RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

Don't think because it's -500 degrees out right now that you have time to get in-shape for Summer 2014. NEWSFLASH! THERE'S ONLY 12WKS UNTIL SUMMER 2014! Put down the Portillos, Taco Burrito King, sugary alcohol drinks, fattening lattes from Starbucks/DD, and get your ass in gear!

For the next 12 weeks: 

•Every morning as soon as you wake up, you're going to do 25mins of 60sec high then low intensity interval cardio before you consume any calories. 

•Strength train your total body minimum of three days a week using high intensity interval training. 

•Eat a SMALL healthy snack (lean protein, low glycemic carb, and healthy fat) every three hours. 

•Every night get quality hours of sleep so you balance out your hormones that control body fat gain, appetite, etc. 

Do it! Time is of the essence! Swimsuit, shorts, Summer dress, tank top season is coming soon!

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

Is this picture you? Do you go hours & hours without eating because you never have healthy snacks with you? Getting in-shape is all about your brain. Not only does eating something small every three hours keep your metabolism (how fast you burn calories) high, but it also prevents your blood sugars from dropping which is what signals to your brain to crave sugars AND to increase cortisol production which is the hormone that increases body fat storage. 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

Meet Sonny, a 70yr old body builder, who didn't even start exercising 'til he was 44. He's living proof, ANYBODY can achieve the health & fitness goals they desire. STOP making excuses of why you can't exercise or eat healthy. How bad do you want to be healthy & look/feel your best ever? What sacrifices are you willing to make to get there? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKJaZDGVNWA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

Don't get obsessed with your weight/weighing yourself frequently. Weigh yourself once/two weeks, maximum once/week. Body fat % loss is the TRUE sign of progress, not the scale, because it IS possible to lose on the scale (water/muscle loss), but not lose any body fat. Have a qualified health professional measure your body fat % so you can begin tracking real progress/results. Women 18-35yrs old should be 18-20%, 35-50yrs old 20-22%, 50+yrs old 22-24%. Men 18-35yrs old 12-14%, 35-50yrs old 14-16%, 50+yrs old 16-18%. 

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip: 

Did you hit the alcohol & salty/sugary foods hard celebrating Super Bowl Sunday? Here's FOUR simple ways to get your nutrition back on track: 

1) Start eating something SMALL every 3hrs. This will speed up your metabolism = burning cal faster. 

2) To best detox from the booze is to keep drinking water. Since our body is 75% water, and our brain is 90% water, this will help prevent dehydration which amplifies the hangover feeling. 

3) To slow down the digestion of all the sugar, start consuming high FIBER foods. 

4) All that salty foods = looking/feeling bloated, because sodium carries excess water. To lower the sodium levels in the body, consume high POTASSIUM foods (spinach, beans, bananas, kiwi).