Weekend Entrepreneur:

It’s not too late to go from flab to fab for the holidays. If you’re an entrepreneur or dream of being one, then you probably know how important image is. Why not throw out the crash diets, toss that Cabbage Soup recipe and consider getting your swagger back with kettkebells?

Kettlebell expert, and entrepreneur Sarah Lurie has the 411 on why this is a superior workout. She was the first to bring kettlebells and workout DVD’s to retail stores such as Target. And she practices what she preaches. You’ll find her teaching classes daily at her studio, Iron Core in San Diego, California.

It doesn’t matter if you’re the chief couch potato at home, need to ditch the monotony of your current workout, or want to break a plateau. Sarah sums it all up by answering 6 simple questions.

Why Kettlebells?
Sarah Lurie: I started using kettlebells after sustaining an injury on a piece of equipment at the gym. Like most people, I thought machines were a great way to get in shape. But, machines don’t engage or tax a major portion of the bodies musculature and don’t train your body to move and feel better in everyday life. When I found kettlebells as a rehabilitation tool, I knew the regime made sense. Our bodies live in a 3 dimensional world and training the body in isolation with machines just doesn’t make sense. Kettlebells train your body as a unit- how it moves in everyday life.

So what’s the secret to getting in shape?
Sarah Lurie: One secret to getting and staying fit is discipline. There aren’t any short cuts or magic pills. The great thing about kettlebells is that the program is effective and efficient. In other words, you can work out three times a week for 30 minutes each time and get twice the results from spending 8 hours a week in the gym. And the results come quickly, so you will stick with it.

How would you compare Kettlebells to other fitness practices?
Sarah Lurie: Walking, running and Pilates are great, but lack the power movements and strength-training component that our bodies need to be healthy and fit. Women love the workout because their muscles get lean and tone- not bulky (a lot of men like it for this reason too). Each kettlebell exercise engages the bodies major muscle groups and the movements are very dynamic and powerful.

How can we avoid packing on those extra pounds– especially during the holidays?
Sarah Lurie:  Weight gain during the holiday season can be avoided by sticking to a plan. If you know you are going to a party, eat moderately the days before. In other words, save your calories for when you want to splurge.

I actually eat like this on a regular basis. I have one or two “cheat� meals during the week when I eat what ever I want. The rest of the week I eat well and for energy only. Each meal doesn’t have to be some pleasurable experience- I just want to feel energized and good after I eat it. My cheat meals are when I let loose and enjoy myself.

What are some of the health risks for people who are overweight?
Sarah Lurie: USA Today just reported results from one of the largest studies linking cancer and obesity- it concluded that excess body fat increases the risk of cancer of the colon, kidney, pancreas, esophagus and uterus as well as post-menopausal breast cancer www.dietandcancerreport.org/

Any tips for ending the viscious cycle of yoyo dieting?
Sarah Lurie: To end yoyo-dieting find a food plan that you can easily adhere to and keep a food journal. My clients are required to either work with a nutritionist or follow the Jay Robb Fat Burning Diet and keep a food journal for at least 8 weeks. You can’t expect to get any results if you continually deprive your body of the nutrients it needs. Eating healthy is actually pretty simple- eat fresh protein, fruits and vegetables and drink plenty of water. Stay away from fast food and processed foods and you will feel good and look good. Take the time to cook for yourself and exercise.

 I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Sarah offers a free class if you take the introductory kettlebell class. Her studio offers kettlebell training for overweight and de-conditioned people, for moms wanting to get their pre-baby bodies back and for active seniors.

Dear Nordine,
I hope you can help me with my question. As a busy entrepreneur it is almost impossible to stay on a fitness program. Something always seems to derail my fitness goals. And within a week or two (max) I’m back to my old habits of junk food and not working out. Any tips on how to commit to a regular practice because I always seem to quit before I can see any results.

Frustrated in New York

Dear Nordine,

Here’s my question.  I work out very rigorously 3 times a week and wanted to know if that is enough. I am in good health and my body is in pretty good shape.

Christine

Hi Nordine!
Here’s my question… I am a busy entrepreneur and I would like to know what’s the real story on glasses of water per day? I’ve heard that it is best to drink 8 glasses of water to keep you healthy, but how many more above that to impact weight loss? Is there a formula? Also, is there a maximum limit per day?

Thanks,

Cheryl

http://www.magnificentwomen.org/

“You wake-up in the morning and you realize that your body is still asleep but your mind is running wild. You feel tired, frustrated and the first thing you do is run to the coffee shop, get a large coffee with cream, filled with sugar. At the time you are ordering you are also multitasking, your are answering your cell phone in one hand and checking your Blackberry in the other. As if your brain could handle all that, you are adding some newspaper reading, thus loading your brain with the unsettling news of the day (wars, murder, rape, stock market crumbling, etc…). Now, you are at the office and are answering your e-mail, talking on the phone and screaming at your assistant. Your blood is boiling and your brain is about to explode. You haven’t eaten anything and it’s already 1 PM. You run to the company cafeteria, order a juicy burger with fries and wash it down with a soda. Before you know it, it is now 7 PM and you are crawling to your car. You are going straight to unwind, somebody said wine? Yes, and you say to your friends, spouse or yourself: “I had a great day, I made a fortune today!” What you made is a fortune all right, but a fortune that would soon be spent on medical care, when your body and mind begins crying out loud: “STOP THAT!” It doesn’t have to be that way, you have a choice and that choice is presented to you the very first minute you get up in the morning.â€?

My new friend Nordine sent the above message in an email and boy oh boy can I relate to every word. In fact, just yesterday day my jeans tore right along the back pocket (sigh). So I think that was a sign. LOL.

Anyway, Oprah highlights the famed Miraval Life in Balance spa in the June issue of her magazine and it was featured on her show last Friday, May 25. And it just so happens that Nordine Zouareg is the Professional Fitness Coach at Miraval. What is special is that his new book is coming out next week. So you are not only going to get a sneak peek but he is my guest blogger and you can ask him any fitness or weight loss questions on your mind and he will answer them from today, Friday, May 31 until Thursday, June 7. Just put your questions in the comments below.

In his new book, “Mind Over Body: The Key to Lasting Weight Loss Is All in Your Head,� Nordine outlines his proven method for living life in a way that allows you to not only make a lot of money but also make healthy choices. You will learn the coveted secrets to living life in balance.

To kick our Blog Tour off, here are my 3 questions long with Nordine’s answers about how to actually get my body to follow my mind so that I can start losing weight.

1. Why do I resist changing my eating habits when I know I need to?
Knowing we need to change the habits that are not serving us is one thing and it resides in the level of the conscious mind. Doing the things we need to do is another and it resides in the level of the subconscious mind once it is loaded there by our everyday choices and by repetition. What we resist is always something that we absolutely need to do and can lead to success every time. Make the change, do it long enough for it to become YOU.

2. How is our subconscious mind related to our current results?
Everything we do from the minute we wake up to the minute we go to bed is automatic. We have loaded the information in the subconscious mind by doing it over and over, everything including the bad habits. Change the things you don’t want and replace them by the things YOU DO WANT.

3. What are some creative ways to get more out of the same amount of time I currently spend everyday doing a bunch of stuff?
Write down all the things you do during the day and substitute the things that are not serving your core desire and replace them with things that do. For example, if you eat a big lunch in th office and then sit at your desk being unproductive for the next half hour because you’ve overstressed your body with too much food, try to use that unproductive time more productively by going to the gym (and eat a lighter meal). Think about redistributing your time the way you thing about changing your diet. You don’t change your diet by simply adding healthy foods to the unhealthy ones. Just do it, do it long enough to become YOU. You are BEING fitness rather than DOING fitness.

So now it is your turn to post a comment, question or reply and Nordine will answer. He is our guest blogger until Thursday, June 7th, 2007.