I’ll hazard a guess that if you’re here, reading my blog, you have an interest in changing and improving your physique, your health, your fitness, or all of the above. Now you may have heard me talk a fair bit about the importance of psychological side as well as the physical side of things and this is what I want to focus on in this post…

Here are my 4 top tips (I’d like to use an acronym, but I’m not sure ‘ACEC’ has a great ring to it…)

1. Accept.

Accept your unique physical form and own all the wonderful muscles, bones and curves that make you who you are. If you have a particular inspirational person that represents your ideal body, ensure that they’re the same height and build as you, so that your physique goal is realistic.

2. Celebrate.

It’s hard work to stay healthy, active and motivated. Show off your favorite body part and celebrate your health and fitness. You’ve earned it!

3. Experiment.

Understand that what works for others may not work for you. Experiment to learn which foods are most satisfying and energising for you and which workouts are optimal for your body type and schedule. Develop a routine that’s motivating, fulfilling and easy to stick to.

4. Challenge.

When you hit a plateau in your body, health or fitness goals, step up your efforts and try something new!

So there you have it. Brief maybe, but this pretty much covers it. If you need a hand with experimentation and challenges, come visit me at my other website – Train With Charli.

And a question for you: What’s been the biggest body confidence challenge or success for you and why?

Chocolate Mint Zucchini Cookies

Makes 25 cookies

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Ingredients

3 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 cup cocoa

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 Cups Splenda Granula (or sweetener of choice, to taste)

1 cup grated zucchini

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

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Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F (170C).

Mix together flour, baking soda, cocoa and salt.

In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together sugar, oil and peppermint extract.

Fold in zucchini.

Combine all ingredients and mix until everything is smooth.

Using a tablespoon, scoop out batter and form a small ball. Press lightly to flatten.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden.
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Nutrition Facts (per cookie)

Calories: 80

Fat: 1.6g

Carbohydrates: 14.0g

Protein: 2.2g

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20 Tips to Help You Succeed
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For weeks, you have watched your food intake and exercised regularly to improve your health and better your body. More than a “diet” or a fad, you’ve created real lifestyle changes and created a plan that you can stick with for the long haul. So why is the holiday season so goddam intimidating?
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Of course, there’s the food. Unlike the other food-centric annual holidays, the winter holiday season lasts for weeks. There are more parties, more potlucks, more food gifts, more sweets and well… just MORE. And these temptations will be tormenting you for quite some time.

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Then there’s the stress. Between the gift shopping, the decorating, the cooking and those lovely family feuds to contend with, your time to cook healthy meals or hit the gym can be pretty limited. So really, it’s unsurprising we’re scared of the holiday season and the infamous weight gain it encourages.

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How can we maintain a healthy diet and fitness program- let alone achieve on-going fat loss- with all of this going on around us, day after day?
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The answer is simple: Stick with your plan. You’ve overcome temptations and slip-ups before. Every day presents challenges, yet you remain strong and continue to move closer to your goals. Why should the holidays be so different? If you want to lose weight this month, you can. You just have to choose to stay in control.

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Here are 20 tips that will help you keep off the holiday pounds and actually lose a few by the New Year.
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1. Track your food. That means all of it, from the forkful of mashed potato you tasted while cooking to the free sample of panetonne at the grocery store. These “nibbling” calories are easy to forget about but can really add up. And of course, it goes without saying that being aware of what you eat does wonders for reaching those body goals. If you do nothing else during the holidays, track your food diligently every day and KNOW what you’re eating.
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2. Plan your holiday meals. Whenever possible, plan your meals and snacks in advance so you can enjoy your favorites and still stay on track. Before you head to a party or sit down for a festive dinner, figure out your food for the day. For example, find places to cut back on calories in order to splurge a little more on your holiday meal. Decide which foods you’ll have, that will allow you to meet your nutritional requirements.
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3. Check the calories. If you know the calorie content of your favourite holiday treats, you’ll be able to minimise damage and avoid any nasty surprises. And of course, you’ll know what needs to give in order to fit them into your daily nutrition plan.
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4. Make fitness a priority. Food is only one part of the equation that determines whether you’ll lose or gain fat. Fitness is equally important, and with all the rushing about and family commitments, it can easily get pushed aside. Make time for your exercise routine and keep those body goals on track.
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5. Schedule your workout like an appointment. You wouldn’t miss a doctor’s appointment or an important meeting to bake cupcakes or go shopping, would you? Get your calendar out and schedule your sessions in advance, so they don’t get overridden by holiday madness.
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6. Bring your own food. If you’re heading to a party or potluck and don’t know what will be on offer, bring your own. Pick a yummy, healthy recipe to take along, so that no matter what kind of food is there, you’ll have at least one dish you can eat with confidence.
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7. Limit alcohol. Not only do the calories add up quickly, but your lowered inhibitions make overindulgence on food a whole lot more likely. Nurse one or two drinks throughout the event, or better, pass it up altogether.
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8. Re-gift food. Of course, your loved ones mean well when they give you delicious food and treats. But don’t fall victim to the guilt trip- just because they give them to you does not mean you have to eat them! There are plenty of opportunities to re-gift food gifts over the holiday season… Take them to parties, potlucks and other get-togethers so the temptation isn’t sitting in your kitchen cupboard.
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9. Bring your food to work. If you don’t fancy re-gifting, share the yummy gifts with your colleagues. That way, you can enjoy a taste without feeling compelled to chow down the whole lot yourself.
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10. Don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s easy to go over your calories one day and feel like you’ve ruined your progress. But remember that it takes much more than one day of overeating to do any lasting damage.  Enjoy your moment of overindulgence and move on.
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11. Sneak in some mini-workouts. Every bit of daily activity adds up, and including just 10 minutes of vigorous exercise in addition to your usual workout routine can help counter the effects of a little holiday indulgence. Squeeze in some high intensity bodyweight circuits or interval training to keep that metabolism revving.
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12. Maintain your active lifestyle. On top of your basal metabolic rate, most calories are generally burned through day-to-day activity. So the more activity you can add to your days in addition to planned exercise, the better off you’ll be. Walk wherever you can, partake in some fun snow activities if you have it where you are and make an overall effort to move more.
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13. Keep an emergency snack on hand. Stashing some healthy and portable foods in your car, bag and desk drawer can help calm your cravings. This should prevent you from going overboard on any seasonal goodies that are doing the rounds at work, or getting caught on the go with nowhere convenient to buy a healthy snack.
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14. Watch your portions. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying some once-a-year favorites if you keep your portions in check. Sometimes just a little taste is all you need. As they say, everything in moderation, including moderation!
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15. Take the focus off the food. There’s more to the holidays than eating! Enjoy the good conversation and seasonal activities rather than hovering around the buffet table. Create entertainment that doesn’t revolve around eating, and you won’t feel like you’re missing out.
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16. Drink enough water. It keeps your appetite at bay and it keeps your mouth occupied. Keep a cup of water in hand at parties, sip water between bites, and meet your daily requirements to help prevent overeating.
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17. Wake up with exercise. It’s much easier to make excuses not to exercise as the day goes on. Even if you’re not normally a morning exerciser, a.m. workouts are a great way to squeeze fitness into your days before distractions arise.
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18. Don’t treat every meal as your last. With every meal or treat that crosses your path, remind yourself that you’ll have plenty of chances later to eat. Listen to your body for true feelings of hunger and fullness, and if you’re not hungry or in the mood for a certain food, don’t feel obligated to eat it. Don’t waste calories on a treat you don’t really like or that isn’t very delicious, just to be polite. It’s your body, and you have the say as to what goes into it!
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19. Slow down. Savour your food and take your time to enjoy the taste. You’ll eat less, feel more satisfied, and recognise feelings of fullness before it’s too late.
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20. Stay focused on your goal. Before you visit the buffet for seconds or hit the shops instead of hitting the gym, remember your goals. It’s going to take effort to get there and to survive the holiday season. Before you act, ask yourself, “Will this help me get where I want to be?” If not, make another decision. And remember that YOU are in control during the holidays, and you have the say in your own success.
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Here’s to staying fit, looking amazing, and nailing those goals all season long! Happy Holidays!

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I thought I’d give you a sneak peak at one of the recipes in my
Eat, Drink & Be Skinny holiday recipe book. I bring you…

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Skinny Gingerbread Cookies

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Makes 60 cookies

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Ingredients

4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup oat flour

1 cup brown rice flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

4 teaspoon ground ginger

4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup Splenda granular

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup molasses

3 tablespoons water

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Directions

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices in a large mixing bowl. Set aside

Cream butter, Splenda and salt together. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the molasses and water. Stir well.

Add the flour mixture and stir until well blended.

Refrigerate dough 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350F (170C).

Roll cookie dough out roughly 1/4”. Cut into desired shapes with approx. 3″ cutters.

Bake in preheated oven 8-10 minutes or until firm but not browned.

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Nutrition Facts (per cookie)

Calories: 95

Fat: 3.7g

Carbohydrates: 14.4g

Protein: 2.0g

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For more yummy Holiday treats, see Eat, Drink & Be Skinny.

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Winter Weight Gain – Why Does It Happen And What Can We Do?

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Winter weight gain is a common complaint of many people. It seems that every winter we add a few pounds, and come summer we don’t lose them all again either. A few of them always stick around, making us a little heavier every year. They seem to be very hard to lose extra pounds! Why does this happen and what can we do?
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There are many contributing factors. First, it seems likely that we have a genetic disposition to store more fat as winter approaches. Many animals do this and it was vital to survival for our ancestors. Extra layers of fat on the body protect us against the cold and then can be used as fuel in the late winter and early spring when food stocks would historically be very low. We probably have a tendency to eat more in the fall and over the Holidays, when food is plentiful, to help this process along. We may also unconsciously choose foods that are higher in calorie content at this time.
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Hormone levels can also influence our weight gain. The interaction of hormones and other chemicals in the brain can bring about variations in appetite and cravings. Some neurotransmitters can also influence the way we eat. People who are overweight often have low levels of these neurotransmitters and the results can include excessive appetite, depression and sleep disorders. At the same time, the lack of daylight caused by the shortening days during late fall and winter can bring on seasonally affected disorder or winter depression. One of the quickest ways to give a boost to the energy levels and emotions is to eat high carbohydrate foods including sugar treats, chips and cereals that give us a fast blood sugar ‘fix’. So people who feel low in the winter will tend to overeat, leading to weight gain, more depression and a vicious cycle that is hard to break.
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So altogether there are many reasons why we eat more high carbohydrate foods such as cookies, pies and chocolate in the winter, and of course most of these foods also contain high levels of calories. The best way to handle this is generally to substitute other foods that are also high in carbohydrate so that we get what our body craves, but which have lower calorie content and plenty of fiber. This means potatoes, wholegrain pasta, wholegrain rice, oats, and fresh whole fruit.
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It is also important to take more exercise. Often our physical activity levels drop in the winter and we have a tendency to want to stay home and rest. This is natural when it is cold outside. But we are not cavemen! We have heating in our homes and can be sure that there will still be plenty of food in the stores come February. We do not need to stow fat the way that they did. If you’re not already signed up to a gym, there are plenty of workouts you can do in the comfort of your living room, several of which can be found in The Flat Abs Formula.
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You can still eat your Holiday favourites and winter comfort foods, but work them in moderation into your overall diet,  so that you’re not setting yourself back in progress (or you can make yummy low calorie versions!). And balance those calories with exerise *now*, rather than saying ‘After the holidays’ or ‘In the New Year’ or any of those other over-used excuses!
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Winter weight gain is easily avoidable this way and you can continue to work towards your body goals, or at least maintain the hard-earned results that you’ve already achieved.
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Don’t ever let the month of the year get in the way of your goals!
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Happy Holidays,

~Charli

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So…‘Tis the season to be jolly, and as far as I’m concerned, that means, diet or no diet, we should be able to eat all the yummy food that’s such an important part of this time of year! I’ve put together Eat, Drink & Be Skinny to provide you with a way of enjoying all those seasonal indulgences, but without damaging your fat loss efforts or hindering your body goals. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a few celebratory blow-outs (I encourage it!), but with the holiday season spanning over a month, we want to be able to enjoy tasty seasonal treats on a daily basis- not just on those special feast days. I know that I don’t want to be watching everyone tuck into holiday fudge and cookies, whilst I’m sitting around nibbling on carrot sticks, so for that reason, I’ve created healthy versions of all our favourite seasonal treats, and compiled them all into an eBook, so you can enjoy delicious holiday food all through the season! My modified recipes regularly go down even better than the ‘real deal’- no one even realises that they’re low calorie! This year, I’ve been taking recommendations from YOU and have had lots of you writing to me with suggestions for recipes you’d like healthy versions of this holiday season. Thank you so much to everyone who contributed- I can happily say that I’ve been able to include everyone’s suggestions! From turkey and stuffing, to pumpkin pie and eggnog, I reckon I have everything covered. I especially recommend the Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars and the Perfect Pecan Shortbread (I have a sweet tooth!). If you want to get LEANER this holiday season, whilst still being able to tuck into all the amazing food, just click the ‘Add To Cart’ button below. Bon Appetit! P.S. I’d absolutely love to get your feedback on all the recipes you try and to know what your favourite is! Please feel free to leave your comments and recipe reviews in the comments box, below. Support: charli@theflatabsformula.com

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by Charli Cohen- Certified Personal Trainer & Nutrition Specialist

With the information you’ll be getting right now in this FREE presentation, you can start burning your stubborn abdominal fat immediately.

You’ll discover…

• The massive lie the diet industry has been telling you to keep you fat
  

• 2 secret ‘tricks’ that fitness models don’t want you to know about
  

• 1 simple formula that will allow to start burning fat TODAY

• Surprising exercises that burn belly fat faster than typical cardio
• The natural ‘switch’ that will force your body into fat burning mode

• How traditional ‘ab workouts’ are making you FATTER
  
• The TRUTH about getting flat abs without bogus diet pills
  





WARNING: Do Not Try Another Weight Loss Diet Or
Slimming Supplement Until You’ve Watched This Video

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Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C Grease and line a 25 cm x 15 cm loaf tin.
2. Place dates, tea and oil in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla. Fold in sifted flour and baking powder. Pour in date mixture and mix until just combined.
4. Pour into prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Nutritional Information

(per serving – there are 8 servings)

Calories: 200
Protein: 5.5g
Fat: 3.5g
Carbs: 35g

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Serve with ice cream or custard and a drizzle of syrup. All these can be low calorie versions if preferred, or you may be able to squeeze in some of the real stuff as the pudding is so low calorie!

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Hitting the gym tends to be my stress outlet and I find it, without doubt, the most effective therapy for stress relief.

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All of us have experienced a hectic set of circumstances in our lives at one point or another.  Maybe you experience stress every day of your life.  This stress can lead to sickness, depression, and make you feel overwhelmed.  Therefore, how can you combat this nagging daily stress?  One answer is exercise.

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Stress comes in both physical and mental forms.  The severity of stress placed upon your body depends on your job, family, and life obligations.  Exercise will benefit nearly everyone from a mother of five to a single on-the-go professional.  You can find a form of exercise to suit your needs whether you have just ten minutes of free time a day or can hit the gym regularly.

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Exercise has the potential to be a highly effective stress reducer. Following are common questions, excuses, and solutions regarding exercise in our daily lives.

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How does exercise affect the body?  Won’t it make me feel tired?

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On the contrary, exercise has been shown to increase “endorphins”.  Endorphins are the “feel good” chemicals that are linked to an elevation in mood.  This endorphin kick can be akin to eating a chocolate bar.  Chocolate has caffeine and hits the pleasure center in our brain.  Exercise is similar in that blood pumps faster in our bodies increasing the oxygen supply to our brain.  This endorphin rush is why many exercisers become addicted to exercise.

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Exercise has long been an antidote to stress. It takes your mind away from the stresses of daily life while you engage in any activity that raises your heart rate.

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An added benefit to exercise is that it will help you sleep better at night.  For many people stress wreaks havoc on their lives by causing insomnia.  Make sure, however, that you don’t exercise too close to bed time.  The rise in activity and heart rate that exercise brings should be completed at least three hours before bed time, if possible (if you can’t schedule your workout early enough for this, it’s still better to workout than not to!).  Each person reacts differently to exercise so test out different exercise times and see which time works best for you.

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How am I supposed to find time to exercise when my day is already filled to the brim with chores, kids, work, etc.?

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Before you brush off exercise time, take a closer examination of your day.  Do you have down time?  Do you spend time watching television?  Many people watch television during the course of the day. This television time could be exercise time instead. Record your favorite TV shows and watch them later after you have exercised. Time exists for exercise; it is just a matter of making time and placing value on your exercise program and overall health.

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What type of exercise should I do to relieve stress?  I don’t want to  purchase an expensive gym membership.

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Good news… You don’t need to sign an expensive gym contract to get your exercise in for the day. You can exercise from the comfort of your own living room or head outside and enjoy the fresh air. In my upcoming Flat Abs Formula fat loss course, you are provided with a number of routines that can be done at home, as well as guide to cheap home equipment.

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So crank up your favourite music and make the living room your personal stress-busting fitness centre!

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Get friends or other members of your household involved too. Exercising with a partner will help you to keep on track. This accountability is a great defense against skipping your workout.

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Reduce your stress with exercise.  It is a natural way to energise your body and calm your mind. Make exercise an integral part of your daily living. You will be glad you did as you enjoy each day, stress free… and with the right type of exercise you’ll get a hot body in the process!

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I really feel there’s nothing like taking a heavy barbell to my daily aggravations to put them in their place… Who else uses exercise as a stress reliever?

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