Jul 17, 2011
Jul 12, 2011
How to lose weight. Fitness is a lifestyle.
If the last time you tried to lose weight and you did then good job. Were you successful in keeping the pounds off? If you were then ever better job, but not at the weight loss at the lifestyle changes you made. If not, you probably tried an extreme approach to improve your looks, rather than focusing on the real picture: your long-term health and lifestyle.
We've all seen the person who lost 15 pounds in one week. Then we see how the person put it all and then some back on. We know that the person probably resorted to extreme measures like a starvation or restrictive diet and dehydrated their body, as well as slowed down their metabolism, in the process. They were too worried about results not lifestyle changes and education.
In the long run, repeated episodes of unhealthy weight-loss attempts are more likely to cause damage to your body and outweigh the health benefits of short-term weight loss. Now don't get me wrong; I am not saying that it is better to stay at an unhealthy weight. You just have to make sure that you are losing weight in a healthy way and are able to maintain that weight loss. Our bodies do not respond well to unhealthy attempts at deprivation followed by unhealthy excessive eating that gains the weight back because we feel deprived. Ultimately it throws our metabolism way out of whack.
The key message to keep in mind when it comes to losing weight in a healthy way is to take the steps necessary to make healthy decisions, to keep our metabolism humming, provide appropriate amounts of necessary nutrients and vitamins, and always ask yourself is what I’m doing maintainable for life? Following these simple steps is the best way to maintain your results.
In general, it is recommended that you not go below 1,200 calories per day (if you're an average-sized individual) so your metabolism doesn't slow down and go into a catabolic state. (Starvation mode)You always need at least 1,200 calories to be able to maintain basic cellular and metabolic functioning. If you want to be more exact, you can use the Mifflin formula to calculate your resting metabolic rate (RMR; energy needed to produce vital body functioning at rest).Just keep in mind that if you exercise or are active, you are going to be burning more than this calculated amount on a daily basis. (The RMR designates what you need to function at rest.)
It takes about a 500-calorie deficit per day to lose about 1 pound per week. If you incorporate exercise that burns an additional 500 calories per day, then you can lose 2 pounds per week. My recommendation would be to aim to lose no more than 2 pounds per week on average. "On average" takes into consideration that the initial weeks may result in greater weight loss because of the loss of retained fluids from exchanging fatty, salty foods for a healthier, more balanced diet. But overall, you should average out to about 2 pounds per week. If you are losing more than that, then you are more likely resorting to less-healthy methods of weight loss, which can hurt your metabolism and health in the long-term.
Believe it or not, people who lose weight at a slow, steady rate tend to keep the weight off longer because they are incorporating new, healthier habits instead of taking drastic measures to get the weight off. When we shift our focus from '"dieting" to "creating a healthier lifestyle," we are more likely to succeed in keeping the weight off for good.
Jul 9, 2011
How to lose fat and keep it off.
How fast can I lose my weight? How long will it take for me to get to my goal? Those are the 2 most often asked questions that I get. My answer is always the same “that depends on you!” I then ask them “how long do you want to maintain your results?” On average 1-3 pounds a week is healthy. The biggest loser is great for inspiration but very unrealistic, unhealthy, and not maintainable. HCG has the same drawbacks what kind of diet is going to tell you not to exercise?
When a person starts a new diet and fitness routine they may lose a lot of weight fast at the beginning up to 7-8 pound first week. Those types of results usually happen because of the calorie change and water loss due to better healthier foods. In the beginning you will notice more of a body composition change (loser clothes) than weight loss especially if you are doing resistance training with your cardio. There lots of other factors that can play an important role besides nutrition and exercise like: gender, metabolism, genes, stress levels, hormones, and how many times you have lost 20 or more pounds.
So my question still remains “How long do you want to maintain your results?” If you said “forever” then you should be creating fitness habits and concentrating more on behavior change not just results! It is fairly easy to lose some weight but developing good decision making skills are far better than losing 5 pounds in a week. Once you change your relationship with food and learn why you eat certain foods when emotions like stress, frustration, or loneliness, overcomes you. Then will you be able to maintain your goals because you have changed your life not just exercised.
I'm curious about your experiences. Are you trying to lose weight or learn how to eat and create good habits, if so, how long have you been working on it? Post a comment and tell me how long you've been trying to lose weight.
Jul 6, 2011
Fitness fun for the family.
Here is a great way to get the family working out together. Fitness and exercise are a way of life not just at the gym, But everywhere everyday.
Jul 4, 2011
Exercise is Brain Fitness too.
I tell my clients all the time how exercise has the potential to make their bodies beautiful. I also remind them that it also has the power to help them create a beautiful mind.
To young, middle, and golden-agers concerned their memory may be slipping with advancing years, knowing exercise preserves and enhances the parts of the brain associated with memory, balance, recall and learning is likely to be more motivating than the promise of sculpted abs and toned legs. Even younger clients are encouraged when they find out exercise helps, among other things, sharpen focus, boost mood and dial down stress levels—exactly the skills they need to get ahead in their careers. Best of all, these benefits appear to be true whether you put someone through the paces of a hardcore circuit workout, teach them to balance, or play a movement game.
Exercise fuels the brain instantly. When someone is huffing and puffing, they are sending more generous amounts of oxygen and glucose into the brain compared to the time they spend sitting at their desk staring at a computer screen or watching T.V. Think of glucose as the brain's main fuel source, like gas in a car, and oxygen as the means to spark that fuel into energy. In one study performed by researchers at the University of Illinois, just one 30-minute treadmill session—and only 20 minutes for children—improved cognition by 5 percent to 10 percent. Cognition processes are part of the so-called “executive functions” that occur in the frontal lobes of the brain. They’re associated with how quickly you perform mental tasks such as decision making, flexible thinking and problem solving.
Although the effects like increased metabolism and endorphins from a single exercise bout seem only to last a few hours, it’s easy to see how even a short-term mind lift could be useful. I suggest that you hit the treadmill shortly before an important presentation or interview. Or if you can’t find the solution to a sticky problem at work or home, the answer might pop into your while running around the block.
Along with reshaping muscles, and dropping body fat, exercise can also reshape the brain over time. Just as you build muscle, consistent exercise appears to be one of the best ways to trigger “neurogenesis,” the growth of new brain cells, something that, until recently, wasn’t thought possible in the adult brain. Scientists used to believe that somewhere around the late teens, your mental organ stopped generating new cells and from that point on, you could only shed them and multitask with the ones we had left.
Form and focus are very important in exercise you do not have to go 100 miles an hour pay attention to your muscles. Teach them to move the way you want them to. When working out you are training your body to move in ways that you move every day. Think of a piano player how he trained his hands and fingers to move and play the music. So do you have to train your body and mind.
Please comment on this post. If you want to ask a question please do.
To young, middle, and golden-agers concerned their memory may be slipping with advancing years, knowing exercise preserves and enhances the parts of the brain associated with memory, balance, recall and learning is likely to be more motivating than the promise of sculpted abs and toned legs. Even younger clients are encouraged when they find out exercise helps, among other things, sharpen focus, boost mood and dial down stress levels—exactly the skills they need to get ahead in their careers. Best of all, these benefits appear to be true whether you put someone through the paces of a hardcore circuit workout, teach them to balance, or play a movement game.
Exercise fuels the brain instantly. When someone is huffing and puffing, they are sending more generous amounts of oxygen and glucose into the brain compared to the time they spend sitting at their desk staring at a computer screen or watching T.V. Think of glucose as the brain's main fuel source, like gas in a car, and oxygen as the means to spark that fuel into energy. In one study performed by researchers at the University of Illinois, just one 30-minute treadmill session—and only 20 minutes for children—improved cognition by 5 percent to 10 percent. Cognition processes are part of the so-called “executive functions” that occur in the frontal lobes of the brain. They’re associated with how quickly you perform mental tasks such as decision making, flexible thinking and problem solving.
Although the effects like increased metabolism and endorphins from a single exercise bout seem only to last a few hours, it’s easy to see how even a short-term mind lift could be useful. I suggest that you hit the treadmill shortly before an important presentation or interview. Or if you can’t find the solution to a sticky problem at work or home, the answer might pop into your while running around the block.
Along with reshaping muscles, and dropping body fat, exercise can also reshape the brain over time. Just as you build muscle, consistent exercise appears to be one of the best ways to trigger “neurogenesis,” the growth of new brain cells, something that, until recently, wasn’t thought possible in the adult brain. Scientists used to believe that somewhere around the late teens, your mental organ stopped generating new cells and from that point on, you could only shed them and multitask with the ones we had left.
Form and focus are very important in exercise you do not have to go 100 miles an hour pay attention to your muscles. Teach them to move the way you want them to. When working out you are training your body to move in ways that you move every day. Think of a piano player how he trained his hands and fingers to move and play the music. So do you have to train your body and mind.
Please comment on this post. If you want to ask a question please do.
Jun 26, 2011
Which exercise is better pullups or chin-ups?
I was asked what is a better exercise pullups or chin ups? They both are good for different reasons first let me explain the difference; pullups is with your palms facing away from you, chin-ups are when your palms are inward. While both are very hard to do pullups are considerably harder more difficult.
How to do pullups/chin-ups:
Jump up to a bar that is high enough that your feet don’t touch the ground and pull yourself up. Then lower your body back down and do it again. When you pull DO NOT kick or swing your legs pull with your back and arms. Lift your chin over the bar then when you lower yourself it should be done slowly with control.
Pullups are back, chin-ups are biceps that is basically the only difference. If you want a wide thick back you must do pullups, if you want to increase your biceps size and strength do chin-ups. Both exercises should be done regularly and I recommend doing the pullups first then the chin-ups at the end because they are easier. These types of exercises that use your own body weight including dips require a lot of strength and are much more difficult than just weighted exercises.
Watch my blog and youtube channel ‘Benergyfintness” for a video demonstration ext week.
How to do pullups/chin-ups:
Jump up to a bar that is high enough that your feet don’t touch the ground and pull yourself up. Then lower your body back down and do it again. When you pull DO NOT kick or swing your legs pull with your back and arms. Lift your chin over the bar then when you lower yourself it should be done slowly with control.
Pullups are back, chin-ups are biceps that is basically the only difference. If you want a wide thick back you must do pullups, if you want to increase your biceps size and strength do chin-ups. Both exercises should be done regularly and I recommend doing the pullups first then the chin-ups at the end because they are easier. These types of exercises that use your own body weight including dips require a lot of strength and are much more difficult than just weighted exercises.
Watch my blog and youtube channel ‘Benergyfintness” for a video demonstration ext week.
Jun 24, 2011
Jun 22, 2011
Some simple rules
Your body does a lot of work just to keep you going, and even more work to do things like exercise and build muscle. Burning calories gives your body energy in different ways. Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) burns calories all day long. Whether you’re asleep or just sitting down watching T.V. you are burning calories. Good news, right? Next are the calories you burn doing things (activity calories) like exercising, cleaning the house, or even shopping. This is the second most common way most people burn calories. Finally there’s a little thing called dietary thermogenesis which burns calories by eating. Each activity involved in eating–chewing, digesting, absorbing, and converting–works to help you burn off those pesky calories without doing much. That is why you should eat 5-6x a day. It increases your metabolism! On average a person’s calorie expenditure is about 66-75% Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR. BMR is tissue repair, breathing, heart beating, blood pumping, and basically just existing. 10% is for digestion, and approximately 15% for exercise.
How many times have your physically superior friends said to you, “muscle burns more calories than fat”? Well as much as you’d love to punch your friend right in the face, they are correct. Muscle burns more calories each day than fat, up to 35 cals per pound of muscle while fat burns only about 2 cals per pound per day so increasing muscle mass is a great way to kick extra calories to the curb! The best way to build muscle is to add strength or resistance training to your regular workout schedule. Just a half hour, 3 days a week of lifting weights and you could lose an additional 650 calories a week. Imagine what you could be wearing a lot sooner if you start lifting weights.
As important as strength training is to making your body burn more calories each day, so too is cardio or aerobic exercise. Not only does aerobic exercise keep you heart healthy, it can also make you burn calories even hours after you’ve finished your workout. That is why you should do cardio after your workout. The way I train is also like cardio that is why your heart is beating so hard it is called High Intensity Interval Training or H.I.I.T., Circuit Training, or Metabolic Conditioning, or Met Con.
While it may appear counterintuitive at first glance, science has demonstrated that the most effective way to build lean muscle and burn the most fat is to eat more meals with smaller portions. The fact of the matter is that consuming just three meals per day will hurt your efforts to build and maintain lean muscle and burn the most fat. When there is a period of 4 hours or longer between meals, the body interprets this as starvation and will work to conserve energy and store fat instead of burn it. As the human body is designed for survival, this mechanism will be activated so that the body can protect itself from future starvation. If you allow 4 or more hours to pass between meals, your body will engage its built-in survival processes. While your conscious mind understands you have food readily available, your body only realizes it has food when it is fed. During this time of perceived "famine", the body will break down muscle tissue for energy and decrease its processes to burn fat. Since one of the major benefits of muscle tissue is its ability to stimulate your metabolism, this loss of lean muscle will only work to decrease your metabolic rate. Since you have set out to burn the most fat and lose weight quickly, this process will only work to hinder your progress. The decline in fat metabolism and the increase in muscle tissue catabolism are just two consequences of the "famine". Long periods between meals will also destabilize your blood sugar levels, meaning you will feel hungrier and less energetic.
If you want to guarantee that your body will continue to burn fat at a higher level so that you can burn the most fat, consume more meals with smaller portions. For best results, you should have between 5 and 7 meals per day with no more than 2 or 3 hours between meals. While this will first require some adjustments, over time you will become accustomed to the eating schedule. If you truly want to burn the most fat, having 5-7 meals with smaller portions every 2 to 3 hours is the best way to accomplish this task. Eating more often does not mean that you are simply just eating more. You want to consume the same number of calories per day that you were consuming from 2 or 3 larger meals; you are just spacing out your consumption over the day.
Your blood sugar levels are influenced by the amount of food you eat, if you eat more during a meal your blood sugar levels will rise to a higher level compared to having a smaller meal. Remember the amount of blood sugar could result in a spike of insulin. Like I talked about in the other post insulin is not always good it’s a storage hormone
Remember some simple steps to follow on your fitness journey are, resistance training for increased metabolism, and cardio post workout for the heart and to burn fat, also eat more often 5-7 times a day.
Jun 21, 2011
Jun 20, 2011
Personal training is Personal
Being a personal trainer is the best job in the world. I get the chance to be around people who want to do all they can and be healthier. It is it takes a special kind of person to hire a trainer, one who already knows they have the ability but just needs that extra little help. It amazed everyday by how much drive and determination my clients have I have to admit that more offten than not it is them who inspires me. Thank you all for allowing me in your life.
High Insulin Levels Stop Fat Loss
It is impossible to have high levels of insulin in your system while burning fat at the same time. If you eat a meal that has too high of a Glycemic Index, your blood sugar will spike, causing a large release in insulin. During this period of time your body cannot use fat for fuel (even if you are operating under a calorie deficit and even if you workout like crazy). You can get everything else right and not make good progress if you allow your insulin levels to get out of whack.
[I would highly recommend you avoid anything made with white flower while dieting down. It is okay once you hit your target weight, but try to avoid it to make quick progress.]
A while back I used to think that as long as you burned more calories than what you ingested, you would lose weight. This is true to a point…you should lose weight under a calorie deficit. The problem lies in the fact that if you eat a high G.I. carb, you may shut down the body's ability to burn fat for several hours. Even if you do wind up losing weight, you aren't following the quickest route to your goal.
You probably know what insulin is, but if you don't here is a quick summary: Insulin is a hormone that causes most of the body's cells to take up glucose from the blood (including liver, muscle, and fat tissue cells), storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle, and stops use of fat as an energy source. When insulin is absent (or low), glucose is not taken up by most body cells and the body begins to use fat as an energy source.
The "Glycemic Index" ranks carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels. The rating used to go from 0 to 100…sugar being the highest GI carbohydrate. Now it goes from 0 to over 100…anything with a rating over 55 is consider a high GI. Carbs with a high GI raise blood glucose levels, which raise the release of Insulin. It is best to avoid high GI carbs when you are trying to burn body fat. If you want to learn more about the glycemic index, go to… http://www.glycemicindex.com/
Examples of foods that cause high levels of insulin: White Rice (130)…Corn Muffin (102)…Cliff Bar (101)…Baked Potato (94)…Boiled Carrots (92)…Rice Crackers (91)…Gatorade (89)…Microwave Popcorn (89)…Rice Cakes (87)…Cornflakes (86)…Pretzels (83)…Power Bar (83)…Pizza (80)…Boiled Potato (78)…Cake Donuts (76)…Cream of Wheat (74)
Examples of foods that keep insulin levels stable: Apple (28)…Orange (33)…Barley (25)…Grapefruit (25)…Peach (28)…Cherries (22)…Plum (24)…Most Beans (20's)…Lentils (26)…Pure-protein Bar (22)…Peanuts (13)…Raw Carrots (16)…Hummus (6)…Tortilla With Beans (28)…Slim-Fast Chocolate Meal Replacement Bar (27)…Light Yogurt (20's)…Cashews (25)…Dove Dark Chocolate (28)
Most vegetables have a zero GI rating for the most part. Vegetables have a zero impact on blood sugar levels. The same goes with meat. One of the reasons I'm a big fan of salad made with chicken breasts is that I know it will keep my insulin levels stable. If you want to lose weight rapidly, try replacing a lot of the high GI carbs you eat with vegetables. Eating lean meat with green vegetables is a simple approach to a lean body.
Here is the stuff that very few people know about high levels of insulin. Large spikes in insulin can cause muscle loss! So insulin turns OFF the fat burning switch and turns ON the fat storage switch. This is bad enough, but it can also cause you to lose lean muscle. Here is how…when insulin brings down the blood sugar levels often times it "over-corrects" by causing low blood sugar. The body normally combats low blood sugar by releasing energy from stored fat, but the high level of insulin will not allow this to happen. The only source of energy in this circumstance is protein. Your body will break down muscle protein when faced with this dilemma. It is a bad situation…gaining fat while at the same time losing lean muscle. Not a good deal at all!
Women are even more sensitive to the effects of insulin. Stubborn lower body fat reacts a bit differently than the rest of a fat on a woman's body. Many women have very lean upper bodies compared to their lower body. One of the reasons for this is that the fat on the lower part of the body is actually much more sensitive to insulin spikes than the upper body. Even the smallest increase in insulin will shut down a woman's ability to burn fat on her lower body…What is crazy is that she still may be able to burn fat on her upper body. The best way to combat this phenomenon is to keep insulin levels as stable as possible. This has HUGE implications if you are a woman trying to burn off lower body fat!
A strategy I use to limit insulin's negative effect .Are you ever tired mid-morning or mid-day? This is a major sign that the food you ate caused an insulin spike that "over-corrected"…causing low blood sugar (time to gain fat and possible lose muscle…not good). Here is what I do…I eat small low GI meals for breakfast and lunch…and I eat the majority of my carbs after my afternoon workout. After a workout, your body can handle a large spike in blood sugar since your muscles are starved to a certain extent. This is a great way to eat tasty carbs without the negative side effects.
If you have any questions or comments please post them.
Jun 19, 2011
Here is your sign
Jun 18, 2011
The #1 way to lose weight.
The number 1 way to lose weight is calories in versus calories out! You have to eat less than you burn. It's not really the eat less that so many people have an issue with as much as the burn part. That problem comes from metabolism which is basically how many calories a person burns. On average one pound of muscle burns 35 cals a day while one pound of fat burns only 2. That is why it is so important to do resistance training not just cardio. With resistance training you increase your muscle mass to burn more cals throughout the day plus your post workout metabolism is in overdrive. Cardio is an effective way to burn calories, the issue comes when a person starts to eat way too few calories on their weight loss journey and continues to do hours of cardio; their then body eats their muscle which slows down the metabolism. In order to increase your metabolism you must do some resistance training. So the saying cals in vs. cals out is based upon the proper amount of food you eat as well as your metabolism.
Jun 16, 2011
It really doesn't matter when you workout as long as you do it. The benifits of working out in the morning are faster metabolism throughout the day as opposed to execrsising at night then going to sleep a few hours later at which time you slow down. Another added benifit to working out in the morning is mental, people usually get tired and exhaushted as the day goes on so it may start to become a battle with yourself,also the hassles of life catch up which eats away at your time. The good part mentaly about working out in the morning is that it's already done! You feel so good about yourself and to me that is what fitness is about! have a good workout
Jun 15, 2011
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