Final Countdown!

Hard to believe but we are in the home stretch...week 8 is upon us...time to finish the Challenge strong!

Week 8 Goal: Finish Strong...and Make a Plan for post Beit Bari.

Try to reach as many of your daily goals this week, especially those ones you know you've been slacking on.  Use this momentum to start thinking about your long-term health goals and how you can use the Challenge moving forward.

Still want to lose more weight?  Take what you've been doing and step it up a notch, including exercise, lots of veggies, and protein.

Like tracking?  Keep it up and add your own goals!

Still not getting to the gym as much?  Reassess how you can fit fitness into your life whether it be short amounts of activity throughout the day, videos at home, walking with the family or coworkers.

Hate some of the goals?  Maybe they aren't for you!  Or maybe you just need to modify them?

I don't want to leave you hanging after the Challenge so please reach out to me if you need help continuing your new habits moving forward!

Last of all, make sure to thank yourself for sticking through the Challenge and be proud of what you've accomplished.  Treat yourself to a mani/pedi, massage, day of relaxation or whatever you enjoy.

As always,

Beit Bari xo Anna

week 7 Goal and a workout

Hey guys!...I accidentally gave you a week off from having weekly goals.  And by accidentally I mean I was gone all last weekend, came back emotionally exhausted, and the week flew without a goal coming up.  Ugh!
None the less, week 7 is upon us and its a great time for a new goal -

Week 7 Goal - Eat only 'whole foods' for at least one whole day this week.

So what do I mean by whole foods?
Foods that only have one "ingredient."












Examples - Rolled oats.  (not prepackaged cinnamon apple flavored oatmeal)
                  Fresh Fruit
                  Fresh vegetables
                  Whole grains (not prepackaged breads/muffins/granola bars)
                  Lean Protein
                  Plain yogurt (not flavored/filled with sugar)
                  Nuts (not sugar coated)
                  Beans (can even be canned, just avoid added ingredients like baked beans)
                  Eggs

Get the idea?

It doesn't have to mean boring or complicated either! You can experiment with new recipes/products but just make sure its from whole foods.



Need some motivation to get in the gym this week too?
Try this 30 minute circuit that incorporates weights and cardio.  I did it today and was a sweaty mess after!

4-3-2-1 Workout

4 minutes cardio with 30 seconds of sprints with 30 seconds slower speed (I used the elliptical)
3 minutes strength doing 3 exercises for 1 minute each
   - examples: 1 minute push-ups, 1 minute squat with weights, 1 minute lunge with bicep curls switching legs
2 minutes abdominal work
   - plank for 2 minutes the first round, 1 minute side plank per side the second round, 2 minutes bicycle crunches the third round
1 minute full-body move (burpees, jumping jacks, jump rope)

Repeat 3 times through for 30 minutes of full body butt kicking.

2 more weeks left of the Challenge...You can do it!

Beit Bari xo Anna

Week 5 Goal

Where has the time gone?!  Over half way into the Challenge.  Give yourself a big pat on the back!

Take some time today to check in on your goals.  Where are you having huge success?  Where are you still hoping to improve?  There is plenty of time left in the Challenge to accomplish these goals.  Remember we are shooting for lifelong changes, not a quick fix.

I hope you saw week 5 goal posted on our Facebook group, sorry I wasn't able to blog about it sooner.

Week 5 Goal - Track your calories 1-2 days this week to get a better idea of how many calories you're eating.

One of the biggest mistakes I see in my clients is either snacking/picking at food throughout the day and underestimating their calorie intake OR going so 'healthy' that they aren't getting enough calories!  Both are bad for your waist line.

How many calories should you be getting?  Use this calculator which factors in your height, weight, age, activity level, etc.

Once you have your estimated needed calorie intake you can adjust it for your weight goals.  Hope to maintain your weight?  Use that number.  Hoping to lose weight?  Subtract 250-500 calories for weight loss.

Then divide that number by the amount of meals/snacks you eat to get a target goal for each meal.

For example - You should eat 2000 calories.  Divided by 4 = 500 calories per meal + 250 calories for 2 snacks.

You can tailor those numbers depending on when you eat your largest meal, etc.  I don't advice people to track everyday but it's good to check in with the numbers every once and awhile.


Again sorry about not posting sooner.  What a week its been!  I'm still making time for health though and I hope you are too.

Beit Bari xo Anna

Snack ATTACK.

I gave a presentation last week at the hospital on Eating for Energy at work.

It was amazing.

Or something like that.

One of the things I talked about was healthy snacking and keeping an 'emergency stash' of snacks at work.

An ideal snack should roughly fit into the following "SUPER" standard:

• Simple to find
• Under 200 calories - simply to avoid a small snack from becoming a full blown meal
• Protein is included (about 6-8 grams)
• Energizing nutrients (fruits/veggies/whole grains)
• Ready to go and packed!

Plan ahead and bring 5 pieces of fruit to work on Monday, stock the fridge with individual greek yogurt, boil eggs to grab, and pre-portion out servings of nuts.  A little work and you're set for the week.

It's helpful to keep some items on-hand either at work, in your car, and of course at home.

• Nuts, pre-portioned 
• Trail mix with dried fruit, nuts, pretzels, etc.
• Granola bars - I like LaraBars (esp good pre-workout), Kashi Chewy Granola bars, and Kind Bars which all have minimal ingredients/added sugars.
• Peanut butter  
• Individual oatmeal packets
• Whole grain crackers

Want a salt fix?

     - How about popping some popcorn the brown bag way and topping it with with parmesan cheese or other topping

     - Grab some popchips dipped in hummus or tortilla chips with salsa
     - Trail mix

Have a sweet tooth?

    - Go for that piece of dark chocolate.

    - Mix cocoa powder into your greek yogurt for a chocolaty treat.  

    - Top your almonds with some cinnamon.

Not sure what you want?
   - Maybe you're not really hungry.  Get up from your desk and go for a little walk or grab some tea instead.  Then see if you were hungry or just bored!

Hope you find this tips helpful!

Beit Bari xo Anna

Week 4 Goal!

Hi Health Challengers!

It's hard to believe that it is almost the start of week 4 which means we are almost half way done with the Challenge!  But before we jump ahead of ourselves, we do have to get through this week.

New Goal : Add a new goal to your checklist that has nothing to do with food.  

Ideas Include:

• Meditation.
• Sleep at least 8 hours a night or get an additional 15-30 minutes per night.
• Floss daily.
• No tv/phone in bed!
• No tv/phone/magazines while you eat.
• Daily prayer.
• Stretch daily.
• Repeat a daily mantra.  

I'll be adding in meditation daily (which I've kind of started doing lately but not consistently).  I've been reading an section from Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn every morning (no its not quite as cheesy as it sounds..but its close).

One of the biggest things I work on with my clients is getting them to see beyond a set diet plan and more about the habits and emotions behind their food choices to create a less stressful lifestyle.  Creating small goals towards health is incredibly important!

Need a new workout idea?

Maybe get out there and prancercise? :)

My week has looked a bit different than most.  I have not worked out in 4 days!  I think that is a new record for me...maybe not ever, but certainly awhile.  Thankfully it looks like I don't have another stress fracture but rather extreme shin splints.  Who knew?!  I won't be running for awhile but I'll get back on the bike tomorrow.  Can I count prolonged rest as a new form of exercise?

I hope you all have had a good week so far!

Beit Bari xo Anna

Week 3 Goal - Try Something New!

Week 3 has almost begun in the Beit Bari Health Challenge.  Hard to believe!

This week's goal is about trying new things.  Hopefully at this point you are getting into an exercise routine, including lots of veggies/fruit in your diet, and drinking water regularly throughout the day.  To keep things interesting, let's have some fun!

Week 3 Goal: Try a new exercise class or workout this week.

Especially if you are new to working out regularly, it can seem redundant if you haven't found something you enjoy.  You never know what you may like doing until you try it!

How about a bike ride?

Or a bike class?

Head out for a run...

Or a trail run!

Maybe a hike with friends.

Swimming?

Water aerobics!

Or a new aerobics class.

 Anything with friends is better!

As you can see, I've had my fair share of trying new workouts...which is why I still like to keep active and hardly ever get bored.  Get a new workout DVD from the library.  Try yoga.  Go to Crossfit.  The possibilities are endless.

Unfortunately my workout routine this week might be limited due to one of these fancy things...

Ugh, the dreaded boot.  I might have another stress fracture in my right tibia (unfortunately, I can tell from previous experience).  I'll see what the doctor says but I'm still sticking to the Challenge goals.  I can still eat healthy, drink water, and hopefully lift some weights and maybe get back in the pool this week!

Have a great start to your week and let me know what new workout you are going to try!

Beit Bari xo Anna