Author archive: lauren
Your New Grocery List
I don’t know of very many people who accidentally lose weight.
Success requires planning! If weight loss is your goal, then it is time to plan for success. Let’s start off simple by preparing our grocery list in advanced.
I am all about time-management and I just don’t have time to go to the store more than once/week. I also don’t like food to go to waste (or money for that matter), so I plan my shopping list by getting only what I need for the week and nothing more.
If you stick to your list, then you shouldn’t ever have to worry about binging on unhealthy foods. Chances are, such foods will not be on your list. Most importantly,
don’t ever go to the store on an empty stomach; this can lead to poor decision-making when it comes to food choices.
Shop the perimeter.
Fruits, veggies, lean meats, whole grains, dairy, and superfoods are generally located around the perimeter of the grocery store, while frozen, preservative-filled foods, sweets, and more processed foods are kept in the center isles and in the freezers.
Read Labels.
Avoid products with trans-fats, artificial ingredients, sugar alcohols, sucrose, glucose, sugar, and corn syrup.
My weekly grocery list:
105 oz OR 6.5 lbs of raw assorted veggies.
I need 5 servings of vegetables per day (3 oz or 1 cup= 1 serving)
7-14 servings of fresh fruit
I focus to maintain low sugar levels, so I only allow myself 1 serving of fruit per day. I usually buy 4 bananas (and eat them first so they don’t spoil) and 12 oz of berries to divide up among the last 3 days of the week. In order to achieve weight loss, I do not recommend having more than 2 servings of fruit/day.
2-3 dozen eggs
I eat 4 egg whites every morning, so I need 28 eggs per week. I usually get a few extra, just in case I make a mistake by adding any yoke.
I eat 4oz of lean meat 2x per day, so I buy 3.5 lbs of lean meat for the week
My favorite meats include chicken breast, turkey breast, 96/4% lean ground beef, 99% lean ground turkey, shrimp, pork-chops, filet mignon or skirt steak, and salmon. (sometimes I use plain frozen chicken so I don’t worry about it spoiling).
I have 1 serving of dairy per day as a protein source, so I usually buy either 2-35 oz tubs of plain, fat-free Fage Greek yogurt or 1-32 oz tub of fat-free cottage cheese for the week.
Nuts are my primary fat source and I try to go for walnuts because they are higher in Omega 3 Fatty Acids than any other nut. I only have to buy 1 bag ever 3-4 weeks in order to snack on 1-2 servings/day
I buy 2-.7 oz containers of hummus because sometimes I prefer dipping my raw veggies in hummus instead of cooking them. I allow myself 1-2 servings of hummus per day.
I buy 2-4 oz containers of crumbled goats cheese for topping my lean-meat and veggie stir fry dinners. I use one serving per day.
DetailsGet Shoulder Caps with Front Delt Raises
To order your exercise band, visit my online store
DetailsRecipe: Grilled Chicken Salad
Grilled Chicken Salad
- Prep Time: 20 Min
- Stand: 1 Hr
- Grill: 12 Min
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup grapeseed oil
- 4 tbs balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbs dried dill
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 4 skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves
- Montreal Steak Seasoning or Kansas City Steak Seasoning
- 12 cups mesclun mix, spring mix, or fresh spinach
- 3/4 cup seedless red grapes, halved
- 1/3 cup crumbled chevre goat cheese
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Method:
Vinaigrette:
In a screw-top jar, combine:
- oil
- vinegar
- dill
- garlic
- oregano
- pepper
Cover, shake well, set at room temperature for 1 hour.
Chicken:
- Sprinkle chicken lightly with steak seasoning of your choice
- Charcoal/Gas Grill: Cook chicken directly over medium heat
- Cook chicken for 12-15 minutes, turning chicken half way through
- Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 170 degrees
- Cool for 5 minutes before slicing
Mix:
- 3) Using a large bowl, combine:
- lettuce mix, grapes, cheese, pine nuts, chicken, and dressing.
Separate mixture among 4 plates
Nutrition Breakdown:
- 4 servings
- 400 cal
- 23 grams fat (4 grams saturated fat)
- 86 mg cholesterol
- 167 mg sodium
- 12 g carbs
- 2 g fiber
- 38 g protein
Details
Shred your shoulders this spring with military presses
To order your exercise band, visit my online store
DetailsThe Kitchen Makeover: Plan for Success
We all know that we want to lose weight, but do we have the tools for success? Since nutrition accounts for over 60% of our fitness training results, it is imperative that our kitchens include particular gadgets.
Here is your check-off list. If you don’t have these items, then it is time to get them!
- Pots/pans
- Knives
- Blender
- Tea Pot
- Blender Bottles
- Glass or PBA-Free Tupperware
- Cooler
- Food Weight Scale (to order this product, visit my online store)
- Measuring Cups/Measuring Spoons
- George Forman/Outdoor Grill
- Aluminum Foil/Plastic Wrap/Sandwich and Snack-Sized Zip-lock Baggies
Spring Cleaning
It’s April and that means time for some serious spring-cleaning! April has always been my month for “taking out the trash,” rejuvenating my home, and most importantly, refreshing myself.
This month, I want to focus on getting rid of old habits that no longer suit my physique, fitness, and nutrition goals, so this year my spring cleaning experience is going to begin in my kitchen.
Keep posted this April and continue to lose weight by learning how to:
1) Makeover your kitchen and get rid of those items that are hindering your weight-loss efforts
2) Prepare a grocery list that will further encourage weight loss
3) Learn rituals that will minimize your time preparing food and cleaning up while always providing you with a weekly supply of ready-to-eat foods
Stay fit, stay healthy, stay strong, and stay clean!
XOXO
Lauren
DetailsThe Role of Enzymes in Muscle Contraction
Take Your Vitamins, Minerals, and Electrolytes
The energy provided through vitamins can be a very useful tool during an intense day of leg-training. Vitamins indirectly regulate important processes within the body such as growth, digestion, energy transfer, and nervous system functions. Unfortunately, they are not created in large amounts by the body. When vitamins combine with enzymes, they indirectly allow specific functions to occur throughout the body, one of the most important processes is the creation of energy.
Minerals, which often function as electrolytes, are crucial for leg muscle contraction. They regulate fluid balance necessary to gain strength and improve results. Minerals also regulate nerve impulse transactions; this mechanism determines force output during your leg workouts. The more hydrated your muscles, the more force output you will have and the better the opportunities for developing toned, lean muscle. Minerals are essential and can’t be created by the body. Therefore, they must be ingested through the diet.
It is important to get the majority of vitamins and minerals from foods because research shows that whole food sources provide greater health benefits than taking vitamins and minerals in supplement form. I always recommend taking a daily multi-vitamin just in case and to avoid taking individual vitamins. Research shows that taking isolated vitamins, such as vitamin E, seems to increase disease risk rather than decrease it.
The most nutrient dense foods, like lean meats and dairy, fruit and vegetables, and minimally processes starches, have more nutrients than they do calories and will therefore improve health while also aiding in weight-loss and the development of lean and defined musculature.
Stay Fit, Stay Happy, and Stay Healthy!
DetailsFor Superior Gluts, Eat Super Foods
Super foods have an abundance of macronutrients, micronutrients, and phytonutrients. These foods tend to be lower in calories, higher in fiber, and are rich in enzymes, providing a great source of energy for intense leg workouts!
I recommend adding at least 1 serving per day from the following super foods list:
Proteins
- lean red meat (93% lean, top round, sirloin)
- salmon
- omega-3 eggs
- low-fat, plain yogurt (lactose-free if possible)
- protein supplement (milk protein isolates, whey protein isolates, or vegan protein sources
Fruits & Vegetables
- spinach
- tomatoes
- deep colored vegetables (broccoli, eggplant, zucchini, Brussels, asparagus, kale, spinach)
- mixed berries
- oranges
Other Carbohydrates
- mixed beans
- quinoa
- whole oats
Good Fats
- mixed nuts
- avacados
- extra virgin olive oil
- fish oil
- flax seeds (ground)
Drinks/Other
- green tea
- liquid exercise drinks (quickly digested carbohydrates and protein)
- greens+ (vegetable concentrate supplement)
Stay Fit, Stay Healthy, Stay Strong!
DetailsPerfect Your Posture
Do you have neck or upper back pain or neck pain?
Do you have a high-stress career? Are you pregnant or breast-feeding? Many times these circumstances are a result of poor posture. Neck and upper back pain often result from being in a forward-leaning position for long hours. If your job requires traveling or sitting at a computer, then your pain is most likely work related. If you are overweight, pregnant, or breast-feeding, then your pain is likely caused from having additional weight in the front of your body, which pulls your shoulders forward and stretches/weakens your back musculature at the same time. Let’s do what we can now to perfect your posture, decrease your pain, and decrease your chances of developing chronic shoulder injuries.
Why shoulder posture is so important:
- The shoulder joint is the most mobile joint in the body, but also the least stable joint in the body. This makes the shoulder the easiest joint to injure. Postural training of the shoulder improves shoulder stability and reduces risks of neck pain, shoulder impingement syndrome, and other postural disorders.
- Postural training increases muscle tone around the shoulder cap.
- For men, good posture increases the appearance of chest size. I know how important that nice triangulated structure is to all you men out there.
Here is a list of my favorite exercises for postural training of the shoulder. Even better news: You can do them any where using only an exercise band (make sure to purchase on that comes with a door anchor). Exercise bands can be purchased directly from my online store:
http://www.laurenkern.com/?page_id=677#!/~/product/category=1816008&id=7758646
Sets and Reps:
- Perform 3 sets of 20 reps or more while resting for 1 minute in between each set. You want to take each exercise to exhaustion without sacrificing good form
- Perform each repetition in a slow and controlled manner
2 Variations of Wide Grip Lat Pull Downs (chose 1 variation)
1. Kneeling Lat Pull Down
Exercise Tips:
- Focus on engaging your lats and the back of your shoulders
- Squeeze the elbows in toward your obliques, but do not allow your elbows to move behind you
- Lift your chest up and out at the end of each repetition
2. Standing Lat Pull Down
Exercise Tips:
- Focus on engaging your lats and the back of your shoulders
- Squeeze the elbows in toward your obliques, but do not allow your elbows to move behind you
- Lift your chest up and out at the end of each repetition
3 Variations of Rows (Perform 1 Set of Each)
1. Overhand Grip Rows
Exercise Tips:
- Focus on engaging the upper middle back and the back of your shoulders
- Move the elbows at a 45 degree angle (lower than your shoulders, but higher then your waist)
- do not allow your wrists to bend, especially as your hands approach your armpits
- Stick your chest out at the end of each repetition
2. Closed Grip Rows
Exercise Tips:
- Focus on engaging the middle back and the back of your shoulders
- Squeeze elbows in toward your waist
- Stick your chest out at the end of each repetition
3. Underhand Grip Rows
Exercise Tips:
- Focus on engaging the lower lats and the back of your shoulders
- Squeeze elbows in toward your waist
- Stick your chest out at the end of each repetition
Straight Arm Front Pull Down
Exercise Tips:
- Focus on engaging the lats, pecks, triceps, and core
- Keep your arms as straight as possible
- Aim to touch your thighs at the end of each repetition
- Stick your chest up and out at the end of each repetition
Reverse Flies (Rear Deltoid)
Exercise Tips:
- Focus on engaging the back of the shoulders and the triceps
- Keep your arms as straight as possible
- Aim for a “T-position”
Shoulder External Rotation
Exercise Tips:
- Focus on engaging the back of the shoulder
- Place a folded towel in between your elbow and your oblique. Keep it there to assure for proper form
Shoulder Internal Rotation
Exercise Tips:
- Focus on engaging the front of the shoulder
- Place a folded towel in between your elbow and your oblique. Keep it there to assure for proper form
Stay fit, stay happy, and stay healthy!
XOXO
Lauren
Details
Announcing Lauren’s Outdoor Hard Body Boot Camps!
CALLING ALL LADIES!
My outdoor hard body boot camps are designed to tighten and tone the entire body, while focusing on all of those bikini problem areas. The workout will include a combination of strength-based movements and cardiovascular exercise to assure a maximum number of calories are burned throughout the hour.
Class size is limited to 8 students
By limiting my class size, I can keep my eyes on all of you individually, que proper form, optimize your training experience, and help you avoid injuries.
Price:
This class is complimentary, but cash donations post-workout are greatly appreciated and will ensure that I schedule boot camps more frequently.
- There is a $5 online enrollment fee to hold your reservation. This fee is non-refundable and is only in place to assure that I have exactly 8 ladies in each class.
To enroll:
http://www.laurenkern.com/?page_id=677#!/~/category/id=5159017&offset=0&sort=normal
- Select a boot camp date/time from the list at the bottom of the message
- Proceed to checkout to confirm your reservation
Cancellation Policy:
If you need to cancel, then please provide 24 hours notice by:
- e-mail: lauren@laurenkern.com
- or
- text: (707) 548-1256
Failure to provide this notice will affect your ability to enroll in future boot camps
Dates & Times:
Please Refer to class schedule located online at:
http://www.laurenkern.com/?page_id=677#!/~/category/id=5159017&offset=0&sort=normal
Location:
West Hollywood Park (Beside the Basketball Courts on San Vicente)
647 N San Vicente Blvd,
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Parking:
Please use the public parking structure located next door to the pool on San Vicente
- The first hour is free
- $1 for each additional 20 minutes
What to bring:
- 1 yoga mat OR full-Length shower towel to use for floor exercises
- 1 1.5 liter water bottle
- Layered clothing
- Sunscreen
- A ton of energy and a desire to look hot in your bikini this Spring
I am looking forward to seeing you all very soon! Until then, stay fit, stay happy, and stay healthy!
-Lauren
