Tonya's big baby is here!

Oliver Glen Tittle was born at 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009.

Weighing in at a whopping 10 lbs
Height 22 inches

Because so many of my clients I consider close like family I will share with you that Oliver had a hard time entering the world at first.  The cord was wrapped around his neck and his shoulders and butt got stuck so the doctor had to tug pretty hard along with my pushes.  He had to get an x-ray on both his shoulder & his head.  Both turned out fine.

At the posting of this blog entry I have yet to hold him in my arms as he was rushed off to ICU where he will remain all evening.  Mark says he is doing better and the staff in ICU says he will be just fine.  I will be able to view him when I switch rooms in a little while.  I will have to send milk to the nursery so he can get some great nutrients.

Thanks all of you for all your prayers, texts, and phone messages wishing me a healthy delivery and recovery.

I am doing well and will do even better when I get to hold Oliver.

Happy Holidays,

Tonya Tittle
Energy Fitness

Tonya 37 weeks pregnant with 2nd child

Thought I would post this pic of me that I had Mark take after I walked/jogged 40 minutes on Dec. 8th.

My next post will be with a pic of me and the new baby.  Keeping up my fitness routine was definately harder for the second pregnancy.  As I post this I have only 4 days left before being induced a week early (because at 36 weeks ultrasound revealed that he was already 8 lbs).  I predict no less than another 9 lb baby.  

shop for these foods!

These are some notes I attached to one of my clients as I was sending her a meal plan.  I wanted her to have a few more choices for substitutions for meals and snacks as I know how frustrating it can be to have to follow a meal plan to a T especially if you can't find all of the foods listed on the meal plan becuase the grocery store doesn't have it.

use organic or natural peanut butter (i love the costco brand)
use any brand low sodium turkey meat
pick a cheddar cheese low in sodium and fat
salsa - get one low in sodium
quaker rice cakes - the meal plan suggests apple cinnamon flavor - i love the carmel corn flavor or just the lightly salted (wal-mart has them)
popcorn - feel free to air pop your own (i do)
brown rice - any brand will do (a rice cooker is a must for cooking it hands free and fast)
hummus (also known as chic peas, don't bother paying high price for already prepared buy the beans in the can and blend with a little water, if you want the true hummus flavor then buy some tahini at a speciality store it will last for a long time)
dressings for salads - use lemon and olive oil or a low fat balsamic
chips - any of the pirates booty variety are good, geni-soy chips, or low fat and sodium blue or red chips
yogurt - greek yogurt is packed with more protein and less sugar.
mayonise - low fat, eggless, or canola
fish - really - don't go out and buy swordfish, just find some tilapia, tuna, or salmon (or get the frozen salmon patties from costco)
BUTTER - I LIKE HE SMART BALANCE AS LISTED ON THIS LIST
tortillas - i buy the 50 pack and put 10 each in freezer bags and put 10 in a ziploc bag in fridge. I EAT A LOT OF VEGGIE TORTILLAS WITH SCRAMBLED EGGS AND RICE CHEESE.

as far as easy, quick and healthy meals - think mexican such as stir fry minus all the oils.

Hope this helps!

Tonya Tittle,  Energy Fitness
 
****If your looking for Memphis gyms or Memphis Fitness Energy Fitness has personal trainers that follow the Energize Method for getting you fast and safe results Guaranteed!
 
Energy Fitness, 552 South Main, Memphis, TN  901.523.2348
Memphis - Downtown Personal Trainers

Total Image Class & Workshop - Tuesday Nov. 17 & Dec. 1

Let's all learn  from Carolyn to look and feel great working with what we we've been given!

When:  Tuesday, Nov. 17th 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
What:  Total Image Class & Workshop
Who:  Carolyn Bendell of Fashion Academy  http://www.fashionacademy.biz/
Where:  Energy Fitness front room
Cost:  $65 (Colours & Personality Class- class 1) Nov. 17th
          $40 (Body Line & Wardrobing - Class 2) Dec. 1st - you must attend 1st class to progress to 2nd class. 

If you are interested in signing up for this class e-mail Tonya at energymemphis@gmail.com
or call Energy Fitness at 901-523-2348.

10 SPOTS AVAILABLE - SO SIGN UP TODAY! 

Success Story - Brandi & Eric (motivated to get fit for their wedding next year)

Brandi Paul & Eric Wilson

This Energy Fitness couple had such great success at thieir first 6 week post fitness assessment point that I gave Lesley Young of the commercial appeal their phone number to do a feature on them.  Lesley had called me and asked if I had any success stories and I just couldn't resist asking Brandi and Eric to share their story in order to inspire others.  Click on this link to see their story.   http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/nov/02/success-story-brandi-paul-and-eric-wilson/

After only 6 weeks here are their results using the Energy Fitness Energize Method to get them safe & fast results:


Brandi:  lost 6.625 inches, 4.5% bodyfat & 12.5 pounds
Eric:      lost 8.25 inches, 5.7% bodyfat & 15.5 pounds

When you implement a system and have science behind it, YOU get results!

Brandi & Paul follow the customized meal plans, consume the Energy Fitness custom Protein Shakes within an hour after working out, come to bi-weekly training sessions (they are in and out within 45 minutes to 1 hour),  take Juice Plus vitamins daily, and do cardio sprints on their own 2-3 days per week.

In other words they are "ON IT!  and are willing to the make changes necessary to their lifestyles to get the changes they want to keep that darn weight off. Keep up the great work Brandi & Paul as the staff at Energy Fitness and fellow Energy Fitness clients are so proud of you!

*If you want results from your fitness program or need to start a program. go to www.EnergyMemphis.com to register for your FREE consult/nutrition coaching session.

Brought to you by Tonya Tittle, Energy Fitness, Downtown Memphis Personal Trainer.  We have helped over 1000 get fit and feel great since 2002.

Memphis Roller Derby gal gets her body back!

Memphis Roller Derby team member Adrienne Klein had great success with
one of Energy Fitness' Custom Kickstart programs. She then followed through on her own taking with her the Energize Method we taught her to get fast & safe results.  She came in to drop off some roller derby flyers and was just so excited about how much her body transformed and how she looks better than she did in high school (15 years ago).  I just had to take a video testamonial of her to inspire others - like YOU!  Click on the link below to see her success story!  She is even brave enough to lift her shirt to show her newly flat abdominal section.  Great job - Adrienne!!!!
Click on this underlined link:----------    Adrienne's success story- You can get these results too!

Brought to you by Tonya Tittle, Energy Fitness, (Downtown Memphis Fitness, Personal Trainers)

And the winners are...

Congratulations to Katie Patrick and Jill Griffith for winning the 3 week "get this darn weight off program" by coming by our table at River Arts Fest this past weekend. And to Myna Bradly for winning the energy fitness, custom blend protein shake.


After Trolley Tour this Friday from 6-9pm we will be drawing for the remaining prizes of two custom meal plans, one private 30 min personal training session and other smaller prizes. So if you didn't make it by to enter at the River Arts Fest, there is still time to get your name in the drawing!

The front room is overloaded with art for sale as three different artists are represented. Come by for wine and art.

cornish hen easy & healthy recipe

Ingredients: cornish hen, veggie broth (i used 2 cups of broth), 3-4 sweet potatoes, 2 onions, 1 green pepper, & 1-2 cans mushrooms

Bake:  in a corning or glass pan at 400-450 for 90 minutes.

Tip:  If you want a low to now sodium Vegetable broth, with no preservatives or anything bad for you then check out whole foods.  I purchased a small container of vegetable broth powder.  For each cup of boiling hot water it calls for 1 teaspoon of the veggie broth powder. 

YUMMY !  I just polished off the leftovers that I heated on a plug in electric burner here at the studio.  I used a corning dish to store and heat then used an oven mit to remove from the heat and transfer to my desk. 

It's all about thinking ahead and making it easy and convienent for you to eat healthy.

Energy Fitness in downtown Memphis and our personal trainers are always sharing our ideas and research proven methods that get our clients the results they want in the quickest and safest time possible. We have helped over 1000 clients reach their health and fitness goals since 2002.

www.EnergyMemphis.com , 552 S. Main, Memphis, TN  38103
This post brought to you by Tonya Tittle, M.S., ACSM

Mama, I want Protein shake for breakfast

This was just too cute. My nearly 4 year old son and I were out of town. We were out of our routine of eating regular eggs with some kind of carbohydrate for breakfast. Before my feet even touched the ground as I rose from the bed Laken said "I want protein shake for breakfast" . I rarely travel without my protein powder that is easy to mix with water. This photo opportunity just presented itself. We combined our protein shake with either a rice cake with natural peanut butter or an organic rice crispy type bar.

Do you place the same value of getting some protein for breakfast? If not, just remember that your body needs protein every 3 hours as it cannot store protein.

Multivitamins-Do You Really Need Them?

Absolutely- We need ideal levels of nutrients to ward off sickness & disease. There are few people that consume the recommended 8-11 servings of fresh fruits & veggies per day. That means your body is not getting the recommended 3000-5000 units of oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC) needed to "Scrub out & excrete" free radicals or "rust" from inside your body. The protective effect for antioxidant-rich multivitamins suggests an association with extending life span & quality of life in some research studies. That's why it's called a supplement.

Yes- Diet & lifestyle are essential to reducing risks of heart disease & cancer, bu t multis can be insurance against nutritional gaps in our diet. Keep in mind that a whole food based multivitamin & preferably one that absorbs in the body within 30 minutes of ingestion is considered the best quality. Consider a capsule or liquid vitamin and always consume with food as food helps the multi to unlock the nutrients your body will utilize.

Maybe- If you eat a well-balanced diet-lots of fruits & veggies, protein & whole grains, especially fortified foods like cereal & fresh squeezed juice - you many not need one. We know that too much of certain vitamins, such as E & A can be harmful, so you need to be careful of the dosage based on what you are already eating.

So did you learn something new? ARE you on the multivitamin bandwagon yet? If so, here is the line to the one I recommend to clients, friends, & take myself (even as a pre-natal vitamin along with folic acid). Juice plus has performed & continues to perform many research studies on the effectiveness of their products www.EnergyMemphisJuicePlus.com

FYI: It takes about 2 weeks to "fill up your tank" of nutrients you are lacking in your diet. Some of our clients report making more regular bathroom visits, sleeping better, & having more overall energy.

Start feeling better now & give your body what it need or offset all that unhealthy stuff you stuff in your mouth. Order online at www.EnergyMemphisJuicePlus.com

To Your Good Health,

Tonya Tittle, M.S., ACSM
Energy Fitness

***Downtown Memphis Personal Training Studio - Since 2002 we have helped more than 1000 people feel & look better.

Restaurants in Chicago from Mary

I received this from Mary Jordan- Energy Fitness' administrative assistant from May 2008 to April 2009. Isn't it nice of her to keep in touch with us and give us some good eats in Chicago. Below is her e-mail to me that she wanted me to post on the blog.

I am having a great time in Chicago, and I know a lot of people from Memphis like to visit the city since it's so close. Chicago's known for great food, but it's all things like pizza and polish sausage. Not the best stuff to eat if you're trying to get or stay healthy. I've found two restaurant I wanted to let you guys know about that will help you stick to your goals while you visit Chicago. The first you may have heard of - The Chicago Diner. This is the most famous vegetarian restaurant in the city. Everything on the menu is vegetarian or vegan, but don't let that scare you away. It will help re-balance your food your food karma if you do decide to indulge in those polish sausages. The food is really delicious, and almost all of it it organic or locally grown. The prices are reasonable except for their drinks. I have a feeling they jack those prices up because they can't be making that much profit on the food. The other place I really like is The Heartland Cafe. It's in Roger's Park which is about as far north as you can go and still be in Chicago, however, it is still easily accessible by public transportation (parking around this place is tricky; you'd probably have to walk a couple of blocks). I recommend the Heartland Macro Plate or Veggie Chili. I do not recommend their veggie B B Que dish, or the B B Que in Chicago. Wait until you get back to Memphis if you have to have it. Their portion sizes are a little smaller than most, actually reasonable. And like the Chicago Diner, practically everything here is organic or locally grown. A quick google search of either place will take you right to their website and location. As I discover new places in the city, I will let you all know.
Mary Jordan

If you have questions on where to eat downtown or around town and not blow your diet just respond to this post with your question or e-mail energymemphis@gmail.com

How to Eat Enough Protein

How to get more protein everyday.

Are you having a hard time thinking of all the ways you can get the reccommended 70-90 grams that you need everyday or you can't think of other sources of protein to add to your diet?

Supplementing your diet with a quality protein shake is essential for people on the go.

If you just can't bring yourself to doing a protein shake then here is a list of foods that you may be willing to add to your diet.

MEATS:
Beef (6 oz.) - 54 grams
Turkey, breast (6 oz.) - 51.4 gms
Pork Chop (6 oz) - 49 gmsTurkey,
dark meat (6 oz) - 48.6 gms
Hamburger (6 oz) - 48.6 gms
Chicken, dark meat (6 oz) = 47.2 gms
Tuna (6 oz) - 40.1 gms
Broiled Beefsteak (6 oz) - 38.6 gms
Chicken, breast (6 oz) - 37.8 gms
Ham (6 oz) - 35.4 gms
Salmon (6 oz) - 33.6 gms

DAIRY/EGGS
Cottage cheese (1 cup) - 28.1 gms
Yogurt, low fat (1 cup) - 10.7 gmsS
kim milk (1 cup) - 8.3 gms
Whole milk (1 cup) - 8 gms
American cheese (1 oz) - 7 gms
Soymilk (6 oz) - 6.7 gms
Egg (1 large) - 6.3 gms

MEAT SUBSTITUTES, BEANS & LEGUMES, NUTS

Veggie Burger (6 oz) - 51.4 gms
Tofu (6 oz) - 13.8 gms
Peanut Butter (2 tbsp.) - 8.1 gms
Almond Butter (2 tbsp.) - 7 gms
Lentils (1/2 cup) - 9 gms
Split peas (1/2 cup) - 8.1 gms
Kidney Beans (1/2 cup) - 7.6 gms
Seasame Seeds (1 oz.) - 7.5 gms
Black Beans (1/2 cup) - 7.5 gms
Garbanzo Beans (1/2 cup) - 7.3 gms
Green Peas (1/2 cup) - 4.1 gms

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Orange (large) - 1.7 gms
Banana (medium) - 1.2 gms
Green Beans (1/2 cup) - 1 gm
Carrots (1/2 cup) - .8 gm
Apple (large) - 0 gms

Happy eating of the right stuff,
Tonya Tittle, M.S., ACSM
Owner/Dir. of Training
Energy Fitness
552 S. Main
901-523-2348

*Personal Trainers Downtown Memphis

A trainers day of food on vacation - with pics

Who says you can't eat healthy on the road? When you commit to a healthy lifestyle you have no choice but to carry those healthy habits with you wherever you travel. This was a trip to New Orleans where there is plenty of unhealthy food to be found. This is to show you how me (a trainer) can eat healthy and even have some fudge.

Above picture: Breakfast at Holiday Inn 8:15 a.m. (egg white veggie omlet, potatoes, 12 ounces of water, i did not eat the bread pictured)

Lunch in the room with snacks i packed 1 p.m. (veggie booty, 1/2 cup mandrin oranges, about 30 almonds, protein shake 8 ounces.)

Snack - Fruit leather 4:43 p.m.

Snack - found in fitness center when checking it out, 5 p.m. (shared with my 3 year old)

Dinner 7:15 p.m. - Red Fish Bar / Restaurant (red fish, potatoes and veggies)

Dessert 8:30 p.m. - Fudge and water (shared with 3 year old son)

What about you? Do you think you could eat like this and still enjoy your vacation? Try thinking outside the box and pack snacks or go to the local market and get some for the room. Being prepared will more likely result in avoiding bad choices. You can do it, don't be lazy and make excuses on how you can't eat healthy.

We at Energy Fitness teach our clients a healthy and realistic way of eating that will get results and stick. We offer customized meal plans for everyone that have been proven to get our clients on track and stay on track.

If you looking for certified and highly qualifiied fitness trainers/personal trainers in the Downtown Memphis area then Energy Fitness is the place where you finally get to where you love what you see in the mirror.

For a free consult go to www.EnergyMemphis.com

Pack shrimp and pretzels for lunch

Try this for lunch:

• 10-12 boiled shrimp (bought at costco in the frozen section)
• cocktail sauce (look for one without high fructose corn syrup)
• 2 slices raw yellow pepper
• 2 vine ripened tomatoes
• handful of gluten free/wheat free pretzels

What an easy lunch and no need to heat. So many of my clients either don't eat at all during the day and gorge themselves at night or they don't eat breakfast and then have a high calorie/fattening lunch and alcohol and cereal for dinner. Where's the fiber and moderation in that?

Tired of struggling to lose weight and reach your goals? Looking for a Personal Training Downtown Memphis. Energy Fitness has helped over 800 people in 6 years and with Tonya Tittle's over 18 years of experience she and her trainers can make it happen for you also.

All you have to do is take the first step. Go to www.EnergyMemphis.com to sign up for your FREE Consultation TODAY!

Energy Fitness, 552 South Main, Memphis, 901.523.2348 www.energymemphis@gmail.com

budda body t-shirt-funny

This is a t-shirt I saw in New Orleans and I thought of the many comments that people say about themselves.

Do you feel this way? Then call me at 901.523.2348 and start doing something about it !

Tonya - Energy Fitness

Tonya's body issues. We all have issues to overcome. What is yours?

Sometimes many of us need a magazine rack for all our "issues".

Are you letting others hold you down or are you taking action to overcome your issues?

Many people often tell me "it's easy for you to be fit and healthy because your a personal trainer" and more times than I can count people I didn't know would comment that I was too skinny, needed to eat a burger, stop running so much and all the things that attacked my personal appearance.

Why is it socially acceptable to say negative comments to smokers and "skinny" people when it is not acceptable to tell someone that they are fat and need to stop eating and start exercising.

It is because I endured my own stuggles or issues as a child that I am posting this very personal blog posting to show that no matter what your circumstances or issues are that you can overcome them if you engage your emotional well-being and or seek professional help from counseling or personal training to get you well on your way to creating your own success story.

Pictures short description:

Issue: Leg braces at age 4 for my flat feet. I had to sleep with a bar between my knees at night and could only sleep on my back. Kids would say mean things during my years of corrective shoes. I still have issues with my feet and hips. In fact I am suppose to get custom fitted arch supports every 2 years.

Success: Placed second at a cross country meet in high school. Look at those "knock knees" I usually placed in the top 5 every race. I ran 8 years of cross country and track high school/college . Now I participate in triathlons and own my own personal training studio that allows me to focus on inspiring others to get fit.


Issue: 8th grade with lots of spaces between my front teeth and of course the bad bangs hair. Just moved to a new school and you know that's always scary and you have to learn fast who you can trust and find a new group of friends and activities.

Barrier (not really an issue, more of a blessing): 9 months pregnant and only gained 25 pounds. Was doing races all the way up to the end.

Success: Completed a half-ironman triathlon when my son was 2 years old, this pic was after the swim section (the first leg). Race was May 2008. It you want something bad enough then you will find the means or the energy to make it happen.

What ever your issues are, you are not alone. Many of our clients finally decide to do something about them and seek out our professional fitness training and kick themselves for not doing it sooner.

This was posted by Tonya Tittle of Energy Fitness. If your looking for a personal trainer in downtown memphis, then you have found one. Energy Fitness has created the "Energize Method" that finally gets you the results you want and need to live a healthier and more confident life. (and we guarantee results!) We are located at 552 South Main. 901.523.2348. Check out our site at http://www.energymemphis.com/

Ultimate What to Eat Chart

Supportive Menu Chart - The Ultimate What to Eat Chart!
Your Meals Need to Typically consist of a Lean Protein, Whole Grain/Wheat Carb and Fibrous/Starchy Carb
Abbreviations: “WW” = Whole Wheat “FF” =Fat Free “PB= Peanut Butter

Breakfast
Starchs =
Cereal - organic toasted o’s, millet flakes, quaker oat squares, Buckwheat groats, Kashi, Special K, Total, Oatmeal (not instant), Clifford crunch,
Yeast free spelt bread or Sprouted wheat Toast, English Muffin, or Bagel, corn or sprouted wheat tortilla, Vans wheat-free Waffle or various flours (millet, buckwheat, rye, oat) homemade waffles or pancakes – no syrup or if you must then honey or agave nectar.

Fruits
Banana, Unsweetened Applesauce, Grapes, Melon, Berries, Pear, Plum, Orange, Tangerine, Grapefruit

Protein
Egg Substitute, Whole Egg, Egg White, sometimes lean turkey bacon, meal replacement protein shake

Beverage
Milk – 1% or Skim Herbal Tea (caffeine free) Water

Condiments
100% Fruit Jam, Low Fat Cheese, PB, Salsa
Other:
Other Suggestions
Nuts and seeds

Lunch
Starch
Sprouted wheat Bread, sprouted wheat Bagel, sprouted or WW Tortilla, WW Pita, rye crackers or WW Crackers, Potato, Sweet Potato, Brown Rice
Other:
Vegetables
Spinach, Romaine, Tomatoes, Carrots, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Celery, sweet, hot or Bell Peppers, leeks, onions, edamame (soy beans)
Other:
Fruits
Apple, Orange, Grapes, Banana, Melon, Nectarine, Plum, Peach, Pineapple
Other
Dairy – minimal or not at all
Low Fat Cheese, Low Fat Cottage Cheese, Milk
Other:
Protein
Turkey, Ham, Tuna, Chicken, Grilled Salmon, Black Beans, PB, egg whites, whole food protein bar meal replacement with greens, protein shake (without the fillers)
Other:
Beverages
Water, Herbal Tea (caffeine free)
Condiments
Low Fat or FF Mayo, Mustard, Salsa, !00% Fruit Jam, salad dressing (ginger vinaigrette), bbq sauce – all natural, all natural relish, capers
Other:

Dinner
Starch
WW Bread, WW Bagel, WW Tortilla, WW Pita, pastas (brown rice, vegetable, egg white, artichoke) Brown Rice, Wild Rice, Quinoa, Millet, Barley, Sweet Potato

Vegetables
Asparagus, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Peppers (green, red, or yellow) Snow Peas, String Beans, Tomato slices or grape or cherry tomatoes, Yellow Summer Squash slices, Zucchini slices, acorn squash, spaghetti squash

Fruits
Apple, Orange, Grapes, Banana, Melon, Nectarine, Plum, Peach, Pineapple, Berries

Dairy – minimal or not at all
Low Fat Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Milk, Greek Yogurt

Protein
Chicken Breast (fresh, canned, or frozen), Turkey Breast, Salmon, Tilapia, Lean Ground Turkey burgers, or canned Turkey, boiled egg whites 3-5, protein shake
Beans: Black, Pinto, Kidney, Lima, Northern, edamame, green peas or beans

Beverages
Water Herbal Tea (caffeine free), lemon water
Other Suggestions


Snack combinations OR Create your own
Apple and PB

Fruit and nuts (preferrably unsalted or lightly salted if you must)
Hummus and carrots or peppers
Celery and PB
Bare naked granola
WW Crackers and Cheese (try rice cheese)
Low Fat Cottage Cheese and Veggies
Whole grain Kasha crackers
Cereal and Fruit
Rice cake and PB
Dried Fruit and WW Crackers/Pretzels
WW Cracker and PB
Baby Carrots and horseradish
WW Crackers and Fruit
Broccoli/Cauliflower and organic Ranch
WW Cracker and Veggies
Yoplait Light Yogurt and buckwheat groats
Fruit and Cheese
Yoplait Light Yogurt and Nuts
Guacamole, Veggies
Yoplait Light and Graham Crackers
Cheese toast
Goat Yogurt - plain
PB granola bar
WW Bagel, Almond Butter, Fresh Fruit
Protein Bar – less than 200 calories (think green or prograde cravers at ProgradeMemphis.com Maple Oatmeal squares
Snap peas
Air popped popcorn
Fruit leathers (Target has a great varitey of Archer Farms brand- all are tasty)
Odwalla bars (super protein one is tasty and you get 16 grams of protein!)
Genisoy crisps or smart hearts, snap pea crisps
Trail Mix – Nuts, Cereal
WW English Muffin, Thick Tomato Slice, Low Fat Cheese, broiled; with Fresh Fruit


Cheese: minimal or not at all
String Cheese, Colby Jack, Cheddar, Mozzarella, Swiss

Breakfast idea: WW Waffle, PB and Fresh Fruit
Lunch idea: WW Bread, Salmon, Honey Dijon Mustard
Dinner idea: FF Refried Beans, Salsa and WW Crackers

Snack 411: Have these nuts with a piece of fruit or yogurt to keep your blood sugar from spiking with the sugar in the fruit or yogurt.

Nuts: (dry roasted, unsalted)
Almonds, Peanuts, Cashews, Walnuts, Sunflower

Energy Fitness, Downtown Memphis, Personal Training is always looking for ways of helping Memphis lose weight and eat healthy. One way we do this is through this blog. If you have any questions or need a personal trainer in downtown memphis then Energy Fitness is the solution for you. We have helped over 1000 individuals get fit since 2002. I (Tonya Tittle, M.S., Owner/Director of Training for Energy Fitness) am always excited to share my knowledge and expertise with anyone willing to learn and those wanting to lose weight fast and safe.

Breakfast "All you Can Eat Bar" at Marriott healthy picks

BREAKFAST BAR HEALTHY CHOICES
(featured: Marriott, New Orleans)

Ok, Memphis area residents You CAN still eat healthy at a food bar and lose weight. If you can't take your personal trainer with you then use this picture to guide your choices.

This is my breakfast at a Marriott in New Orleans included with the room as we are willing to pay for this "most important" meal of the day. (FYI: I share some of my meals with my 3 year old son so sometimes I do not eat all that you see on the plate)

What is it?


small plate: egg white veggie omlet with pam cooking spray instead of butter (you have to ask for the whites and the spray, saves lots of calories)

square bigger plate: blackberries, pineapple, potatoes (i tried to get as much spinach and onions as I could get with the serving spoon), boiled egg, salmon (lox), more eggs

square plate with hardly any food = not eaten food

small round plate with yellow food = 2nd trip to food bar to get more protein (EGGS! - the perfect protein food besides whey protein).

****If you are looking for a personal trainer / fitness training downtown memphis then you've come to the right place. Our "Energize Method" works. We have helped over 694 clients since 2002. Call Energy Fitness and ask for Tonya Tittle at 901.523.2348 or e-mail Energy Fitness at EnergyMemphis@gmail.com to schedule your complimentary consultation today. Mention this blog entry and get a customized meal plan FREE.
Energy Fitness, 552 South Main, (Downtown Memphis Personal Training)

Helping the Hungry

It was one week ago today that we held our event, "How to Make 2009 Your Healthiest and Best Year Ever." The event was a lot of fun and very informative. We did this not just to get really good health and lifestyle information out to people in the community, but we also held the event to raise money for the Mid-South Food Bank.

Well, we've gotten the totals from the Food Bank, and it's a really great feeling to have raised enough money for 4,493 meals!

Frankly, we were just relieved that this event we had been planning for months went well, but then seeing that number really put it into perspective. As much as we all worked to get this event together, it doesn't seem like that much compared to the amount of aid that came about because of it. You can donate to the Food Bank any time at http://midsouthfoodbank.org/

Trainer's well stocked fridge

My fridge. Yes, it's a bit personal to show you a picture of my refridgerator but if it helps you then I am all for it.

Can you find the following?

Top shelf: acai juice, organic peanut butter, eggs & veggies left overs, butter, maple syrup (grade b), sprouts

2nd shelf: tomatoes, raw carrots, steamed carrots, raw salmon

3rd shelf: cookies (my husbands), left over pizza, raw broccoli, 120 raw eggs (108 of them are egglands best),

bottom shelf: organic chicken broth, soy milk, rice, and pancakes

1st bottom drawer: rice tortillas, cheese, peppers, turkey bacon (oscar myer), avacados

bottom drawer (not pictured): purple onions, and not much else.

TO REACH AND MAINTAIN YOUR NUTRITION GOALS YOU MUST HAVE THE ELEMENTS NECESSARY FOR YOUR SUCCESS AND A WELL STOCKED FRIDGE IS PART OF THAT EQUATION.

200 calorie snack for work

This is a great 200 calories snack for those of you with a sweet tooth. I ate this about an hour before swimming as I didn't want too full of a belly during my exercise. It's a great combination of protein, fat, and carbohydrate.

• 1 whole eggland's best boiled egg
• 1 serving of rice pudding

Lose weight Memphis - change your dishes and habits!

Lose weight Memphis - change your dishes and habits!

Notice the smaller bowl on the right. Yes you can have desert but change the size of your bowl. That's right I had ice-cream and baskin robbins ice-cream to boot and a gluten & wheat free brownie I made and froze earlier in the week.

Just because I am a trainer doesn't mean I don't have cravings too, sometimes I cave. Just remember, it's what you eat 80% of the time that gets you the results!

If you don't have small bowls - go out and get some today. They will be an essential tool for your weight loss efforts.

Eat from a smaller plate

Notice the smaller plate my meal is served on. Research has proved that invididuals that have lost weight and kept it off would eat from smaller plates. This is because you tend to eat less on a smaller plate.

When: late night dinner right before bed (a decent alternative to other choices you might make)What: a handful of sweet potato fries (from freezer to toaster oven - cooked about 8 minutes)
and a few slices of rice cheese.

Baked salmon, rice & veggies & avacado

• Fresh salmon - topped with balsamic vineger, almond oil, maple syrup, dill, pepper (bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes)
• steamed whole grain rice (prepared ahead of time)
• mix prepared rice with (already steamed carrots), frozen turnip greens, fresh tomatoes, in a pan with 1 and 1/2 cups of organic chicken broth (heat until broth is soaked up)
• add pepper and fennel during the above step
• serve with a few slices of avacado and enjoy!
  

Meat, 2 veggies, and cheese

Look very closly at the serving size to the right. This is a dish I use for my son's school lunch and would be a great serving size dish for those of you trying to lose weight.

• 1/2 cup - use fresh or canned salmon mixed with garlic mayo and lemon
• tomato slices
• organic cheese stick
• handful of steamed carrots

*You will notice that I use a lot of cheese in my son's meals. many of you know that I personally comsume cheese as I am lactose intolerant to some degree and wish not to create cellulite from the undigestion of this product. I give to my son for him to get calcium in his diet as I am sure he would not eat all the calcium rich veggies needed to give him the recommended daily intake of calcium. after all - he's only three. He eats healthier than any other 3 year old I know and certainly better than i ate growing up.

Pimento, broccoli, & banana

Another School lunch and great idea for a meal to take to work.

• * 1/2 cup steamed broccoli (no seasoning)
• * 1/2 large banana
• * 1/2 cup pimento cheese (mayo, real cheddar cheese, pimento, and lemon juice)

My son's meal for school. A much healthier alternative to the school's processed meal plan option.

• * 1 tofu dog (uncooked)
• * 4 raw carrots
• * 1 organic cheese stick from whole foods
• * 2 gluten & wheat free pancakes

WHAT ARE YOU FEEDING YOUR KIDS? Don't set them up for the same weight loss struggles you are enduring now.

A late supper

I had this meal at 9 p.m. and it only took me about 6 minutes to prepare. It has elements of a balanced meal with the lazy factor I have with most of my meals I recommend.

• air popped popcorn (with 1 tablespoon of butter - use no butter or only 1 teaspoon butter - smart balance or earth balance butter - if you are trying to lose weight)
• 5 strips of oscar myer turkey bacon with the grease blotted after finished cooking (eat only 3 strips if you are trying to lose weight)
• a few slices of avacado (good fat)
• 4 vine ripened tomatoes (small)

Egg n tomato

Non-meat Protein & Veggie (fast lunch at home)

• 2 eggs (only 1 yolk)
• 2 vine ripened tomatoes (small)
• don't forget to drink water

Personal Pizzas

See all the "fixings" above?


After all pizzas were prepared I stored the left over "pre-cooked veggies" in individuals glass bowels and used in many dished over the next few days.

• crusts - gluten & wheat free from whole foods


• tomato sauce (tomato paste mixed with almond oil, oregano, basil, onion and garlic flakes, pepper and lots of water)


• Leeks cooked with water on stove top in a small pan (see pic above)
• Squash
• purple onion
• mushrooms (cooked with a little smart balance butter and water)
• green peppers
• turkey bacon
• rice cheese, cheddar or mozzarella cheese
• broccoli (cooked in steamer)

Bake for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees in oven. If you are trying to lose weight then only have 1/2 to 3/4 of the personal pan pizza and store the rest for leftovers to take to work.

Apple slices and peanut butter

Healthy Snack!

Fruit and a healthy fat.

Do you see how what kind of dish I have my serving of peanut butter in? It's a wasabi bowel. I use wasabi bowls for peanut butter, jelly's, jams, maple syrup, butter for air popped popcorn, melting chocolate chips for dipping pretzels, and etc.

• 1 medium apple (washed off with a veggie wash as apples have a very toxic wax)
• 1 heaping tablespoon of organic peanut butter from costco

rice cheese and blue chips

My version of Pimento cheese:

(not truely a health food - more of a higher fat snack with protein- in fact this is the first time
I have had pimento cheese in probably 20 ish years. My mom burned me out of this dish growing up and since I don't eat dairy cheese it didn't occur to me until I discovered I could subsitute with rice cheese)

serving size (1/2 cup)

• Pimentos
• Canola mayo
• Tofutti sour cream
• Pepper
• Lime juice (i used the kind in the plastic lime - the lazyway)
• Blue Chips

blue chips or soy chips and salsa

Like chips?

substitute your fattening chips and dips with these alternatives.

• blue corn chips from target
• soy crispettes (has protein)
• salsa from whole foods

(follow the serving size on the bag if you are watching your calories - put in a bowl and put the chips out of reach so you won't be tempted to get more)

Turkey Bacon & 3 veggies

Quick Meat & 3 veggies: ready in 5 minutes or less.

• 3 pieces of Oscar Myer turkey bacon purchased at costco (i buy 3 packages at a time and freeze 2 until needed) be sure to blot great grease with paper towel!
• 2 vine ripened tomatoes
• a piece of yellow pepper
• about 15 slices of carrots (steamed earlier in the week in my steamer, no seasoning)

*This meal was prepared for my son and is really an adult size portion (he didn't finish it all)

Fundraising Event for Mid-South Food Bank!

Hey Everyone!

This is something we will be posting a lot more about in the coming weeks, but here is the first ad for our fundraising event for the Mid-South Food Bank. Proper nutrition is a major focus at Energy Fitness, and it's easy to forget that there are people who live in this city that struggle just to get enough food of any kind. Right now, the Food Bank needs more help than ever. More people are in need, and fewer people are able to give. This event is the perfect way to help the Food Bank directly.

Get skinny memphis with tortillas

Tortillas are the staple of skinny person's diet. I can wrap almost anything up and love it.

My ingredients to the meal pictured to the right:

Brown rice tortilla shell (i buy at whole foods by the eggs and milk, buy extra packages so you can freeze and have when you need later)

5 egg whites & 1 yolk scrambled

1/2 cup Turnip greens (thawed, heated, and drained)

2 sliced vine ripened tomatoes

rice cheese 1/4 cup

earth balance butter on each side for cooking (cook tortilla in pan only about 2 minutes on each side)

1/3 sliced avacado

Squeeze some fresh lemon on for a dash of flavor.

Optional: use 1 tablespoon of dressing (watch out as this is how the calories that got those pounds on in the first place got there).

WRAP UP AND ENJOY!

Cheese toast pizza

Healthier Alternative to Processed Pizza!

My ingredients:

2 slices of frozen gluten & wheat free rice bread
(fyi: bread that you purchase frozen has more live enzymes and in general better for you.)

Spread earth balance butter on frozen bread top side only (how much: no more than 3/4 teaspoon for each slice)

1 tablespoon of low sodium, low sugar pasta sauce
each slice

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt each slice

Rice cheese (cheddar flavor) doesn't melt well

Cook in Toaster Oven about 8 minutes and Eat!

Eat 1/2 cup green veggies with your toast. I had 1/2 cup turnip greens that I bought frozen and cooked for about 5 minutes.

Shrimp to go with no-cook veggies

Pressed for time? Aren't we all?

Try the following quick meal for getting your protein and veggies.

Take for lunch (put in cooler if on road or in fridge at work)

Prep time: less than 3 minutes.

You Need the following:

8 - 10 thawed shrimp (plan ahead the night before and move frozen shrimp to your container, or it's not so fast)

2 - 3 vine ripened tomatoes or 8 to 10 cherry tomatoes

20 pretzels (for those that are just learning Proper serving sizes, i use gluten & wheat free kind)

or 1/2 cup mandrin oranges (the meal on the left my 3 years olds that I send to daycare - they serve no so nutritious food)

1/3 pepper (use yellow, orange, green, or red)

1 tablespoon as natural cocktail sauce as you can find for dipping your shrimp (avoid high fructose corn syrup & sugar)

give us your recipes. Here is one recipe for lazy cooks.

Do you like soups?

if so- we want your healthy recipes. only quick ones for us lazy cooks. Please comment to this posting to add your recipe.

here's one for you so you know what i am looking for. it's what my son and i had for lunch today.

total cook time including prep time: about 10 minutes.

ingredients & how to cook:

• box of butternut squash soup (i got mine at whole foods here in memphis) - about 1.5 cups should be enough food.


• put the above ingredient in pan by itself and cook on low until your next ingredients are cooked.


• chop up 1 leek including stem and 1/2 of purple onion (FYI: these are superfoods and detoxifying vegetables) and if you have a few cherry tomatoes then cut in half and throw them in with the veggies while cooking or add to the soup right before eating.


• place chopped up onion and leek into skillet, add 1/3 cup water and 1 tablespoon of oil of your choice (i like to use almond oil).


• cover skillet and cook on medium to high heat adding water as necessary. cook until a little soft. don't overcook (it will kill the nutrients).


• mix your soup and your veggies together.


• for protein add a chicken dog, turkey dog, tofu, tofu dog, chicken, or green peas, or have some scrambled or hard boiled eggs on the side, or even lean turkey bacon making to dry the grease with a paper towel.

Please click on the comment button below in order to share your recipe or recipes with other lazy cooks like myself. A few good ideas for adding healthier options to someones recipe box can help them take pounds off and they will have you to thank also. Thanks in advance for you great ideas!

Tonya Tittle

5 More Tips to Looking and Feeling Younger

Hey Everyone!

For those of you who read my article in Jewish Scene magazine, here are the other 5 tips to looking and feeling younger. For those of you who didn't see the article, there are 5 more tips out there! And check Jewish Scene each month for health and exercise tips from me, a certified personal trainer with over 14 years experience!

6. Set realistically attainable goals. Track your progress to keep you motivated when times are tough and you don’t feel like exercising. Keeping a journal of your cardio and resistance training workouts, as well as tracking what you eat is truly a fitness success “secret”.

7. Eat regularly throughout the day. When you restrict your diet, your body instinctively thinks it’s being starved and shifts into a protective mode by storing fat. Your body’s energy expenditures will be fueled by your lean muscles causing your body fat to remain essentially the same while you lose vital fluids and muscle. Here’s a good rule of thumb: make sure that you are consistently “grazing” on health foods about every three hours. This includes at least half a gallon of fresh water every day.

8. Don’t waste your time working small muscles with isolated movements. If you don’t enjoy doing resistance training, or are pressed for time, concentrate on working the largest muscle groups with compound resistance movements. Men should be concentrating on legs, chest and back. Women should concentrate more on their legs and back. Get a personal trainer to show you the best exercises including proper form, how many reps and sets to do.


9. Stretch or not stretch – this is debated and you must listen to your body to know how much is right for you. In general hold a stretch for 10-60 seconds and Never bounce, or aggressively push and pull a muscle beyond its natural range.


10. For a flatter mid-section of days gone by be sure to breathe properly while doing abdominal exercises. Pull your belly button in towards your spine during the exertion phase of executing an abdominal repetition.

Thanks, and good luck!

My "Hot Yoga" Bikram Experience - a trainer's perspective

Ok- after numerous inquires from clients over the years as to
my opinion of "Hot Yoga" (Bikram Yoga) I finally met Geri Lansky on Dec. 28th at the local studio by Whole Foods.



Here are my notes and thoughts of my experience.



As I was getting closer to the location I starting having the following feelings and thoughts which I rarely feel because I have been exercising for over 20 years and regualarly put myself out there to try new activities. Never the less, I thought it worthy enough to put down as notes in my phone so I can accurately describe my exeperience.



These are the words I wrote 20 minutes prior to class: fear, anxiety, what if I pass out from the 105 degree room temperature, embarrass myself, suck, do terrible, can't make the whole class, flash "my business", have to pee, run out of water, hurt myself, get called out by teacher, can't take the smell of body odor of all the participants, and the biggest FEAR OF UNKNOWN ENVIRONMENT.

I entered the front door and WOW the smell reminded me of the college football locker room I had to run through in college when it was raining outside and my cross country team had to run laps around the gym that included holding my breath as we ran through the locker room.

At the front desk of the yoga center, I did the whole sign waiver, pay, listen to directions from the teacher about the policies and procedures etc. then went to the locker room to leave my stuff that could not be taken into the room.

I went into the heated room about 20 minutes early to acclimate myself to the heat and wrap my mind around the fact that it will be a 90 minute class.

By the way here are some following rules you have to abide by when doing the Bikram (Hot Yoga).

• You must bring or rent a bath size towel, a bottle of water (no sugary drinks), and a mat.
• No talking while in the class
• You may only take a drink after she says "party" (which is after about 3 poses done twice each) and then ONLY in between postures not to disturb others.
• You are told to look at yourself in the mirror for all poses facing the mirror
• When feeling faint or unwell you are asked to "sit out" a pose on your own and not wait for the teacher to tell you to sit and rest.
• You may not leave to go to the bathroom and then re-enter the room.
• If you need to leave the room you are to ask the teacher to help you exit and you may be able to enter the room again depending on circumstances and if it's in between postures.
• Limit showers after the class to 2 minutes.
• If you are a beginner or haven't practiced in a while then you should stay in the back of the room (the back row).
• There are three rows and the front row are the advanced participants that you should watch if you need to see the correct form.
• You will get demoted if you stick yourself in the 1st row and clearly don't need to be there.

Are you getting a feeling of what my conclusion is for Bikram yoga.

• I feel like it is Militant Yoga.
• Not a bad thing, just different
• If your looking for a fluff class where you can make friends then Bikram yoga is not for you because unless you speak before the class or after the class there is not time. It's 90 minutes of actual class and you want to get there early to get a good spot. That leaves time to chat after class and frankly you are too exhausted, sweaty, and tired from the class that who wants to make small talk.
• There is also very minimal hands on correction of form from the teacher during poses.
• There is a script that the teacher follows and speaks loudly and the whole time.
• There were some kind words about don't be mean to yourself mentally if you can't do a pose, just get better by doing yoga everyday.
• I have never sweat that much in my 20 plus years of exercising and I personally didn't like the sweat constantly dripping and getting in my eyes. (p.s. i don't usually sweat a lot)
• It's the same 26 poses twice each every time, that's protocol, which is fine but I would get bored after a while.
• It's a huge time investment at 90 minutes class time, 15 minutes being early to pay, get spot, etc. not to mention travel time to and from class. If you did it 2 times per week that's 180 minutes or 3 hours a week. If someone has 5 other days of not doing jack squat then I feel they are really missing out on a balanced workout (pun intended).

A few days after my experience I can see why people like it. And I also see why our clients hire us as their trainers. Because like most fitness related activities you think you can do it on your own. Well, you might do a version of the exercise on your own but who is going to call you out when you aren't working hard enough or doing it correctly. I stretch but could always do more and hold it a little longer when it's really tight and I just want to quit.

Think about this: You can buy a book about how to work on your car but who wants to learn a new skill and have extra parts laying around. That's why people hire specialists to do things, that's what they do and when you hire someone they are going to teach you and make you do it right and get you the results you want. Sound like a sales pitch, it should because I believe everyone can benefit from hiring a qualified personal trainer like myself and my trainers.

Some words of wisdom: Most people workout to look good, feeling good comes a close second but still second. In order the look good you need muscle tone from doing more than the body is accustomed to doing and constantly changing the intensity and tempo of exercise (it's called the Overload Principle).

I reccommend weight training 2 x per week at minimum 20 minutes a session (and that's if you are efficient and have great form) and doing a variety of sprint cardio training (ask us about our Cardio Express medthod) along with stretching most days. One day a week of yoga will give compliment your regular training program.

Downtown Running Group!

Starting tomorrow, a running group led by Nancy Mincey will meet in front of Energy Fitness for 3, 6, and 9 mile routes. The group will meet every Wednesday morning at 5 a.m. and Thursday evenings at 6 p.m.

Nancy has some impressive credentials, which I will get to in a moment, but I want to assure anyone interested, this is not a group just for advanced athletes. No one is going to take off and leave you in their dust.

Nancy Mincey, 42, is the General Manager for a full-service nuclear fuel cycle company. She has been a competitive runner since grade school and in 2007 - 2008, she made the transition from running distance events to triathlons, which incorporates the running with swimming and biking. She is a member of the Memphis Terrapin Racing Team and completed her first Ironman in 2008 and is currently training for the Ironman Louisville in August 2009. Recent racing accomplishments:
2008 Ironman Florida finisher
2008 DeGray CATS half ironman, 40-44, 1st place
2008 Memphis in May Triathlon Amateur Challenge, 9th place overall
2008 Gulf Coast Triathlon, 40 – 44, 8th place
2008 Rebel Man Sprint Triathlon, 40-44, 2nd place
2006, 2007 Chicago Marathon finisher
Annual - Volunteer race pacer for the St. Jude Memphis Marathon

Here are a couple of pictures of Nancy in action: