Trick yourself to fullness

If you find that you are not full after meals, it could be possible that you are not adding the right food variety to your meal planning. Try these helpful tips:
 

Drink water
Drink two 8-ounce glasses (16 ounces total) of water before each meal. It will fill up your stomach and trim up to 60 calories per meal.

Use Flavor

Use vinegar/vinaigrette and cinnamon for flavor (where possible). These two ingredients can help regulate blood sugars after meals, and help you feel full longer after eating

Snack on Veggies

These bites help you feel full fast without putting a huge dent in your daily calorie count. Green and orange vegetables contain about 90% water, which fills your stomach and makes your brain register fullness.

Eat nuts

The complex trio of fiber, protein, and fat in nuts activates satiety so you chow down on fewer calories throughout the day.

Add oats

Oats have a filling fiber compound called beta-glucan that helps the body release.

Beans

Beans contain a fiber-protein balance to increase fullness. As an added bonus, a diet rich in legumes may also up your metabolism,

Eggs

Eggs are protein-packed eating them helps control appetite.

Blog written by Kyle Peters, Head Trainer and Fitness Director, Steel Fitness

Healthy Recipe: Oatmeal Protein Cookies

Looking for a Healthy "Cookie" Alternative? Try these Oatmeal Protein Cookies. A quick and heathly snack that is also easy to keep on hand when you are on the go!

2 cups of oats
1 cup of protein powder
1/2 cup of applesauce
1 cup of natural peanut butter
1/2 cup of honey or agave
1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips

Spread the oats on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 for about 10-15 minutes until browned.

Mix browned oats, protein powder, applesauce, peanut butter and honey or agave in a large bowl.

Add dark chocolate chips into mixture.

Roll into tablespoon sized balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.

Let cool and enjoy!!!!

Recipe by Jenn Washburn Personal Trainer at Steel Fitness, Bethlehem,PA

Be Consistent!!!

Create a consistent exercise routine.  Be realistic. Set small, achievable goals at first.  If you are new to exercise, plan to work out three times a week.  Then move to every other day.  As you progress you may build up to a 5-day weekly routine.

Have a specific plan before you start. You’ll want to build in a variety of workouts to keep things fresh (for example, strength one day, cardio the next) but the trick is planning ahead. Every Sunday night, map out your week of workouts and stick with it like it is a doctor’s prescription.  Your plan can be as simple as a walk on Monday, strength training on Wednesday at the gym, and push-ups on Friday. 

Find someone to keep you accountable.  This can be a workout buddy or a personal trainer.  Either way, pair up with someone who is inspiring and reliable.

Set goals and keep track of your progress.  Maybe your goal is to lose weight or run a 5K.  It can also be as simple as “exercise every other day for a month.”  Seeing progress will keep you motivated and consistent.

Find inspiration or distraction.  If exercise goals don’t engage you, pick a favorite diversion and build that into your exercise routine.  Listen to music, watch TV or read a magazine while you exercise.

Michael Kasprenski, Steel Fitness

Make a crunchy change from eating salad!

Tired of eating salads for your leafy greens?

Try roasted Kale Chips!

Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
3. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

Recipe by Amy Wimer, Personal Trainer at Steel Fitness

Your Abs & Muscle Activation

Medical researchers have found that the faster the abdominal movements are performed, the greater the abdominal muscles activation. Researchers have also found that slower speeds commonly recommended in fitness magazines did not engage as many abdominal muscles as movements that were performed faster. So why did the faster movements activate more muscles than the slower ones? The faster movement required higher muscle activation in order to be performed rapidly.

For example, look at the muscle definition and shape of a sprinter compared to the thin legs of an endurance runner .The difference is the sprinter requires high muscle activation and force to move that fast, where as the endurance runner performs slow, repetitive movements for a long period of time.

The faster the exercise is preformed the greater the muscle activation. The same principles can be applied to training other major muscles; performing faster movements results in higher muscle activation.  Many individuals may be surprised by this method, but this is not the first study to report faster abdominal movements resulting in greater muscle activation.

The key is to keep the abdominal workout quick and intense.  At Steel Fitness many of these important principles are executed during our inspiring fitness classes.  We offer you the best possible workout in the least amount of time.  This method is not easy however, but the payoff is strength and physical health that will benefit you throughout your life time.  It’s easy to become discouraged at first; however, just like anything in life, the more you practice the better you will adjust.  This particular philosophy should be used when trying a new and exciting abdominal regimen or variations of intensity.

Written by John Stefanowicz

Stay Motivated!

We have all found the motivation to start exercising; we’re here at Steel Fitness, aren’t we? But people who work out regularly can find themselves in a rut and bored. Finding fresh motivation to take your workout routine to a higher level can be a challenge.

Change up your workout routine. If you have been doing the same routine for two months, try something new. Mix things up, shake things up! Get online and find a new focused exercise. Take a class at Steel. This will help you over plateaus. Set new goals. You’ve reach the goals you set when you first joined Steel. Let’s raise the bar. Look for new challenges that you can work toward.

You’re fit. Use your fitness to experience something new. Think about trying a community sponsored run. We live near the Appalachian Trail, take a hike. You’ll have an experience that most people only dream about while you rediscover your motivation.

Start competing. Try a run, a body building competition, a bike race or even a “Mudder.” Competition will push you to train harder and smarter. You will expand your comfort zone and learn new things in the process.

Hire a coach or fitness professional. A personal trainer can help you challenge yourself. A coach can help you find motivation and prepare you for competition. Talk to the trainers at Steel, you will find someone whose personality will compliment your work out ethic.

Have fun!

Michael Kasprenski, Wellness Coach, Steel Fitness

Exercising in Segments Helps Burn Fat

Sitting for 20 minutes between 30-minute workout sessions can burn fat faster than exercising without a break.

Researchers tested the blood of seven men -- average age 25 -- during and after exercise on a stationary cycle. The men participated in three different activities: one hour of exercise and one hour of rest afterward; 30 minutes of exercise followed by a 20-minute rest and then a second 30-minute workout followed by an hour of rest; and an hour of rest without exercise. The men sat in a chair during the rest period.

The workout that was broken into two half-hour segments resulted in more fat breakdown than the other two activities, the researchers report in the June issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology. The second half-hour workout also showed a greater boost of epinephrine and a rapid decrease in insulin as a result of lower plasma glucose. The researchers theorized that these chemical events contribute to the fat breakdown.

The researchers noted that the American College of Sports Medicine recommends moderate exercise for 45 to 60 minutes to burn fat. However, the researchers argue that their results show the benefit of a rest period during the workout.

"Many people believe prolonged exercise will be optimal in order to reduce body fat, but our study has shown that repetitions of shorter exercise may cause enhancements of fat mobilization and utilization during and after the exercise.

Try it out and see how this routine makes you feel.

Written by Kyle Peters, Head Personal Trainer, Steel Fitness