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Archive for the ‘Ask Tanja’ Category
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012
 Q: Hi Tanja, I love the 5 Day Fit Weight Loss DVD I have of yours – wonderful aerobic one that really is great, and love the mountain scenery.
I am a “road warrior” in my car all day in hospice sales and marketing, and have been fit my whole life until last year when I lost my previous job. I was unemployed for a year and gained 10 pounds. Some of this could be stress and hormones. I used to weigh 115 and am now 131 on a good day…and all my clothes are too tight.
Can you recommend a program and what to be using for supplements? I know the basics…I am very healthy and was fit my whole life; 54-year old energetic professional looking for a quick start. I teach yoga and wellness and love to inspire others…interesting now I need it for myself! – Julie
A: Hi Julie, Thanks for writing! Nutrition is essential when it comes to being healthy and weight loss; this isn’t news to anyone, I know! The key, however, is to find the right balance, and to learn new patterns that combine the type of training you enjoy and feeding your body properly. In just a few weeks I’m releasing a 10-week online coaching program that guides you through the steps towards a healthy sustainable lifestyle.
But in essence my suggestion for you right now would be to get off the bad foods – flour, sugar, alcohol, excess salt and sodium – and incorporate 4-5 GREAT workouts per week. Try to stay away from the Diet mentality. Meaning, don’t follow any diet to a T, but instead eat 5 small meals per day to level your blood sugar. Balance your plate well: imagine your dinner plate being split in halves, and then one of the halves in another half. The biggest part is all the veggies you can think of, and the other two are a good carb and protein.
As for supplements, most of the time flaxseed oil is sufficient. I try to get all other nutrients through real food. It can be challenging, but drinking freshly squeezed veggie juices is a total winner here!
It is a commitment to get back on track, but the commitment is one that will create a deeper foundation of trust in yourself (so that when bad times come around, you don’t fall apart!) and strength (again, so that when the going gets rough – and it does for everyone! – you feel physically, spiritually, and mentally strong!). Good luck, Julie!
Tanja
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Thursday, November 10th, 2011
Q: Hi Tanja, I’m only 19 years old, but about 3 years ago I lost 70 pounds. I now weigh 110 pounds but look a little bigger in certain areas because I have a lot of loose skin and bits of flab left.
Mainly it’s all at my inner thigh area but I do have some in the outer thigh saddle bag area. I’m most concerned with the inner thigh skin/flab because out of every area on my body it’s the one place that I can’t seem to make go away. The outer thigh has been slowly trimming down with lunges and squats. I have seen little to no improvement on my inner thighs. They are so embarrassing in a bathing suit!
I have had a few personal trainers, none whom helped with that area. I’ve even had someone suggest I get liposuction plus a thigh lift… I’m only 19! I would prefer to not go nipping and tucking my body unless extremely necessary.
Do you know of an exercise or exercises that can really help me trim this down? I no longer have the money for a personal trainer or a gym membership so I’m limited to equipment. Thank you! –Rebecca
A: Hi, Rebecca! I’m so proud of you! I hope that you take time out every single day to thank yourself for the great love you give your body. You are truly an inspiration!
To answer your question, I also absolutely think 19 is an age where you still have so much time to work on the things you want in a natural way. As you mature, your priorities and decisions will also adjust and that is a beautiful process worth waiting for.
As for strengthening the inner thigh muscles, any lateral sideways motion is recommended, as well as balancing! I also like the Sumo Squat, which is a squat with a wider turned-out stance. You can also use mini bands for lateral walks, and a cable attached to the ankle for an adductor pull.
Now with all of that said, you are still young and if you have a lot of extra skin, there is still a chance that it will contract a little. So be patient and eat healthily, staying as close to mother earth as possible, and give it some time. Maybe you can write in your diary about how it would feel to accept your body for being amazing, strong, and healthy?
Please let me know how it goes! You are a Hero! Live Loud!!
Tanja
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Tags: loose skin, weight loss
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Thursday, November 3rd, 2011
Q: Is it possible to lose weight if I gain muscles? I mean, I’m training 5 days a week with your DVDs (like 1 hour and a half each day), and I’m on a diet. But with your DVDs, I’m developing my muscles; I can see it. It’s good, but I’m just wondering this: if I gain muscles, won’t that mean that I’m gonna gain weight, too? How can I lose more weight AND have beautiful muscles? Thank you very much; I know that my question is a little bit weird, but I don’t know the mysteries of the human body… –Mouz
A: Hey, Mouz! Thanks for your question.  Yes, if you gain muscle mass, the scale will show less weight loss than you might expect, or maybe even a bit of gain. Now, if you do lose fat weight, too, you should still be losing weight overall, but maybe not as much as you imagine you should.
Your weight on the scale doesn’t tell you very much. When you have more muscle and muscle tone (instead of that flabby no muscle look), you will actually burn fat more effectively … and it looks so sexy. Although muscle mass weighs more that fat, it takes less space. Compare a pound of gold (muscle) to a pound of cotton (fat) – takes a different amount of space, right? That means muscle looks “smaller” even though it’s heavier.
If you are not running or jogging at this point, maybe you should consider starting. It’s a great addition to the DVDs. Do the DVDs every other day, and do cardio in-between. Make sure your diet is balanced. Take in enough water and try to eat fewer salty foods, which can also contribute to water retention.
Hope this clarifies it a little bit!
Tanja
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Tags: fat, muscles, weight, weight loss
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Thursday, October 27th, 2011
Q: Hej Tanja! Jag väljer att skriva på svenska då jag tror att jag lättare kan förklara mig då! Jag är snart 19 år och jag tränar på Friskis & Svettis ca. 6 gånger i veckan! Jag går på många olika pass såsom core, skivstång och vanliga Friskis pass med mera konditionsträning, går även på pass där man både utmanar styrka och kondition! Jag skulle själv kalla mig “träningsfreak” , träningen är det roligaste jag vet och jag är så nöjd med vad jag tränar!
Mitt problem är att jag ändå inte alls är nöjd med hur min kropp ser ut, jag är 1,57 lång och väger ca60 kg, vilket i mina öron låter som oerhört mycket men jag vet också att mycket är muskler! Jag känner att jag nästan inte kan träna mer, speciellt med tanke på att jag har problem med mina benhinnor. Och jag är heller inte en person som inte gör eller tar i mycket bär jag väl tränar, för det för jag verkligen! Känner att jag har för mycket fett på min mage då det nästan är som en liten kula på den.
Vad kan jag göra mer än vad jag redan gör? Jag tränar för att jag älskar det, men också för att jag behöver det för att må bra! Anledningen till att jag vill gå ner i vikt är för att jag känner att den där lilla magen inte gör sig särskilt snygg i kläder! Vore jätte Tacksam för svar! Värt att tillägga, din blogg är grym. – Maria
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Thursday, October 20th, 2011
Q: Dear Tanja, I am 40 years old, 5’8″ tall and I weigh 143 lbs. For the last 20 years I have been fighting with my weight.
My first problem is I cannot do cardio training anymore as I have extreme pain in my knees and hips. The doctors told me I should quit or take it easy, but I cannot afford that. Secondly, I cannot train in the evenings because than I stay awake all night. I am bipolar and maybe because of that when I overtrain my body I cannot sleep.
What I do now is one hour of fat burning yoga every morning, but that is not enough. I am thinking of plastic surgery, but I know even if I do liposuction, I will still need some effective sport in order to maintain the weight and my body shape. Do you have any idea what can I do? Thank you! –Irina
A: Hi Irina, I react the same way when I train in the evenings, so I always try to schedule my workouts before 5 pm if possible! It’s not clear what is going on with your hips and knees, but there are a few things I can recommend for someone in your situation. Yoga, pilates, and swimming are things that are in combination highly effective and keep you fit and healthy, when you do them on a regular basis. Swimming is great because it takes the pressure off joints and since you have so much help from the water, which keeps you buoyant, you can move in different ways and not only have to swim. I’m confident that this can be a great option for you!
The other part of maintaining weight is diet. Your diet needs to be tailored to your needs, and there is no space for emotional eating, which can be a problem if you have a bipolar diagnosis. The quality of the food is highly important here, too, as it really affects your overall experience of health, and all functions in your brain and body! There might be some tips for you in my book Your Life Force about eating and how to find a good balance.
Lastly, I want to say that liposuction brings a whole other set of problems or risks with it, but if that is your last resort, and you have really tried everything, you would definitely want to spend time researching and interviewing several doctors to find a GREAT one.
Tanja
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Tags: emotional eating, swimming, weight loss
Posted in Ask Tanja, Fitness | No Comments »
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