Motivation

Are your New Years' goals further away than you anticipated? Are you lacking motivation, desire or the knowledge to improve the quality of your life.

Do you feel unsure of: how to use the equipment, design your training program, what heart rate you should exercise at, how to work around your bum knee, whether or not you are "allowed" to eat past 5pm, or have any other uncertainties?

If so, please let myself or Steve know. Email us, text us, ask us. Stop feeling frustrated.

Dont let a little snow this weekend slow you down.

Here is a low carb chili recipe to keep you warm

1 cup fresh onion, chopped2 cloves garlic, minced3 tbsp olive oil2 lb of lean beef, chopped small (Not ground beef!!)2 cups tomatoes, undrained (fresh is best, but one 14 oz can diced tomatoes works too)2 cups of beef broth (one 14 oz can)2 tsp salt2 tsp black pepper2 bay leaves1 tsp oregano1/4 tsp crushed whole cumin2 1/2 tbsp chili powderFor the lean beef, I use my grocery stores "lean stew meat" be sure you buy the lean variety however as it make a huge difference in taste. I also chop this meat or whatever meat you buy) into about 1/2 inch squares.. the stew meat I buy is much bigger chunked and too big. It takes some time to chop it up, but it is worth the effort!In a pan, cook the garlic, chopped onions, olive oil, and beef together over medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes or until all the red in the beef has turned gray or brown (no red showing as you stir it)Next turn down the heat to low, and add tomatoes, beef stock and stir in all the seasonings. Cover with lid, and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or until the beef is very tender. (Also be sure you don't drain the beef or chili at any time - the juices are sooo yummy and make it so flavorful!) Remove the two bay leaves. Serve and Enjoy!Makes 9 servings at only 5 carbs per serving. * Note that using tomatoes in canned vinegars or oils could raise the carb count significantly. Use only plain diced tomatoes if in a can. Also, more tomatoes used in the recipe would cause more carbs per serving. You could reduce the tomatoes to no tomatoes at all, add another can of beef broth instead and further reduce the carb count per serving to about 3 carbs per serving.

Vampires

We have all been there. Taking on a cause to better ourselves through exercise and healthy eating when those around us, those we thought are our friends try to derail us.
I call these people ENERGY VAMPIRES. They suck the life right out us. These vampires could be co-workers who bring by sweets to our desk, our friends who encourages us that “its just one drink’ or unfortunately maybe a spouse or significant other that is jealous or insecure what our new fitness levels may bring. It could also be that negative friend who is never happy with anything and may complain so much that it has become a habit—without anything legitimate to actually complain about. These people sometimes make others feel guilty for their progress or success in anything.
It most often appears in a fitness setting. This is where the excuse most often heard from those unfit pops up…..”I don’t have time.”
Well, no one really has time, we make it for the things we enjoy or feel the need to do. People make time to watch American Idol, make time to go to happy hour, make time to watch 7 hours of football on Sundays, and make time for tons of unhealthy and unproductive “things’ other than exercise. Its ironic that to excel in other areas of life we to need to focus/practice and persevere. However when it comes to fitness, somehow it becomes a negative connotation and those who don’t push themselves describe those who make progress in the gym as obsessed. It’s just another example of those ENERGY VAMPIRES trying to make them-selves feel better about their lack of dedication or focus.
Some of these people you can completely avoid, for those that you cannot avoid, keep things in perspective and try to understand why they are attempting to bring you down. Unfortunately our physical, mental and emotional energy is not unlimited. Guard it!
Once you are able to see the reasons behind the Vampires’ actions, you will find a new sense of focus and determination.If YOU are the Vampire, realize why you are unhappy and that you have the ability to change and affect others in a more positive light.