In most adults the percentage water makes up our body is around 75% and while we can live for weeks without food, we can only live a few days or so without water (depending on the environment).

And as fitness enthusiasts we will naturally raise or body temperatures and sweat to cool ourselves down.  When this happens dehydration can set in a lot faster than normal.

Researchers have found that even a 2% loss in body weight from dehydration can hinder performance by 10-20%.

And if you’re a guy who sweats like a bad biker dude in church then you’re going to become dehydrated a lot faster than the person next to you.

Water retention is another reason why I’m not a fan of people weighing themselves all the time on the scale.  Simply because our body weight can fluctuate up to four pounds a day just on how much water you’re holding in.

So the next time you feel like partying after the scale says you lost 2 pounds. Be aware that it could just be water weight.  Instead focus on how your clothes are fitting to gauge your results.

Another big key to take note of is that you’ll also want to focus on having sufficient levels of electrolytes while you’re training.  Sodium is the only one that will really make a difference and it will help with your water absorption.

So I do recommend using some kind of sports drink if you’re training hard since drinking just water will cause bloating and more peeing (…then you’ll have to drink more and the cycle continues!).

But just watch out for our old pal Gatorade who still likes to use high fructose corn syrup in a lot of their products.

There are a lot of signs to look out for when you’re dehydrated a few being; your mouth is dry and your tongue is swollen, your thirsty (duh!), constipation, your skin doesn’t snap back on a skin turgor test, your muscles are cramping and/or spasming, you feel lightheaded/dizzy when you stand up too fast, and if you’re body is overheating.

Every morning try to drink a full glass of cool water to start your day off right.

OK, so here are a couple simple tips to make sure you get the right amount of water daily.

1.  You’re Pee Is Clear.

Sounds funny and downright obvious.  But it works.  Check your pee every time you go #1 to make sure it’s clear like water.  If it’s looking like the color of apple juice then you better start drinking some water fast.  I’ve heard stories about coaches who have literally checked their athletes pee to make sure they were hydrated. One factor you might want to take into account here is if you just took vitamins within about 3-5 hours prior because sometimes this can affect this. Your body will only absorb the amount of Vitamin C it needs and pee out the rest. If you are pee is very yellow after taking a vitamin, your body could be getting rid of that vitamin C.

2.  Drink Half Your Body Weight In Fluid Ounces Daily.

This is another good rule to follow.  So if you weigh 200 pounds then you’ll want to drink AT LEAST 100 fluid ounces of water daily.  This will increase if you’re working out, drinking alcohol and/or caffeine or it is very hot outside.  A simple way to follow this is to get a bottle water, see how much water it holds and do the math to find out how many of them you have to drink in a day.

Drink up!!

Happy Training, Kathie

Related Articles:

The Importance of Drinking Water

Sodium – A Must Read for Your Health

Between seeing commercials on TV for insane workouts, dance programs, and celebrity fitness videos you may think it takes money to be in shape. You are in control and it doesn’t take five hours of an “Insanity” (it is called insanity for a reason!) workout to feel good and look good.

Here’s the 411: You do not need to spend money on a workout video or even a gym membership to stay fit or lose weight. Here are a few tips:

1.) When was the last time you went to your local library? If your library has a video collection there is a good chance that exercise videos are available. Check out different exercise videos every week and that will eliminate boredom. Guess what? Your local library will rent those videos out for free. Done!

2.) Do you have an option to take an elevator or steps at work or home? You probably have heard about this tip before. Why? Because it works! Instead of taking easy street on the elevator, no pain no gain! Take the steps instead of the elevator and I can 99.9% guarantee you there will be results. Guess what? That is also free. Done!

3.) This tip to staying fit has two benefits; a clean house and a fit you. Did you know that a 150 pound person can burn nearly 216 cal within 30 min. of cleaning? Grab the glass cleaner, paper towels, furniture polish, and vacuum and get fit. Guess what? Yep, you guessed it – free! Done!

4.) Don’t the weather sway you away from taking daily walks. Bundle up with a hat, scarf, and gloves and as long as it is not icy or freezing take advantage of a brisk walk. And if it is hot outside, take your walks early in the morning or late in the evening, no excuse there! If you have a dog (or two like me), this is an extra incentive to get moving. Free! Done!

5.) There are several programs out there that will help you track you food and fitness for FREE. I even wrote a blog post on great food journalling websites. Two of my favorites are: caloriecount.com and choosemyplate.gov . There are also plenty of online support groups that do not cost a dime for people who are trying to get fit and lose weight. Some of the online support groups give you an opportunity to blog about your fitness plan and reach out to others for motivation, encouragement, and tips. Besides the cost of your monthly Internet service, you know what I’m going to say. Free! Bam!

6.) This is another tip that you probably have heard of 1 million times; park your car further away from the entrance to the grocery store or department store. I sometimes catch myself wasting time driving around looking for the closest spot. Ridiculous. I complained that I want to stay in shape but I drive around in circles for 10 min. waiting for a good spot. No! Those little walks count. Free! Ding!

7.) While you are at home grab something from your kitchen that you think weighs 5 pounds. If you already have five or 10 pound weights use those but if not making your own way is just fine. Do some curls but make sure whatever you use is safe and a weight you can handle. Also, dance like nobody is watching. Get your groove on and do some crunches and yes, you will see results.

8.) Work your abdominals all day long. That’s right you can work your abdominals/core at any point in time during the day. Just sit up straight and tall and hold them in and you are working them. Try this while driving, try to hold them in for several minutes or through a stop light that lasts forever. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you forget to hold them in, but train yourself. And yes, that’s free too!!

9.) Wonder why you cannot see all those ab muscles you’ve worked so hard on? Well it is because you are not doing interval training and effectively burning fat off your body. When you walk do not just “go all out” the entire time you walk. No this is all wrong. You need to do intervals. This means you go fast for a little bit and slow it down for a little bit. I usually recommend walking fast for 2 minutes and slow for 2 minutes for starters.

10.) Do you have DVR? Well I recommend recording your favorite fitness shows and do the exercise routines. You change up your fitness routine by picking different shows and add variety to keep your body from stagnating. And if you DVR to watch your favorite shows on your time, this is just an added “free” plus for your fitness.

These are just a few tips to help you stay on track when it comes to fitness and being on a budget. Along with eating healthy these small steps can make a huge difference on the scale. You can come up with other creative ways just by reading these simple tips. Happy Training!! Kathie

Here are 5 Valuable Tips and Mistakes to Avoid When Entering a Health and Fitness Regimen

1. Not Valuing Rest Highly Enough:

By not valuing rest you pose a dilemma – too much stimulus for the body. The human body is made to respond best to small incremental increases in stimulus. When too much workload is given, the body starts coming apart. Unfortunately beginners or the big go getters may not recognize this sign.

Beginners, or those new to working out once again are not generally aware of the importance of balancing workouts with rest. I always say, “Rest is just as important as working out!” Those new to working out once again tend to overdo things in their passionate new pursuit. This in turn overloads their muscles too much and if they keep pushing themselves beyond the incremental recovery area. And guess what happens then? Their body quits responding to the training – YIKES!

This in turn leads to discouragement and is one of the main reasons gyms are 100 percent full in January  and virtually empty a few months later. It is vital to know the importance of rest and recovery and make time for it each week!

2. Too much or too little Cardio/Aerobic Training:

It is super important to have a balance of cardio and strength training. I myself endorse the Tracy Anderson Method whereas there is a huge balance of cardio and muscle conditioning for a complete workout. Often times you will see those guys in the gym who totally avoid cardio conditioning all together and hit the weights ONLY. This is only doing them a dis-service. These guys will end up with total muscle mass but no where near the stamina or oxygen conditioning their hearts need for so many reasons.

You will also see the opposite in the ones who only hit the cardio equipment fearing the weights or muscle conditioning will only add bulk. But this is not true at all. There must be a balance for total health and well rounded fitness regimen.

3. Focusing on flash instead of substance:

This shows up most frequently in putting more effort into the biceps than the triceps, in focusing on the upper body areas such as the chest to neglect of the thighs or skipping areas altogether (such as calves, forearms, and neck).

If I were to come up with a motto for my training it would be “Fitness is all about posture and balance.” I would go on to explain that when I teach strength training I train all muscle groups evenly so as NOT to neglect certain muscle groups. And when doing your cardio you know my clients in the gym, they are not leaning on the equipment and their posture is impeccable. I preach posture!  And these guys who neglect their legs to have a fine upper body (like my good friend Gene) your legs are just going to sink in the sand on the beach. And thank goodness cuz no one wants to see those skinny things you call legs!! Train em!!

4. Buying into a Fad Diet:

I just had a client tell me she paid $500 for this new diet hormone. She went on to explain that it consisted of  800 calories per day. I about fainted. First of all I was like, “okay pay me the $500 and we will lose the weight the right way!” And Second of all I said, “800 calories!! You bet you’ll lose the weight (without the freaking hormone) and when you start eating again, if you don’t die first, you’ll gain it all back and then some!!” Case in point: Fad diets do not work in the long run. Healthy lifestyle does. Simple rule: Food is fuel, burn more calories than you put in and you’ll lose weight. And 800 calories per day is wrong for ANYONE!!!

5. Failure to develop a long-term viewpoint on fitness:

People today largely focus on the short-term viewpoint – from reading their facebook pages to buying fast food, the culture is all about what’s happening right now. Fortunately or unfortunately, that doesn’t work in fitness. You can’t buy a super body (at least not a real one – look at what happened to Heidi Montag) and you can’t buy health.

Fitness and health are developed over time. It takes time to build the body up and it takes time to learn the process and put it into place. The rewards are fantastic but only for those who go through the work to get there. Stick with it, avoid these mistakes and you’ll find in due time, it was worth the effort!!

-Happy Training!! -Kathie

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES / COOK TIME: 35 MINUTES MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Ground turkey is leaner than ground beef and stays moist when cooked in this tomato sauce. Try the onions with the cinnamon for an unusual and flavorful combination.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. lean ground turkey or ground turkey breast
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¾ pound yellow onions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Salt

DIRECTIONS

1. COMBINE the turkey, cilantro, cumin, pepper, 1 tablespoon of the garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of the cinnamon in a large bowl. Form the turkey mixture into 24 small meatballs and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
2. IN a medium pot, combine the tomatoes and remaining 1 tablespoon of garlic. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the meatballs and simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through.
3. WHILE the meatballs are cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, honey, salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Cover and cook for 5 minutes to soften the onions. Uncover and cook until soft and light brown in color, up to 20 minutes.
4. SERVE the meatballs topped with the caramelized onions.

PER SERVING (1 SERVING = 6 MEATBALLS)

310 calories, 14g fat, 520mg sodium, 27g carbohydrate, 25g protein

That’s right, the chicken leg will teach you about muscle and I am going to show you how. We have all seen a chicken leg. Parallel that to our own leg – our calf muscle or the bottom half of our leg. They are identical in shape and form.

Picture the chicken leg in your mind. It has fat on the top. We usually pull the fat off and eat only the muscle – that’s the healthy way anyhow. The muscle is the healthy part or the meat on the bone. Notice how the fat is on top of the muscle? Well that is a fact. The reason why we cannot see muscle is because there is fat on top of the muscle. This is why you can do crunches all day long and work very hard for that six pack but you cannot see that six pack. The fat is on top of the muscle! This is true for the entire body.

Peel away the fat on that chicken leg and there you will see the muscle. Notice the consistency and how hard or soft it is. The harder the muscle the more that chicken worked. You see every time you work out your muscle builds more and more and that definition creates bigger and bigger muscle. The more work the muscle gets the more definition it gets. But that muscle cannot be overworked.

When a muscle is worked it breaks down and tears. The harder the muscle is worked the more tears it gets. This is the reason you get sore after a hard workout. But if you do not allow that muscle to rest and repair after a workout it does not repair properly. This would make for a gristly meat and ugly muscle.

Let’s say you work the same muscle group while it is sore and do not give it time to repair. The muscle has to tear down more and those tears make the muscle messy. But if you rest and let the muscle repair properly, aka let those tears repair, then the muscle will build up into a beautiful, hard, solid muscle that you are wanting to build. This is why rest is so important. I mean it is okay for a few days in a row (as in my boot camps), but let it rest too. That is why I give 3 days off to rest in my boot camps.

Muscle that is built up and worked is heavy as well. Muscle weighs more than fat. Did you notice that on your chicken leg? This is why a 200 pound man with 25% body fat will burn more calories around the clock than a 200 pound man with 60% body fat. The more muscle you have the better.

Now, let’s take away all that muscle and get down to the bone. There are some really rubbery parts there aren’t there? Well those are tendons. They connect the muscle to the bone. And the better shape your muscle tissue is the better in shape your tendons are which in turn leads to better bones. Bones are not solid. Bones are breathing, porous parts of our body. They need proper work as well. Strength training helps bone density.

Have you ever torn a chicken apart? When you pull the bones apart from one another you are tearing the chicken’s ligaments. Ligaments connect the bones to one another. See why a ligament might be harder to repair than a tendon? But if your muscle is strong around all the bones the tendons and ligaments will be strong too.

In short, it is very important for everyone to add strength training to their fitness program. A simple chicken leg will teach you that. The more meaty the chicken leg the more fit the chicken was. The tougher it was to pull apart the bones the stronger that chicken was! You do not have to workout in a gym to have strength. I have some great advertisers right here on this site that will show you that. Click around and see. My site is full of FREE tips on how to strength train with or without weights. Something tells me that chicken leg with all that fatty meat on it did not hit the weight room three times a week . Happy Training, Kathie

Who couldn’t use more energy? Dr. Oz mentioned several supplements and teas to boost your energy levels the natural way. Here they are along with descriptions of each!

• Bee Pollen 2000 mg per day
• Brewer’s Yeast 4000 mg per day
• Nettle tea mix with honey
• Ugli fruit juice mix 4 oz with 4 oz carbonated water

Bee Pollen ~ Bee Pollen Complex Bee pollen dates back to ancient Greek civilization and has been recognized as a source of rejuvenation and longevity. The original Greek Olympic athletes were said to have used bee pollen as part of their training diets, and many of today’s athletes still use it to enhance performance. Super food Bee Pollen contains 600 mg bee pollen, 12 mg royal jelly and 12 mg bee propolis. Bee pollen is remarkably rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins, amino acids and enzymes. It builds up strength and energy in the entire body and acts as a tonic.

Bee Pollen Complex 1000 MG 100 TabsBee Pollen ComplexBee pollen dates back to ancient Greek civilization and has been recognized as a source of rejuvenation and longevity. The original Greek Olympic athletes were said to have used bee pollen as part of their training diets, and many of todays athletes still use it to enhance performance. Superfood Bee Pollen contains 600 mg bee pollen, 12 mg royal jelly and 12 mg bee propolis.. Bee pollen is remarkably rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins, amino acids and enzymes. It builds up strength and energy in the entire body and acts as a tonic.

Brewer’s yeast:  Brewer’s YeastBrewers Yeast is a powerful health source of B-vitamins, amino acids, proteins, minerals, enzymes and nucleic acids. Brewers Yeast may be helpful in reducing serum cholesterol, elevating high density lipo-proteins (HDL) and is rich in glucose tolerance factor nutrient chromium, has immune enhancing properties..

Now Foods Brewer’s Yeast 500TabsBrewer’s Yeast contains several naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial nutrients.  All vitamins listed occur naturally in Brewer’s Yeast.  No synthetic vitamins were added to the yeast during processing. Serving Size: 3 tablets Suggested Use: As a dietary supplement, take 3 tablets 3 times daily with meals. Free of: sugar, salt, starch, wheat, gluten, corn, soy, milk, egg or preservatives. Oher Ingredients: Stearic Acid (vegetable source), Croscarmellose Sodium and magnesium Stearate (vegetable source). Vegetarian Formula. Warnings: None Disclaimers: Natural color variations may occur in this product.

Nettle tea: Nettle Leaf Tea perennial with separate male and female plants. Nettle (Urtica dioica) grows up to 4 feet tall and has toothed, pointed leaves that sting when touched. The sting causes a burning sensation. This is because each hair consists of a sharp, hollow spine that breaks off easily, allowing liquid inside, formic acid, to be released into the object causing the injury. . . In spite of its stinging, Nettles are of considerable used in many ways including culinary; they contain vitamins A and C, iron and a variety of other minerals. The young shoots can also be boiled as a vegetable.

Tea,Nettle Leaf 24 Bag: HFNettle Leaf Tea Bags Caffeine Free A perennial with separate male and female plants. Nettle (Urtica dioica) grows up to 4 feet tall and has toothed, pointed leaves that sting when touched. The sting causes a burning sensation. This is because each hair consists of a sharp, hollow spine that breaks off easily, allowing liquid inside, formic acid, to be released into the object causing the injury. In spite of its stinging, Nettles are of considerable use in many ways including culinary; they contain vitamins A and C, iron and a variety of other minerals. The young shoots can also be boiled as a vegetable. Nettle fibers can be spun into rope and made into cloth. Cosmetically, Nettle is a good cleanser, especially for oily skin. As a tea, Nettle may be taken hot or cold and many prefer it sweetened and flavored with lemon. Alvita. Natural Herb Teas that are Good for You and the Environment.

And last but not least Dr. Oz mentioned drinking a mixture of Ugli fruit juice and carbonated water (half and half). This would be a great beverage to drink when feeling that afternoon crash. Available in local supermarkets and health food stores.

Want to look great in that swimsuit this season? Here are some FREE tips…

#1 Make that commitment The first thing one need do is make a commitment and set up some goals. For example, you can look at your calendar for the upcoming week and prepare a schedule for your workouts. Decide which days you will be able to work out and write them on your calendar or your PDA. If you are working out with me at Body Designer your appointments will be made ahead of time so that will be one less bother for you, just make sure you have a reminder.  Take into account that there may be a day in the month you miss or what I like to call a “rainout” day.  It is always good to have a makeup day or two at the end of the month If you did not miss a day you can always include it anyway and get that extra workout for the month. Always be prepared for the workout day by packing your gym bag the night before and having it ready. Don’t forget to include bottled water in that gym bag of yours. Click Here for some great goal setting tips.

#2 Cardiovascular exercise For that rocking swimsuit body you will want to plan cardiovascular exercise 4 times a week for 30-45 minutes per session. This will ensure adequate calorie burn. The best cardio exercise is called interval training where you alternate short bursts of intense activity with active recovery.  You warm up for about 3-5 minutes then you do 1-2 minutes of intense activity with 2-3 minutes of resting work and alternate the 1-2 minutes intense work with 2-3 minutes rest work until you reach 30-45 minutes of exercise and go into a 5 minute cool down. Be sure to push yourself really hard for this 1-2 minutes of intense activity! That is very important. This is the best cardio and not only will you feel great when you are finished but you will feel great in that swimsuit you will be putting on soon! For more information about interval training or HIIT (high intensity interval training) click here to read all about it.

#3 Strength training You should also incorporate strength training in your exercise week by including at least 2-3 days of strength training. Muscle weighs more than fat and by lifting weights you gain muscle mass that burns more calories 24 hours a day 7 days per week!  You could either include 3 days of total body workouts or you could break it down by muscle group per day. I like to do chest and back one day, legs another day, and arms and shoulders for one other day. It is usually best to do 6-8 strength training exercises on strength training day.

#4. Eat right If you are going to have the figure you want for swimsuit season you must eat right. Follow Body Designer’s Food Combo Guide and you will be well on your way! Sign up for our FREE email newsletter and you will receive your FREE copy of our e-book in your email box. This e-book provides you with everything you need to know on how to eat healthy and even incorporate a cheat day which means you can still eat what you want!  The main thing you want to do is watch the fat grams and eat plenty of protein. Protein can curb your appetite. In every meal you should try to include a balance of healthy carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats.  Be sure to drink plenty of water because water is so good for you. Plus water detoxifies the system and fat is a toxin. And watch your sodium content. Sodium can make you retain fluids which can bloat you!

#5. Posture, posture, posture. Your posture affects so much about you. Did you know that if you stand up straight, tilt your pelvis in and hold your shoulders back that you will look thinner? Not to mention you look confident and self-assured. Enhance your Body Language with Perfect Posture

#6. Work those abdominals. The best thing you can do to get rid of that body fat is, not crunches, but cardiovascular exercise. That burns the fat. And the second best thing you can do is abdominal exercises. You can do all the crunches in the world but if you are not doing cardio exercise you are wasting your time. Since you have already included cardio exercise in your prep program you will also want to include abdominal exercises. Did you know that you can work your abs any time any place? Start by holding in your abdominals, don’t hold your breath, just hold in your abs. If you are standing tilt your pelvis forward – ah, we are back to posture. So as you work on posture you can work your abs. How convenient! You can work your abdominals while driving, sitting at your desk, or watching tv. A general rule of thumb: Work your abs at every single workout.  You can do crunches on the stability ball, crunches on the bench, leg lift crunches, Pilates ab work, crunches on the mat, there are infinite ways to do crunches. The best crunch is intense and few, perhaps 10-25 reps with a wide variety of work. Don’t forget the oblique – those are the  muscles along the sides of your stomach.  Be sure to include lower back exercises because if your lower back is strong it will help when pulling the abs in – a perfect swimsuit stance! Here is a post listing my top 5 Abdominal Exercises.

# 7. Get rid of the bloat with these great supplements Bloating is caused by several things. One of them could be water retention. Did you know that lemon is a natural diuretic – meaning that lemon aids in the relief of water retention? Well it does. Read all about lemon and get some True Lemon here. Do you suffer from constipation? That can be a real pain and cause major bloating in the tummy area. I have seen many clients loose several inches in the abdomen and waist by simply taking this product that cleanses out your system naturally. Read all about it by clicking here.

#8. Work with us at Body Designer Fitness Studio. For those of you lucky enough to work with me at Body Designer you can use the easy form of exercise. This would be in addition to all of the above for the rocking swimsuit body! BUT, guess what? If you are spending 90 minutes a week on the Theraplex Unit you can cut your workouts in the gym way down! As your fitness trainer I will work with you on that. I design every client’s exercise program accordingly. We also specialize in mini-boot camps where we do everything listed above. Talk about a perfect work out for getting swim suit ready!! We offer classes that tone and tighten the body too and focus on posture. Visit www.body-designer.net for more information now.