Q and A

Here are some of the questions I've been asked..

Is it better to do cardio or weights?
Ideally combine the two..do full body workouts where your upper and lower body are moving (ex: lunge with shoulder press, squat and bicep curl) and keep moving in between sets..throw in some high energy cardio moves such as jump squats, high knees, kick-backs, jumping jacks, etc to burn even more calories..

When needing to lose extra fat and you wish to "add" more cardio to your overall workouts I suggest shorter, harder, faster. Go out for 30-40 minutes and add sprinting intervals into your walk or jog. Go at a certain pace, and add supercharged running as fast as you can for 30 seconds..continue at reg. pace, sprint again..keep doing that about 6 times..
 

Can you recommend a good diet?
Tough questions, yet so common. Everyone has a different diet that suits them. Some need constant snacking, some need 3 large meals, some need carbs all day, some hate protein, some hate cheese..there is no correct answer here. In general I suggest "eating clean". Carbs should be whole grains, proteins should be lean protein (egg whites, chicken breast, turkey breast, lean ground beef), and of course a lot of fruit and vegetables. If you're consistently eating clean and you see that as far as weight loss you need more restriction then try play around with eating less carbs...less fruit..see what works for you. As a general rule, I like to stay away from white flour and sugar. If you can completely cut that from your diet you're off to a very good start..

Do you believe in crash diets?
No...
Have I done them? Yes
Did I see results? Yes, but they lasted for approximately 2 minutes...
Don't do them-its not worth it. If you're desperate to lose a couple lbs cut out all carbs and fruit from your diet limiting yourself to lean proteins and only green vegetables.


Do you believe in calorie counting?
I believe in there being a general number that your body needs as fuel and for each person its different. I have no idea how many calories I eat a day, I can tell you that it's probably way over the "suggested" number but I do a lot of exercising which balances it out. So I guess I dont really believe in calorie counting but we can all be a pretty good judge on whether we're eating for hunger or eating for the sake of eating..

What clothing do you suggest to work out in?

I love Hard Tail pants..I own both full legnth and capris..highly recommend..

Right now I'm wearing Brooks sneakers..I switch off between Brooks and Asics..from all the sneakers I've tried I highly recommend either of them...
With Brooks get the Brooks Trance and with Asics get the Asics Gel Nimbus or Kayano

Whenever I go out for a my run I simply throw on a Hard Tail pencil skirt over my pants..










I buy whatever lose fitting tops are on sale..I go through so many tops that buying anything expensive is not worth it..so I stock up on anything I can find..
Lastly, I switch of between a tichel and a bandana when I run. If it's a tichel I will tie it in a tight knot at the top, and the bandana pretty much stays in place..

So, typically when I'm out for a run- this is what I'll look like..minus the baby carry-on.









What should I do to get rid of the fat by my stomach area? Should I do crunches?
No- stop doing crunches..thats not going to get rid of the fat. To lose fat, you need to create an overall calorie deficit- so watch what you eat and add more cardio to your workouts..Doing crunches or abdominal toning exercises will tone the muscle thats hidden beneath the fat- not doing much for you..so focus on losing the fat first, then toning the muscle.

For all questions please email RachelCFT@gmail.com