Stop Exercising For Aesthetics

STOP exercising for aesthetics as the #1 reason behind why you workout. Aesthetics DOES NOT equal physiology. It isn’t even quantifiable. You can’t tell someone how big their bicep should be the way you can tell them loaded plyometrics shouldn’t exceed 5% of your body weight. You can’t make a 6 pack mandatory for everyone the way you can make healthy body fat mandatory for everyone because we know that being at a healthy body fat decreases your risk of metabolic disease and more…where as abs simply depend on your genetic propensity to store visceral fat⠀

Exercise is NEVER an independent variable for aesthetics. You can’t get away with just exercising to get to your aesthetic goal. You MUST eat right and also take into account your genetics. Exercise + Nutrition + Genetics = “Aesthetics” ⠀

Learn more about the best online fitness program which includes comprehensive programs focused on shifting towards healthier eating habits, staying fit, and building a better booty. You’ll also find a variety of fitness apparel to help get you that extra motivation to take your goals to another level. Contact me today to learn more about the best fitness programs available to get your body in gear.

LetlerFit Black Friday is HERE!

Our favorite holiday shopping day is HERE and we are not disappointing!  Have you had your eye on any of our leggings, shorts, capris, or tanks?  Today only, 50% off on all apparel!  Here’s what that looks like:

  • Leggings: were $64.99, NOW $32.49
  • Capris: were $54.99, NOW $27.49
  • Shorts: were $44.99, NOW $22.49
  • Tanks: were $24.99, NOW $12.49

Have any questions about sizing?  feel free to leave a comment or e-mail LetlerFit@gmail.com! Ends TONIGHT 11/24/17 at 11:59PM EST

Code: BLACKFRIDAY

Shop NOW!

Learn more about the best online fitness program which includes comprehensive programs focused on shifting towards healthier eating habits, staying fit, and building a better booty. You’ll also find a variety of fitness apparel to help get you that extra motivation to take your goals to another level. Contact me today to learn more about the best fitness programs available to get your body in gear.

10 Simple Diet Mistakes that make your Calorie Counting to be far Less Effective

  • Mistake #1:  Calories are not created equally.  200 calories in chocolate is not nearly as dense as 200 calories in a colorful salad with protein.  We need more good quality calories that bad quality calories in order to lose weight
  • Mistake #2: You are forgetting about macronutrients. Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins make up calories.  Carbs and protein yield 4 calories per gram while fats yield 9 calories per gram.  The goal is to eat the correct amount of each  eating 1400 calories out of your 1800 calorie day in just one macronutrient is not good.  Each macronutrient has a purpose and requirement in our body.
  • Mistake #3: You are forgetting about Micronutrients. While a donut does contain carbs, fat, and protein (usually 1-2g), the calories are empty.  When you consume food the goal is to look at food and think “What kind of energy is this going to give me? and what kinds of vitamins and minerals will it give me?”  Vitamins and Minerals are equally as important as macronutrients….the good news is they do NOT directly add to the calorie count.
  • Mistake #4: Consuming too many calories.  Trying to lose weight?  At the end of the day weight loss is having less calories in versus calories out.  Meaning we need to eat less than what our body burns in activities each day.
  • Mistake #5: Not consuming enough calories.  Trying to gain weight?  You need to be consuming more than what your body burns in activities each day.
  • Mistake #6: Most people do not know how many calories they should even be consuming.  Advice:  My fitness pal does a decent job at giving you calorie needs based on goals and activity.
  • Mistake #7: Overestimating calories burned while exercising.  The calories the machine tells you, is wayyyyyyyy more than reality because it goes off of the machines RPM and not your body’s work.
  • Mistake #8:  Assuming all lasagna at a restaurant is the same.  Luckily most restaurants are registered with my fitness pal and give you calorie, macronutrient, and micronutrient breakdown.  However, when a food from a menu does not pop up, it’s hard to find an exact match as recipe and portion size really make a difference.
  • Mistake #9:  No Plan. Meal prepping is a must!! I know my entire week’s menu before it has even started…helps me stay focused and organized.  Plus i control what goes into my food and then it becomes easier to track if need be.
  • Mistake #10: Drinking calories.  Most people have no necessity for juices.  Skip the liquid calories and go for water!

Learn more about the best online fitness program which includes comprehensive programs focused on shifting towards healthier eating habits, staying fit, and building a better booty. You’ll also find a variety of fitness apparel to help get you that extra motivation to take your goals to another level. Contact me today to learn more about the best fitness programs available to get your body in gear.

4 Ways to Keep Yourself Motivated To Workout

Working out is hard!  Feeling sore, sweaty, and smelly is not in the least bit glamorous.  At the end of the day a workout is typically 60 minutes or less out of your 24 hour day, so there’s really no reason you can’t set aside 3-5x a week where you make yourself and your goals a priority.  Here are 4 ways that I stay motivated, ways that work for ME and hopefully can work for YOU!

  1. I do what I like.  For example I HATE running, I HATE low intensity steady state cardio, I am not a major fan of yoga for myself.  Keep in mind I am not saying none of those have their benefits, because they do.  I just hate doing them for myself so instead I stick to what I love, weight training, interval training, and circuits.  You are more inclined to make what you enjoy a priority.
  2. This next method is a little vane, but it works in the short term. I buy an article of clothing that wearing it would require me to stay consistent in order to make the clothes/outfit look better.  It’s a great tactic to get me through those short term bouts of feeling lazy.  But you do need to hang it somewhere you will be constantly reminded.
  3. I don’t just set weight goals.  Sometimes the scale is not an accurate results provider, so instead I’ll make a goal like “I want to get my waist down to 27in” or “I want to gain 2in on my glutes” or less vane goals like “I want to get my squat back up to double body weight” “I want to be able to hit _____ rounds in this circuit”  This way we aren’t just fixated on the number
  4. Lastly, I am very much motivated by the fact that I am one of the first in my family to really make health and fitness a consistent part of their lifestyle.  I want to continue to do so because many before me let themselves go for a bit and are now scrambling to get it together.  I want to physically set the example for what a consistent health and fitness lifestyle during your 20s, 30s, 40s, and so on will do for you as you age.

Learn more about the best online fitness program which includes comprehensive programs focused on shifting towards healthier eating habits, staying fit, and building a better booty. You’ll also find a variety of fitness apparel to help get you that extra motivation to take your goals to another level. Contact me today to learn more about the best fitness programs available to get your body in gear.

5 Foods That Claim To Be All Natural But Aren’t

We have all seen the labels that say 100% all natural, and many buy them thinking that they are because well we trust labels right?  At the end of the day the food industry is a business, sometimes they do things that aren’t in our best interest and here are 5 foods they make us believe are healthy and all natural, but aren’t.

  1. Granola Bars:  We have all bought those delicious organic, all natural granola bars thinking we were doing it right.  The problem is many of these granola bars contain artificial sweeteners and “natural” flavors.  Natural flavors is a cop out for flavors that are derived from natural sources…in a lab.
  2. Yogurts:  They have the same problem as granola bars.  TONS of artificial sweeteners, “natural” flavors, and added sugars or sugar alcohols.  (sugar alcohols aren’t so great either)
  3. Bottled Iced Tea:  Natural flavors, sugar and/or high fructose corn syrups should not be listed on the back of the label.  Green and black teas in there natural form are packed with antioxidants, but the benefits get smashed when they’re paired with sugar.
  4. Salad Dressing: If it’s not home made, read the label.  Those long 10+ ingredient labels are proof that those “all natural” salad dressings really aren’t that natural.
  5. Ice Cream:  We have seen so many new dairy free, gluten free, yady da, etc.  Ice creams pop up on the market advertising high protein, low calories, and no sugar, but they taste sweet.  Why?  They are packed with sugar alcohols (usually the ingredient that ends in “ol”)…which they are NOT natural.

Learn more about the best online fitness program which includes comprehensive programs focused on shifting towards healthier eating habits, staying fit, and building a better booty. You’ll also find a variety of fitness apparel to help get you that extra motivation to take your goals to another level. Contact me today to learn more about the best fitness programs available to get your body in gear.

7 Food Myths That Stop Your Diet From Being Healthy

Sometimes I seriously wonder where some of these health coaches get their facts, do they not stay up to date with the latest research?  I’ve heard some ridiculously false advice from people that actually keep them from having a healthier diet.

  1. “Egg yolks are bad for you because they raise your cholesterol. So you should only eat the egg white.” Research now shows us that eggs have nothing to do with raising your LDL (bad) cholesterol.  Eggs whites are a great source of protein and egg YOLKS are a great source of zinc, iron, vitamin D, and choline.  Eat the WHOLE egg, unless you’re allergic, like me, then skip them.
  2. “Everyone should eat gluten free.”  Unless your gluten intolerant there is no need because your body is able to digest gluten…it’s just another type of protein that some people just happen to be intolerant to.
  3. “Nuts are bad for you because they are high in fat.”  Nuts are a great source of HEALTHY fats packed with nutrients.  Like with anything, too many nuts can be bad, however research has shown that eating proper servings of nuts can actually help protect you against heart disease.
  4. “Carbohydrates make you fat.”  False.  Too much carbphydrates, just like too much protein, and too much fat, make you fat….aka caloric surplus.  Carbs give us energy, help our brains think, and feed our muscles.
  5. “The label says low fat, so it has to be good for me.” Eat the whole fat.  With whole fat you can simply use the fat grams as part of your daily fat consumption assuming you do not over do it.  The problem with low fat is that they need to replace the fat, which is what add the good taste, with something else so that it is not bland.  What they end up using as a replacer is sugar!  Without knowing, you are consuming extra sugar that you may not have accounted for.
  6. “Organic food is always healthy.”  Definitely not!  Especially deceiving when the organic label is placed on the packaging.  Read the ingredients!  Most of the time if it’s on a box you’re better off saving the money on the inorganic version because it’s the same exact thing.
  7. “When eating out, always choose the salad.”  False.  Sometimes the salad can become the most calorically enriched plate because of the hidden sugars used to preserve the salad or the salad dressings.

Learn more about the best online fitness program which includes comprehensive programs focused on shifting towards healthier eating habits, staying fit, and building a better booty. You’ll also find a variety of fitness apparel to help get you that extra motivation to take your goals to another level. Contact me today to learn more about the best fitness programs available to get your body in gear.

6 Habits That Destroy Your Otherwise Healthy Lifestyle

Creating a healthy lifestyle is all about habit.  Just like good habits, there are also bad habits.  Some of them are killing your healthy lifestyle journey, and you may not even realize it.

  1. Lack of Sleep:  Sometimes, life requires you to lose sleep, and that’s ok.  The problem is not a few nights of lack of sleep, the problem becomes too many nights without adequate sleep. Sleep is so crucial.  I know we all know how awful it feels after consistent sleep deprivation.  What many people may not know is that lack of sleep triggers an increase of cortisol hormone to be released in our bodies, which may cause us to bloat and have difficulty losing weight.  Without Sleep our bodies cannot properly repair the muscles we just worked out.
  2. Restriction:  Leading a restrictive diet, leads to binges and constant yo-yoing and that’s not what we want.  I’ve said time and time again it’s about establishing a balance of consuming more health foods than junk foods.
  3. No Exercise or No clean foods:  Sometimes eating clean is the easiest part of the nutrition and fitness equation.  For others exercise is the easy part!  But they go hand in hand! Not exercising or not eating clean but doing the other is only half of it and yields not so great results.
  4. Alcohol:  Going ham on the drinks during the weekend, EVERY weekend, is KILLER to your healthy lifestyle.
  5. Not reading nutrition labels:  Never go by the front of the packaging, read the label and pay attention to the ingredients!
  6. Not Meal Prepping:  Buying “healthy” foods from restaurants is no where near as good as prepping and cooking your own foods where YOU control everything.  Sometimes the cleaner options are still loaded with hidden salt or sugar.

Learn more about the best online fitness program which includes comprehensive programs focused on shifting towards healthier eating habits, staying fit, and building a better booty. You’ll also find a variety of fitness apparel to help get you that extra motivation to take your goals to another level. Contact me today to learn more about the best fitness programs available to get your body in gear.

15 Fitness Quotes To Get You Moving

Today’s post brought to you by some of my favorite pinned fitness quotes!

  1. “Stay so Hungry, you never Stop Eating.” trademarked by yours truly! -Melissa Letellier.  How bad do you want to reach and set new goals?
  2. “Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally, but from what you do consistently.”  Going to the gym 6 days one week and never stepping foot in it again for another 4 weeks is way less effective then going 2-3x every week.
  3. “In 2 weeks you’ll feel it.  In 4 weeks you’ll see it.  In 8 weeks you’ll hear it.”  Sometimes we need the extrinsic motivation to continually light the fire.
  4. “At first they’ll ask why you’re doing it, later they’ll ask how you did it.”
    When I started by journey I got so many negative remarks about why I’m always on a diet.  Some of those same people were now forced into a continuous restrictive diet due to medical reasons while the lifestyle I built allows me to continue reaching new goals while enjoying pizza and donuts every now and then.
  5. “I’m working on myself, for myself, by myself.”  Sometimes the road is lonely, but you should always be your biggest reason why.  Not for revenge, not to make someone jealous, to make YOU happy.
  6. “When you feel like stopping, think about why you started.”  It’s normal to lose motivation, it’s normal to get “derailed,” but at the end of the day if your reason why is bigger than your reason why not…you will get there
  7. “Do it for the after selfie.”  While my fitness journey was for me, i’m still human.  It feels good to prove people wrong and brag about my hard earned accomplishments, don’t feel ashamed for what you’ve worked for!
  8. “Slow progress is better than no progress!”  It’s normal for your body to see more progress at the beginning.  Don’t feel discouraged when the pound that once took you 3 days to lose now takes you a week.  It’s stilling coming off and better than putting the pound of fat back on!
  9. “You are your only limit.” This can be applied to everywhere in life, not just your health and fitness.
  10. “Remember when your body is hungry it wants nutrients, not calories.”  This one is HUGE for me!  In a world obsessed with counting calories and macros, we often forget that vitamins and minerals also exist and are also equally important.
  11. “Workout because you love your body, not because you hate it.”  Yes it’s ok to want to change your body with exercise but remember to never take for granted the ability to exercise!  Not everyone can!  Exercise should also not be used as a punishment for eating a cookie.
  12. “I don’t diet, I just eat according to my goals.”  Seriously, it’s why it’ a lifestyle.  Diets are short term and never  work.
  13. “Sweat is Pretty.”  Sweat is a sign of good hydration, your body regulating heat the way it should be, and working hard!  So many women are afraid to sweat i public for fear of looking gross or smelling bad.  Be proud of your work and being well hydrated!
  14. “Fall in love with taking care of your body.”  As cliche as it sounds, you really do only get one body!  What body do you want to take with your through life as you age?
  15. “Create healthy habits, not restrictions.”  It’s not about never eating the cookie, the pizza, or the donut.  It’s about choose the fruits and the vegetables more than you do the cookie, the pizza, or the donut.

Learn more about the best online fitness program which includes comprehensive programs focused on shifting towards healthier eating habits, staying fit, and building a better booty. You’ll also find a variety of fitness apparel to help get you that extra motivation to take your goals to another level. Contact me today to learn more about the best fitness programs available to get your body in gear.

6 Meals That Are Quick To Make And Healthy To Eat

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming.  Most of my personal meals I bulk prep them for about 6 meals each and the total prep for meal is about 15-30 minutes and I have lunch for 6 days!  Here are 6 Recipes, you can find more on my @SnackLikeLetler Instagram!  Also on my Snack Like Letler E-Book!

    1. •Ingredients: 2/3c Italian Couscous, 1 Quinoa Burger, 1 Mushroom, 1/4 Orange Bell Pepper, 1/4 Tomato, Parsley, Herbs de Provence, Bay Leaves, Salt, Garlic Seasoning, Cayenne Seasoning, Avocado Oil
      •Directions:
      1. Put Couscous into a pot, add Parsley, Herbs de provence, Bay Leaves, and salt to taste. Add 1.5c water and boilScreen Shot 2017-10-19 at 11.39.27 AM

2. While couscous is boiling turn oven to 350 degrees and bake quinoa burger for 10 min
3. In a separate pan sauté Bell Pepper, Mushroom, and tomato in avocado oil. Season with garlic and cayenne
4. Once couscous is ready mix in sautéed veggies
5. After veggies have been mixed in, break a part the quinoa burger and mix it into the couscous
6. Enjoy!!! This was my pre-workout meal

3. •Ingredients: 1 Salmon Fillet, 1c Quinoa & Brown Rice, 1/2 Tomato, 1/2 onion, Cayenne Seasoning, Garlic Seasoning, Cumin Seasoning, Salt, 1/2 TBSP Sesame Seeds
•Directions:
1. Pour 1/2c of Brown Rice & Quinoa into pot & add salt to taste before adding water and boilingScreen Shot 2017-10-19 at 11.42.58 AM2. Dice onion & tomato.
3. Season vegetables with cayenne & garlic
4. When brown rice & quinoa is ready mix in vegetables and pour in sesame seeds
5. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F
6. Season salmon with garlic, cayenne, & cumin
7. Cook in over 12 minutes
8. Serve with 1 Haas Avocado

4. •Ingredients: 2oz of Dry Edamame Pasta, 1/4 tomato, 1/4 onion, 1/4 orange bell pepper, 2/3c Broccoli, Cilantro to taste, salt to taste, Italian seasoning to taste, 4 Mushrooms, 1/2 Haas Avocado, lemon juicescreen-shot-2017-10-19-at-11-45-08-am.png•Directions:
1. Put Broccoli & Pasta to Boil add salt to taste
2. Dice tomato, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms and sauté in avocado or coconut oil
3. Season vegetables with italian seasoning, cilantro and lemon juice
4. Once the Pasta and Broccoli are ready, pour out the water and combine the vegetables
5. Serve with a side of 1/2 Haas Avocado

5.•Ingredients: 1/2 DicedTomato, 1/8 Diced Onion Onion, Cilantro to Taste, 1 Packet Lemon Pepper Tuna, 1/2 Squeezed Lemon, 1 Haas Avocado, 1/2 tbsp olive oil
•Directions:
1. Gut the avocado
2. Place all ingredients into a bowl
3. Mash & Mix
4.Stuff Avocados

screen-shot-2017-10-19-at-11-45-34-am.png

6.•Ingredients: 1/2 packet of Trader Joes Portobello Mushroom Ravioli, 2 TBSP Pesto Sauce, 1/2 tomato, 1/2 onion, 1/2c spinach, 1/2 TBSP Avocado Oil, 1/2 Haas Avocado •Directions:
1. Pour 1/2 TBSP avocado oil into pan
2. Add diced onion & tomatoes. Sauté
3. Add Ravioli & Mix
4. Add 2 TBSP Pesto Pasta
5. Mix Together
6. Add Spinach and continue to mix until spinach has mixed in well
7. Serve with 1/2 Haas Avocado

screen-shot-2017-10-19-at-11-49-07-am.png

Learn more about the best online fitness program which includes comprehensive programs focused on shifting towards healthier eating habits, staying fit, and building a better booty. You’ll also find a variety of fitness apparel to help get you that extra motivation to take your goals to another level. Contact me today to learn more about the best fitness programs available to get your body in gear.

Get LetlerFit the Personalized Way

With the launch of the NEW LetlerFit.com I now officially publicly advertise my customized online training.

If you read yesterday’s blog post you know that I touched on the major differences between my e-book guides and personal training.

If you can check off any of the following I definitely recommend my online personal training:

  • Have any mobility limitations from past or current injuries
  • Have any diagnosed medical condition
  • Have specific goals
  • Want a training program that is 100% customized for your body and fitness level (everyone is different!)
  • want guidance and accountability

All of my clients begin with my online Needs Analysis (i’ll be touching up on this tomorrow).  What may differ between one client and the next are the different packages available:

  • Just the program:  This is for someone who has a good idea about how to perform the exercises and wants a program to cater to them and any specific goals or needs, but also does not want the coaching or accountability
  • Weekly Check Ins:  Your program will come with a 60 minute weekly check in to go over any questions, video critiques of you performing your exercises, etc.
  • Unlimited Coaching:  This is for the person that wants full access to me during the month of training to ask questions, record and send videos to, while still getting a personalized program

Are you ready to get LetlerFit? Fill out my Questionnaire and I will get back to you ASAP

Learn more about the best online fitness program which includes comprehensive programs focused on shifting towards healthier eating habits, staying fit, and building a better booty. You’ll also find a variety of fitness apparel to help get you that extra motivation to take your goals to another level. Contact me today to learn more about the best fitness programs available to get your body in gear.