North Bay Woman

S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 | NORTH BAY WOMAN 43 she said. Working with a trainer is an advantage, because women who make a commitment will make the effort to show up regularly. Juarez stressed, though, that it's important to find a certified, qualified trainer who will understand a woman's goals. "Make sure your goals are aligned. … It's really finding a trainer you can work with physically and mentally," she said. ■ Angela Martin of Marin Healthy Living in San Rafael (marinheal- thyliving.com) knows the challenges of slimming down firsthand. Twelve years ago, she lost 75 pounds. She didn't know anything about nutrition and exercise, but embarked on a regimen that required eating a carbohydrate, protein and fat four times a day and stayed on it for 18 months. A job loss gave her the opportunity to go back to school and become a personal trainer back then, and in 2006, she started offering boot camps and individual training. After that, "I wanted to know more about nutrition and offer the full package," she said. So in 2011, she began extensive training to become a holistic health coach. "I started to realize that nutrition is about 80 percent of who you are," she said. "You can't outrun the mouth." When Martin meets a client, she learns about her background and how active she is and works with her to create a realistic plan that can be maintained. Martin recognizes that what works for one woman might not be right for another and individualizes each plan. She encourages women to increase their activity so they can build up muscle and increase their metabolism. "Being a sedentary person doesn't work," she said. Martin recommends clients track their food and calories, pointing out that people who record their intake lose 50 percent more weight than those who don't, and also suggests advance planning, perhaps packing lunch ahead of time or considering how to approach food at an upcoming party. "We don't plan to fail; we just fail to plan," she said. Most of all, she emphasized that shaping up is about changing be- havior, whether it's taking a hike with friends instead of going to a bar or avoiding the temptation of Oreo cookies. "Get away from the number and weight loss," she advised. "Behavior will get you there." ■ Left: Angela Martin of Marin Healthy Living is a holistic health coach whose motto for living well is, "We don't plan to fail, we just fail to plan." – Photo by Stuart Lirette Above: Team LOLA Ladies running at the Santa Cruz Half Marathon. Right: LOLA Ladies team members at the finish line of the Ragnar Relay, a 195 - mile run with 12 women runners. – Photos courtesy of LOLA SUMMER IS HERE, ARE YOU READY? Includes Unlimited Classes and Full Use of Facility Offer Expires 7/31/16 CALL NOW 415-485-1945 230 Greenfield Ave., San Anselmo 2 MOnths OF sUMMEr $ 159

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