If you are like most of us, you hit the ground running January 1st with New Years Resolution to finally lose that weight and get healthier, vowing that THIS TIME, things will be different. Its now late February....how are you doing on that? As statistics point out, almost 70% of us will find our goals slipping away slowly as life gets in the way and your motivation slowly declines.  But that doesn't mean you have failed! There is still plenty of time to put your plans into place....and here is one of Melanie's ways to do it - high intensity interval training for weight/fat loss - the 15 minute fat blast using stairs! I have an amazing staircase at my house oustide...41 steps total going straight up! My very own homemade stairmaster....in the spring, summer and fall i have my clients cranking up and down on them, really blasting calories, toning their bodies and losing stubborn body fat...here is one of my favorite 15 minute blasts! High intensity cardio interval training...one of my specialties.  Enjoy!

15 minute Fat blast!!! Find a set of stairs in a nearby stadium (when spring actually gets here in the northeast!) high school, or even in your apartment or office building and get your burn on!!!
For each increment, do as many flights as you can of the directed activity & rest the remainder of the time. Jog or walk back down the stairs after each completed flight up


Use the RATE OF PERCEIVED EXERTION CHART (RPE) (those of my clients, you know how to use this)

RPE 1 -   no activity - feels like no effort at all
RPE 2-3  light activity - breathing is easy
RPE 4-6  moderate activity - can still carry on a conversation
RPE 7-8  Hard activity - out of breath,can speak a sentence or two
RPE 9     Very hard activity - can speak only one word at a time
RPE 10    very very hard activity - completely out of breath, unable to talk

Fat Blast!!!

Time 0:00 - 2:00      Walk up the stairs one at a time (5-6 RPE)
         2:00 -4:00       Walk up the stairs two at a time (RPE 6-7)
         4:00 -6:00       Jog up the stairs one at a time, moving your feet and arms quickly (RPE 6-7)
         6:00 -8:00       Run up the stairs two at a time, pushing off strongly from your rear foot (RPE 7-8)
         8:00 -10:00     "Skate up the stairs one at a time, leaping from side to side as you ascend as if skating                                  (RPE 8-9)
         10:00-12:00     Run up the stairs two at a time (RPE 7-8)
         12:00-14:00     Jog up the stairs one at a time (RPE 6-7)
         14:00-15:00     Walk up the stairs one at a time (RPE 5-6)

Certain fats are required for optimal health and function.  So, if you ever see those people saying "cant have ANY fat in my diet", that can be dangerous! We need to get over our fear of fats and replace it with respect - as long as the fats you choose are healthy ones.  Our brains need certain fats to function properly and, since our bodies don't produce these essential fatty acids, we must get them from other sources, such as fish oil, flaxseed, and coconut and olive oils. Better to choose high-quality fats - including some saturated fat (notice i said some, not ALOT) the preferred food for the heart and brain - them to stuff ourselves (which we all have done at one time or another, even me too!) with toxic and often rancid fats!  The body cannot do without proper fats.  Without them, you have no metabolism, no immune system, no hormones, no "color", and no zest for life.  It is important to make better choices about the fat we eat.  I love fats from organic eggs, organic unsalted butter, raw nuts and seeds, and avocados - even dark leafy greens contain some omega-3 fats. Your diet should have about 30% calories coming from fats...(no trans fats!) So remember....NEVER cut out a macronutrient  group---- i.e. cutting all carbs, cutting all fat...etc...it isn't balance, moderation, healthy & its very dangerous! With fitness and nutrition, it is NOT all black and white/good/bad...there is a gray area...and that is where I can help you find your gray area of moderation and optimal health!

Your metabolic rate is determined by several factors, including your genetics, the food you eat, your height and weight, your lean muscle mass and your activity level.  By changing your lifestyle (one baby step at a time), you can speed up your metabolism and lose weight without struggling so much.  You don't have to become a marathon runner, or get to the gym 3 hours a day, but you do have to get up off that couch and make the following changes:
1. Start weight training (especially for women! Remember this phrase "muscle dictates your metabolism!" You need active muscle tissue to burn fat.  One pound of muscle burns more calories than a pound of fat. And strength training boosts your "After burn" rate, so your metabolism stays ramped up for hours after your workout.
2. Get moving!  Increase either the intensity or the duration of your cardio workouts.  To make the most of your heart pumping workouts, try HITT (high intensity interval training). Studies show that people who incorporate HITT training in to their workouts a couple of times a week (i specialize in that!) lose twice as much weight as those who do not.
3. Eat regularly - Eating small meals/snacks every 3 hours or so, to ensure your metabolism will stay hyped all day long. Think of a thermostat at your wall cranked to 100 all day long....burning hot! By going too long without eating puts your body into starvation and fat preservation mode, so it will boomerang on you if you try to starve yourself! And that's NO fun anyway! Who wants to do that?
4. Drink plenty of water - We often confuse thirst for hunger and this is easily preventable by keeping a loaded water bottle nearby.  Cut out the soda! Even diet soda! It's worse! With all the chemical and artificial preservatives that can actually INCREASE your appetite, you want to stick with water or selzer. I would rather eat my calories, not drink them.....
Remember, change is for LONG TERM, because if you quit and go back to old habits, they will get you in the same trouble that you have already been in.  This is a healthy lifestyle, NOT A FAD DIET/EXERCISE REGIMEN!
Stay healthy, my friends!!!!