Hello beautiful,

“What gets measured gets managed.” – Peter Drucker

If you truly want to lose weight, for real this time, or you want to get stronger, faster or better in any way, it would be super helpful to know where you are and if your actions are working.

I have clients that won’t weigh themselves until they lose weight because it might ruin their day!

I promise, whether you look at the scale or not, you still weigh the same amount.

So wouldn’t it make sense to get a baseline, so when you clean up your food and start exercising, you can track whether it’s working or not.

I’m not saying the scale is the most reliable source and the only one you should use. What I am saying is, it’s an easy check in.

It’s true, if you ate sushi last night, are currently pms-ing, flew across country yesterday or are simply a little constipated, the scale might read a little high.

This is temporary. There will be daily fluctuations but if you were to weigh once a week, you would be able to follow a trend.

Try not to be so emotional about it. It is only data. Data is feedback. Data is power. You can use your data to drive your decisions.

In addition to a weekly weigh in, measurements are good to do. They are particularly helpful when you don’t have a lot of weight to lose but still want to see your body change. I have seen many people only lose a couple pounds on the scale while still drastically losing inches.

If you are able to get your body fat tested this would be ideal. Then you can see if the weight you are losing is fat and not precious muscle tissue. 

You can also simply take some pics in a bathing suit or workout clothes. Just stand up straight and have someone take pics for you if possible. This may be humbling, but like the scale, just because you don’t look, doesn’t mean you are hiding something.

What gets measured, gets managed. So get real with yourself, take some measurements, snap some pics and step on the scale.

 Then get to work adjusting your behavior if you are not happy with where things are.

Of course weight and bodyfat are not complete indicators of optimal health.

In my Red Carpet Ready group, I have start implementing a simple checklist to see how we are doing. Basically, I asked the girls to screen themselves on some basic good health habits and then score it on a scale 0f 1-10.

10 being optimal and 1 not so great.

You can try this right now. Don’t get all judge-y with yourself. This is just data.

How would you score yourself in the following categories?

Sleep

Water intake

Meal Prep

Clean Eating

Workout

Gratitude jounal

Meditation

Daily steps or cardio

You may add other categories if you like. If you score less than 5 on more than half, you may want to exam your priorities.

Actions express priorities. Is your health important to you?

Again, this isn’t about feeling badly about where you are. It’s simply to create awareness so you can change behavior where necessary. Data is power.

Don’t be afraid to look.

Then manage the heck out of it.

 If you want help with this, I will be opening my Summer – Red Carpet Ready Bootcamp, June 23rd.

I can hold your hand as we review your food journal together.

In meantime, make your checklist and see where you are. You can change. You can feel better, stronger and happier.

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I will always love the gym but with sun coming up earlier and my favorite early morning client out of town,  I’m taking the opportunity to get outside and enjoy the sun!

This morning I headed to the Santa Monica bluffs. I love the view and this set of stairs is a little quieter than the more popular 4th Street stairs.

Five times up and down was enough to workout up a sweat and get a good burn in my legs. I’m sure I will feel this tomorrow!

The key to any fitness program is consistency. But the staying consistent is variety. So mix things up. Get outside and go for a run or hike or find some stairs like I did. Let me know where you worked out today! 😎

valslide-andy-headlineWith a little twist – rather, an anti-twist, you add a whole new dimension to an already amazing exercise.  You get some serious bang for your buck with the
Valslide Anti-rotational Reverse Lunge…

The abs aren’t just the things you do crunches with and wish were flatter, or more ripped.

One of their primary roles is that of protector…  they do this by resisting or preventing movement.  They’re what keep you standing up.  And safe.  And strong. And yes… so sexy! :)

That prevention of movement function is why exercises like the Plank and Valslide Bodysaw are awesome.

The idea is that you make NOT-moving more difficult.

So in a plank, you remain stiff for the duration of the set.

With the Valslide Bodysaw, your trunk remains stiff just like a plank – but you increase the challenge by creating a little movement at the shoulder.

But – that’s not all, kids!

The abs are also major players in the prevention of movement across other planes – like rotation.

The Valslide Anti-rotational Reverse Lunge is one of the best ways to train this function because you’re also incorporating an off-set, one-leg stance – creating an even greater challenge for your abs.

All you need are your Valslides and an appropriate strengthValband Deluxe.

Andy is using the Ninjas in the video.

HERE’S HOW YO DO IT!

Attach an appropriate strength Valband Deluxe to a sturdy object or have a training partner hold it.

Clasp the handle with both hands, extend arms straight in front of you and create tension on the band by moving away from object.

With one foot on a Valslide, slide back into a reverse, allowing front leg to bend at ninety degrees.

Return to standing position by pushing up through the stationary (front) leg.

Do 8-12 reps and then switch feet and move band to your other side or turn around.

The key is to keep your arms straight and to not allow the band to pull you off balance or collapse to one side.

Back in 1999, I got a call from Edward Norton about the possibility of using my Muscle Truck during the production of a little movie called “Fight Club.

Ultimately, that didn’t work out.

But it did put the movie on my radar.  And the funny thing is, the first time I saw it, I didn’t love it. I didn’t get what all the hoopla was about other than the fact that Brad Pitt got in wicked shape. The movie was just too dark (both the theme and the style) for my taste.

Cut to August 2012:

I now see I originally missed the point and have since become a huge fan.

SO WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME GETTING BACK IN THE OCEAN AFTER A YEAR AND HALF?

Well it goes something like this:

I love to surf.

I love it in spite of the fact that I’m not very good.   I’m afraid of big waves, other surfers, seaweed getting tangled on me, the thought of being held under water and probably a half a dozen other things.

But for the last ten years, I would surf most weekends in the summer (unless the waves were too big or the water was too crowded). Then suddently, last summer, I didn’t surf at all. I was under a lot of stress and I spent most weekends working or at least acting busy.

Then I hurt my back.

Then winter came and it was too cold and besides, I was working too much… BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!

Pretty soon, I became a person that didn’t surf. I just stopped thinking about it.

If I did think about it, I knew I was not conditionied enough to paddle well and that makes me really afraid… I’d tell myself that I might get caught in the “impact zone,” and get held under.

So now, this activity that used to bring me so much joy creates panic instead.

THIS IS WHERE TYLER DURDEN GOT INVOLVED.

I read a blog post of quotes from “Fight Club” on minimalists.com, one of my favorite websites.

I love the quotes so much, I bought the book.

Reading the book allowed the characters to come alive for me. I understood them so much more.

As Joshua said in his blog post: Fight Club is not a film about fighting. It’s a narrative about life and about getting rid of the corporate and cultural influences (or perhaps the confluence of the two) that control our lives.

Next, I watched the movie. Twice. Now, I can say that I’m slightly obsessed. I highly, highly recommend it.

THE QUOTES THAT GOT ME BACK IN THE WATER:

This is your life and it's ending one minute at a time

I can’t get back of the missed opportunities for surfing but I CAN get in the water now. If my back hurts or I’m afraid to surf, I can boogie board.

Just being in the ocean is what’s important. Riding a wave, however you do it, is pure bliss… which is why you’ll see me out there, with the same big smile on my face, as all of the 12 year olds.

I am so blessed to love my job. I train some of Hollywood’s hottest actors and I definitely don’t want to give it up. I also created and brought to market, one of the single-most effective pieces of exercise equipment, The Valslide, and it’s needs my love and attention to grow.

That being said, I definitely took on a bit too much and didn’t carve out enough time to play.

(All work and no play makes Val a grumpy girl.)

This created additional stress and a couple bouts of depression. I had to get out from under. I had to clear my path and re-align my priorities. I needed to reclaim a sense of joy and I needed new peak experiences. Getting back in the ocean is that first step for me.

The things you own end up owning you

I have too much stuff. When I don’t make time for play, I find myself seeking an outlet for pent up energy by ordering things on Amazon.

While I do believe in reading and I love my books, when I’m ordering new ones before the last have even shipped, let alone read, it’s time to stop. When I’m working too hard to pay for things (or a lifestyle) I don’t need, it’s time to stop.

When I shop more than I laugh, it’s time to stop.

Thank you Tyler Durden for my wake up call.

Thank you Joshua & Ryan from The Minimalists for the blog post.

I am now seeking new experiences, relationships, opportunities and laughter.

Who’s with me?  Leave a comment below and let me know!  I’ll be reading and responding to all of them! :-)

AFTER ALL, THIS IS YOUR LIFE, AND IT’S ENDING ONE MINUTE AT A TIME. TAKE SOME ACTION NOW.

As a personal trainer I get asked all the time for healthy snack ideas. Like anyone, I go in phases focusing on 3-4 favorites that I rotate. My current obsession? Chia Pudding. I love it many different ways and it’s hard to go wrong with any variation, but try my recipe below with Pistachios. It’s super easy to make, convenient to transport and packs a nutritional punch!

Despite their tiny size, chia seeds are among the most nutritious foods on the planet. They are loaded with fiber, protein, Omega-3 fatty acids and various micronutrients. They are one of the leading super foods right now, and great for weight loss.

There are many great health benefits to pistachios that will make you want to include them in your diet. They are incredibly rich in vitamin B6, and contain carotenoids that protect your skin from free radicals. They help lower “bad” cholesterol, plus they are high in antioxidants such as Vitamin A and E.

You’re going to love this pistachio chia pudding, and feel great after enjoying it! Here’s to rocking bikini bodies and a healthy lifestyle!

Ingredients:

Serves 1 Calories: 270 Carbs: 25 g Protein: 16 g Sugar: 0

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk ( or unsweetened coconut milk)

3-4 tbs organic chia seeds

Dash of cinnamon

Dash of organic vanilla extract

1 tbs shelled pistachios salted (or unsalted) chopped

Directions:

Use a small mason jar and combine milk with chia seeds, cinnamon, & vanilla. Stir gently, cover with lid and let sit for about 5 minutes. Give the jar one more good shake so that the chia seeds evenly distribute in the milk. Then store in fridge for at least an hour, or even overnight. Once your pudding is ready add pistachios to the top and mix in for an added flavor and crunch!

Enjoy!

This Bombshell Booty Workout workout will slim and tone your butt and legs while burning tons of calories.

I promise you’ll love the results!

Here is a printable version of this workout.

hanks-fourI am going to leave you with what I think is a brilliant speech called The Power of Four, about choice given by Tom Hanks at Vassar College.

THIS IS AMAZING.

 

 


“EVEN THE SIMPLEST CHOICE CAN MAKE A JAW-DROPPING DIFFERENCE IN OUR WORLD”- TOM HANKS

breadWe sat around the table enjoying an incredible prepared vegetarian meal.  Fourteen of us were staying in a beautiful home overlooking Secrets Beach, on the island of Kauai.  We had come for a week of yoga and fun with Steve Ross and Tom Morley. It was the yoga retreat I had been waiting for.  My two favorite instructors in my most favorite place.

That first night, as we savored the delicious (and nutritious) meal, we couldn’t help but notice that Steve Ross was eating his own concoction, that appeared to be just mixed lettuce and avocado.  Apparently he mostly just consumes smoothies and fruit, so this was a feast for him.  As we dug into the amazing zucchini lasagna (zucchini noodles, roasted tomato sauce and some ricotta cheese), one of the guests said to Steve, “You don’t know what you’re missing.”

His reply, “I’m not missing it,” got my attention.

For most of my life, I had a piece of toast with breakfast.  Sometimes with an egg on it, sometimes with almond butter, sometimes just dry cinnamon raisin toast, to go with my smoothie.

Of course, it was always the “good” bread like Ezekiel sprouted grain or spelt bread.

None of that long-shelf-life, preservative laden stuff for me! No way! I was always careful to choose whole grains, or better yet, sprouted grains.

I also “believed” in breakfast within an hour of waking.

In fact, I was absolutely sure this was the best way to lose weight and be healthy.

Hundreds of my clients got in amazing shape following my principles, and this was always the first rule.

I knew this was the best way.

Until now.

I no longer have toast for breakfast.

In fact, I don’t really have breakfast.

I just stopped.  I really missed it for about a week.

Then one day, I didn’t.

I am no longer a person who eats toast every day.  I no longer eat as soon as I get up.

I cannot begin to explain what a game changer this has been for me.  I’m not starving all day anymore.

I’m not “afraid” of getting hungry.  I don’t get light headed and I don’t feel like I will pass out or…  die.

In fact, I feel better!  This has been incredibly liberating for me.

Eliminating toast, as well as oatmeal, brown rice and quinoa (cereal was eliminated a couple of years ago) radically changed my breakfast until eventually I eliminated breakfast all together.

At least at the traditional time.

I still call my first meal “breakfast” because I still do typically choose some sort of “breakfast” type food, but I usually have it around 10:30 or 11am…

Sometimes I have eggs but most often I have my Hottie Shake.

I used to think I couldn’t live without my breakfast.  And especially… MY TOAST!

It took about a week to be free.  I now can honestly say, “I’m not missing it.”

kauai
From a Steve Ross/Tom Morley Yoga Retreat on Kauai.

confessions-part1

People often ask me how I became a celebrity trainer or how I ended up working with most of Hollywood. I usually just give the easy answer:

Cindy Crawford was referred to me by her NYC trainer, Radu.

He was a big deal at the time and I had worked for him for about 2 months before moving back to LA (I’m California girl).

Cindy called shortly after my move as I was beginning to build my business in LA. She also referred her model girlfriends and her then boyfriend, Richard Gere.

Cindy was amazing! Not only was she beautiful and super nice but she was one of the most consistent clients I’ve ever had (and my girls are consistent).

Cindy had a standing 10am M,W,F appointment for 10 years!

She was also always good with the food. Not obsessive, and constantly doing cleanses, just consistently eating clean with an occasional piece of pizza or glass of wine.

It was through Cindy that I met Dr. Barry Sears the creator of “The Zone”.

I used that plan for many years, finally giving it up when I was creating Hot in a Hurry.

Lauren Holly was the first client to take me on movies.

We had less than 4 weeks to prep for her movie Turbulence. The results were so awesome that both her and her then boyfriend Jim Carrey starting taking me with them on location. That’s when it seemed I was on speed dial for any agent or manager needing an actor in shape in a hurry. They knew not only would I deliver, but the results were sustainable through a 6 month shoot which is not easy.

At this time, I was about 10 pounds heavier than I am now.

As is common with trainers, I was putting their needs above my own. I felt “lucky” to have these amazing clients and couldn’t say no. I loved working with them. I would hear other trainers whisper “why her”. “She’s not even in great shape!”.

Truth was, I couldn’t even articulate why I was having the success I was.

Obviously, I knew how design a program that worked, and I constantly went to seminars and workshops (still do) to learn more but my clients didn’t yo-yo like others.

I could deliver results 2,4 or 6 weeks even though other trainers thought my programs were too easy.

It took me years to understand my superpowers.

Malcolm Gladwell helped a lot.  I had done my 10,000 hours.

I could read bodies really well.  I had lots of experience.

But the woo-woo part is that I feel energy and I’m intuitive. I could never say that before. Sometimes, I didn’t know how I knew things. I just did. Now I am able to trust it more and it doesn’t sound as weird as it used to.

I still read all the new diet and fitness books and I have a couple trainer conferences coming up but I know that what I do is much more than my resume. So much more happens in a workout with me, than just working out. I am there to change their body and improve their mood. I want them always to feel better for having seen me.  Hence my motto, “You are just one workout away from a good mood!”

Talk soon.

Love and Lunges,

Val

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