Super-Fast Meals That Burn Fat!

No time to cook? WeddingShape author, Joseph Arangio, shows you how to prepare a week's worth of delicious, body-sculpting meals in less than two hours. Learn more at weddingshape.com.

Just say “No!” to parties, dinners and people

Be a negative force in your friends’ and family’s lives.

As strange as it might sound, learning to be negative may be the most positive thing you can do to stave off stress. Just say “No!” to parties you’d rather not attend, to people you don’t want to be with, to the constantly ringing cell phone, or to activities that zap your energy.

By doing this, you’re basically saying “Yes!” to yourself and making time for things you want to do.

Like making time for the gym.

Along those same lines, announce your fitness plans to family and friends. It may help you lose weight, tone trouble spots and feel great as you achieve your goals.

Not only that, but by broadcasting your goals and resolutions, you’re accountable to someone other than yourself, making you more likely to stick to your plan and less likely to skip a workout.

Another tactic in ensuring you get to the gym is to employ the buddy system. Do you have a friend who’s also made a commitment to getting in shape and feeling great? Recruit them to go to the gym with you, or, if that’s not possible, do a daily check-in with him or her to tell each other how it’s going.

To step up the commitment factor just a notch, consider working with a personal trainer. We at PEAK specialize in one-on-one training and are proponents of that system.

See if your gym offers personal training or check out PEAK’s Online Personal Trainer to get customized workouts emailed to your inbox on a regular basis: http://www.peaksc.com.

Yours in health,

Joe

Joseph Arangio, MS, CSCS
Director, PEAK Strength & Conditioning
Author, WeddingShape Diet and Fitness Guide for Brides
5925 Tilghman St.
Suite 200
Allentown, PA 18104
USA

P.S. Here’s a link to my latest book:
http://www.weddingshape.com/index.html

P.P.S. Check out these success stories: http://www.youtube.com/user/weddingshape

Set the mood with music

What’s in your iPod or mp3 player?

Turns out that the music you listen to during a workout can impact how you feel about your fitness routine.

Studies show that people who listen to fast-tempo music exercise longer before tiring. And, they feel as though the exercise is easier even when the intensity stays the same.

Some gym-jamming tunes to try? Artists like Beyoncé, Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, the Rolling Stones, and AC/DC are perfect for keeping up your stamina during your sessions.

On the other hand, music also plays a role in de-stressing. Quiet, calming tunes with slower rhythms have a relaxing effect on the brain.

After a super-hectic day, find a comfortable place to sit or lie down and listen to your favorite mood music. Try to pay close attention to the physical sensation of breathing out and breathing in for a totally relaxing and transporting effect.

Some artists to check out to help you unwind are Enigma, John Legend, Earth, Wind & Fire, or Maxwell. Anything classical may also work for you.

Bonus play? You can also turn on the calming mood music during your workout cool down.

If you’re ready to get in the best shape of your life, while listening to a custom-tailored workout soundtrack, call PEAK Strength & Conditioning CLUB to set up your complementary consultation. Call 610.336.7472 or email info@peaksc.com to get started.

Yours in health,

Joe

Joseph Arangio
Director,PEAK Strength & Conditioning
Author, WeddingShape Diet and Fitness Guide for Brides
5925 Tilghman St.
Suite 200
Allentown, PA 18104
USA

Have a food free-for-all

Hot dogs, hamburgers, nachos, onion dip, cake! Go ahead…indulge!

Of course, there is a catch.

And that’s to save these forbidden foods for special occasions like the 4^th of July, birthdays and big game days.

Unless, that is, it’s your weekly free day.

Once a week, give yourself a food free-for-all day where you allow yourself to splurge on things you’ve avoided all week. Order a pizza, have a soda or finish dinner with a dessert.

Just make sure you get back on track the next day or you’ll be on a diet downward spiral that’ll be hard to bounce back from.

Here are some more stay-on-track nutrition tips to keep in mind:

1. Keep a food journal or log. Spending lots of time thinking about food, calories, the scale, your butt or gut can be stressful. And that raises cortisol hormone levels, which makes you fat. To break the food freak-out cycle, keep a log of everything that goes down the hatch. That’ll make you more aware. And awareness puts you in control.

2. Fuel your bod before workouts. Make sure that you’ve eaten enough to get through your daily workout or you’ll run out of gas and be unproductive. What to eat? Try a portion each of protein and carbs, like chicken breast and an orange, an hour before gym time and you’ll be golden.

3. Shun fast food. Ensure you maintain your shape-up goals by never being caught unprepared. Stock your kitchen cabinets and freezer with quick, healthy meal-worthy foods like chicken noodle soup, frozen veggies and low fat dinners. If you’ve got quick-to-prepare food at home, you’ll be less likely to stop at a forbidden and fatty drive-through.

4. Dine in. Whenever possible, eat a healthy dinner at home. If a hectic schedule has you dining out more than usual, don’t snack on the before-entrée bread, don’t have a pre-dinner cocktail and don’t order dessert.

5. Just say no to drinks. Alcohol is fat-free, but loaded with calories. What’s more, it interferes with sleep, which has negative health implications all its own. Instead, go for the water. And, if you’re a juice-drinker, mix half a glass of juice with half a glass of still or sparkling water, which will save you about 85 calories per glass.

Now that you’ve got that under control and you’ve decided on your weekly cheat day, make sure your healthy eating habits are reinforced with a regular workout schedule.

Call PEAK Strength & Conditioning CLUB for your free consultation and fitness assessment at 610.336.7472 or visit www.peaksc.com to learn how to fit the fitness into your whole getting-healthy routine.

Yours in health,

Joe

Joseph Arangio, M.S., C.S.C.S
Director, PEAK Strength & Conditioning
Author, Wedding Shape Diet and Fitness Guide for Brides
5925 Tilghman St.
Suite 200
Allentown, PA 18104
USA

P.S. Here’s a link to my latest book: http://www.weddingshape.com/index.html

P.P.S. Check out these success stories: http://www.youtube.com/user/weddingshape

No equipment? No gym? No problem!

You don’t need a fancy gym or expensive equipment to lose inches, boost energy and get in top shape.

In fact, some of the greatest body-shaping, muscle-sculpting moves require no equipment at all.

Check out these fat-melting moves that require nothing but your own body weight:
http://www.youtube.com/user/PEAKSC

And after you check out those simple, body-weight moves, check out PEAK Strength & Conditioning CLUB online at: http://www.peaksc.com.

We can help you get in the best shape of your life with more fitness tips and nutrition tricks that kick-start your metabolism.

Call us now for your free consultation to get started on a personalized fitness routine designed just for you: 610.336.7472.

Yours in health,

Joe

Joseph Arangio
Director, PEAK Strength & Conditioning CLUB
Author, WeddingShape Diet and Fitness Guide for Brides
5925 Tilghman St.
Suite 200
Allentown, PA 18104
USA

P.S. Check out these success stories: http://www.youtube.com/user/weddingshape

You snooze, you lose

Did you know that a sound slumber helps you shed pounds?

Research suggests that a solid night’s sleep boosts levels of leptin, a hormone that suppresses hunger, which means you’ll be less inclined to overeat if you get your recommended seven to eight hours.

In addition to appetite suppression, catching enough ZZZs is imperative to your overall health and helps to repair and energize your body and keep your emotions in check.

Sleep deprivation affects your body-firming progress and disrupts your body’s normal ability to process and control important substances, like glucose, cortisol and thyroid hormones.

Translation? The lack of sleep directly affects how you look.

Here are two quick tips for a sound slumber:

1. Wear socks. Research confirms that cold feet keep you up and warm feet help you nod off more quickly. The reason? Warm toes mean your blood vessels are dilated and the blood flow’s healthy, which leads to sleepiness.
   
   
2. If you wake up during the night, don’t turn on the light. Remaining in the dark will help you get back to sleep sooner.

Routine exercise also helps you tire so that a sound night’s sleep is more likely. PEAK Strength & Conditioning CLUB’s fitness coaches design workouts that get you in shape, build muscle, burn fat, and yes, ensure a restful night.

For more information about PEAK or to learn more about leading a healthy, fit lifestyle, call us at 610.336.7472, visit www.peaksc.com or email info@peaksc.com.

And for inspiration, check out these success stories: http://www.youtube.com/user/weddingshape

Yours in health,

Joseph Arangio
Director, PEAK Strength & Conditioning CLUB
Author, WeddingShape Diet and Fitness Guide for Brides
5925 Tilghman St.
Suite 200
Allentown, PA 18104
USA

Take a Time Out

Check out this week’s issue of Time Out New York.

The magazine recently tapped me to share top tips on how to avoid over-eating at various summer festivities. You can see which secrets I shared here:

http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articles/spas-gyms/30275/conquering-the-buffet

Yours in health,

Joe

Joseph Arangio
Director
PEAK Strength & Conditioning CLUB
5925 Tilghman St., Suite 200
Allentown, PA 18103
USA