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

5 ways to narrow your waist!

weight loss Dec 19, 2016

5 ways to narrow your waist

There is a lot going on between the skin on your back and the skin on your stomach that can be making your waist thicker. Most people think they either need to strengthen the abs or they need to lose weight. While both of those may be true there are a few other things that could be happening. Here are 5 strategies to help you narrow your waist. If you work on all 5 you’ll have the best shot at getting the stomach you’ve been hoping for.

Straighten Up!

As funny and over simplified as it sounds just sit and stand up straight. Most of the abdominal muscles attach from the ribs to the hips. If you think about these muscles like a rubber band they are tighter when they are stretched more. If you slouch your ribs are tipped forward and usually your hips tipped back. (this is also the recipe for back pain). The front and bottom of your ribs is now closer to the front and...

Chocolate Hummus

recipes Dec 07, 2016

Chocolate Hummus!

A few months ago I spotted chocolate hummus in the grocery store! I literally squealed out loud! I was taken back by the price but I HAD TO TRY IT! When I got home I was disappointed. It was just MEH. I forced myself to eat it because I had paid for it.

Recently, Lynn gave me a recipe for chocolate hummus and I thought I would give it another go. I have tweaked it to fit my taste buds and to be a little more balanced nutritionally. I have got to say, it does taste a little like chocolate frosting and I DO like this one WAY more than the store bought one. Plus, it only takes about 5 minutes total to make it!

Ingredients:
I can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed well)
4 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1-2 Tbsp. Maple Syrup ( I settled at 1.5 for my taste)
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. Almond butter
3-4 Tbsp. Water (depending on the thickness you prefer)

Throw all in your blender or food processor and ENJOY!

I love this with...

I finally DID IT!

healthy lifestyle mindset weight loss Nov 21, 2016

I finally did it!

I grew a beard! (no shave November for prostate cancer)
Ok, yes I grew a beard but that's not the big deal...

I wrote a book!!!

This is definitely harder than growing the beard! It’s been at minimum a 10-year process that started when I first started Tall Trainer Fitness in 2006. In this book I have condensed the best and most useful lessons that give our clients the consistently incredible results that we are known for…

Like these three recent examples:

What's in the book?

31 lessons that take 5 - 10 minutes to read
Bonus materials to help you get results and make progress
Our personal fitness stories (different than you might think)
Quick Start Guide to get moving NOW!

Why I wrote this book:

I have been getting frustrated for awhile now…
(or maybe most of my career)

I’ve been frustrated that I don’t have time to sit down 1 on1 with the hundreds (truly thousands) of people who need...

I have learned strategies that will last a lifetime!

transformation stories Nov 17, 2016

I have been on this weight loss/gain/maintenance train since I was 15. My mother used to drive me to my Weight Watchers meetings until I got my driver’s license. Throughout the years I have literally gained and lost at least a ton of weight. I actually kept the weight off for a few years at a time, then gained, then lost... etc. I have probably been on every “diet” throughout the years. Fast forward to last fall. My weight was the highest, even pregnancy weight high. I knew I needed to find an exercise program I enjoyed and find a way not to eat everything that was offered to me.

Tina (from the 6:20) class told me about her success and she also said she thought she was eating healthy before starting in Boot Camp. I watched a few of the videos online and was impressed by a woman about my age who said the TTS (Tall Trainer System) incorporated 3 major components of weight loss success. A fun and safe exercise program, an...

A girl named HOPE

healthy lifestyle mindset Nov 15, 2016

A girl named HOPE

(post from Nov 15th 2016!)

Several months ago Jeremy and I were having the conversation of, what would we name our next child? THIS IS NOT IN OUR NEAR FUTURE, so you don’t need to eye my mid-section every time you see me. The name HOPE blurted out of me with gusto. That name, that word resonated deep in my soul. It kind of left me baffled at the intense emotion I had connected to that.

As I thought on it more I realized if you could sum up the last 8 years of my life with ONE word, it would be HOPE!

I had some pretty big battles to fight within me. I knew I was put on the earth to be more than beaten down and hiding from any painful experience using excess food or lack of food.

I had made slight progress before this, but the words of my high school counselor and nutritionist rang in my ears “once and anorexic or bulimic always one”. That statement to me took HOPE of freedom...

Creamy Chicken with Brussel Sprouts

Uncategorized Nov 14, 2016

Creamy Chicken with Brussel Sprouts

This is a great fall dish and really quick to prepare. Make enough for left overs to take for lunch. This tastes really good cold too! You can add a sweet potato if you have been really active that day.

Ingredients

16 oz. cooked shredded chicken
1 1/2 C brussel sprouts
1 1/2 C baby bella mushrooms (I don’t like mushrooms so I doubled the brussel sprouts)
3 oz. chopped walnuts
3 T olive oil mayo (Yes MAYO..Live a little)
3 T balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1⁄2 tsp. t garlic powder
3⁄4 tsp. kosher salt or to taste
Fresh ground pepper

Instructions

~In a medium sized frying pan, sauté your brussel sprouts (halved) on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add in your mushrooms (quartered) and cook for about another 4-5 minutes until mushrooms are cooked through. Add in your cooked shredded chicken and chopped walnuts and toss until hot. Take off the heat.

~In a small bowl, whisk together your mayo, vinegar, and the rest of the...

Butternut Squash Soup

recipes Nov 10, 2016

Butternut Squash Soup

This time of year I GO NUTS for butternut squash soup. I LOVE the Panera bread “Autumn Squash Soup” but it does not love me back. My stomach can be a hot mess from the dairy in it. So, I am so excited to have found a recipe that I LOVE just as much and it DOES love me back :)

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed*

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 medium carrots, peeled and cubed

1 apple, cored and cubed (any variety is good)

4 cups vegetable broth (low sodium for those who need to watch)

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. curry powder

¼ tsp. ground ginger

½ tsp. nutmeg

1 can coconut milk (I prefer the full fat but I am sure lite would be fine too)

1 tsp. sea salt

Directions:

Add everything to a crock-pot EXCEPT the coconut milk and cook on low...

Water Workout!

exercise tips Oct 28, 2016

WORKOUT

Grab a Gallon of water and get ready to SWEAT! This workout is set up to use the gallon of water as your resistance. Then when you are done crack it open and get drinking

Repeat these 3 exercises for 10 minutes (or 5 if you are a beginner)

Squat hold arm out to Left side 10x (keeping arm out the whole time)
Squat with Right arm out Right side 10x V-ups 20x -Lay on your back with your legs up in the air, hold the gallon with both hands and extend arms back towards the floor. Lift them back up towards the ceiling using your abs to do the work.

Shake it up! 20x up and 20x side

(Stand up holding the gallon, keep your abs tight and shake the water up and then side to side)

Rest

Next set of 3 exercises-Repeat for 10 minutes

Lunge Position Back Fly 10x Left- Stand in a lunge position leaning over your knee and using the gallon as a “flying” motion with your arm out the side. Don’t go past the height of your shoulder.
Lunge Position Back Fly 10x Right

Push...

Green Coconut Recovery Smoothie

recipes Oct 27, 2016

I have been in search of the perfect post workout drink for years and I think I have found my favorite.

Ingredients-

2 large handfuls of baby spinach or baby kale*

1 cup of coconut water (not refrigerated, see picture for the one I use)

1 cup of coconut milk (not from a can but the one that IS refrigerated)

½-1 banana (depending on how sweet you like it)

1 tbsp. almond or cashew butter

Throw all into your blender and enjoy! I drink this ALL but you could save half for the next day.

*I like to rotate my greens between the kale and spinach to mix up the nutrients that each offers. Kale has more of a bitter taste, so if you are new to putting greens in your smoothie stick with the baby spinach. (Yes, I want to punch myself for saying I “rotate my greens”. I used to rotate my Ben and Jerry’s...what has this world come too)

Coconut Water is my new obsession…here are some great benefits from...

Celebrating 10 years in business!

exercise videos Oct 10, 2016

Hey, I almost forgot to tell you about this!

We are celebrating 10 years in business...

We are giving away 10 free 10 minute workout videos over the next week and a half. The first 3 videos have already been posted. You should be able to see them if you click on the images below.

If you share one of these videos on your facebook page and like our business page you will be entered into a drawing for a month of our fitness boot camp program! We are posting 10 videos and each video shared gives you a chance to win a month of boot camp!

The first video will be draw for at noon tomorrow! Share it quick so you have a chance!

More details found in the videos...

10 Minute Stability Ball Workout