Spoiler alert! There is no magic pill. You have to pay attention to your diet. Even if you work out every single waking second, you still can’t transform your body if you constantly give in to cravings, high-fat foods, and sweet treats. The old adage is true, flat abs are made in the kitchen

“Consume excess calories and you have to counterbalance them,” says Sara Haas, R.D.N., spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “And it’s hard to get enough exercise in to undo the calories you’ll get in a double cheeseburger with French fries and a milk shake.”

Here are 5 reasons you need to align your nutrition with your fitness goals.

1. You’re not a professional athlete.

You just can’t justify a 1,300 calorie, high fat meal. You won’t make up for it tomorrow. Instead calculate how many calories you’re actually burning in comparison to the ones you’re taking in. “The majority of people are not serious athletes, meaning they don’t require the same type and amount of fuel as the pros,” says Haas. “Eating a calorically dense, high-carbohydrate meal or snack makes sense for a competitive cyclist about to endure a 100-mile road race, but it doesn’t make sense for someone who is about to take a two-mile jog around the block.”

Schedule in your cheat meals so that they don’t blow your fitness goals.

2. You’ll max out too soon if you’re overdoing it with the wrong foods.

To make significant changes you need intense exercise. You won’t have the physical endurance to push through tough workouts if your nutrition is lacking. Simple sugars burn too quickly and you won’t have the needed endurance.  Also, according to Health.com, if you’re consuming high-fat foods in the evening, they could be disrupting your sleep, — which will leave you tired at the gym, if you even make it there.

You’ll need a combination of carbohydrates and protein to recover following a workout, as well as adequate carbs beforehand, too. Aim for 30 percent of your diet from protein, 40 percent from carbs and 30 percent from fat.

3. On the flipside, you won’t have the energy if you’re not eating enough.

A diet low in carbs and/calories is just as harmful to your workout plan as one that’s high in fat. A very restrictive eating plan, paired with hardcore exercise, could leave you leaning on muscle mass for energy. Not getting enough fat-soluble vitamins, like vitamins A and D, and essential fatty acids, like omega-3s, in particular leaves you unable to produce energy and grow muscle. You need fat and protein to build and maintain muscle.

Also, poor food choices make you feel sluggish and less likely to exercise.  

5. Forget six pack abs.

Women tend to gain weight in the hips and thighs, while men pack it on around their midsection. So it doesn’t matter how much you work these areas, it will be covered by a layer of fat. Keeping your diet in check will help because to become truly toned, you’ll need to build muscle and burn more calories than you’re consuming at the same time.  

6. You could get sick — or hurt.

Very restrictive diets like low-carb and low-fat mentally and physically draining and even have a negative impact on heart health. Following a chronic low-carb diet may lead to micronutrient deficiencies and increased inflammation throughout the body, which both make you more susceptible to injury. Studies have found that not taking in an adequate amount of healthy fats can raise your chances for overuse injuries (such as stress fractures and tendonitis) and it doesn’t allow your body to protect itself in order to stay healthy. Pair a low-fat diet with intense exercise which can lower your immunity even further.

I hate push-ups. I admit it. I want to ‘knock’ them out as quickly as possible so I have to make a conscious effort to slow down. In Zumba we rarely get to the pectoral muscles, so push-ups are a good complement to a cardio workout. That’s why I do them, to create balance.

According to the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research men lift about 66.4% of their body weight with each rep with a push-up on their toes. But only about 52.9% on their knees. So this is a very effective exercise that you can do anywhere.

1.    Get a good ‘footing’ with your hands.
2.    Keep your spine aligned with your neck.
3.    Squeeze your armpits so there is no space, or for wide create a 90 degree angle with your elbows and shoulders.
4.    Pull your shoulders back and down – away from your neck.
5.    Hold your core muscles tight. Start in a plank position for a second to feel this.
6.    Feet together if on your toes.
7.    Lead with your chest.
8.    Hold your body stiff as you lift up and down to isolate the pecs.
9.    Push up inhale, lower down and exhale.

Always start and end in the ‘up’ position and work until the muscle fails for about 3 sets with a 10-15 second break in-between sets. 

A workout buddy is hugely helpful for keeping motivated, but it's important to find someone who will inspire—not discourage. Accountability is key to success in any program. I was talking with a friend yesterday about why people quit after a short term program. There isn't anyone there to support them after the program is over. That's why a coach is so important. Three things make a coach or supportive friend work for your fitness program:

1. They meet to exercise on a regular basis

2. They are supportive (not disparaging) of your goals?

3. And last, your bud/coach can keep up with you or even push your limits.

If you've got someone that fits all three, make that phone call, go to that class, or get that coach! My coach friends and I are always setting up support groups via Facebook so join us in one to check it out. Or just message ME! That's what I am here for!

You know you’ve said it to yourself, you see someone who runs and think, ‘if only I had the time.’  Well think about this; jogging burns about 400 calories an hour but fitness dancing (Zumba, Cize, etc.) burns 500-1000 calories an hour. I have personally logged about 1000 calories as an instructor with some of the more ‘enthusiastic’ routines. Also, running works only a limited set of muscles – mainly just the hamstrings and heart.

Dance fitness works the whole body, every muscle including your SMILE! Zumba and Cize both focus on the ‘core’ muscles. Core muscles are the abdominal and back muscles that support the whole body. Yes, those same muscles that make a 6-pack! If you are forutnate enough to have an instructor (like ShawnT) that has a more fitness based routine, you will also get specific moves that focus on other areas of the body as well, think Glutes and Arms.

Because of dance fitness programs focus on these large muscle groups you actually burn more calories per move. Think about it, how much energy do you think it takes to lower and lift your BODY up and down in a lunge over 2.5 feet versus pushing it forward only about 1.5 feet when jogging

Also, dance is full of movements that may not (or may) be a part of your everyday. This challenges your muscles and creates ‘muscle confusion’. That’s just a fancy way of saying your body doesn’t anticipate the next repetative move so it doesn’t get as efficient at it. That efficiency is what can cause you to plataeu in your fitness. Meaning your body gets used the the movement, figures out how to expend less engergy to make that movement and you have to work harder for any gains or weight loss. Dance is always changing so not only does that make you more involved and engaged, it keeps your muscles guessing. I personally find that when I have the same routine for more than a month, this happens to me and I just change up the songs.

So for more calorie burn, more variety, and simply more FUN, dance is a great cardio workout!

“Avocados are very high in omega 3 fatty acids, the good kind of fat, in the form of alpha-linolenic acid,” says San Diego-based nutritionist Laura Flores. (Source) In fact, nearly 2/3 of the calories in an avocado come from this ‘good’ fat that can lower cholesterol and improve heart health. They have a lower sugar levels and higher protein than other fruits. They contain many vitamins and minerals including vitamin K, magnesium, iron and potassium (even more than bananas!) and have tons of anti-oxidants (Source)

1.    Heart Health

“Avocados are high in mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which may help reduce blood cholesterol levels and decrease risk for heart disease,” said Anne Mauney, a dietitian based in Washington, D.C. 

The vitamin B6 and the folic acid found in avocados can help regulate the amino acid homocysteine which is associated with a higher risk of heart disease. 

2.    Anti-inflammatory agent

“Avocados have great anti-inflammatory properties,” said Flores. She listed avocados’ “phytosterols, carotenoid antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids and polyhydroxolated fatty alcohols” as being able to “help both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.”

3.    Lowering cholesterol

Avocados may help not only lower bad cholesterol, they may also increase levels of good cholesterol. Avocados can help because of their high amount of the beta-sitosterol compound, which is associated with lowering cholesterol.

4.    Regulating blood sugar

Avocados’ high levels of monounsaturated fats can help stop insulin resistance, which helps to regulate blood sugar levels. Furthermore, the soluble fiber in avocados can help keep blood sugar levels steady.

5 Regulating blood pressure

Avocados’ high levels of potassium can help keep blood pressure under control. 

6.    Vision

Avocados are an excellent source of the carotenoid lutein, which reduces the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. 

7.    Immune system

Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant associated with immune system health. Avocados are a good source of this substance.

8.    Pregnancy and preventing birth defects

Avocados contain a significant amount of folic acid, which is essential to preventing birth defects like spina bifida and neural tube defects.

9.    Cancer

“Avocados have been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers, including cancers of the mouth, skin and prostate,” said Flores. This is “due to the unusual mix of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics.” Furthermore, a 2007 study in the journal Seminars in Cancer Biology found that the phytochemicals in avocados encourage cancer cells to stop growing and die.

10. Skin

The vitamin C and vitamin E in avocados help keep skin nourished and glowing. Avocado and B12 cream may be useful in treating psoriasis.

Two Tips!

An avocado is ripe and ready to eat when it is slightly soft, but it should not have dark sunken spots or cracks. An avocado with a slight neck, rather than a rounded top, was probably tree-ripened and will have better flavor.

Because healthy carotenoids lie just under the skin, the best way to peel an avocado is what the California Avocado Commission calls the "nick and peel" method. Cut the avocado lengthwise. Hold both halves and twist them in opposite directions until they separate. Remove the seed and cut each of the halves lengthwise into long quarter sections. Using your thumb and index finger, grip the edge of the skin on each quarter and peel it off, the same way you do with a banana skin.

Keep it simple, accountable and fun.

Ever wonder why you can get started in fitness but never finish? Here are 7 simple steps to keep you motivated as designed by the Mayo Clinic.

1. Set goals
Determine what you want and start with simple goals. Make your goals realistic and achievable. Even simpler, get a predesigned program so all you have to do is follow the program.

2. Make it fun
Find sports or activities that you enjoy, then vary the routine to keep you on your toes. If you're not enjoying your workouts, try something different. Join a volleyball or softball league. Take a Zumba ® class. Check out a health club or martial arts center. Discover your hidden athletic talent. Beachbody programs are designed to change every day to make it interesting.

3. Make physical activity part of your daily routine
I get it, you have a lot of stuff on your plate. So does everyone else. So schedule workouts as you would any other important activity. Also, just be more active with everyday activities. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk up and down sidelines while watching the kids play sports. Pedal a stationary bike or strength training exercises while you watch TV at night. If you can find 15-30 min every day you can work out. I know people who simply got up ½ hour earlier to work out.

4. Put it on paper 
Is your goal to lose weight? Increase energy? Sleep better? And in my case, manage a chronic condition? Write down your goal. Keep an exercise diary. Record what you did during each exercise session, how long you exercised and how you felt afterward. Recording your efforts can help you work toward your goals — and remind you that you're making progress.

5. Join forces with friends, neighbors or others – get an accountability partner(s)
If you have obligations to others you are 60% MORE likely to keep your exercise routine. Work out with a friend, a partner or other loved ones. Get into an organized sport, or find an online accountability group.

6. Reward yourself 
“After each exercise session, take a few minutes to savor the good feelings that exercise gives you,” the Mayo Clinic says. “This type of internal reward can help you make a long-term commitment to regular exercise.” If you reach your goal, make sure you have a healthy reward, a trip, a new pair of running shoes, a massage or a spa day.

7. Be flexible 
Things happen. When I went overseas I knew I would overeat and not sleep, so I took my laptop and my DVDs. That way when I needed to ‘get away’ I could sneak up to the room and spend 30 min to offset some of the rich food. I actually gave me more energy and made me feel less guilty about the little indulgences so I could enjoy them more. Think outside the box!