Our Last Few Weeks in Pics

Family

Feb132015

The FitExpo Los Angeles

The FitExpo LA has come and gone. March brings exciting new events in the fitness industry including the Arnold Classic, IHRSA, and SCW Mania. While we won’t make it to the Arnold due to a crazy schedule in the next two months, we will be going to the other two. (They are geared heavily toward facility managers, operators, and professional instructors. The Arnold is focused on competitions.) Still, let’s take a minute to recognize some of Hungry & Fit’s standout moments from this year’s FitExpo, in no particular order.

Feb122015

The Trip: IMMERSIVE FITNESS by Les Mills

The newest, most innovative, and most motivational form of burning calories is here. Hungry & Fit enjoy working out… most of the time. It’s not a challenge for us to stay healthy because the highlight of our day is pushing ourselves to the limit. Whether it’s in the gym, on the field, in the forest, on the court, in the ocean, or anywhere else you can imagine, we feed off the energy around us and create an environment for success in our physical fitness.

Well, I know what you’re thinking. I can’t do that. I workout because my doctor told me to. I workout because I have a wedding coming up in a few months. I workout but I don’t want to workout! It’s frustrating and it only makes your life harder. Imagine if that wasn’t the case. Imagine if burning calories on the treadmill, bike, elliptical, or whatever piece of equipment you use was more enjoyable. Imagine if you were transported into a world where your success was guaranteed. Imagine IMMERSIVE FITNESS.

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Feb112015

The Largest Digital Health and Fitness Community?

I recently received word that MyFitnessPal and Under Armour were joining forces to create a group of over 120 million members. Now, to be honest, I don’t really like Under Armour THAT much. I have nothing against it but when I was a competitive athlete (a while ago), I found Adidas, Nike, and Puma created training apparel that was more comfortable and effective to boost my training. For the high prices of their Cold and Heat gear, their sizing was awkward for certain athletic (and non-athletic) builds and I didn’t find them to benefit thermo-regulation. (The process of the body trying to maintain its proper temperature despite extreme temps on the outside that could lead to hyper or hypo-thermia.)

On the other hand, I recommend MyFitnessPal to nearly all of my clients, athletes, members, etc that are focused on lifestyle changes and losing, gaining, or maintaining weight. I have it myself although I don’t use it, but Fit does. (My closet is all Adidas, Nike, and Puma, but no UA. If you’re curious, all my socks and underwear are Puma, all my shoes are Nike, all my clothing is Adidas.) It’s a great, free tool that has really improved since it was first introduced. I find that being able to watch my clients gives them more accountability and helps them avoid bad choices. The new(er) bar-code feature is great, too.

Now, with this partnership, they are boasting three apps. Under Armour RECORD, “a complete 24/7 fitness dashboard” that I have never heard of before now; Endomondo, “the most social and advanced personal training app in the world” of which I have also never heard or seen; and MapMyFitness, “the industry leading GPS based fitness tracker” which I know of and think of as one of the best. It’s great that MyFitnessPal’s CEO Mike Lee is stating that nothing about the MyFitnessPal experience will change because it has provided such a great service.

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Feb102015

Our Last Week/Weekend in Pics

FitExpo!! Much more to come on that later…

Feb042015

Los Liones Hike (Palisades, CA)

Yes! Another hiking adventure! One of my most favorite forms of fitness: the outdoors and exercise. It’s important to enjoy nature either by yourself, your loved one, or good friends. We have been doing a hike about every other weekend to improve our fitness and soothe our minds. If you haven’t checked out last time’s hike, look here. This time, Jamie, Dani, and I headed for the Pacific Palisades in thirst for a challenging hike. We certainly found what we were looking for. It was a workout. Probably the toughest hike I’ve done in a bit. We found our way to Los Liones Canyon and we trudged upwards.

Jan292015

The Dangers of Sugar

Weight Watchers. Jenny Craig. Paleo. “Paleo”. No carbs. High fat. Vegan. Gluten free. Non-GMO. The list goes on…

We live in a world full of fads and trends, but we also live in a world full of science and research. We live in a world of trial and error, but we also live in a world where people want to make money. Most importantly, we live in a world where our lifespans are heavily influenced by our lifestyles.

While “fitness gurus” and models will debate with nutritionists and doctors about what the healthiest diet is, the bottom line is that there is no gold standard. We are unique and we have our own goals; our diet should reflect that. Still, there are consumable goods that are usually beneficial for everyone (unless you are allergic) and others that offer nothing but negative health effects.

Jan282015

Red Rock Canyon Hike (Topanga, CA)

I am lucky to have friends who are still with me since kindergarten and middle school. I am more lucky still that they have an enthusiasm for food, fitness, and the outdoors as I have too! Pretty awesome, right? So about every other Saturday, Dani California Cooks and Jamie (she guest blogs here on Hungry and Fit from time to time), and I like to go for a hike. Whether that be Will Rogers, Temescal, or Eagle Rock, we are always up for good sights and a tough trail. I also love it that Noke usually gets to come along too! As we’ve said in many posts before, hiking is one of the best forms of exercise, training, and fitness. I will take hiking over nearly every exercise–it just brings a sense of peace PLUS works my entire body. A few weekends ago, one of us (Jamie, I think?) suggested the Red Rock Canyon hike in Topanga. I had never done it before so I was game!

Make sure to always bring water for the pup on hikes!

Jan272015

YouTube Top 5 – Male Fitness Personalities

A little background… I get asked every day by males (14 to 40 years old) about reliable sources of fitness information on the internet. Most of the questions pertain to males on YouTube that discuss exercise, nutrition, and similar topics. Since there are so many channels, it’s extremely time-consuming to keep up with all of them and often, their opinions aren’t the same. This confuses a lot of beginners (and even intermediates) so this list will make your life easier. If you’re going to look to YouTube for some advice, subscribe to these.

Jan142015

How to Get Your Fitness Motivation Back

People who can identify in some way to the title know that going through this is tough. Being a normally active person or simply having a goal to becoming a health nut and not having that drive inside of you hurts. It almost wounds you, if you’re someone who is usually top-notch. Whether it’s due to lack of time, lack of energy, or just plain lack of motivation, it’s depressing to not have that hunger to work the body hard. Since I’m no longer training people full-time, I have found that my fitness motivation isn’t as high as it used to be. When I was training full-time, I was an example, and my clients were my motivation. I appreciated all the hard work they were doing and that, in turn, inspired me to keep fighting hard for my health. Now that I’m not training as much, my motivation dips to what I can do to “stay in shape” or “get by.” This is the worst because just getting by is average and I loathe average.

It’s not all bad news. There’s light behind those dark clouds. It is possible to get out of that slump and the key is within your own mind. I’ve thought about this a lot recently–how I want to beat average and become my truly fit self again. I’ve thought about what has motivated me in the past or what has really fired me up. Being fit is a very personal thing. Everything is in your head–your goals, your inspiration, your drive, and so forth. Motivation is not universal. I can tell you right now that Dani California Cooks does not get motivation to workout hard while listening to a video game soundtrack like I do (she’s nerdy in other ways). We are all different–and that’s what makes humans so interesting. However, there are some tips on how to tap into your inner drive and motivators and how to get your fitness motivation back.