And, while you are on their site, check out the other amazing stories, recipes and features that they have. This magazine rocks!

I have been helping people lose weight for over 18 years now. I, myself, used to be overweight, so I can relate to people and those familiar feelings of despair, lack of control and anger at oneself for not being able to stick with a program. I know what it’s like.

I used to be the constant dieter who promised herself that she would start Monday. Well, Monday never came until my early-20’s, at which point the light bulb clicked and, before I knew it, I was making a career in fitness and helping people find their switch to their light bulb.

When people start personal training with me, it is usually because they have tried everything they can on their own and have not found success.

Once I have determined that they are ready, and willing, to make the necessary changes, I go full-on with their program. And, wow, the results are amazing!

Of course, not everyone has the same level of commitment at the outset, so, when someone gets frustrated because they haven’t lost those last ten pounds (or even those first ten pounds for that matter), I pull out my favorite saying that I can lead a horse to water, but I can’t make them drink the stuff. In other words, it is all up to you.

The program, the guidance and the expertise can be outsourced, but the success you find lies within you.

Why is that? Well, for any resolution or goal to be reached, a corresponding adjustment to one’s life must occur, a change that we must be willing to make in order to reach our goal. And, change is not easy.

Change is one of the few words in the English language that instantly evokes powerful and compelling images and emotions, both scary and exciting, all in one breath. It can mean different things to different people. To fulfill your goal, change may mean changing what you eat, changing how you view your body, or changing your entire lifestyle. Change can be easy or it can be hard. Change can be daunting, it can be challenging and it can be slow. However, if you’ve ever had any experience with change, in the end, it is always worthwhile.

There are many people who will exclaim with fear in their voice, “Oh no, I hate Change!!” when they see it coming around the corner and heading straight for their front door. Now, this is where the tough decision lies for those people: do they invite Change in for a cup of coffee (I hear it likes fair trade), or do they throw the covers back over their heads and press the snooze button one more time?

What would you do?

You could choose to not answer the door, or you could let Change in, give it a double shot of espresso and chat about life and opportunities.

Perhaps you and Change can come to an agreement to start this new life by simply putting one foot in front of the other, maintaining a positive attitude throughout, and never allowing it to get the better of you.

Because, even if you did “fail”, you wouldn’t be giving yourself that opportunity to sit back on your rocking chair in your senior years, pondering the “what ifs” of your past life. Instead, you are going to invite Change over for a friendly game of checkers, give it a warm embrace, then kick its derrière some more. That’s what my program (and most others) are about – Change and Success.

So, challenge yourself and see where Change will take you… I think you’ll agree with me that you are worth it.

Good Luck.

I am sad to say, though, that I can not remember who, or where, I got this recipe from. Unfortunately I am unable to give credit to where credit is due. So, please do not go thinking that this was me who developed this wonderful dish. I am simply the messenger. Bon Appetit!

Broccoli-Slaw with Apple
Serves 4

1 pkg of Broccoli-slaw (can be found in the produce section)
1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled and cut into thin strips
1 Gala apple (or try the new apples they have at Thrifty’s called “Envy” they are so good!), unpeeled and cut into thin strips
2 tbsp chopped walnuts (optional)
Dressing:
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp olive oil (recommend organic)
1/4 tsp unrefined sea salt
1/4 tsp black ground pepper

Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients
In a large bowl, combine the broc-slaw and apples; toss with dressing to coat
Sprinkle with walnuts, if desired
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and then serve chilled.

If you want to make more of a meal out of this, I suggest a cold chicken breast chopped up and viola you have an easy and healthy meal.

Nutritional Break Down:
1-1/4 cup serving
129 calories
4 g total fat
carbs 22g
fibre 5g
sugars 13g
protein 3
sodium 247mg

Recent studies have now found that the calories we consume in liquid form don’t “register” as food in the brain’s satiety centers like water can.

In a study from Penn State University, researchers gave 59 normal-weight men and women 125 calories’ worth of one of four foods—apple slices, applesauce, apple juice with added fiber, or apple juice with no fiber. Fifteen minutes later, when the participants were served cheese tortellini with tomato sauce, those who had eaten the apple consumed about 190 fewer calories than those who had consumed the applesauce or either juice.

So what, you think. That’s only 190 calories – 190 calories can’t really make that much of a difference, can it? It sure can.

Take, for example, that afternoon treat of an ice cold Frappuccino. A Grande Frap (with no whip and using low fat milk) adds an additional 290 calories to our day, and an extra 16 teaspoons of sugar to our diet.

Considering the RDA for sugar is 6-7 teaspoons for every 2000 calories consumed, you are getting enough of the white stuff to last you for two days.

Now, let’s do the math on the calories: if you were to consume just one Frap a week, for an entire year, without changing anything else in your diet, you would gain just a little over 4 pounds. Adding insult to injury, we would then go and eat the same amount of food that we usually do because our poor brain didn’t register that that Frap filled us up.

Since the stomach listens to the brain, it will soon start banging the drum to feed it again. And, we usually cave into our tummies, don’t we?

When looking for a snack, do not turn to a beverage as your meal choice, especially if you are trying to lose weight or even maintain your current weight.

Snacks should be 120 calories or less and preferably something that you can chew, as the research has now proven. Take a look at some popular beverages that we consume and what their respective cost is to our waistlines (BTW: take a look at the teaspoons of sugar for Vitamin Water and a can of Coca Cola – they’re the same).

The first interval will train your glutes and hamstrings with some good ol’ fashioned hills, while the second interval will work on your speed and foot turnover.

Combine them both and you have a well-rounded running workout that will torch the calories and train the legs.

Give it a try & let me know what you think…

The latest word on the wire is that squats, lunges and running will make your thighs bigger. Obviously it is predominately women that are worrying about particular malady. In the 18+ years of training I have never had a man worry about his inner thighs touching. And, I think it is also safe to say that there is a particular age demographic that is perpetrating this rumor. Because, once again, in the 18+ years of training I have never had a woman in her sixties worry about the size of her thighs due to the squats that I throw at them. Instead, the focus is more on having the strength to do said squat and then the ability to walk the next day.

While I, too, like my legs toned and thin (and I work freaking hard to get them that way), I also recognize two things. First, my genetics make up a lot of how I look and how I carry my fat, and second, you need a lot of extra resistance to really “bulk” up those thighs.

Can’t Mess With Science
It is proven science that in order to build bulk within a muscle you need to apply resistance that is higher than the load the body is used to carrying. This load will cause microscopic tears in the muscle tissue and then for the next 24-48h hours the tissue will repair itself. This time stronger and bigger.

Body weight squats, lunges and running are not considered loads that your body is not used to carrying. Your muscles carry your frame around all day, everyday, leaving no extra applied resistance that is new to it.

You may see some tone, because running does produce forces greater than our actual body weight, and performing sets of squats and lunges can be more fatiguing to the muscles than walking, but not the bulk that my partner’s Twitter friends are concerned about.

Genetics – Blame Your Ancestors
There are also three distinct body types that each of us possess: ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph, and no diet, exercise, or lack of squat or lunge will change that.

An ectomorph is naturally lean, carries low-level of fat, tends to have smaller muscles and frame in general. They have a hard time putting on muscle, and they are the people who the I-Want-Thinner-Thighs camp worship and wish they were.

The mesomorphs are more inclined to build muscle faster. They are the ones with the ripped looking abs in the magazines and on the internet. They are the more athletic-looking of the three body types and the ones that I wish that the I-Want-Thinner-Thighs camp would crave they had.

Finally, the endoporph will generally be soft and round looking. They can put muscle and fat on very easily and once that fat is on they will have a hard time losing it. These are the ones that the I-Want-Thinner-Thighs camp hopes that they are not.

My body type is a mesomorph. When I exercise my DNA is hardwired to produce muscle. Since I know this I do all my lower body movements with a light load and a high rep count – to avoid bulk within the thigh area.

I am also an avid 10km runner and I run intervals, hills and long runs every week. My legs are toned, but they are not Gwyneth skinny and toned – and they never will be.

Once again it’s not because I do squats and lunges, it’s because my body is built differently than ol’ Gwyneth’s (she’s an ectomorph).

If I didn’t squat, lunge and run, though, my legs would probably still be thin, but they would also be wobbly and jiggly, especially when I walk (like the picture of poor Nicole below). Not something that I want to aspire too.

If your body type is more on the thin side, an ectomorph, then you will have no problem achieving a large gap between the thighs. But, again if this is your body type then you risk looking like Nicole as well. You can be thin, but still unfit. I recommend that you do squats, lunges and run the hills on a weekly basis. Since your body is also what we term a “hard gainer”, feel free to pick up heavier dumbbells while performing your lower body routine because your body is hard-wired NOT to put on muscle.

Mesomorphs have it tough. They need to work harder than the next gal to get her thighs looking good. For this camp I would recommend light loads and really high reps. They will never have a gap in-between their thighs (again blame genetics, not a squat or lunge), but if they don’t train their legs the fat and cellulite will make them look larger than they actually are. A classic example of a mesomorph is Jennifer Hudson, and I think her legs look amazing.

Me – and I must perform well over 500 squats & lunges a week. Are my thighs big?

Jennifer Hudson – a mesomorph with amazing looking legs.

Thin thighs – all wobbly in the wind due to low-level of muscle tone. Not very attractive.

• Improve the mobility of your spine,
• Increase the strength and stability,
• And, improve the flexibility.

Click here for the full story and workout…

Everyone who trains with me goes through this workout as a kind of right of passage when joining the Fitness with PJ team. It’s a fantastic workout that doesn’t require a lot of tools, gets the heart rate up and tones the entire body.

So, press play and let’s get busy…

I first heard about the Dukan diet when everyone else did – the Royal Wedding.  Apparently this is how Kate Middleton and her mom lost their weight for the big day, and – since they both looked so amazing – everyone’s tongues started wagging that this was THE diet and that it works.

Now, having been a personal trainer for almost twenty years, my response to my clients who asked me about this diet is that ANY diet works that people follow. And it’s true. In fact, I myself have put together a diet program that people use on a regular basis and it is very successful – but only with people who have made up their minds that they are going to lose the weight.

The ones who start out and stay committed to any program will see results. The problem lies in that a lot of us start out on a diet with good intentions and then, when our guard is down, we start compromising the program and playing around with the rules.

Because that’s what we have a habit of doing, isn’t it girls? Justifying the reasons why we should eliminate that particular diet rule (what do you mean no alcohol!), or inability to eat a particular food, and we slowly creep them back into our diet. Until, lo and behold, we’re off the reservation completely and no longer committed.

I’m not suggesting that every woman out there who has been on a diet does this. There are many successful “losers” out there. However, with obesity rates now hovering at 50% of our population, I would have to say that there are more of us starting diets than maintaining them. More of us proclaiming, “To Hell with the diet, I’ll start Monday” – instead of embracing change today and sticking to it.

So, armed with the Dukan Diet book I began my journey. I told my loving husband that I am doing it for science, and so that I could respond with firsthand knowledge of the program when clients asked me about it. Here are 10 important things that I learned.

10 Things I Learned While On the Dukan Diet

1. Oatcakes do not resemble a cake in any way, shape or form. Recipe should be re-named “oat-blob”.
2. Do not hold any important meetings that require your utmost attention for the first week. Meetings attended during this crucial first week-off carbs and sugar will only lead to you understanding one quarter of what is being said, while the other 75% of the time you will be sitting there salivating with a glazed look in your eyes as you visualize all the foods you would like to eat at that moment. Not a good career move.
3. Do not attempt to coach, mentor, teach, or train any new activities, or skills to people in the first 2 weeks. This will only lead you to wanting to kill them since all reason and patience left you the day you said good-bye to your old eating habits.
4. Do not watch commercials that advertise food. Need I say more?
   
5. Do not eat out for the first month. The list of what you can’t eat is on every menu in America. What you can eat is not.
   
6. Do not hang out with people who think what you are doing is crazy. Especially if said person buys a large popcorn with extra butter and eats it right next to you while in the movie theatre – you know who you are.
   
7. Sugar-free hazelnut syrup is a blessing from the gods and will help you get through all those cravings.
8. Save your money to buy your spouse a hotel room for the first week of the diet and your loved ones really nice gifts for when the diet is done. Nothing says “I’m sorry for being such a psychotic bitch” more than a gift card to Home Depot.
   
9. Stay busy. Once you sit and allow yourself to start thinking the floodgates to impure food thoughts will flood the grey matter.
   
10. And, finally – learn to love who you are right now. With, or without that oatcake in your mouth.

Not all oatmeal’s are created equal, though.

The pre-packaged, instant oatmeal packets are filled with sugar and unnecessary chemicals and additives that we just don’t need first thing in the morning. Don’t be fooled, even the weight-controlled instant oatmeal isn’t that healthy for you. If time and convenience are the reasons you reach for those handy little packets in the early hours, then allow me to show you how you can make a healthier, cleaner version in just under five minutes – using ingredients that you most likely already have in the cupboard!

Steel-Cut Oatmeal Base

I, personally, prefer steel-cut oats because they have a higher protein and fibre count than rolled and quick cooking oats. This recipe I make on a Sunday and it provides me with 4 servings of oatmeal which I then refrigerate and re-heat during the busy work week.

1 cup steel-cut oats (I love “Bob’s Red Mill Steel-Cut Oats”)
3-1/2 cups water
dash of unrefined sea salt
Bring water and sea salt to a boil, add oats and gently boil on low heat with the lid on for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take off the burner and add the following:

3 tbsp ground flax seed (or you can use bee pollen, salba seed, chia seed, hemp protein)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2-1 tbsp tbsp cinnamon (adjust according to your taste)
1-3 packets of Stevia (if you like your oatmeal sweetened, which I do!)

• Mix the above in with the oatmeal and let it sit until thick and then place in a container and put in the fridge.
• This will keep for up to 6 days and in the mornings simply spoon a serving into a microwaveable dish (remember, your container is now holding four servings, so simply cut the oatmeal in fours so that you get the appropriate serving amount) and microwave for 1:00.
• Add milk, or almond milk, brown rice milk (yummy!), or soy milk, until your oatmeal is at the consistency that you like and then put it back in the microwave for another minute.
• From there you can add any of the following to make your oatmeal even healthier AND tastier:

• Apple Walnut Oatmeal
  • 1 tbsp chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 diced apple
  • sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on top
• Banana Bread Oatmeal
  • 1 tbsp chopped walnuts
  • 2 chopped dates, or 1 tbsp raisins
  • half of a banana, sliced on top
• Blueberry Strawberry Oatmeal Dream
  • 1/2 c fresh or frozen blueberries & 1/2 c sliced strawberries
  • Slivered almonds on top (if you have time, toasted almonds is really good in this)
• Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal
  • 2 tbsp dried cherries
  • 1 tbsp sugar-free cherry jam
• Cranberry Oatmeal
  • 2 tbsp dried or fresh cranberries
  • 1 tbsp walnut pieces
  • a drizzle of honey on the top
  • 1 tbsp sliced almonds
• Super Duper Oatmeal
  • 1/2 c blueberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 single serving, sugar-free apple sauce container
  • A sprinkle of cinnamon on top
• Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
  • a dash of nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, or if you have it in the cupboard, 3 tbsp canned pumpkin pie filling
  • 1 tbsp sliced almond (if you have time, toast the almonds – yummy!)
• Yogurt Oatmeal (boost the protein and calcium of your oatmeal with these additions)
  • small, single serving of plain or fruit-flavored yogurt
  • if using plain yogurt, try adding some sliced peaches (drained) and sprinkle the top with a bit of nutmeg