Fit 4 Her & Team KRG

My Amazing Week at the Arnold Classic!

2010-03-08T17:33:00.006-05:00

Wow…..the Arnold!! I don’t even know where to begin! What an amazing life experience for any fitness enthusiast! I’ve never in my life been wrapped up in so much positive energy and been in the company of so many fit and incredible people! It seems like yesterday I was thinking….”This is the biggest fitness show in the world and I get the opportunity to compete in it!”

I must say the journey from January to the moment I stepped on the stage was totally worth it. In 8 short focused weeks, I trained the hardest I have ever trained; sprinting, weights, boxing, power lifting and plyometrics until I could no longer stand, determined to bring my best physique so far. Time literally flew by and before I knew it, I was on a plane bound with my many suitcases and bagged chicken and steak for Columbus Ohio.

After a quick and safe flight and suit cases in tow, I was kindly greeted by Amir Marandi, one of the top photographers in the industry who has shot with fitness stars such as Jamie Eason, Jen Cook and Natalie Hunt, just to name a few. I was so excited to exclusively shoot with Amir before the Arnold had even started. We ended up shooting for 4 hours and wrapped up fairly late around 11pm, man was I so tired but it was totally worth it! I can’t wait to see the photos, he is an absolute genius!

Considering my shoot ran so late, I spent most of Wednesday resting and trying to fend off a nasty throat infection that’s been lingering for many days now. The day seemed to fly by and before I knew it, I woke up and it was show time!

I was not nervous or anxious at all, just excited and ready to hit the stage! My morning started quite glamorously with a Jan Tana airbrush tan. One of the known facts about competing is that you have to be DARK…DARK…DARK…in order to reveal your hard earned muscles. The tan is one of the most important aesthetics a competitor must pay special attention to. Deciding on who does your tan is equally important. They must be familiar with the color required for the stage and they must be experts at applying the product. Jan Tana is the best in the industry and is even used by the cast of Dancing with the Stars! I had the opportunity to meet the one and only Jan Tana, she is one of the sweetest people I have ever met!

Once I was airbrushed, fan dried and re-clothed (not to mention now freezing!!), I made my next stop at hair and make-up. Getting my hair and make up done is one of the most fun parts of getting ready for a show and also one of the most important! Make-up MUST be flawless and hair perfect before hitting the stage. I never trust just anyone and I always hire the best in the business as I do not want my months of dedicated training go to waste because of overall presentation - very important!! I was fortunate to have the beautiful Elaine Goodlad do my make-up. What a beautiful person inside and out! We hit it off right away since we are both Canadians and former farm girls! With in minutes, Elaine transformed me with her amazing creativity….awesome!!!!

Make-up looking perfect, tanned perfectly air brushed and now rocking big Texan hair, I was ready! Now….the wait until stage time. Back stage was pleasantly relaxed and organized. There must have been about a hundred of us back there, primping, teasing, touching up, gluing suits, adding shimmer, posing, practicing, munching on dry rice cakes and of course meeting new friends. It seemed like seconds went by and it was stage time! I took a quite moment with my trainer (the incredible Andre!) pumped up, took a few photos and a quick good luck hug before heading out to the stage.

Wow….it seems like yesterday I was waiting ever so patiently for this moment and here it was! I was visualizing over and over in my mind; walk tall, chest out, swing those hips, shoulders back and SMILE!!!! After months of intense training this was the easy and fun part! As I took the stage, I heard many screaming voices from my friends and family who traveled all the way to Ohio to watch. It felt like a big warm hug and it made me smile even more. I was calm, I took my time, I worked the stage and before I knew it we were done!

Months and months of training, practice and sacrifice go into this sport for only minutes on the stage so it has to be bang on! I felt confident, I came in with my best physique overall and the journey was all worth it. I was up against 100 competitors from all over the world and I was proud to say that I competed at the Arnold Amateur for the first time, that is an experience and goal I have accomplished! Now…the question…. is this my last show? Maybe….I just never say never!

Please take a moment to check out all my photos from the Arnold Amateur Bikini and all my friends from the Expo!

I would also like to thank all my friends who drove to Ohio to cheer me on as well as my husband Brian for all his positive support and love. A huge thanks to my awesome trainer Andre Rzazewski and my marketing mentor Nancy Dinino. As well as Jan Tana for the perfect air brushed tan and Elaine Goodlad for the beautiful make-up. You guys are the best!!!

Remember…If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it. Dreams are so important!

To view more photos please see the gallery section of my new website...
http://karengallagher.ca/gallery.html

One More Sleep Until the Biggest Show Ever!!

2010-03-03T14:16:00.003-05:00

One more sleep and it is time to ROCK!! I still can not believe that I’m here at the world famous Arnold Classic!

After landing in Columbus I headed out for my first shoot with the amazing Amir Marandi. After spending over 2 hours in traffic (ARGH!), due to an unfortunate accident we finally started shooting around 8 PM making for a very late shoot of 11 PM! After getting up at 5 AM and traveling all day it made for a really long day however every moment was worth it! Amir was incredible to shoot with, very creative and a true professional and expert, I can’t wait to see the photos!

Needless to say, I have spent the most part of the day resting and prepping for tomorrow night’s big show. I’m really looking forward to seeing all my friends and family who are coming to support and cheer me on. I am in complete awe that so many are making the trip, you guys are the best!!

Off to pick up veggies, non-salted almond butter (YUM!!!), rice cakes and gallons of distilled water for the big day!

Karen
xo

Tracy's Story

2010-02-10T11:41:00.002-05:00

I woke up on November 9th, 2009 and I decided that I didn’t like what I saw anymore. I am 131 lbs; 1lb shy of being the same weight I was when I gave birth to my first born 18 years ago. I realized that every day that I woke up I wanted TODAY to be the day that I really started to get healthy. I had just what you have....intention, but intention wasn’t enough to get me to the gym. I needed a commitment. For me, everything has to be big. I couldn’t just say I needed to lose 10 lbs. Instead, I walked into Karen’s personal studio and said, “I’m going to compete in a fitness show, and I want to win”.

My journey began with my own small thinking that I can’t work out like those girls. I can’t eat like those girls. Instead of listening to my own small talk rattling around in my head, I started sharing my dream with everyone that I know. I began to set target goals. How much did I want to weigh? What size waist would I have? How many inches did I have to lose on my hips? How many times a week did I need to do cardio? How many times did I need to lift weights? What did I have to eat? What supplements did I need to take? Most of those questions were easy because Karen helped me set my goals, but Karen doesn’t make my lunches, and she can’t possibly know if I skipped the gym...but I know, and the results would eventually begin to show. Funny thing about commitment, once you make it your life is never the same.

Before commitment, I use to let my mind rule my body. I would get on the treadmill and talk myself out of doing the full program before I even got on the machine. I used every excuse. I’m too tired. I have too much to do. I can’t do it. I can’t work out like those girls. They have more time than I do. Now my strong mindset and determination to be the best that I can be overrules my small thinking. I think big. I think like an athlete. I can do 60 minutes of cardio. I can remember to take all my supplements. I hate to cook but I’m doing it because I love my new body.

Commitment changed my life. The discipline that I have for making lunches and getting to the gym twice a day has started to pay off. I’m seeing incredible results. My workouts with Karen are more intense and I’m getting stronger every day. I’ve lost 14lbs and the results are absolutely outstanding. I feel sexy, full of life, and energized.

I’m 41 and I have the best body of my life. You can too...with a little bit of intention and a whole lot of commitment. Maybe your commitment isn’t about competing....maybe you just want a better you! Whatever your reason, don’t let your small thinking get in the way of creating a new you. Pump up the volume on your Ipod, and when you want to quit...don’t....think big instead!
Check back with me at the end of February and follow me as I get geared up for the April 10th Ultimate Fitness Event, in Mississauga.

Tracy

Vote Karen as Next Status Fitness Model!

2010-02-03T13:02:00.003-05:00

I Need your Votes Please!!!

It would be an absolute honor to grace the cover of Status! It is my passion to inspire people of all fitness levels to improve their life expectancy, lose or maintain their weight, build and tone strong beautiful muscles, and improve their overall wellness and self esteem. Being on the cover of one of the best magazines in the business would be a great opportunity to inspire all fitness enthusiasts!!!

The voting is simple;

1. Click on this link http://statusfitnessmagazine.com/karen-riedel-gallagher
2. Create a login account (it is very easy and it requires no personal information)
3. Then simply vote 5 times per day!

Thank-you for all your support!! Lets keep me on the first page!!!

2010-01-31T20:18:00.006-05:00

Fit 4 Her Re launches New Website!!

Hey Everyone!!!
My new Website has finally arrived! Check it out!!!

www.karengallagher.ca

Please take a few moments to sit back and relax while exploring through the stories of my clients, fitness and nutritional tips, news and of course all new photos of your trainer KRG!

As well this would be a great opportunity to sign up for my up to date newsletters, blog and YouTube! I will be updating these on a regular basis with tips and news, client transformations and their reality monthly stories, also you can follow my reality series as I prepare for shows, my KRG Booty camps, and to simply see what is going on in my world!

For photo updates check out my new MySpace page..

http://www.myspace.com/karengallagher

Keep checking back on a regular basis as we are still adding to it!

Oatmeal Protein Pancakes

2010-01-25T19:21:00.001-05:00

Makes 6 pancakes

Ingredients:

6 Egg whites
½ cup low fat cottage cheese
1 scoop Protein powder
½ cup Oatmeal (Dry)
¼ cup Wheat Germ
¼ cup Flax seed
1 tsp Baking powder
1 Tbsp Canola Oil
½ tsp Cinnamon
Cooking spray

Preparation:

1. Place all ingredients except beaten egg whites in a food processor and blend until mixture is uniform.
2. Pour blended ingredients into a bowl and add the egg whites. Fold until blended.
3. Prepare a griddle with cooking spray. Ladle pancake mixture onto griddle and cook until both sides are browned.
4. Top pancakes with fresh berries or with sugar free applesauce.

Nutritional Value Per 2 pancakes Serving:

Calories 283
Protein 21 g
Carbs 24 g
Fiber 4.5 g
Fat 10.5 g

Chicken and Black Bean Salad

2010-01-25T19:19:00.001-05:00

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken breast
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 ½ cup diced tomato
½ cup diced red onions
¼ cup chopped fresh coriander

Dressing:
2 tablespoons lime juice
1-tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon each, ground cumin and sugar
¼ teaspoon each, salt and black pepper

Instructions:
Combine first five ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients.
Pour dressing over bean mixture and stir until evenly distributed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutrients per Serving:
273 calories, 7.7g fat, 20g carbohydrates, 26.6g protein,

2010-01-25T19:18:00.003-05:00

Importance of Proper Nutrition

Food is one of life's pleasures. Food is also important for fueling your body and investing in your overall health. As an active person, you may want to eat well but you struggle with juggling food and good nutrition with your busy schedule of work, exercise, family, and friends. Students, parents, business people, and athletes alike repeatedly express their frustrations with trying to eat high quality diets. "I know what I should eat," they tell me. "I just don't do it." Although they take time to exercise, they don't always make time, or know how, to eat right. This is why it is important to take the time to educate yourself about nutrition and how to fuel your muscles through a proper diet. I will guide you through a personal nutrition program that suits your lifestyle.

By now, most of you are all well educated to the fact that typical super low-calorie diets don't work. The majority of the weight lost from severe calorie restriction is lean muscle tissue, not fat. Calorie restriction also is responsible for increased fatigue, irritability, decreased metabolism, and poor mental acuity.
Proper nutrition is also an important way to improve and maintain your health. Years ago, people were plagued by nutrition deficiencies. Today, over eating, in combination with a deficiency of exercise, are the biggest nutrition problems in North America. A lifetime of improper nutrition and inadequate exercise culminates in an accelerated aging process that should, and can be, avoided. Extra saturated fat, cholesterol, refined foods, and gooey calories contribute to obesity, heart disease, cancer, hypertension, diabetes, kidney failure, and other diseases.
Fortunately, a more successful way to lose body fat and promote health and well being is through a combination of a consistent, healthy diet and proper exercise. Everyone wins in the long run with a wholesome balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, rich in fiber, as well as various vitamin and mineral supplements, coupled with resistance weight training and cardiovascular exercise. It is this "fitness lifestyle" that Fit 4 Her encourages and promotes.

It is also important to supply the body with the right fuel at the right intervals. Circadian rhythms, the natural daily patterns of the various processes within our bodies, are regulated by the cycle of daylight and darkness. Since we produce most of our energy in the daytime and begin to shut down at night for the sleep phase, eating should closely follow this natural metabolic cycle. By doing this, you can decrease your recovery time between intense workouts, maintain muscle tissue, all while improving overall fat burning and thus, losing unwanted fat.
As Professional Trainer and Nutrition consultant, I will help educate you about proper diet and supplementation so you will achieve your lifestyle goals. I will make appropriate adjustments to what you eat which will ultimately bring you positive results. You will increase your energy levels and you will feel great.
You are in charge of your own health and wellness so let me help you achieve that success.

Let's Help Haiti Together

2010-01-23T22:45:00.001-05:00

Dear Friend,

I'm sure that you, like me, have been heartbroken by the images coming out of Haiti since the devastating earthquake shook the impoverished nation on Tuesday.

My prayers are with the people of Haiti. I can't imagine the terrible pain and suffering they are experiencing. Sadly the depths of the tragedy are just becoming known and the need for our support grows more urgent with every passing moment.

My husband and I recently made a donation to the Canadian Red Cross on line at https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/donate.aspx?EventID=43149&LangPref=en-CA#donatehere or you may simply call toll free 1-800-418-1111. I urge all of my family and friends to join Brian and I and contribute or give in any way you can.

I realize that to some it may be difficult to donate however when the suffering of tens of thousands of people comes into our homes and touches us the way the situation in Haiti has, I believe it is onlly natural for us to come together and act and not sit back and watch the suffering of so many people. We are so fortunate to live and breathe so freely and times like these really make me realize how fortunate Iam and how the bigger "issues" in life are really nothing in comparison to what some may be experiencing. We must remember, the simple things in life are thee most important.

Thank you for your support.

Karen Riedel-Gallagher

"Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something"

How To Cope with Holiday Eating

2009-12-07T13:17:00.005-05:00

No More Excuses!

It is that time of the year again, a time for eating, drinking and being festive! Don’t feel that you have to avoid your friends and family this season to stick to your fitness goals, you can still enjoy the holiday season without overindulging and winding up with an extra 10 lbs going into the New Year. Here are a few strategies to help you cope this holiday season.

Excuse #1: The food looks and tastes so good! How can I resist?
I will not lie to you, the food will look and taste amazing however, how will you feel after you eat it all? Imagine yourself overindulging. How do you feel afterward? Was the taste really worth it? Could you have received the same pleasure with a smaller amount? Take a few seconds to think of how you will feel before caving in to the sweet tray!

Excuse #2: It’s a special occasion. It only comes once a year.
The holidays only come once a year, but the parties, events, and gifts of food never seem to end! Stop and decide which ones are really worth the splurge. When you decide to have a splurge, make a point of getting in an extra cardio session and sticking to your diet during the day. This way you will less likely have the urge to devour the entire plate of Mom’s Pecan pie!

Excuse #3: Everyone else is eating. The hostess will be offended.
Just because everyone is eating does not mean that you have to eat everything too. Trust me; the host will not be offended if you decide to choose smaller portions.

Excuse #4: I should offer desserts to the company in my home.
Keeping your favorite desserts at home usually spells trouble. When treats are in the house, you are more likely to devour the dessert, rather than treating your guests. Therefore, keep some low fat, low-calorie alternatives on hand.

Excuse #5: I’ll get back to my healthy eating plan tomorrow.
This thinking is okay, as long as it is realistic. Make sure an occasional splurge does NOT become a repeated excuse (or turn into “next week” or “next month”).

Putting It All Together…
The best defense against holiday eating disasters is a combination of both planning and strategy:

1. Take inventory. Identify all the situations that make it difficult for you to eat healthy during the holiday season. Is it office parties? Food courts at the shopping mall? Family gatherings? Extra baking and cooking at home?

2. Plan a system of attack. For example:

• Bring a low calorie appetizer to the office party.
• Don’t go shopping on an empty stomach.
• Use healthier substitutions and make a low-calorie, low-fat dessert for the family gathering.
• Budget calories throughout the day, so you can afford to spend a few more at the party.
• Burn extra calories in a longer-than-usual exercise session. Some research shows that adding just 10 more minutes of High Intensity exercise to your usual workout can stave off holiday weight gain.
• Stay focused by getting 7-8 hours of sleep nightly.

3. Remember to reward. Making it through the holidays can be hard work. Establish a reward system to stay motivated along the way. Deposit a pre-determined amount of money (the amount should be based on what you can financially afford) in a jar every week that you are able to follow your healthy eating plan. Then after the holidays—when the sales are big—go out and buy something special just for you!

4. Stay positive. Everyone makes mistakes, so there will be times when even the most disciplined person will slip. Don’t worry or stress during these mishaps—it is critical to get back on track. Staying positive is half the battle.

Remember; be armed with a good plan and a positive attitude!

Congratulations to Team KRG Athlete Mandy!

2009-10-25T23:25:00.010-04:00

Hello Everyone!

Just a quick update on Team KRG athletes….a huge congratulations goes out to Mandy Jones for competing and placing in four different categories at the UFE Halloween Mayhem!

After three months of dedicated training, following KRG’s nutritional and contest prep programs, KRG conditioning boot camps and all the endless fine details of posing, suit selection, hair and make-up…Mandy took the 1st place prize in Fitness Model Masters, 2nd in Fitness Model Open, 2nd in Figure Open and 2nd in Figure Masters….WOW!

Mandy, you worked extremely hard for this success and every moment that you dedicated in preparing yourself for this definitely paid off. You looked incredible and are an inspiration to so many people!

If you are looking to compete or simply would like to improve your health and self esteem, please contact me for more information or better yet, follow Fit 4 Her and Team KRG Athletes on Face Book and Twitter.

Warmly,
Karen R Gallagher
Owner Fit 4 Her
Team KRG

http://twitter.com/fit4her
http://www.facebook.com/people/Karen-Riedel-Gallagher/834315530

Cooking with Tosca Reno!

2009-05-13T18:00:00.001-04:00

Hello!

I just wanted to share with you some of the highlights and recipes from our evening of cooking with Tosca Reno at Nella Cucina Culinary School in Toronto. It was an honor to meet both Tosca and the infamous Robert Kennedy (publisher of Oxygen, MuscleMag, American Curves, REPS, Clean Eating series and hundreds of other fitness books!). They are truly amazing, down to earth and beautiful people.

After meeting and taking a few memorable “Butt” photos, we quickly set into the role of chef for the evening, along with a tasty glass of wine in hand (a girl has to have her wine!).

On our trip to the city Mandy, Monica and myself were discussing how boring and plain we eat and that our idea of cooking is purchasing pre-packaged salad (avoiding extra chopping at al costs) and grilling our 20 chicken breasts for the week - mainly due to lack of time). We were desperately hoping that we would learn a few tips to save our boring eating regime.

As we were being seated, we purposely avoided the table with all the veggies. I whispered to the girls, “looks like a lot of chopping over there!”, so we quickly selected our table with a few spices and a bowl of couscous. Sounds simple right? Needless to say we ended up at our intimidating “veggie” table chopping, learning that there really is a technique to chopping and finding the “nipple” on the mango to avoid cutting into the pit! Who new?

Our mission for the evening was the Buckwheat Noodle Salad with Ginger Tamari Vinaigrett. It sounds complicated but it was so easy to make especially when you have the beautiful pro Tosca Reno next to you helping you prep, too cool!

After what seemed like hours, we were finally finished our dishes (7 total!) and it was time to relax at the dinning room table and enjoy our feast. With our wine topped up and Mr. Robert Kennedy as our dinner guest, we started indulging in one of the best meals I have ever had and made! Honestly if our tummy’s were not so full we would still be there eating!

It is amazing how great you feel and look when eating clean. I have been eating this way for years, in fact since I was a child and would have it no other way. To me, I have no off season of binging on unhealthy fat laden foods; instead, I choose to make it a way of life.

Spending the evening with Tosca was an amazing and fun experience; she really made clean eating so much more fun and flavorful. Thanks Tosca for being a great inspiration to so many people!

Welcome!

2009-02-08T18:20:00.001-05:00

Welcome to my Blog! I’m really excited to be able to share with you my knowledge, thoughts and experiences with you. Let me introduce myself!

I’m a Pro fitness model, personal trainer, nutritionist, business owner and fitness judge. I have over 13 years of experience and credentials as a fitness consultant and nutritionist, 5 years as a successful business woman, 6 years as a fitness model and Bikini competitor and even 15 years as a competitive figure skater.

Throughout my career, I have trained and counseled hundreds of people ranging from wellness clients of all ages and backgrounds, to fitness enthusiasts at all levels and even world-class competitive athletes, fitness models, bikini models and figure competitors.

As always, I like to continue motivating my clients to achieve their fitness and lifestyle goals. I feel that fitness modeling plays a critical part in motivating men and women of all ages, whether it is to get into shape, maintain their weight, or to one day compete in fitness.

For 15 years, I participated in both singles and Precision Figure Skating, competing at four Canadian Championships. I also coached at many world class figure skating schools, judged free style competitions and even designed and developed off-ice training and conditioning programs.

In 2002, I competed in my first natural fitness model competition (FAME) in Toronto and placed in the top 10. Within months of my first show, I placed first in the FAME Bahamas fitness model competition and earned my FAME Pro Fitness Model card! Since turning pro I continue to compete with FAME in the Pro Fitness Model Division and with Fitness America in Bikini and Fitness Model divisions. Competing has given me a great competitive experience and has also given me the opportunity to meet new athletes and to inspire and encourage people of all fitness levels.

From years of creating results-oriented programs, fitness and nutrition counseling, and teaching on and off ice figure skating programs, I truly believe that fitness provides an element in which men and women can benefit in their everyday health, appearance and confidence. I feel that the competitive fitness industry has really encouraged people from all walks of life to push themselves beyond their comfort zone to levels they never dreamed of achieving.

I truly believe that I am an excellent role model for people of all walks of life, whether you are a stay at home Mom, business person or athlete! If you want to see amazing life transformations, view my website at www.fit4her.ca and listen to the stories and the journey’s my clients have taken with me.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Warmly,

Karen Riedel-Gallagher