Last Week Out!!!!

Happy Friday Everyone!!!!! :) Thanks for stopping by my blog to see how my contest prep journey is coming along!!

This week has been pretty good considering that I tweaked my nutrition yet again and cycled all the complex carbs out... still have lots of energy for workouts though... This whole experience has been totally different than the other times i trained for figure comps... It's been conclusive in the sense of tieing all the loose ends with my nutrition/training trail and error of the past almost 10 years... I have finally found the formula that works for my body in terms of food, cardio and weights... Thanks to the fact that I work full time in the gym I was able to get in all the necessary weight training and cardio sessions and I finally figured out a good, fast and easy meal prepping system for home which takes under 30 minutes to get days and days worth of food prepared... Also found a way to make food taste GREAT with less salt and added crap!!! I have to say though this experience would have sucked and been incomplete without the support of my clients, training partner, posing coach/suit designer and family who understand what it is that I'm trying to accomplish and have been motivating and encouraging me from the moment I decided to do this show!

Well, took some progress pics this morning while prepping my tilapia and vegetables lol...decided to post them on here! Last thing left to do is drop ALLLLL the water weight and continue to practice posing :)))))

For Anybody in the Toronto area that's interested in coming to watch the show please check out the following link: Nov.29 GNC OPA Gala Championships and 40th Anniversary

5 Simple Tips to Help Keep you Motivated on Your Fitness & Nutrition Journey!

Hey guys, thanks for stopping by my blog! :) I have been super busy with work and life itself!
The gym is extremely busy around this time of year so my hands have been full at work, between training clients, putting together programs and managing my own training/cardio/eating schedule LOL...

The good thing about my line of work is that it's very hands on and I get to help guide people in the right direction when it comes to their fitness and nutrition. This gives me an opportunity to see what approaches work best when a person is trying to lose weight and keep it off for good! There are a LOT of quick fixes and fad diets out there that deliver short term results but that are very hard to maintain and can leave an "initially" motivated person feeling defeated towards the end when they start to yo-yo and regain the weight that they worked so hard to lose!

I won't go into TOO much detail, so let me fast forward and give you guys 5 simple fail-proof tips to losing fat and keeping it off for good:

1) EAT!! Focus on eating at least 5 small balanced meals a day (One serving of complex carbs, One serving of healthy fats and One serving of lean protein). Too many people make the huge mistake of NOT EATING ENOUGH when trying to lose fat and in turn end up burning muscle and slowing down their metabolisms.

2) INCREASE YOUR ACTIVITY LEVEL!! Start with small steps. Commit to doing 2-3 activities a week that involve getting out of the house and moving, this can be: going to the gym, going for a walk/run, taking a dance class, walking your pets; just don't think too much, GET UP AND GET MOVING for 30-45 minutes 3 days a week.

3) FOCUS ON PROGRESSION, NOT ON PERFECTION!! Slow and steady wins the race. If you set goals that are way too challenging you are shooting yourself in the foot and not allowing yourself to enjoy the journey and travel with hope. Set a weekly goal and monthly goals, yearly goals etc... plan ahead and plan to succeed. 

4) LIFT WEIGHTS!! Weight training helps improve your body's ability to manage insulin and stabilize blood sugar levels. Building lean muscle helps speed up your metabolism and reshape your body, burns calories and helps you achieve a toned, lean look. 

5) FOCUS ON YOUR OWN PERSONAL JOURNEY AND DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS!! We are all in a different phase of our lifestyle transformation journey. Everybody has to begin somewhere and comparing ourselves to other people or striving to achieve the results that other people have only distracts us from our own fitness journey. In the end, we ALL want the same things: progress, good health, change, education, balance and results!!!


And last but not least, BALANCE IS KEY! I eat healthy, I exercise daily and I have a personal life which includes socializing, having a few drinks here and there, indulging in all-you-can-eat events; and I am only human, there are days where I'm really busy and don't get to work out. The bottom line is, try and stick to your healthy lifestyle routine 75-90% of the time depending on what is realistic for you at the present time. As long as your mind is set to making change and you are doing as much as you can, results will come. Being TOO strict and depriving yourself of having a balanced life will only make your fitness and nutrition lifestyle less enjoyable.

In all honesty, 80% of the pictures I post on my facebook have been snapped after a night out with friends (drinks and tons of food) and I can finally say I have found a way to have my cake and eat it too! I may not be depleted and under 10% bodyfat but I manage to stay lean and in alright shape and still have a social life. All thanks to sound nutrition, a high activity level and good stress management!  
Everything in moderation, including moderation ;)


Happy Training!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
xo,

Alex L. :)

Helpful Tips to Fight Cravings !!!

By: Alex Liska

Hello everyone!!!
I hope you're all having a great start to 2012 :) I took a small break the month of December from extreme dieting and training, but I'm SOOOOOO happy to be back now !!! I learned something which is that i'd much rather travel and NOT take time off from dieting and training, than stay in the city and eat junk, train less and "try to be more normal" LOL ... Anyhow, on my time off i had lots of time to play around with new recipes and methods to make dieting or should i say "eating clean" more pleasant! Here are a few tips to help fight cravings:

First and foremost, find out what it is that you crave most... is it salt? sugar? fats? Then try to find a healthy alternative for your craving... for example: if you crave salt, try baking a tray of kale chips or broccoli/cauliflower or any other green veggie sprinkled with SEA SALT and a drizzle of olive oil. Salt cravings usually indicate that you may be mineral deficient or your thyroid may be in need of a boost, coming from a healthy source of sodium, such as SEA SALT! Sprinkling this salt on potassium-rich green veggies allows for a nutrient dense, electrolyte-rich crispy snack that will satisfy your cravings.

If you're craving sugar, this may be a sign that your blood sugar levels are not as steady as they should be... this may be caused by skipping meals, not enough or TOO MUCH exercise, too much caffeine, or simply having been on a low carb diet for too long. Focus on eating 5-7 smaller balanced meals a day that include enough green veggies, healthy dietary fats (browse the archives of this blog for examples of these), natural protein sources, and fibrous complex carbs(try to consume these earlier on in the day or around times where you're more active (ex. pre and post workout). Also, having half to one glass of DRY red wine with dinner and eating 1/2-1 ruby red grapefruit after your meal will help keep your blood glucose levels more balanced. If you're in need of guilt free sweet treats also don't forget to browse the archives on this blog for some simple, amazing sugar-free recipes that will definitely satisfy those cravings :)

If you find yourself craving fats such as peanut butter, RICH chocolate, fatty red meat, this may indicate that your body is deficient in dietary fats/omega fatty acids! Start by consuming at least 1000mg of omega 3 daily and take a look at your overall diet to see if there is enough fat in it! Sometimes when we follow certain diet templates they are either too low in fats or too low in carbs (both of which are energy sources that our body needs at the right times of day). Your hormones reset themselves at night so instead of having a last meal of the day that is high in carbs/sugar, consider a higher fat alternative, perhaps a small serving of red meat/salmon or lean meat w/ 1-2 tsp all natural peanut butter or coconut oil!!!

In between meals, as a snack i really enjoy having kale chips, raw broccoli dipped in mustard and balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing, or any other green veggies with a pinch of sea salt on them. Herbal teas also really help me feel more satisfied especially mid-morning, mid-afternoon or before bed :)


I really hope this post helps you guys and feel free to contact me: alex@alexliska.com if you have any questions regarding nutrition/workouts and if you may be interested in personalized meal plans/training programs.

xo,

Alex L.:)