The Quick Ass-Kicker

I DON'T HAVE TIME. No combination of four words in the English language annoy me more. This is the most common excuse I hear as to why someone doesn't exercise. Well let me tell you something. If you have time to stuff another bite of fast food in your mouth; you have time to workout. I think there may be a misconception out there that a decent workout needs to be hours long, but this is not reality. If you give yourself 30 minutes a day you can make a significant change to your body. If you still want to tell me that you don't have time for that then stop reading my blog because your full of shit and you want to talk a big game, but not do anything about it.

The Quick Ass-Kicker

This workout is so named for 2 reasons....1) It is quick....2) It is an ass-kicker. For this workout to be effective you will need to fully invest yourself for the whole 30 minutes. You will have to push through and adhere strictly to the work/rest periods. If you can't do a specific exercise just do what you can and work up to it slowly. Doing something is better than nothing (always remember that). This program is meant to be run as a 4 exercise circuit. You will do all exercises for 1 minute a each without a rest between. After you have done 1 circuit, you will take a minute rest and then start again.  The four exercises plus the rest will take 5 minutes total. You will do the whole circuit 6 times totaling 30 minutes.

Getting Started

Here is what you will need to get going:

- 1 pen

- 1 pad of paper

- Some way of keeping time. Stopwatch, a smart phone with a clock, an actual clock, or something similar

When you do each exercise you will keep track of how many reps you can complete in the 1 minute time period. The goal is that each time you do this workout you will try to improve by doing more reps in the same 1 minute period. 

The Routine

Exercise 1 - Squat Thrusts

Start by standing with your hands at your side. Squat down and place your hands on the floor, just outside your feet. With your hands firmly placed on the floor, jump back with your feet so that you end up in a push up position. Keeping your core tight, quickly jump the feet back to the position between your hands. Return to the standing position. Repeat

Here is a video: http://www.exrx.net/Aerobic/Exercises/Burpee.html

My only gripe with this video is his sloppy form. Keep the core tight when you jump back so you do not sag. If this variation is too tough then walk out and back instead of jumping. If you want a greater challenge add a jump at the end to make it a true burpee.

Exercise 2 - Power Jacks

I must give credit where it is do. I got this move from Shaun T's Insanity series and I love it. It is TOTAL BODY. Start in standing with you hands by your side and core tight. Start the jumping jack as normal landing with your feet wider than shoulder width. As your feet hit the ground you are going to go into a squat and bring the hands down wide to your sides so that they are outside your legs (almost so that they . Push from the bottom of the squat forcefully to drive yourself into the up portion. The rest is like a regular jumping jack. As you come up your feet come together and you clap your hands overhead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be6OlkdeXMU

Her form is good, but she doesn't go down far enough for my liking.

Exercise 3 - Mountain Climbers

Starts in a basic push up position with your shoulders over your hands. Leaving one foot on the floor bring the other forcefully up to your chest. Quickly alternate so that as one foot is going back the other is coming forward. This almost looks like you are running with your hands on the ground.

http://www.exrx.net/Aerobic/Exercises/MountainClimber.html

Exercise 4 - V Push Ups

A little exercise of my own. It can be found on insanity as well, but I was doing these long before it cam out. Start in a push up position with one main difference. Bring your butt way into the air so that your body resembles an upside down v shape. Before you start rotate your hands inward slightly so that your fingers are pointing towards each other. Slowly bend your elbows and lower yourself to the ground making sure to keep your butt in the air and your elbows pointed out to the sides. You will not go down more than 4-6 inches. Push yourself back up and repeat. Sorry no video for this one.

So there you have it. 30 minutes of work. No excuses. Try this program 2-3 times per week with at least one days rest between.

Spot Reducing....please stop asking me!

As a trainer I have answered a lot of questions for my clients over the years. The number on question I get however sounds something like this: "How do I lose weight from [insert body part here]?". I cannot tell you the frustration that I get trying to answer this question. Infomercials and fad weight loss/exercise plans have the general public believing that it is actually possible to reduce fat from one particular region of the body. I think I have seen just over a million different gimmicks on how to get a slim midsection. It is a million dollar industry. Let me tell you something.....IT IS A LIE! This myth in the fitness industry is known as spot reducing and any trainer worth their reputation knows better than to tell a client that it is possible. Study after study has been conducted to test this "theory" and all say the same thing. It can't be done. Not possible. Don't bother. Knowing what I know it is hilarious to me when I see someone in the gym doing crunch after crunch, killing themselves. And for what I ask? 

Let me explain a little better. Imagine that you have something; anything that has a definite shape to it. You can tell what it is just by the shape of it. (Imagine this object as your abdominals). Now let's say you take that object and cover it with a thick blanket. Then another and another. (this is like fat around your midsection) The object (your abs) are still there, it just can't be seen because of the layers of blankets (fat) over top of it. You can try to emphasize the underlying object as much as you want (which is basically what you are doing when you crunch yourself to death), but without removing the blankets on top (fat) it will be very hard, nay impossible, to make out the shape. 

This analogy is similar to muscle in your body. The muscle is underneath your fat. You can build the muscle as much as you like, but without removing the fat over the top all you end up with is a well built muscle under fat. When you build the muscle it increases in size. When you don't burn the fat over the top the bigger muscle underneath can actually make you look heavier than you really are, especially when it comes to the midsection. Some may ask, "doesn't muscle burn fat?" Yes it does, but the fat loss isn't necessarily from the area over top of that particular muscle. The myth of spot reducing has a person believe that they can target fat loss to one area of the body, but the body is a fickle beast. It loses weight form where it wants to, and my experience has shown me that the midsection is usually the last (and most difficult) place to lose from.  Does this mean it is impossible to attain a nice slim midsection you'd be proud to show off? Absolutely not! What it means is that it will take hard work, exercise, and a clean diet to get there. 

So stop wasting gym time doing things that don't work and focus more on a quality workout that emphasizes calorie burn and cardio. Crunches are fine. They will still build the muscle. Just don't expect to get a six-pack from doing them alone. 

So next time you are watching t.v. at 1:00am and you see a piece of equipment that "promises results" you will know better. Save the 4 easy payments of $19.99 and invest in a gym membership and some lessons with a qualified trainer instead. They will go a lot further in getting you towards your goal than a cheap piece of plastic that is destined for your next yard sale will ever do.

Getting Strong vs. Getting Big vs. Getting Lean (Part 2 - Getting Big)

For the mass of young men that flood into the gym day in and day out there is only thing they want. Bigger muscles. Many men will kill themselves in the pursuit of a bigger chest, shoulders, and arms. Unfortunately for many this goal will never be realized because beginners and novices really have no idea what the hell they are doing. Let's start with some common misconceptions.

Getting big, or muscle hypertrophy, is all about getting the muscle cells to grow. The principle sounds simple enough. Lift weights and gain muscle. It is all about how you lift the weights however that dictate how your muscles will grow. We have already covered the getting strong portion of lifting weights. Lift heavy weights for low reps. Getting big is all about lifting moderate weights for moderate reps. The reason we lift this way for hypertrophy is because muscle growth is all about getting the muscle to fatigue. When I say fatigue I don't just mean tired. When lifting for muscle hypertrophy you need to push yourself to the point where you cannot lift for even one more rep. You need to push past the muscle burn to reach your goals.

So what do I mean by moderate weight and moderate reps? As I touched on in part 1you need to start with finding your rep max. This will help you get into a range for the amount of weight you should lift. Moderate weight will usually fall into the 60%-80% range of your 1RM. Moderate reps will fall between 8-12 reps. A good program will vary between these ranges week to week and workout to workout.

So now some helpful tips:

1) When lifting for hypertrophy pick 3-4 different exercises for a body part and work within the rep and weight ranges, making sure you vary the weights and reps.

2) Split your workouts with at least 2 days rest between body parts. When lifting for hypertrophy you will work each body part or region once a week. When starting out I always recommend something similar to the following:

Day 1 - Chest
Day 2 - Back
Day 3 - Legs (Quads, Hams, Calfs)
Day 4 - Rest
Day 5 - Shoulders/Traps
Day 6 - Biceps/Triceps
Day 7 - Rest

3) Consume adequate protein. Muscle growth is basically about protein growth. Just like you can't build a house without wood. you cannot build muscle without protein. Muscle cannot be built with carbs or fat, just protein. Aim for at least 1 gram per pound of body weight.

4) Use good form! Form is always important when lifting weights, but when trying to grow muscle always use strict form even if it limits the amount of weight you are lifting.

5) Pre and post-workout meals are essential. Pre-workout you want to consume about 20-30 grams of protein along with a source of complex carbohydrates such as a a piece of fruit. Immediately post-workout consume around 30-50 grams of protein and around 30-50 grams of simple carbs. Limit fat post-workout because it can inhibit protein uptake. Use this to your advantage! This is the time when you can actually have sugar! Some of my favorites include gummy bears, chocolate milk, and angel food cake. Consuming simple sugar after a workout will help to push the protein into the muscle cells where it can be used for building muscle.

6) Log your lifting. Just like logging your food, writing down your workouts will make you more aware of what you are doing. This will allow you to see the progress you are making, but it will also allow you to see if you are doing the same lifts over and over again (which is a no-no!) Variation is king when it comes to lifting weights. Remember the principle of progression. By varying the lifts you do you will prevent the body from getting accustomed to the lifts and hitting a plateau.

So there are the basics of getting big. Keep reading future posts to get more helpful hints and tips on advancing your program.

Stay healthy my friends!

Getting Strong vs. Getting Big vs. Getting Lean (Part 1 - Getting Strong)

Many novices are not aware that your goals, with regards to your weight training program, will dictate how you lift. This becomes painfully obvious when you go into the gym and see a newbie trying to curl way too much weight for way too many reps. I think, with men especially, there is a mentality that if a little is good, then more must be even better, but this isn't the case. More often than not this person will see insignificant gains, become frustrated, and quit lifting.

In my last post I talked about three principles that govern weight training. Specificity, overload, and progression. Of these three, specificity will be the star today. How you train will be SPECIFIC to your goals.

Many peoples goals can be broken down into three basic groups. Getting strong (strength), getting big (hypertrophy), and getting lean (endurance). Now granted, some people may have more than one of these goals in mind at the same time and that's fine. It is completely possible to advance more than one of these areas at once, so long as you realize that it will more than likely take some trail and error to do so.

GETTING STRONG
People often make the mistake of thinking that they can get strong by lifting the most weight possible for the most reps possible. Sorry. No. While this person will undoubtedly become stronger they will not attain their peak strength without training properly. Mirriam-Webster defines strength in about nine different ways, but the best way they define strength is "the power to resist a force". This definition in the true weight lifting sense is somewhat incorrect in that strength and power are different animals, but that is a different blog for a different day. So basically strength is the ability to resist a force, or in term of lifting weights it is the ability to generate a force. Not just any force, but what we call a maximal force. In the strength and conditioning world we measure a person's maximal force with something called a repetition (or rep) max test. There are many different variations of this test but most often we use the 1 rep max (1RM) test as the benchmark. As the name implies this test is the maximum amount of weight that a person can move, or the max force they can generate, for one repetition. The 1RM test is a true measure of a person's strength capability. When my client's goal is to get stronger I regularly test their 1RM at regular intervals. This way they can see the progress they're making in their program.

Keeping in mind that getting strong is about moving the most weight it is correct to draw the conclusion that when training for strength you should lift heavy weights. The part where most screw up is they attempt too many repetitions and they do not rest enough. If you ever get the chance to watch an Olympic weight lifter train you will notice that they will rarely, if ever, lift for more than 5 reps in a set. Many times their sets will be between 1-3 reps each. In addition, about 10% of their time is spent lifting, and the other 90% is spent resting. Rest periods when lifting for strength should ideally be between 2-5 minutes. Some people are of the mindset that resting for this long is counterproductive, but it is essential to allow for maximal recovery between sets. Maximal recovery means that maximal effort can be exerted in subsequent sets. This leads to more weight moved during a session and thus an overall more effective workout.

When starting a strength program the first step is testing your rep max. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE always do this part with a professional! Testing your 1RM can be dangerous if you do not know what you are doing. If you go this website you will find a trainer locator:

http://www.nsca-lift.org/trainers/traineragree.asp

I cannot stress enough the importance of using a trainer to help you find your rep max. Allow me to stand on my soapbox for a minute and also say that your trainer should be a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist or CSCS. This certification is only available through the NSCA and is only available to persons with a college degree. I do not mean to offend other certifications or personal trainers, but CSCS devote their life to strength and conditioning and their knowledge is unequaled in this area.

Once you get your rep max you now have your benchmark. You can use this number to compare your subsequent lifts and track your progress. If your future RM goes up than you have obviously gained strength. Just as with all training endeavors it is critical to note that people differ in many ways and what works for A may not work for B. With that in mind the following program should work for most beginners:

Week 1: 3 sets, 5 reps, (60%, 70%, 80%)
Week 2: 3 sets, 4 reps, (70%, 70%, 80%)
Week 3: 3 sets, 3 reps, (70%, 80%, 90%)
Week 4: 3 sets, 3 reps, (80%, 90%, 100%)

This is meant to be done for one month. After that month you will test you rep max again and you should see an increase in your 1RM.

When attempting this program please keep these helpful tips in mind:

1) Eat enough to fuel your body. You can run a car without gas, and likewise you cant run your body without food. Eating enough is vital when lifting for strength. Most often people lifting for strength should expect to gain some weigh in the process and should be consuming around 17-19 calories/pound body weight. In addition make sure you are getting at least 1g protein per pound. (especially making sure to consume around 25g before your workout and 40-50 after)

2) Rest is essential! I applaud your effort to want to go all out everyday, but going all out will lead to burnout. You need to rest at least one day, but ideally 2, between these workouts. Also make sure you are sticking to the 2-5 minute rest period between sets. When lifting less weight you can rest less, but as you get into the 90% and 100% of your RM the 5 minute rest is important.

3) Lifting for strength according to this plan is for the "big" lifts like bench press, squats and deadlifts...not for curls. If you are interested in bigger arms to impress the ladies then read future posts for my hypertrophy plans. Trying to lift heavy weights with some lifts is just ridiculous and can lead to injury.

So there are the basics. After you have done this a while you may begin to plateau. If that is the case then hire a CSCS and they can hep you revamp your program to see more gains. Keep reading for Part 2-Getting Big. Until then, stay healthy my friends!

The Basic Principles of Weight Training.

For many beginners starting a resistance training program can be quite the endeavor. There is so much conflicting information when it comes to resistance training it can be difficult for the beginner, and even the intermediates lifters, to disseminate between truth and fiction.

The purpose today is to begin to acquaint you with the basics of weight training. Throughout this article I may refer to resistance training, or exercise in general, but keep in mind that I mean resistance training.

Unlike the nutrition aspect, which had many parts to it, weight training is only governed by 3 true principles. Specificity, Overload, and Progression. These 3 principles apply just as much to the elite athlete as they do to the weekend warriors and senior citizens.

Specificity in its most basic terms means to see a certain change you need to train specifically for that change to occur. For instance, if you are a young male and you want to increase you bench press strength to impress the hot blonde at the gym, then it makes no sense for you to waste countless hours doing curls. Curls will not help your bench press. You need to train in the bench press. Specificity can be applied to numerous aspects of exercise. Simple right?

Overload and Progression can really be seen as two parts of a similar principle. Overload simply means to see a continued change (improvement), whether it be to your muscle mass, bone density, or tendon strength, you need to expose your body to forces greater than what you are accustomed to. Take our hormone driven male in the first example. If he wants to continue to improve his bench press, it wouldn't do him any good to continually bench press 140lbs. If he never increases that weight he will hit a plateau and stay stuck at 140lbs. He needs to increase the weights to increase his adaptations.

 Progression can be seen as an extension of overload. You need to continually progress your workouts to see a continual change. Please keep in mind that just like the snowflakes that cover the ground outside my window (all 18 inches of them I might add...I hate New England winters), humans are all different. The rate that one person changes will not be the same for another.

As you can see these principles are all connected to, and dependent on, one another.

Please understand that these articles are meant to provide you some background on exercise and should not be used as an all inclusive guide. I have spent many years of my life studying exercise and fitness and in an effort to make these articles interesting and relevant I have omitted many things. If you are new to exercise I ALWAYS recommend starting with a certified personal trainer to learn the safe and effective way of doing things. These articles can be a great reference for a beginner to help you understand why your trainer is doing something the way they are. Also please note that NOT ALL PERSONAL TRAINERS ARE CREATED EQUAL!!! I cannot stress this enough. Just because someone is a "certified" personal trainer does not mean they can tell a barbell from their...well you know. Do some research on your trainer. Try to find trainers that have well known and accredited certifications (such as NSCA, ACSM, NASM, and ACE). In addition you would be well served to look for a trainer that has a 4 year degree in exercise science, kinesiology, exercise physiology, or some other exercise/health related field. Failure to do your due diligence on your trainer can result in you wasting money, due to lack of results, or worse you can become injured due to their negligence. If you are working with a trainer and you have doubts about their capabilities then request another. It is your money and you right to get what you pay for and not to be injured while doing so.

Visit www.lifetimefitnesssolutions.com for information on trainers in Southeastern CT or if outside this area visit the IDEA website here.

GYM NEWBIES PLEASE READ!.....Proper Gym Etiquette

Any gym you go to will have a set of rules it expects its member to abide by. These rules are in place for the safety of all patrons as well as to make the gym experience as pleasurable as possible for all members. Beyond these written rules, there is also a set of unwritten etiquette rules that many gym regulars abide by. I consider these rules very important but if you are new to the gym you may not know about them (and believe me I have seen my share of regulars who don't either). Whether you are new or experienced, consider these following etiquette rules the next time you hit the gym. 


1) Keep talking to a minimum, and don't sing. 
For many people the gym is an escape. It is their time for themselves, not socialization hour. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to concentrate when you have someone flapping their gums the whole time. Furthermore cell phones should not be used at the gym. Never assume that you are so important that the whole world wants to hear your conversation. Keep the talking to a minimum and the phones in your gym bags. Worse than talking is singing out loud. Singing at the gym is quite frankly annoying. No matter how good your voice is, you do not have the right to expose other gym goers to your music, save it for the shower at home. 


2) Be aware of your body odor.
This rule can go both ways. If you have never seen a stick of deodorant in your life I suggest you make quick friends with one. Conversely if you feel the need to douse yourself with 5 gallons of your perfume or cologne take a shower before you hit the gym. People's senses become heightened when they exercise and if you reek of body odor or perfume you will quickly find yourself by yourself.


3) Wipe down the equipment.
Many people feel like if they don't work up a good sweat at the gym they are not working hard enough. The key is they want it to be their sweat, not yours. In addition to being good gym etiquette it is also good health practice to wipe down any piece of equipment after you are done. MRSA is a common bacteria at the gym and properly disinfecting equipment can limit its transmission. Those spray bottle aren't all around the gym for decoration. Use them.


4) Don't drop the weights.
In addition to being extremely dangerous for people around you it is also inconsiderate. Dropping weights can damage equipment and can lead to the loss of that equipment once ruined. There is a difference between dropping the weights blatantly and lowering heavy weights as slowly as safely possible, but my general feeling about it is if they are too heavy for you to control, they are to heavy for you to use. There ARE times when dropping weights is OK. If you are performing Olympic style lifting on a rubber platform and using rubber plates it is advised to drop the weights in a controlled manner. 


5) Don't yell.
Just like dropping the weights, yelling obnoxiously just tells the rest of the gym you need attention. 


6) Let others work in.
Nothing is more annoying than when you are waiting for a weight machine and someone refuses to get off of it between sets. It's even more annoying when they lose track of time because they are too busy texting. Allow others to work in between your sets and limit the time you are using  piece of equipment. 


7) Don't use the squat rack for curls. 
Most gyms have only one or two squat racks for patrons to use. These racks are designed to be used for certain lifts such as squats and bench press. Using them to do curls, or other exercises that do not require a rack is inconsiderate. If you can do the exercise without the need for a rack, do so and leave it for someone who needs it. 


Following these "unwritten" rules is good gym practice, but more importantly it is considerate of other members of the gym. Don't be naive to these rules and it will improve the experience of all members. 

The Secret of Weight Loss (Part 4 - Calculating Food Intake)

Yesterday we reiterated the importance of keeping a food journal. We also looked at the importance of knowing your BMR and how that is going to aid you in your weight loss efforts. Now that we know the calories out portion of the equation, we need to figure out the calories in.


If you have ever looked on a food package you have surely noticed the nutritional information printed on it. Surprisingly friends this isn't on there fro decoration. It;s there to help inform you about the nutritional content of the food so you can make informed decisions about what you put into your body. Many labels follow this type of format:

If you are unfamiliar with nutrition, much of this information may seem like gibberish. After all there is a lot to analyze, but as I said yesterday it is my goal to keep this as simple as possible for you. We are going to focus on 4 items from these nutritional labels. Our focus is going to be on calories, fat, carbohydrates, and protein. The amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fat in a food item contribute to its overall caloric content. Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats all have different roles in the functioning of the human body. Let's take a look at each of these individually.


Protein is responsible for building tissues in the body as well as repairing damaged tissues. When trying to build muscle it is essential to make sure you are consuming an adequate amount of protein. Protein can also be used as a fuel for energy within the body when your carbohydrate and fat levels are low, however it only provides and small amount of energy and ideally if our diet is properly balanced we will not have to rely on proteins for energy. Sources of protein include meats, cheeses, eggs, milk, fish, as well as protein powders sold at most supermarkets/nutrition stores. 1 gram of protein is equal to 4 calories.


Carbohydrates provide the body with energy. Our body breaks down carbohydrates and uses them to help fuel us throughout the day. It is important to note that while many food contain carbohydrates, not all are created equal. When choosing good sources of carbohydrates we want to focus on what are know as "complex" carbohydrates. Sources of these complex carbohydrates can include whole wheat breads, grains, and pastas, sweet potatoes, vegetables, and quinoa. On the opposite side of the spectrum we have "simple" carbohydrates. This form of carbohydrates should be consumed sparingly in our diets. Sources of simple carbohydrates include white breads, white potatoes, sugars, candies, chips and soft drinks. One important exception to the rule on consuming simple carbohydrates are fruits. Most fruits are technically classified as simple carbohydrates, however they are very nutrient rich and thus essential to a healthy diet. However, fruits should still not be consumed in excess. 1 gram of carbohydrates is also equal to 4 calories.


The 1980's were a bad time for fats. Many people started to become fat-phobic and as a result foods labeled as "low in fat" became synonymous with healthy. Well my friends I am here to tell you that fat is your friend. Its all just a simple matter of what type of fats you are consuming. A diet that is deficient in certain fats can be very dangerous. Fats play a vital role in maintaining healthy skin and hair, insulating body organs against shock, maintaining body temperature, and promoting healthy cell function. In addition fats are also needed to process some essential vitamins in our body. Without fat these vitamins could not be processed and that can open the door for a whole host of problems. As I said before, some people confuse fat-free foods with healthy foods, but this isn't always the case. For instance many candies and soft drinks are fat-free, however given the massive amounts of sugar in these products they can hardly be considered healthy. Get the picture? It is important, however, to know which types of fats to consume, and which types to avoid. I could write a book on the different types of fats and what they do and why they are good or bad, but as I said countless times I want to make this easy so let's just sum it up this way. You want the majority of the fat you consume to be monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. Saturated fats should be consumed sparingly, and trans fats should be avoided if possible. 1 gram of fat is equal to 9 calories.


Now that you know the basics, lets get back to the food journal. When recording your daily food values you should always include how much you ate. This is where serving size comes in. Many of my clients err with weight loss not because they do not eat healthy foods, but because they eat too much. When we are maintaining a healthy lifestyle we need to be accountable for how much we put into our bodies as well. It will be your responsibility to measure your food accordingly. I always recommend getting a food scale. You can obtain one from any Wal-Mart for around $20 (make sure it can measure in ounces and grams). When a food item has a nutrition label on it, the serving size will be included as well. You need to get use to either measuring the amount (e.g. 2/3 Cup) or weight (in oz. or g) of a serving size.


Let's put it all together now. When we record in our food journal we are going to include: the amount we ate, the calorie count, and the amount of fat, carbohydrates, and protein. It would look something like this


Breakfast
2 eggs (155 calories, 10 grams fat (4 saturated), 2 grams carbohydrate, 12 grams protein)
1 piece of whole wheat toast ( 70 calories, 1 gram fat, 15 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein)
1 Cup 100% grapefruit juice (100 calories, 0 grams fat, 22 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram protein)
TOTAL BREAKFAST (325 calories, 11 grams fat, 39 grams carbohydrates, 16 grams protein)


Do this for all food you eat during the day. At the end of the day you will have a total calorie count. This calorie count is what needs to be 500 calories less than our BMR (accounting for exercise) on a daily basis to see that 1 pound weight loss per week.


Here are some other things to consider:


1) When eating during the day try to split your calories according to a 30/30/40 split. 30% of your calories come from fat, 30% from carbohydrates, and 40% from protein. This will take some number crunching, but its importance will be outlined in the very near future.


2) The food diary is yours. The example I provided is just that. Feel free to log your foods in a way that makes sense to you. Some people do well just writing in list form, others need columns. As I said yesterday however, if you can get an electronic calorie counter, either on your computer or phone, your life will be so much easier.


3) While most foods that have labels on them have nutritional information, some do not. For example fruits and vegetables are not required to have this information on them as they have no packages. For a long while meats did not either, but that has recently changed. Not knowing a food's nutritional information is no excuse not to record it. Remember RULE 1! Education. Many websites offer online nutritional information for pretty much every food under the sun. I have always liked using the USDA website myself which can be found here:


http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/


At first this may all seem like a lot, and truth be told it is. If you want to see real results, true long-term change, this is the only way. If you want to try the newest ab cruncher/developer/ripoff on the late night infomercial instead then I wish you good luck. I hope you have room in your basement for it after your done with it after the first week. With repetition this will get easier until it becomes second nature to you.


So there you have it. The "secret" to weight loss. Calories in vs. calories out. It is work. It takes commitment. It sucks, but I guarantee when you start to see the weight come off it will be all worth it. Keep reading in coming days as I will begin to tackle my favorite aspect of a healthy lifestyle....EXERCISE!


Stay healthy my friends.

The Secret of Weight Loss! (Part 3 - Calculating BMR)

Ideally now you have been keeping constant track of your food intake for one week. I'm willing to bet that you had more than one surprise when you actually saw on paper what you were eating on a daily basis. There is a very specific purpose for having you keep track of the food you are eating. It's all preparation for the next steps which I will outline over the next few days.

In part one I told you that weight loss in its simplest form is really just a numbers game. Calories in vs. calories out. By tracking the values of food you eat you can start to learn how much you need to burn on a daily basis to be in the negative and keep your weight loss going.

The process is easy. Well....not really, but I'm going to make it easy, and as a very dear friend recommended to me, I'm also going to keep it in plain English too. Everyday your body burns energy for you to live. As a matter of fact if you just sat on the couch like the blob and did absolutely nothing all day but waste space and take up air, your body would still burn energy. This is called you basal metabolic rate or BMR. As I have already told you, depending on factors such as activity level, age, weight, and gender your BMR can be higher or lower than the norm. BMR is calculated with a whole long equation that you then take and enter into another equation and if you don't know what you are doing you can really screw it up, but I said I was gonna make this simple. By following the link below you can enter a few variables about yourself and viola!

http://safedietplans.com/bmr-calculator.html

Did you do it yet? Good! Now you have your daily energy (calorie) requirements. If you were to consume this amount of calories on a daily basis, you would maintain you weight. Eat more than this amount and you will gain weight. We are interested in losing so we need to be under that calorie value at the end of the day. This can be done a number of ways.

1) We can simply eat less than that prescribed amount of calories in a day and do no exercise
2) We can eat exactly that amount of calories a day and put ourselves into a negative balance by exercising
3) We can use a combination of exercise and eating less to reach a negative calorie balance

I always recommend the third option because it puts an emphasis on the two most important factors of a healthy lifestyle, diet and exercise. Now that you are armed with your BMR, what are you going to do with it?

A pound of fat equals 3500 calories, so in essence for one to lose a pound in a week (a fairly safe amount) they need to create a calorie deficit, with proper diet and exercise, of 500 calories a day (500 calories x 7 days = 3500 calories/week). This is where the BMR comes in.

Let me give you an example:

Meet Darcie. Darcie is a moderately active, 23 year old female. She weighs 160 lbs and is 5 foot 7 inches tall. Darcie is looking to lose 5 pounds before her big vacation in July. According to the above link Darcie's BMR is 2300 calories. So in order for Darcie to lose one pound a week, she needs to make sure at the end of the day she has not consumed more than 1800 calories (2300 - 500 = 1800).

Let's say that Darcie goes to the gym and between her weight and cardio workouts she burns 400 calories. This 400 calories can now be added to the 1800 calorie limit she has set for herself because the exercise has moved her further into the negative. Darcie can now consume 2200 calories and still see the 1 lb of weight loss per week. Calories burned with exercise need to be accounted for and added back into your daily calorie needs. If you fail to do so you can run the risk of not providing your body with the proper energy it needs for the day and cause your weight loss to come to a screeching halt.

Now that we have your BMR we need to learn how to calculate what we are putting into our bodies. BMR does you know good if you have no idea how many calories you are consuming per day. Keep reading for more information.

As an aside, while any three ring binder and a pen can be a perfect food journal there are other, easier electronic versions. If you have a computer I recommend using an online food journal such as the ones found at:

http://fitday.com/
or
http://www.myfooddiary.com/

If you have a smart phone such and a Droid or iPhone I HIGHLY recommend downloading an app. I'm not sure of apps available on the Droids or Blackberrys, but the hands down best app for tracking calories on the iPhone is LoseIt.

These online and smart phone options can be an all-in-one resource for you and save a lot of time if you are really busy.

Stay healthy my friends!

The Secret of Weight Loss (Part 2)

In part 1 of this post we revealed that there is no secret to weight loss. So what is it all about then? In actuality weight loss can be broken down into very simple terms. Calories in vs. calories out. If you consume more calories in a day then your body actually burns for energy you will gain weight. If you burn more calories for energy in a day than you consume you will lose weight, and if your calories burned equal your calories consumed you will maintain your current weight. In simpler terms:

Calories In > Calories Out = Weight Gain
Calories In < Calories Out = Weight Loss
Calories In = Calories Out = Weight Maintenance

The basics behind this principle are easy enough, but it can be more complicated than that. For instance, how can one know how many calories they burn in a day? Well that is tough to say because it can vary from person to person. For instance I'm sure many of you have known at least one person in your life who seems like they can eat anything they want and never gain a pound. I hate these people myself. They have been blessed with a fast metabolism. Simply put, metabolism is the rate at which your body burns food you consume for energy. People with a high metabolism burn food for energy extremely fast. Conversely people with a slow metabolism tend to hold onto food for longer periods. If you have tried to lose weight in the past and struggled, chances are you are dealing with a slower metabolism.

Along with metabolism there are other factors that can influence how easily (or not) one can lose weight. Others include activity level, gender, and age. People who are more active tend to burn weight faster than those that are more sedentary, as do males vs. females, and younger populations vs. older populations.

Getting Started:

The idea behind this blog is to be a tool, a resource to help you become more educated about losing weight and keeping it off. Getting more educated about the journey you are about to undertake is the first step. Let's say for instance you buy a new piece of furniture at IKEA. You wouldn't dump everything on the floor and start to assemble it blindly would you? Not likely. You would educate yourself on the process by reading the instructions. Consider this blog the instructions.

The next step is getting a journal. Something to keep track of your eating. Many factors can influence our eating habits and it is important to track these in writing. Some people eat when stressed, others eat when bored. By learning what triggers these behaviors you are in a better position to do something about it. In addition tracking your eating can be a great way to open your eyes to exactly what you are putting in your body. I cannot tell you how many clients I have had in that past who swear that they eat healthy yet lose no weight. When I have them track their food intake for a week they are surprised to see how much they overeat without even knowing it.

So now you have the first two steps:
1. Get Educated
2. Get a Food Journal (and use it!)

These are always the first steps I recommend before even starting a new eating plan. It is important to remember that choosing to follow a diet and exercise plan is a big change. Never under any circumstances make all the changes at one time. While your intentions are and you should be commended on your dedication you are sure to fail if you do so. I cannot stress enough that CHANGES NEED TO BE GRADUAL. I always recommend to keep a food journal for one week before I ever implement any changes to the diet or exercise plans my clients follow.

If you want to know more keep following this blog as I will continue to lay out the plan slowly, but surely.

The Secret of Weight Loss! (Part 1)

Flip through your TV channels on any given night and chances are that you will see at least one infomercial that guarantees results with just one piece of equipment. People will provide their testimony about how this piece of equipment changed their life and help them lose 50 pounds in no time.

Well ladies and gentleman, allow me to ruin your day. It doesn't happen that way. So does that mean that these people are lying? Not exactly. I have no doubt that these people saw real results with the program...but look a little closer next time at the bottom of the screen. More than likely you will see a disclaimer along the lines of "results not typical". Which in fact is true. These people are in a small minority that will see results, but here is a little insight for you. Chances are that these people were very sedentary to begin with, that is to say they were not very active. Thus once they begin to be a little more active it's only natural that they will see some results. Now let's fast-forward about a year and look at these people again. I'm gonna bet that chances are they fall into one of two groups. 1) They were so motivated by their weight loss that they continued to lead a healthy lifestyle, they have maintained their weight loss and lived happily ever after. Not likely. 2) After their initial weight loss they quickly reached a plateau, became unmotivated and regained the weight, and most likely a little more. Unfortunately for most this is the more realistic outcome.

So what went wrong? These people fell into the trap. The trap that many of us are guilty of falling for. The trap that weight loss has some big secret to it. That it can be attained and maintained with just minutes a day. Sorry. No. The secret to weight loss is this...........THERE IS NO SECRET. The decision to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle is HARD WORK. It is tiring, it sucks, and if you have any sort of sanity chances are that you will ask yourself on more than one occasion, "why am I putting myself through this hell?" Losing weight requires commitment, sacrifice, and most importantly being realistic with your expectations.

Keep reading for part two and we will start to learn what weight loss is really about.

New Year and a new you?

It's another New Year and with the new year comes new resolutions from people swearing up and down that this will be the year that they "lose weight and eat right". Gyms and rec centers around the country see a massive influx of newbies aimlessly wandering around from one machine to another, while gym rats become increasingly annoyed at the guy one inch from killing himself inside the squat rack because he has no idea what he is doing . Then every year by February patronage is back to normal levels and all those "go-getters" are stuck paying for a year membership that they will never use again.

Want to improve your chances of avoiding this downward spiral? Then keep following my blog for helpful tips and information to help lead you down the path to health and get that new you that you deserve.