Fitness in Real Life - Health and Fitness Solutions for Real People

My body issued a cry for help!

transformation stories Aug 22, 2017

My journey with Tall Trainer started with my body issuing a cry for help. I had gone to Urgent Care for an ear infection and they told me my blood pressure was extremely high. I knew what a normal blood pressure was, but hadn’t really considered what was high. When the nurse at Urgent Care told me I needed to set up an appointment with my primary care physician as soon as possible, I looked up blood pressure ranges to see how bad I was. If I was one number higher, I should have been headed to the ER. I made an appointment the next day and started addressing my issues. The doctor put me on blood pressure medicine immediately and told me I should start losing some weight to help with this.

I had previously trained and received my black belt in martial arts. Throughout this training, I was able to lose all the pregnancy weight I had gained and never lost (even though my baby was then 8 years old!). The training was great, but I...

Watermelon "detox" Water

recipes Aug 04, 2017

I have to be honest. When I see the word "detox" I cringe. I think I have read to many "drink this detox..blah blah for 7 days and lose 7 pounds" and that drives me nuts. That is not sustainable and extremely difficult. One time in college my friend and I decided we were going to only eat watermelon for three days. We went to the store and each bought 3. I made it to noon, was so hungry, cranky and peeing orange. Later that day we went to Sonic and certainly ate more calories if we hadn't had that silly idea.

So here's the deal. Drinking water is detoxing. Eating any fruit or Vegetable will detox you. Working out and getting a good sweat will detox you. Yes, certain things will do more so than others and we are made to daily detox!

I am not a water lover. I think it is BORING! I would rather drink coffee and Vanilla coke all day. But turns out I get a raging headache and feel less than stellar if I...

Water Workout Live Video

exercise videos Jul 25, 2017

Hey Friend,

I have an open invite to go on Fox Rochester EVERY MONTH and share something helpful with their viewers. I thought it was time to give them a more active segment so I brought a gallon of water...

Click Here or on the above picture to watch the segment

I tried to show 9 exercises in quick succession while spitting out a few helpful tips about water:

Squat w/arm out 10x L 10x R

V-ups 20x

Shake it up! 20x up & 20x side

Lunge Position Back Fly 10x L 10x R

Push-up Slide 10x or 20x

High Knees 30x

Burpee w/Press 10x

Booty Bridge 10x each or 20x both

Plank Triceps 10x L 10x R

We all know we are made mostly of water...why do we hold back from drinking so much? Water is a major part of every system in our body so it's absence (or lower level) makes nearly everything worse while it's presence makes nearly everything better!

Headaches? Back Pain? Neck Pain? Constipation? Excess...

I LEARNED to LOVE myself!

transformation stories Jul 20, 2017

Shauna's Transformation:

My journey to health and fitness started in February 2016 after reaching out to inquire about what Tall Trainer was all about. I had really given up on myself after being laid off from a job had I had for over 10 years, I convinced myself it was my fault and I was in a downward spiral of over eating and beating up myself. I was sick and tired of not having a passion anymore and something need to change in my life and I was determined to take the bull by the horn and dive in to work on myself. I had dubbed 2016 as the year of “Shauna”, no more fixing others, it was time for Shauna to focus on Shauna. I had found Tall Trainer the year prior but wasn’t ready for something as scary as “boot camp”. I tried some things in 2015 but with no real results or passion of what I was doing, hence zero results. After speaking to Lori and how excited she was/is about boot camp, I decided to give it a...

Strawberry Cucumber Salad

recipes Jun 29, 2017

Strawberry Picking is one of my fondest memories as a child. It has now become even fonder as I share these moments with my daughter!

Here is a quick, easy, healthy and refreshing salad to have on hand or take to the endless picnics of summer!

Ingredients:
2 large Cucumbers thinly sliced
2 cups of strawberries (I quartered them)
1 avocado cubed
2 Tbsp, Balsamic vinegar (I used f.Olivers strawberry flavored)
1 Tbsp. Avocado oil or olive oil

Directions:
Cut cucumbers, strawberries and avocado. Place in bowl. Whisk vinegar and oil. Pour over mixture, mix and enjoy.

You could also add onion if you would like. This time I wasn't feeling it, but it is good that way:)

ENJOY!

Why I lift Heavy- Sarah

exercise tips healthy lifestyle mindset Jun 22, 2017

I don’t want to get “bulky”

The other day I was doing weights day with the 9am class and a new boot camper saw how much weight I was using for triceps. She came up to me and said “I have a big fear of lifting heavy and that I will get bulky looking. You are lifting heavy but you don’t look bulky?” I was reminded of what a BIG fear this is for women. Many are afraid to really challenge them selves on weights day because it will make them bigger.

So here are my thoughts and my story.

MY thoughts…

Some women look like man-beasts! That is super cool if that is what you are going for. No one who has this look has done it by accident. They don’t wake up one morning and go “wow, how did this happen to me?” There is a plan to get that way and it is not easy to do. It takes time and dedication. Most of that involves nutrition (eating a TON of...

It was nothing like I thought it would be

transformation stories Jun 21, 2017

Lynda's Transformation:

A friend, Fran, had asked me if I wanted to come to Tall Trainer’s “bring a friend day” but I figured I was too busy. It wasn’t that I was too busy really. It was that I was embarrassed that I had let myself get so heavy and I didn’t think I could do what they would ask of me. Then I saw Fran again and she said there was going to be another “bring a friend day” if I’d like to join her, but if I didn’t that was ok. I thought about it and decided to try it.

So, I attended my first day. It was nothing like I thought it would be! Everyone there was welcoming. After that day, I decided to join! It was difficult, I’ll admit. I hadn’t exercised in years because I hated it and I hated sweating! But I decided I needed to challenge myself to continue and to eat much healthier than I was. I kept plugging along and entered what I ate into Vitabot (an excellent tracker)....

Carrot Cake Smoothie

recipes May 18, 2017

I was hankering for a milk shake and wanted to try a different smoothie with veggies in it and I AM SO GLAD I MADE THIS! It tasted like a special treat to me and is loaded with nutrients. I may have used my finger to scrape out the edges of the mason jar. After drinking this I wasn't doubled over with stomach pain like a milk shake does to me ...insert happy dance!

CARROT CAKE SMOOTHIE
(makes 2 servings)
Ingredients:
1 cup of carrots ( I used baby carrots. We use a Vitamix and it can handle them whole, some blenders you may want to grate the carrots first).
1 small banana, frozen
1 1/2 cups unsweetened Almond Milk
2 Tbsp. cashew butter
2 dates
2 Tbsp hemp hearts
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Blend until creamy and ENJOY. The second serving lasted several days in the fridge sealed.

This comes in around 260 calories per serving with 9 grams of protein. Next time I may try it with just one date because it was plenty sweet.

I have truly changed my life, both mentally and physically

transformation stories May 10, 2017

Alana's Story~

Before starting at Tall Trainer, I was broken. I struggled to walk my students to different classes; I would profusely sweat daily; I hated how I looked in pictures. I had no idea what REAL nutrition was. Ya know how they say people gain the freshman 15? I gained the freshman 50, then the sophomore 60, etc. College was bad for me for many reasons. Dining hall food; lots of adult beverages; late nights. I started playing women's professional football in college, and was actually told I was the smallest lineman and should put on weight. And for the 10 years I played, although I was active, I wasn't in shape, fit, or following proper nutrition. I first started to really try to lose weight in 2013, when I joined Weight Watchers and lost about 50 lbs. But I didn't really know nutrition. I knew how to cheat their system and still lose weight. I didn't know how to nourish my body correctly. It stopped working for me,...

They Stole It!

healthy lifestyle mindset weight loss Apr 16, 2017

They stole it!

(Lori Photo Bombing my sign - She didn't steal it...I don't think?)

I guess I cannot blame them. I knew better but decided to take a chance. You guys know how when something is easy to do you are more likely to do it? And when something is harder to do it you are less likely to do it? Well I made it too easy for them. Here’s what happened and what we can learn about human nature to help us lose weight. (After all there is a weight loss and health lesson in everything!)

We are holding a weight loss contest that starts next week. (details here if you want to join www.thinnertowinner.com, over $3,900 in prizes) I had an extra yard sign in my car that I hadn’t put out yet. So last night when I was unloading our Lowes supplies for some house projects I decided to put it out. I wanted it to be visible well so I put it about a foot away from the sidewalk. (you already know what happened...

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