RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

If you're looking for healthier options to consume, now you're seeing things like "whole wheat," "natural," "organic," and think they're healthier; but what do those buzz words that companies use to sell more product really mean?

1) "WHOLE WHEAT" can mean it's just the skin of grain. Unless it says 100% whole grain it's not the whole of anything.

2) "NATURAL." The U.S. FDA does not define nor regulate this term. If the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors or synthetic substances it may be labeled natural. Synthetic substances have been linked with hyperactivity in children and cancer.

3) "ORGANIC" means a farm must have been pesticide/herbicide free for at least three years. An organic label indicates 95% of the product is organic. A food with at least 70% organic ingredients can be labeled “made with organic ingredients.” Organic does not guarantee that it was produced on a small farm, is healthy, or that animals were treated humanely.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Do you know what free radicals are? Free radicals are oxidizing molecules that are a leading cause in making us look older faster and gain body fat faster. They emerge when we eat, but they're especially prevalent when we consume junk food like candy bars, chips, and other processed simple carbohydrates. Free radicals damage the cells that tell us we're full. With every passing year, these fullness signifiers suffer wear and tear-causing the "stop eating!" signal to get weaker and appetites (and possibly our waistlines) to get bigger. The best way to fight back is to avoid the junk and load up on colorful, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Not getting enough sleep each night not only leaves you exhausted the next day, but is a factor in preventing you from losing body fat and seeing any results. When we don't get at least the recommended eight hours a night, the body raises the levels of the body fat producing hormone cortisol, it does not send out growth hormones that help us recover from our day/exercise, increases the cravings/appetite hormone ghrelin, and decreases levels of leptin which suppresses appetite.

Tips to get better sleep:

1) Exercise daily. Even just 30mins/day.

2) No caffeine after 700pm.

3) Avoid using the computer/watching TV directly before bed. This will keep your brain stimulated and not allow your body to drift off.

4) Take a shower just before bed. This will raise your internal core temperature, so that as you lay there your body will naturally bring it down; thus allowing you to relax and fall asleep.

5) Keep your bedroom dark. Even the tiny light from a digital alarm clock can disrupt a sleep cycle.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

How much caffeine do you have a day? Caffeine can have serious side effects (stress on your heart/liver/kidneys/central nervous system, it's addicting, and it draws calcium out of your bones). That's dangerous for women, because women are at a higher risk for osteoporosis (weakening of bones) than men. Get 1,000mg/day of calcium from foods (low-cal cheese/yogurt, skim milk, collard greens, spinach) to counteract the caffeine. Taking a calcium supplement daily is also another great idea to prevent bone density loss/injury.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

"I'm a woman, I don't want to lift weights, because I'll get bulky." FALSE. The only ways to get bulky are:

1) To strength train for bodybuilding,

2) Consume 100s of grams of protein daily,

3) Increase your testosterone levels through steroids,

4) Do little to no cardio.

Women don’t have enough of the muscle-building hormone testosterone to get bulky, even if using heavy weights. Some people gain muscle faster than they lose fat, so they may look bigger until they shed the flab and reveal the toned muscles underneath. Weight training burns 4X more calories than cardio & keeps metabolism (how fast we burn cal) high for 24-36hrs (cardio only 2hrs) = getting lean & tone faster. LADIES, as long as you're strength training properly for lean & tone = High Intensity Interval Training, don't be afraid to lift!

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

If you have trouble sleeping, start adding these foods to your dinner/evening snack.

1) Unsalted/raw ALMONDS reduce muscle/nerve function while steadying your heart rhythm.

2) HONEY has glucose which tells your brain to shut off the chemical that triggers alertness.

3) CHERRIES increase melatonin which regulates the sleep cycle.

4) BANANAS have magnesium & potassium which are muscle/nerve relaxants.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Do you have trouble sleeping at night? One cause could be the foods you're eating close to bedtime. Here's some foods that could be the culprit.

1) AGED CHEESE. Parmesan, Romano, Asiago, and other hard cheeses have high levels of the amino acid tyramine which is known to keep you up.

2) SPICY FOODS. Hot wings may taste good during the football game, but they aren't going to feel so great come bedtime; especially if you're prone to heartburn, since lying down only amps up its side.

3) PROCESSED/SMOKED MEATS. Processed meats contain high levels of tyramine and makes the brain release a chemical that makes us feel alert.

4) ALCOHOL. Many people use alcohol to help them relax, but it actually prevents your body from entering the deep stages of sleep.

5) MILK CHOCOLATE. The average milk chocolate bar contains tyrosine, which is converted into dopamine, a stimulant. This causes alertness and restlessness, which can keep you up at night.

6) TOMATO SAUCES. Tomato-based foods have a tendency to cause acid reflux and heartburn, which will prevent you from having a good night's sleep.

7) GINSENG TEA. Herbal teas are great for sleeping, but steer clear of ginseng. It acts as a stimulant, and some may experience insomnia and hypertension.

8) SOY. Fermented soy products have some of the highest amount of tyramine. Meaning soy sauce, tofu, miso, and even teriyaki sauce should be avoided hours before snoozing.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

How much FIBER do you have daily? If you want to prevent body fat gain, you should have it daily. Fiber helps to slow down the digestion of the sugars we eat. That's a good thing, because the faster those sugars are digested & absorbed, and if not burned immediately, they're stored as body fat. A general rule is that what you're eating should have 8g of fiber or more.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

If you have just three sodas, juices, or sports drinks a day, you're consuming over 16,000 tablespoons of sugar a year! All that sugar = body fat gain, because 1) if excess sugar is not burned immediately, it is stored as body fat & 2) it spikes our insulin (blood sugar) levels which triggers the body to raise levels of the body fat producing hormone cortisol. Start drinking more water! At least 80oz/day, and closer to 120oz if you exercise regularly. Water has zero cal/fat/sugar, and also will help prevent overeating, because many confuse that hungry feeling for the body wanting a meal, when instead that hungry feeling is the body saying it's dehydrated.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Most people, when they know they're going to have a large meal, or after they've had a huge meal, won't eat anything else that day. That's the worse thing we can do, because we've already over-consumed calories = body fat gain; then by starving the body the rest of the day, we slow down our metabolism (how fast we burn calories) = more body fat gain. Instead, eat something SMALL (unsalted/raw nuts, a banana, or plain Greek yogurt mixed with fresh fruit), every 3hrs to keep the metabolism fast.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Summer is only a few short weeks away! Time for swimsuits, shorts, Summer dresses, and showing more skin! Are you doing cardio properly to be maximizing body fat loss?

Four to five times per week start doing cardio properly to be burning majority calories from fat, not energy. Doing more than 30 minutes of cardio is going to be majority energy calories; more than an hour is going to burn muscle. To do cardio properly to burn majority fat calories do just 25 minutes of 60 second high then low intensity intervals of cardio.

Cardio example (treadmill):

Warm-up 60sec @ 3.0 speed
Minute 1 - Speed 5.0
Min 3 - Speed 5.0
Min 5 - Speed 5.0
Min 7 - Speed 5.0
Min 9 - Speed 5.0
Min 11 - Speed 7.0
Min 13 - Speed 7.0
Min 15 - Speed 7.0
Min 17 - Speed 7.0
Min 19 - Speed 7.0
Min 21 - Speed 9.0
Min 23 - Speed 9.0
Cool-down 60sec @ Speed 3.0

That's it just 25mins of cardio to burn body fat! All the even numbered mins (2,4,6, etc) you come down to Speed 3.0. This is just an example, adjust it to your fitness level.

There's no wrong time to do cardio, but the two best times are: as soon as you wake up before consuming calories, and after strength training.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Getting enough sleep each night is essential to getting/staying in-shape. Lack of sleep causes: the body fat producing hormone cortisol to increase, decreases growth hormones that help us recover from exercise & our day, increases the cravings/appetite hormone ghrelin, and decreases levels of leptin which suppresses appetite.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Hot news story yesterday. This is a zero carb & starvation (800cal/day) diet. Zero carb diets only help us lose water weight, because 1g of carb carries 4oz of water, so by eliminating carbs we don't have that extra water, but once we eat carbs again we gain it all back plus some. Anybody who consumes under 1200cal/day puts their body into starvation mode: 1) the body holds onto the fat it already has, 2) anything we do consume is auto-stored as fat for future energy, 3) if done consistently daily, the body will start consuming muscle as fuel, which slows down our metabolism, causing more body fat gain. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR DAILY EXERCISE & HEALTHY EATING FOR TRUE, HEALTHY, LONG LASTING RESULTS.

Watch this Good Morning America video for more on this terrible nutrition example:

http://gma.yahoo.com/k-e-diet-brides-using-feeding-tubes-rapidly-080053646--abc-news-health.html

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

This is the most effective fat burner there is! Taking Perfect ISOPURE after we exercise will help us to build lean muscle tissue, which helps us burn more calories all day long. 1lb of muscle burns 50cal/day at rest, so 10lbs of muscle will burn an extra 500cal/day on top of what we burn during exercise. All you do is mix 1 scoop with 10oz of cold water, and consume after any kind of exercise. Taking this will turns a body into a calorie burning machine!

Go to www.bodybuilding.com/store/nb/perfectisopure.html to see more info.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

There is NO substitute for exercise & eating right daily if we want to see long lasting results in a healthy way. Diet pills sold by Kim K., or pregnancy hormone starvation diets (HCG) are all just short term solutions that are ineffective or only help us water weight/muscle. Striving to lose "weight" instead of body fat, keeps us as yo-yo dieters that gain then lose, gain then lose, which is extremely damaging to the heart.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

The battle to get in-shape is more psychological than physical. We just have to say, "today, I'm going to do ____________ to get into shape!" Whether it's a Zumba or kickboxing class, going for walk along the Lakefront Downtown, or riding a bike to work/to do errands/to a friends house, make a pledge to do something active TODAY & every single day this week! Once you do you'll feel amazing!

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

How are your energy levels morning to night? If low, do you take a multi-vitamin daily? If not, you should be. With all the processing food goes through before the store, and then when we cook it, it gives up all it's vitamins and minerals. So to get the amount of v & m we need that's where a multi-vitamin is essential.

Recommendations on a multi-vitamin:

1) If possible, have it be a soft gel pill, because those digest & absorb better.

2) Regardless of soft or hard, ALWAYS take pills AFTER you eat, not on a empty stomach.

3) Best time to take a multi-vitamin is after breakfast, because we just went 5-8hrs during sleep with no nutrients, so to get jump start take after breakfast.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

The body can only consume so many calories (approx. 500) before the rest is stored as fat. Also, the body can only burn so many calories with exercise (approx. 400) before you're just burning energy/muscle. So if you're on a machine or using a heart rate monitor and they say you're burning over 600cal, you're not accomplishing anything besides burning energy and them muscle, which is putting you further from your goal because the more muscle we have the more cal we'll burn all day long.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Everybody (even personal trainers) has obstacles to getting/staying in-shape. Whether poor nutritional habits, lack of exercise, exhaustion, stress, etc. Identify what yours are & begin overcoming them. Start by answering this question, "I'm not in the best possible shape because I _____________________?" It won't be easy, but you will be successful, if you choose to change!

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

"I just want to lose WEIGHT and lose it quickly." STOP trying to lose "weight." STOP doing crazy diets that have you eating barely anything, just liquid, or taking pregancy hormones (HCG), etc. STOP focusing on the scale. All of that nonsense if FALSE results, and going to keep you as a yo-yo weight gainer/loser. Instead, have your main focus be on losing body fat, and that's it. Here are the TEN Nutrition Commandments that if you follow 100%, you are guaranteed to see results in a HEALTHY, long lasting way.

1) You have to burn more cal than you're consuming. Ask a health & fitness professional to calculate your daily calorie limit and start staying within it. Nobody should ever eat under 1200cal/day, because that lowers metabolism which means holding onto and storing more body fat.

2) Eat every 2.5-3hrs = 4-6 SMALL meals/snacks per day to keep your metabolism (rate at which you burn cal) fast. Eating 1-2/day slows your metabolism = body fat gain.

3) Avoid bad trans/saturated fat foods, because they lead to artery clogging, cellulite, and keeping your body fat cells full. Eat healthy unsaturated fat foods (ex: fish/nuts/flax) that help to burn body fat.

4) Eat high glycemic carbs (ex: bread/pasta/rice/oat) ONLY after you exercise, because they digest quickly. Eating them all day long = body fat gain because they're not burned quick enough. Eat low glycemic carbs (ex: fruits/veggies) the rest of the day because they digest slowly.

5) Eat lean protein foods (ex: chicken/turkey/fish/nuts) that are not high in saturated fat. Consume a whey isolate protein (ex: ISOPURE) that is low cal/carbs after every time you exercise (weights & cardio). This will build lean muscle which help you burn more cal all day long.

6) Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol increases levels of body fat production hormone cortisol and lowers body fat burning hormone testosterone.

7) Limit sodium intake to no more than 1200mg/day. Sodium carries water which will make you look & feel bloated, and can lead to high blood pressure. Eat high potassium foods to lower sodium levels.

8) Drink 80-120oz of water everyday. Prevents overeating, reduces soreness after exercise, and keeps your skin looking healthy.

9) Limit sugar consumption because excess sugar is turned into body fat. Avoid "sugar free" foods/drinks because artificial sweeteners are not properly metabolized by the body and are turned into body fat.

10) Get rest every night! Lack of sleep increases levels of body fat production hormones and decreases growth hormones that help us recover from day/exercise.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

For every cigarette we have we lose 5mins off our life. Takes about 5mins to smoke it, so technically every cigarette chops 10mins off our life. It's even harder to quit now because our government allowed tobacco companies to put more addictive chemicals in cigarettes, in the settlement agreement for the nationwide no smoking in restaurant/bar/workplace bans. Think of the long term effects though, and how your time is erased with each puff.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

The battle to get/stay in-shape is more psychological than it is physical. How bad do you want to look and feel better? What sacrifices are you willing to make to get there? If you say you can't do something, you can't/won't. If you say you CAN do something, you CAN and WILL!

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

At the age of 25 we all start to 1/2lb of lean muscle tissue every year for the rest of our life. Losing muscle tissue = slowing down our metabolism (rate at which we burn cal) = gaining body fat quicker. At 30 our metabolism slows down even more. At 40 we start to lose bone density, making our bones weaker, and leaving us more open to injury. So important to begin exercising, especially strength training, to avoid health issues such as these in the future. START TODAY!

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Do you have love chub? Love chub = when you're in relationship that every activity centers around food & drink, and so you begin to gain body fat. It especially occurs during new relationships, but can also happen if all you and your friends do is eat & drink when together. If you have love chub, try doing activities with your significant other/friends that do not involve food/alcohol; or if you want to continue that, then get some serious exercise in together too every day.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Eating healthy is not a punishment, like all you can have is water and lettuce. Good nutrition is just about making smarter choices whether eating at home or out. Look at this picture to see poor vs smarter ways to order/prepare foods. Remember, eating right is NOT a 4-16wk diet that you eventually stop, it's a complete lifestyle change, that you do every day.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Don't exercise the same muscles every day. Every muscle group needs at least 48hrs of rest to fully recover, rebuild, and regenerate new muscle tissue that will help us see faster results. So for example if you do lower body today (Friday), next day to train them would be Monday. An exercise schedule to be lean & tone quickly should look like this:

Monday: Upper & Lower Body
Tuesday: Core (Abs, Lower Back) & Cardio
Wednesday: Cardio in the AM & again in the PM
Thursday: Repeat Monday
Friday: Repeat Tuesday
Saturday: Repeat Wednesday
Sunday: Rest

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Want to have nice abs for Summer 2011? Follow our RIO Fitness "AB COMMANDMENTS" to help get you there:

1) Strength train your ENTIRE midsection (obliques, lower & upper abdominals), finishing with a lower back exercise to fully complete your core.

2) Do NOT work your abs every day. They're a muscle like any other so they need time to recover & regenerate. Give 48hrs in between, so if you did them on a Wed, next time would be Sat.

3) Do cardio properly so you're burning calories from fat & not energy (glycogen). This means no more than 30mins, and the cardio must be done in intervals (Ex: 60sec run then 60sec walk for 25mins).

4) Track how many calories you consume daily. Consuming more calories than you burn daily will increase body fat production.

5) Limit HIGH GLYCEMIC CARBS (breads/pasta/rice/oats) to ONLY after exercise. These are carbs which digest quickly, so if they are consumed throughout the day and not burned they'll be turned into body fat. LOW GLYCEMIC CARBS (fruits/veggies) are the carbs to be eaten the rest of the day.

6) Limit your sodium intake to no more than 1200mg/day. Sodium increases water levels in the body, making you look & feel bloated. Consume foods high in potassium (i.e. bananas/spinach/apricots/beans) daily to lower sodium levels in the body naturally.

7) Limit/avoid alcohol consumption. Alcohol triggers the body fat production hormone cortisol to begin production.

8) Limit your stress. Increased stress levels also increases levels of cortisol.

9) Get your rest. Lack of adequate rest each night increases levels of cortisol.

10) Remember, just focusing on your abs won't give you a nice midsection, you need to strength train from head to toe. Especially do not neglect large muscle groups (back/lower body), because developing those will help you burn more cal/day & increase testosterone production which is the hormone that helps us burn body fat quickly.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

With this surprising gorgeous weather many are outside running trying to get in-shape. Cardio is essential to lose body fat, BUT strength training burns FOUR times more calories and keeps our metabolism (how fast we burn cal) high for 24-36hrs (cardio keeps it high for just two hrs). Most effective way to strength and do cardio to see quick results is called High Intensity Interval Training. Google/YouTube it for more info.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Give away your "fat clothes." Getting rid of clothes that are now too big helps us to focus on getting/staying fit. If we keep larger items in our closet it'll psychologically make it OK to gain body fat. Also, if you're starting to gain, NEVER purchase larger sizes. In fact, if you're gaining, buy smaller sizes and hang them all over the house as a reminder to get back in-shape.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

For more motivation to get in-shape, strip down to your intimates and take a picture of your body in a mirror. Nothing is more revealing, eye-opening, and possibly embarassing, than to see how far we've gotten out-of-shape. Start with a "before" photo, then take one every four weeks. Whether you're making progress or not, pictures never lie.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Stressed out? Don't turn to food or alcohol for comfort, because that just will contribute to body fat gain, which leads to more negative feelings, which leads to more bad food and drinks. Break the cycle. Instead stress eating/drinking, go for a walk, get a massage, practice yoga for better breathing and relaxation, buy a new outfit, take a mini weekend getaway even if it's at your own home. Food and drink should NEVER be a reward for exercising, and definitely NEVER A means to cope with the issues of life.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Are you an emotional eater/drinker? Stop the cycle. Remove everything in your life that causes you stress or contributes to body fat gain. May be easier said than done, but start TODAY by throwing out all the high cal/fat/sugar/sodium/etc food & drinks in your house. Then go to the store and replace all of that with fresh fruits & veggies, lean proteins (white meat, fish, eggs, beans, unsalted/raw nuts, plain Greek yogurt, etc), and complex 100% whole grain carbs. If we put garbage inside our body, we can only expect garbage out. Same can be said if we fuel with nutritious items, put good stuff in = feel better, look better.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Only 90 days until the unofficial start of Summer! Aka the season of short sleeves, Summer dresses, shorts, and swimsuits! Did your arms, butt, thighs, and tummy survive the Winter assault of goodies, especially during the holidays?? NOW is the time to start fine tuning that body for Summer, not in May. Starting RIGHT NOW, no more garbage food & drinks, start going to bed earlier so you can wake up earlier to exercise because it's the best time to exercise to maximize fat loss.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Portion control, portion control, portion control. If overeating is your problem, one remedy is to always use small or child-size dinnerware. If you can fit less on your plate, you'll eat less. Try it this weekend!

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Eating late at night is okay, ONLY if we haven't reached our specific daily calorie limit. Yes, the body does slow down our metabolism (how fast we burn calories) as it gets closer to bedtime, because it knows we won't be consuming during sleep; but as long as we haven't reached that limit, it's okay. If you don't know you specific daily calorie limit number, have a qualified health professional calculate it for you ASAP, because getting in/staying in shape, ultimately comes down to calories consumed vs calories burned. Consume more than you burn daily, and you will begin storing the extra calories as fat (stored energy). Regardless, nobody should ever consume under 1200cal/day, because it will cause the body to enter into starvation mode, which causes the body to: 1) Hold onto the fat we already have. 2) Store everything we eat as fat. 3) Burn muscle tissue as fuel, which will slow down our metabolism even more = more fat storing.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Do you have a healthy relationship with food/drink? Examples of an unhealthy relationship: 1) You eat/drink more based on emotions. 2) You view having good nutrition as a chore/punishment. 3) You say things like "I exercise so I can eat/drink whatever I want." Food and drink should NEVER be rewards for being active. Here's a graph to show the difference between real hunger and emotional hunger, which also shows a healthy & unhealthy relationship with food/drink.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Some might not know what healthy foods to eat, but we all know what foods NOT to eat (pizza, triple cheeseburgers, desserts, milkshakes, and the list goes on & on). DON'T eat them! Plain and simple.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

100calories/day = 10lbs/year, we can either lose it or gain it. Drop 100cal/day from your diet to lose it!

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

We can never go wrong with sun and beach vacations, but have you ever thought about an adventure vacation? One example, hiking through the gorgeous hills and mountains of Tennessee that are full of beautiful waterfalls, especially near Lookout Mountain, TN. Another, skiing/snowboarding through the fresh powder in Colorado, or Wisconsin. All great options, if you're for something different; and WI and TN are within driving distance of Chicago.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Bring the color BLUE into your life. Believe it or not, but the color blue is considered to be an appetite suppressant. That's the reason we rarely see fast-food restaurants painted in blue.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Wine drinking this weekend? Order by the glass, not by the bottle. This way you're more aware of how much you're drinking. Moderation with alcohol is essential to see quick results, because it is one of the three quickest ways to gain body fat. It has the triple whammy of fat gain, because it has calories, raises levels of the body fat producing hormone cortisol, and it lowers levels of the body fat burning hormone testosterone. Try having a WHITE WINE SPRITZER (4oz white wine, soda water and a lime). It's half the wine and half the calories.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

If you have just three sodas, juices, or sports drinks a day, you're consuming over 16,000 tablespoons of sugar a year! All that sugar = body fat gain, because 1) if excess sugar is not burned immediately, it is stored as body fat & 2) it spikes our insulin (blood sugar) levels which triggers the body to raise levels of the body fat producing hormone cortisol. Start drinking more water! At least 80oz/day, and closer to 120oz if you exercise regularly. Water has zero cal/fat/sugar, and also will help prevent overeating, because many confuse that hungry feeling that the body wants a meal, when instead that hungry feeling is the body saying it's dehydrated.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

"Diet/gym starts tomorrow/on Monday." NO! Why put off 'til tomorrow/next week what we can do TODAY. Healthy eating & exercise are not a 4-12wk program that we stop, it's an every day lifestyle change. Once we understand that, we'll stop viewing them as chore/punishment, and it'll become easier to do daily.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

If you have a smartphone with an app store, then you have access to hundreds of apps that can help you with healthy eating & exercise. Many are even FREE! Free apps we recommend: LiveStrong, Lose It!, and Nike Training Club. If you know of any other good ones, please comment them.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Need motivation to start being more active? If you belong to a gym that has classes, get a bunch schedules and tape them to your fridge, bathroom mirror, and car dashboard. Have equipment or DVDs at home, leave them on the kitchen table or on the bed when you're not using them. When exercise is always present in front of you, it'll be a constant reminder to get it in. 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Eating healthier is just about making smarter choices. For example, try a healthier milk alternative like unsweetened almond milk. With only approx 30-40cal/serving its lower in cal, bad saturated fat, and sugar than cow's milk. It's also easier to digest, and less harsh on the digestive system in total because of the zero lactose and hormones given to the cows. Blue Diamond's unsweetened 'Almond Breeze' is an excellent brand.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

We can always be focused on the body, but when was the last time you exercised your mind? Start doing simple things different for your normal routine to challenge and keep your mind fresh. For example, tonight brush your teeth with the opposite hand than you're used to, and tomorrow go to school/work a different way than you ever have.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Do you not get enough sleep during the week? Now that the weekend is here try to catch up on rest, because lack of sleep: causes the body fat producing hormone cortisol to increase, decreases growth hormones that help us recover from exercise & our day, increases the cravings/appetite hormone ghrelin, and decreases levels of leptin which suppresses appetite.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

If we consistently, eat only 1-2/day or go more than four hours between eating or consume under 1200cal/day, our body's go into STARVATION MODE and FOUR awful things are happening internally in our body.

1) The body holds onto the fat (stored energy) we already have, as a future energy source.

2) When we finally do consume something, the body automatically stores it as fat, because it thinks it doesn't know when it's next energy source is coming.

3) If a daily habit, the body will begin to eat (catabolize) our muscles to use as a fuel source. Muscle helps us to burn more cal all day long, so if we're burning muscle we're going to be burning cal at a slower rate = gaining more body fat.

4) Our insulin (blood sugars) plummet, then when we eat something then soar. This up & down causes our body to increase levels of the body fat producing hormone cortisol.

Try to consume a SMALL meal/snack every 2.5-3hrs to keep our metabolism (rate of which we burn cal) fast & insulin levels stable. Example: a 1300cal/day limit = 3 meals at 300cal and 3 snacks of 100cal in between those meals.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Since it's Wednesday and we have time to plan for this weekend, this weekend grab some loved ones and have a healthy dinner party. Have everybody bring a healthy dish containing a lean protein, fresh veggies, fresh fruit, 100% whole grains. Have everybody bring the recipe for their dish on index cards so that people can take home their favorite recipe. Eating healthy is not a 4-12wk diet that we eventually stop, it's a lifestyle change that we must live every day. That lifestyle change is made easier when we have others to share the change with us.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Whether you've had it for a while, or just bought a gym membership, if you don't go, you're paying what gym sales people call the "Fat Tax." If looking and feeling better is not motivation enough to go, think about how much money daily you waste by not going.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Exercise should be fun, challenging, and something you enjoy doing. Challenge yourself with exercise with something you've never done before. A 5K race for example. Grab some friends/family, sign up for one, and make a training schedule for you & the group. There are many 5Ks that also raise money for a charity. To see a list of upcoming races in Chicago click this link http://chicago5k.com/

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Another couple of inches of snow today. Take advantage of it this weekend by being a kid again and going SLEDDING! One hour of sledding can burn up to 476cal! Bundle up well, grab some loved ones, and go have a blast! For find some awesome sledding hills around Chicago near you click this Yahoo article http://news.yahoo.com/four-great-sledding-hills-chicago-area-224817932.html?bouchon=602,il

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

To help prevent overeating SLOW IT DOWN. Takes the stomach 20mins to signal to the brain it's full; so by taking our time while we eat/drink we'll be less likely to overconsume. For example, a recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition to help those who overeat by having people eat unsalted/raw nuts that still had the shell on them & others eat those that were de-shelled. It was found that those who had to de-shell only consumed 86cal, whereas the group already without a shell consumed 211cal.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Not all protein foods are the same. Many can be high in protein, but high in "bad" saturated fat too. That's why we need LEAN sources of protein (white meat, fish, eggs, unsalted/raw nuts, unsalted beans, plain Greek yogurt). Don't be afraid to try non-traditional sources of lean protein either, like bison & ostrich. Broil/grill a bison/ostrich burger that you seasoned with pepper & garlic and enjoy it over a veggie salad. Top the salad with a drizzle of olive oil for a perfect post-exercise meal.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Eating healthier is made easier when we're better prepared & preplan our meals & snacks ahead of time. This weekend go to the grocery store and buy "sEE-food." Not seAfood as in fish, but healthy snacks that you can have with you throughout the week that you can sEE, so that you're not starving and searching for unhealthy items. When we surround ourselves with healthy choices, we're less likely to make bad choices & overeat. Great sEE-food choices: fresh fruit & veggies that you enjoy, plain Greek yogurt and mix in fresh fruit, hummus and use fresh raw veggies to dip in it like carrots/celery/cauliflower/brocoli/peppers, unsalted/raw nuts, unsalted beans like lentils that make for a great Winter warmup soup, tuna or salmon in a pouch that's packed in water/olive oil, Quinoa which is protein loaded grain that's a better sub for rice/potatoes, and almond butter which a better sub for peanut butter because it's less toxic and allergenic than peanut butter.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

This winter take advantage of the snow, and get outside and shovel! Just 30mins of shoveling can burn up to 200cal! Don't have an area around your house that needs shoveling? Go find an elderly family member/friend/neighbor that could use the help doing it! Get fit and feel good helping others!

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Next time you go buy groceries, only shop on the outer edges of the store. This is where all the healthy choices are: fresh fruits/veggies, lean proteins (white meat, fish, unsalted nuts/beans, eggs), low calorie/fat dairy or healthier dairy substitutes like almond & coconut. It's when we start going down the aisles in the middle of the store that we find all the garbage processed foods & drinks that are loaded with calories/fat/unhealthy carbs/sugar/sodium.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

With a resolution to get in shape for 2012, you might be looking for healthy options to consume. Now you're seeing things like "whole wheat," "natural," "organic," and think they're healthier; but what do those buzz words that companies use to sell more product really mean?

1) "WHOLE WHEAT" can mean it's just the skin of grain. Unless it says 100% whole grain it's not the whole of anything.

2) "NATURAL." The U.S. FDA does not define nor regulate this term. If the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors or synthetic substances it may be labeled natural. Synthetic substances have been linked with hyperactivity in children and cancer.

3) "ORGANIC" means a farm must have been pesticide/herbicide free for at least three years. An organic label indicates 95% of the product is organic. A food with at least 70% organic ingredients can be labeled “made with organic ingredients.” Organic does not guarantee that it was produced on a small farm, is healthy, or that animals were treated humanely.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Do you know how many calories/fat/carbs/sugar/sodium/protein/etc you consume on a daily basis? For FREE go to www.livestrong.com/myplate/ and just put in what you had yesterday and so far today. You may be surprised at how much or how little you're consuming that's keeping you from being as in shape/healthy as you want to be. Nutrition is 60% of reaching any fitness goal, so if we don't know what we're putting inside our bodies, we can't expect quick, long lasting results.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Laughing for 10-15mins can burn up to 50cal. For a good laugh watch this short YouTube clip from the The Situation workout DVD. No proper form, no real explanation of why you're doing the exercises you're doing and what they're actually working on ("gluteum maximus" LOL!), and the same exercises over and over and over. The guy is hilarious though! Don't waste your money on this DVD. P90X & Jillian Michaels DVDs are a much better investment.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

To get back into shape we need to keep things simple. One of the easiest things we can do every day to jumpstart getting back into shape is cardio. Especially if we can do it as soon as we wake up before consuming any calories which is one of the two best times to do cardio (after strength training is the other). The correct way to do cardio to burn more body fat is simple as well. Only 25mins of 60sec high/low intensity intervals. Here's an example for a machine, but the principle of up & down intensity every 60sec can be used for anything (running/walking outside, swimming, doing actual stairs, etc).

Cardio example (treadmill):

Warmup 60sec @ 3.0 speed
Minute 1 - Speed 5.0
Min 3 - Speed 5.0
Min 5 - Speed 5.0
Min 7 - Speed 5.0
Min 9 - Speed 5.0
Min 11 - Speed 7.0
Min 13 - Speed 7.0
Min 15 - Speed 7.0
Min 17 - Speed 7.0
Min 19 - Speed 7.0
Min 21 - Speed 9.0
Min 23 - Speed 9.0
Cooldown 60sec @ Speed 3.0

That's it just 25mins of cardio to burn more calories from body fat! All the even numbered mins (2,4,6, etc) you come down to Speed 3.0

Side note, doing more than 30mins of cardio will burn just energy calories (glycogen) not body fat. Over an hour, glycogen runs out, and so the body will burn muscle tissue, which will slow down our metabolism = gaining body fat quicker.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

2012 is just a few days away, and you might be researching diets to begin helping you get in shape. Diets don't work. They're just quick fixes that only help you lose "weight" not body fat. Losing "weight" means you'll eventually gain it all back, and maybe plus some. Exercise & eating healthy are NOT 4-12wk programs that we just stop doing, it's an every day lifestyle change that helps see REAL results like losing body fat and keeping it off. Here are the TEN Nutrition Commandments that if you follow 100%, you are guaranteed to see results in a HEALTHY, long lasting way.

1) You have to burn more cal than you're consuming. Ask a health & fitness professional to calculate your daily calorie limit and start staying within it. Nobody should ever eat under 1200cal/day, because that lowers metabolism which means holding onto and storing more body fat.

2) Eat every 2.5-3hrs = 4-6 SMALL meals/snacks per day to keep your metabolism (rate at which you burn cal) fast. Eating 1-2/day slows your metabolism = body fat gain.

3) Avoid bad trans/saturated fat foods, because they lead to artery clogging, cellulite, and keeping your body fat cells full. Eat healthy unsaturated fat foods (ex: fish/nuts/flax) that help to burn body fat.

4) Eat high glycemic carbs (ex: bread/pasta/rice/oat) ONLY after you exercise, because they digest quickly. Eating them all day long = body fat gain because they're not burned quick enough. Eat low glycemic carbs (ex: fruits/veggies) the rest of the day because they digest slowly.

5) Eat lean protein foods (ex: chicken/turkey/fish/nuts) that are not high in saturated fat. Consume a whey isolate protein (ex: ISOPURE) that is low cal/carbs after every time you exercise (weights & cardio). This will build lean muscle which help you burn more cal all day long.

6) Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol increases levels of body fat production hormone cortisol and lowers body fat burning hormone testosterone.

7) Limit sodium intake to no more than 1200mg/day. Sodium carries water which will make you look & feel bloated, and can lead to high blood pressure. Eat high potassium foods to lower sodium levels.

8) Drink 80-120oz of water everyday. Prevents overeating, reduces soreness after exercise, and keeps your skin looking healthy.

9) Limit sugar consumption because excess sugar is turned into body fat. Avoid "sugar free" foods/drinks because artificial sweeteners are not properly metabolized by the body and are turned into body fat.

10) Get rest every night! Lack of sleep increases levels of body fat production hormones and decreases growth hormones that help us recover from day/exercise.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Are you an expecting Mommy or know someone who is? The best way to lose the "baby weight" is to not only eat healthy during the pregnancy, but most importantly to stay active. It IS okay to exercise up to the third trimester. Only a few precautions though: 1) Wear a heart rate monitor while you do, because your heart rate should not exceed 140 for a long period of time to minimalize your body's internal core temperature. 2) No exercises that involve any laying flat on the back and no prolonged standing ones. Both pool blood around the fetus which is dangerous. 3) No jumping/bouncing exercises. 4) No using unstable equipment like stability balls/BOSUs/etc unless under the direct supervision of a certified fitness instructor.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Millions of people make New Years resolutions to get in better shape, but don't have a plan of how to. One great way to get/stay lean in 2012, is to cut out alcohol. Alcohol is the one of three quickest ways to GAIN body fat (overconsuming calories & stress are the other two). Alcohol not only has calories, but it causes increased levels of the body fat producing hormone cortisol, and it also lowers levels of the body fat burning hormone testosterone. With that triple whammy of ways to gain body fat, it's hard to stay in shape. Cutting it out might not be easy for some, but doing so will guaranteed make us look & feel (no hangovers) 100 times better.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

A great way to make exercise easier so we can keep up the intensity we need to see quick results, is to get our breathing correct. Perfecting shallow breathing by taking in a breath through mouth and out through our nose, not only helps prevent our mouth from getting dry; but most importantly it helps regulate our heart rate by keeping it from getting too high too quick. Not easy to perfect breathing, but practice, practice, practice makes perfect.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Do you stretch AFTER you exercise? We always should if we want to see quick results from exercise. Stretching after exercise puts our muscles in recovery mode by elongating the muscle, which means better blood flow. Better blood flow means once we take a whey isolate protein (Ex: Natural ISOPURE Zero Carb) after exercise, the protein will digest & absorb quicker = building more LEAN muscle tissue quicker. The more lean muscle tissue we have, the more calories we will burn all day long = the more body fat we will burn. STATIC stretching is the type of stretching you want to do after exercise, NEVER before. DYNAMIC stretching/warmup is what we should do before exercise.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

We do NOT recommend becoming scale obsessed and weighing yourself daily; but with all this holiday food, cookies, drinks, etc, hop on a scale so you can catch a 10-20lb body fat gain. The body can only can take in so many calories (approx 500) before it starts to store the rest as body fat. Enjoy your holidays, but keep food/drink in moderation and get in serious daily exercise. Your waistline/hips/thighs/butt will thank you January 1.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

50% of the people who make a New Year's resolution to get in shape quit after just 6wks. If this is gonna be your resolution:

1) Don't wait until Jan. 1 to start being active & cautious with what you consume, start TODAY!

2) Find the correct strength & cardio exercises for your specific goal. So many will just walk in a gym, and get on machines cause that's what they see everybody else doing. Do your research!

3) Find an exercise buddy that is already living the healthy lifestyle you desire to have.

4) Status it, tweet it, tell everybody you know about your goals, so that EVERYBODY can keep you accountable if you start to slack.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

We're never too young or too old to live a healthy lifestyle. Daily exercise & good nutrition are NOT a 4-12wk program that we stop, they're something we have to live every day. Watch this short video of this 60yr old man with a 20yr old's body, and then ask yourself, "what's my excuse for not being as healthy as I can be?"

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Did you have breakfast this morning? As it gets closer to bedtime, the body knows we won't be consuming calories, so it slows down how fast we burn calories (metabolism) while we sleep. If we skip breakfast it stays slow, so once we do finally eat, what we consume will be stored as fat. Not to mention, if we're starving, that's when we tend to make bad choices and overeat. Great breakfast options are ones that have LEAN protein in them, because protein keeps us feeling full longer. Examples: two eggs with fresh fruit, plain Greek yogurt with fresh fruit mixed in, natural Casein protein shake (www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/naturalcas.html).

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

"It's cold outside, I don't want to get sick." FALSE. The weather has nothing to do with getting sick. Viruses & bacteria are what make us ill. Wash your hands regularly, especially before eating; and especially when leaving the gym, so you don't spread the major bacteria that's in the gym to your car & home. Also, do NOT touch your eyes (quickest entry for bacteria/viruses), nose, ears, or mouth without washing your hands first.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

You don't need expensive home equipment or a gym membership to get in some intense exercise. Do you have stairs, a bed, a couch, chairs in your home? The stairs you can use for cardio by jumping up & down, or walking/running/crawling up & down. The bed, couch, and chairs can be used to do many strength training exercises like pushups, dips, planks using the best weight ever = your own body weight.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

"I don't have time for exercise/to eat breakfast/to eat during my busy day/etc." Truth is, we DO have time. It's just a matter of making the effort to change, to get healthier, and to see the results we want. Get up 30-60mins earlier so you can exercise & have breakfast. Wake up earlier also, or the night before to prepare your snacks for the following day so you're not starving. For every excuse, there's a solution, so less talking about what you're going to do and DO IT! Answer this, "TODAY, I am going to _________________________________ to get healthier and look & feel better."

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

There is a huge difference between looking "skinny" and actually being lean with a low body fat %. It IS possible to look "thin," but still have a high body fat %. Having a low %, not only will decrease our chances for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer, but also reduces cellulite, and makes us look and feel better, especially in our clothing. Women 18-35yrs old should be 18-20%, 35-50yrs old 20-22%, 50+yrs old 22-24%. Men 18-35yrs old should be 12-14%, 35-50yrs old 14-16%, 50+yrs old 16-18%. If you don't know know your number, have a qualified health and fitness professional calculate it for you ASAP!

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

All this holiday eating/drinking can make us look & feel bloated. To change that, limit your daily sodium intake to 1200mg, drink more water to flush out the excess water, and eat more high potassium foods (unsalted beans, unsweetened dried apricots, spinach, squash) because potassium helps to lower sodium levels in the body. Google "high potassium foods" for a more detailed list.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

This holiday season, when you go holiday shopping in some extra activity by doing simple things like: parking further away from the entrance and walk, always use the stairs instead of elevators/escalators, and avoid the thigh & waist expanders at the food court by bringing your own small snacks like a banana, apple, or a cup of unsalted/raw nuts in a baggy. These are just simple steps to help avoid the holiday body fat gain.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

We all eat/drink from plastic containers/bottles. Next time you do, flip it over to see which recycling number(a number between 1 and 7 enclosed in a triangle of arrows) is on it. 1, 2, 4 and 5 are considered to be the safest. 3, 6, and 7 leach chemicals that may be harmful. These chemicals disrupt hormone/reproductive system function & prevent body fat loss because these chemicals mimic estrogen. To stay safe avoid: heating or freezing plastic by heating up leftovers in plastic containers in the microwave, putting leftovers in plastic containers in the freezer, putting plastic dishware in the dishwasher, or leaving plastic bottles of water/juice/soda in the car during extreme heat/cold.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

How many times have you heard someone say, "I lost 10, or 30lbs doing the HCG, Atkins, Legumes, or Mushrooms & Gatorade diets?" RARELY, if ever, do we hear them say, "I lost 5% or 10% body fat!" That's the REAL, long lasting result. It IS possible to lose on the scale but not lose any body fat. That's when we become yo-yo dieters that lose lbs, then end up gaining it all back and maybe plus some. Diets do NOT work. They're quick fixes, but good nutrition is a lifestyle change that we must live EVERY day. Here are the TEN NUTRITION COMMANDMENTS that if you follow 100%, guaranteed you will see long lasting results in a healthy way.

1) You have to burn more cal than you're consuming. Ask a health & fitness professional to calculate your daily calorie limit and start staying within it. Nobody should ever eat under 1200cal/day, because that lowers metabolism which means holding onto and storing more body fat.

2) Eat every 2.5-3hrs = 4-6 SMALL meals/snacks per day to keep your metabolism (rate at which you burn cal) fast. Eating 1-2/day slows your metabolism = body fat gain.

3) Avoid bad trans/saturated fat foods, because they lead to artery clogging, cellulite, and keeping your body fat cells full. Eat healthy unsaturated fat foods (ex: fish/nuts/flax) that help to burn body fat.

4) Eat high glycemic carbs (ex: bread/pasta/rice/oat) ONLY after you exercise, because they digest quickly. Eating them all day long = body fat gain because they're not burned quick enough. Eat low glycemic carbs (ex: fruits/veggies) the rest of the day because they digest slowly.

5) Eat lean protein foods (ex: chicken/turkey/fish/nuts) that are not high in saturated fat. Consume a whey isolate protein (ex: ISOPURE) that is low cal/carbs after every time you exercise (weights & cardio). This will build lean muscle which help you burn more cal all day long.

6) Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol increases levels of body fat production hormone cortisol and lowers body fat burning hormone testosterone.

7) Limit sodium intake to no more than 1200mg/day. Sodium carries water which will make you look & feel bloated, and can lead to high blood pressure. Eat high potassium foods to lower sodium levels.

8) Drink 80-120oz of water everyday. Prevents overeating, reduces soreness after exercise, and keeps your skin looking healthy.

9) Limit sugar consumption because excess sugar is turned into body fat. Avoid "sugar free" foods/drinks because artificial sweeteners are not properly metabolized by the body and are turned into body fat.

10) Get rest every night! Lack of sleep increases levels of body fat production hormones and decreases growth hormones that help us recover from day/exercise.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

With days like yesterday and whenever we overeat, most people think to not eat the rest of the day. That's the worst thing we can do. The body can only take in approx 500cal at one time before it starts storing the rest as body fat; so then if we don't eat the rest of the day, we slow down our metabolism even more which will store more body fat. Best thing to do, is to have another SMALL snack (plain Greek yogurt mixed with fresh fruit, 2tbsp of low cal  PB with an apple, a banana, or hummus with fresh veggies, etc) every three hours after that huge meal to keep our metabolism fast so that we don't keep storing more body fat.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

With tomorrow being Turkey Day, it's important to remember that from October 1st thru January 1st, because of all the holiday eating, drinking, and partying, is when a lot of people gain 10-40lbs. Don't be one of them. If you're going to indulge, get in your daily activity. Get in the mindset, that you need to EARN those holiday treats, not that they're a right to have them no matter what. Also, from now until Jan 1, weigh yourself weekly, so you can catch a 5lb gain before it turns into 30lbs.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

How are your energy levels from morning to night? Do you take a multi-vitamin every day? With all the processing produce goes through before it gets to the store and when we put a flame to something to cook it, it gives away most of it's vitamins and minerals. To get our proper daily dosage of essential vitamins & minerals we should take a multi-vitamin. What kind is best? Soft-gel ones, because they digest easier than hard pills. Best time to take them? No matter what type, ALWAYS AFTER you've eaten. NEVER on an empty stomach. The best time of day? After breakfast, because we've just gone 5-8hrs during sleep without any nutrients, so to get a quick boost take them after breakfast.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

To get tone and lose body fat quickly, we must burn a considerable amount of calories during exercise, but most important is to keep burning a lot of calories the entire day (metabolism). We can do this by:

1) Eating something SMALL every 2.5-3hrs. Think of your metabolism as a fire. We have to keep throwing a log onto the fire so it keeps going. Once we train our body/metabolism, the body will know to burn what we consume and not store it as fat; because it knows it's getting something in another 2.5-3hrs.

2) Strength train 3x/wk in addition to cardio 3x/wk. Cardio is essential to stay lean & tone, but strength training burns FOUR times more calories, and keeps our metabolism high for 24-36hrs (cardio does for only 2hrs).

3) ALWAYS consume a whey isolate protein after any kind of exercise. This will help to create more lean muscle tissue. The more lean muscle tissue we have the more calories we'll burn all day long. Even at rest, 1lb of muscle burns 50cal/day. So, 10lbs of LEAN muscle will burn an extra 500cal/day on top of what you burn during exercise.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Do you have an exercise routine you follow day after day or week after week? If so, FORGET IT! DELETE IT from your brain, because muscles memorize patterns, and that's when we hit plateaus and stop seeing results. EVERY time we exercise it should be something different. If you did cardio today on machines, next time run/walk up & down a flight of stairs or swim laps. Did strength training on machines today, next time use free weights/medicine balls/BOSUs or take a martial arts class or rock climbing lesson. Did P90X DVD for your abs today, next time try yoga or Pilates. Constantly doing something different, shocks our muscles into creating new lean muscle tissue. That helps us burn more calories all day long = seeing results faster.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Do you know what free radicals are? Free radicals are oxidizing molecules that are a leading cause in making us look older faster and gain body fat faster. They emerge when we eat, but they're especially prevalent when we consume junk food like candy bars, chips, and other processed simple carbohydrates. Free radicals damage the cells that tell us we're full. With every passing year, these fullness signifiers suffer wear and tear-causing the "stop eating!" signal to get weaker and appetites (and possibly our waistlines) to get bigger. The best way to fight back is to avoid the junk and load up on colorful, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Cereal, breakfast bar, or oatmeal for breakfast. Pasta for lunch. Fish or chicken with rice, bread, and salad for dinner. Is this close to how you eat daily? If so, you're eating high glycemic carbs (bread, pasta, rice, oats) all day long. Carbs are sugars, and high glycemic carbs are sugars that digest quickly. Since we can't be exercising 24/7, if we're eating them all day long, they're not burned and the body turns them into body fat. *Eat them ONCE per day, and that time should be ONLY AFTER exercise.* If we don't exercise, then we don't have them that day. EARN THEM! Fruits & veggies are low glycemic carbs, so since they digest slowly they're okay to eat all day long.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Do you find it hard to fight temptation when it comes to food or drink? A nice little trick to help you fight, is to brush your teeth when you get that sudden craving. Cause if you're like most people, nobody wants to taste toothpaste in their mouth then have a cookie. Gross. Also, drinking a big glass of water helps too.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

"I'm too busy to eat healthy/eat often enough because of my job/school/family/etc." Solution: This weekend go to the store, and get some small, healthy snacks that don't take a lot of time to prepare/eat and are still yummy. Examples: unsalted/raw nuts (high in protein/fiber), plain Greek yogurt (high in protein) and mix in some fresh fruit, hummus(high in protein/fiber) and dip with some fresh baby carrots or celery sticks, low-sodium lentil soup (high in protein/fiber). When we go hours & hours without eating, our metabolism & insulin levels begin to drop, both equal body fat GAIN. Having snacks preplanned and with you make all the difference in staying/getting in shape.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

How many calories a day do you consume? If it's under 1200, it's making you, hold onto the body fat you already have, store more fat once you do consume something, and if it's a daily routine, burn muscle tissue as a fuel source which slows down how fast we burn calories (metabolism). Have a qualified health professional calculate your specific daily calorie limit, so most importantly you're not consuming too many calories, but also so not too few which has the same effect.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Do you brush your teeth every night before bed? Sounds trivial to ask, but if we want to keep our heart healthy we should never miss. Plaque & bacteria builds in our mouth overnight, and if don't brush before bed, all of that enters into our bloodstream and then into our arteries causing buildup. That can eventually cause heart disease, stroke, or heart attack.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

A great way to burn more calories with strength training is to do COMPOUND MOVEMENTS = using upper & lower body together. Examples: squats with a free weight or med ball chest or shoulder press, or walking lunges with a free weight or med ball bicep curl. Any time we can use upper & lower body at the same time it'll be more intense & elevate our heart rate higher which burns more calories.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

When a person is trying to lose body fat & tone up, the first thing most people think of is just doing cardio. Cardio is necessary, but strength training burns FOUR TIMES more calories than cardio, and keeps our metabolism high for 24-36hrs while cardio only keeps it high for 2hrs. The best way to strength train to lose fat and tone up is HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING (doing two different exercises with no rest in between, then resting 60sec and repeating for three sets). Examples: doing 30-60sec of walking lunges, then 30-60sec of side to side crawling pushups, then rest 60sec and repeat; or 30-60sec of wide leg squats, then 30-60sec of jumping jacks, then rest and repeat. Google/YouTube HIIT for more info/examples.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Should we exercise if we're sick? If it's just a regular, common cold, then YES. The exercise can give us an endorphin burst to boost our immune system to fight it. While at the gym make sure to wipe down everything you use, and make sure to wash your hands before leaving. If it's a fever or flu, then NO. When we have a fever we're contagious to others, and more open to picking up bacteria at the gyms which are breeding grounds for germs.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Diets don't work. They're just short term solutions to life long problems. We don't need to be extreme like all protein, zero carbs, or an all lemon juice diets. Nutrition and healthy eating needs to be and is simple. Here's the TEN NUTRITION COMMANDMENTS, that if you follow 100%, you'll see healthy, long lasting results.

1) You have to burn more cal than you're consuming. Ask a health & fitness professional to calculate your daily calorie limit and start staying within it.

2) Eat every 2.5-3hrs = 4-6 SMALL meals/snacks per day to keep your metabolism (rate at which you burn cal) fast. Eating 1-2/day slows your metabolism = body fat gain.

3) Avoid bad trans/saturated fat foods, because they lead to artery clogging, cellulite, and keeping your body fat cells full. Eat healthy unsaturated fat foods (ex: fish/nuts/flax) that help to burn body fat.

4) Eat high glycemic carbs (ex: bread/pasta/rice/oat) ONLY after you exercise, because they digest quickly. Eating them all day long = body fat gain because they're not burned quick enough. Eat low glycemic carbs (ex: fruits/veggies) the rest of the day because they digest slowly.

5) Eat lean protein foods (ex: chicken/turkey/fish/nuts) that are not high in saturated fat. Consume a whey isolate protein (ex: ISOPURE) that is low cal/carbs after every time you exercise (weights & cardio). This will build lean muscle which help you burn more cal all day long.

6) Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol increases levels of body fat production hormone cortisol and lowers body fat burning hormone testosterone.

7) Limit sodium intake to no more than 1200mg/day. Sodium carries water which will make you look & feel bloated, and can lead to high blood pressure. Eat high potassium foods to lower sodium levels.

8) Drink 80-120oz of water everyday. Prevents overeating, reduces soreness after exercise, and keeps your skin looking healthy.

9) Limit sugar consumption because excess sugar is turned into body fat. Avoid "sugar free" foods/drinks because artificial sweeteners are not properly metabolized by the body and are turned into body fat.

10) Get rest every night! Lack of sleep increases levels of body fat production hormones and decreases growth hormones that help us recover from day/exercise.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

The three quickest ways to gain body fat are: overconsuming calories daily, drinking alcohol, and stress. Solutions: have a qualified health professional calculate your specific daily calorie limit and then start staying within it; eliminate/limit your weekly alcohol intake to 1-2 drinks/wk; and to help regulate the hormone imbalance caused by stress, get 30-60mins of rigorous exercise every day. Identify which of the three is preventing you from seeing results and break the cycle TODAY!

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Most Americans drink about 30% of their daily calories. That is a leading cause of obesity in this country because of all the sugar & calories in soda/juice/sports drinks. Sugar is now a major food group, and sugars in soft drinks are now the largest single source of calories in the American diet. Let's break the cycle with a 30 Day Challenge of ZERO soda/juice/sports drinks! Replace those with water & decaffeinated tea. Not only will you see a major difference in your waistline, but your skin will look better, and you will feel more energy.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Did you hit the junk food & booze hard partying this past weekend? Best way to detox, since our body is 75% of it, and our brain 90% of it, is WATER! Not only for flushing out impurities, but also to clear up your skin, and to improve energy.

How much should you have?

At least half of your body weight in fluid ounces every single day. Don't wait until you're thirsty, because then you're already dehydrated.

What kind of water is best?

Tap water has so many toxins these days, prescription medications and chlorine. The chlorine alone increases your chances of getting cancer by 93% over your lifetime, according to the EPA. Bottled water is not great either. The plasticides from the bottle itself leach into the water over the weeks the bottle sits on the shelf. Go to Walmart, spend the $30-$50 for a filter and BPA free water bottle. Your long term health is worth the cost.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

From Halloween 'til Jan 1 is when some people gain 10-40lbs. Don't be one of them. Hiring a personal trainer can be costly, and some times not worth the expense. A good one though, can help you reach your goals in a fun, progressive, and safe way while teaching you how to maintain & improve on your own. Read this article and ask a lot questions before handing over any money.

www.bodybuilding.com/fun/5-reasons-to-hire-a-personal-trainer.html?mcid=training

A great trainer, can be life changing and one of the best investments you'll ever make! For some of the most experienced & educated trainers in Chicago visit:

www.RIOFitnessChicago.com/contact_us.html

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

In case we need another reason to be active every day other than looking & feeling better, latest studies show that just 60 minutes of exercise each day can add two hours to our life expectancy. Living longer is always a good thing.

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Be honest, how many pieces of Halloween candy have you had so far? When the trick or treater bowl of Snickers (80cal), Twix (50cal), and/or Butterfingers (85cal) is around way before Halloween, you're going to snack on them throughout the day. Those calorie totals were for the mini snack size, and they're all close to 100cal! From Halloween til Jan 1, is when most people gain anywhere from 10-30lbs! Don't be one of them! Put the candy in the cabinet on the highest shelf, so it's out of sight, out of mind, until the kids come on Monday.