Sweat Atlanta

Don’t take things for granted…especially on your plate.

admin — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:02:30 +0000

Don’t take things for granted: We always rush through life thinking about what is next. This is true in all aspects of life work, social lives, etc but especially with food and the way we eat. We eat so much so quick that we don’t take time to enjoy our food, take in the moment, enjoy the flavors and appreciate that we even have food to eat. Instead we are always looking or thinking how fast we can eat , what we are gonna eat next or what we are going to do next instead of enjoying and appreciating what is in our mouth NOW.

Some folks can’t have what we have or eat what we eat and we carry on as if we take it for granted. If we could only learn to appreciate the moment we are given. Take time next time you are eating to slow down, and enjoy what you are eating – this can help you from over indulging yourself. Sometimes it seems like a whirlwind blows by while we are at the dinner table and next thing we know there are 4 empty plates next to us and our stomach is so full we feel uncomfortable.

“Stop and smell the flowers” is a great saying that rings true here. Often times if you slow down, take in the “now” you can hear what your body is telling you and can help from consuming WAY too much. Use this in life and take time to celebrate the current moment.

Sweat Atlanta’s Post Pregnancy Client Update: Week #4

admin — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:02:47 +0000

We are so happy to announce more positive results for our client who recently had a baby. See what she had to say below and check out her IMPRESSIVE progress in the pictures below.

“I can definitely see the progress and so does my measuring tape! Believe it or not I was a size 4 prior to my pregnancy and after gaining a whopping 40 lbs I was no where near that! My hips were normally around 39/40 inches and grew to 45 inches. After measuring today I discovered they are now 42 inches! My waist pre-pregnancy was around 27/28 inches and with pregnancy they basically came close to the size of my hips! Right now they are 36 inches. Thank goodness for your classes! I am going to focus on losing the pudge around my core so I am going to keep up with the cardio and strengthening my core. Can’t wait for another one of your classes, where it is always a party and great workout with undeniable result!”

What is body fat and why do we focus on it?

admin — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:42:40 +0000

What Is Body Fat %:

Your body fat percentage is simply the percentage of fat your body contains. If you are 150 pounds and 10% fat, it means that your body consists of 15 pounds fat and 135 pounds lean body mass (bone, muscle, organ tissue, blood and everything else).

A certain amount of fat is essential to bodily functions. Fat regulates body temperature, cushions and insulates organs and tissues and is the main form of the body’s energy storage.
Body Fat Percentages

Men

Essential fat 2%-5%
Athlete 6%-13%
Fitness 14%-17%
Acceptable 18%-24%
Obese 25% +

Women

Essential fat 10%-13%
Athlete 14%-20%
Fitness 21%-24%
Acceptable 25%-31%
Obese 32% +

Why we focus on Body Fat %

Of any number we focus on Body Fat % is one that is a good measure of overall health. Your weight can be deceiving because as you hopefully continue on your journey with Sweat Atlanta your body will change, you may put on some muscle tone and muscle weighs more than fat. Your weight may stay the same but you are actually losing fat % and gaining tone in your muscle. Focus in on this number and keep up the good work.

Sweat Atlanta’s Post Pregnant Client Update: Week #3

admin — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 02:04:44 +0000

Glad to report our client continues to see positive changes in here body. After 3 weeks of Sweat Atlanta workouts she writes us to say:

“Your classes have been working wonders on my body as I have been able to get into smaller and smaller sizes as each week goes by! They have also helped with my post partem as well. On those days when I don’t necessarily feel my best, exercise really alleviates those symptoms! I can’t wait to see how much longer it takes for me to get back into my pre-pregnancy clothes because the progress has been great! Until then I’ll keep working on trying to lose more and tone it up! Thanks so much!”

Sweat Atlanta’s Top 10 Nutrition Tips

admin — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:28:43 +0000

Here is a list of our top 10 tips for diet and nutrition.

1. Breakfast is King: My motto is eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper. Your breakfast has to be the most well thought out and well planned meal of your day. Breakfast sets up your metabolism for the entire day. Eat breakfast within 30 minutes of waking and make sure it contains carbohydrates.

2. Eat every 3 hours: Imagine your metabolism like an outdoor bonfire. We want that fire to be burning hot and well maintained. In order to do that we tend to it often adding wood, fuel, etc. This is a perfect analogy for your metabolism. If you go long periods with no food your metabolism tanks (or burns out). You will then begin to store fat and you are creating a crash and recover pattern with your metabolism that isn’t good.

3. Avoid “white” foods: We are a culture that is obsessed with these “white” foods. We use nearly nutrition-less bleached white bread, white rice, sugar and more. Those white foods are like a snickers bar for your stomach. Replace the white breads with whole grains, the rice with brown or wild rice and sugars in moderation or a natural sweetener like Stevia.

4. Don’t eat 2 hours before bed: There are many opinions on this “don’t eat after 7pm” “don’t eat carbs at night” etc. The most recent studies show that you really just should not eat within two hours of lying down. Your metabolism does slow down while in a sleep state so any excess food can be stored in the body as fat instead of being burned off during normal body function.

5. Avoid empty liquid calories: One of the worst things you can do is fill up on liquid calories. As a society we are killing ourselves with these drinks. Starbucks, sodas, milkshakes, etc. Some of these liquids have more calories than entire fast food value meals. What’s worse is they don’t fill you so you’ve blown 1000+ calories and 30 minutes later you are hungry. The best liquid options are water, tea and coffee (don’t overdo it with sugar, cream, etc).

6. Maintain Portion Control: Our portions are OUT OF CONTROL! A good rule of thumb is your plate should be about the size of a Styrofoam throw away plate, and your protein portion should be no larger than your fist.

7. 1 “Cheat Meal” per week: Depriving yourself week after week can lead to reverting back to old bad eating habits and can lead to frustration. Allow yourself one cheat meal per week. Pick that one thing you have been craving all week and eat it, get it out of your system and return back to the healthy choices.

8. Drink Plenty of Water: One of the best things you can do for yourself. It aids in many body functions as well as improves the look of your skin, mental clarity and much more. It will keep you feeling good during workouts and will often times help you feel full to avoid those tempting foods.

9. Enjoy treats away from home: Avoid bringing “risky” foods into your home. If they are there you WILL eat them. Enjoy your “cheats” outside of the house. Instead fill your pantry with healthy snacks and foods that will encourage you to eat right not tempt you to splurge.

10. Eat protein at every meal: Protein is more satisfying than carbohydrates or fats, and thus may be the new secret weapon in weight control. Getting enough protein helps preserve muscle mass and encourages fat burning while keeping you feeling full. So be sure to include healthy protein sources, like yogurt, cheese, nuts, or beans, at meals and snacks.

Sweat Atlanta’s Approved Grocery List

admin — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:41:59 +0000

We all know nutrition can be confusing; eat carbs, don’t eat carbs, don’t eat this, eat more of that can be very overwhelming. Here is our approved grocery list to help you stock you stock your pantry. Take a look below:

Sweat Atlanta’s Approved Grocery List:
PROTEIN
Dairy:
Cottage Cheese
Egg Substitutes
Egg Whites
Yogurt (nonfat plain Greek)

Poultry:
Chicken (lean ground breast)
Chicken Breast
Chicken Thighs
Duck Breast
Turkey (breast, not deli)
Turkey (deli, low sodium)
Turkey (lean ground)

Powders:
Egg
Legumes
Soy
Whey

Red Meat:
Beef (extra-lean ground)
Roast Beef (low sodium deli)
Steak (cube)
Steak (flank, round)

Seafood:
Salmon (canned in water)
Salmon (fillet)
Shellfish (clams, crab, lobster, mussels, scallops, shrimp)
Tuna (canned in water)
Tuna (fillet)
White-fleshed fish

Vegetable Protein:
Tempeh
Tofu

CARBOHYDRATES

Bread:
Bread (whole-grain)
Breads (Ezekiel)
English
Muffins (Ezekiel)
Tortillas (brown rice)
Tortillas (corn)
Tortillas (Ezekiel)

Breakfast Cereal:
All Bran
Fiber One
Granola (low-fat)
Kashi Go Lean
Kashi Good Friends
Kashi Heart to Heart
Oatmeal (old-fashioned or steel cut)

Fruit:
Apples
Apricots
Bananas
Berries
Grapes
Kiwi
Melons
Oranges / Tangerines
Peaches / Nectarines
Pears
Pineapples
Plums

Grains:
Amaranth
Barley
Buckwheat
Couscous
Popcorn (low-sodium / butter)
Quinoa
Rice (long-grain brown)
Rice (Wild)
Spelt

Pasta:
Pasta (brown rice)
Pasta (whole-grain)

Root Vegtables:
Potatoes (russet, red, gold; small = 1 ½” diameter)
Sweet Potatoes / Yams (small = 2” diameter + 4” long)

Starchy Vegatables:
Peas
Corn

Legumes:
Beans (boiled or low-sodium canned)
Lentils (boiled or low-sodium canned)

Vegatables:
Asparagus
Beets
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Carrots
Celery
Collard Greens
Cucumber
Eggplant
Green Beans
Lettuce
Mixed Greens
Mushrooms
Onions
Peppers
Spinach
Sprouts
Squash
Tomatoes
Turnips
Zucchini

FATS

Dairy:
Cheese (low-fat)
Egg Yolk)
Feta Cheese
Heavy Cream
Mozzarella Cheese (low fat)

Dressings:
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Mayonnaise (regular)
Salad Dressing (low-fat creamy)

Fruit:
Avocado
Olives (large)

Nuts & Seeds:
Almond butter (with salt)
Almonds (raw, whole)
Peanut Butter (natural, with salt)
Peanuts
Pecans (raw, chopped)
Pumpkin Seeds
Sesame Butter / Tahini
Sunflower Seeds
Walnuts (raw, chopped)

Oils:
Canola Oil
Fish Oil
Flaxseed Oil
Olive Oil

DRINKS

Water
Almond Milk (unsweetened)
Coffee
Tea

FLAVORINGS

Herbs, Spices and Seasonings:
Basil
Cayenne
Pepper
Chili Powder
Cinnamon
Cloves
Cocoa Powder
Curry
Garlic
Ginger
Horseradish
Mrs. Dash Blends
Nutmeg
Oregano
Parsley
Paprika
Pepper
Rosemary
Sage
Sea Salt
Tarragon
Thyme
Turmeric

Liquids:
Butter Spray (low-fat)
Chicken Broth (low-sodium)
Chili Sauce
Lemon Juice
Lime Juice
Soy Sauce (low-sodium)
Tabasco

Tomato Products:
Marinara Sauce
Salsa
Tomato Paste
Tomato Sauce
Pastes:
Chili Paste
Hummus
Mustard

Sweeteners:
Stevia
Xylitol

Food to remove:
Baked Goods
Beer
Candy
Chips
Chocolate
Conventional white and wheat breads
Cookies
Crackers
Fried Foods
Frozen Meals
Hard Alcohol
Juice
Ice Cream
Soda
Wine
Also remove all foods containing the following ingredients:
Brown Sugar
Corn Syrup
Honey
Hydrogenated Oils
Maple Syrup
Raw Sugar
White Flour
White Rice
White Sugar

The post baby journey continues (Post #2)

admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 19:41:59 +0000

After more solid cardio sessions with Sweat Atlanta, we are happy to report our post-preggo client is still seeing good results she writes to us and says:

I also measured and lost another 1/2 inch in my hips! I have also noticed that my thighs have gotten smaller as well! Thanks!

Check out her week 2 photos below:

LOOKING GOOD MAMA!

One woman’s SWEAT ATLANTA journey post baby…

admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 19:22:35 +0000

Part of what we do at Sweat Atlanta is help to change people’s lives for the better. One woman we have been working with came to us a few months after having a baby. Like a lot of new moms she was frustrated that the weight didn’t come off as quickly as it came on. Through some intense group fitness sessions with Sweat Atlanta, she is beginning to see some great changes. We will follow her journey on the site and encourage you to travel along with us.

Post #1:

“This is me so far 3 months and 4 weeks post partem and I must say after seeing these pics I definitely notice a weight difference. Thanks so much to your classes I leave feeling like I got a great workout that kicked my butt! Just what I really need to get back to my pre-baby body. When I get home I sleep so good and I am really happy about the results so far! My clothes are getting bigger and I will hopefully be able to fit in my pre-baby clothing soon. My hubby and friends all comment that I have been dropping weight so quickly and I can confidently say a lot of it has to do with your classes! Thank you so much! “

Boot Camp for March 3rd cancelled due to weather

admin — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 14:13:26 +0000

Due to the weather this morning Boot Camp will be cancelled for Saturday March 3, 2012. We look forward to seeing everyone next Saturday (March 10) at 10am.

Sweat Atlanta at Case Mate

admin — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:23:49 +0000

We are very excited to announce we will be offering our unique, fun and effective fitness and wellness options to employees at Case Mate. We will be offering an great corporate wellness package to all employees at their Tucker offices.

Case Mate is a wonderful company that creates many of the IPAD, IPOD, cell phone and tablet cases and covers you see in stores. Check them out and support this great brand at www.case-mate.com

If you are a Case Mate employee reading this we can’t wait to meet each of you!