Olympian Annett Davis Helps Us Get In Shape!

How to Stick to Your Diet at a Buffet

If you are like me you have a love hate relationship with all-you-can-eat buffets.

On one hand you love having 500 choices of food items. But on the other hand you realize how awful you’ll feel if you eat too much, especially if you are on a diet. 

It’s tough to visit a buffet and not overeat. Some would say it’s darn near impossible.

With all of the options and temptations sometimes I feel like it’s a miracle if I come out without a belly ache and being able to walk upright with my pants still buttoned.

Some may think that because I’m a virtual fitness coach that eating out is easy for me. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. I LOVE food.  I love to eat.  Sometimes it’s hard, even for me not to over do it.  

I’m going to share my secrets on how to stick to your diet at a buffet, because I want you to succeed and meet your fitness goals.

Buffet This Way

• Don’t go often. The best way to survive the temptation of a buffet is to not step foot in one in the first place. This tip alone can save you from some unwanted pounds. When going out choose places that have smaller portions. I recommend not visiting a buffet more than once a quarter. 

• Use small plates. Usually there are dinner plates, salad plates, and desert plates. When making your meals go for the medium sized plate. This tricks your brain into thinking you are eating a lot more, when you are actually eating the perfect size. 

• Start healthy.  In a study at Cornell University, those who began with healthier options (think yogurt, fruit, salad) ended up serving themselves 1/3 less overall than those who went for more decadent food items.  When making your plate put healthy food options on it first, you’ll eat less food by the end of your visit.

• Check it out.  The first thing you should do before even picking up your plate is to walk around the entire buffet. Scout out the healthier options and go for those. People who take a look around the buffet first usually eat less than those who don’t, and they make better food choices. Sure you can pick a decadent item, but just pick 1-2. 

• Share a sweet.  If you have a sweet tooth like I do, share a dessert plate with your man. Let him pick 2 mini treats, and you pick 2 as well. Most buffets have mini desserts so split them in half and enjoy.  You’ll enjoy a “taste” of everything and not feel like you’ve missed out on anything.

• Drink plenty of water.  You’ll already be loading up on calories with the food, so don’t add extra calories with your drink. Ask for a water cup and tell your server to keep it coming.  Not only will you save money but you’ll also be filling up your tummy with a calorie free drink so that you’ll have less room for the other calorie rich foods at the buffet. 

Remember that this is one meal. It doesn’t have to blow your diet. Drink plenty of water, share your treats, use small plates and chew slowly. Think of it as a regular restaurant where you can’t get refills. Have a game plan going in.  If you start by scoping the buffet for the healthy options and putting them on your plate first you’ll have a much better chance at coming out pleased with yourself. 

Bounce Back to Healthy After a Holiday

July 4th just passed and I can tell you that I didn’t hold back. I ate ribs, tri tip and Uncle Dave’s bleu cheeseburger, along with mac n’ cheese, baked beans, and potato salad.

As if that wasn’t enough, later that evening I had a surprise inside red, white, and blue cupcake and a helping of my famous spicy peach cobbler. Boy was I feeling it that night.

Thankfully I completed a sweat dripping 45 minute Turbo Fire kickboxing workout in the comfort of my mom’s living room that morning with my sister which registered at over 3 miles of punching and kicking on my Fitbit.

If you are like me, the day after a holiday is just as bad as the holiday itself because you have leftovers, and try everything you couldn’t fit on your first or second plate the day before.

Lucky for us all, today is a new day! And we can get back on the road to healthy whenever we decide. For me, today is that day.

How to Bounce Back to Healthy After a Holiday

1. Shake it up.  After a holiday I like to start my mornings by drinking a meal replacement drink. Something with a great taste, plenty of vitamins and minerals, and chock full of super foods and protein is what I go for. Personally, I drink Shakeology, but find one that suits you. Look for a shake with low sugar, no extra chemical junk added, and a calorie range of 150-300 calories this will help you to not overeat.  

2. Go Green.  Another trick of mine is to eat tons of greens after I splurge during a holiday.  Loading up on greens will help to regulate your system, and push out the junk you indulged on. You’ll feel light and energized.  I go for a huge salad full of veggies and a light homemade dressing for lunch for about 3 days straight after big holidays.

3.  Water Down.  This is probably a no brainer, but it never ceases to amaze me how little water people drink. When you are detoxing your body from the shock you put on it during a holiday you must drink plenty of water. For me, that means 2-3 liters (or even 1 gallon, which is a ton so be careful, you can over do it).

4. Meatless Monday.  Usually I start my cleansing process on a Monday, and I make it a meatless day. You read all of the different meats that my body had to try to digest this holiday weekend. My system is taxed, yours probably is too. Give it a break by having a few meatless meals.

5.  Move it Lady!  At least 30 minutes a day this week get your body moving. Whether it’s for a walk, swim, or if you pop in a workout video like I do, you must move your body. The combination of eating well, drinking water and working out will help your body bounce back and get you moving in a healthy direction again.

As always, I’m here to help. Feel free to ask me questions below or on Facebook @Get Fit With Annett.

7 Step Tank Top Arms Workout

Summer is already upon us, can you believe it?

What does that mean?

Swimsuits, shorts, and tank tops!

My husband loves for me to wear tank tops because he loves my shoulders.  But, when I’m not physically fit I can’t stand to wear tanks because if I’m not in shape, I cannot hide my flabby arms. 

So what’s a girl to do?

Get them ready, now!

7 Step Tank Top Arms Workout

As with any workout, talk with your doctor before beginning. You don’t want to get hurt. Know your limits, and don’t go beyond them. Safety should always be first. Be smart.

Equipment Needed:

• Sturdy chair or bench
• 3-15 lb dumbbells or light and medium bands
• timer

How Many to Do?

• 3 sets of 8-15 repetitions for each exercise

Exercises:

Military Push-Up:  Place your hands a few inches away from the sides of your chest. Start in a plank position with your arms in a straight almost locked elbow position, and your body as straight as a board (your feet no more than 12 inches apart).  Keeping your elbows tucked in towards your body, lower down as far as you can go before pushing your weight back up. You can do this on your knees until you are strong enough to be on your feet.

Chair Dips: Place the heels of your hands at the edge of a sturdy chair or bench. You should also push that chair/bench against a wall so that it doesn’t slide when you workout. Sliding your butt off of the seat, your weight will be placed on your hands. Keeping your feet at a 90 degree angle on the floor, your body should still look as if you are sitting in the chair, with your body as close to the chair as possible.

Bend your elbows back, and slowly lower your butt towards the floor. Your elbows must remain tucked in.  Your back/body should just clear the edge of the seat. Use your arms only to push back up to the starting position, almost locking your arms. That cycle is one repetition.

Side-Arm Raises: Hold a light dumbbell (3-5lbs) in each hand resting them against your sides with your arms straight and elbows locked. Keeping your tummy tight and engaged, slowly raise both of your arms out to your side stopping when you reach the top of your shoulders, then slowly lower again. That’s one rep, then repeat. 

Front-Arm Raises:  These are the same as the side-arm raises, except you will raise your arms in front of you. Your palms should be facing the ground. Raise your arms slowly up to shoulder height, then slowly lower them down again for one repetition.

Bicep Curls:  Hold a heavier dumbbell (5-15lbs) in each hand with your palms facing up towards the sky and both arms down by your sides.  Keeping your abs tight bend your arms at the elbows until your arm makes a 90 degree angle, then lower again.  Repeat 8-12 times.

Triceps Press: Use light (3-8lb) dumbbells, one in each hand.  Place your right foot in front of your left in a runners stance, with your upper body slightly leaning forward bent at the waist (as if you are going to take off running in a race).  With your tummy tight, start with your arms in 90 degree angle and your hands in a vertical position. Straighten your arms by pushing them backwards as if you are trying to touch someone in back of you with the weights. Then bring them back to the bent starting position, and repeat.

Punches:  Hold your 3lb weights, one in each hand in a vertical position, having your arms bent at 90 degrees close to your sides.  Press your arms forward as if you are punching someone, but DO NOT lock your elbows.  Gently punch and pull them back in to your sides. Alternate punches. Keep your abs tight the entire time.  Punch for 30 seconds, and do 3 sets, resting 30 seconds to 1 minute between sets.

Comment: How do you get summer ready?

What to Eat to Get Swimsuit Ready

Summer is fast approaching isn’t it?

Are you ready or are you still a bit worried about putting on your swimsuit?

Don’t worry, with a plan and some dedication you can start shedding pounds this week!

Upon completing my career as an Olympian and Pro Beach Volleyball player, I’ve become a virtual Beachbody fitness coach helping tons of people drop pounds and more importantly get healthy. I’ve found that it’s a LOT easier than you think. 

I have tons of personal experience of gaining an extra 10lbs during the winter and having to lose it all to get into bikini shape for the summer, and I’d love to tell you some of my secrets.

Here’s my tips to dropping weight quickly, and keeping them off. 

Get Swimsuit Ready Now!

1. Drink water!  This is an easy one.  Replace all your drinks during the day with water. Sure you can drink 1 coffee a day (without all of the extra sweeteners, and creamers without the chemicals in them), or you may have herbal tea as well (without sugar). Drink at least 1/2 your body weight in ounces a day.

2. Drink your Breakfast.  This may sound a little weird. But, as a homeschooling mom of two, busy and on the go often, drinking my breakfast works for me. Some mornings I go with a green smoothie.  But, most days I drink Shakeology which is a superfood packed meal replacement shake in which I get most of my daily vitamin needs. By drinking my breakfast I ensure that I get the most important meal of the day checked off, and I am more apt to eating better the rest of the day since I began with a healthy choice.

3. Salad for lunch.  After having a healthy smoothie or shake for breakfast, a HUGE green salad will fill you up for lunch.  Prepare a salad with 2 cups of mixed greens (not iceberg lettuce), 3-4 oz of lean protein (chicken, tuna, salmon, turkey, even lean sirloin steak sometimes), tons of veggies (carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, fresh herbs), 1 TBS of seeds and nuts (pepitas, sunflowers, walnuts, almonds),  and 2 TBS of a homemade oil and vinegar based salad dressing.

4.  Green snack only. I have two favorite snacks – a green juice or veggies and hummus. Either will do when getting swimsuit ready.  A plate full of chopped veggies served with 2 TBS of homemade hummus (which takes seconds to make in a blender) or a tall glass of green juice is your go to snack. You can even start your journey with a 3-day juice cleanse.

5.  LPVG for dinner.  What’s that? It’s easy. Lean protein, veggies, and greens with the occasional grain (if you aren’t sensitive to them).  Dinner doesn’t have to be difficult. Just prepare a lean protein (fish, chicken, turkey, or lean beef sometimes) and make sure the other three-quarters of your plate is colorful. I love to have two veggies, or a veggie like steamed broccoli and a green perhaps kale or garlic spinach to round out my meal.

Another tip to make sure you get more greens and veggies into your day is to have another small mixed salad with your dinner. As for other ‘sides’, quinoa, brown or wild rice, beans, whole wheat couscous are all good choices, just keep your portions down to about 1/2 a cup per.  Use as many fresh herbs as you like, cut back on the salt (I use pink Himalayan sea salt) and you’ll have delicious flavorful food.

It’s really not as difficult as you may think to eat clean and drop pounds. This simple formula should have you swimsuit ready faster than you think. Don’t forget to fit in 5 days a week of exercise, and you’ll be golden! Let me know if you have any questions, or need help. I love to help.

I’d love to hear below, what do you do to get swimsuit ready?

Why Your Health Food is Making You Fat

I have a love/hate relationship with food labels.  On one hand they can offer great information about the nutrition within. But, on another hand they can be tricky and misleading.

Today manufacturers know what’s ‘hot’ and you better believe that they are going to write whatever they can on their label to make you want to purchase their product.

Gluten free, low-fat, no sugar, fat-free, low carb, all-natural, all of these names are written on food products to lure us into buying their item over another.  On the surface everything sounds great but beware it isn’t.

Could your ‘health’ food be making you fat?

Well it’s a strong possibility.

Gluten Free

Just because something is labeled ‘gluten free’ doesn’t mean that it’s healthy. You can have a sugar filled cake that’s gluten free. In fact, there’s a gluten free cookie that when you eat just two you would have consumed as much saturated fat as 10 chicken McNuggets! And, those same two cookies contain a whopping 220 calories and 16 grams of sugar.

There’s also a gluten free bagel on the market that contains 440 calories for 1 bagel, and you get to enjoy a whole 16g of fat with it as well. That’s more fat than 3 scoops of some ice creams. Lucky you! So beware. Just because it’s gluten free doesn’t mean it’s healthy for you.

Diet Soda

One of the first things that soda drinkers think they should do when they go on a diet is to switch from regular soda to diet soda. On the surface it seems like a smart idea because most diet sodas have low to no calories, and they are made without sugar. Again, don’t let the manufacturer fool you!

What dieters don’t know is that for some people diet soda can actually make you more hungry! They get the opposite effect of what they want.  Now this doesn’t happen for everyone, but why take your chances. Even though some people may lose weight while drinking diet soda, it’s most likely because the dieter is changing other food habits which makes a huge difference. Who wants a bunch of chemicals in them anyway.  It’s not worth it.

Organic Snacks

If you stroll down your local grocery aisle you’ll find tons of organic snack options. Are they any better than normal processed foods? Well think about it. Sure they have organic ingredients in them, and that’s great, but they are still processed foods. Lots of organic snacks still have a ton of sugar and salt, which is still bad for you.

What’s a girl to do? Stick with whole ‘real’ foods that don’t come in a box.  One of the best words of advice I ever heard was that if it doesn’t come from the earth or if you can’t pronounce what’s in it, don’t eat it! Another tip is to try to stick to things with 5 ingredients or less, or straight from the ground, and better yet not in a box.

Granola

I love it when my friends show me their ‘healthy’ snacks.  Because I’m a virtual fitness coach they want to hear my opinion of their food.

Granola is one of those things that a lot of dieters gravitate to when they start dieting because it’s one of those foods that they’ve always thought of as being healthy.

It’s not that granola is bad for you, it can be a great treat if you are hiking or doing a tough workout.  But, what isn’t healthy are most of the granola bars that you see lining the supermarket shelves. These are usually loaded with excess sugar, fat, and oil – a dangerous combination. Again, the best solution is to make your own (you can swap out agave for honey and use 1/4-1/2 cup only)!

Comment:  What foods did you think were “healthy” that you are going to now swap out?

Which Foods Can Help Save Your Memory?

If I were to write a list of things I was afraid of–losing my memory would be towards the very top.

Being an extremely happy wife, and a mother to a couple of amazing children, having something like Alzheimer’s disease and forgetting who they are scares me out of my mind. 

For years I watched my beautiful grandmother Mama Juanita go through the trials of Alzheimer’s. 

Each time I saw her she would look more and more lost, until finally besides seeing her face, I could hardly recognize her myself. It was a long slow, and extremely painful process.

Though there is no guaranteed safeguard against dementia, there are things that we can do to help prevent or delay it.

I’m all about doing everything that I can to prevent disease, what about you?

Studies show that diets that are high in saturated and trans fats can increase your chances of developing memory loss as you age. LDL cholesterol can not only damage your heart, but now research is showing that it can also adversely affect your brain.

If we want to stay “happy” and remember our families, we need a diet shift to help keep our memories going.

In fact, a Mediterranean diet, which is comprised of foods that are high in healthy unsaturated fats (olive oil, fish, and nuts) has been linked to lower rates of Alzheimer’s and dementia. 

Benefits of a Mediterranean Diet:

Olive oil, fish, vegetables, and fruit improve the health of your blood vessels, which reduce your risk of a stroke that could cause memory damage.

Omega-3 fatty acids help improve your vascular health. Fish is high in omega-3′s, so eat up. Having fish twice a week should be your new goal.

Drinking red wine once a day has also been shown to help heart health in women.

Which Foods Can Help Save Your Memory?

• fish
• olive oil
• limit your red meat
• lots of fruit and vegetables
• whole grain bread and cereal
• moderate consumption of red wine (one glass for women per day)

Basically, everything above are the wonderful foods of a Mediterranean diet. Studies have shown that those who eat mostly this way have a lower chance of suffering from memory loss. Stick to these heart and brain healthy foods and you’ll have a much better chance of keeping your memory intact.

Comment below: Which of these foods will you add to your diet?