Ever since we announced our new program for 2009 everyone has been asking me, "What makes your weight loss program the best?"
So here it is:
With my new program, I am officially waging WAR on the quick-fix, yo-yo diet culture that many of you have been seduced by in the past!
Absolutely EVERYTHING we do is consistent with long term, permanent weight loss!
- We focus ALL of our efforts on losing body fat and we preserve 100% of our lean, metabolism-boosting muscle!
- We help you to develop SUSTAINABLE eating and exercise habits!....Helping you to develop a healthy routine that you'll be happy to stick with for a lifetime.
- We help you to GET YOUR METABOLISM BACK, so you'll be burning fat 24 hours a day!
- The entire program is taught in a managable, step-by-step system. Each week has a specific goal so you won't get overwhelmed and you can STICK WITH IT!
- We make a LIFETIME commitment to you by giving you UNLIMITED access to all of our systems and weekly coaching calls!
So there it is...If you want to continue to be overweight while living on diet cokes and slim-fast shakes, my program's probably not for you....But if you're looking to shed that extra body fat and keep it off forever, give me a ring!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
New Year's Resolutions
Are you a person who always has a new years resolution? Have you ever made a new years resolution for weight loss?
Do you usually stick to that resolution? For how long?
If you're like many people out there, you typically make a new years resolution that is very hard to stick with. If you're looking to make a new years resolution for weight loss this year I've got 3 tips for you:
1) Make sure it is something you can keep track of. For example, if your new years resolution was to "exercise for at least 30 minutes 200 times over the course of the year." That is a resolution that you could easily keep track of. Everyday you exercise you could put an E on your calendar. You'd know that you had to keep on a 4 workout-per-week pace if you wanted to reach your goal.
2) Make sure it is something that you can control directly. My example of exercising 200 times is something you can control directly. Losing a certain amount of pounds, or a certain amount of body fat isn't. It's true...by eating right and exercising you will definitely be able to lose weight and body fat, but don't make that your primary goal. Focus on what you can do to lose that extra weight and body fat.
3) Don't go crazy! I hate to burst your bubble, but if your new years resolution is to exercise 7 days a week for 2 hours a day, you're chances of falling short of that goal are very high. Just think...all you have to do is miss one workout! If you set a more manageable goal, you'll still get some great health benefits....and you'll feel better about yourself when you achieve that goal!
Do you usually stick to that resolution? For how long?
If you're like many people out there, you typically make a new years resolution that is very hard to stick with. If you're looking to make a new years resolution for weight loss this year I've got 3 tips for you:
1) Make sure it is something you can keep track of. For example, if your new years resolution was to "exercise for at least 30 minutes 200 times over the course of the year." That is a resolution that you could easily keep track of. Everyday you exercise you could put an E on your calendar. You'd know that you had to keep on a 4 workout-per-week pace if you wanted to reach your goal.
2) Make sure it is something that you can control directly. My example of exercising 200 times is something you can control directly. Losing a certain amount of pounds, or a certain amount of body fat isn't. It's true...by eating right and exercising you will definitely be able to lose weight and body fat, but don't make that your primary goal. Focus on what you can do to lose that extra weight and body fat.
3) Don't go crazy! I hate to burst your bubble, but if your new years resolution is to exercise 7 days a week for 2 hours a day, you're chances of falling short of that goal are very high. Just think...all you have to do is miss one workout! If you set a more manageable goal, you'll still get some great health benefits....and you'll feel better about yourself when you achieve that goal!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Weight Loss Tip of the Week - Hold Yourself Accountable
Sure your serious about your weight loss goals! You ate a salad with dinner and you had an apple for dessert...but what about that bag of chips and those bon bons you ate as soon as you got home from work? Oh yeah, you forgot about those!
If you're not holding yourself accountable it's very easy to slide off the weight loss wagon. Here are 3 ways that you can hold yourself accountable. I suggest doing at least 1, but ideally all 3 of these things if you are serious about your weight loss goals:
1) Keep a food journal. This means that you write down everything you eat. It doesn't have to be fancy, just keep an 8x5 notepad in your pocket or in your pocketbook. You'll be amazed how well you eat when you know that you'll have to write it down.
2) Get a weight-loss coach. Someone who can support you, hold you accountable, and give you advice on how you can change your eating habits and lifestyle to better achieve your goals. How do I know so much about weight loss coaches?...Because I am one! haha!
3) Get a weight-loss buddy. A weight loss buddy is someone who has similar weight loss goals, or someone who is very supportive of your goals. This should be someone who you can trust, who is never going to grow tired of you talking about your weight loss challenges, because believe me....there will be challenges!
If you're not holding yourself accountable it's very easy to slide off the weight loss wagon. Here are 3 ways that you can hold yourself accountable. I suggest doing at least 1, but ideally all 3 of these things if you are serious about your weight loss goals:
1) Keep a food journal. This means that you write down everything you eat. It doesn't have to be fancy, just keep an 8x5 notepad in your pocket or in your pocketbook. You'll be amazed how well you eat when you know that you'll have to write it down.
2) Get a weight-loss coach. Someone who can support you, hold you accountable, and give you advice on how you can change your eating habits and lifestyle to better achieve your goals. How do I know so much about weight loss coaches?...Because I am one! haha!
3) Get a weight-loss buddy. A weight loss buddy is someone who has similar weight loss goals, or someone who is very supportive of your goals. This should be someone who you can trust, who is never going to grow tired of you talking about your weight loss challenges, because believe me....there will be challenges!
Monday, November 24, 2008
How to Handle Thanksgiving
If you're like most of us, there's one day a year when you eat more food than the average grizzly bear eats in a week...and that day is Thanksgiving!
It's a real conflict of interests...you want to eat all the food that everyone's worked so hard to prepare, but you still want to be able to fit in your car for the ride home. So what do you do?
Here are some tips I have for people who want to survive Thanksgiving without throwing their weight loss goals out the window:
1) Don't arrive starving. I'm not saying you should eat a huge breakfast, but eat something so you don't lose your cool when you see all that food in front of you.
2) Take a look at all the food, put all of your favorite things on one, perfect plate...eat it slow, and enjoy it!
3) When it comes to dessert, go with a small portion.
4) Have a "buddy"...someone else who has a weight loss goal, who you will "report back to" on Friday. It's best if that buddy is eating dinner with you, but even if their not, having a buddy will do wonders.
5) Don't snack on junk food. Next to every bowl of chips there's usually a fruit or vegetable platter.
At the end of the day, that's all it is...one day! Try to do your best, but even if you fall off the wagon, you can always jump back on that wagon Friday. Just make sure you don't turn a 1 day binge into a 2 day, or even a 2 month binge!
It's a real conflict of interests...you want to eat all the food that everyone's worked so hard to prepare, but you still want to be able to fit in your car for the ride home. So what do you do?
Here are some tips I have for people who want to survive Thanksgiving without throwing their weight loss goals out the window:
1) Don't arrive starving. I'm not saying you should eat a huge breakfast, but eat something so you don't lose your cool when you see all that food in front of you.
2) Take a look at all the food, put all of your favorite things on one, perfect plate...eat it slow, and enjoy it!
3) When it comes to dessert, go with a small portion.
4) Have a "buddy"...someone else who has a weight loss goal, who you will "report back to" on Friday. It's best if that buddy is eating dinner with you, but even if their not, having a buddy will do wonders.
5) Don't snack on junk food. Next to every bowl of chips there's usually a fruit or vegetable platter.
At the end of the day, that's all it is...one day! Try to do your best, but even if you fall off the wagon, you can always jump back on that wagon Friday. Just make sure you don't turn a 1 day binge into a 2 day, or even a 2 month binge!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Tip of the Week -- Give Yourself a Fitness Challenge
Let's face it, exercising can be monotonous! You need to mix it up. You need to give yourself something to shoot for. This doesn't mean you have to train for a marathon, or a tri-athalon, but you should train for something...no matter how ridiculous it seems!
Let me give you an example of a group of gentlemen with who have recently worked towards a particular fitness goal. Two months ago I asked a group of guys I was training if they wanted to take on the "Secret Sevice Kettleball Challenge."
Basically, the challenge is how many times you can pick a 24 kg kettleball up from between your legs and press it over your head in 10 minutes. My guys weren't about to lift a 24 kg kettleball anywhere for 10 minutes...but they could lift a 15 pound dumbell! So we did the challenge with 15 pound dumbells. In 10 minutes, scores ranged from 140 to 170. Not bad for our first try!
Then I designed a training program in order to strengthen our core, legs, and shoulders; all the muscles that were most active in the kettleball press. It was amazing! For 6 weeks these guys were exercising harder than they ever had before! Guys that would usually run out of gas after a half and hour were putting in very intense hour long workouts like they were nothing!
After our 6 weeks of training we did the test again. This time scores ranged from 210 to 240! What an improvement! Not only did the guys feel great, they were in great shape, and they couldn't wait for the next challenge!
See...you're fitness challenges don't have to be extreme, but you should have one...no matter what it is! At the very least it'll give you a reason to go to the gym...but who knows?...it might actually end up being fun!
This is exactly why people like the "Ultimate Grind" so much! It gives people a challenge, something to shoot for, and a reason to get excited about going to the gym!
Let me give you an example of a group of gentlemen with who have recently worked towards a particular fitness goal. Two months ago I asked a group of guys I was training if they wanted to take on the "Secret Sevice Kettleball Challenge."
Basically, the challenge is how many times you can pick a 24 kg kettleball up from between your legs and press it over your head in 10 minutes. My guys weren't about to lift a 24 kg kettleball anywhere for 10 minutes...but they could lift a 15 pound dumbell! So we did the challenge with 15 pound dumbells. In 10 minutes, scores ranged from 140 to 170. Not bad for our first try!
Then I designed a training program in order to strengthen our core, legs, and shoulders; all the muscles that were most active in the kettleball press. It was amazing! For 6 weeks these guys were exercising harder than they ever had before! Guys that would usually run out of gas after a half and hour were putting in very intense hour long workouts like they were nothing!
After our 6 weeks of training we did the test again. This time scores ranged from 210 to 240! What an improvement! Not only did the guys feel great, they were in great shape, and they couldn't wait for the next challenge!
See...you're fitness challenges don't have to be extreme, but you should have one...no matter what it is! At the very least it'll give you a reason to go to the gym...but who knows?...it might actually end up being fun!
This is exactly why people like the "Ultimate Grind" so much! It gives people a challenge, something to shoot for, and a reason to get excited about going to the gym!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Question of the Week -- What should I eat for breakfast?
Breakfast...the most important, yet least appreciated meal of the day.
It makes sense....who has time to prepare breakfast anyway? If you're anything like me, you don't want to wake up any earlier than you absolutely have to! Unfortunately, the foods people typically eat for breakfast; donuts, muffins, juice, danishes, bagels and cream cheese, and many of those breakfast cereals may be quick and easy, but they will cause your body to store fat like crazy!
Since many of you seemed to like my post on my "top 3 snack bars" I figured I'd give you my "top 3 breakfasts", so here they are:
1) A vegetable omelete.
I like to follow my typical "1 protein and 2 vegetable" plan if it's at all possible, even for breakfast. An omlete loaded with any combination of broccoli, tomatoes, spinach asparagus, peppers, onions, etc., does just that. If you've got the time, cook yourself up an omlete!
2) Plain yogurt with fruit and flax seeds.
I know what you're thinking...."Plain yogurt..Gross!" Trust me, it's not. Not if you mix it with fruit. Throw any combination or rasberries, oranges, bananas, pinapples, strawberries, blackberries, peaches, etc. and you won't even notice that the yogurt is unsweetend. And next time you eat sweetend yogurt....with all it's extra sugar...spiking your bloods sugar levels, causing you to experience that mid-morining crash, while storing all those extra calories as fat, you'll think "What's the point of all this sugar." Not only that, the flax seeds will give your yogurt a nutty taste, while adding a lot of quality fiber and omega-3s!
3) A high fiber, high protien, low sugar cereal with skim milk or soy milk.
Not all cereal is bad, but many are. One breakfast cereal that is outstanding is Kashi's "Go Lean" High Protien and High Fiber Cereal. If you're short on time, like me, this might be your best bet!
It makes sense....who has time to prepare breakfast anyway? If you're anything like me, you don't want to wake up any earlier than you absolutely have to! Unfortunately, the foods people typically eat for breakfast; donuts, muffins, juice, danishes, bagels and cream cheese, and many of those breakfast cereals may be quick and easy, but they will cause your body to store fat like crazy!
Since many of you seemed to like my post on my "top 3 snack bars" I figured I'd give you my "top 3 breakfasts", so here they are:
1) A vegetable omelete.
I like to follow my typical "1 protein and 2 vegetable" plan if it's at all possible, even for breakfast. An omlete loaded with any combination of broccoli, tomatoes, spinach asparagus, peppers, onions, etc., does just that. If you've got the time, cook yourself up an omlete!
2) Plain yogurt with fruit and flax seeds.
I know what you're thinking...."Plain yogurt..Gross!" Trust me, it's not. Not if you mix it with fruit. Throw any combination or rasberries, oranges, bananas, pinapples, strawberries, blackberries, peaches, etc. and you won't even notice that the yogurt is unsweetend. And next time you eat sweetend yogurt....with all it's extra sugar...spiking your bloods sugar levels, causing you to experience that mid-morining crash, while storing all those extra calories as fat, you'll think "What's the point of all this sugar." Not only that, the flax seeds will give your yogurt a nutty taste, while adding a lot of quality fiber and omega-3s!
3) A high fiber, high protien, low sugar cereal with skim milk or soy milk.
Not all cereal is bad, but many are. One breakfast cereal that is outstanding is Kashi's "Go Lean" High Protien and High Fiber Cereal. If you're short on time, like me, this might be your best bet!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Weight Loss Tip of the Week - Reading Labels on Snack Bars
"Soontobethin" had a great question in response to my last post. She asked, "With all the bars out their, which ones are the best?" This question inspired me to take a trip to the grocery store ...read some labels...and come up with my top 3. Here they are:
#1 All-in-one
#2 South Beach Living
#3 Kashi-Go Lean
I made my decisions based on sugar content, fat content, quality of ingredients, fiber content, and protein content, in that order.
Power Bars, Zone Bars, and Cliff Bars have so much sugar that they are nothing more than glorified candy bars! They'll spike your blood sugar, cause you to store more calories as fat, and have you craving another candy bar an hour later!
Atkins bars have so much fat and saturated fat that you might as well be eating a steak! I'd rather that steak!
Stay away from any bar that has "high fructose corn syrup" or "hydrogenated oil" anywhere near the top of their ingredient listing! That's the case with Slimfast bars, so stay away!
Fiber and protein are bonuses, if a bar has more than 4 grams of fiber, around 10 grams of protein, not much sugar, and less than 6 grams of fat, I go for it!
#1 All-in-one
#2 South Beach Living
#3 Kashi-Go Lean
I made my decisions based on sugar content, fat content, quality of ingredients, fiber content, and protein content, in that order.
Power Bars, Zone Bars, and Cliff Bars have so much sugar that they are nothing more than glorified candy bars! They'll spike your blood sugar, cause you to store more calories as fat, and have you craving another candy bar an hour later!
Atkins bars have so much fat and saturated fat that you might as well be eating a steak! I'd rather that steak!
Stay away from any bar that has "high fructose corn syrup" or "hydrogenated oil" anywhere near the top of their ingredient listing! That's the case with Slimfast bars, so stay away!
Fiber and protein are bonuses, if a bar has more than 4 grams of fiber, around 10 grams of protein, not much sugar, and less than 6 grams of fat, I go for it!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Weight Loss Tip of the Week -- Carry Around Healthy Snacks
Do you ever get hungry during the day?
If so, what do you do?
If you're like most of us, you grab whatever you can get your hands on. Usually a donut, a candy bar, or anything else quick and easy that will give you some energy. Don't fall into this trap! Carry around snacks that are quick, easy and healthy. Fruit is perfect! Bring some apples or bananas to work. Bring a bag of oranges on that family outing. If you're banking on eating "whatever happens to be around," I can almost guarantee you're not going to eat something healthy!
Snack bars can also be good, but make sure you read the label. If one of the first ingredients is sugar (especially if its high fructose corn syrup) put it back on the shelf! Also, if it has more than 6 grams of fat you might also want to pass.
When it comes to avoiding junk food, the best offense is a good defense! Plan to eat healthy and it'll be easy to avoid the junk!
If so, what do you do?
If you're like most of us, you grab whatever you can get your hands on. Usually a donut, a candy bar, or anything else quick and easy that will give you some energy. Don't fall into this trap! Carry around snacks that are quick, easy and healthy. Fruit is perfect! Bring some apples or bananas to work. Bring a bag of oranges on that family outing. If you're banking on eating "whatever happens to be around," I can almost guarantee you're not going to eat something healthy!
Snack bars can also be good, but make sure you read the label. If one of the first ingredients is sugar (especially if its high fructose corn syrup) put it back on the shelf! Also, if it has more than 6 grams of fat you might also want to pass.
When it comes to avoiding junk food, the best offense is a good defense! Plan to eat healthy and it'll be easy to avoid the junk!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Weight Loss Tip of the Week -- Eat Your Fiber!
Eating fiber is a good idea for 3 reasons:
1) It helps you to maintain a healthy digestive system.
2) If fills you up so you're not always hungry.
3) It lowers the Glycemic Load of your food. This keeps those carbohydrates from quickly converting into sugar, which means that you will have less of an energy crash, less food cravings, and for most of us...we won't store as much of the that sugar as fat!
Here are 3 ways that you can get more fiber into your diet:
1) Eat fresh, whole fruits and vegetables. This is one of the many reasons why it is better to eat whole fruits and vegetables than to just drink juices. Almost all of the fiber is eliminated in the "juicing" process.
2) Check the fiber content of any breads or cereals that you buy. If it has less than 4 grams of fiber, put it back on the shelf!
3) Add flax seeds to foods like yogurt and cereal. They'll add a nutty taste to your food and they are one of the best sources of fiber out there!
1) It helps you to maintain a healthy digestive system.
2) If fills you up so you're not always hungry.
3) It lowers the Glycemic Load of your food. This keeps those carbohydrates from quickly converting into sugar, which means that you will have less of an energy crash, less food cravings, and for most of us...we won't store as much of the that sugar as fat!
Here are 3 ways that you can get more fiber into your diet:
1) Eat fresh, whole fruits and vegetables. This is one of the many reasons why it is better to eat whole fruits and vegetables than to just drink juices. Almost all of the fiber is eliminated in the "juicing" process.
2) Check the fiber content of any breads or cereals that you buy. If it has less than 4 grams of fiber, put it back on the shelf!
3) Add flax seeds to foods like yogurt and cereal. They'll add a nutty taste to your food and they are one of the best sources of fiber out there!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Weight Loss Tip of the Week -- Change Your Body Composition
Change your body composition? What's that mean?
If your asking these questions, you're not alone. So many of us have gone on diet after diet, obsessing about how much weight we lost this day or that day, yet we've never even heard the term body composition!
Changing your body composition is the single biggest secret to losing weight and keeping it off!
Your body composition is how much lean muscle you have in your body compared to how much body fat you have. You see, muscle is active, it burns calories even when you're not exercising. Fat, on the other hand, is nothing more than dead weight that you carry around.
Unfortunately, when we go on diets and obsess about losing weight, we often end up losing lean muscle mass rather than body fat. This slows down our metabolism, causes us to gain the weight back, and makes it even harder on us the next time we try to lose weight. That's why so many of us are fatter than we were the first time we decided to go on a diet!
There are two things you can do immediately to change your body composition:
1) Don't focus on cutting calories or "counting points." Instead, focus on more eating healthy foods like baked chicken and fish, beans, lentils, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables.
2) Do some strength building exercises two days a week. Some push-ups, stomach crunches, and body weight squats would be a great start. Once you get going, pick up a couple of exercise bands and watch the instructional video to add some more exercises to your repertoire.
And for goodness sake....stop living and dying by the scale! You want to burn the fat, but you want to build muscle!
If your asking these questions, you're not alone. So many of us have gone on diet after diet, obsessing about how much weight we lost this day or that day, yet we've never even heard the term body composition!
Changing your body composition is the single biggest secret to losing weight and keeping it off!
Your body composition is how much lean muscle you have in your body compared to how much body fat you have. You see, muscle is active, it burns calories even when you're not exercising. Fat, on the other hand, is nothing more than dead weight that you carry around.
Unfortunately, when we go on diets and obsess about losing weight, we often end up losing lean muscle mass rather than body fat. This slows down our metabolism, causes us to gain the weight back, and makes it even harder on us the next time we try to lose weight. That's why so many of us are fatter than we were the first time we decided to go on a diet!
There are two things you can do immediately to change your body composition:
1) Don't focus on cutting calories or "counting points." Instead, focus on more eating healthy foods like baked chicken and fish, beans, lentils, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables.
2) Do some strength building exercises two days a week. Some push-ups, stomach crunches, and body weight squats would be a great start. Once you get going, pick up a couple of exercise bands and watch the instructional video to add some more exercises to your repertoire.
And for goodness sake....stop living and dying by the scale! You want to burn the fat, but you want to build muscle!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Weight Loss Tip of the Week -- No More Sweet Drinks!
Sugars and sweeteners are some of your worst enemies when it comes to weight loss. Not only do they spike your blood sugar and load you up with empty calories...sweet foods actually hinder your bodies ability to know when you've had enough to eat! You don't believe me?...Take a moment this Halloween and watch your favorite 9 year old tear through a bag of Halloween candy! You think his body is requiring that food for energy?!?
Alright...we all know we shouldn't be eating a bag of Halloween candy in one sitting...that will definitely keep us from losing that extra weight...but when else are we consuming extra, unnecessary sugars and sweeteners?
The #1 culprit is sweet drinks. Let's start with the obvious ones:
1) Soda, or any drink with artificial sweeteners. Stay away from them! You shouldn't be drinking anything that has "high fructose corn syrup" as one of it's top ingredients! Throw away the Mountain Dew and Cranberry Juice Cocktail. Don't think that just because a juice drink has 100% vitamin C that it's good for you. Look at the label! It's all sugar! This even goes for "sports drinks" like Gatorade and Powerade. If you do drink them, water them down...at least 3 parts water to 1 part sports drink!
2) Diet soda. That's right! Diet soda might not have the calories, but most of those artificial sweeteners aren't very good for you. Not only that...like I said those sweeteners interfere with your bodies ability to realize when you're no longer hungry...causing you to over eat.
3) Juice. Don't get me wrong...you're much better off drinking juice than some sugar-loaded "juice drink", but you're still much better of drinking water and eating whole fruits. Fruits have a lot of fiber and other nutrients that get lost in the juice-making process, most of them won't spike your blood sugar, and they'll leave you feeling fuller longer.
By now you're probably fed up...."No soda, no sports drinks, no juice?!? What are you supposed to drink?!?"
Drinking seltzer, water with fruit, and unsweetened tea may not sound exciting, but it's not that bad either! Trust me, after 6 weeks off the "sweet stuff" you won't want to go back and your body will thank you!
Alright...we all know we shouldn't be eating a bag of Halloween candy in one sitting...that will definitely keep us from losing that extra weight...but when else are we consuming extra, unnecessary sugars and sweeteners?
The #1 culprit is sweet drinks. Let's start with the obvious ones:
1) Soda, or any drink with artificial sweeteners. Stay away from them! You shouldn't be drinking anything that has "high fructose corn syrup" as one of it's top ingredients! Throw away the Mountain Dew and Cranberry Juice Cocktail. Don't think that just because a juice drink has 100% vitamin C that it's good for you. Look at the label! It's all sugar! This even goes for "sports drinks" like Gatorade and Powerade. If you do drink them, water them down...at least 3 parts water to 1 part sports drink!
2) Diet soda. That's right! Diet soda might not have the calories, but most of those artificial sweeteners aren't very good for you. Not only that...like I said those sweeteners interfere with your bodies ability to realize when you're no longer hungry...causing you to over eat.
3) Juice. Don't get me wrong...you're much better off drinking juice than some sugar-loaded "juice drink", but you're still much better of drinking water and eating whole fruits. Fruits have a lot of fiber and other nutrients that get lost in the juice-making process, most of them won't spike your blood sugar, and they'll leave you feeling fuller longer.
By now you're probably fed up...."No soda, no sports drinks, no juice?!? What are you supposed to drink?!?"
Drinking seltzer, water with fruit, and unsweetened tea may not sound exciting, but it's not that bad either! Trust me, after 6 weeks off the "sweet stuff" you won't want to go back and your body will thank you!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Weight Loss Tip of the Week -- Have a Salad with Lunch
If you want to lose weight and get healthy, there's nothing better to eat than fresh vegetables, and the eating those vegetables raw is the best way to go! When you cook vegetables they lose a lot of the nutrients that make them so good for you!
The moral of the story...nothing has more nutritional value than a big, healthy salad! Throw everything in there....green leafy lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, broccoli, onions, peppers, cucumbers, sprouts...what ever vegetables you can find! Olives and jalapeno peppers are two of my favorites when it comes to adding some flavor. You can also throw in some chicken or some tuna salad and make a meal out of it! What the heck...get crazy and throw some nuts and fruit in there! The more things you put in your salad, the more flavorful it will be and the more you'll enjoy it!
One warning though......Watch out for the salad dressing! Most of them are loaded with fats....and not the fats that are good for you either! Personally, I put olive oil and balsamic vinegar on my salad and it tastes great!
My recommendation....get in the habit of eating a healthy salad every day with lunch....stay away from that disgusting salad dressing, and there's a good chance you'll start feeling better and even lose some weight!
The moral of the story...nothing has more nutritional value than a big, healthy salad! Throw everything in there....green leafy lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, broccoli, onions, peppers, cucumbers, sprouts...what ever vegetables you can find! Olives and jalapeno peppers are two of my favorites when it comes to adding some flavor. You can also throw in some chicken or some tuna salad and make a meal out of it! What the heck...get crazy and throw some nuts and fruit in there! The more things you put in your salad, the more flavorful it will be and the more you'll enjoy it!
One warning though......Watch out for the salad dressing! Most of them are loaded with fats....and not the fats that are good for you either! Personally, I put olive oil and balsamic vinegar on my salad and it tastes great!
My recommendation....get in the habit of eating a healthy salad every day with lunch....stay away from that disgusting salad dressing, and there's a good chance you'll start feeling better and even lose some weight!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Strength Training for Weight Loss - Improving Overall Balance
Whether you're planning on doing squats, standing shoulder presses, jogging, or just walking around in the winter....if you don't have balance, you have a very good chance of injuring yourself.
For years people thought of balance as something you either had or you didn't. Now a days, we know that you can actually improve your balance significantly by doing certain exercises.
So what exercises should you do?
My favorite exercise for balance is the "single leg squat". It is just like a squat, except you do it on one leg. It is an exercise that requires that you already have very good balance. I will typically only have a client start with this exercise if they are a competitive athlete or if they already exercise regularly. For most clients, we will typically spend 4-8 weeks progressing to the single leg squat. Here are 3 balance exercises we would do in the meantime:
1) Stand on 1 leg and move the other leg to the front, side, and twisting to the back
2) Step up on a step and balance on 1 leg for 3 seconds
3) Do a squat with and exercise ball between your back and the wall this will help to increase your range of motion on you squat.
If you want more details on any of these exercises, just ask!
For years people thought of balance as something you either had or you didn't. Now a days, we know that you can actually improve your balance significantly by doing certain exercises.
So what exercises should you do?
My favorite exercise for balance is the "single leg squat". It is just like a squat, except you do it on one leg. It is an exercise that requires that you already have very good balance. I will typically only have a client start with this exercise if they are a competitive athlete or if they already exercise regularly. For most clients, we will typically spend 4-8 weeks progressing to the single leg squat. Here are 3 balance exercises we would do in the meantime:
1) Stand on 1 leg and move the other leg to the front, side, and twisting to the back
2) Step up on a step and balance on 1 leg for 3 seconds
3) Do a squat with and exercise ball between your back and the wall this will help to increase your range of motion on you squat.
If you want more details on any of these exercises, just ask!
Strength Training for Weight Loss - Improving Core Strength
When most people hear "core strength" they think of those 6-pack abs they're hoping to get. That's not what we're talking about. Our first goal is to strengthen our "inner core" or our "seat belt" muscles. These are the muscles that stabilize our spine and hold our bodies together. Believe it or not, everything we do uses our core. If our core isn't strong, and we try to strength train or lift something heavy, our chances of injury go through the roof!
So how can you strengthen your core?
Easier than you think. When I design a "phase 1" program for a client, almost every exercises is a core exercise...even though we don't do a single sit-up! It's true, here are some examples of exercises that will increase core strength:
1) Instead of doing a bench press lying down, do a cable press standing up. Concentrate on keeping your head, shoulders and hips in line with each other by tightening your core muscles.
2) Instead of doing a seated rowing exercises, do a standing cable row, using the same "core stabilization" technique you used with the cable press.
These are just 2 examples, there are plenty more! If you want more exercises, just ask!
So how can you strengthen your core?
Easier than you think. When I design a "phase 1" program for a client, almost every exercises is a core exercise...even though we don't do a single sit-up! It's true, here are some examples of exercises that will increase core strength:
1) Instead of doing a bench press lying down, do a cable press standing up. Concentrate on keeping your head, shoulders and hips in line with each other by tightening your core muscles.
2) Instead of doing a seated rowing exercises, do a standing cable row, using the same "core stabilization" technique you used with the cable press.
These are just 2 examples, there are plenty more! If you want more exercises, just ask!
Strength Training for Weight Loss - Correcting Muscle Imbalances
Like I said in my last post, an initial strength training program for weight loss should have 3 goals; correcting muscle imbalances, improving core strength, and improving your overall balance. In this post we'll be talking about how you can correct muscle imbalances. Our next two posts will discuss the other two goals.
If you're like most people, your body is like a shopping cart with one wheel that sticks, continually drifting to the right.
In your body, your muscles are always working together. If one muscle does less work than it should...because it is weaker or not as flexible as it should be....other muscles will compensate for it. This may be good initially, because it "gets the job done", but after a while these muscle imbalances get more severe. Your overactive muscles get stronger and your under active muscles get weaker.
Why is this a problem?
Let me give you an example. You are always using your leg muscles...to lift things, walk up stairs, etc. If your glutes (butt muscles) and hamstrings are under active you will over compensate with you quads (thighs) and your lower back. Over compensation with your quads will put extra stress on your knees, and over compensation with your lower back could lead to back problems.
So what can a strength training program do to correct these imbalances?
Simply put, you need to do exercises that won't allow stronger muscles to compensate for the weaker ones. This can be achieved by doing exercises like the 2-arm cable press, which requires you to use both arms equally; or a single leg squat (with the correct prompting from a trainer) that will allow you to correct some of the imbalances in your leg muscles.
If you're like most people, your body is like a shopping cart with one wheel that sticks, continually drifting to the right.
In your body, your muscles are always working together. If one muscle does less work than it should...because it is weaker or not as flexible as it should be....other muscles will compensate for it. This may be good initially, because it "gets the job done", but after a while these muscle imbalances get more severe. Your overactive muscles get stronger and your under active muscles get weaker.
Why is this a problem?
Let me give you an example. You are always using your leg muscles...to lift things, walk up stairs, etc. If your glutes (butt muscles) and hamstrings are under active you will over compensate with you quads (thighs) and your lower back. Over compensation with your quads will put extra stress on your knees, and over compensation with your lower back could lead to back problems.
So what can a strength training program do to correct these imbalances?
Simply put, you need to do exercises that won't allow stronger muscles to compensate for the weaker ones. This can be achieved by doing exercises like the 2-arm cable press, which requires you to use both arms equally; or a single leg squat (with the correct prompting from a trainer) that will allow you to correct some of the imbalances in your leg muscles.
How to Start Strength Training for Weight Loss
So we've discussed the importance of strength training if you want to really lose weight for the long haul, but where do you start? When you're starting a strength training program it's important that you build a strong foundation. Nothing could be worse than going to the gym, doing the same workout you used to do in high school, only to injure yourself and never exercise again!
First, you should definitely talk to your doctor and ask if there are any types of exercise that you should not be doing. Then, I'd recommend meeting with a certified personal trainer. Most personal trainers will be able to design a strength program specific to your particular needs and goals.
The program that your trainer designs may be less intense than what you may be expecting...don't worry! Long term weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint! Typically, your first 4-8 weeks should focus on 3 main goals:
1) Correcting muscle imbalances.
2) Developing core strength.
3) Improving your balance (so you don't fall over)
If your program does these 3 things, it is a good one, and you are on your way to building that muscle you need to lose that fat and keep it off!
First, you should definitely talk to your doctor and ask if there are any types of exercise that you should not be doing. Then, I'd recommend meeting with a certified personal trainer. Most personal trainers will be able to design a strength program specific to your particular needs and goals.
The program that your trainer designs may be less intense than what you may be expecting...don't worry! Long term weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint! Typically, your first 4-8 weeks should focus on 3 main goals:
1) Correcting muscle imbalances.
2) Developing core strength.
3) Improving your balance (so you don't fall over)
If your program does these 3 things, it is a good one, and you are on your way to building that muscle you need to lose that fat and keep it off!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Weight Lifting and Weight Loss
My clients will sometimes ask, "Why do I have to lift weights if I want to lose weight?"
This is a common question, epsecially since people often associate lifting weights with "getting bigger", while the goal of weight loss is to "get smaller." Just about everyone knows the benefits of burning calories through aerobic exercise, but it sometimes takes clients a little while to warm up to the idea of strength training.
Strength training should be an important part of anyone's weight management program. By strength training (a.k.a. lifting weights) you'll be building muscle. Muscle is "metabolically active", meaning it burns calories even when you're not exercising. By improving your body composition (by losing fat and gaining muscle) you actually speed up your metabolism, turning your body into a more efficeint fat burning machine!
This is a common question, epsecially since people often associate lifting weights with "getting bigger", while the goal of weight loss is to "get smaller." Just about everyone knows the benefits of burning calories through aerobic exercise, but it sometimes takes clients a little while to warm up to the idea of strength training.
Strength training should be an important part of anyone's weight management program. By strength training (a.k.a. lifting weights) you'll be building muscle. Muscle is "metabolically active", meaning it burns calories even when you're not exercising. By improving your body composition (by losing fat and gaining muscle) you actually speed up your metabolism, turning your body into a more efficeint fat burning machine!
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