October Challenge

I am excited to tell you that I have a new challenge group starting next Monday the 19th - and I currently have eight spots left!

What do these groups involve?

• 30 minute workouts
• Daily motivation and accountability
• Private online challenge group
• ME as your coach
• Portion control container system
• Help with clean grocery shopping and meals
• Daily superfood shake – to fill you up and give you the necessary vitamins you need to look and feel your best

It is no lie that it is BUSY season! The kids are back in school, sports are starting, you name it - but you HAVE to make time for yourself and make yourself a priority! If you are ready to push yourself harder to get the results you deserve – email me at desiree.dulski@gmail.com to reserve your spot in the group :-) 

Travel Tips

I get a lot of questions about this so I wanted to just address on my blog– staying healthy while traveling! It’s so easy to throw off your plan entirely when you’re on-the-go – but you don’t have to!

Here are some of the ways I stay on track while traveling:

Go in with a plan. If you go into it thinking that you’ll try to stay on track, but whatever happens happens – oh, it’ll happen! Trust me, I’ve been there! If you know you’ll be hitting up your favorite restaurant, plan your cheat meals ahead of time. Plan your workouts to fit into your schedule – bring DVDs, bands, whatever you need to make it happen.

Bring/stock up on healthy foods. I don’t go anywhere without almonds, Quest bars, Ezekiels, water, shakes, and peanut butter. Honestly, nowhere. I will bring string cheese, Greek yogurt, and sliced peppers in a little cooler as well. It might sound crazy, but it helps!

HYDRATE, hydrate, hydrate. In my personal experience, traveling oftentimes involves adult beverages. Sometimes. Maybe. All the time. I don’t know – either way, make sure your drinking water, too. Drink it as soon as you wake up, before meals, and before you go to bed. Your body and skin will thank me.

Make a few great playlists. For the ride or plane trip, obviously. And you might even get all hyped up to get a sweat in.

I think that’s all I've got for now! What are your tips for staying on track while traveling?! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts J

Speaking of traveling, Harlow and I are road tripping this weekend to see some of our favorites – snacks in tact and ready to go! Thanks for checking in! XO

Post Workout Eats

So many questions regarding the ‘when’ and ‘what’ to eat following your workout. Let’s clear one thing up – You SHOULD be eating after your workout!! You worked that body hard and you need to replace those amino acids and glycogen (sorry for getting science-y, I’m actually a total nerd) – with protein and carbs! Now, let’s get down to the nitty gritty.

When? To replenish and refuel properly, you should eat within 30 minutes of working out. Typically, if you are looking to build muscle, you ‘lose’ your workout after this time - and it is during this time that your body will absorb those nutrients the most effectively. I usually don’t wait even ten minutes before eating – but, hey, that’s just me. I get hangry, ya know?!

What? Let’s talk protein and carbs.  Here are some good protein options: chicken, nuts, eggs, salmon, nut butter, Greek yogurt, hummus. Carb options: sweet potato, Ezekiel toast, granola, fruit. If you’re eating fruit, try to eat fruit that is high in glucose (bananas, grapes) to raise your glycogen levels quickly.

Things to watch out for! Protein bars are a post-workout go-to. Read labels! Most of these bars are very high in sugar – and ones that may appear low in sugar probably have ‘sugar alcohols’ – these are chemically processed and are usually not very kind to your belly. I love Quest bars and experiment with making my own. Will post some recipes soon :-) 

How do you know if you are refueling properly? If you feel really sluggish during your next work out and you feel like you ‘hit a wall’ sooner than normal, that’s a big sign that you need to amp up your post-workout meal!

Tough Love Monday

I’m putting my game face on while writing this post and I hope this message is received well! I love what I do. I am so passionate about health and fitness and I love sharing that with others – motivating them to make healthy changes and helping them to reach their health and fitness goals. The thing is, I can’t actually work out for you, prep your food, or eat clean for you. Don’t get me wrong, I would, I totally would. But I can’t.

I talk to so many people who have an end goal in mind, but don’t have the time, motivation, or drive to get there. Like all things in life, it takes WORK. You can’t expect change without MAKING changes and putting in the time. A lot of people don’t want hear this, but it’s so true. Also, setting unrealistic expectations and goals sets us up for disappointment – but we can touch on that with another blog post!

This tough love goes for myself, too. Sometimes I get so discouraged, but I have to step back and realize that I am the only one keeping myself from reaching my goals. I’ll fall off the clean-eating wagon and expect my body to continue to make changes – and it won’t. I have the choice to get down on myself and continue to eat unhealthy and be lazy with my workouts – or I can get off my butt and work for it. It’s a lot easier to workout and eat vegetables than it is to wake up every morning, unhappy with what I look and feel like.

It may take a few months, a year, a few years – but you’ve got to start somewhere.  You aren’t going to get where you want to be by remaining where you are. I’m NOT saying this to be mean or pushy, I’m saying this because you are capable of SO many things! Stop doubting yourself, stop worrying about the amount of time it will take to get there or what people will think of you. Get out of your comfort zone, push yourself, go for it – You wont regret it, I promise.

“If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it.”

Workout Wednesdays

Today's topic: Cardio vs. Weight Training

Probably one of the questions that I get asked most is – weights or cardio? There are a lot of variations to this answer (and a lot of debate!) but the truth is, no matter what your goals are – BOTH!

I used to be an absolute cardio freak – doing Insanity for an hour a day and then running for an additional hour. I would usually add an ab session – totaling my daily workouts to 2 ½ hours, and my body was still not where I was hoping to be.

After Harlow was born, I started weight training two times a week. At first, I was hardly incorporating cardio at all. When I would, it was just my long runs to clear my head. I wasn’t getting ‘bulky,’ but my body was getting the definition I had always wanted.

Now, I am still weight training (four times a week), incorporating more cardio (21 Day Fix = love!), and HIIT cardio. I am stronger and my endurance has improved dramatically.

SO – You can see that I have changed up my routine quite a bit – but if you are looking for a healthy routine, you should be incorporating both weights and cardio. If you are just starting out, try two days of weight training a week and 3-5 days of cardio. You can adjust accordingly depending on your goals! Feel free to contact me if you need more help!

Mommy and Me

Moms, dads, babysitters, caretakers of all likes - I am teaching a Mommy and Me Fitness class Monday afternoons at Zelienople Community Park! 

They hold Story Time from 10:30-11:30 at the Zelienople Library. Following Story Time, please join me for a sweat in the park! The kids will have a chance to grab a quick snack and play before our interactive, full-body workout. We will incorporate both cardio and strength training all while spending some quality time with the kiddos - a great experience for all! Feel free to bring your strollers, baby carriers, games, and books as well – We are excited to provide a fun and active environment for moms and their children!

Harlow and I look forward to seeing all of you on Monday at noon!