“Stay So Hungry, You Never Stop Eating.”™

Stay so hungry, you never stop eating is the LetlerFit motto.  It is a way of life, a way of being, a way of going after what you want.

Do you live the LetlerFit Way? Here are 5 characteristics of someone who does!

1. You are passionate
2. You love to bring value and contribution to other people’s lives
3. You are a workaholic
4. You are a goal digger:  Once you reach a goal, you immediately set a new one, because reaching one goal is never enough
5. You wake up every morning ready to conquer the day

Do you live the LetlerFit way?  Never satisfy for anything less than extraordinary in life, relationships, with yourself, or in business.  Always “Stay so Hungry you never stop eating.”™

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.

Cellulite: What is it?

Cellulite, many of us know about it, many of us see it on ourselves or other people, many of us try to get rid of while some succeed and some fail.  Cellulite does not discriminate, teens and adults alike are susceptible to having it.  Skinny individuals sometimes may even have more than what our horribly plastic society considers “fat” individuals.The bottom line…it’s NOT cute! so what exactly is it? Why does it form? How can we prevent it? Can we get rid of it?

cel·lu·lite

ˈselyəˌlīt/

noun

1. persistent subcutaneous fat causing dimpling of the skin, especially on women’s hips and thighs. Not in technical use.

Medical Terminology: adiposis edematosa, dermopanniculosis deformans, status protrusus cutis, and gynoid lipodystrophy

Street Terminology: cottage cheese skin and orange peel syndrome

Before I giving the down low on cellulite, I want to say something to the men: you TOO can fall victim to cellulite! It’s not just women (although we are more prone to getting it because put simply our bodies try to hold on to fat more than the male anatomy)!  Cellulite can also form anywhere! Even though it is found mostly on the thighs and hips, it can form in the arms, stomach, back.  Basically anywhere that can get “fat.”

Cellulite  can be caused by the following:

1. Hormones
2. Genetics: Before moving on to the next cause I wanted to state that genetics may predispose you to the tendency of developing cellulite, BUT it does NOT mean you WILL get and it’s not something that can be prevented or go away.
3. Diet: over eating processed carbs, fats, salt, without enough fiber and water can cause a person to develop cellulite
4. Lifestyle: Those who smoke, the sedentary, and those who sit in one place for a long time (desk jobs) may be more likely to develop cellulite
5. Clothing: Wearing panties so tight that they restrict blood flow may actually contribute to cellulite development

Treatment:  There are probably a million and one cosmetic treatments on the market that cost a pretty penny.  So far from the case studies I have personally looked into, NONE of them have been scientifically proven to actually work.  There are also topical scrubs (i.e. sugar scrubs, coffee scrubs, rubbing amino acids, etc) and although those are much less expensive, once again from what I have looked into, they are not backed by science.  Anti cellulite creams? same thing! currently no medical research has been found to back up those claims.  Below is a small excerpt from Scientific American about what the aforementioned actually does:

“Most all creams will only address the fat. So the Nivea [Good-Bye Cellulite Gel-Cream] and others with L-Carnitine transports fats into the [cells’] mitochondria to be used as energy. Caffeine creams will help by blocking the making of fats by the alpha receptors. Some creams have aminophylline, (a compound in some respiratory drugs) which, like caffeine, works by blocking the alpha receptors. In most creams, you find some way of targeting only the fat cells [and not addressing the connective tissue or circulation aspects of cellulite]. ”

So what does work? Exercise, water, proper diet.  The goal is to decrease the size of your  own individual fat cells.

 

Setting Realistic Goals

This topic was suggested to me by one of my clients. Totally wishing I would have thought to cover my opinions on his topic sooner, as I think setting realistic goals is key in anyone’s fitness journey.

Far too often I get emails from followers saying they want to drop 50-100 pounds ASAP.  Wanting to lose 50-100 pounds is a great long term goal.  Where I like to start is short term weekly goes.   For example, why does someone need to lose that much weight? What habits did they create that made them gain so much excess weight? I am a huge follower of the baby steps principle.  I absolutely HATE when “fitness and health professionals” put people on ridiculously restrictive diets.  Sure they might restrict themselves for ,maybe a week but then it all hits the fans.  Binging is what we want to AVOID as we should be trying to promote a lifestyle change.  The other day I got an email from someone who was confused because they bought a nutrition program from someone and all it included was a “No No” list.

Fit of all, almond milk and coconut milk aren’t even considered dairy!!!  Avocado is GOOD for you.  Nuts are GOOD for you.  I could rant on and on about this No No list.  How is this person even in business?! This is just not how you help someone establish a healthy lifestyle.  Start with them, help them remove sodas, processed juices from their diet first by replacing it with water, then tackle the fried and switch it with grilled or bakes for example.  But baby steps!  Not that don’t eat this, don’t eat that nonsense. On a sidetone, PLEASE don’t send me an email saying that you bought someone else’s program, but want my free advice.  Not happening.  But anyways…

Set daily goals:

-Today I will have veggies at every meal.

-Today I will have my smoothie without added sugar

-Today I will have more water than usual

and those are just a few

Set Weekly Goals:

-This week I will lose .5-1 pound.

-This week I will only have 1 bag of chips

-This week I will only have whole grain carbs

-This week I will not eat fried foods

-This week I will go from exercising zero times a week to 1-2 times a week.

Get the picture? Baby steps lead to achieving Monthly Goals:

-This month I will lose 5-10 Pounds (everyones body is different and loses weight at different paces, the goal is to focus on healthy habits)

-This month I went from eating 30 bad meals, to 15 bad meals

-This month I hit my exercise goals

Which helps you meet your annual fitness goals.

If there is one take home phrase I would love for “baby steps” to stick with you.  Don;y focus on bad decisions, focus on all of the good decisions.

 

Why I don’t do New Year Resolutions

We are now 10 days into 2016, and some people are holding strong to their resolutions, some are losing focus, and others have already given up.  Last year I can personally say I was happy to have completed 75% of my 2015 goals.  That’s right, goals.  I hate using the word resolution.  There’s really no power behind the word other than “resolving” a problem.  Usually when resolving problems people relate it to quickly solving a problem, finding a one step solution to the problem.  Goals in my opinion is a word that you can put much more meaning behind.  There are short and long term goals, some require more or less action steps then others, but if you carefully plan out your goals with mini milestones suddenly they become much more achievable.

We all know that when the new year roles around the majority of people are focused on health, fitness, and financial goals.  “This year I am going to double my income.” “This year I am going to start saving money/save more money.” “This year I am going to lose 20 pounds.” “This year I am going to stop eating chocolate.” Ok, great.  How do you plan on doing that? What makes last year different from this year in terms of not being able to follow through with your “resolutions?”

Quick disclaimer: The following is a set of generic examples and does not include every single resolution out their or the exact steps you need to take to achieve your resolution, or how I prefer, your goal!  This is 100% my opinion/advice. I am also fully aware these are only a generic 4 goals out of the millions you can make for yourself.  My goal for this blog is to inspire you to create the necessary action steps needed to reach all of your 2016 goals.

So let me start with my first example: “This year I am going to double my income.”  If you work for someone, have you thought about what you have to change in terms of work ethic and value that you are bringing to the table in order for your boss to even want to consider doubling your income?  If so, have you set weekly/monthly goals for those steps? Do you run your own business? If so, what are you going to COMMIT to doing differently this year? Have you made your weekly/monthly goals?

On to my next example: “This year I am going to start saving/save more money.” If you didn’t save last year because of a personal problem like medical issues, job issues, whatever it is.  It’s a good thing this year you get a fresh start! If you didn’t get a chance to start saving because you value the $2,000 rolex more than you value your savings account, well that sounds like a priority problems.  Look at your expenses from last year and honestly evaluate where you think you overspent or unnecessarily spent and start from there! Instead of spending you money there invest it elsewhere or save up so you can reinvest that money into something that will give you a return.

Third example and fourth example combined: “This year I am going to lose 20 pounds.” “This year I am going to stop eating chocolate.” Analyze you’re eating habits from last year.  Do you just constantly make unhealthy choices, are you a binge dieter, are you an anxious eater? First things first, be 100% authentic with yourself about why you could not reach your fitness goals last year or why you had to make this years fitness goals.  Secondly, if you’re going on a “diet” do yourself a favor and remove that word from your vocabulary. Diets are temporary, lifestyle is forever. Instead of overwhelming yourself with trying to go 100% into the healthy eating I recommend making small changes.  The following are a few examples.

1. Switch that bag of chips for an apple with nut butter.
2. Swap the milk chocolate for dark chocolate
3. swap the soda for juice and slowly start cutting them out and replacing it with water
4. make it a goal to increase your water intake
5. switch our the white carbs for whole grain carbs
6. swap fried with baked/grilled

Again, there are many ways for your to slowly transition into a healthier lifestyle as it usually does not happen over night.  Those are just 6 quick suggestions.

How do I keep myself accountable for my own goals? I break them down into the following categories

1. Academic goals
2. Athletic/Performance Goals
3. Business Goals (a sub category for both businesses)
4. Financial Goals
5. Certification goals to further my knowledge and accred ability while I am working towards my BS in Exercise Science with a minor in nutrition and MS In Nutrition and Dietetics.

I get 2 sheets of paper and write down every single goal that applies to each category and then tack the 2 papers next to the door in my room so that every day I am reminded about my goals. In my agenda (Im old school) I have my weekly and monthly goals.  At the end of each month I analyze what worked, what didn’t work, how I did compared to my goals, if I surpassed my goals, and then I adjust next months goals accordingly.  I do the same thing at the end of every year and thats how I make my goals for the following year.

Now go and crush those 2016 GOALS! I wish you the most successful of years!

Don’t forget to follow me on social media! If you are interested in checking out my client results or my apparel, another reason to follow me on my account!

Personal Instagram: @Letler

Business Instagram: @LetlerFit

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LetlerFit

Pinterest: LetlerFit

Twitter: @Letler24Fit

Surviving the Holidays

We are officially 2 days away from Christmas eve and 3 days away from Christmas Day.  This is definitely my favorite time of year simply because I’m a foodie at heart.  All of my favorite foods are constantly crossing my path.  Cupcakes, gingerbread cookies, brownies, you name it.  Weight gain and losing the entire year’s worth of results are also synonymous during this time of year.  Here’s my philosophy:

1. You have been working hard all year! Did you reach your goals? If so, don’t deny yourself the foods that are out because of the holidays.  It’s ok to enjoy them.  LIVE A LITTLE!!
2. Keep one thing constant.  If you choose to be a crazy maniac with your diet, then it’s ok to skip out on the exercise to enjoy time with your family or get the house ready for holiday festivities.  If you choose to be a glutten like me, keep your workouts consistent.
3. Don’t go out of your way to pig out, but if you’re presented with he opportunity I recommend a 50/50 plate. 50% healthy, 50% indulgence. This is the time of year where I go from 75% clean 25% not so clean to 60% clean and 40% not so clean.
4. The worst thing you can do is feel guilty about what you eat.  My philosophy is, if it’s going to make you feel guilty, make you feel like you have to burn off every calorie you just ate, then don’t eat.  It’s not worth driving yourself mad.
5. Don’t have a next year mentality.  It’s a lifestyle for a reason.  It’s ok to indulge the way its ok to choose to eat healthy.  Simply go back to choosing a greater majority of health foods once the festivities are over.
6. If you are far from your 2015 fitness goals the way I was in 2014, pick 2 days of indulgence instead of maybe 4 days of glutteny.  But don’t deprive yourself either, it leads to a greater binge in the new year.

 

Hope my tips help! Enjoy the holidays, the food, the extra family time!

Teas: Do they really burn fat?

These days we live in a world full of detox teas and miracle fat burning teas, but is there any actual truth behind it?

In this post I am going to briefly highlight the health benefits of Black, green, oolong, pekoe, camomille, lemon grass, white, and ginger tea.  Are these the only teas available on the market? Most definitely not, there are SOOOOOO many, but I chose these simply because I see them pop up most often. At the end I will be sharing with you guys the tea that I drink and why.

1. Black Tea:  It is one of the highest caffeinated teas (the reason for your energy and focus going up), it reduces plaque formation because it contains polyphenols that kill cavity causing bacteria.  It is an antioxidant (detoxifies).  Amino acid L-theanine helps you relax and focus.  It contributes to bone health and it contains alkyl amine antigens that help boost your immune system.
2. Green Tea: It is an antioxidant, it contains caffeine, which contributes to the claims of tea giving energy and detoxifying the body.  Because it increases your metabolism (mainly because of the caffeine) it is said to be a fat burner because a faster metabolism burns through energy (all food is converted into energy–some give you energy and some don’t) quicker.  Green tea is also good for oral health for the same reason black tea is.
3. Oolong Tea: Is also rich in antioxidants, contains vitamins (A,B,C,E,K) and Minerals (Folic Acid, niacin, other detoxifying alkaloids).  Oolong tea activates certain enzymes in your body that help your body metabolize fat as well as contributes to skin and bone health.
4. Pekoe Tea: Largest Grade black tea leaf (refer to black tea benefits above)
5. Camomille Tea: helps with insomnia, anxiety, muscle twitches, stomach problems (menstrual crams, upset stomach, ulcers)
6. Lemon Grass Tea: Is a killer source of vitamin A and C, folate, folic acid, magnesium,, zinc, copper, iron, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and manganese. It is also great for healthy skin and digestion because of its cleansing and detoxifying benefits (antioxidants).  Breast feeding moms can drink lemon grass tea to produce more milk (galactagogue properties), but it is said that during pregnancy lemon grass tea should be avoided.
7. White Tea: Contains the same antioxidants as green tea, but in larger quantity.  It also protects the skin from the harmful effects of UV rays.
8. Ginger Tea: Contains high levels of vitamin C and magnesium.  It is great for relieving nausea and is good for digestive health.   It is an anti-inflammatory and contains vitamins and minerals that improves blood circulation.  Women can drink ginger tea to help relieve menstrual cramps.

When I drink my tea for the most part, unless I am looking to relax, my goal is to put antioxidants in me to help cleanse and detoxify my body.  I am also looking for an energy/metabolism boost so I look for caffeine.  I drink my tea with aloe vera for added digestive health benefits.  The cool thing about my tea is that it contains black tea, oolong tea, pekoe tea, AND green tea! Which, as you already ready contain a plethora of health benefits.

P.S. I apologize for going ghost yet again, it is ALWAYS for a good reason I promise! I just released my healthy snack and clean cheat ebook yesterday! It is available internationally and contains 25 recipes (variety of vegan, vegetarian, meat eaters get 2 recipes, gluten free, and dairy free recipes!) Heres the link to go and check it out! it,s only $2.99!

Snack Like Letler

Email topic suggestions to LetlerFit@Gmail.com

Grass-fed, Free range, Wild Caught Labeling

As discussed in my previous post, the food labeling industry has all sorts of labels without offering explanations.  We go to the store and see organic, grass-fed, cage free, free range, wild caught labels, but many of us don’t exactly know what they all mean.  Because organic labeling was already discussed, today I will be touching up on grass-fed meats, Free Range/Cage Free eggs, and wild caught fish vs their counterpart.

Wild caught fish are simply fish that are found and caught in the wild.  Compared to farm raised fish they are a more natural source of omega 3s, have more calcium, iron, zinc, and potassium.  They also contain less fat and depending on the type of wild caught fish, they may also have less calories.

Farm raised fish are fed unnatural diets, including antibiotics to combat the diseases many of them obtain because of their enclosed, dirty environment.  The pink in farm raised salmon, for example is an artificial coloring.

Grass-fed meats come from pastor that was fed their natural diet of grass and contain more omega 3s, less fat, more vitamin E and conjugated linoleum acid (CLA) compared to conventional meats that are filled with steroids and pesticides.  PLEASE NOTE: Grass-fed meat is not the same as organic meat as organic meat can come from animals fed a grain diet (better than steroids, but not as clean as grass-fed meat).

Eggs are in my opinion one of the most complicated because you can have free range, cage free, vegetarian fed, or omega enriched eggs, and they do not necessarily mean the same thing.

vegetarian fed hens, while their diet is clean, their environment may not be. Below is a useful chart that helps you understand the labeling.

conventional eggs for the most part come from hens that are not only fed unnatural diets, but are also kept in horrid living conditions.

Wether your an animal lover, health nut, or curious about what the different labels actually mean, the choice is up to you!

Organic Vs Conventional Foods. What’s the difference?

The food labeling world has to be one of the most obscure industries in my opinion.  So many different labels and sub labels, but what do they all mean?  This post is geared towards organic labels, not free range, grass-fed, or wild caught labeling (Those will come later on).

What is organic?  When you go to the grocery store, I’m sure you’ve seen a little label that says “USDA Organic.” Keep in mind that when you go to a farmer’s market, although the produce is fresh, it is not necessarily considered organic because it has not gone through USDA regulations and certifications.  However, I personally love going to farmer’s markets and supporting local farmers.

Moving on, the USDA organic label simply means that the produce has been grown/produced without synthetic substances and growth modifications (other than what can be achieved under natural conditions).  They must also adhere to strict pest-management guidelines.  Under the organic label there are actually 4 different types:

1. 100% organic
2. Organic: which is made with 95% organic ingredients
3. Made with organic: at least 70% organic ingredients
4. <70% organic

Conventional Foods do not have as strict regulations and are often grown/produced with more chemicals, antibiotics, steroids (growth hormones), additives, fillers, fortifiers, and chemicals.

In terms of research stating which is more nutrient dense, it is still very vague.  The reason I choose to eat organic is simply because I would rather ingest lest pesticides, steroids, etc.

I am fully aware that organic foods are more expensive.  If you have the means to do so, I urge you to go organic.  If you think you do not have the means to go organic but spend a ton of money frivolously, I invite you to put your body first, but it’s up to you! If you do not have the means to do so, fruits and veggies are better than boxed food!  If you preach organic, go green, all around holistic health and wellness and don’t purchase organic when you have the means to do so, shame on you (in my opinion).

Attached Is a 15 minute long youtube video going more in depth into organic vs conventional food items.  I definitely recommend watching it, especially because the Dietician does go into the most vs least chemically enhanced food items while remaining unbiased.  That list will come in handy when choosing where you should go organic.

Organic Vs. Nonorganic chicken video

Stay tuned for the next post on grass-fed vs non grass-fed meats and dairy.

Sleep Deprivation and Exercise Performance

We all sleep, we all lose sleep when things get crazy, and we all feel out of whack when we do start to lose sleep.  Some of us are athletes and are demanded to train at a certain level day in and day out.  Sometimes balancing our training and personal life gets so hectic that we sacrifice sleep in order to fit everything into our boys schedules, but what happens to our athletic performance when we lose sleep?

Studies have showed that a lack of sleep in an athletes body has lead to an inability to properly metabolize glucose as well as an increase in cortisol levels.  An increase in cortisol levels comes from our body’s increase in stress levels that are induced by sleep deprivation that sometimes we don’t notice.  It can lead to an impaired memory, age-related insulin resistance, and an inability for your body to recover it’s muscles.  Lack of sleep also decreases the levels of human growth hormone.

So what does the aforementioned actually mean for an athlete?

1. Glucose and Glycogen (stored glucose) are your muscles source of energy.  For an endurance athlete being able to utilize the glucose in your muscles and liver is extra important.  Not only does sleep deprivation decrease glycogen stores but it also decreases utilization, which greatly .

2. Raised cortisol levels mess with muscle tissue and repair, which is needed to full recover from a gruesome training day.

Recap: Many athletes think diet is the most important factor in recovery and taking your training to the next level.  In  reality, diet and sleep go hand in hand if you want to recover and be able to train harder the next day.

athlete being able to store glucose and utilize it 100% in your muscles and liver is extra important.

How to Read Nutrition Labels

Oh man, it’s been almost a month since my last post.  Life kind of happened haha.  I’ve had to cope with the sudden unexpected passing of one of my dogs, Handsome.  I’ve also been dealing with 2 new puppies,  school,  tons of demos with LetlerFit apparel, and the release of my new online workout program Get LetlerFit in 30 days! Link to view/purchase my program click here. (Can be downloaded internationally)

Anyways, today’s post is dedicated to reading nutrition labels (the basics).  By law every food item we purchase at a convenient store, supermarket etc. that comes packaged must contain Nutrition Facts that include ingredients, macronutrient and micronutrient break downs, serving size, and calories per serving.

If you start at the top of the label  you will see Serving size and Servings per container.  The macronutrient breakdown of each serving size follows below.  Now, how do they get the calories to declare up top where it says calories per serving?  In my previous post about macronutrients I mentioned that Carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram, protein contains 4 calories per gram, and fat contains 9 calories per gram.  If you look at the attached Nutrition Label that also has explanations on how to read it you will see that this particular item has

12 g of fat, 31g of carbs, and 5g of protein.  So per serving 12g of fat times 9 gives 108 calories from fat, 31g of carbs times 4 gives 125 calories from carbs, and 5g of protein times 4 gives 20 calories from protein per serving.  In total that is 253 (rounds down to 250) calories per 1 cup of this food item.

Underneath the macronutrients, the micronutrients are listed.  Next to both macro and micronutrients you can find the % Daily value column.  The downfall to this column  is that the daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet (average male diet) so women have to estimate based off of the listed daily values.  So for example, if you are eating this food item and consume roughly 2,000 calories a day you are getting 20% of your Calcium needs, which means in your other foods you need to consume the other 80% of your Calcium needs.

In the attached photo ingredients are not listed, but on all labels you can find them. So looking at a label you see from very few ingredients to labels that contain tons of weird ingredients.  The less ingredients, generally the better the food item is for you.  The more ingredients on a label, the more fillers, useless junk, chemicals, and preservatives are what can be found.  The order in which the ingredients are listed are NOT random by the way. The ingredients that comes first on the list are the ones that are most found in the food item while the ingredients towards the end of the list are the ones that the item least contains.

In the above example, the item most contains enriched flour and has the least of the food dyes.

That just about sums about nutrition labels.  Any questions? Don’t be afraid to comment! Don’t forget to check out my online at home 30 day workout program! Click here (Can be downloaded internationally)