Fitzy Bitzy: Fitness Blog - Weight Loss Blog - Trainer Blog
Your Live Trainers co-founder Dan Falkenberg shares with you his passion for fitness and the ordinary events of his life.
Beta-testing with fitness professionals is underway
by Dan Falkenberg
10 Oct 2009 at 9:58am
Attention Fitness Professionals!!!! FREE, FREE, FREE!!! Beta-Test Our System For FREE!
Are you a fitness professional or do you know a fitness professional? If so, WE?RE OFFERING A FREE BETA-TESTING OPPORTUNITY FOR ANY FITNESS PROFESSIONAL WHO WANTS TO TRY OUR SYSTEM. Find out more information today!
Stay away from the extremes in diet and exercise
by Dan Falkenberg
22 Sep 2009 at 11:49am
These past few months, I've read some interesting comments from readers who feel there method of eating and fitness is the only way to go. I'm sure you've heard of them before. Those that don't eat carbs ... those that stay away from fat ... those that eat and drink an enormous amount of protein ... those that don't exercise ever ... those that exercise way too much, those that only exercise with slow movements, etc. You know what I've realized. All of these schools of thought are extreme. Out of all of these, I bet you can guess which one really gets to me. That's right, low-carb eating. I have to say, of all the comments I receive, those that leave comments in support of low-carb eating are the most mean-spirited. I never have understood why the people who leave these comments seem to want to start a fight over why their way of eating is the best way to eat. Then it dawned on me - with all the extreme ideas in fitness, low-carb eating is just one of them.
My feeling is, and I've seen this from first-hand experience with clients, extreme fitness concepts never work. Sure, they may bring quick results, but I've never seen lasting results. Why is that? I think it's because extreme concepts are not easy to live by. It's easy to pump yourself up for a few months of following an extreme dieting and workout plan, but the majority of us will start to fizzle out. That's not necessarily a bad thing. If the body is overtrained, it's defense mechanism is to fizzle out before serious damage results. Same with the other extreme fitness and diet approaches. The mind and body have a hard time staying in an extreme state, and as a result, you start to lose accountability and drive to continue.
My conclusions ... just stay consistent and balanced. Instead of working out until you pass out, try consistently performing moderate-level workouts your body and mind can handle. Instead of trying to eat no carbs, no fat, or no sugar, make smarter chooses in what you do eat and try for a balanced approach instead of an extreme approach. Not only is a balanced approach a more natural way of living, it will also lead to a mind and body that is more consistent and accountable, and it will help prevent you from stressing out so much about trying to live on the extreme side of some concept in diet and exercise. I'm sure I'll still get heated comments/feedback from the extreme wellness individuals, but oh well.
This past weekend, family was in town, and as a result, we ate out almost every meal. My wife and I have never really been big on eating out, and after this weekend of eating, I'm glad we're not. It's not that I didn't have fun going to different restaurants this weekend, or that I don't like restaurant food. The problem is that sometimes I tend to like restaurant food too much. I'm not going to lie, when a big juicy steak is sitting in front of me on a plate, I'm going to eat the whole thing. My willpower isn't always the greatest because even though I know I should take some of my meal home for leftovers, I don't always do it. I'm typically pretty good at taking Italian home in a doggy bag, but that's about it.
What's the point to all this?
This past weekend showed me why a lot of people struggle with weight loss. As our society continues to become busier and busier, the amount of home-cooked meals around the dinner table keeps getting less and less. It's no secret the portion sizes at restaurants are getting bigger ... way too much for one sitting.
Your body can be seen as a funnel. If you take a bucket of water and pour it into the funnel at one time, what happens? The funnel can't process that much water at one time, and it overflows on the sides. The same thing goes with our bodies. If we eat too many calories at one time, our bodies can't process that many calories fast enough and there's an overflow with the overflow being the storage of excess body fat in our problem areas. The way to prevent this overflow is to eat smaller, more frequent portions. Or, in the case of the funnel, pour a little water in the funnel, let it process through, and pour a little more in. Eating the majority of your calories in one sitting (eating at a restaurant) leads to the storage of excess body fat. If you space your calories into smaller meals throughout the day, you help combat the storage of excess body fat.
My suggestion before has been that when you go out to eat, before you even start eating, put half of your meal into a box to take home. I've realized this is easier said than done. Many restaurants put endless warm rolls and butter, breadsticks, salads, or chips and dip in front of you, and it can be very hard to "box these up". With many restaurants, you can eat over a 1000 calories as a result of all the "complimentary" food that comes before you actually get the meal you've ordered! A poor willpower can get the best of anyone when all this great looking food is in front of you.
Here's the challenge.
Instead of trying to box your meals up at restaurants this summer, try increasing the number of meals you eat at home. These should be good, old-fashioned home-cooked meals, not bringing a bucket of chicken home for the family to enjoy. Grill some chicken on the grill, bake some fish, whatever it is, you will have a lot more control on the portion sizes because you're making it. Willpower won't be as big of an issue, and as a result of smaller portions, you'll still have some great tasting food, you'll still be around the family, you'll still be full without feeling you're going to burst after the meal, but most importantly, you'll prevent yourself from consuming too many calories at one time.
Setting a goal for where you want to be health-wise is an important step in developing an overall healthier lifestyle. Many different attributes can contribute to this overall sense of well-being, but it is only after implementing these new procedures daily that you will begin to notice a difference, physically and mentally. It is amazing what just a few simple lifestyle changes can do to your body image and health.
Coming up with a daily exercise routine is an essential part of boosting your own self-confidence as well as feeling more energized. Starting off with a simple cardio workout and building up your endurance over the weeks is an easy way in which to achieve your daily exercise as well as feel healthier. Taking walks around the neighborhood or even going to a nearby park makes a world of difference to your body, especially when it is accustomed to sitting inside an office all day. Once you become used to this smaller amount of exercise, you can enhance it by jogging or even running for a set amount of time every day. After a few weeks, you should notice substantial results which should help you continue your workout routine.
Summer months present the best time for a new change in lifestyle because of the amount of outdoor activities which you can participate in. Outdoor sports on the weekends or even lap swimming at neighborhood pools are great ways in which to enjoy the summertime and still keep up a healthy way of life. If cardio workouts become boring to you, you might want to look into outdoor activities which your community offers. Many towns now have biking trails on which to ride for a few miles in a natural part of the town, and there are also many intramural teams that you can join to put yourself in more of a sports setting. It is always important to vary your workout routine so that it does not become tiring to get stuck doing the same things every day; it can lead to a hesitance to work out when you are on the same trail.
Keeping up with a daily exercise routine will
increase your overall happiness with your life because of the large difference
a bit of exercise makes in the long run.
Your entire body will feel healthy, from your skin to your muscles and
the added bonus of involving yourself with outdoor activities causes more
vitamin D to be added to your life which is always an energy booster. By monitoring your food intake at the same
time, you will be ready to go for summer weather and will be able to continue
this type of habit for months to come.
This post was contributed by Nicole White, who writes about masters of health care degree. She welcomes your feedback at Nicole.White222 at gmail.com
Contact Us
FAQ
Media Kit
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
Press Releases
Site Map
Careers
Ohio Website Design by Bald Head Design | ©2010 Your Live Trainers, LLC. All Rights Reserved.