How to Eat on Vacation…

March 5th, 2010 · Uncategorized

I am super-pumped right now. Tomorrow after our Saturday community class, I am heading out on the ocean for an entire week with my awesome family for a cruise. We leave from Port Canaveral, head to places like Cozumel, Beliz, and Honduras, and have no plans other than to relax, eat, read, be entertained, relax, work out, eat some more, and just plain chill.

To be honest, I think the part that I am most excited about is the fact that I get to sleep in past 5am for an entire week straight. I love my job (including teaching 6am boot camps in Orlando), but I cannot wait to not set an alarm before I go to bed.

A lot of my boot campers and clients have been asking me what I plan on eating on the cruise. Now if you have ever been on a cruise before, you know about the endless array of midnight buffets, cook-to-order multi-course dinners, and endless treats and delicacies at your fingertips.

I checked out some websites about cruise food (and of course pictures of the gym) and here is my main plan of action for maintaining my health for a week of gluttony.

1. Make sure I work out. Don’t get me wrong, you know I always preach that you can outeat any exercise program. And on a cruise, that’s easy to do. But simply making sure I get in activity every single day will keep my metabolism vamped up, help me maintain my muscle mass (which drives my metabolism), and keep me burning calories after my workouts by using high intensity interval training. That might mean going for a swim, walking around the ports, working out at the gym, or jogging on the deck. I simply plan to move as much as I can.

2. Choose my battles wisely . Just because there are guilty pleasures and temptations at every meal doesn’t mean that I have to splurge at every single meal. During a typical non-cruise week, I pretty much follow the nutrition plan that my 6 week challengers follow. I love this plan because it has a built in (and strategic) cheat meal every week. I always can eat my faves once a week. So on the cruise if I merely have 2 “cheat meals” and save it for the nights that they have an irresistible dinner or dessert, it saves me from pigging out at every single meal.

3. Chill out on the booze. A lot of times it’s common to throw down a few cocktails while on vacation, but those can lead to major excess calories. What I plan to do is pick one or two nights that I decide to get a little “saucy” and just drink a couple of nights. Even having one or two beers a night can equal trouble for my midsection. Oh yea, and did I mention that my drink of choice will be red wine or rum and diet coke? Those pina coladas and daiquiris are tempting, but they aren’t worth all the calories.

4. Don’t be so hard on myself. At the end of the day, I am on vacation. I’m not planning on going crazy, but if I really want to enjoy myself on some decadent food, luckily I know the scientific formula for losing body fat through nutrition and exercise, and I can work my little booty off when I get back. Sometimes you just have to cut loose and enjoy yourself in moderation. You only live once right?

Do you have any of your own tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle while on vacation? Leave a comment below and let me know!

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A pain in the neck….

February 22nd, 2010 · Uncategorized

Have you ever woken up with a killer pain in your upper back, shoulders, or neck? If not, I’m definitely jealous. But if you have, here are some great stretches that I showed to the Orlando community on the local news a couple of weeks ago.

You can incorporate the following stretches in your workout right after your warmup in what we call “prehab”. You have probably heard of “rehab”, but prehab is preventative as opposed to reactive.  This gets your body ready for the workout you are about to put it through.

So your workout would look something like this…

  • Warmup
  • Prehab
  • Workout
  • Cooldown
  • Stretch

Try these stretches right after your warmup to get your range of motion back in action, and stretch out that neck.  Enjoy the video!

*** Leanne Ellington is the fitness expert for Local 6 News and an Orlando Personal Trainer that specializes in fat loss,  nutrition, motivation, and functional training. Check back to this blog regularly as she gives great recipes, incredible tips, and actual workouts that she uses in her Orlando Boot Camp.

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And the winner is….

February 19th, 2010 · Uncategorized

All I know is that this was not an easy decision. In fact, after the last blog contest, I decided to put together a panel of my friends and family to make the decision. I needed people that were super-impartial and could make a decision (and it takes some of the pressure off of me considering I would just take on everyone if I could).

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest. You have no idea how much guts it takes to post your stories, and I respect and admire you all for putting it all out there. That’s the first step in making changes in  your life.

I will be giving away a spot for every upcoming challenge starting every 3 weeks, and you can enter every time if you want to!

So without further ado, the winner is Alison Preslar!!

Here is her winning entry…

Hi, my name is Alison and I am 29 years old. I am currently in the worst shape of my life and am looking for some help in improving the situation. About 3 years ago I got married to the love of my life. Never did we think that when we got married we would be testing the vows of, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, so quickly into our marriage. But that is exactly what has happened. Shortly after we got married I lost my job as an Event Planner. Since then I haven’t had much luck finding a job in the industry, so I have decided to go back to school for nursing. During the time in which I was laid off and decided to go back to school, I hit what I would call rock bottom. I became depressed and started to pack on the weight. As a child I was always very active. Then in college that all changed. I injured my ankle and had to have surgery. Since then I have used that as an excuse. So when I was laid off and started to gain the weight I kept telling myself that there was nothing I could do about it because of my foot. It even got to the point that when friends would ask my husband and me to go out I would either find a reason not to go, or tell my husband to go without me. I pretty much locked myself in my own home because I was so emberassed. What’s more then that is that I don’t even allow my husband to see me without my clothes on. I change my closet so there is no chance he can see me. I reached an all time low, but now I am getting my life back on track and I realize I need to do something about the weight. Espically since my husband and I would like to start a family soon. When we sat down to talk about everything, I realized that in order to have a healty pregnancy I need to get some of this weight off before getting pregnant. Not only that, but I want to be able to enjoy being a mother. If i gain weight during a pregnancy and havn’t done anything to get myself into an exercise program I am afraid that I won’t be able to loose the weight after, and lose out on time with my family. As you can see I have a lot to motivate me to loose the weight, the only problem is that I don’t know how to do it. My husband is naturally thin, so to get him up and work out with me is like pulling teeth. I have tried several weight lose programs in the past and have had some success, but I never wanted to combine it with exercise. I realize now that if there is something I really want then it is worth working for it. And thats what I am ready to do. WORK WORK WORK!!! I have no excuses now. I just need to do this for myself. I need to feel happy again with who I am and how I look. I need to be able to have my husband look at me and feel that he loves what he sees. I need to make a change, one that this time will stick with me for life!
Thanks for creating this program and giving me the opportunity to share my story.
~Alison Preslar

Congratulations Alison!! You rock!!


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Orlando Boot Camp Recommends: The Change-Your-Life Quote Book

February 15th, 2010 · Uncategorized

Take it from someone who has fallen off the weight loss and diet wagon more than….well…okay….probably 1000 times. The following quote could not be more true:

“Success is falling down 7 times but getting up 8!”
— Paulo Coelho

It’s quotes like these that have really changed my life or quite simply the way I look at things or situations.

A great longtime friend of mine gave me “The Change-Your-Life-Quote Book” as a gift a few years back. I had just gotten back from backpacking around the world and came home to start my life and my career. I was inevitably at a big crossroads in my life and transitioning like hell from one day to the next.

This book literally cheered me up, gave me a pep talk, helped me keep my eye on the prize, and gave me a reality check whenever I needed it.

One thing I really love about it is the table of contents. The TOC of is alphabetical order from A-Z, and each letter of the alphabet represents a mood or feeling. That way you can literally look up the mood or type of funk you are in, and see quotes tailored to that subject matter.  It’s way cool!

All the quotes are taken from such a wide array of sources. Famous celebrities, politicians, musicians, old proverbs, classic authors, presidents… you name it.

“As long as your going to be thinking anyway, think big”– Donald Trump

Another thing I really love about the book is that it’s dirt cheap!  I bought a brand new hard cover version at Borders as a gift for a friend for $6.95! Therefore it’s a really inexpensive gift to give someone, and it really will change their life.

Alright, that’s all the ranting I am going to do for one day, but check out the Change-Your-Life-Quote Book. It really will….change your life!

*** Wanna change your life? Come join in our next Orlando Boot Camp 6 Week transformation challenge starting February 22nd.  It’s the most effecting Orlando Personal Training, Cardio, and Nutrition for fat loss you will ever experience.

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Orlando Boot Camp Fat Loss Domination Mini-Series #1

February 12th, 2010 · Uncategorized

Hi there!

I hope you are having an incredible week and I bet you totally agree with me when i say TGIF!!

I don’t even know why I love them so much– especially considering that my Friday nights are usually pretty chill and early since Saturday morning is my earliest wake up call for my weekly spot on the Local 6 Morning News. Don’t worry,  I am not offended if you don’t wake up in time to catch me. Heck, if I weren’t on the actual news, I would be sleeping too. But if you haven’t taken my advice to DVR me, you can catch up on all of the past episodes (right after you read the first of my Fat Loss Domination Mini-Series Posts of course) right here…

<—– After you finish reading the rest of this post, Click here to catch those segments and learn a ton about health, nutrition, and fitness!

So I get a TON of questions about fat loss in general. Whether you want to lose 10 pounds or 100, fat loss is a mystery to most people. Especially with the abundance of conflicting information and flat-out misinformation, it’s no wonder that people are confused.

That’s why this is the first post in a series of post appropriately titled, Fat Loss Domination. Whether you have tried to lose weight 1000 times or have given up at this point, if you follow the advice in Fat Loss Domination– you will do just that— completely dominate fat loss!

Luckily, it exercise and nutrition science has come so far, and luckily we literally have it down to a science. It’s not any of that my-mom’s-sister’s-dog-walker’s-cousins tried that diet and succeeded ploys. Everything I am about to tell you is based on proven, researched, and actual science.

So let’s jump right into it….

Fat Loss Domination Rule #1: Stop Doing Long, Slow Distance Cardio (LSD)

Do you go walking, running, swimming, or striding on the elliptical machine at the same pace for 20 minutes, 30 minutes, or even an hour at a time? If you are and you enjoy it, then bless you! Keep on doing what you love. I will never tell anyone to stop doing something that they actually like doing.

But if you are doing it in hopes of reaching your fitness goals, you have been severely misled. Long slow distance (LSD) cardio in a nutshell will keep skinny people skinny, but it’s not effective for fat loss.

LSD burns calories while you are actually in motion, but ends after you stop running or swimming. Once you stop, your metabolism goes right back to normal. If you are anything like me, you would love to do some type of exercise that actually keeps your body fired up to burn calories even AFTER you have stopped working out.

How do you do that?

High Intensity Cardio Intervals followed by Active Recovery Intervals!!

Doing something like a 30-second sprint followed by a 1 minute active recovery and repeating that for five or six rounds is exactly what I’m talking about, AND you could be done in as little as 10-15 minutes. If you are only doing one type of cardio, you are leaving so much fat-loss potential on the table.

Just to paint a little bit better of a picture, check out the side by side comparison of LSD vs. High Intensity Intervals

Long Slow Distance Cardio (LSD) High Intensity Interval Training  (HIIT)
  • Elevates your metabolism for about 1-2 hours after exercise
  • Elevates your metabolism for about 24- 48 hours after exercise
  • Is not enough stimulus to maintain muscle mass
  • Is enough stimulus to maintain muscle mass (not build it)
  • Decreases Metabolism
  • Increases Metabolism
  • Takes a lot of time
  • Can be completed in minutes

So  a word to the wise: If you are interested in melting the fat off your body, ditch the long cardio workouts and switch to interval type training. You and your body will be better for it!

*** Leanne Ellington is the owner of the top Orlando Boot Camp and creator of the 6 Week Body Transformation.  If you are looking to get in the best shape of your life with Orlando personal training, contact us and find out how we can change your life!

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Ladies AND Gentlemen: Wanna Make Over Your Body in 6 Weeks…. Without Spending a Dime!?

February 11th, 2010 · Uncategorized

Another 6 weeks has come and gone, and we are starting another life-changing 6 Week Transformation Challenge next Monday, February 22nd.

I’m accepting 15 new people. (When I launched  the sponsored version, 80 people applied, and 70 came in to interview. After the sponsored spots were filled and I opened it up to the general public, all 15 spots sold out in 3 hours!)

In case you don’t know, the 6 Week Transformation Challenge is my step-by-step rapid fat loss success program that includes workouts, nutrition, ultimate accountability, before and after assessments, in-depth coaching, and a TON more.  This is the program that yields rapid fat loss in a no-fail-possible way due to the intensive education and accountability, and a little hand-holding a long the way (for lack of a better way to describe it).

More importantly it is meant for incredible fat loss and inch-dropping in just a short 6 weeks. It’s my most effective and intensive Orlando Boot Camp program known to date.

You guys should know by now that I looooove helping people change their lives and their bodies. Heck, I used to be almost 100 pounds more than I am today, and my life completely turned around as soon as I dropped the weight– all my newfound energy, confidence, and the I-can-do-anything attitude. I love it when people get to feel the same way I felt (and still feel everyday)

So I’m gonna run another little contest here and award one of YOU the winner… and the prize is pretty damn big…

You’ll get full access to the next 6 Week Transformation Challenge for no charge at all… zip, zilch, nada!

Oh yea, and by the way, I’m very excited to announce that we are holding our very first Men-Only Transformation (click here for more info) that is also starting on February 22nd.

Both transformations include everything— from the coaching and accountability to the nutrition and workouts.

Here’s what I’m looking for…

Leave a comment in the comment section below.

Let me know your story. Include any specifics you think that I should know.

Tell me how coming on board as one of the 6 Week Challengers could CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

WHY you think losing weight, getting in shape, and seeking optimum health is super important, exactly HOW you’ll use the information and the opportunity in the 6 Week Transformation program and WHAT you’re gonna do with your newfound discovery of health and fitness AFTER the challenge.

Hint: I’m not looking for someone that is looking to put a band-aid on the problem. We want a  solution.

I’ll be picking the winners at the end of next week from the comments on the bottom of this blog post (so please be sure you include your name and email address so we can contact you if you’re one of the winners).

It’s SUPER EASY to enter the contest… all you gotta do is just post your comment below. Good luck! ( I might use a few of these as testimonials… so please only comment if that’s ok with you)

Another Hint: I like details and specifics.
And don’t forget, if you want to find out more information about our Orlando Boot Camp 6 week transformation for women, CLICK HERE

For more information about our Orlando Boot Camp 6 week transformation for men, CLICK HERE.

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That has HOW MANY Calories?!?

February 10th, 2010 · Uncategorized

You would be absolutely shocked to find out how many calories some of your favorite foods have in them.

Caloric Density is basically how many calories are packed into a specific amount of food. The more calories that a small portion of food has, the higher the caloric density. And the lower the calories per portion, the lower the caloric density.

I always compare broccoli and chocolate cake. Imagine trying to eat 500 calories of chocolate cake.

It’s pretty easy to do just  by devouring a fairly modest size slice of cake. Now try picturing 500 calories of broccoli. Keeping in mind that one cup of broccoli contains about 50 calories, you would need to consume 10 cups of broccoli! For those of you who have never attempted this feat, it would probably make you sick!

There for the broccoli doesn’t have a high calorie density, but the chocolate cake certainly does.

Keep this in mind if you are trying to lose weight or get in shape. The less caloricly dense foods you consume, the more nutrients you will get, and the more food you will get (to keep you fuller longer)

Check out this video below where I secretly raided my boyfriend’s food supplies and stole a frozen pizza to take on the news with me. You will be absolutely shocked when you see how many calories are packed into a little tiny itsy bitsy portion  of food.

You can check that out right here….

***Leanne Ellington is an Orlando Personal Trainer that runs boot camps in Orlando, FL. Check her out every weekend on Local 6 News Saturday mornings as their local health and fitness expert.

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What is Everyone Smiling About?

February 9th, 2010 · boot camp

My brother was over my house the other day just chatting and hanging out.  He was helping me put the finishing touches on my new website when all of a sudden he said to me, “why are all these ladies smiling?”

I had no idea what he was talking about, so I went over to my computer where he was sitting and noticed he was looking at the before and after pictures of a bunch of my boot campers that had gone through the 6 week challenge.

Now it’s always interesting when I get any type of feedback from my brother Jordan about anything that I am doing. You see, we are polar opposites in many ways. He is naturally lean, never had to worry about his weight a day in his life, but also doesn’t ever work out and lives on a diet of candies, cookies, chicken nuggets, pizza, macaroni and cheese, and just about anything else you can think of that I only eat in moderation.

I know that whenever he talks or asks questions, it’s coming from a totally objective, unbiased person that is usually just genuinely curious when he asks a question. That’s why his inquiry about all the smiling faces interested me.

When I went over to inquire, I realized he was referring to the “after” pictures of all my girls. I hadn’t really stopped to think about it before he pointed it out, but in actuality, the “before” pictures were a big deal to most people.

Think about it, it’s not exactly easy to strip down in a sports bra and shorts and let someone take your picture– nothing to hide behind– nothing to hide your insecurities. Trust me, that’s a hard thing to do.

Then only 6 weeks later when it was time to take the “after” pictures, it was like I was dealing with a whole new group of women. Instead of shyly and hurriedly trying to get the picture over with with clenched teeth and a cringing face, now I was surrounded by women that were literally stripping off their shirts and ready to be photographed!

It was incredible.  It was more than a complete body transformation. These ladies had transformed in some other indescribable way. It was insane!

That’s what they were smiling about. They had worked their butts off for 42 days participating in boot camps, keeping a daily food log (and of course gladly partaking in their weekly cheat meal of any of their favorite foods), and they had so much to show for it. They had dramatically made themselves over from the inside out, and they wanted to share it with the world. I definitely cannot blame them. They look amazing.

So ask yourself a question? Do you want to feel sexy, confident, and radiant in your own skin? Do you want to have something to smile about?

Our next 6 week challenge starts February 22nd. Are you ready to change your life?

You can check out all the information about our next Orlando Boot Camp 6 Week Body Transformation and see how you can reserve your spot right now!

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Healthy Super Bowl Food Ideas

February 1st, 2010 · Uncategorized

This Sunday is the Super Bowl, but it doesn’t have to mean disaster for your healthy lifestyle.  Although typically this annual occasion is a reason to break out the chips, wings, pizza, and beer, I’m going to give you a couple of ways to save your diet if you are a guest or hosting the festivities this year.

1. Don’t go to the super bowl party starving. Whenever I am ravenous, I grab for the first thing I can get my hands on. Plan in advance. Munch on something light before you go so that you aren’t tempted to just eat anything there. Curb your hunger with a piece of fruit or some almonds before you get there.

2. Take ONE plate full of food, and don’t go back for seconds…or thirds. A little bit of naughty-ness isn’t going to kill you– it’s that excess amount of super high-calorie foods that will get you into trouble. Stock up your plate full of veggies and other lower-calorie items mixed with a few “naughty” foods, and then call it quits.

3. Lighten up the dish you bring/serve. Ever thought about bringing some healthy pizzas or flatbreads using whole wheat wraps and light cheese? How about spreading the love with some hummus or guacamole? Don’t be shy– break out the light microwave popcorn or whip up a healthy version of your favorite dessert.  You don’t have to eat healthy alone. Chances are someone else is trying to watch their waistline– not just you.

4. Be careful not to drink all of your calories. Beer calories can add up. So can wine, liquor, or coca cola. Make sure that you don’t waste all your daily calories on sugary or alcoholic beverages. Remember, these drinks can actually trigger your hunger and make you want to eat more.  Take it easy on the brewskies =)

5. Get in a workout before the big game.  Try this Orlando Boot Camp home workout that I posted a few days ago to burn some major calories before the big game. This doesn’t give permission to now eat whatever you want, but it will help elevate your metabolism and keep you burning more calories throughout the day and night.

Whatever it is you decide to do for the big game, just picture yourself in those slimming jeans or wearing a bathing suit in a few months here when it warms up. That always deters me from eating more than I should =)

Good luck!

*****Leanne Ellington is an Orlando Personal Trainer that specializes in nutrition and fitness for fat loss.

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Orlando Fitness Boot Camp Joins Forces With The Community to Help Haiti!

January 30th, 2010 · Uncategorized, motivation

Thank you to everyone who came out to our charity boot camp this morning. It was a lot of fun and we collected a ton of stuff to donate to the earthquake victims.

You name it, and we collected it– toiletries, clothes, bedding, food– the sky was the limit.

It’s always nice when the community comes together and joins forces to help those that really need it. It would have been nice to stay in bed this morning and relax to the rainy and cloudy weather conditions that lingered today, but instead over 30 Orlando residents got off their boo-tays and worked out for a good cause.

Again, thank you so much to everyone who came out this morning. You guys supported a wonderful cause!

Leanne Ellington is an Orlando Personal Trainer that runs weight loss and fitness programs.  There will be more Orlando Boot Camp Charity classes in the coming months. Stay tuned for updates!

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