Posted by Lee Crabb on Thu, Nov 12, 2009 @ 10:31 AM
Every magazine right now has a "foolproof" way to keep off those holiday pounds. Most of them are pretty common sense, yet not easy to follow. Here are a few ideas (not just for the holidays but for life in general) about how to kick off some weight or maintain what you have if you're happy with it.
--First things first, everyone has to drink more H2O. I know it's a pain some days but just do it, think about every beer you consumed on Friday night....then drink that many waters today. Old rule of thumb that will always stick: If you feel hungry, drink a water first and wait 10 minutes. Chances are you won't be as ravenous afterwards.
--A wicked easy and healthy way to drop some lbs and to stay full all morning is a breakfast shake (notice how I said breakfast instead of protein). We aren't talking Muscle Milks or PumpIt drinks here people. We are thinking more along the lines of yogurt, fresh fruit, flaxseed, peanut butter, etc. You can throw in basically anything that looks good to you that morning. Make sure to try to keep it under or around 300 calories but add in good sources of protein and you will be full until lunchtime. One that I enjoy (and feel free to subsitute/add any fruits you want):
Banana Milkshake:
1 Banana, sliced
1 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Handful of ice
Blend and enjoy!
--Last (and possibly easiest and most fun) would be to find a class at one of the best Boston health clubs (mainly BHAC but we try not to pimp it too much) and put that class on your schedule each week. The more interesting, out-of-the-box and new it is, the better! Some of our favorites:
CardioBoxing at Beacon Hill Athletic Clubs in North Station
Zumba in the Morning at Boston Center for Adult Education
Running Clubs at Social Boston Sports
Helixing at Revolution Fitness Boston
This winter- you will lose weight, don't sweat it
Posted by Lee Crabb on Thu, Oct 29, 2009 @ 09:12 AM
Let's think about this for a second, how many of us always have weight on the mind? Can I make it to the gym today? Did I just eat my emotions in that pint of ice cream? Are these jeans seriously too tight again? Is Thanksgiving going to ruin my weight-loss plan? Can I put on 10 lbs of muscle before I show off my chest for Halloween?
We all think about it, one way or another. (or if not, we should) It is hard to eat completely healthy every day and make it into the gym between work and social commitments. We hear ya. This is just a few tips to keep you on track and make it a little more "doable" around the holidays to stay healthy.
First things first, who doesn't love a good Autumn recipe? Something simple that may require a quick trip to the farmer's market would do us all a little good this Fall.
A few of our favorite healthy (but quite filling) recipes right now:
Banana Walnut Bread- perfect for a Sunday snack with some coffee
Pasta w/ Butternut Squash and Sage-comfort food that won't add cushion to your waistline
Mexican Braised Pork w/ Pumpkin- a good one to impress the in-laws
Pear Muffins w/ Ginger-Vanilla Glaze- no explanation needed. These are SO GOOD
Now with these delicious meals every day- the only thing you need to add is a good SWEAT. Our suggestion is to commit to a class each week. Make it a fun one and you will make yourself go each week. Come to our of our Brighton gyms and try the Cardio funk- you will learn a complete music video dance by the end of class! (our other suggestions are Pilates, Zumba, Triple Threat, Power Yoga Boston, etc.) That's one day that you know you will make it to the gym. Now pick 2 or 3 more days to work up a sweat and there ya go!
Bring on the turkey- you will be ready for it!
Posted by Lee Crabb on Mon, Oct 05, 2009 @ 08:40 AM
American College of Sports Medicine certified Personal Trainer, former college athlete and health club manager. All of this, combined with being a 24-year-old, healthy, active Bostonian- you would think that I could handle a kickboxing class one night a week. Spinning, power yoga, pilates, muscle/abs, you name it and I have taken it. I can assure you that none of these compare to Kickboxing on Mondays at 6:45PM at our Brighton Center location with David Lopes as the instructor.
Ask anyone who has taken this class (which is the majority of our members and residents in Brighton between the ages of 21 and 35) and they will tell you that it is an hour of ass-kicking. The next day you will feel like you did an entire workout of just abs when you wake up, but don't worry it turns into arm and leg soreness around 11AM and by the next night your whole body feels like it got seriously rocked. In a good way.
Definitely the best workout I get all week, who will I see at class tonight?