Needs Some Motivation?

Published on May 6, 2009 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment

{Hi, I’m Helen M. Ryan - aka Spinchick, the blog mistress. Why am I here? Because I want to help you discover how to get in shape and become healthier.

Helen M. RyanFive years ago I was so overweight I could not fit into a ride at Legoland or walk up a flight of stairs. I had a bad back, sore feet, constant fatigue and no dreams. Since then I have LOST 80 POUNDS, become a certified personal trainer, Spinning® instructor, amateur cyclist and writer - I even review concerts and interview rock stars, but that’s another story.

Follow this blog, get my free E-ZINE, visit my WEIGHT LOSS blog or start a FACEBOOK discussion. And I’d love to hear your comments about my posts, questions or any thoughts.}

8 Best Foods to Eat

Published on June 30, 2009 in tips. 2 Comments

According to MensHealth.com, the eight foods you should eat every day are:

  • Spinach
  • Yogurt
  • Tomatoes
  • Carrots
  • Blueberries
  • Black beans
  • Walnuts
  • Oats

Continue reading ‘8 Best Foods to Eat’

Cheap Ways to Get In Shape

Published on June 1, 2009 in tips. 0 Comments

Read Helen’s interview at BargainBabe.com on ways to get in shape inexpensively, quickly and effectively.

Losing Weight in the Pool - a Quick and Effective Workout

Published on May 6, 2009 in specialty exercise. 0 Comments

(written for Valley Living Magazine)

Busy Mother and Trainer Gives Life to Innovative Fitness Concept

Teri McQuaid is familiar with empty promises about weight loss. She is bombarded with them everyday, just like the rest of us. The difference, however, is that McQuaid is a certified trainer who knows the truth. And the truth is, “there is no quick fix.”

“Losing 20 pounds in two weeks is not realistic,” says McQuaid, also an aquatic fitness expert, Spinning® instructor and certified swim instructor. “What we see in ads - and on TV – is not reality.” Reality for many of us, according to the mother of four, is that we are real people, busy with kids and jobs, with no chef or assistant in sight. “I try to help clients find ways to fit exercise – fun exercise – into their lives, getting the most out of their limited time.”
Continue reading ‘Losing Weight in the Pool - a Quick and Effective Workout’

Time-Saving Workouts: Gravity Bar, Perfect Pullup and Hula Hooping

Published on April 16, 2009 in brain food, kids' fitness, product reviews and this just in. 0 Comments

(Written for LA’s the Place.com. Read original at LA’s the Place.)

With time and money in short supply, using your own body weight and changing up your exercise routine are top fitness trends according to the American Council on Exercise (ACE). 48% of ACE professionals surveyed predict that gym memberships will decline in 2009, so it’s time to look at what you can do at home to get fit quickly and inexpensively.

The last home workout article, Homegrown Muscle: Building a Home-Based Gym, focused on the essentials and recommended simple budget-friendly add-ons. From paper plates to stability balls and kettlebells, we ran the gamut with options that kept you motivated and on the path to weight loss success.

This time around we’ve found some “break-out stars” to supplement, or even replace, your home gym. Below each item you will find a “Trainer’s note” with my observations and comments.
Continue reading ‘Time-Saving Workouts: Gravity Bar, Perfect Pullup and Hula Hooping’

Harvard Health Shows Benefits of Alcohol, Chocolate, Sex, and Sleep

Published on April 13, 2009 in this just in. 0 Comments

Exciting news. In the April 2009 issue of the Harvard Health Letter, the typical “no-no”s are cut some slack and the benefits of alcohol, chocolate (yay!), sex, sleep and social networks are touted. Moderation is key, of course, but now some of what’s been considered bad can actually be good!

My motto has always been: balance. You have to live on occasion. Just use your head. And Harvard Health seems to agree.

For enough ammo to prove your point to doubters, read the synopsis here. For more in-depth information, read the full article.

Tomorrow is the First Day of the Rest of My Life

Published on April 12, 2009 in motivation. 3 Comments

I just read a forum post with that title. The poster talks about being fat, how disgusted she is with her weight, and gives people her diet plan for “tomorrow.”

Will she make it?

Probably not. Because planning to lose weight tomorrow doesn’t ensure success - it ensures failure. Waiting for tomorrow is how I gained almost 90 pounds. Because every day I waited for tomorrow gave me a whole extra day to eat whatever I wanted…license to eat everything that was not nailed down. Eat, eat, eat, gorge, gorge, gorge. Because tomorrow - that magical tomorrow - I would start my diet. Finally be thin. The following day, when I “blew it” and hated myself bitterly, I would plan to start the next tomorrow. And so on. Day after day. Year after year. Pound after pound. Tomorrow after tomorrow.

How did I finally change? How did I finally succeed? By starting today. This minute. This meal. NOW. Not tomorrow. It was difficult. I would rather have waited for yet another tomorrow, one full of empty promises to myself. But the tomorrows had never materialized, so I forced my tomorrow to start today. Finally took control of my own life - and succeeded.

When will your tomorrow start?

Free Fitness Book

Published on March 11, 2009 in this just in. 0 Comments

The electronic version of my “Living the Fit Life” is here. >Download your copy now. It’s free! (Courtesy of LA’s the Place.com.)

Post any comments you might have about it here. I’d love to hear your feedback.

And don’t forget to sign up for my free weight loss e-zine, either.
Living the Fit Life

The Best Workout for a Flat Stomach

Published on February 18, 2009 in this just in. 0 Comments

Before we talk about the best way to get flat abs quickly, we need to clarify one little thing: There is no such thing as spot reduction. If there were I would have the most amazing abdominals ever, because I do a lot of stomach exercises. I plank, pike, lift, crunch, x climb, tuck, roll out and kettlebell. However, I have lost 80 pounds, been pregnant twice, and now carry an extra 10 pounds over ideal. So, alas, my muscles are fabulous, but the excess skin (and few extra pounds) covering them are not.

Do I care? Not really. Because my core is strong and my body can do pretty much everything I ask of it. This Christmas, I found myself climbing up and down a ladder, hoisting decoration-filled boxes in and out of my tiny attic. Reaching overhead while balancing on a rung, lifting the boxes, rotating them across my body and lowering down (sounds like the “wood chop” exercise, doesn’t it?). All stomach muscles engaged, back taught, stabilizers engaged. THAT is why I work my abs…to be able to live my life without ending up in traction.

>Read on for ab exercises

Re-Shape Your Body and Burn Fat Quickly with Kettlebells

Published on February 8, 2009 in product reviews and this just in. 0 Comments

(written for LAsthePlace.com View accompanying photos at LAsthePlace.com)

When time is of the essence, kettlebell training incorporates all elements of fitness for a full-body fat blasting workout in just 30 minutes.

A simple cast iron weight can replace an entire gym full of equipment. Yes, you read correctly. Everything you need to become leaner, faster, stronger and more flexible is contained in a tidy, but heavy, package called a kettlebell.

Continue reading ‘Re-Shape Your Body and Burn Fat Quickly with Kettlebells’

Money Crunch and Saving Time Shapes Fitness Trends

Published on February 2, 2009 in this just in and tips. 0 Comments

The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America’s Authority on Fitness®, just released its annual popular fitness trend report. Topping the list? No surprise here. Budget-friendly workouts and time-saving boot camp-style classes.

The economy has taken its toll on everyone, and the fitness industry is not exempt. Every year ACE surveys its worldwide network of personal trainers, group fitness experts, lifestyle and weight management consultants, and advanced health and fitness specialists to see what’s hot, and what’s not, in exercise.

The top two trends reflect our current economic woes, but there is a definite positive element. Though people are cutting back on expenses, they are still thinking of their health as their best investment. For many, it’s simply time to get creative with their exercise routines. The following are ACE’s “Top Workout Trends” for 2009. See what other people are doing for their health and fitness.

Continue reading ‘Money Crunch and Saving Time Shapes Fitness Trends’

How Much Exercise Is Enough to Lose Weight?

Published on January 29, 2009 in this just in and tips. 1 Comment

The amount of exercise you need a day is a difficult question to answer.

Celebrities often claim they exercise two hours a day. On TV, weight loss shows feature people exercising more than four hours each day. Health advocates say 30 minutes of daily activity is enough to keep you healthy.

So…how much exercise do you really need?

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, it’s more than previously thought.

Continue reading ‘How Much Exercise Is Enough to Lose Weight?’

New Year’s Weight Loss Resolutions

Published on January 2, 2009 in this just in. 0 Comments

January 1 sported plenty of people out jogging…apparently folks who usually do not jog. They struggled. They ran barely above crawling. They limped. And yet onward they jogged, full of agony. Why? Because their new year’s resolutions told them to.

How long will these joggers keep running? Not long enough. Of the 70% of people who make new year’s resolutions every year a large majority will not keep them. They set unrealistic goals, do not have a proper plan in place, and believe that on an arbitrary date things will “be different.”

THE FRESH START APPROACH

The “fresh start,” or clean slate, concept is what motivates many people to make new year’s resolutions. It also gives them license to “be bad” up until that date, knowing that on the magical day of January 1 they will be transformed into strong-willed exercise machines. Unfortunately, as someone who has seen many a January 1 (or many a Monday) come and go with no miraculous change within myself, I can attest to the fact that there is one big problem with the fresh start approach: The date may be fresh, but you are still…you. With the same life, same issues, same problems you had on December 31. Until you resolve those problems and change your thought patterns, your resolutions will start, stop, and stay unfulfilled.

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Surviving the Holidays – Simple Ways to Keep the Pounds from Piling Up

Published on November 21, 2008 in motivation. 1 Comment

(written for lastheplace.com)

The holidays. They are here, once again. Endless days of parties, pastries, shopping and stress. Everywhere you look and everywhere you go temptation abounds. Clients bring edible gifts, friends deliver baked goods. The office holiday party overflows with food and drink.

With enticement everywhere, what do you do? Give in and pay the price in January? Or sacrifice now and start the new year without a brand-new muffin top? To make it easier on you, here’s a guide to enjoying yourself sensibly.

(continue reading at LA’s the Place)

A Food Journal is Key to Weight Loss Success

Published on August 31, 2008 in this just in. Closed

What Do You Really Put in Your Mouth?

(written for suite101.com)

Recording what you actually eat vs. what you think you eat can be a valuable tool in the struggle with weight loss.

It’s a common phrase among people who start writing down what they eat: “No wonder I’m not losing weight.”

They discover they may not be eating enough. They discover they may be eating too much. They discover they are just eating the wrong things.

How do you stack up? Do you know if you are eating the right amounts and types? Knowledge is power, and in this case it’s a simple fix: start keeping a food journal.

It may seem boring and it may feel tedious, but keeping a record of what you eat can make the difference between weight loss failure or success.

(continue reading at suite101.com)

Teaching Spinning®: The Human Element

Published on August 15, 2008 in motivation, spinning and tips. 0 Comments

(written for Mad Dogg Athletics)

I cried that day—all the way up the side of the mountain.

I walked, pushed my bike, stopped and cried some more. Yet, I continued to press onward. It was a sight: a small, tough and usually cheerful Spinning® instructor now sobbing her way up 12 miles of mountain.

When I finally reached the top, my fellow Spinning instructors (the “real” cyclists who rode with me that day) swore they would never tell a soul of my miserable trek. But I decided to share with my students how I had cracked, to show that there was an actual human being behind the Spinning machine I had become.

(Continue reading at spinning.com)

Aquatic Exercise: Getting Fit in the Pool

Published on July 15, 2008 in tips. 0 Comments

(written for LAs the Place.com)

Now that temperatures are soaring, exercise may be the last thing on your mind. That hot, sticky feeling is often a great workout de-motivator.

However, we have an opportunity to turn this de-motivator into a motivator: exercising in the pool. Using water as a way to get in shape is both effective and fun. No longer associated only with seniors, aquatic fitness allows us work our bodies hard, yet stay cool and comfortable.

Athletes, housewives, rehabilitation patients and even children are catching this next wave in fitness, and a wide variety of workout options are now available.

(continue reading at LAs the Place)

5 Effective Tips for Weight Loss

Published on July 5, 2008 in motivation and tips. 0 Comments

(written for Suite101.com)

Weight loss is a challenge. But here are a few simple tricks that will help you on your road to weight loss success. They are simple, free and most of all - painless.

(continue reading at Suite101.com)

Russian Kettlebells: My Butt and Thighs are So Sore

Published on May 27, 2008 in this just in. 0 Comments

BUT I LIKE IT

When a personal trainer says she is sore, that’s either a good thing or a bad thing.

In this case, it’s a good thing.

I am testing Russian kettlebells. From my article on building a home-based gym, “Kettlebells provide a thorough, whole-body workout that incorporates strength, endurance and flexibility. The kettlebells’ off-centered weight forces you to use more stabilizer muscles with each move, thus involving many muscles simultaneously. Your core stays active and your body’s muscles learn to work smoothly as one unit.”

Uhm. Yes. And my butt and legs, more specifically hamstrings, are very sore.

The kettlebell professionals at Iron Core in San Diego, California, sent me a kettlebell to experiment with. After very casually playing around with it for two weeks I started yesterday on a six week training program to see how effective kettlebells are in shaping my body. Cardiovascularly I am very strong. However, I am discovering that even as a personal trainer and Spinning instructor there are muscles I apparently miss when I hit the weight room or ride.

I will write a complete review for my LA’s the Place fitness column (with a link from here and my plentyofwords site), with thoughts and progress notes, in about six weeks. Until then, I walk like a rodeo rider.

Sarah Lurie of Iron Core

A Woman Says, “I Love My Thighs”

Published on April 12, 2008 in brain food and motivation. 2 Comments

(written for One More Set - a health and fitness blog)

Yes, that’s correct. You actually heard a woman say that she loves her thighs.

My thighs are not particularly attractive: They are neither long nor thin nor tan. In fact, they are kind of short, bulky and pale. So why do I love them?

Continue reading ‘A Woman Says, “I Love My Thighs”’