Shape It Up with Nicole Simonin

What Does It Mean To Eat “Normally”?

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What is normal eating? Why is one food labeled normal and others not considered normal? How is it that pizza, burger and fries have become the normal? …

What does it mean to eat “normally”?

Find Out In Today’s Podcast:

  • What is eating “normally”
  • The Pop Tart Incident
  • Helpful action steps to help you “figure” out what to eat

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The Pop Tart Incident

I have to tell you a story…my daughter came home after school and was so upset with me.

She was in 2nd grade and the teacher had been talking about Pop Tarts.

My daughter was so upset because she didn’t know what a Pop Tart was let alone ever ate one.

Part of me felt bad because her classmates  where ribbing her for not knowing what a Pop Tart was. But there was another part of me going “Yeah! Score 1 in the nutrition department for mom!”

Childhood Foods

Think about what you grew up eating.

What was considered “normal” for your family to eat?

What do you think is “normal” for your kids to be eating today?

How is it that sweets and highly processed foods have become what we eat normally??

It’s Everywhere!

Food has become so ingrained in our society. You can’t go anywhere without being surrounded by food.

Want to go get a cup of coffee?…there are scones and muffins there.

Let’s go to the movies!… Popcorn, nachos, soda.

Happy birthday! …We must have cake!

How many boxes of cookies, chip or sweets are in your kitchen cabinet right now??

When you go out to eat how many people give you the weirdest looks when you say “I’m not hungry just yet” or “I don’t want any dessert/alcohol”. If you have never experienced this give it a try and see what comes up in your thoughts.

Then those people who just gave you weird looks will say “I’m sure one piece of cake isn’t going to kill you?”

Obesity Is On The Rise

Did you know that the obesity and diabetes rate in the USA are staggering?!

Each year, 1.5 MILLION Americans are diagnosed with diabetes. 1.5 MILLION!

Obesity rates has steadily been rising over the past decade. If nothing changes, there is an estimate that half of American teenagers will be obese by 2030. HALF!

Do you want that for your kids? …

In 2016, 69% of American women were either overweight or obese.

Do you want that for YOURSELF??

Action Steps

Take a good look at what you are eating on a daily basis. Is that food getting you closer or further away from your goals?

Aim for mostly whole foods (a.k.a. foods with one ingredient). You can still eat processed foods – everything in moderation. You always have a choice.

Best Way to Meal Prep

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Best Way to Meal Prep Shape It Up Nicole Simonin

 The best way to meal prep is to bulk cook a.k.a. Power Cooking!

If you make your food in advance so it’s easy to grab and go.

 Planning is key to meal prep!

Power Cooking is simply making a bunch of meals in one shot.

Don’t get nervous!

I want this to be simple for you.

One way to Meal Prep

Get good at this version and then you can adapt it to your particular lifestyle once you get rolling.

If you are making food just for yourself, instead of cooking 4 ounces of chicken cook 16 ounces of chicken.  Now, you have four 4 ounce portions of chicken to use in future meals.  Once the chicken is cooked, bag it, tag it and freeze it.

If you do this 1-2 times per week with different foods, you will be stocked.  You will be able to grab any combination of food and assemble them quickly.  Talk about a time saver during the week! 

Plus if you have picky eaters in your house, you can grab different foods that are already pre-portioned, put them on a plate and heat them up. 

Everyone can have what they want. Win—win!

What To Do With Leftover Halloween Candy

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What To Do With Leftover Halloween Candy

You have just finished trick or treating with the kids… or maybe you are like my house and have a bowl of candy but get no trick or treaters…Don’t worry I am not offended with the absence of costumed kids. We live in the country and most people go “into town” where there are sidewalks for their Halloween stash.

So once Halloween is through and you have hopefully only eating few of your favorite candies (because come on it’s not like you can’t get more Reese’s Pieces at the store next week…)

Before I dive into what to do with leftover Halloween candy…I have to say I don’t really like some of the options because I feel like we all could do with a little less candy in our lives…just laying that out there…now on to…

What To Do with Leftover Halloween Candy

  • Freeze It
    You can throw the candy in a freezer bag and when you want one you can pull it out and eat it.

  • Donate it.
    You can google in your area at different drop off points whether it be a senior center, shelter or overseas programs for our troops. There are also dental offices that are accepting Halloween candy donation and they forward the candy to charities.

  • Bring It Into the Office
    Put it in a candy dish in the lunch room and I guarantee it will be gone by 1 pm that day.
  • Throw It OUT!
    • That might seem harsh or wasteful but it comes down to this…if you eat it you will be adding more pounds which is only going to make your fitness journey longer.

You can enjoy Halloween candy and still stay on track with your fat-loss goals. You can find out more ways to find better alternative Trick or Treat Sweets by clicking here.

What ways do you deal With Leftover Halloween Candy? Comment below.

Trick or Treat Sweets

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Halloween Trick or Treat Sweets Shape It Up Nicole Simonin (1)Will Halloween be a Trick or a Treat for you and your fitness goals?

Halloween marks the beginning of the three biggest holidays of the year this time of season.

Upcoming holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are filled with fun, family and food.

The really scary part is how much food is consumed over the next two months!
“Fun” sized Halloween trick or treat sweets which are perfect for calorie control…unless you eat too many. And raise your hand if you can stop at just one or two trick or treat sweets?? Most Halloween treats are more like tricks for your waistline.

How many calories are you really eating?

A wide variety of different candies make up the Halloween Trick or Treat bags.

Chocolate candies can average 100 calories a pop. Yes that tiny little unassuming morsel may do you in if you eat a handful of them.Trick or Treat Sweets

Six unassuming little chocolates can add up to 600 calories in a matter of seconds.

If you are not paying close attention to how many goodies you are eating those calories can really add up.

Better Alternative Trick or Treat Sweets

Better alternatives are Twizzlers or small peppermint patties.  They have half the calories as their “fun friends”.

Here are some other “better bad” choices:

  • Musketeers Bar – fun size 1 piece –> 70 calories, 2 grams of  fat & 11 grams of sugar
  • Candy Corn – 11 pieces–> 70 calories, 0 grams of fat & 14 grams sugar
  • Caramels – 2 small pieces–> 80 calories, 2.25 grams of fat & 8 grams sugar
  • Taffy- 1 piece–> 55 calories, 0.5 grams of  fat & 12 grams of  sugar

Trick or Treat SweetsOther Fall Choices Which May Hinder Your Fitness Goals

Take advantage of this time of year’s bounty.

Pumpkins are a great choice with high vitamin A and fiber but add that to sugar, butter and pie shell and you are gonna feel like you look like a pumpkin!

Don’t be misled!  Those pumpkin muffins and pumpkin breads that are in the local coffee shops are high calorie foods and are far from healthy.

Read your nutritional labels to find out what the real scoop is on what you are putting into your body.

Here’s a run down on some common Trick or Treat Sweets:

  • Dunkin’ Donuts Pumpkin Donut is 300 calories, 16 grams of fat and 18 grams of sugar.
  • Starbucks Pumpkin Scone is a whopping 480 calories, 17 grams of fat and 43 grams of sugar.
  • For those coffee lovers, a Starbuck medium pumpkin spice latte with whole milk is 410 calories.

If you really feel the need to indulge order the smallest version of your coffee or split your donut with someone or save it for later.

Some Healthier Options:

Healthy Treats would include apples…plain apples.  Those caramel apples are seemingly “healthy” but that caramel on top adds an extra 300 calories to this treat….Or pre-portion your caramel and dip/smear caramel on top of your apple slice. container.

Personally, I love cooked apples with some cinnamon and pecans with a squirt of whipped cream on top.

So does that mean you can’t enjoy any Halloween treats this year? 

Absolutely not!

Everything in moderation. Plan ahead.  Think about all the treats you have to choose from.  Decide how many calories you want to blow on treats. Then pick the one treat that you absolutely must have this Halloween year.

Eat it. Enjoy it. Then walk away from the rest.

Have a Happy “Healthy” Halloween!

Halloween Beware of the Creepers Shape It Up Nicole SimoninBeware of the Creepers….read more here

 

 

Food Log – Quick and Easy Way NOT to Food Log

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Don’t Want to Food Log??

Don’t want to food log?? Learn this quick and easy way to plan your meals. Nicole Simonin (Personal Trainer of Shape It Up) shows you an easy way to line up your meal so you can get fit, stay fit and not have to food log.

 

Do You Need A Fat Burner To Lose Weight

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Do You Need A Fat Burner To Lose Weight?

 

I received this question from AnnaMarie. They wanted to know whether I use fat burners and what is my opinion of fat burners.

What is a fat burner?

A  fat burner is a supplement some people take thinking it will help metabolize fat loss.  Fat burners are typically made up of different compounds:

  • Caffeine
  • Ma Haung
  • Green tea
  • CLA
  • Ephedra – (if you are familiar with ephedra you know it was taken off the market for causing heart problems and people dying)
  • Chromium…to name a few…

Most of  fat burners are made up with caffeine being in the main ingredient.

How much Caffeine do you need? Click here to find out.

fat burnerHere Are Some Facts On Fat Burners

  • Just because it says “natural” on the label doesn’t mean it’s safe for you.
  • Supplements are not regulated in the USA. There are no strict guidelines as to what goes in the product. It is unfortunate but it typically takes someone dying or getting very sick from a supplement AND telling the right people about it for any action to happen. Many of these supplements have not been tested for safety.
  • What’s on the label may not be in the bottle. Again, going back to the no regulation of supplements in the USA.
  • Take for instance, ephedra (also known as ma huang. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the sale of supplements containing ephedra due to serious cardiovascular complications and even risk of death.
  • Be very, very wary of what supplement company you are using.

Do I use supplements? Yes.

Do I use fat burners? NO.

I will explain why shortly….The whole point of supplements is to “supplement” to your nutrition. 

If you’re eating junk food all day long and you take a fat burner nothing is going to happen. You won’t lose any weight because you are not building the foundation for fat loss.

IF your nutrition is on point along with your workouts THEN you can add supplements in. 

Do I think you need to take a fat burner?

ABSOLUTELY NOT!

 I don’t care who you are or what you’re trying to accomplish, I think taking a fat burner is one of the worst things you could probably do for your body.  I think they’re a waste of money because you know you’re paying 10-20 bucks for a little bottle.

You can absolutely lose body fat without using fat burners.

You must be doing the following:

  1. Eating for your particular goals
  2. Have a customized workout program designed for you goals
  3. Getting enough sleep
  4. And the desire to want to achieve your goals.

Question: “Nicole, would you take a fat burner if you are getting close to stage time and you aren’t physically there yet?”

My Answer:

No. I don’t feel you need a fat burner. If you have allowed yourself enough time to get down to the level of leanness that you need for that particular competition or movie or whatever your goals are…you either didn’t do the work required or you need longer time to get there. 

It’s the people who wait till the last minute …who decide they have to lose 20 pounds in a week for an upcoming event. Those are who are driven to take this way as a “last resort”. It’s like cramming for a final …you should of studied throughout the semester not try to cram it all in into one week!

People like this are messing with their metabolism and could have a heart attack. Why would you want to do that to yourself?! If you are working with a coach that pushed fat burners on you… I don’t think that’s a good coach.  I don’t want to sacrifice  my health and if your coach cares about your health they’re not going to recommend it either (and if they do maybe you shouldn’t be working with them).

Truth of the Matter

Maybe what you should be asking yourself is “Am I  giving a hundred percent to my fitness plan??”

In today’s society, we want everything yesterday. Well…it doesn’t happen that way.

Nothing worth having is easy.

Do the work that’s involved to get the results you want.

I hate to say it …but don’t half-arse it 😉

Don’t take the easy way out.

It will only mess you up later on.

fat burnerMoral of the Story

If you want to bump up your heart rate or you want to revv up your metabolism… go have a cup of coffee or some green tea (better yet go for a walk!).

You don’t need a fat burner.  Coffee cost like $0.02 if you brew it at home. So have a cup of coffee and I hope you will think twice if you feel the need to have a fat burner.

I want to hear from you! Have you ever taken a fat burner? If so, what was you reaction to it? Comment below.

Opti-Bar Review

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Did the Opti Bar make the cut??

Check out my review!

Okay so be prepared for some “photo bombing” in this video from my kids LOL!

Hope you enjoy this video as much as I did making it!

Banana Walnut Protein Pancakes

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Like making protein pancakes but hate the mess??

Protein Pancakes

I have a yummy recipe for you today in this video. These pancakes are high in protein and big on taste!

 

Who doesn’t love pancakes??!

Especially Banana Walnut Protein Pancakes!

Protein Pancakes
Banana Walnut Protein Pancakes

Banana Walnut Protein Pancakes

Ingredients:
½ cup Liquid Egg Whites
½ cup of cold water
1 cup (106 grams) Kodiak Power Cakes Flapjack Mix
Cinnamon to taste
Vanilla extract to taste
1 small Banana
3 grams Walnuts (chopped)
Butter flavored cooking spray

Directions:
Add first 5 ingredients in a bowl and whisk/mix together.
Mash banana.
Chop walnuts.
Add to bowl and mix with spatula.
Spray a small frying pan with butter spray. Turn stove on to medium heat.
Wait for pan to heat up (you should be able to comfortably place hand over pan and feel heat – do not burn your hand…sorry the mom in me lol).
Add about 1/3 of mixture into the pan.
Wait for the pancake to start to bubble.
Flip pancake over and cook on low heat until done to your liking.
Serve on a plate. This makes 2 servings. If you come out with 3 pancakes simply cut them in half and save the rest for another time 😉
Top with your favorite pancake syrup or jam.

Please like, share and comment below what is your favorite type of pancake.

Check out Kodiak Cakes Mixes here!

Shape It Up is not affiliated with Kodiak pancakes nor do I get anything from saying I love their product!

I just love their product and thought you might too 😉

Calories: Are You Burning Enough For Weight Loss?

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Are You Burning Enough Calories For Weight Loss?

Confused About Calories
Confused About Calories

Weight loss is simply calories in verses calories out, right??

Yes and no…

I want to be clear…this blog post is about just seeing the numbers on the scale go down. I am a big believer in focusing on your performance in your workouts and inches more so than scale weight.  But there are many women out there (and you might be one) that do need to lose scale weight. So this blog post is for the woman who has more than 20 pounds to lose or is over 40% body fat.

How do I know I am burning enough calories?

There is a systematic way to get your correct burn of calories.

Calories: Food Log

#1 Food Log

Write down what you are eating. You need to be very consistent and as exact as you can with this.  No “eye-balling”. You need to weight EVERYTHING precisely. Anything you put in your mouth has to be calculated.

There are some great free apps available online.  My personal favorite is My Fitness Pal. If you are not into apps, good old pen and paper work just as well (it’s just a lot more math for yourself). You can even put your foods into an Excel spreadsheet, it’s just not very portable.

The hardest part is just doing it.

Calories: Burning#2 Find Out How Many Calories You Burn 

Figure out how many calories you burn throughout the day. Again, there are many online programs you can use to “guesstimate” the number of calories you may burn through different activities. There is NO 100% way to figure out what you are exactly burning unless you are being monitored by a doctor in medical setting. Investing in a personal activity device can definitely get you a better idea of what you are burning on a regular basis (again these devices are not 100% accurate). I like the FitBit devices but there are others to choose from like Garmin and Apple watch to name a few. The chest strap versions are going to be more accurate than just the wristband versions. But I know I don’t want to wear a chest strap all day, do you??

By the way , Shape It Up is in no way affiliated with any products listed here.
This is just my own personal opinion and I do not get a cut from you purchasing any said devices :-)

Now What??

Once you have your daily calorie intake and your daily calorie expenditure now you can figure out what you need to do to achieve weight loss.  To lose one pound of scale weight you need to have a 3,500 calories deficit. How fast you choose to lose is up to you.

Here’s a breakdown:

  • 250 calorie deficit every day will get you a one pound weight loss in 14 days
  • 500 calorie deficit every day will get you a one pound weight loss in 7 days
  • 750 calorie deficit every day will get you a one pound weight loss in 4.6 days
  • 1,000 calorie deficit every day will get you a one pound weight loss in 3.5 days

***PLEASE NOTE THIS IS IN THEORY!! – There a bunch of factors that come into play when losing weight which is why I highly recommend you hire an experienced and knowledgeable personal trainer/health coach that will customize your program for you and your needs.

CaloriesHere are some samples of exercises to help you get to your calorie burn:

Based on 180lb woman for 30 minutes

  • Jumping Rope, fast – 514 calories
  • Rollerblading – 514 calories
  • Running (5 mph) – 343 calories
  • Boot Camp – 343 calories
  • HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)  Class – 343 calories
  • Stationary Bike , 150 Watts, moderate effort – 300 calories

Click to read more on weight training is so vital for women over 40.

Hidden Ways To Burn Calories

Let me introduce to you the magic of lifting weights.  If done properly, you can get an awesome way to burn calories by lifting heavy weights.  You will not burn much while actually doing the workout BUT the after burn is where you will torch calories.

 

 

Here’s the Take Away

Now, what I have told you is the bottom line…however, like everything else in life, there are different variables and factors you need to take in account. For example, how much sleep you are getting, stress levels, if you are on medications, any medical issues you may have, keeping yourself accountable, selecting the best  foods for fat-burning and having a concern for lean muscle mass. Start with writing your food logs and getting in some great calorie burning exercises and you should see some significant changes! The important part is to just get started and if you need guidance go get some.

Get Fit. Be Fierce. Have No Limits!

~Nicole

NICOLE SIMONIN is an ACE Personal Trainer, ACE Health Coach, TEDx Speaker, host of “Shape It Up Over 40” podcast, author of “The No Fuss, No Mess Shape It Up Cookbook” founder of Shape It Up, LLC, licensed Physical Therapist Assistant and former professional ballet dancer. Nicole has been featured in Rachael Ray in Season, Bicycling Magazine, Real Simple and MSN. Since 2006, Nicole has been helping women lose weight for the last time. Learn more…

Exercising from your chair | Nicole Simonin | TEDxCapeMay

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