GET READY TO GET FIT! #2016

Your workout in the gym should be tough and challenging, but make it easy to fit fitness in your life with these 4 quick organizing tips.

Organize your fitness the night before-
1. Choose and pack a workout outfit, and any necessary toilettes, makeup, hair clip or elastic, sweat towel oh and don’t forget your running shoes and lock.
2. Prepare your morning coffee for the morning, set coffee maker timer 5 minutes before your wake up alarm. So your sense of smell will help wake you up with your alarm.
3. Bottle water in the fridge ready for morning use.
4. SET YOUR ALARM to wake up earlier to accommodate your workout time. Here’s a tip to wake up your mind & body. Have one of your favorite

If getting in shape 2016 is a goal of yours please follow me on Instagram & Twitter @craigramsayfit for more tips & exercise videos.

Stretch it MAMA! Stretching options for expecting Mothers.

For most healthy women experiencing normal pregnancies, stretching has numerous benefits, including:
• It relaxes the body and prepares it for delivery.
• It allows you to practice breathing.
• It helps to ease stress.
During pregnancy, levels of the hormone relaxin rise in a woman’s body. This hormone, which is believed to soften the pubic symphysis in the pelvis and facilitate labor, may be produced up to three months after childbirth. It relaxes ligaments, as well as muscles, and makes pregnant women and new mothers vulnerable to overstretching. Relaxin levels may also remain high after a miscarriage, which can put you at risk for stretching beyond your normal and healthy range.
Here are 6 stretching options. Please share the stretch love! 🙂

Protecting others from being scammed *** Mark Petherbridge ***

This is really tough for me to share. Professionally, it’s a risk. Back in November 2014 I was contacted directly via Facebook by Mark Petherbridge. He claims (still to this day) to work for the ABC network and the TV series “Extreme Weight Loss” with Chris Powell and Heidi Powell. Mark began to “court” me for a possible replacement for Chris, who apparently was not renewing his contract for 2015. I love the show; I think Chris and Heidi are extremely talented fitness professionals and are very nice people. It’s an honor to be considered, right? Mark Petherbridge even contacted my management team regarding this proposal.

Now, this is where things get tricky. I deem Mark’s communication and handling of this situation inappropriate, to the point where I don’t believe he has anything to do with the entertainment or fitness industry. In my career experience, I almost always feel that TV networks, producers, directors and casting personnel actually WANT you to get the job. These professionals are on your side during this process. Mr. Petherbridge was not on my side; instead, I was receiving MANY red flags.

THAT SAID, crazier things have happened in this industry. Perhaps Mark could be so entitled in his position that he feels justified in treating people unprofessionally. So, contacting him and sharing this information is a professional and personal risk for me. If he does work for this network and series, after my professional dealings with him, I wouldn’t be interested in continuing with this opportunity. Regardless, I figure it’s worth sharing my opinion to the network, the series and any other professionals.

Here is the letter I emailed to him on Jan 25, 2015:

Mark Petherbridge,

I received your text. Please respect that I do not wish to be contacted by you via text messaging, only through email craigramsayfitness@yahoo.com
Here’s the deal. The way you handled communication with me regarding “Extreme Weight Loss” (ABC T.V.) was unprofessional. I had several red flags from day one.

So there are 2 possible scenarios:

1. You do work for ABC, the production company that produces the “Extreme Weight Loss” series or with the casting agency that is associated with this ABC project. At this stage in my career, I have never been in a situation where casting, producers, or the network don’t feel “on my side.” That said, I feel how you handled our “interview/casting” was unprofessional. It certainly doesn’t make me feel like investing personally or professionally in ABC or their weight loss series. Let’s leave it at that.

2. You don’t work for ABC, the production company that produces the “Extreme Weight Loss” series or the casting agency that is associated with this or any ABC projects. You should immediately stop contacting fitness talent giving false hope of nonexistent opportunities. This can be highly damaging to people, especially in the fitness industry, as the majority of these people are not actors and don’t have any experience in the entertainment industry. I brushed this off as just a gig and someone that I would not be interested in working with or for. However, ten years ago I would have self analyzed this situation to death and probably blamed myself for the outcome.

This is what I’d like to see happen: If the first possibility is correct- email me and prove to me somehow that you actually are a producer or directly related to casting of this series. I suggest this because there is absolutely no proof of this anywhere. Then I will apologize for my disbelief and just regard this as an awkward moment in my professional career. And might I suggest to be more respectful of prospective talent in the future because producers and casting can get a bad reputation just as quickly and damaging as talent can.

If the second possibility is correct-let me know I am correct and stop reaching out to any fitness professionals or anyone else you are “cat fishing.” Stop making professionals believe you have the ability to provide people with such opportunities.

If I don’t hear anything from you or I receive a response that doesn’t clarify your professional relationship to this series by the end of the day Monday, I will reach out to my contacts at ABC. There are numerous participants/talent on the show whom I know very well including past weight loss participants (who are now clients of mine). I will mention to you that this could lead to some serious consequences as what you are doing is actually against the law.

I haven’t brought this up to my manager, PR rep or agent because I’m embarrassed for possibly being “catfished.” I’m embarrassed for even bringing this up to them and connecting you with them because of how oddly and inappropriately you have handled this.

I look forward to your response.
Craig Ramsay
His immediate response back to me: “Not that I need to prove myself but from one gay male to another I will – nothing I had said to you was false or close to be false.”
Ok, so there we have it! He’s just an ass who has a small influence in the entertainment industry. BUT why “one gay male to another” ??? So WEIRD and wildly inappropriate. Who cares if we are both gay men? That shouldn’t influence anything.

I meditated on this, and came to this conclusion: I simply must communicate the correspondence I’ve had with this unprofessional man and the issues I have with him to ABC lawyers. Involved counsel has all the pertinent information, and I’m hopeful others will come forward with enough “talent” or those who have been “catfished” and share their unprofessional dealings. As a result, I’m hopeful he will be considered for removal from his current position(s).

I feel like it is important for me to share this to protect anyone from being harmed or mislead. I brushed this off very easily; but, Craig Ramsay 10 years ago, would have been devastated and self-analyzed this to death. I don’t want anyone, especially fitness professionals who are unfamiliar with the entertainment industry, to have to go through these self-esteem damaging situations.

Here is Mark’s FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/mark.petherbridge.7?fref=ts

Please share and tag your fitness professional friends to notify them of this man. PROTECT EACH OTHER – ALWAYS.

Sincerely,
Craig Ramsay

 

Mark Petherbridge photo

ON SUNDAY I WITNESSED SOMETHING SPECIAL

My husbands sister Brittani and her two little ones spent last week with us in California.  The kids have never been to Disneyland so this was definitely the anticipated highlight of the vacation for them.  Of course it was magical for them but I witnessed something magical myself that evening while waiting for our restaurant reservation at the Grand Californian Hotel.

To my surprise who do I see… Chris & Heidi Powell (hosts of ABC’s Extreme Weight Loss television series).  They were passing through the lobby appropriately from the gym which was obvious with the visible sweat on their gym clothed bodies.

I don’t know Chris & Heidi personally, I of course know of them professionally, and have heard countless nice things about them.  Well… I witnessed it for myself.

The gratitude they showed these strangers who support their T.V wellness efforts was astonishing.  Not since working with Carol Burnett on “Once Upon a Mattress” film have I witnessed people of fame so generous of their time and energy in public.

They didn’t just stop and take photos with their fans, they engaged them with genuine interest in them and made the moment special.

Why am I sharing this with you? Because it’s one thing to be on T.V to inspire, motivate and challenge people to better themselves, it’s even more powerful and impactful to also match that off camera.  People have options in what they invest in watching on T.V and to see Chris & Heidi value people who support them warms my heart.  It’s a good reminder to live in gratitude.

Hopefully you already watch ABC’s “Extreme Weight Loss” series cause it’s a great show! It’s motivating & inspiring for all people, not just those needing or looking to drop unhealthy weight.

GET THE KYLIE & KARDASHIAN KISSER!

Get Kylie’s kisser “lickety-split” with my easy 1-2-3 lip tips on Hollywood Life! Click the link below to seal the deal!

  http://hollywoodlife.com/2014/12/02/kim-kardashian-lip-liner-kylie-jenner-elizabeth-taylor-aids-day-event/

4 Slim Down Tips for any Special Event.

TIP 1.  Eat for fuel not for fun.  Watch the eating out.  If you do, sauce on the side, go for a lean meat with steamed veggies, always ask “no butter, no oil, as healthy as can be please”. You would be shocked at what junk a restaurant will put in your food for flavoring.  DO NOT skip your breakfast! Food before coffee.  Split your lunch into two portions, separate the feedings by 2 hours.  Cut the carbs in the evening. Eating 6 small meals a day will increase your metaboic rate and burn more calories throughout the day.  This is a good start.

TIP 2.  Workout to intensity.  Find your workout intensity, push through the discomfort.  If you are feeling the burn then you are doing it right. 40 mins weight resistance program, 20 mins interval cardio. 1 hour at the gym max!

TIP 3.  Add morning cardio.  After breakfast hit the  streets for a morning jog, or attack the stairs at your house.  Up quickly, down slowly, this is ideal interval cardio.

TIP 4.  Lemon your water.  There are so many benefits to putting lemon in your water.  Most important it burns more calories. Also relieves many digestion problems. Great for the skin with it’s anti-aging properties.  It can remove wrinkles and blackheads, Toothache or bad breath – Lemon water will help.  Tonsil issues, gargle lemon water frequently.  With it’s high potassium content, lemon water can help control high blood pressure.  It has been known to cure respiratory problems, breathing problems and helps someone suffering from asthma.  Lemons can treat rheumatism and arthritis as it’s a diuretic and flushes out bacteria and toxins.

Some Pillow Talk with @brandonliberati

PILLOW LOCK(s)

Are frayed ends leaving you broken hair-ted? Let’s talk about silks! A silk pillow case can reduce split ends, bed head, skin irritations and leave both your hair and skin looking orgasmic! This is because it helps you retain moisture. It has the lowest absorption rate of any fabric, especially cotton. And that means less products like moisturizers and leave-in conditioners that you need to apply on your body. Silk is naturally hypoallergenic with a natural resistance to dust mites, fungus and molds. And is made of common amino acids found in your hair and skin. Which means less wrinkles… ON YOUR FACE! Plus it’s machine washable, so tell me just one thing before you go… was it good for you?

 

Crunches & Sit-ups DO NOT burn stomach fat

CRUNCHES AND SIT-UPS DO NOT BURN STOMACH FAT!!! I don’t care how many you do, the sit-ups and crunches will never work! Your Abs are there,  they are just covered by a layer of fat.  Let’s attack the Fat with proper cardio. The two best forms of cardio for this are: 1) Running, running requires motion from your entire body, every muscle is activated.  Running burns calories faster than any exercise out there. 2) Stairs, walking up stairs not only gets our heart rate elevated and burning fat, it also is a killer resistance training workout for our legs.  Which will boost your natural testosterone guys, giving you more muscle building, fat burning potential, and as a bonus boosting your libido.  It’s a win, win, win situation.

TODAY’S TIP: SAY NO TO HIGH SUGAR “HYDRATING” DRINKS – LATER GATOR-ADE!

Hydration is essential to performance, safety and comfort during exercise. If it’s hard, long and intense, the more important it is to drink the proper fluids! Dehydration decreases your performance. Sweating will drop your blood volume which can cause the heart to work over time to circulate blood. These drops in volume lead to muscle cramping, dizziness, fatigue and heat exhaustion. Sport drinks are UNNECESSARY for anyone who is not training for a marathon or Ironman. It is impossible to deplete your body’s stores of sodium, potassium and other electrolytes during normal training. So if you are someone who is justifying drinking these high sugar drinks just because you are “hydrating” it is time to stop. This is not helping your body OR your waistline. If you have a fondness for fructose then try these simple solutions in a glass ( not plastic ) of purified or distilled, fluoride-free drinking water. Try a sprig of fresh mint with organic sliced strawberries. The oils in mint will aid in proper digestion, freshen breath and give you a glowing complexion and strawberries are sweet but very low in natural sugar. Or maybe organic cucumbers and lemons. Lemons in your water will burn extra calories just buy drinking it! Use sliced organic oranges and lime for a liberating libation. These are some of my favorite low sugar, complexion friendly mixes… so drink responsibly!

Today’s Tip: “THE WORLD IS YOUR GYM” – Clean House and Shape Up!

OK, let’s put a BOUNCE IN OUR STEP.  Get excited!  Just motivating your day with energy and enthusiasm will start you on your fitness path.

Do you have chores around the house?  Let’s try lunges and squats in between picking up those toys.  How about a dirty kitchen?  Let’s see how quickly we can clean up that mess.  Let’s do some calf raises while folding laundry.  We can play with the kids outside, like doing some jumping jacks.  How about walking your kids to school and jogging or speed walking back home listening to some of your favorite tunes?  Do you have stairs?  Climb them.  What about while watching some evening T.V.? Try stretching, or doing some couch sitting squats.  Turn your regular day into a fitness day.

Too many people, especially women, try and control their weight (size) by under eating.  This NEVER works. You may have a skinny body, but it will be an unhealthy one that is not capable of sustaining vital activity or longevity.  Eat your small portioned breakfast, divide your lunch into two small portions, and separate them by 3 hours. Eat your carb free dinner, and have 2 protein small snacks in the day.  This totals 6 times during the day you should be consuming food.  It works. Keep the portions down, but eat them often.