Categories
2022 blog

Improve Your Nutrition Habits by Keeping a Simple 3-Day Food Log


Download our official tfc 3-Day Food Log for free!

Have you been hitting the gym hard and consistently, doing your best to eat well, and yet you still feel like you’re just not making progress?

Don’t worry – we’ve all been there! The good news is that there are usually only a few reasons that this could be happening; and the even better news is that there are simple solutions to each of the possible culprits!

If you are putting in the work but not seeing results, check to see if one of these top three progress-potholes are trying to trip you up.

1. you’ve hit a progress plateau

If you were initially experiencing successes and seeing results from your training program, and now have reached a point where the results have started to peter out or even reverse, you may be hitting a progress plateau.

The best way to beat a progress plateau is with the use of the exercise science principle of periodization. Your personal trainer can customize a periodized training program to help get you out of your plateau slump!

Don’t have a personal trainer? Contact us for a free consultation to see if personal training is right for you!

2. you are experiencing over-training symptoms

Training programs – both strength training and cardio-based programs – place gradually increasing stressors on the body that the muscles, heart, and lungs learn to respond and adapt to. If a training program is too intensive or does not allow for proper recovery time and workouts to take place, the body is unable to recoup and repair effectively. In other words, if your body is unable to return to 100% between workout sessions, you are essentially starting the next workout at less than 100% of your body’s abilities; and the next workout at an even lower percentage, and so on.

Make sure to never skip rest periods – between exercise sets and between workouts – and to take active recovery days. Check out Myth #7 from our prior post, 9 Exercise Myths Debunked by a Certified Personal Trainer, for more on active recovery days!

3. your body isn’t receiving the proper fuel for your workouts

The most common reason why your training program is not getting you the gains you deserve is due to nutrition deficits – not eating enough of the right types of fuel – or being in a caloric surplus – consuming more calories than your body can effectively burn in a day.

The most common reason why your training program is not getting you the gains you deserve is due to nutrition!

If you think that this may be holding you back, first off – it’s okay! Many people are affected by nutrient deficits, and this can easily happen – even when trying to eat healthy foods.

The best place to start is with knowing what you actually are – and are not – eating on a regular basis. This is where the 3-Day Food Log becomes a real hero!

Keeping a food log does not need to be as time-consuming or confusing as it often sounds or appears to be. If this is difficult for you, start simple and small; the most important details to capture are the foods and rough portion sizes of the foods you eat. For example; a breakfast food log entry could be as simple as “coffee with creamer, 2 slices white toast, 3 eggs.”

If you are able to invest an extra 2-3 minutes into your food log, we also highly recommend noting the time you ate, your hunger rating and mood pre- and post-meal, and where you ate this. Don’t worry about logging exact calories as you eat – if you can accurately capture the foods eaten and the portion sizes, you can always calculate the calories at a later time!

Taking the time to note how you were feeling around the meal or snack time helps to identify if you were eating out of true hunger, or motivated by another external factor; such as habit, stress, emotions, boredom, or social activities. This can also help you to notice if you are eating at times that make sense for your life. Are you starving everyday at 3pm when you eat a snack from the office vending machine? Maybe your lunch is too light! Or you might notice you are eating before bed every night, even though you aren’t necessarily hungry, just out of habit. These important insights help you to paint a bigger picture of what your day-to-day eating consists of, so that you can start to tackle any possible nutrition deficits.

If you aren’t sure how much you should be eating in a day, or how to break down those foods into the major macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fats), check out our nutrition services or request a consultation for more info!

Is the way your fueling your body holding you back? Download our free 3-Day Food Log below to start tracking, then send it to our ACE Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist for further evaluation and next steps!

join the tfc community!

subscribe to be best friends 🤍

Categories
2022 blog

how often should you be working out your abs; and other core ponderings

Ah yes, the dreaded ab-day. We all love to hate working our abs, but still want that six-pack! But the question remains: how much ab-work do we really have to do?

How often should I work my abs?

Most strength training days should include your abs!

We love to sneak core-strengthening exercises into all of our workouts! Be sure to propery engage your core during all movements – especially those involving heavy weights – to protect your spine.

You can use core work as a quick warm-up before beginning your workout, such as starting with a bird-dog or dynamic pike to plank series.

By bracing your core when performing any workout, you activate and engage the muscles of the entire core to strengthen them.

Now, if you are looking to really shred your six-pack, you will need to turn up the notch on your ab workouts and focus on core-specific exercises and moves.

For this type of ab work, we recommend a frequency of roughly 3-4 times a week; depending on your goals and the level of intensity of your workout sessions.

how many crunches do i really have to do?

None, if you don’t want to!

The best way to strengthen – and define – your abs is with a variety of different exercises moves to isolate and engage your core.

Your core includes your abdomen, the oblique abdomen (the “side,” or waistline), your upper and lower abdomen, your lower back, and even your hip flexors! Being intentional in working out your entire core in varying ways is the best path to rock-hard abs.

There are SO many ways to work your abs & core outside of traditional crunches. In addition to the many, many variations on the traditional crunch, there are countless other ways to engage and isolate your most important core muscles:

  • planks
    • high plank
    • forearm plank
    • side plank
    • pike plank
  • crunch variations
    • mermaid crunch
    • froggy crunch
    • oblique crunch
      • bicycles
    • standing oblique crunch
  • other core exercises
    • swimmers
    • scissor kicks
    • roll-ups
    • tornados
  • balancing acts
    • single-leg movements
    • BOSU ball workouts
    • yoga
  • jump around
    • jump rope
    • box jumps
    • single-leg jumping
  • core cardio
    • kickboxing
    • Pilates
  • other core exercises
    • Russian twists
    • sit ups
    • hip dips
    • V-ups

and so many more not listed here! If you are looking for more ways to work your abs, reach out to us or join our next group class to get sweatin’!

is it safe to work out my abs everday?

Yes and no.

Your ab muscles – like all other muscles in your body – do need time to recover between sessions to actually see growth or an increase in strength. Allow roughly 24 hours between intense ab blasts and take 1-2 days a week off from abs!

lastly – abs are cut from the kitchen!

With any weight loss goals, we expect our dietary habits to need a refresh at the very least. But with goals specific to shredding your abs, the important of nutrition cannot be overstated!

Pair your tfc core-strengthening workouts with eating lean, clean, and green protein and carbs to reveal the awesome ab display you have chiseled out for yourself!

Did you know – we also offer Nutrition Services! Check out our services – including meal prep and planning, grocery store tours, cooking demonstrations, and nutrition label counseling – to help take your abs to the next level!

join the tfc community!

subscribe to be best friends 🤍

Categories
2022 blog

Is This Good Yet? tfc Ultimate Guide to Picking the Best Produce

Picking the right produce can be daunting! Nobody wants to drop a pretty penny on produce, only to take it home and realize it’s not ripe when it’s needed or that it rots far too quickly.

So how do you know you’re picking the best produce? We’ve compiled all the research & facts in one place so you don’t have to!

As a bonus, we’ve included a table at the end on where you should store your perfect produce picks once you get them back home to maximize their freshness and keep them from spoiling too soon!

Be sure to save this so you can come back to it time and again to keep your fruits & veggies fresh, and check out our nutrition services if you are looking to level up your grocery shopping game!

apples
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

September – May

firm with no soft spots

apricots
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

June – July

golden yellow, plump, and firm; not yellow or green, not very hard or soft, not wilted

banana
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

January – December

firm with no bruises

blueberries
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

June – August

firm, plump, and brightly colored

cantaloupe
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

May – August

slightly golden with light fragrant smell

cherries
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

May – June

fresh appearing, firm

coconuts
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

September – March

good weight for size with inside milk still fluid

cranberries
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

March – July, September – December

firm, plump, and brightly colored

grapefruit
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

October – June

firm, well rounded, and heavy for size, avoid puffy/rough skinned

grapes
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

May – September

firm, plump, and has well colored clusters

honeydew
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

February – October

creamy yellow rounds and pleasant aroma

kiwi
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

June – August

soft

oranges
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

November – May

firm, heavy for size, and has brightly colored skin

peaches
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

June – September

soft to touch with fragrant smell

pears
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

August – May

yields gently to pressure at stem end

pineapples
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

February – August

slightly soft; ripe when leaves are easily removed with small tug

plums
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

June – September

plump, yield to slight pressure

pomegranate
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

September – November

thin-skinned and bright purple-red

strawberries
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

April – July

dry, firm, and bright red in color

artichoke
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

March – May

plump and compact with green, fresh-looking scales

asparagus
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

March – June

straight, tender, deep green stalks with tightly closed buds

avocado
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

January – December

firm but yields to gentle pressure

bell pepper
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

January – December

firm skin and no wrinkles

broccoli
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

October – May

dark green bunches

brussels sprouts
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

October – November

tight outer leaves, bright green color, and firm body

carrots
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

January – December

deep orange and not cracked or wilted

cauliflower
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

September – November

bright green leaves enclosing firm and closely packed white curd

celery
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

January – December

fresh, crisp branches with light green to green color

corn
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

May – August

green, tight, and fresh-looking husk; ears with tightly packed rows of plump kernels

cucumber
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

May – July

firm with rich green color and no soft spots

eggplant
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

June – September

firm, heavy, smooth, and uniformly dark purple

lettuce
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

January – December

fresh, crisp leaves without wilting

mushrooms
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

January – April

firm, moist, and blemish-free

onion
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

January – December

dry and solid with no soft spots or sprouts

peas
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

April – June

bright green and full

peppers
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

January – December

firm with thick flesh and glossy skin

spinach
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

March – May

large, bright leaves; avoid coarse stems

summer squash
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

June – August

firm with bright and glossy skin

sweet potato
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

September – December

firm, dark, and smooth

tomato
best season:
how to tell when it’s ripe

May – August

plump with smooth skin and no blemishes

store in fridge
  • apples (if storing 7+ days)
  • apricots
  • cantaloupe
  • figs
  • honeydew
  • artichokes
  • beets
  • blackberries
  • blueberries
  • broccoli
  • brussels sprouts
  • cabbage
  • carrots
  • cauliflower
  • celery
  • cherries
  • corn
  • grapes
  • green beans
  • green onions
  • herbs (except basil)
  • lima beans
  • leafy veggies
  • leeks
Fridge, con’t
  • lettuce
  • mushrooms
  • okra
  • peas
  • plums
  • radishes
  • raspberries
  • spinach
  • sprouts
  • strawberries
  • summer squash
  • yellow squash
  • zucchini
ripen on counter, then store in fridge
  • avocados
  • nectarines
  • peaches
  • pears
  • plums
  • kiwis
store on counter
  • apples (if storing less than a week)
  • bananas
  • tomatoes
  • basil
  • cucumbers
  • eggplant
  • garlic
  • ginger
  • grapefruit
  • lemons
  • limes
  • mangoes
  • oranges
  • papayas
  • peppers
  • pineapple
  • plantains
  • pomegranates
  • watermelon
store in pantry
  • acorn squash
  • butternut squash
  • onions (keep away from potatoes)
  • potatoes (keep away from onions)
  • pumpkins
  • spaghetti squash
  • sweet potatoes
  • winter squash

join the tfc community!

subscribe to be best friends 🤍