IFBB figure pro Linda Stephens shares 5 tips that have helped her reach her fitness goals.

View Linda’s Article On Muscle & Fitness Magazine

If you want to change your body, build lean muscle, lose weight, or reach most of your fitness goals it’s important to remember that those achievements take patience and perseverance. Before you embark on any nutritional or exercise regime you’ll need to tell yourself to take it “one day at time.”  We live in a culture of instant gratification. Anything we want or desire can be obtained pretty quickly, within reason that is. But when it comes to changing your body shape or improving your health, it takes time and effort. You’ll need patience to see it through and perseverance to stay the course. These two words describe what it takes to go the distance and endure the hard days when things don’t go your way.

During times of stress or hardship, sticking with your eating and exercise plan are the two best things you can do for yourself. Exercise has been shown to help alleviate the harmful effects stress can have on your body. When you’re stressed, your body releases the hormones, cortisol and adrenaline, which can cause your body to hold onto fat.  If you’re eating a diet that’s already high in fat like processed foods and you’re not exercising enough then you’re setting yourself up for weight gain — putting yourself at risk of developing illnesses.

Here are five mantras to remember when the going gets tough and you want to stray from your plan.

(Read more on Muscle & Fitness Magazine)

It’s your time to have the body you’ve dreamed of and feel more energetic.

View Original Article In The Darien Patch

I thought this would be a good time to write about something every one can appreciate this time of year—losing weight and having more energy.  It’s also a good time to revisit that old New Year’s resolution, “this year I’m going to join a gym, eat better and get in shape” or something along those lines.

Two things have inspired me to write this, the first being that I myself have started my leaning out process for my third season as a National Physique Committee (NPC) figure competitor and, secondly, at Infinity Fitness in Darien (where I personal train and nutrition coach) I’m leading a team of 15 very motivated women in our six-week body transformation competition.

It’s the perfect time of year to recharge that resolution.  The weather is great to run, walk or bike outside.  Grab your dumbbells and do your weight training in the sun.

Your muscles will feel great while you absorb all that vitamin D.  The other great thing about this time of year is that we often eat less and our food choices tend to be healthier.

View the entire article in The Darien Patch