Thank you

It's hard saying goodbye. So it is with a heavy heart this new month begins and we say farewell to our wonderful Dynamic You Fitness clients. Whether you've been with us from the very beginning, or you only recently discovered us, we sincerely say thank you from the bottom of our hearts for sweating with us. 

It was a night of treats on the final night of classes at Dynamic You Fitness, but for those of you who joined Sarah Ann & Jannet for the final classes, your muscles are likely extremely sore this morning thanks to their tricks!

Everyone at Dynamic You Fitness wishes you a joyful life full of health, happiness and the ability to hold your plank just a tad longer each day.

Be well.

Lose a few pounds to make room for the holidays

We're not completely sure we're on board with this idea. Should you really be losing a few pounds now just to make room in the waist for the holiday treats? 

Well. IF you decide this is a good idea, because we're not judging, here are five fall foods to help you lose those few extra lbs in preparation for pumpkin pie and other holiday goodness.

Bring mindfulness to your day

The power of cinnamon

It's easy to think of cinnamon as a great addition to baked goods and lattes, but did you know it can lower blood sugar by 13 to 23 percent...among other things.

There's a whole host of other powerfully healing foods out there too...check them out from Prevention Magazine. 

We love dinner ideas!

One of our favorite resources for delicious, quick bites throughout the week - Weeknight Bite - has a great idea (for the week or your upcoming weekend - we know it's five days away but....) 

Lentil Bruschetta dip 

Ingredients

1 package (2 1/2 cups of steamed lentils - or cook your own lentils and allow them to cool before putting together the rest of the ingredients

1/2 package of Fresh Bruschetta Sauce - drained of some oil first

1/2 cup freshly shaved parmesan cheese

1/4 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley - finely chopped

Salt & pepper to taste

Mix together and enjoy with a variety of options - taco shells, tortilla chips, and more!

More ideas for making your recipes healthy

Start your week off right with yummy foods but healthier ingreidents!

Benefits of the apple

We've all heard apples have health benefits - you can't argue it's better than picking up a bag of chips. But besides the fact it's a piece of fruit, what else are you gaining by eating them - well, from Shape Magazine, here are eight more reasons to grab one.

Okay Pumpkins, it's up!

The Dynamic You Fitness October schedule has arrived! Just like those fabulous pumpkins - and carving those feels like a workout itself.

Not that many of you have been out of the habit of joining us for classes each week - but if you're looking for a jumpstart just think of all the delicious holidays coming our way! Don't worry about those holidays now, just get fit, trim and healthy and you'll enjoy the pies, potatoes and family traditions even more.

Rachel has been with Dynamic You Fitness from the beginning. Her energy, creative workouts, knowledge and positive encouragement have been an amazing part of our fitness studio. Due to an injury so many of you know about (because she's a trooper and has been fighting through it) she will no longer be teaching her weekly classes at Dynamic You Fitness after the first week of October.

It is with deep gratitude we say goodbye, wish her healing and happiness. And we encourage you to register for her final classes so you can say thank you as well!

Taste it Tuesday with Stuffed Zucchini

Whether zucchini is a 'fall' food we're not entirely sure....but this Stuffed Zucchini recipe from Clean Eating sounded so good, we had to share it.

3 tsp olive oil, divided

1 clove garlic, diced

1 small yellow onion, diced

8 oz. mushrooms, diced

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp whole-wheat bread crumbs

2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

2 zucchini, halved, seeds and pulp removed

Fall has arrived

The fall season officially arrived this past weekend, and with it comes a whole new crop of seasonal foods to enjoy. 

Sweet potatoes and pumpkins are both delicious fall foods, and while you don't need to actually choose between them, here is some information from Prevention Magazine about the two foods.

Warm-up with Chili

The official start of the fall season is just days away, and with the gray skies and cooler temperatures (at least compared to our usual 80 degree days) we're thinking chili.

Here, from Shape Magazine, are ten healthy chili recipes - for this weekend or into the fall.

All-natural energy boosters

Step away from the Red Bull

When you're feeling low on energy - whether due to a lack of sleep, stress, allergies attacking you - don't reach for unhealthy, unnatural products to boost your energy. 

Try checking out these 11 all-natural energy boosters, suggested by Shape Magazine, instead.

Foods to improve digestion

If you watch more than a few minutes of television every so often, chances are pretty good you've seen these ads with the message probiotics are important for your digestive tract. Fortunately, there are additional options beyond yogurt for improving your digestion.

Oprah Magazine did some research and found other foods you can incorporate into your daily diet to help ease gut distress and calm your digestive track.

We don't want to hear it

Did you wake up this morning intending to take class and sleep in instead? Are you a tad sore from the classes you've already taken this past week?

Does an entire weekend of college and NFL football sound way better than adding in an hour with one of your favorite instructors?

Well we don't want to hear it.

No excuses.

Join Pete tomorrow morning at 9:15 am for Athletic Interval Training or at 10:00 am for Hip Hop (last chance - Gina returns next week with Zumba!) or add yourself to the 11:00 am class with Sarah Ann for Pilates + Interval Training. 

And there's two chances to grab a workout on Sunday too! Join Jannet for Zumba at 9:30 am or Eagle for TRX + Kettle bells at 11 am. 

www.dynamicyoufitness.com

Autumn Produce

All seasons have their peak-of-perfection foods. So, from Clean Eating, here is the official list of foods not to be missed this fall (even though we're hanging out in the 70s and 80s this week)

Just dance. It'll be okay.

If you watch - or have ever watched - The Ellen Degeneres Show - you know she fits dancing into the beginning of all her shows. She loves to dance (she didn't tell us personally, but we just assume) 

And it turns out those who dance significantly up their chances of overall good health compared to those who do not. 

Our Dynamic You Fitness clients who take Zumba each week are dancing with delight.

Women's Health magazine recently shared some information about this - and while there is always room for interpretation, ours is dancing makes you happier and healthier. 

Does your appetite have a mind of it's own?

Controlling your appetite can be as challenging as obeying your alarm in the morning - at least for some. 

Recently, Shape Magazine shared some easy to manage tips meant to inspire you the next time your stomach (or your brain) speaks to you about chips and guacamole. Or cookies.

Anxious about being sore? Do it anyway

We can admit it, sometimes we're afraid of how hard a class will be. Every Sunday night we think about how challenging Power Cardio Blast with Kayte will be on Monday morning - at 7am no less. 

There's no doubt if you took Eagle's TRX + Kettle bell class on Sunday you'll be feeling it. We all know Megan knows how to make you work hard. Way harder than you would on your own.

And don't let Core Strength Conditioning for a half hour with Donna or Pilates + Interval Training with Sarah Ann fool you. They may not sound intense, but you'll feel the hard work - we promise.

Being apprehensive about being sore or challenging your body beyond it's comfort zone is normal. But each and every time you do, we know you'll make it through and you'll be stronger for it.

What Dynamic You Fitness classes are YOU taking this week?

www.dynamicyoufitness.com 

Lululemon SoulCal Warehouse Sale countdown

We could keep this amazing warehouse sale a secret....but that's not the way we roll. So mark your calendars, Dynamic You Fitness clients, for the SoulCal Celebration Warehouse Sale

Some good information to prepare yourself....

They're already setting up at the LA Convention Center. But you'll have to wait til Friday.

We can't wait to see what you pick!

An experiment in transformation

Recently, an article was published showing a personal trainer exposing the hidden truth behind a before photo and an after photo. It caught our attention for two reasons. First, we're proud of our Dynamic You Fitness Wall of Success - a wonderful example of the true hard work our clients put in and the results they see because of it. 

And second, we know the marketing power of 'before' and 'after' photos with regards to weight loss efforts, products and promises.

One of our Dynamic You Fitness clients, Jimmy, wanted to put the theory to the test. So he volunteered to do a before photo and an after photo for us.

Jimmy takes his fitness routine, health and active lifestyle seriously. Almost every client has taken a class with him because he's practically tried them all and he often takes two classes a day. He never misses a class he's registered for and he rides his bike to the studio, rather than driving his car.

Jimmy has been a client of Dynamic You Fitness for approximately four months. While he didn't have a weight loss goal, per se, he had a goal of lowering his body fat percentage and improving his strength, endurance and definition. 

So take a look at what Jimmy has accomplished since joining our studio...

There's no doubt Jimmy has accomplished a great deal in the last four months. But these photos are a mere 15 minutes apart. 

With a change of clothes, flex of his muscles and a quick shave (oh and did you notice the change of glasses) there's an obvious change. 

Simply altering his posture, demeanor and appearance - he could easily tell someone he had taken the first photos in May and the second in early September.

And no one would be the wiser.

While not as dramatic as some photos, it proves you can't always believe all the hype with before and after photos on the internet these days. What's important to remember is the effort required to truly change your body is day in and day out - both with your fitness and your nutrition.

Despite the photos being within a short period of time, we're still really proud of you Jimmy!

Self kindness

If like many people you spend a lot of time planning your workouts (and actually doing them), as well as creating healthy meals & snacks to keep you full and satisfied then you know you're working hard to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

But if you engage in a lot of unhealthy 'self-talk' - beating yourself up if you miss a class or feeling bad about yourself if you select the less healthy option at dinner - you're un-doing a lot of the effort. Shape Magazine has an article about ten unhealthy fitness self-talk traps to avoid. Take a look, we promise it'll be worth the time and effort. 

Skip the food, grab the sneakers

Ever notice when we get together with friends, or schedule a meeting outside the more common office environment, it's over food? It might be small, like grabbing a cup of coffee. But often, when we think of getting together with people we think about what restaurant, coffee shop or local eatery would work best.

But when we have mornings like this in Los Angeles, who needs to meet over a meal? Next time you're meeting a friend or if you need to meet with someone about something, suggest a walk on the beach, a bike ride or find a local park to have your conversation. 

With fresh air and physical activity, the conversation might go even better!