Enough said.

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Most classes attended in 2011 ~ Bob Crowe

Client of the year ~ Julie Willard

Shining Stars ~ Gabrielle Rankin and Linda Sarvey

Honorary Whip Cracker ~ Nita Chu

Award of Excellence Personal Training Category ~ Linda Bogue

Most Improved ~ Colette DiProfio

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What do you enjoy doing in life? One of my biggest passions is travel, especially international travel. I enjoy visiting those far away places seldom touched by westerners where I may one of the few (or maybe the only) Caucasian person locals see in a year. I like to spend quality time in off the beaten path towns, getting to know the local landscape, culture and food. I have a long list of countries I still want to see. And each time I visit one it seems that two more are added to the list as I talk to other people I meet along the way.

As most of you know, my latest adventure was a two-week trip through Costa Rica. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew Costa Rica is a mecca for adventure travel – whitewater rafting, zip lining, hiking and particularly surfing. But I did little research prior to leaving and wasn’t sure what other adventures were in store. It didn’t take long for me to realize that Costa Rica would be one of the easiest countries I have ever traveled through. Almost everyone speaks English. In fact, there were only two people during the entire trip I encountered who didn’t speak English fluently! It was clean, friendly and safe. They even take American dollars!

During the trip I got a chance to do all sorts of outdoor activities, from swimming to horseback riding and hiking. The hikes were strenuous and included climbing over boulders and trekking up and down canyons to hidden waterfalls. The scenery was breathtaking. I event tried a new sport, well new to me anyway, called canyoning. It involved being suited up in a life jacket, helmet and enormous work gloves and then rapelling off bridges, jumping into rivers, climbing up canyon walls and being swung by a giant rope into the face of a waterfall – not sure I ever need to try this sport again but it was definitely an experience! But I am not giving you all of these details just because I want to tell you about my fabulous vacation! I want to remind you that at Driven Fitness we believe in training you to become better at your chosen hobby or sport. Whether you are a cyclist, runner, yogi, hiker, surfer or skier we want you to be fit and strong so you can enjoy the things in life that YOU love. So when you think about ditching class or giving only 50% during an exercise you hate, remind yourself of this: the work you do during our sessions will help you live the life you want outside of them! it and strong so you can enjoy the things in life that YOU love. So when you think about ditching class or giving only 50% during an exercise you hate, remind yourself of this: the work you do during our sessions will help you live the life you want outside of them!

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The next time that nagging little voice inside your head tries to convince you to skip the gym…the next time she tells you to reach for the cookie jar…or when she says the journey is  just “too hard,” or “you don’t have enough time” or “you’re too tired” think about one of these folks.  They have beaten the odds to live a fit and healthy lifestyle.  So if they can do it…why can’t you?

You ARE STRONG…

Ernestine Shepherd, 74, of Baltimore has been crowned by the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest competitive female bodybuilder ever.  Read more about Ernestine. 

An accomplished climber, Erik Weihenmayer became the only blind man in history to reach the summit

You can ALWAYS do what you love…

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1. Fruit Juice- Fruit juices are loaded with sugars, particularly if you purchase them rather than juice fresh fruits yourself.   Bottled juice can contain added sugar (natural or artificial) and preservatives.

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And take a look at the calorie content of those scrumptious smoothies and juices you can purchase from your local smoothie shop.  Some smoothies at Jamba Juice contain over 500kcal each!  Check out their nutrition profile here.  If you really crave a refreshing fruit juice, eat the whole fruit itself.  That way you are also getting the fiber and other vitamins naturally.

2.  Soda – this one is pretty obvious.  Soda is not good for you.  Even diet soda.  According to Dr. V, experts believe the artificial sweeteners in diet colas may lead to brain disfunction and memory problems.

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In addition, the phosphoric acid found in dark colas may decrease bone density; and caffeine itself may interfere with calcium absorption .  In a study at Tufts  University researchers found that women “regularly drank cola-based sodas — three or more a day — had almost 4% lower bone mineral density in the hip, even though researchers controlled for calcium and vitamin D intake. But women who

drank non-cola soft drinks, like Sprite or Mountain Dew, didn’t appear to have lower bone density.”  Reference Web Site Here

3. Alcohol -  It’s pure sugar. Some alcoholic beverages may have fewer calories than others, but if you are truly commited to weight loss try cutting out alcohol and watch the results.

You can listen to Dr. V’s entire interview and here the rest of the Top 7 Tips by downloading her podcast on iTunes: Jillian Michaels Podcast: “Circuit Training, Winter Workouts and Dr. V;” 10/14/11 (begins minute 17:12)

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A recent podcast called “Bob and Jillian on the Radio” (Date: 4/22/11) featured Bob from the Biggest Loser.   The two were back in action and talking about all kinds of health and fitness facts.  They also spent a long time chatting with one woman who called in with a question.  She’d lost a significant amount of weight through diet and exercise.  She wanted to know when her fear would go away – when would she stop fearing that the weight would come back.  When would she stop worrying about how many calories she took in that day and whether she got in a workout?  She still craves all of the bad foods that she did before her weight loss.  When would it get easier?  I loved Bob’s response.  He explained that worrying about those things never goes away.  Bob noted that he himself worries about all that stuff.  And it doesn’t get easier. It’s a lifestyle change for the long haul.

I loved his response because it was absolutely true.  It never gets easier.  Being healthy in this day and age, within this sedentary society we now live, is not easy.  I think there is a notion that “skinny” people have it easy. That they never worry about what they eat, how they look in the mirror, or how to motivate themselves to get to the gym every day.  But the fact is it isn’t easy for skinny people either, at least not the ones I know. Now let’s take a moment to clarify: when we are talking about “skinny” people, we are talking about fit people – people who successfully manage their weight through proper nutrition and exercise.  These people have to work really hard to maintain what you see when you pass them on the street.  It’s hard work.

There are a lot of people, fat, thin, short or tall, who have a fear of gaining weight.  It eats at the back of the mind and whispers to you as you eyeball a piece of delectable chocolate cake.  And there are some days when skinny people just don’t feel like working out either.  The difference between a fit person and an unfit person is that the fit person has learned how to win the battle against her inner demons.  Those voices that try to derail her from her goals.  It isn’t that the journey is any easier; it is just that she has mastered that hardest battle of all – the one in her own mind.

Secrets of Fit People

1. They don’t make excuses – I hear excuses 8 hours a day 5 days a week.  Fit people know how to take their excuses and squish them in their fit little hands.  Do you talk yourself away from your goals with excuses?

Try this exercise: write down every excuse you can think of and next to it write your strategy for overcoming it.  For example:

EXCUSE: I don’t have enough time

FIT PERSON SOLUTION: I will ask my husband to take the kids on Saturday morning so I can go to boot camp

EXCUSE: It is hard to eat healthy at work

FIT PERSON SOLUTION: I will pack my lunch

EXCUSE: I am too busy during the week to eat right

FIT PERSON SOLUTION: I will spend 2 hours on Sunday prepping my meals and pre-packing my snacks into serving size containers so during the week I can just grab what I need and go

2. Create “me” time – Fit people realize the value of placing themselves at the top of their priority lists.  The fitter you become the better you will feel, the more energy you will have, the more productive you will be and the more equipped you will be to handle life’s stresses.  But it all begins by accepting the notion that it is ok to take away from ________ (insert kids, spouse, work) to make time for you.

3.  Jump right back on the wagon – We all have our bad days.  The days we just say “heck with it” and indulge in a complete smorgasbord of inappropriate food and beverage.  But fit people know how to mentally get past those days.  They know that one bad day is not going to derail their entire weight management strategy.  The next day they just get back on track, do an extra workout or two during the week, and they are on their way.

If you have trouble getting past those bad days, try this exercise:  Write down everything you ate that day on a piece of paper.  Then write how you felt while you ate it and then how you felt after.  Then crumple up that piece of paper and throw it away.  Throw it away and then don’t think about it again.  It is a symbol of a clean slate, a way for you to start fresh again.

4. Find something they love – whether it’s hiking, swimming, Zumba, running, karate or weight lifting, fit people find the activities that inspire them to move.  Find what inspires you.

5. Don’t skip meals – fit people know the importance of eating every 4-5 hours.  They start their days with a healthy breakfast.  And they always carry healthy snacks with them so if they are caught off guard they have a healthy nibble and can bypass the drive thru.

So start now!  Start thinking like a fit person.  And decide to make the changes necessary to be fit for the long run.  Accept the fact that it will never be “easy.”  But since when are the best things to accomplish in life easy?  That’s what you tell your kids right?  It’s time to start listening to your own sound advice!  Live with the lesson that it won’t be easy…but it will be worth it.

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A few months ago I wrote an article called “10080 Minutes…What are you Going to Do with Them?”  I wrote the blog because I really want people to think about how they use their time.  There are 10,080 precious minutes in a day, and instead of making excuses about not having enough time to lose weight, exercise, track food, eat healthy, etc I want you to examine how you spend those 10,080 minutes an

d decide what your priorities are in your life.

I came across this exercise in my weekly email from LearnVest.com and I thought it was valuable for those of you who feel there just isn’t enough time in a day.  It is part of an article called “10 Things to do in 10 Minutes (to Improve your Finances) , which provides helpful tips in successfully gaining control of your financial woes.

Complete the short exercise and follow it for two weeks and see how you feel.  Do you feel more satisfied with your life and how you are using your 10,080 minutes?

Mind Your Time

As we always say, time is more valuable than money. Pull out your calendar to see how you’ve been spending your time over the past few weeks.

Write down the top five things you wish you had more time for, and the top five you wish you spent less time doing. Shift your time priorities wherever you can—pin these two lists to your work area so you don’t forget what really matters.

Related articles

• Finding Time to Exercise When Life Feels Too Busy (fitsugar.com)

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Between the jam-packed schedule of events, changes to the class calendar and our new location, the Driven Fitness family has experienced a lot of change in September.  We brought on two new and fabulous trainers to help you reach your fitness goals.  Just after Labor Day we opened our new program at Lake Forest I and last weekend we hosted our first Fitness Festival at the Sun and Sail Club.  And in just two short weeks we are launching our second Thinner Winner contest, with the goal to help Lake Forest residents lose over 1000lb in 2011.  I have had conversations with many of you over the last few weeks as you express concern about the future of the business and my place, as well as your place, in it.  So I wanted to take this opportunity to give you an update on my plans and the state of Driven Fitness….

I am currently wrapping up my fifth year as a personal trainer.  And something occurred to me as I was thinking about this blog: I don’t know how many of you know my own personal story and how I got this far.   I graduated from UC Davis in 2000 with a degree in exercise science, excited to start my new life as a young professional but unsure how I wanted to utilize the degree I worked so hard to earn.  After deciding to enter directly into Grad School at USF I realized I also needed a J-O-B!  My first job turned out to be completely outside the realm of health and fitness.  I was hired at Bank of America in their Corporate Events and Marketing Department.  That first job launched a six year career in corporate event planning and eventually sports and entertainment marketing. After finishing grad school, I left San Francisco and moved to Orange County where I continued to work in corporate America.  Until one fateful day about this time five years ago.  I wasn’t happy in my marketing job – I  felt unfulfilled, as if I was meant to be doing something that felt much more meaningful to me.  Something that really made a difference in the world, and gasp, maybe even utilized the various degrees I’d earned in the health and fitness sciences.  So one morning I walked into my office, placed my resignation on the CFO’s desk, and literally walked out of my job. That’s right.  I walked out of a perfectly stable, high-paying job to become you guessed it…a personal trainer.  Now, I don’t necessarily recommend this road for most people.  But for me it was the kick in the pants I needed to make a major change in my career and my life.  So I found my mentor, Lynda Head, and spent the next several months studying for my personal training certification.  And with lots of hard work, long hours and some sacrifice I am who I am today.

A few years ago I was ready to quit my jobs at various gyms and start my own company to truly provide the products and services I believe people need to be successful along their weight loss journeys.  I started Driven Fitness with one clear mission: to inspire the love of movement.  As the years have passed, I have changed as a trainer and my clients have changed too.  As I continually build my identity and find my niche, the programs and services Driven offers will change too.  However, one thing remains constant.  My mission continues to be to inspire the love of movement; and each time I make a change, add a program or host an event I always ask if it falls in line with my mission for my company.

So what’s next?

My business plan is simple: to partner with HOA’s across the OC and in the future throughout the southland to provide personal training and small group training services to residents in order to inspire them to move.  Lake Forest II will always be our flagship location and will most likely always be my home base.  But it is a fact of business that as we grow and change I will need to step further from my  training role and into a more administrative role.  And to be quite honest, letting go of some of my crazy hours is a vital personal goal for me as I attempt to create a bit more balance in my life over the next year.  But don’t worry!  You can’t get rid of me completely! I am also a firm believer in practical experience and I think trainers should always retain floor hours to remain in tune with the wants and needs of their clients and the ever-changing trends in the fitness industry.

In 2012 my primary focus will be to continually grow Lake Forest I & II, striving to offer cutting-edge programming, fun and interactive classes and exceptional customer service. My second focus will be expanding Stretchology.  It is my own creation, my baby.  I love it and believe in  what it can do for people who need to reduce pain, increase range of motion and simply take a moment out of the day to connect with their bodies, breath and souls.  Over the next few years I plan to train new instructors to teach Stretchology and expand this part of Driven Fitness into a wide range of facilities.

I realize change is often uncomfortable and disconcerting.  But know that I never make a decision affecting my business or my clients lightly and I always do my best to steer Driven in a direction that will only provide positive and exciting experiences for each and every one of you.  I appreciate the feedback I have received over the last few weeks.  My door is always open and I welcome your suggestions and concerns.

I hope this week’s blog answers your outstanding questions and gives you the peace of mind that Driven Fitness will continually strive to help you reach your health and fitness goals.

In Health and Wellness,

Erica

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Peaches, nectarines, mangoes, what more could a gal want?  Mangoes are my all-around favorite fruit.  But how the heck do you cut one up? I’ve seen many different attempts.  Most people peel the fruit first and try to cut it.  But the sticky juices get all over your hands and the counter tops and the darned thing is so slippery you run a good chance of it shooting out of your hands and onto the kitchen floor.  I decided to share my method for cutting a mango, which I learned when traveling abroad several years ago.  Many of you know that I spent a significant time traveling and it is my all-time biggest passion (yes even bigger than fitness)!  But most of you only know the snippets that I share during short breaks in class.  So I thought I would share a few more details and photos so you can learn about a trip that changed me and shaped me into who I am today.

In 2004 I spent five months traveling through Africa followed by several months around Europe.  I traveled mostly by myself but was lucky enough to have various friends meet me along the way.  My favorite leg of the trip was Africa.  I am now obsessed with this continent and can’t wait to visit again.  Every morning I would wake up in my hotel or backpacker’s hostel and would have breakfast.  Most places included breakfast with a night’s accommodations and the meal was almost always the same thing: a hard boiled egg, sliced mango and a croissant.  This is where I found my love for mangoes as I enjoyed a big piece of the fresh fruit picked each morning. I also found I loved croissants, but unfortunately those do not fit into Erica’s healthy habits diet plan!  I found a great you tube video “How to cut a mango” with Chef Allen Susser, who uses the same dicing method that I learned in Africa.  Check it out and start enjoying these yummy fruits while they are still in season!

And I thought I would share some of my favorite photos of my trip too…

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