nice chewy texture. You can buy it on Amazon though I’m sure there are other retailers.

Next you’re going to need your favorite, most tastiest brand of protein powder. I used the Quest brand (chocolate whey protein) and the bar you make will take the flavor of the style of protein powder. So, use a strawberry flavor if you want something that tastes fruity; vanilla if you want to add cookies, etc.

You might want to buy some sort of silicone tray to contain your homemade Quest bar. The silicone trays are ideal because you can just push the bars out once you’re done cooling them off, and you can use them as the mold rather than trying to form them with your hands into something that resembles a bar.

Here’s what the finished product (which I covered in saran wrap so I could place something over it to flatten them) before I stuck into the fridge, looks like. You can get the silicone trays here. I’ve seen them at some grocery stores as well.

Okay now onto the recipe for the homemade Quest bars, which is so super simple even a mom-zombie like me can make it.

Homemade Dark Chocolate Quest style Protein Bars

I made enough to make 9 bars, so the recipe is tailored for that amount. Each bar is about 140 calories, which is less than most Quest bars (they are about 200 calories). My flavor of choice was basic dark chocolate.

1. Step 1. Heat up 18-20 Tbsps of the Vitafiber in a pan until small bubbles form. I used this many tablespoons of the Vitafiber to make a total of 9 bars, so alter the recipe if you want fewer. For one bar, use 2 TBSPs.

2. While still warm (but not bubbling), stir in 9 scoops of powdered protein of choice, 9 tsps of dark chocolate cocoa powder, and 9 tsps of vanilla extract.

3. Mix it together until it forms a doughy paste. Then mold into silicone trays (see above) or use hands to form 9 bars. Again, you’d just use 2 Tbsps of Vitafiber for one bar (and only 1 scoop of protein powder, 1 tsp cocoa powder, and 1 tsp vanilla extract for just one bar).

4. Cool in fridge for an hour or longer.

Each bar contains about 140 calories; 23 grams of protein, 13 grams of carbs, 7 grams of fiber, and 0 grams of fat.

To boost the calorie and fat content of this bar, you could add your favorite kind of nut butter, chopped nuts, shredded coconut or coconut oil, and/or real chocolate chips.

For more a fruity flavor, you could add dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, blueberries), or fruit essence flavorings (drops that you can get in the baking/spices aisle). Instead of chocolate protein powder, you might want the base of this to be a strawberry or vanilla protein powder.

You could also add a crushed oreo cookie or a chips ahoy cookie to each basic bar to mimic the cookies and cream flavored bar, or the cookie dough bar.

Or, to make more of a peanut butter and jelly style bar, you could use the Quest protein brand of peanut butter protein, PB2 (powdered peanut butter) or real peanut butter, and some dried fruit or grape jelly.

The possibilities are endless!

Fitness Tips for the Single Mother

August 10, 2015 by sumi Leave a Comment

A little while ago, a came across an article on how the single mother can live richly on a single income. Which led me to think, I ought to write a few fitness tips for the single mother, and how she can find quality time for some exercise, despite her busy schedule.

What makes me qualified?

Other than being a single mother, and working full time between several gyms, and online, there’s more….

In my situation, the father isn’t (currently) in the same state, which means that the standard visitation privileges that would free up some of my time isn’t there.

In most situations, the mother will have a night off during the week, and alternating weekends, etc, so that would theoretically allow for some free time for the single mother to fit in fitness.

That’s not my case. You could say I have LESS free time, not more than the average single mother where the father or partner is there to help out.

So, my tips below are really not just for the single mother (or even father!) in a more traditional set-up, but also for the single mother who may literally never get a parenting break (unless she has the financial means to hire nannies, or babysitters).

I also do work full-time. Granted, my job is active (I’m a full time personal trainer), I’m highly motivated to stay in shape, but unless I schedule or make time for my own training, it wouldn’t get done.

So, what are my fitness tips for the single mother who is trying to find time for fitness?

1. Reframe your mindset regarding the exercise time commitment. Realistically, you may not have 30-45 at a stretch to exercise. You can break your workouts in to shorter chunks of time. A 15 minute walk during your lunch break, a brief stroll in the evening, parking as far away from your destination as possible, walking up and down steps, etc. It ALL adds up.

You can check out all my sneaky tips to squeeze in activity here.

2. Find ways to exercise with your baby. Google “mommy and me” fitness classes in your area, fitness classes that allow you to work out with your baby in the stroller, or recreation centers, studios, and gyms that offer childcare services on site so you can bring your child to the gym while you train.

Many of my own personal training clients will bring their kids to my home gym studio. Depending on the age, we’ve done workouts while holding the baby or while the baby watches from a safe distance; or workout close enough to a clingy toddler so the tot can watch and admire the mother training.

Usually, if the child is old enough to be entertained with toys and games for a brief 30 minute workout, everything goes seamlessly. I don’t mind at all when my clients bring their child to my home for the workout. This isn’t really an option in a commercial gym unless they have childcare. You might be able to find a neighborhood personal trainer that lets you bring your child, or comes to you.

Need a playground workout? Something you can do while the kids play?

Here’s one for you to try, too:

Sign up you and your child for fun family runs, easy obstacle/mud runs, 5Ks, 1Ks, etc. This is a great way for both of you to get in some exercise.

If you are truly limited to at home training only, you can check out my tips for training at home or purchase my complete program for cardio, nutrition, and strength training at home called Stay At Home Strong. The workouts are short, ideal for busy parents, and meant to be completed in the privacy of your own home.

3. Find another single mother in your neighborhood that you can alternate drop-off playdates with. Naturally, this doesn’t have to be a single mom, but I’ve generally connected with other single moms in a special way. Another single mom and I will take turns watching the kids a few times every month so we can have some “me time.” I use that time to exercise, clean up, cook, whatever. Bottom line is that you’ve opened up another outlet for alone time that you can use to your advantage. If you need to find other single moms, try your neighborhood Facebook mom groups (if they’re trusty worthy), chat up the other moms on the birthday party circuit, or at school, etc.

4. Use every birthday party drop-off situation to your advantage. This tip won’t apply if your child is too young, but once your child is in kindergarten, you can leave him or her at birthday parties instead of staying. I actually did not know this until I hosted a birthday party and parents would leave their child, and pick them up after the party was over.

Make sure you get a cupcake.

Seriously, no one told me so I had no clue this happened, or was acceptable.

It’s actually great, all the host has to do is worry about entertaining the kid rather than the parent. To be on the safe side, you will want to ask if parents are required to stay; sometimes the invite will specify it’s a drop off party. This is seriously one of the best things ever about transitioning your child to kindergarten. Free time is a luxury for me, so I take every opportunity I can get.

Again, use that time to get in a longer workout, a hike/run in a new neighborhood, or whatever.

5. Exercise during their soccer, football, cheer, martial arts, dance class, tutoring, piano practice etc. Usually, I witness moms and dads hanging out at the sidelines, on the benches or chairs, catching up on email, chatting with other parents, texting on their phones, reading a book, etc., while their child is in class/practicing a sport. That’s perfectly fine.

But if you’re a single parent with a kid that’s old enough to be left with the coach or tutor, and your presence isn’t required, use that time to walk, run, hit the gym if possible, do some bodyweight exercises like those shown in the playground workout video I posted earlier. Or throw some resistance bands in your car and do this workout, which can be done in 15 minutes or less:

I’ve dragged many a friendly mother out for a walk with me while my child was in class or practice. Again, if you are a single mom with limited resources to help you so you can get some time to exercise, you’ll need to milk every opportunity you can get.

6. Enlist help, paid or unpaid. And always, always ask for help if you need it. Never, ever wait until your at your wits’ end to take a break.

I’m lucky that my parents will visit from abroad and stay with me for several months. I also have a brother and a close friend in the city who adore and care for my daughter, and help whenever they can.

Although it took me a very long time to warm up to the idea of having a sitter, finding a local teenager in your neighborhood that you trust is key to freeing up some of your time.

Otherwise, if you do have siblings, family, or close friends that are willing to take care of your child so that you can get away for a little bit to recharge (whether it’s for exercise, or not) remember to ask for help. A stronger, healthier mom is a happier mom; better equipped to deal with the unique stresses of single parenting.

Easy Breakfast Meals

August 3, 2015 by sumi 1 Comment

Very Berry Protein Fluff (contributed by Gisele Purdy, Personal Trainer and Nutritionist)

Using a Vitamix or small personal blender, blend 2 cups mixed berries (or any berry of choice), 1 scoop chocolate whey protein and 1/4 cup coconut milk. Blend until you a achieve an ice cream-like texture. To achieve a fluffier consistency, pour into a large bowl and use hand mixer for about 5 minutes until it’s lighter and fluffy. There are SO many variations of this (i.e., trade off fruits, protein powder or milk choice) and it’s a high volume food that will keep you satiated thanks to the fiber in the berries and protein!

4 -Ingredient Easy Breakfast Egg Casserole

Meal prep for the week should be super easy in my opinion. If you’re busy, it’s ideal if your meals can be fixed in a snap, so you can be on your way. I’m not one to skip breakfast (or any meal, really) but I also don’t have a lot of time. And I prefer to get a nice hot meal, and ideally one that includes veggies.

Here’s my “go-to” for a simple, 4 ingredient egg casserole that can be prepped in advance for the week. Once prepped, it will last in your fridge for at least 5 days, and you can freeze any leftovers, if you have any.

It’s low calorie, low in fat and carbs, high in protein, and full of veggies. Here’s what I do.

1. Preheat oven to 395 degrees. Spray an oven safe dish with non-stick spray and layer on your first serving of veggies. ANY veggie will do. You could use onions, peppers, zucchini, carrots, whatever. My first layer here is pre-chopped mushrooms.

2. Next, add another layer of leafy greens, if you like. I add spinach.

3. Add spices (salt, pepper), salsa (if you wish, I like to because I love the taste), and fresh herbs if you have some (I’m using dill because I like how it tastes with eggs).

4. Add your final layer of eggs. I use 1 large carton of liquid egg substitute (I love the taste of the Southwestern flavor).

According to the label on the carton, the box contains 18 servings of 20 calories each. 20 calories isn’t very much, and once cooked, I divide the pan into 8 servings, not 18. The veggies add a really small amount of calories, and I don’t worry about it, but if you’re adding denser veggies like potatoes or whatever, you might want to consider how it will affect the calorie totals.

5. Bake in the oven at 395 degrees for 40 minutes.

You could use real whole eggs or egg whites, or MuscleEgg, or all egg whites. Just realize that will change the calorie totals, which is something you may want to account for.

For this example, if I divide the pan into 8 servings, each breakfast serving is about 67 calories with 12 grams of protein, and 4 grams of carbohydrates, and a minuscule amount of fat.

To complete this meal, you will want to add a fat source (small amount of peanut butter, avocado, or fish oil), and your favorite breakfast carbohydrate (fruit, oatmeal, cream of wheat, cereal, etc).

Egg White English Muffin Sandwiches

Here’s another super easy to prepare breakfast on the go idea, contributed by my friend and fellow weight lifting sister in steel, Jenny Goodwin. Here’s a photo of Jenny, looking super badass.

And here’s a photo of her breakfast sandwiches, prepared in advance for the week. Unlike the casserole recipe above, this one is more complete; it has both the fat and carbohydrate source bundled together with the protein. Once it’s cooked, you can wrap it up and go! Read the instructions to see how easy this breakfast meal is.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put 1/4 cup egg whites in a muffin tin and season to taste — I seasoned with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Bake for approximately 13 minutes.

2. When eggs are done, lay the English muffins out on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven at the same temperature (optional).

3. Let everything cool down and assemble your sandwich. For this recipe, I use two pieces of Canadian bacon, and one slice (ultra thin sliced) cheese. Then wrap in Saran Wrap and store in fridge or freezer.

4. To eat, just unwrap and microwave. If it’s thawed, it doesn’t need much time (40 seconds or so depending on microwave).

Each muffin has 232 calories, 6 grams of fat, 26 grams of carbohydrates, and 20 grams of protein. For the recipe, Jenny uses whole wheat english muffins (Fred Meyer brand), liquid egg whites, and Sargento brand cheese.

Some other variations include using whole eggs, veggies, hot sauce, and different meats like bacon, turkey bacon, sausage, turkey sausage, chicken, and so on. Keep in mind that doing so will change the nutrition totals, so use a calorie tracker if you wish.

My Favorite High Protein Pancakes

And finally, here is my favorite easy pancake recipe. I suggest you make this one hot and fresh, rather in advance, so if you’re pressed for time during the workweek, you can save this one for the weekend.

You’ll need:

½ Cup Fiber One Pancake Mix (180 cals)
1 Scoop of Vanilla Flavored Whey Protein (100-120 calories) Note: You can use any vanilla flavored whey protein of your choice, but try to match the calorie content. I like the brands Trutein and Quest for this recipe, but there are many!
Walden Farms Zero Calorie Pancake Syrup (optional)

1. Mix together pancake mix with whey protein and gradually add water stir to achieve the desired consistency. Coat a non-stick pan with a spritz of Pam so that pancake batter doesn’t stick.

2. Pour mix and heat and cook evenly on both sides.

3. Top with Walden Farms Zero Calorie Pancake Mix or Sugar-free syrup if desired. Mixture will make 3 servings.

For the 3 pancakes, the recipe contains 280 calories 18 grams of protein, 42 grams of carbohydrate, and 6 grams of fat.

Keep in mind that these recipes above are by no means your only easy choices for nutritious, easy breakfast meals. There are many, many options for you, including pairings such as:

Hot or dry cereal (carb source), with milk (or soy, almond, rice milk, etc), eggs (protein and fat source) and fruit (fiber, vitamins).
Smoothies made with powdered protein or greek yogurt (protein source) with fruit and ground chia or flax seeds (fat and fiber).
Oatmeal with fruit and cooked with milk, and eggs or greek yogurt for added protein
Whole grain bread with peanut butter (carbs and fat) with a protein source like a 1 scoop of whey protein with ice and water, or an egg, or greek yogurt
A yogurt parfait with greek yogurt, berries and 1/4 c granola
A protein bar if you’re pressed for time.

Pick what works best for you and make it a habit. Even if you feel like you’re not hungry immediately upon waking, there’s no harm in packing your cooler or stocking your fridge with easy options like the ones here for when hunger does strike. A little preparation goes a long way!

Gym Girl Hair Tips

July 23, 2015 by sumi 1 Comment

So, if you’re anything like me, you’d rather spend your free time on a kick butt workout, rather than spending hours washing and styling your hair. Some girls are blessed with wash and go hair; I am definitely not one of them. If your hair is long, thick, unruly, frizzy AND you insist on frequently hitting the gym, read on.

1. Wear a headband. Seems like a no-brainer, but a thick hairband is more than just a cute accessory. The dry-wick ones will prevent the sweat from dripping into your eyeballs and lift the root at the crown, so you get volume, rather than flattened hat head that you’d get from wearing a baseball cap.

2. Tie your hair up in a high, high ponytail, like the one shown on the model here. As high as you can possibly stand without giving yourself a headache. For girls with thick, heavy hair, piling the hair on the top can be painful if it’s in an updo too long.

Photo Credit: StyleCaster.Com

An updo AND a thick hairband (see 1) is the absolute best combination for keeping your hair fresh.

3. Dry Shampoo. I’ve known about dry shampoo for years and years, but several of my own clients and Facebook friends didn’t (which surprised me). They come in basic (below), and some brands are tinted. I like the Batiste brand, and the one from Pantene below. The dry shampoos pretty much buy you an extra day before you *absolutely* must wash your hair. They contain a drying powder that eliminates any oily gunk in your hair, and freshens and lifts it just enough for body and volume.

4. This awesome product right here. I have no idea what the generic term for this product is, as it’s not a gel, mouse, cream, dry shampoo, or a similiar styling product that specifically promises a fresher looking hairdo. It’s a “mattifying hair powder” that comes in a super tiny container. All you need is a tiny, tiny bit of it sprinkled on to any section near the root where you want more volume or lift. My hairdresser would call this stuff “hair crack,” because presumably all you need is a little bit of this stuff to take the roots higher. Between the dry shampoo and a little bit of this product, I’ve found these tips very helpful in extending the time between needing to wash my hair.

What are your favorite gym girl hair tips? I’d love to hear them!

Making the Most out of your Meal Plan

July 9, 2015 by sumi 1 Comment

I recently met up with a company here in Austin that provides a healthy meal delivery service (www.mealpros.com) for busy people who want to eat healthy on the go. I’m going to use MealPros in this blogpost but there are probably other companies in your town that are based on the concept of delivering portion-controlled meals that are nutritious, high in protein, fiber, and healthy fats for people who don’t have time to cook, don’t like to cook, travel too much to cook, etc.

The meals are all sensible portions, tasty, and made of fresh ingredients, the kind of things that you will find in the periphery of your grocery store. I actually did try several of the meals from MealPros and was very satisfied with the taste. Typically with these sorts of meal delivery places, you pay per meal, so the more meals you need, the more you can expect to pay.

So, a female on a 1,500 calorie per day contest diet will pay less than a female or a male on a larger (i.e., more calories) meal plan.

And let’s say you just wanted a few meals (lunch or dinner) covered by the chefs at Meal Pros. (Note: I’ll use MealPros here, but remember that there are probably other healthy meal delivery places in your city/State). Or, you might have the budget to afford a smaller meal plan (like a 1,200 calorie/day plan) but want to boost calories to suit your activity level.

There are several low-cost, easy ways to do that so let’s get right to it.

Ice Cream Diet

June 24, 2015 by sumi Leave a Comment

So, before I get into the weeds of this latest client success story, let me first explain the reason behind the title. By no means are we trying to mislead you. This particular client did lose weight while eating all the foods she loved (ice cream and real cream in her coffee) on a regular basis. But ice cream per se, isn’t the secret to meaningful, or long-term weight loss. Or donuts, or pop tarts, or cake, or peanut MnMs or whatever it is that you MUST have.

The “secret” of course, is a nutrition program that is tailored to YOU. Your budget, your schedule, your food preferences, the things you can’t live without (ice cream in this case) you, you, you.

Grace came to me with a very modest goal of shedding just a few lbs. As a mother of 4, her goals were very realistic. Nothing drastic, no pills or gimmicky products, no cutting out food groups, no insane amounts of exercise. Whatever we did had to accommodate her VERY busy schedule (not only is she a mother of 4, but she works, too), and she didn’t want to give up the foods she loved.

Strength Training Self-Esteem

June 16, 2015 by sumi Leave a Comment

So, a few weeks ago, I put together a neat post about all the cool things that start to happen when you strength train regularly, including getting stronger (of course!), finding daily tasks easier to accomplish, better bloodwork/labs, performing better at your job, reducing stress, and so on.

And another thing, strength training improves self-esteem. How? By watching the numbers on the bar going UP, there’s a continual reinforcement that you ARE getting stronger.

Objectively stronger.

And that fills you with a sense of accomplishment and pride that lifts your mood, helps you power through the rest of your day, and keeps you coming back for more.

Things that you thought you could not do, or limiting beliefs that might have been holding you back, no longer do.

The short article above, from Shape magazine, points out the term “fitness self-esteem,” and how you can build it by making slight improvements in each workout (doing more reps, or lifting progressively more weight). Improving your fitness self-esteem enables you to achieve your goal (a “better body” in this case).

That’s Shape magazine. My take?

Feeling the weight on your back when you’ve settled in for squats, with a weight that could possibly crush YOU —and then actually “crushing” that set—is tremendously exhilarating.

And empowering.

When you know you’re physically capable of achieving a difficult feat (e.g., heavy squats, or deadlifts), other tasks that you once perceived as challenging no longer limit you.

Improving self-esteem generally happens via a “ripple effect” with strength training. One healthy habit (lifting weights) starts to have an effect on other things you begin to do to improve your health; like going to bed earlier, or eating to nourish your workouts. Things that you thought were out of your reach, like completing a half marathon, your first 5K, or engaging in a new recreational activity with the kids, becomes your new reality.

There’s something about strength training that makes you fills you with incredible self-esteem. The kind of feeling that makes you believe you are capable of anything.

See you in the gym 🙂

10,000 Steps A Day

June 10, 2015 by sumi 1 Comment

A few weeks ago, I started gathering tips from Facebook friends and clients on how they managed to get in the minimum 10,000 steps a day using activity trackers.

Now mind you, 10,000 steps a day might be a huge increase for someone who is completely sedentary, and the number (10,000) is more like a nice goal, although a smaller goal (7,000 or whatever) might be appropriate for some people here.

My Fit Bit Band has white hearts on it. Not only did my kid pick it out, but it’s also super tough looking.

Regardless, the basic idea of moving more in a day isn’t a bad one, given how overly sedentary most of our jobs and engineered environments are. We drive everywhere, take elevators, and sit at our desks all day long. So, if you get a FitBit, or a pedometer, or any other activity tracker that suits you, the following tips should help you achieve more steps, more movement, and more unstructured/non-gym activity.

So how can you get a move on?

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