Exercise

Start With a Clean Slate

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Happy New Year! The start of 2017 marks a new opportunity to wipe the slate clean. It’s time to hit the reset button and gain a more pleasurable approach to fitness. Turn the page, and get off to a good start.  Replenish your body and re-energize your life.

“Change your food to change your mood.”

You already know the way you eat is central to your well being. But you may not know exactly what meals yield the most satisfying and healthful results. The back to basics, old fashioned approach to nourishing our bodies is truly the way to go. Making meals from scratch with whole foods, eliminating processed foods, and enjoying all the colours of the rainbow is your answer. A simple clean eating and exercise plan incorporated into your way of life will be the catalyst to making 2017 healthier and happier.

If a desire to wipe your fitness slate clean is on your 2017 resolutions and you are looking for some direction, don’t miss our New Year New You Challenge launching next Monday, January 9th.

Wishing you a healthy and happy New Year!
Meryl

green-drink

Featured Recipe

Anti Inflammatory Green Drink

Combine everything in a blender:
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1 stemmed and chopped large kale leaf
1 chopped apple
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3-5 cubes of ice
Enjoy!

My Christmas Wish

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It’s really the only thing I want. And it’s what I want most for you too.

It’s the most important thing we can ask for. It’s the most wonderful gift we can have. And It’s the most critical thing we can focus on.

It’s not a given. It’s not to be taken for granted. And it’s definitely not something money can buy.

When we have it, cherish it. Be thankful for it. And do everything in your power to protect it.

What is my Christmas wish?

My Christmas wish for you and your loved ones, is HEALTH.

Wishing you and yours all the joy this season can bring.

Happy Healthy Holidays,

Meryl

So Thankful + Black Friday Deals

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I love Black Friday. With a little organization, Black Friday allows you to get your holiday shopping out of the way, leaving time to focus on the real meanings of the season. All with the added bonus of bargain shopping!

I’ve got my Black Friday lists ready, thankfully a lot of this can be done on-line nowadays!

And because I would truly love to help you or your loved ones with their fitness goals in the upcoming year, I’ve got some pretty cool Just Feel it Fitness Black Friday deals for you too.

Head on over to my Promotions Page to check them out!

Give the gift of fitness. Get your shopping done. And let’s focus on the holiday season without all the stress.

So thankful,
Meryl

Featured Recipe

No Bake Pecan Pie Bars

pecan-pie-bars

In an effort to make it feel a little more like Thanksgiving on this snowy day in Canada…I didn’t make turkey, I opted for these yummy no bake pecan pie bars. You’re going to love this recipe.

Crust:
1 cup dates, pitted
1 cup pecans
1 cup shredded coconut
1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/2 tsp salt

Filling:
1 cup dates, pitted
1 cup pecans
2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup water

Combine crust ingredients into a food processor and process until a thick dough forms. Press the dough into an 8X8 square pan. Put in freezer while making the filling.

Add all filling ingredients into the food processor and process, add more water if necessary. Spread the filling on top of the crust. I drizzled melted chocolate chips on top and sprinkled chopped pecans. YUM.

Enjoy!

Should you workout with a cold?

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The common cold is coming. Tis the season! We all know the rules- wash your hands frequently, eat antioxidant rich foods, consistent exercise to help boost your immune system; nonetheless, the common cold can affect us all.

Should you still workout when you have a cold?

I like to use the following rule of thumb: if the symptoms are above the neck = OK to proceed.

When symptoms include sneezing, sinus pressure, or runny nose, then breaking into a sweat with mild to moderate physical activity is generally considered safe.

Symptoms below the neck such as chest congestion, hacking cough, fever, and muscle aches = give your body some rest for a few days until you are feeling better.

Remember, if you do choose to exercise when you’re sick, then reduce the intensity and length of your workout.  It’s not the time to be cranking out a HIIT workout. A light walk or jog and some core strengthening would be more appropriate.  Listen to your body, and scale back as necessary. You may even find that exercise will help you feel better by opening your nasal passages and temporarily relieving nasal congestion.

Don’t let cold and flu season get you down for long!

Have a great week,
Meryl

My Top 3 Tips to get back on track after summer vacation ☀️

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As summer comes to an end and the back to school zone starts, it is the perfect opportunity to get back on track with your healthy lifestyle.

Even if you stayed on track with your workouts, the all-inclusive vacations, pool parties, and one too many late night bar b q’s full of wine & desserts may have wreaked havoc on your fitness goals this summer. If summertime variables interfered with your weight loss attempts, don’t despair. It’s called life, and enjoying life is not something to feel guilty about. There’s a beautiful thing called balance and the ability to get back on track.
palm tree
Take this opportunity of back to school time to not only get the kids organized but to also get your nutrition back in line.

My top 3 tips to get back on track after summer vacation:

1. Re-haul  the pantry & refrigerator
Give yourself the chance to reach for healthy foods. Fill the fridge with plenty of salad and veggies. Wash it in advance and have snack size veggies easy to grab. Focus on adding lean proteins to each meal. Here are some of my favorites: cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, vegan protein powder, tuna, salmon, and chicken.

2. Meal plan for the upcoming week
The only way to truly take control of your diet is to be proactive. Plan out the next meal or even the next 5 meals. I’m not saying  you have to cook something on Sunday and microwave it all week. Sure, meal prepping helps. But what I am saying is make a plan. Write the plan down. Buy the groceries. Have the plan of action and execute at meal time. Don’t leave room for the option of eating out.

3. Commit to at least 3 weeks of clean eating. 3 weeks is enough time to feel the actual benefits and re-establish your healthy habits.

I hope you look back at your summer vacation and enjoy the memories. Think fondly of the times enjoyed with family and friends. No guilt, no self sabotage, forge ahead and get back on track.

If you’re looking for more guidance and one on one accountability through this process, our Back to School Bootcamp starting September 6th is exactly for you. Sign up by August 27th and get $25 off! More details here.

Have a great week!
Meryl

Get your Groove Back

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Summertime, vacations, cook-outs, what’s your excuse? For me it was a bad landing on an exercise jump that left my knee in a big mess. Forget about squats and lunges, I was struggling to bend the leg enough to get in and out of the car. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your perspective) this happened right before taking the flight to our Florida family vacation. So initial plans of beach workouts, filming new videos for my online bootcamps, runs along the beach, and water aerobics changed to sitting in the chair, elevated leg, ice, and a good dose of patience. Maybe a little R&R isn’t so bad every now and then.

Despite billions of dollars spent on gym memberships, diet programs, etc., a recent paper published by the Mayo Clinic reports that fewer than 3% of American adults are living a healthy lifestyle.

Less than 3%. Wow! Just Feel it Fitness has a lot of work to do! 😉

The study defined living a healthy lifestyle as meeting these four parameters:

  • Being sufficiently active (150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each week)
  • Eating a healthy diet
  • Being a nonsmoker
  • Having a recommended body-fat percentage (5%-20% for men, and 8%-30% for women)

The results of the study showed many people accomplished multiple healthy lifestyle goals. 16% met three of the healthy characteristics, 37% had two, but fewer than 3% met all four. Women were more likely to not smoke and to eat a healthy diet, and were less likely to be active, compared with men. Older individuals were more likely to be nonsmokers and healthy eaters, and were less likely to have a normal body-fat percentage and active enough.

Granted, this is only a study of 5,000 American adults, but the bottom line this study does an excellent job at providing four concrete steps anyone can take to achieve a healthier lifestyle.

Things happen like injuries and vacations and busy periods at work. Life gets crazy. Getting back into a fitness groove can be tough. I know. But get your groove back. None of these steps are easy to take. However, even small improvements make a difference and any effort toward these 4 lifestyle goals can have a life changing impact. Become a nonsmoker, be sufficiently active, eat a healthy diet, and achieve a recommended body –fat percentage.

I’d love to help you towards meeting these healthy lifestyle criteria.  Do you need help getting your groove back?

Our next round of Summer Slim Down starts July 18th. This is a 6 week Challenge. For more details, click here.

Have a great week,
Meryl

Featured Recipe

Tuna Salad Boats

Tuna Salad Boats

Ingredients:
1 can tuna
1/2 very ripe avocado
1/2 cup chopped purple grapes
Splash of white wine or champagne vinegar
Salt & Pepper to taste
Large Boston or Romaine lettuce leaves

Directions:
Mash the avocado with a fork. Combine with all other ingredients. Spoon onto large lettuce leaves and eat like a taco.

Still Not Seeing Results

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You hit the gym more days than most people you know. You bring your lunch and eat less than most people you know.  You can run miles around your friends.  But, you’re still not seeing the results you are hoping for. If this resonates with you, here are a few items to consider. Just run a quick self-check and let’s see how you answer the following questions:

Are you getting enough sleep?
Are you eating adequate amounts of protein and carbohydrates for the amount of energy and time you spend training?
Are you over training/under training?
Are you lifting weights?

When it comes to not seeing the results we are hoping for, we have to consider all these things.

Sleep is essential for the repair of our muscles. When you train you are breaking down muscle fibers and the only way for them to grow back and repair themselves is when your body is sleeping. Try to hit the hay around the same time every night. Kids need routines, and so do we. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night.

The amount of protein and carbohydrates you consume should be adjusted according to your activity level. You need a balanced approach that will give you all the energy you need to power through your workouts and your daily lives, while still helping you lose weight. Fuel your body with the power of protein.

Maybe you are training too hard. When we truly are over-training, the elevated cortisol levels keep your body in a state of stress. This causes your body to store fat, not shed. Aim for 2-3 resistance training sessions per week and 3 heart pumping/cardio activities.

Lifting weights helps to build strong lean muscle mass. Muscle burns calories faster, even while at rest. Build the muscle, eat accordingly, sleep so your body can repair itself, and sit back and watch the weight fall off. Ok, let’s be realistic, it’s not that simple. But we do break it down into a very simple manner with the Just Feel it Fitness 6 Week Summer Slim Down Program.

If you’ve hit a plateau and you are looking for a plan of action, this program is for you. Stop comparing yourself to anyone but the best version of yourself.

Ready for the Plan? Resistance + Cardio workouts that can be done from your home or gym, Meal Planning Tips and Tricks, Daily Accountability from me. Put it all together and get the results you’ve been hoping for (lean, sculpted abs just in time for summer!).  Our next group starts May 23rd. Check it out here.

Have a great week,
Meryl

Who doesn’t love a good Challenge?

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push yourself

I love a good challenge. The feeling of working toward a lofty goal and accomplishing it at the end is an awesome feeling, right? Many of you heard me talking about my 60 day Master’s Hammer & Chisel Challenge I started back in January. This was an intense weight training program, a little different than the standard functional training I typically incorporate with clients. I would almost call the program something more like body building.

The Master’s Hammer and Chisel is an innovative resistance training system created by Autumn Calabrese and Sagi Kalev of Beachbody, professional trainers and fitness competitors. The program focuses on SSP Training: Stabilization, Strength, and Power. I set a goal to complete this 60 day body sculpting program, 6 days a week of resistance training for a total of 8 weeks. And it’s done, woohoo! And the honest truth is that it kicked my butt! But I stuck with the workouts, and am proud to have accomplished the full program. Some days I felt like it was more difficult than marathon training even though these workouts only take 30-45 minutes each day and marathon training is more along the lines of 45 minutes to 2 hours some days! My physical results from this program include more defined muscles and definite strength gains such as: improved push-ups, pull ups, chin ups, pistol squats, etc. The program calls for light, medium, and heavy weights and I used 10, 15, and 20 pounds accordingly. Do I look like a body builder? No! Do I feel stronger, leaner, and proud of completing a challenging program? Yes!
flex
With nicer weather upon us and summer just around the corner, I’d like to encourage you to find a challenge that will motivate you and push you out of your comfort zone. Commit to something that will push you and that you will feel proud and accomplished when done. Need some ideas? Sign up for a 5 or 10k run in your community. Join a triathlon training group.  Or why not join the Just Feel it Fitness 6 Week Summer Slim Down Challenge starting Monday, April 11th!  This 6 week Challenge will focus on clean eating, cardio and strength training workouts that you can complete from home with minimal equipment. I’m running an amazing promotion on this program, guaranteed to help you achieve phenomenal results! Just ask me for more info today.

After the Summer Slim Down Challenge, I’ll be working on getting ready for the Montreal Half Marathon in September. I would love to help you find a Challenge that will motivate and push you out of your comfort zone and into confidence. Let’s do it!

Have a great week,
Meryl

Featured Recipe

Nori wraps

Nori Wraps

Try this crunchy wrap instead of a sandwich for a light and delicious lunch.

Ingredients:
4 sheets Nori 

1 avocado, thinly sliced
1 mango, thinly sliced
Handful of alfalfa or pea sprouts
1/4 cucumber, thinly sliced

Directions:

Lay out 1 sheet of nori and moisten it by sprinkling water on it. Place the vegetables along one end and roll it up into a wrap! Enjoy!

Recipe from “The All-Day Fat-Burning Diet” by Yuri Elkaim.

Focus on the Feeling

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“I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes
Christmas is all around me and so the feeling grows
It’s written in the wind, it’s everywhere I go
So if you really love Christmas, come on and let it snow!”

Even though it’s mid-December and there’s not a speck of snow here in Montreal, the feeling of Christmas is ever present.  Elf Chippie finds his new location to land each morning, the advent calendar is almost complete, phone calls to Santa reporting the good and the bad have been made, pretty presents are being wrapped, and the food and drinks from holiday get-togethers are flowing. Ah, yes, that last one.

How is it possible to get through the next few weeks of Christmas and New Year’s celebrations without packing on the holiday pounds? How do we start our 2016 fitness in the black, not in the red? There is one magical thing to focus on. We have to focus on the feeling. Just as Christmastime has a wonderful feeling, so does fitness. There is a sublime feeling of accomplishment, a rush of endorphins, and a total confidence boost once you have finished a workout. This is the feeling I love empowering people to feel. And this feeling is the magic focus point.

The feeling that living a healthy lifestyle can provide is like having Christmas year round. When you wake up feeling strong, when you are confident in your skin, and when you are nourishing your body with the fuel it needs to thrive, there really isn’t a better feeling.

As the rush of the holidays grows near, continue to find time in your day for your workouts. Stay focused on the feelings this brings you and make a plan now to head into 2016 focused on what is important. Give your loved ones the most important gift this year, your health.

Last call for the Just Feel it Fitness personal training holiday promotion, this is our best deal of the year. Savings of 50%. See below for more details.

Alternatively, if you are looking for a fitness routine you can do on your own, join us starting January 11th for the Master’s Challenge. We will focus on lifting heavy, gaining muscle mass, and chiseling the body for 60 days!! Contact me ASAP for more details about this brand new program.

Have a great week,

Meryl

Holiday promotion 2015

Featured Recipe

Chocolate hummus

Chocolate Hummus

Otherwise knows as (healthy) Nutulla, shhhh don’t tell the kids! This is one of the afternoon snacks my kids love at their daycare. Serve it up on a rice cake, or with some fresh fruit. Make a healthy addition to your holiday brunch this year!

Ingredients:
1 can chick peas (2 cups) drained and rinsed
1/4 cup cacao powder
1/4 cup soy butter (I used peanut butter)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup water
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
In a food processor, combine all ingredients. Process until combined. Store, covered, up to one week in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Cyber Monday Deals for the Fittie

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Tis the season! Black Friday, Cyber Monday, The countdown is on!
With 25 days until Christmas, Santa is busy making his list and checking it twice.

So you know what to get the foodie in your life, and the kids have circled everything they want from the Toys R Us catalog. But do you know what to get the fittie in your life? You know, the one who is always trying out the latest fitness equipment and following the latest health trends?

Here are some of my top suggestions for the fittie in your life:
1. The Master’s Hammer & Chisel 

A 60-day home workout program that will help you craft a defined, visually-dramatic physique. My favorite trainer from the Beachbody collection is definitely Autumn Calabrese. I have personally witnessed how her 21 Day Fix program has helped so many people learn proper portion control, get toned, and lose significant weight. Calabrese and Kalev, both award-winning fitness competitors, have joined forces to create this one-of-a-kind workout that will sculpt you from head-to-toe.

This brand new fitness program is being released tomorrow. And anyone who purchases the program in the month of December will be joining me starting January 6th for a 60 day Accountability Challenge Group to get us Spring Break ready!

2. Just Feel it Fitness Personal Training Package
Holiday promotion 2015
Four, One-hour Personal training sessions + clean eating nutrition consult for $150. This special offer is 50% off and one you don’t want to miss!  Contact Meryl today to take advantage of this special offer. *Montreal locals only 🙂

3. Lulu lemon Zone in tights
lulu tights
Ok let’s be realistic, the fittie in your life will love anything from lululemon. But specifically these high waisted tights. They are engineered with zoned compression to keep you feeling held-in and supported in all the right places. Like an instant tummy tuck.

4. Set of free weights
For optimal fitness, longevity, and a lean body, weight training is essential. A set of 5, 8, and 10 pound weights will be a well-received addition to the fittie’s exercise regime. You can pick these up at any sporting goods store, or wal-mart, or target. Average price is $1/pound.

5. Spiritual Gangster Workout Tanks

spiritual gangster tank
With 40% off everything on the site today, these super soft and motivational quote tanks are an excellent choice.

If you’re reading this, you probably are a fittie, and you very well might like any of these gifts. Go ahead and forward this email to Santa 🙂

Have a great week,
Meryl