Many of us probably enjoy beans throughout the year.  But right now, as the season continues its march in North America to cooler days, our tastes incline towards heartier foods.  Beans are the perfect food to satisfy that desire, providing a balance of filling carbohydrates, healthy plant protein, fiber and minerals that help keep our bodies healthy and at healthy weights.  As far as healthy weights go, their soluble fiber content in particular helps manage blood sugar swings, important for those of us with diabetes or insulin resistance.

I believe it’s because people have been led to believe that having a routine is somehow boring. However, nothing could be further from the truth in terms of feeling in control of your life and your choices.

By having a routine you will be better able to plan your day, set your priorities, and stay on target. In terms of trying to lose weight this is exactly the type of daily plan you will need. There can’t be any guess work when it comes to what you’ll be eating that day, when you’ll be exercising, or what is needed to stay the course.

If you haven’t heard it before I’ll say it again; consistency is the ultimate key to success.

That’s why now that the summer has unofficially ended it’s time to begin your own new routine. This new routine should include a preplanned monthly calendar of when you’ll be exercising and what you’ll be eating. The more detail you can add to it the better.

Also, keep in mind that unless you have scheduled your meals and workouts into your daily routine there are too many issues that can come up during the course of a day and they may throw you off if you don’t set your priorities up front. Set your routine and work your plan!

Stephen Cabral, CSCS, CPT, NS is the owner of Stephen Cabral Studio weight loss & personal training in Boston, MA, and also offers online fitness coaching.

Read Full Post

The answer is that you will still receive comparable calorie burning and metabolic benefits by working out at night; however, there are a few reasons why you may want to aim to get your workout in earlier in the day.

Here are some of those reasons why you may want to try to get your evening workouts in earlier:

In my last post I spoke about how you can and should get in as many quick workouts as many days as possible this long weekend since you may be eating or drinking more than usual. Also, if you can be more active during the day you’ll burn more calories and help to fight off weight gain that way as well.

Plus, when you’re at the beach try getting up out of your seat and being active for 30-60 minutes in any of these 3 ways:

1. Fun Runs: These are light jogs down the beach with friends or by yourself to just be active and enjoy the environment.

2. Beach Sprints: You can either race your friends or just pick a point on the beach to sprint to. Make it a “Best of 7,” or just aim for 5-10 total sprints with rest periods in between.

3. Swimming: This one is pretty self explanatory, but try to keep moving as much as possible.

In addition to the big 3, I would try to go for walks, build sand castles with the kids, play Frisbee, and just move around and have fun this weekend!

Stephen Cabral, CSCS, CPT, NS is the owner of Stephen Cabral Studio weight loss & personal training in Boston, MA, and also offers online fitness coaching.

In my last post I spoke about how you can and should get in as many quick workouts as many days as possible this long weekend since you may be eating or drinking more than usual. Also, if you can be more active during the day you’ll burn more calories and help to fight off weight gain that way as well.

Plus, when you’re at the beach try getting up out of your seat and being active for 30-60 minutes in any of these 3 ways:

1. Fun Runs: These are light jogs down the beach with friends or by yourself to just be active and enjoy the environment.

2. Beach Sprints: You can either race your friends or just pick a point on the beach to sprint to. Make it a “Best of 7,” or just aim for 5-10 total sprints with rest periods in between.

3. Swimming: This one is pretty self explanatory, but try to keep moving as much as possible.

In addition to the big 3, I would try to go for walks, build sand castles with the kids, play Frisbee, and just move around and have fun this weekend!

Stephen Cabral, CSCS, CPT, NS is the owner of Stephen Cabral Studio weight loss & personal training in Boston, MA, and also offers online fitness coaching.

Read Full Post

Read Full Post

Check out her very beautiful and inspirational video where she shows her weight loss progress over one year.

Check out her very beautiful and inspirational video where she shows her weight loss progress over one year.