WELCOME TO MY BLOG! Kathy Dolan Health and Fitness

Step Off The Scale…Grab A Tape Measure Especially if you are just starting a workout routine. You can lose inches, body fat, and gain muscle without changing the number on the scale and Jenn is proof of that! Muscle is much denser than fat and takes up less space. Think of 5 pounds of styrofoam vs 5 pounds of dry peas. Peas are lovely and so is muscle. Build more metabolically active tissue to consume all those calories, even at rest. More muscle means better health and improved overall fitness levels. Now back to my Rock Star Client, Jenn.  As we continue our journey, I just had to share her progress with you all. Below is from Jenn’s Facebook post. I know you have heard it before, but making lifestyle changes is a process. A journey of self-discovery. Jenn trains and meets with me once a week. Each and every week, we work on a piece of the new and improved methods for getting healthy and maintaining health. Our sessions cover Jenn’s workouts, macros, dietary plans, ...

Train Your Brain: The Top 7 Things You Can Do  I lost my mother 7 years ago. When she talked of aging, maintaining mobility, memory, and independence were her top concerns. Brain health. There are things you can do for brain health.  Many conditions affect brain health and quality of life, including weight gain, “The bigger the belly the smaller the brain.”-Mark Hyman, MD. Although this may seem harsh, making diet and exercise a priority is key to healthy living and healthy aging. Every single tip below, if implemented to some degree, will drive you towards a healthy weight, a healthy brain. PowerFit for the Brain!  1) Eat fresh foods. If it’s man-made, leave it. If God made it, eat it. Taking control of your diet may mean some meal prepping or planning ahead, but it’s so worth the time and effort. “Grab and go” can be a healthy habit with some planning. The heart and brain are affected by gut health. Food is medicine, so respect the power of diet. 2) ...

When searching for a Virtual Yoga Class, it's pretty much just like visiting a brick and mortar yoga studio.    Zoom   in, look around, ask questions and check out the vibes.  A good Virtual Studio Class experience will leave you feeling like you just had a convenient and quality fitness experience. Second best only to being in the studio live. Your instructor or trainer should know you by name or at the least, acknowledge your presence. If not you may as well be playing a DVD or watching YOUTUBE. Not that to say those are bad things if they work for you. Virtual Yoga, Personal Training, Small Group Training, or any kind of training, is in a league all their own. The wave of the future. Peloton   is cutting edge but really lacks the personal touch. Fitness Training apps won't ask you how that exercise feels on your back. The greatest perk to virtual training is it overcomes time and geographical obstacles. No more driving to the gym because you can exerc...

before and after  What can you do in a thirty-day transformation? You can do quite a bit! Sometimes you just need a kick in the booty. Some structure. A plan. Having a plan in hand and the support of a trainer who created the program will set yourself up for changes. Healthy changes, changes you will crave. But you have to do the work. Get uncomfortable. What worked the last time you tried to lose weight didn't work long term.  Your body is in a constant state of change, so make health a priority. The value of health is far beyond the cost of a program, a health coach, and the work. I had a friend come to visit, whom I hadn't seen in a few years. It was clear she had lost weight. But sadly, the weight she lost was due to a health crisis. Unhealthy habits, instead of healthy habits. I noticed a complete change in her eating habits, but the urge to smoke was still nagging her. After surviving a serious health crisis, she knew she had to change her eating h...

June bug got me! Feeling much better this week and ready for a new month! Keeping your immune system strong for allergy season is key. Are you excited for summer or dreading the heat? Find your reasons for the seasons. Feeling energetic and healthy will make your summer days pleasant and adventurous. Make a plan and do your best to stick to it. For the parents, teachers, and principals, the end of the year can be bittersweet. The end of the school year is always jam-packed with so much to accomplish. Way back when I had my third miracle baby, I dreamed of these milestone moments. I wondered what it would be like when we started high school. I know as my children get older, so do I.  I envision myself being healthy, fit, strong, and energetic as we make these milestones. Well, one of those milestones is here and I can't believe it! We had a promotion dance with so many "firsts" and now a graduation ceremony coming up this week. I think I may need a few tissues when the r...

JLo 10-Day Challenge: NICHOLAS HUNT/GETTY IMAGES This challenge lasts for 10 days and includes cutting out all forms of sugar, carbs, alcohol, and caffeine.  No starchy vegetables, candy, baked goods, certain fruits, grains, condiments with sugar, sweeteners (even artificial sweeteners), dairy, soda, and alcohol. The deal breaker for many is no coffee.   For 10 days, the diet will consist of non-starchy vegetables including cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and spinach. Unsweetened teas and seltzers, nuts, seeds, sugar-free nut butter, meat, eggs, seafood, avocado, spices, and seasoning are also allowed. Since Jennifer Lopez challenged Hoda from the Today Show. the challenge got some big-time media coverage. With all the buzz, she had a few celebrities join the challenge. So what are the pros and cons of this trend? Pros : It brings awareness to the amount of sugar you may be consuming on a daily basis. Cons : The backlash can be wicked, setting up for a big bi...

Step Off The Scale…Grab A Tape Measure April 18, 2019   classitup     Leave a comment Especially if you are just starting a workout routine. You can lose inches, body fat, and gain muscle without changing the number on the scale and Jenn is proof of that! Muscle is much denser than fat and takes up less space. Think of 5 pounds of styrofoam vs 5 pounds of dry peas. Peas are lovely and so is muscle. Build more metabolically active tissue to consume all those calories, even at rest. More muscle means better health and improved overall fitness levels. Now back to my Rock Star Client, Jenn.  As we continue our journey, I just had to share her progress with you all. Below is from Jenn’s Facebook post. I know you have heard it before, but making lifestyle changes is a process. A journey of self-discovery. Jenn trains and meets with me once a week. Each and every week, we work on a piece of the new and improved methods for getting healthy and maintaining...