When I first started working out, I honestly had no idea how to get started. I didn't know what workouts to do, what foods to eat if I should do cardio or more weights, how often I should go to the gym; my questions went on and on. Through a lot of trials and a bit of error; starting & stopping; eating healthy and eating garbage, I finally brought myself to now.  Now that I've been doing this seriously for the past few years and take this on as my career, I always tell people I wished I started years before. I wish back then, I would have just committed to it, rather than spend 4-5 years of on and off working out and getting nowhere! As a personal trainer, I hear all the time from people that they want to start working out and eating better, but they don't know how or where to start.  With all the information out there on the internet and most of it is contradicting, it's hard to find out what really works.  Do you cut out gluten? Eat more protein?  Eat few...

Since I have a few new people to this page, I thought I would do an introduction & tell you about myself! My name is Jackie Lindal and I am a certified Personal Trainer & the owner of Fit Like a Girl. My journey to being a personal trainer/entrepreneur/business owner was not what I had intended for myself but I am so glad it led me here! Some background! I was raised on a dairy & beef farm outside of Barrhead, a small town north of Edmonton, Alberta with my parents and 4 siblings- that's right 5 freaking kids! Growing up on a farm, and being a tomboy, I always was drawn to a lifestyle not exactly typical for a young girl. I loved being outside, playing with the farm animals, riding horses, roughhousing with my siblings, not brushing my hair and definitely not a fan of wearing dresses! From the time I was 9 years old, I spent every evening going out with my siblings and helping my dad in the dairy barn feeding calves, and eventually helping milk cows. Not exactly...

Just like most people, you have limited time for the gym.  Between work, kids, spouse, hobbies, friends, family, and maybe the occasional shut-eye- it's hard to think about scheduling over an hour every day for the gym.  It doesn't have to be this way! I hear all the time from people that they would like to get to the gym but they simply "don't have the time!" There is this crazy idea that you need to spend a stupendous amount of time in the gym every day to get fit.  You can easily make drastic improvements to your health and fitness with quick and concise workouts. Here are some tips to get in and get your workout done without wasting time! 1.  Plan ahead and prepare!        Whether you plan to workout before or after work, you can plan ahead.  Put your clothes aside, prepare a pre/post workout snack and put them where you know where they are.  Better yet, throw them in your gym bag and leave it by the door. 2.  Plan you...

I post frequently on my social media pages ( Here for my Instagram) about balanced diets and have always been outwardly spoken against the "fad diets" that take over our Facebook feeds and social conversations. The problem with fad diets are just that, they are fads.  Short term, non-effective, over-restrictive and always seem to have a cult-like following.  I talked before about them, and if you haven't read my blog about how to spot a fad diet, check it out HERE You may be thinking, if all these diets are not going to work, what should I do?  I want to have my cake and eat it too, but it seems like all these diets out there make it so complicated that I can't. Well, let me introduce you to a crazy concept... Balanced, non-restrictive nutrition ! Yes, you can reach your goals while eating healthy and enjoying the foods we all love that may not be as healthy.  Eating nutritious, nutrient-rich foods (think lean proteins, veggies, fruit, complex carbs) the maj...

Well Hello there!  It certainly has been a while since I have popped up on the blog front!  To be honest, I missed it! So here I am! I wanted to write about one of my favorite topics to rant about, the trap of the fad diets! We all know someone who is probably currently on some sort of a obnoxiously restrictive new fad diet.  You'll know them because whenever you see them for dinner or drinks or in the Starbucks line you hear the phrase,  "oh I'm on a new diet and I can't eat _____!"  Annoying right!?  It seem like every 6 months your friend, lets call her Jane, is on some sort of a ridiculous diet hoping to magically lose weight or transform herself into some sort of a Kardashian/Heidi Klum hybrid.   Jane talks constantly about how her new diet is so amazing and her cousin's friend's sister lost 50 lbs and met the love of her life and moved to Mexico all because of this new diet!!!  Meanwhile you sit there and think, is this f...

I have been putting so much focus into growing my personal training business lately, I have been completely absent from the blog front! I wanted to talk a little more about being a personal trainer and what sets me apart from other trainers.  I obtained my Personal Training Certification through CanFit Pro in August of 2016 and have been spending the last year growing my clientele.  My style of training is nothing crazy or fancy, it relies on consistency and determination from my clients So if my style of training is nothing fancy, what makes me different from other trainers or coaches? 1.  I use what works, in other words, no B.S unnecessary workouts, equipment, etc.  I believe in keeping fitness simplistic.  When you are just a beginner, you don't need anything more than a few sets of dumbbells and maybe a bench or a mat.  There is no need for expensive machines that take up space.  When you are looking to get started, the less investment of mo...

I'd like to take this time to write about why I am here and what kind of a "fitness person" I am.  Meaning the things I do, don't do and what I am not willing to compromise on.  Also, what kind of a trainer I am and what things I do for my clients.  I think I'll do it in my favourite form which is point form! I would not describe myself as a "typical" person when it comes to fitness.  I don't follow fads, I do what works and makes sense while I can still live my life.   So here it goes!   1.  I lift weights as my main form of fitness, not little baby weights either.   I am sure its pretty obvious by now, I love to lift heavy.   I love to be able to continually push myself to do more weight or reps or sets, provided it is done with proper form.  It is proven that increased muscle mass leads to a better fat loss, increased calorie burn and better ageing for your joints . So I lift! 2.  I am a certified persona...