We made it!  We got through a very busy holiday in one piece!  Do you need to focus or did you handle the holiday in stride?  Are you tired?  That’s perfectly normal.  We typically cram a lot of activity into a short time frame.  So, it’s okay to be a little tired today.  

 

So…motivation.  Are you in monster mode today (super motivated) or meh (not so motivated)?

 

Motivation is one of those things that you will notice when you are goal-driven, held accountable, being challenged, and close to your reward.  You will feel that burn deep inside to stay on track.  Motivation will get you up in the morning.  It will make you walk past all the sugary treats on the lunchroom table at work.  Motivation will keep you dedicated and strong. 

 

These are some items that will keep you motivated.  

 

But, what about those days you are tired?  What about those days when you just don’t “feel like it”.  What about the times you are sad or feeling down?  Motivation slips away.   You start to make food choices that hinder your progress.  You start to miss your workouts.  And, then, that becomes a habit. 

 

Motivation is a little slippery.  What do you do when you are on the short end of your motivational power? 

 

You rely on your habits.  You stick to it even when you don’t feel like it.  When you do that your results will keep happening and that will fire you up once again.

 

Make eating clean a habit.  You will still do it even when you are “meh” because it’s your lifestyle.  Make your training a habit.  Even if you don’t feel like it, get to the gym.  You will feel so much better when you do. 

 

The bottom line is motivation waxes and wanes.  It can come and go.  Keep challenging yourself to stay fresh.  Rely on the accountability that we provide to keep you going.  Make all of this a daily habit.  Set goals; even play little games with yourself each day to make it fun.  

 

So, stay motivated and on top of your game!

Tami

 

 

 

 

Hey Ladies! 

Do you suffer from perimenopause or post menopausal symptoms? 

• Hot Flashes
• Night Sweats
• Mood Swings
• Belly Fat
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Insominia
• Weight Gain
• Slow Metabolism
• Low Sex Drive
• Loss of Muscle Tone

It’s me, Tami, and I hope you are doing great today!  I have been very interested in how perimenopause and menopause affect our bodies.  

For the last five years I have been reading studies and researching. Specifically, I was very intrigued by what is called, “Menopause Belly”.   I even called a well-known menopause specialist Doctor at the Mayo Clinic to figure out if all hope is lost! 

(Visceral fat is the fat that surrounds our organs and subcutaneous fat is the stuff that sits right under our skin and on top of our muscles.  We can get rid of both!)

During menopause visceral fat starts to build up around our organs and push out toward the subcutaneous fat.  

The Doc told me that all hope is NOT lost, but there are lifestyle changes that need to be made to get rid of the dreaded menopause belly. 

After all my research, I want to share my findings with you.  

Just by making some changes TODAY, you will feel better in one day!  

Guess What?  We can prevent and even REVERSE some of these symptoms!!!

First of all, don’t give up….don’t just throw in the towel and tell yourself, “What does it matter, I can’t fight my body.”  

We aren’t going to fight our bodies; we are going to work with our bodies and the biological changes that are happening.  

Menopausal belly is not an inevitable ending for us. 

What you eat affects your symptoms.  Declining estrogen levels negatively impact your metabolism and that leads to weight gain.  These hormone levels also may affect your cholesterol levels and how your body digests carbs.  

Have you found your appetite has increased?  It’s not just your imagination.  The hormone, Ghrelin, doubles it’s intensity during menopause.  Ghrelin is known as the “hunger hormone”, so, yes, you are actually hungrier than you were when you had a regular menstrual cycle.  (MedPub 2008)

Does that mean we have to starve ourselves to maintain a healthy weight?  No No No No!

Read on and I will show you how!

How To Counteract Your Symptoms TODAY!

​I don’t to bore you with a bunch of science, but just let me tell you that low estrogen levels promote fat storage in the belly as visceral fat (around our organs).  This fat is dangerous.  Also, if we eat too much sugar, our poor liver becomes overloaded with fructose and is forced to turn it into fat.  

So…

Here are some simple ways we can lose that menopausal belly fat starting today:

1.  No Refined Sugar

​​When I spoke to the Menopause Specialist Physician, this was her number one suggestion. 

She said, “If I could give you one piece of advice to share with your clients, it is to avoid sugar at all costs.”

Remember how the reduction in estrogen affects our liver….we aren’t able to metabolize carbs and sugar like we did when we had a regular menstrual cycle.  If you keep eating like you did in your twenties and thirties, etc.  you will definitely gain weight in your belly during menopause.  

Cut out all refined sugar. This means alcohol also.  Our beloved red wine metabolizes into sugar.  Moderation is the key. 

Fruit is perfect, though!

2.  Eat More Lean Protein

​​Protein is the most important macro nutrient when it comes to losing weight.  Protein can reduce cravings by 60% according to one study I read this morning.  However, let me emphasize this:  Lean Protein.  Protein sources such as beans, lean chicken breast, turkey breast, salmon, lean pork, lean steak.  It does NOT mean fatty protein like bacon, pork belly, barbeque pork, sausages, bratwurst, lunch meat, summer sausage, etc.

A recent study (2012) showed that people who ate lean protein had much less belly fat over time (2 years).  The same study linked the intake of fruits and veggies to lower belly fat.  Conversely, fatty protein, simple carbs (pastries, cookies, cakes), and oil (think fried stuff) linked to an increase in belly fat. 

This is Ernestine Shepard (84 years young).  No belly fat on her!  We can do it, too!

3.  Eat More Fiber

​​Not all fiber is created equal.  We want to eat viscous fiber.  Viscous fiber is also called soluble fiber which means it will dissolve in water.  There is also insoluble fiber that is considered to be a bulking agent.  That type will fill you up but will pass through your body without much digestion. 

The soluble type is what we are looking for.  It will pass through our digestive system until it hits our gut bacteria.  The bacteria digests the fiber and turns it into usable energy.  Here are some rich sources of soluble fiber:

Apples, Pears, Carrots, Broccoli, Beets, Chickpeas, Chia Seeds, Lentils, Beans, Legumes, Flax Seeds, Asparagus, Brussel Sprouts, Oats, Sweet Potatoes, and Split Peas.  

Can fiber supplements help?  One large study showed that Psyllium and Guar Gum did nothing for weight loss.  However, only one fiber supplement, Glucomannan (2-4 grams a day) did support a modest weight loss (5 lbs in 3 months).

This is Robin Duncan, 62, who did not even start working out until she was 57.  Boom!

4.  Exercise

​Of course, you had to know that exercise was going to be in here somewhere!  

Exercise has been proven to reduce the severity of menopausal symptoms.  Aerobic movements such as running, jogging, biking, swimming, etc. will reduce that belly fat without question.  And, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) will also work.  Exercise will reduce inflammation, lower blood sugar levels, increase your immune system, help you sleep better, and generally boost your mood.

This is our own Hauk Fitness peep, Elayne Sarelas.  She has a six pack and is 70! 

So, we do not have to give up.  With a nutritional plan and exercise strategy, we CAN turn back the menopause belly!  

Remember, you don’t have to suffer in silence over menopause.  We are here to help!

You Are Amazing!

Your Cheerleader,

Tami​

www.haukfitness.com  

When you’re ready, here are 3 ways I can help you get healthier and happier:

1.  Come in for a FREE custom Fitness Consultation

You and I will sit down together and discuss your goals, simple steps you can take to achieve them and see if there is a way to work together to give you the coaching and support you need to get the results you want quickly.

If you’d like to discuss meeting for a consultation, just reply to this email and put “consult” in the subject line and I will follow up with you.

2.  Take Advantage of our Free 2 Week Metabolic Reboot Program

If you’re feeling sluggish and bloated, join us for a FREE 2 week metabolic reboot program.  You are encouraged to take an unlimited number of classes for two full weeks.  We provide a nutritional plan and recipes to help you with your meal planning.  After two weeks, you will feel energized and invigorated!

If you’d like to jump start your metabolism during this FREE 2 week program, just reply to this email and write “Metabolic Reboot” in the subject line and I will get you going!

3. FREE Nutritional Plan and Recipes

This is our custom nutritional plan designed by a certified dietician PLUS all the recipes you need to succeed in a clean eating plan!

If you’d like our FREE nutritional plan and recipes, reply to this email and write “Recipes” in the subject line and I will send you the info!

I know that the idea of stepping into a gym after a long time away is scary.  I understand.  

But, once you take one small step toward your health and fitness, you will feel such a sense of accomplishment. I am here with you every step of the way.  You cannot fail again!

Congratulations to Rich!  He has lost almost 100 pounds in Train Like A Trooper Boot Camp. Here is the proof:

Rich walked into our Boot Camp in January 2013.  He weighed 350 pounds; give or take a few.  He was about 60 years old and had not worked out in decades.  He was taking medications for a myriad of things:  diabetes, high blood pressure, just to name a few. Even his color was off; his complexion looked gray to me.  We talked for quite a while that day.  He told me his goal was to lose 100 pounds in two years.  He was also dealing with a few fused cervical vertebrae from an earlier surgery.  He had limited mobility.  He was in pain; his neck hurt, his knees hurt, his hips hurt.  I was a little worried ( okay, a LOT worried)…But, I saw a spark in his eyes and I thought, “He can really do this.”  So, he got the okay from his physician and we started working on his goal. 

Rich attended (and still does) Boot Camp faithfully.  He rarely missed class when he started.  Initially, we had to modify all the exercises. It was very difficult for him to even get down on the mat to do push ups or core work.  He kept at it; slowly working his way down and slowly getting back up.  After the first four week session, Rich reported to me that he had lost almost 20 pounds.

He followed the Hauk Fitness nutritional plan. He stopped drinking soda and had really cut back on his daily fast food trips.  I watched him get stronger.  Then, one day at boot camp I noticed he jogged a little bit.  Maybe about 50 yards or so.  I ran up to him and asked, “I saw that!  How do you feel?”  He looked at me and said, “GREAT!”  I said, “Good, but let’s still take it slow.”   I saw a smile creep across his face as if he knew something I didn’t.  Well, he did.  I soon learned what it was:  He is a very determined man and he did not let anything take him off the path to his goal.

He and his wife, Cathy, continued to live life.  Just because he was working on a large weight loss, life still happens.  So, there are birthday parties, holidays, picnics, and bar-b-ques.  He still lost pounds.  He went on vacations and would actually lose weight.  He’d come back and say, “Lost another 4 pounds.”  And, there was that little smile again. 

The months fell away, the seasons changed, and Rich was steadily losing weight.  It seemed as if with every pound he lost, he gained that much strength and endurance.  He was a regular at one of the early morning boot camps (We have 3) and one Monday at one of our the 6 PM boot camps, I saw him again.  I walked up to him and said, “Are you doing a double today?”  He said, “Yes, I’m going to try it and see how I feel.”   This happened about six months into his weight loss journey.  At the end of class I caught him as he was leaving and said, “Well……?”   He said, “I’m not gonna lie, it was tough, but I liked it.”   From then on, when his schedule allowed, he would be at a morning Boot camp class and a 6PM class as well.  Yep, there was that smile.

About three weeks ago, we were at Sunset Meadows Park for boot camp (we are outside in the summer months).  I was running a warm-up lap with Rich and we were talking.  It was a Friday, which means we were getting prepared to run up and down the toboggan hill.  He said to me, “I’m going to try and run 2 laps without stopping today.”  Just so you understand how far that is; one lap is 9/10’s of a mile.  He was going to run (almost) 2 miles.  I said, “GO for it!”  I watched him move ahead of me and he said over his shoulder, “I haven’t run two miles without stopping since I was a teenager….if then!”  We both laughed.  

Remember that determination?  Yes, he finished two laps without stopping.  This time the smile went from ear to ear!  Oh, and he also completed 8 toboggan hills.

Rich is now within 4 pounds of his goal and 4 months ahead of schedule.  I asked him what advice he has for someone who is ready to lose the weight and make the change.  He said, “Look, it’s not easy at the beginning. But, it gets easier. You have to keep coming to boot camp.  You have to eat healthy and watch your portions.  You just have to do it.  Make yourself do it.  Make it a priority.”  Then he added, “If I can do it, anyone can.  I am in the best shape of my life right now. Tell them that they can do it, too.”  

He built up his overall body/core strength to a level that has now reduced the stress and strain on his knees and back.  He is painfree. He completes our training workouts without any modifications.  He has lost over 15 inches around his waist. He has increased the mobility of his neck.   Rich is off all medication and his physician is amazed at the changes he has made to his body and health.  He has more energy than he knows what to do with!  His eyes are bright and he looks ten years younger.  He has his mojo back!

Imagine how euphoric Rich feels!  It didn’t happen overnight.  But, it HAPPENED!  

You don’t need to suffer in silence anymore.  You don’t have to be frustrated and angry with yourself any longer.  Get ready to feel like Rich does!  We are here to help you get there!  Your life is right here; right now.  We know how to get you there.  We use a holistic approach:  We take care of the fitness part and proper nutritional plan/support.  You don’t have to think about what to do or what to eat.  We provide that for you.  It’s going to feel like you won the lottery!  Promise!

Let us get you the results and the body you deserve.  

Your Trainer,

Tami

Here I am a personal trainer and we are talking about when NOT to workout.  Really?  Yep.

I talk a lot to my members about listening to their bodies and being in tune with it.  We have been trained to overlook our aches and pains and injuries.  After all, we have a lot to do each day and we can’t let anything slow us down.  I can tell you that as a former college athlete, we were trained to deal with sore ankles and knees; sore backs; deep bruises from physical contact during games or practice.  We would get iced down after games. We had the best trainers around.  We were taped up before games.  You had to get out on the court and play.  That was the bottom line.  And, I wanted to, don’t get me wrong.  Wild horses couldn’t have stopped me from playing.  At one point I even played with a soft cast on my leg after a severe ankle sprain. Anyway, this is not  a phenomena just experienced by athletes.  We all do it at one time or the other.  We tend to ignore those warning signs and push ourselves too hard sometimes.

So, here are some times you should NOT workout:

• Illness:  You can probably work through a cold or allergies.  But, if you have a temperature or worse, let your body heal and get better.  If you push through a workout when you have the flu or a temperature you can get other people sick or make yourself even sicker.  
• Injury:  If you are recovering from an acute injury like an ACL or miniscus surgery or something similar, please do your rehab as ordered by your Doctor before you jump back into your training routine.  
• Sleep Deprivation:  It’s one thing if you had one poor night of sleep and you are feeling a bit “draggy”.  Your workout will actually help perk you up.  But, if you are running on several days of less than 6 – 7 hours of sleep and you try to workout like a fiend, you’ll find yourself flat on your back.  Listen to your body.

So, yes, there are times when you must listen to your body and take a workout break for a day or two (Not a week or two).  Your body will thank you and your results will be right back on track!

Yours in Health and Fitness,

Tami Haukedahl

www.haukfitness.com

Author and Registered Dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner says that eating primarily a vegetarian diet is a smart way to cut calories. As a matter of fact, a recent study showed that vegetarians tend to weigh less than meat-eaters. But, not everyone is willing to become 100% vegetarian. So, for these people, a new term has been coined, “Flexitarian”. This refers to people who eat a lot less meat than they used to, but don’t give it up completely.

Most people I know strive to eat less red meat (beef) and have gravitated towards more fish and chicken. The reasons are varied; 1) there tends to be less fat in fish and chicken 2) A big chunk of beef can be very hard to digest and stressful for the body to break it down and 3) Too many calories
So, it seems like a natural progression to a flexitarian diet.

How do you eat like a flexitarian? Calories count; whether you are a vegetarian or not. Even if you are eating less meat or even no meat, you have to keep track of portion control and calories.
There are lots of ways to do this; You can do “Meatless Mondays”; that’s where you eat plant-based meals and snacks that day. You can increase it to meatless for 3 or 4 days of the week. Some flexitarians eat a vegetarian diet for 6 days and then eat some fish or chicken, etc. one day a week. Listen to your body and it will tell you what you need.
So, if you have been reading my stuff or you go to boot camp/Special Ops, you know that I tout protein. Our bodies need protein to keep that muscle-building process alive as we train. If you are eating less meat, that may mean less protein. Here are some ways to add back in protein: 1) protein shakes 2) protein bars (Not sugary ones!) 3) lentils 4) Beans

The magic of the flexitarian nutritional plan is the variety. You are not locked into anything and your world abounds with options. Plus, you will soon notice that your waistline is thinner and your wallet is fatter without having to shell out big bucks for meat each week.
Give it a try! It might just be right for you!

I love the New Year.  It’s such a wonderful time of celebration and hope.  I have fallen prey to making complicated New Year resolutions just like everyone else.  You know the ones, “I want to lose weight”, “I want to save more money”,  “This year I will be a better person”,  “I promise that this year I will remember to change the oil on my car every 3,000 miles” (just kidding!), “I will call my Mom more often”…I mean, no one can keep all those resolutions and still have time for anything else!!!

 I have been told that I can analyze and over think things.  That’s probably a character trait that helped me be a successful State Trooper, but sometimes all that analyzing can take me into the weeds and I lose sight of the big picture.  So, this year as the New Year approached, I decided that I wanted to simplify my goals for the year and three words came immediately to mind.

Fitness.  Food.  Focus.

Yeah…..those three words captured it for me.

Fitness:  Our bodies crave exercise and reward us quite properly when we do!  We get the rush of endorphins after a great workout.  Endorphins are the “feel good” hormones that are released into our bloodstream after intense exercise.  Fitness is such an important component of our health.  We want to stay strong, flexible and have a healthy cardiovascular system because it brings such quality to our lives.  We feel energized.  We lose weight.  We can lean muscle.  We are able to participate in activities with friends and family without a second thought.  

Have you ever been asked to go jogging/walking with a friend and panicked because you didn’t feel fit enough?  What about when your kids want you to come outside and play with them.  They want to play tag and you are running around for a minute or two and feel so gassed you can hardly stand up straight…You tell yourself, “Wow, I really need to get in shape.”  And, you do.  Not for your kids.  Not for your spouse.  Not for your friends.  For YOU.   Life can open up for you in ways you can’t imagine:  You can now try snowshoeing.  You aren’t afraid to run a 5K.  You actually WANT to work out on vacation.  It’s amazing the changes you will experience.

Food:   We have our own relationship with what we eat and why we eat.  So, that is for your contemplation only.  I won’t go into all the emotional and social reasons we eat.  So, let’s do this:  Let’s keep it simple.  We promise ourselves to eat as clean as we can.  We will only eat when we are truly hungry.  We will be mindful of our portions.  We accept and acknowledge that everything we eat has an affect on us; some foods will fuel us; energize us; nourish us.  Some foods will poison us; make us ill over the long haul; and rob us of our energy.  We will make choices in food that are healthy for us.  We will respect our bodies and not treat ourselves like a garbage disposal. 

We will hydrate ourselves daily with water.  We will slow down and enjoy our meals.  We will plan ahead and have nourishing and delicious meals ready when we are on the run and have a busy day.  Enough said.  That’s the easy part.  Changing our food patterns isn’t as hard as we might think.  Make one good decision about what the next thing you are going to eat will be.  Change comes one decision at a time.  Right?  Right.

Focus:  Pick three goals you’d like to work on for the next three months.  Write them down and read them every morning and every evening.  Let them sink in and believe you will achieve them.  Be realistic and make your goals measurable.  They can be anything.  These will be the three things we focus on for the next three months.  This is fun, isn’t it?  

Sometimes three little words can make a big difference in our lives.  Once we get the momentum moving; we keep it moving. 

I’m with you!  Let’s do this! 

On November 4th, 22 of my members and I started our 21 Day Fat Meltdown Program.  We are already in our 18th day.  The results have been nothing short of incredible!   The average expected weight loss was 7 – 10 pounds with 10 pounds being on the very optimistic end of things.  Well, we are only on day 18 and here are some of the reported losses:  Rich:  13 pounds, Marilee: 12 pounds, Sharon:  8 pounds, PJ: 12 pounds  Angelo:  11 pounds, Jessica:  8 pounds, Sami:  8 Pounds, Cara:  13 pounds, Sue:  7 pounds…

No, this program is not strictly about what the scale says, but rather it’s about losing bodyfat and gaining lean muscle. I like to say, “No fat can live where there’s muscle!”  Plus, lean muscle mass helps burn calories because muscles do the work.  Fat just goes along for the ride like some freeloading hitchhiker!  Great visual, isn’t it?  LOL!

Yes…they have focused on the changes and results have happened.  Sometimes going through the first few days when we were detoxing off of soda, sugar, refined white stuff, goo, fast food, chips, muck, etc. was very hard.  For me, there were a few evenings at the beginning when I paced and paced and had to self-talk my way through it.  My bugaboo is sugar.  I love chocolate, Skittles, sugar in my coffee, sugar in all forms!  So, I had cravings.  I drank my warm lemon water.  I paced.  I took a shower.  I went to bed early.  After three days I felt a lot better.  Now, 18 days in, I feel more mental clarity, better endurance, no blood sugar dips and spikes, and I am sleeping so much better.  The 21 days are not meant to be lived in a vacuum and then we go back to our old habits. Nope.  We must keep this momentum up. We are building good nutritional and exercise habits.  Eating clean and exercising.  

Stay tuned for our final couple of days….

Today marks the halfway point of this most wonderful journey! 10 days ago 22 of my peeps and I embarked on a journey together. I have done nutritional cleanses a couple times in the past with pretty good results. But, I was convinced I could get even better results. So, a couple months ago I started to tinker with the program and I came up with a winner! My plan was to start the 21 Day Fat Meltdown before the holiday season so we would already be lean and have learned to practice the tools we need to get through all the eating and drinking without gaining weight.

The program I have designed is a nutritional cleanse and “reset” combined with an intense exercise protocol. We met on Sunday, November 3rd and everyone received their Nutritional Cleanse Handbook, list of recommended supplements, workout calendar, and a comprehensive shopping list. We spent about an hour talking about how this is going to look like. We talked about what results are reasonable to expect (8 – 10 pounds and a dress/jeans size) and some strategies to help.

Off we then went to go to the grocery store and stock up on the good stuff. We started our workouts on Monday morning at 5:30A. Everyone was excited and ready to go! The energy in the room was awesome! As the first few days unfurled, our bodies started to detox. I woke up with a headache on Tuesday morning that hung on to me like glue for two days. It was my sugar detox headache…but, by Thursday I felt a huge surge of energy and the headache was gone!

Now that the nutritional detox part is over we are concentrating on portion control and hydration. I’d like to share some of the results with you so far: Rich: 11 pounds, Jessica: 7 pounds, Marilee: 11 pounds, Sue: 7 pounds, Sami: 7 pounds, Manjit: 5 pounds. Everyone else is hovering around the 3 – 7 pound mark already.

I appreciate their hard work and I am thoroughly enjoying this journey because of them. We are all in this together and we lean on each other when we need to. So, when Thanksgiving arrives, the only rolls we’ll have will be on the table!!!

So, today 22 of my members and I embarked on a journey to cleanse our bodies and reset our nutritional path.  We will train together for 6 days a week for the next three weeks.  A result of this short, but intense path will be a loss of 8 – 10 pounds, a couple dress sizes, one jeans size, leaner bodies, stronger bodies and much stronger minds and souls.  

We will take away the refined foods that have snuck back into our meals over time; no pop, no sugar, no chips and dip, no ice cream.  We will pay attention to what we eat and drink.  We will be mindful of what we CHOOSE to ingest.  That’s right, what we eat is a choice.  We aren’t forced to eat two big Macs and large fries.   We aren’t forced to down 4 beers and half a pizza.  No one forces us to eat an ice cream sundae the size of a small rowboat.  For the next 21 days we are going to choose to eat those items which support our health and our bodies.  Lean protein, tons of beautiful veggies and we will pick our carbs very carefully.  (Quinoa, buckwheat, couscous).

This is our time.  So often we are off and running when the day starts and we hardly think of ourselves.  We are task-driven:  work, meetings, kid’s sports, church, social gatherings…we go from thing to thing and at the end of the day we fall into an exhausted sleep.  We don’t think about how we treated our bodies.  We just want to push through all the events of the day.

The 21 Day Fat Meltdown demands that we concentrate and focus on OURSELVES.  How’s that for a concept?  To succeed, we must re-evaluate what we are eating; how much we are eating; and when we are eating.  My plan addresses each issue and gives us a game plan.

We are adding physical training to the nutritional part.  This ensures that our results will be off the hook!

So, stay tuned as I will walk through this journey with you as well.  I will share insights, missteps, successes and frustrations with you.  The next 21 days will be quite a learning experience.  Let’s get started! 

This morning we met at the gym at 5:30A for an hour long workout.  Everyone was on time and had looks of happy anticipation on their faces.  We started out with a warm up of running around the stadium stairs and then we went back into the gym.  We started out with Y squats, slastix band squat presses, walking lunges, Lollipop kids, quite a bit of core…halfway through we ran another 10 minutes around the stadium stairs and came back and finished up in the gym.

We were all sweaty and happy at the end of the workout.  Some of us may be pretty sore by the time we wake up tomorrow morning, but it is that sense of accomplishment that dulls any physical soreness that we may experience.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s adventures!

When I was in college I had a friend who was about 70 pounds overweight.  While,  I was always on some kind of fat diet to lose 5 or 10 pounds, she never really watched her weight.  One time I asked her why.  She replied, “Because I’m happy just the way I am.”  I accepted her answer with a thoughtful nod.  As the years passed I would sometimes think about her statement.  Was she really happy?  Or was it just her way of changing the subject.  I have come to the conclusion that, yes, I believe she was really happy.  She was and is a joyful person.  She has a ton of friends.  She is a success in her profession; continuing to rise in her organization.  She wears very cool clothes.  She is strong in her faith and enjoys going to church.  Yes, she is happy.  But, she’s not comfortable.  Clothes are hard to find even though she is stylin’ most of the time.  Clothes sometimes don’t fit.  She can’t stand for very long.  She has a hard time sitting in seats at concerts, sporting events, and airplanes.  She has a difficult time walking up stairs.  Usually, she avoids them.  She has sleep apnea and is diabetic.  She has not been in a bathing suit for over 30 years.  She hates having her picture taken.  So….

It is very possible to be happy on the inside with one’s life, but her physical body is very uncomfortable.  It is holding her back from doing some of those adventurous and spontaneous gifts that life presents from time to time.  Like climbing up a hill to watch the sunrise or taking a long walk in a forest preserve.  Or even trying on jeans off the rack.  

She has now begun on her journey to shed the extra weight so she can enjoy the full life she has created for herself.  One of the things she mentioned to me is a goal of hers is to be able to buy clothes in a “regular” store.  She wants to run at least one mile at some point.  And, her biggest motivation is to live a longer life.  As she told me recently, “Look around.  You don’t see a lot of old obese people.  I want to be old.”

Is your body holding you back from enjoying all of life’s gifts?  Let me help.  I will get you the results you deserve!

Exercise is a wonderful gift on so many levels:  weight loss, boost in confidence, increases strength, speeds up metabolism, and the list goes on and on.  One of the unexpected benefits is the chance to reconnect with your body.  When our bodies change via exercise we start to pay attention again….what I mean is we start to feel the muscles tighten under our skin; sometimes we feel a little sore; we begin to understand the link between nutrition, sleep, hydration, and fitness.  And, it can even boost your sex drive and libido. 

It has been said that movement is the celebration of life.  I get it.  There’s nothing like a great workout and the endorphin rush that accompanies it to make one feel bursting with energy and life.  Listen, I’m not saying it’s all rainbows and puppy dogs every time you workout.  Some days hormones come into play and you might not feel 100%.  But, come and workout anyway.  Because by the end of a short and fast 45 minutes, you will feel 100% better.  You will walk away sweaty and filled with a sense of self-accomplishment. 

Our bodies are truly miraculous and wonderful.  Don’t get caught up in what society deems we should all look like.  We can strive to get stronger, lose weight, tighten up our cores, feel better, and get healthier.  Enjoy the process and be amazed at your body and what it can do.  Reconnect with your body and what you eat will make so much more sense to you.  Fuel your body like athletes do; put quality fuel in your body and your body will respond like the efficient miracle that it is.  I would love for everyone reading this blog to feel how great that is.  Come join us and share that euphoria with us! 

Train Like A Trooper Boot Camp started back training outside after a long cold winter.  Our new session started on Monday, May 21st with over 60 boot campers!   Each new session brings with it a combination of dedicated hardcore “Troopers”; those who have been training with me for a while and the “New Recruits”; people new to our brand of fitness.  In the years I have been in business, one of the most gratifying events I get to witness is to watch my new recruits morph from scared and anxious peeps to “veterans” who grab each workout like it’s precious treasure! 

When this session started, it was similar.  I had a larger group of new recruits this session due to Hauk Fitness being featured on Groupon.  We finally hit the bigtime!  Boot Camp deal in Rolling Meadows!  Yes! 

So on that first day I saw shaky hands, wide eyes, and pale faces.  But, within the first ten minutes of the workout I saw a group of people start to smile and relax and work together.  I think they even enjoyed bonding by teasing me! (I love it!).   The most gratifying part of joining my peeps on their journey to health and fitness is to see the changes happen.  It’s like magic!  (except without the black curtains, rabbits, doves, and tophats).  I watch people begin to believe in themselves again.  I listen to them tell other boot campers how much weight they’ve lost.  I hear them discussing how much fun they are having.  These are the reasons I do what I do!  I love to push them just up to their perceived limit and then gently and positively nudge them over that imaginary border.  Once they have crossed the limit they have placed on themselves; the sky opens and the heavens sing!  They get their mojo back!  They get cute haircuts again, wear jeans without a stretchy waist band, and they talk about how much energy they have.

So, we are nearing week #2 of this session and already I have heard from new recruits that they are stronger and losing weight.  It validates everything we do at Hauk Fitness.  Health and fitness is a process….an active process……my boot campers have taken that first step already.  I am so proud of them and cannot wait to watch them progress during the next 2 weeks.  I’ll keep you posted!

Our bodies are made so beautifully and complete.  What have we done to our bodies with soda, fat-laden food, and a sedentary lifestyle?  So often I hear people offer me a litany of reasons (read: excuses) why they can’t or shouldn’t exercise.  How about this?  “I’m too old.”  Studies have clearly shown that men and women in their eighties and even nineties can build lean muscle mass by exercise.  A stronger body means a better quality of life.  It means being able to walk with better balance and to hold our bodies upright with good posture.  But, the funny thing is I hear people in their 40’s and 50’s telling me they are “too old” for boot camp.  Really?  Try telling that to my 64-year old who can jump down and do over 100 push ups (regular, not modified) if she needs to.  Too old?  Tell that to Mike; one of my boot campers in his sixties who regularly “schools” men two decades younger during our interval sprints.  

Here’s another one:  “I don’t have time.”  Now, this one might hold a little water with me….we all have busy lives.  And, with proper time management and DESIRE, you can find time to do what you want to do.  Isn’t that true?  If you really want to do something, you make time in your day to do it.  The sad fact is that only 5 – 8% of our population exercise 3 times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes.  The bottom line is you must make time in your day for exercise.  Our bodies crave movement and thrive when we are active. Everything works better when you are active; from your sex drive to losing weight to your mental health.  We know the benefits…we’ve heard them a million times. Why don’t we exercise?  In my opinion, we perceive exercise as something torturous, painful, unpleasant…shall I go on?  The key is that we find activities that we enjoy.  I do this during my boot camp workouts.  I call the exercises funny names like:  “The Royal Ninja”, “The Cherry Bomb”, “Apolo Ohnos”…..I use a ton of variety in my workouts.  I specially design my boot camp workouts to make sure they are fun, fast and fat-incinerating.  

Exercise is a necessity.  Take time each day to be active.  Your body will thank you…..and maybe your spouse will thank you, too (wink).

Fit, Fierce and Female….so, what exactly does that mean?  Well, it means that women can and should be fit and confident.  Not fierce in the aggressive sense, rather, fierce in the “we should be reckoned with” sense.  Fierce in a beautiful solid way.  Fierce in the way we live and love.  Passionate.  Fiery.  Strong.  Whether it’s in our workouts, our families, our relationships, our friends, our careers, our hobbies…be fierce.  Be passionate.  Be alive! 

This blog is dedicated to fitness and fierceness…and being female.  It’s a little different for us women.  It just is.   We’ll explore the world together;  fitness, workouts, nutrition, the “h” word- hormones, how to get rid of fat, what fit means, what works the best and what is just a bunch of hooey.  

So, hello world!  Here we come!