I am so excited to introduce you to Heather Dorak! She is the owner
of a very successful chain of Pilates studios throughout Los Angeles
called Pilates Platinum. Her incredible success and passion to have a
beautiful healthy life is something to admire. So I asked her 8
questions to get a little insight on how she does it.
1. What is your work out regimen?
I’ve found that the best
results have come from making my workouts as varied as possible so that
my body doesn’t get used to doing the same movements. I make it a
priority to get physical activity each day and I’ve found that the
variety in my workouts has helped me from getting bored and has enabled
me to sustain an active lifestyle. My regular exercise consists of
alternating between: dance classes, Zumba classes, running, spin
classes, pilates, weight training, and hiking. That being said, I am
always up for a challenge and enjoy trying new workouts on a regular
basis.
2. Tell us what you eat on a regular day?
I start my day off with a
cup of coffee with almond milk and for breakfast I usually have oatmeal
with cinnamon and chia seeds or I’ll have a protein shake using Vega
(which is my favorite). For lunch, I usually have some sort of salad
with protein. My “go to” favorite spot is La Scala for their chopped
turkey salad. For dinner, I usually have chicken and veggies such as
brussels sprouts and butternut squash. For snacks, I love Fuji apples
and typically have one every day. I’ll also have some trail mix or
peanut butter, and I love making homemade kale chips with a little olive
oil and salt. It makes a delicious and filling snack with almost no
calories. I also recently purchased a dehydrator so I’m excited to start
trying to dehydrate my own fruits and vegetables. Sometimes if I’m
feeling in need of a little picker upper in the afternoon, I drink
EBOOST in water. It seems to do the trick! If that doesn’t help, then a
good old coco-roon definitely always does! Check out what a coco- roon is!
3. What inspires you to stay healthy and fit?
The way I feel from eating
healthy and exercising is my biggest motivator. I find that I have more
energy, my attention is better, I’m more productive with work, and I’m
actually much happier overall. In addition, the hour in the morning I
set aside for my workouts has kind of become my own form of meditation
in a way because it’s an hour I have all to myself, no cell phone, no
computers, etc. This time allows me to get ready for what the day might
bring!
4. What do you think the biggest mistake people make in trying to get into shape?
The biggest mistake people
make is that they typically lack patience. They go on crash diets
because they want to see fast results. Even if they do see results
quickly, it usually isn’t sustainable. Not to mention, it’s probably not
that healthy. Slow and steady wins the race. In addition, I think
people feel that diets need to be extreme. They tell themselves, “I can
never touch chocolate and I can’t have carbs.” That’s not true and it
will just make you want it more. The secret seems to be in the practice
of moderation. It’s okay to indulge a little from time to time. The way I
look at eating is that in the same way that sometimes we have to modify
physical exercises, there’s always a modification for your sweet tooth
or whatever your yummy indulgence might be. For example, if you’re
craving ice cream, try putting some greek frozen yogurt in the freezer.
Or, if you’re craving potato chips, try making kale chips or grabbing a
container of dried seaweed.
5. If you had to choose one thing that you believe keeps you in best shape what would it be?
I truly believe pilates has
been the most beneficial in shaping and toning my body. It literally
transformed me and I’ve watched it do the same for others. The machines
allow you to get at muscle groups which are typically hard to work.
Moreover, I love the diversity of the workout and the variety of
results. For example, if you’re a guy and want to bulk up, if you do the
same exercises really quickly, you will create a bulkier look.
Conversely, by doing the same exercises slowly, you can achieve that
ballerina look of long and lean muscles. This is a workout that can
benefit everyone no matter what the goal is. It has also been really
helpful for people recovering from injuries and those wanting to have
better overall flexibility.
6. What is your guilty pleasure?
COOKIES! I LOVE COOKIES! My nickname as a kid was cookie monster.
7. What is something that you want to try but haven’t yet?
I think next on the list might be scuba diving.
8. What is the best advice you ever got ?
My mom, Kris Rymer, is chock
full of great advice! She has a little fan club of my friends as we
always say, “What would Kris do? Let’s call Kris for advice!” It seems
like I’m getting advice on something each day from my mom so it’s hard
to narrow it down to one good pearl of wisdom. I guess if I had to come
up with something it’s “Be true to yourself, and no matter how hard it
gets, never give up”.
