It Takes Time...

Since May of this year I've been working at my new job as a personal trainer and a food coach.  It doesn't feel like a "J-O-B"  it just feels like I am helping people... Yep, helping people get healthy and regain their well-being!  BUT- I've learned the hard way that I can't help them if they don't want to help themselves....
So, here's the burning question... Why do people who so badly want to lose weight and regain their health give up after only a few weeks of being on a program?  It's so sad for me to watch people, who desperately need to get healthy, do quite well the first few weeks and then just give up after the second or third week!  WHY!!!???  What makes some people have the lack of perseverance? 
One of the biggest reasons people give up is they don't see instant results on the scale.  That's crazy!  You didn't gain all that weight in one day, you aren't going to lose it all in a day or even a week! Here's what you need to do:
#1. STOP GETTING ON THE SCALE everyday! I recommend getting on the scale every 4 weeks... Okay, I know what you "obsessive weighers" are thinking.  So fine, get on the scale once a week; same time of the same day,same day of the week~ for example every Monday morning 6am, wearing the same clothes.   WHY not every day you ask???  Due to your hormones, activity level, food choices, salt intake, hydration levels, your metabolism going crazy and for females "that time of the month" the scale is going to fluctuate a lot during a weeks time! There's no need to mentally "roller coaster" with the scale.
#2 If you are on program and you know you are moving more and eating less (at least 300 calories less than your BMR) then just TRUST THE PROCESS and STICK WITH IT. 
Sometimes it can take up to 4 weeks for the scale to start moving in the right direction.  "Weight loss happens the minute you don't give up." (Schober,2012)  Our bodies can be so uncooperative sometimes! I know it seems so unfair but if you are willing to stick with it you will eventually see results.  UNLESS....
Unless you are cheating!   Are you cheating?  Are you falling off the program in the afternoons?  or the weekends??  Did you justify that piece of cake, sugar laden latte or glass of wine because you did so well all week?  Guess what? You will probably just "maintain" this week if you are cheating, even just a little bit.  It's sad but true; I've seen it with my body and lots of other people... It only takes 2 days of "mild" cheats to blow all your hard work you did the other 5 days of the week!    
So step #3 is STOP CHEATING!  BE Consistent! 
It takes time... it takes consistency! 
Revisit your "WHY" and use your determination to stick with it, be strong and don't give up!

    



Schober, Tony. "Weight Loss Happens the Moment You Don't Give up." CoachCalorie. Disqus. 23 January 2012. Web. 5 Oct 2013.

Bulky or athletic???

Lately,,, I've had several girls tell me they feel they get too bulky when they lift weights.  I really think there is a big misconception about what causes bulk.  Bulk isn't all muscle; it is muscle covered by fat!  So if you feel that you are too bulky, then it is important to fine tune your diet to lose the excess fat -- not give up weight training.

If your goal is to move and look like the Hulk, then feel free to continue performing body-part splits and hitting every machine in the gym. Those machines have their place, but they are not indicative of every training program!

If your goal is to look, move and feel like an athlete, you need a different approach. Elite athletes need their body to function as an efficient unit. Splitting the body into parts like legs, chest, back and biceps will not meet that goal, Instead, focus on big-bang movements that utilize multiple muscle groups! 

The Calorie Coach backs me up!

So, check out this article!

See, I'm not kiddin!!! You can't lose fat from just one specific part of your body! The Calorie Coach sums it up by saying you gotta workout hard and eat right!! 

http://www.coachcalorie.com/the-localized-fat-loss-myth/

Do You Eat Bread!?

Did you know you do not need bread to survive? And most bread has High fructose corn syrup in it?!! However, if you must have bread I recommend Ezekiel. It is made with sprouted grains instead of flour and there is no sugar in it. It can be found in your grocery store's freezer section. I recommend keeping it in the freezer. I actually take a few pieces out at a time and put them in a baggie in the refrigerator. Because there are no preservatives in Ezekiel it doesn't last long out on the counter. I also prefer it toasted! And I've got used to it with no butter, or spread. Hope this helps to make a better choice.
Eat clean! Be active! Be healthy! And be happy!

Workouts With an Attitude!

So, here's my workouts from this winter.... I did 4 of these 5 routines this past winter... each for 3-4 weeks.  My favorite was the first! 
If you need ideas... check em out!   http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/5_routines_for_women.htm

TRY SOMETHING NEW... OR GET A TRAINER
AND PUSH IT TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL!

 GET IN THE GYM... AND START LIFTING SOME IRON!

 GET A BUDDY WHO YOU LIKE TO SWEAT WITH... OR WHO STILL LIKES YOU WHEN YOU SWEAT... (gross,,, I'm sweatin' oh well, Tina doesn't care! haha!)



Got belly fat??

I know this is hard to swallow because its just not the answer you want to hear. But here goes....
I've had several ladies in the last month ask me what exercises to do to get rid of flab, as they squeeze their belly.
Here's the answer: my saying I stole from someone (I don't remember, maybe Erin Stern?) "Abs are made in the kitchen."
I am all for building stronger abdominal muscles and a stronger core. However, you already have ab muscles hidden under layers of fat. In order to see your ab muscles you have to diet down to get rid of that cover of fat.
If you are serious about getting rid of flab and your don't know where to start and need help, Contact me!! Leave me a comment or message me on Facebook

Rocket Science (again)

When it comes to the topic of weight loss, I realize everyBODY is different and what works for some does not work for others!

I totally understand losing weight is not easy! Everyone's body is different. And then you have to take into consideration outside factors such as metabolism, medical conditions, medications, stress, environment, what you're eating, when you eat, what you're not eating macronutient percentages, and even water intake. Not to mention your genetics plays a huge role in losing fat.
I think the human body is a very intricate machine and there's LOTS of hard to understand science behind how the body gains and loses fat and muscle.
However, I'm going to say this even though I will have some who want to argue this point... "WEIGHT LOSS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE",,, okay maybe it is, but we don't have to make it so difficult!

It is very simple... Diet and exercise! If you want to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you need to sustain your body. It's the simple math of input/output! The bigger the person you are the more calories your body needs to maintain itself with proper body function etc. For example, I don't need to consume as many calories as my "big man" of a husband!
First, you need to determine your Basal Metabolic Rate which is what your body needs to maintain itself on a daily basis (if you did NOTHING all day). Use this formula:

A Woman's Basal Metabolic rate (BMR) = 655 + (4.35 x Weight) + (4.7 x Height in Inches) - (4.7 x Age in yrs)

A Man's BMR = 66 + (6.23 x W) + (12.7 x H) - (6.8 x A)

So when you get your BMR that is the number of calories you need to maintain if you do nothing at all! Which is surely NOT the case!

(My BMR is 1,186! ohhh, that's not very many daily calories!)

So finish with the Harris Benedict Formula (to add calories to account for all your daily activities):

To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor. (see below):

•If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : BMR x 1.2

•If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : BMR x 1.375

•If you are moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : BMR x 1.55

•If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : BMR x 1.725

•If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : BMR x 1.9

For the record I said I was moderately active and that bumps me up to 1839! That's more like it!

So now if you decrease your calories and/or add in exercise (or keep exercising if you already are) you are going to create a caloric deficit. Obviously, you can do both, decrease calories and add exercise, for a more effective weight loss plan.

To decrease calories just subtract 10-20% from your BMR+activity (daily) to force your body to start using it's reserve fat stores. To me, this is the tricky part!!! Most people think "more is better."
For example, "If I drop my calories by 1000 I should lose weight really fast!" That may be true but that's also called a "Crash Diet" and weight doesn't stay off with "Crash Diets" Amanda Adams article Here's another point for some of you to argue... I believe if you go too low your body goes into "Starvation Mode" and it will slow down your metabolic rate therefore slowing down your progress! However, you would eventually lose weight if you continue to starve yourself to death,,, literally! Furthermore, as soon as you start eating again you will gain it back, and probably some extra because your body is smart and it wants some reserve if you decide to starve it again!

Losing weight may become a process of trial and error, but it is not Rocket Science and I know this because I've figured it out with my own body and I'm not a Rocket Scientist! Even though it's not rocket science I might add, you do need to have a bit of knowledge of how to count calories. I use sparkpeople.com to help me keep track of my calories and macros.
AND just for the record, I can lose weight by keeping my calories between 1200-1400.
Oh and one other thing you need::: DETERMINATION to stay on track and NOT CHEAT!
GOOD LUCK!

For more reading check out this article about how to get certain body parts leaned down! Again you might be surprised but it's NOT ROCKET SCIENCE!