Eat! It's Good For You!
There seems to be a misconception that you should boycott eating if you want to loose weight. And if you have to eat make sure it has no taste, you're still hungry afterwards, and your energy level doesn't increase too much. That's the perfect diet! But, if that still doesn't work, couple it with a pill that promises to magically make fat vanish without a trace and has high reviews from it maker yet no scientific proof. Now that's the perfect diet! Right?
Believe it or not this is all a myth. The diet pills and strange diets do not work. I'll say it again, They Don't Work! Time and time again it's been proven that they don't work, that's scientific proof you can trust. The tried and true healthy lifestyle of a clean diet and exercise on most days of the week is the only true way to loose weight and keep it off. Period.
I know it's hard work to loose weight especially when having to combat years of bad information and a household that doesn't go along with the new found knowledge easily; children and spouses can make the transition even more difficult. Despite all the hardships at the beginning and journey gets easier and the results are always worth it.
Don't be afraid of eating! Food is necessary for your body to run as effectively as it can to burn calories at a maximum level. The lack of food sends the body into starvation mode and it holds onto every calorie it can storing those calories as fat. The body is preparing to sustain itself without food for a long period of time and therefore keeps the calories in reserve to use as energy later on. It's waiting for it's next energy (food) supply to be given. The next time it is given food those calories are burnt up slowly because the metabolism has slowed down and it still hasn't burnt any additional calories from the meal before, resulting in weight gain and a lack of energy. If the cycle continues so will the weight gain and the lack of energy.
The moral of the story is to eat. Food is a source of energy for the body that it uses to burn calories and boost the metabolism. A boosted metabolism causes the body to run at it highest level of proficiency. Food is what helps maintains your metabolism's level. As defined by the American Heritage Science Dictionary, basal metabolism rate is the rate at which energy is used by an organism at complete rest. The slower that rate is the slower it's going to burn calories, or use energy, and the faster that rate is the faster it's going to burn calories.
So, how do you manage your metabolism so it works to your benefit? Give your body clean, whole foods as close to the natural source as possible. Eat a healthy breakfast, mid morning snack, and healthy lunch, an afternoon snack or two, a healthy dinner, and an evening snack if necessary. Eat all day, never get hungry, and be prepared with a snack in case you do begin to feel hungry. Don't be fooled though, thirst can feel just like hunger pains so drink a glass of water before having a snack and if you're still hungry then eat something. Notice all those meals but also notice that they are not huge portioned meals, not fast food meals, and not sugary snacks. They are natural, whole food, healthy meals and snacks, the types of food the body works best with.
Breakfast if vital! I can't stress this enough. Without breakfast the body is in starvation mode from the time you have dinner the night before until you eat lunch the next day. Now we know what happens when the body goes into starvation mode so keep it out of that mode with breakfast.
Whole grain cereal, a natural granola bar, fruit and yogurt and a piece of toast with jam on it are all great breakfast choices.
A handful of almonds, a piece of fruit, a natural granola bar, or toast with natural peanut butter are great snack choices.
Chicken with veggies, a chicken salad with dressing on the side, or a sandwich (on whole grain bread, lean meat and cheese, minimum light mayonnaise, and veggies) are great lunch ideas.
Fish with veggies, a lean cut of steak and veggies, baked or grilled chicken and a sweet potato are great dinner ideas.
So go out into the world and don't be afraid to eat, instead think of food as an energy source that will help your body work as efficiently as it can. Keep that metabolism revved up and working to your benefit, not against you. Take control of your diet and don't give up. Keep trying and work really hard at clearing your mind of negative thinking about yourself and about food. You can do this!! Believe in yourself!
Stay tuned to my blog for more helpful tips and information about diet and exercise to arm yourself with all the best tools to set yourself up for success.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
1 Out Of 5 Four-Year-Olds Are Obese.
Our Children Are At Risk!
The rate of childhood obesity is skyrocketing like never before in the history of mankind. That may sound a little dramatic but nonetheless it's true. Our most precious commodity are being raised to kill themselves slowly. "No," you may say "that's going too far, I'm not raising my child to kill him or herself slowly, that's absurd!" But is it really? If you know that that having a poor diet (full of fast food, processed food, almost no fruits and vegetables, minimal physical activity, maximum video game and computer time, and no restrictions on the amount or kinds of calories consumed) is bad for you and you continue to do it then yes you're killing yourself and anyone else you teach this terrible behavior to, slowly.
Don't get me wrong, I realize that there is a lot of bad information out there. And even the good information can be so plentiful that it becomes confusing. An illusion emerges that eating healthy is outrageously costly and time consuming and the kids just won't like. In reality there are plenty of ways to get the cost down at the grocery store, manage the time it takes to prepare a healthy meal, and given time the kids will come around to thoroughly enjoy the taste of healthy food. Myths busted! Then there's the ever changing facts or statistics or scientific findings that this diet and way of eating is better than that diet and way of eating and the long loved low fat, low carb is not really the golden ticket we've all been looking for, but just yesterday it was. I am not blind to the latest and greatest in weight loss ideas and that's what fires my up so much. To see the epidemic that's plagued adults for decades take its hold on our future generations is not only sad but an outrage.
An article written in yesterday's Washington Times (http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/07/1-out-of-5-us-preschoolers-is-overweight-new-study/) reveals this statistic of 1 out of 5 four-year-olds are obese. Mind you that they were not found to be merely overweight but obese which is classified as having a body mass index or BMI above the 95th percentile of children within the same age, build, height, and gender group. This is the largest and only study of its kind in terms of participants being of a wide range of ethnic groups. The study included 8,550 preschoolers that were born in 2001. Researchers found that the highest rates of obesity were found in Hispanic and American Indian children. The reasons why vary some with theories ranging from genetic to family income to education levels of the parents to federal commodity programs. Regardless of ethnicity the preschoolers of this country are at serious risk of not living a long high quality of life that we all want for the next generation. They are being diagnosed with asthma, diabetes, and high blood pressure at alarming rates. We can no longer give in to our children and give them any type of food they want whenever they want it just to make ourselves feel better for a moment because when they whine and cry for it we feel guilty and end up giving in to their demands which only continues the downward spiral of their deter rating health and contributes to their lack of self-esteem, self-love, and feelings of embarrassment.
It is incredibly difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of this epidemic that has taken our children by storm. Every one of these above mentioned theories has it's place in the growing size of our youth. I feel it's vitally important to realize that if we continue to stand by and do nothing then we are silently contributing to the problem of childhood obesity which puts children at risk of diabetes, metabolic disorder, heart disease, cancers, and countless other health ailments that they would otherwise not be subject to at such a young age. Blame it on the ways of society, put the blame wherever you like but in the mean time do something. Do something to stop the growing waist lines of our young people by getting them to move more and eat more nutritionally. But remember, our actions speak louder than our words, they always have. Maybe that's the real reason for this childhood obesity epidemic.
Step One: Recognize that you have to take a more active role in the health care of your child. You have to set the bar for yourself first. You are the role model for your child and they will respond a lot better if they see you taking control of your health first. Get the help you need, hire a personal trainer for a couple of months and learn the right way to exercise in order to get the safest most effective workouts for you and your child. Read books and blogs like this one to learn more about nutrition. Be persistent, they may not take too kindly to the changes immediately but they will adapt quicker than you think they will. Give them credit and the chance of a healthy life now and into their adults years to come.
Step Two: Throw out all the junk food in the house. Today! Right now actually. The best policy is to not bring it in the house in the first place. Don't test your strength and will power by trying to avoid the stack of cookies and cake in the kitchen and don't have your children try to restrain themselves that way either by telling them that you can eat by not them. Make it easier on yourself and them by not buying it at all. Trust me, this method works. Try to eat foods that are as close to the natural source as possible. That means stay away from as much processed foods as possible, things that come in boxes and are prepackaged. The more times it's been handled and the more ingredients listed on the box the further away from the source it is. Now, don't worry, the kids may not like every new food you give to them at first and they may complain more than you're used to but be persistent. Taste buds actually change and pretty soon they begin to like what whatever you give them but this takes time. Your kids will get used to a new healthier eating pattern, just don't give up on them because they complain about not liking something. Remember, you're doing them a greater service this way and they'll thank you for it some day.
Step Three: Be as active as possible. This doesn't mean to have them play every sport that's offered especially if they don't like sports. There are all kinds of ways to incorporate activity into your daily routine. For example, take family walks after school or dinner around the block a couple of times. Have the kids ride their bike or skip in front of everyone else and make them the leader for the day. Make sure that their school is involving physical activity during their school day and if they're not do what you can to make them change their policies. Remember, we have an epidemic on our hands now. Go to the park on the weekends, some cities have both indoor and outdoor parks. Check your local area for fun things to do with the kids to get them moving as often as possible and be active with them. They'll be much more inclined to try new things if you are too. Another good rule to put into place is to limit television to only on the weekends and computer time to the bare minimum, for homework only.
These are the three biggies when it comes to weight loss. If we can all start to implement these three simple steps into the daily routines of our young ones then we can do our part in stopping and hopefully reversing the childhood obesity epidemic. Get started today! Don't wait any longer, the longer you wait the further away our youth get from being as healthy and happy as possible and they deserve better. No more excuses, no more playing ignorant, no more delaying. Today is the day we stop helping our children kill themselves slowly and instead increase the longevity and quality of their life forever.
The rate of childhood obesity is skyrocketing like never before in the history of mankind. That may sound a little dramatic but nonetheless it's true. Our most precious commodity are being raised to kill themselves slowly. "No," you may say "that's going too far, I'm not raising my child to kill him or herself slowly, that's absurd!" But is it really? If you know that that having a poor diet (full of fast food, processed food, almost no fruits and vegetables, minimal physical activity, maximum video game and computer time, and no restrictions on the amount or kinds of calories consumed) is bad for you and you continue to do it then yes you're killing yourself and anyone else you teach this terrible behavior to, slowly.
Don't get me wrong, I realize that there is a lot of bad information out there. And even the good information can be so plentiful that it becomes confusing. An illusion emerges that eating healthy is outrageously costly and time consuming and the kids just won't like. In reality there are plenty of ways to get the cost down at the grocery store, manage the time it takes to prepare a healthy meal, and given time the kids will come around to thoroughly enjoy the taste of healthy food. Myths busted! Then there's the ever changing facts or statistics or scientific findings that this diet and way of eating is better than that diet and way of eating and the long loved low fat, low carb is not really the golden ticket we've all been looking for, but just yesterday it was. I am not blind to the latest and greatest in weight loss ideas and that's what fires my up so much. To see the epidemic that's plagued adults for decades take its hold on our future generations is not only sad but an outrage.
An article written in yesterday's Washington Times (http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/07/1-out-of-5-us-preschoolers-is-overweight-new-study/) reveals this statistic of 1 out of 5 four-year-olds are obese. Mind you that they were not found to be merely overweight but obese which is classified as having a body mass index or BMI above the 95th percentile of children within the same age, build, height, and gender group. This is the largest and only study of its kind in terms of participants being of a wide range of ethnic groups. The study included 8,550 preschoolers that were born in 2001. Researchers found that the highest rates of obesity were found in Hispanic and American Indian children. The reasons why vary some with theories ranging from genetic to family income to education levels of the parents to federal commodity programs. Regardless of ethnicity the preschoolers of this country are at serious risk of not living a long high quality of life that we all want for the next generation. They are being diagnosed with asthma, diabetes, and high blood pressure at alarming rates. We can no longer give in to our children and give them any type of food they want whenever they want it just to make ourselves feel better for a moment because when they whine and cry for it we feel guilty and end up giving in to their demands which only continues the downward spiral of their deter rating health and contributes to their lack of self-esteem, self-love, and feelings of embarrassment.
It is incredibly difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of this epidemic that has taken our children by storm. Every one of these above mentioned theories has it's place in the growing size of our youth. I feel it's vitally important to realize that if we continue to stand by and do nothing then we are silently contributing to the problem of childhood obesity which puts children at risk of diabetes, metabolic disorder, heart disease, cancers, and countless other health ailments that they would otherwise not be subject to at such a young age. Blame it on the ways of society, put the blame wherever you like but in the mean time do something. Do something to stop the growing waist lines of our young people by getting them to move more and eat more nutritionally. But remember, our actions speak louder than our words, they always have. Maybe that's the real reason for this childhood obesity epidemic.
Step One: Recognize that you have to take a more active role in the health care of your child. You have to set the bar for yourself first. You are the role model for your child and they will respond a lot better if they see you taking control of your health first. Get the help you need, hire a personal trainer for a couple of months and learn the right way to exercise in order to get the safest most effective workouts for you and your child. Read books and blogs like this one to learn more about nutrition. Be persistent, they may not take too kindly to the changes immediately but they will adapt quicker than you think they will. Give them credit and the chance of a healthy life now and into their adults years to come.
Step Two: Throw out all the junk food in the house. Today! Right now actually. The best policy is to not bring it in the house in the first place. Don't test your strength and will power by trying to avoid the stack of cookies and cake in the kitchen and don't have your children try to restrain themselves that way either by telling them that you can eat by not them. Make it easier on yourself and them by not buying it at all. Trust me, this method works. Try to eat foods that are as close to the natural source as possible. That means stay away from as much processed foods as possible, things that come in boxes and are prepackaged. The more times it's been handled and the more ingredients listed on the box the further away from the source it is. Now, don't worry, the kids may not like every new food you give to them at first and they may complain more than you're used to but be persistent. Taste buds actually change and pretty soon they begin to like what whatever you give them but this takes time. Your kids will get used to a new healthier eating pattern, just don't give up on them because they complain about not liking something. Remember, you're doing them a greater service this way and they'll thank you for it some day.
Step Three: Be as active as possible. This doesn't mean to have them play every sport that's offered especially if they don't like sports. There are all kinds of ways to incorporate activity into your daily routine. For example, take family walks after school or dinner around the block a couple of times. Have the kids ride their bike or skip in front of everyone else and make them the leader for the day. Make sure that their school is involving physical activity during their school day and if they're not do what you can to make them change their policies. Remember, we have an epidemic on our hands now. Go to the park on the weekends, some cities have both indoor and outdoor parks. Check your local area for fun things to do with the kids to get them moving as often as possible and be active with them. They'll be much more inclined to try new things if you are too. Another good rule to put into place is to limit television to only on the weekends and computer time to the bare minimum, for homework only.
These are the three biggies when it comes to weight loss. If we can all start to implement these three simple steps into the daily routines of our young ones then we can do our part in stopping and hopefully reversing the childhood obesity epidemic. Get started today! Don't wait any longer, the longer you wait the further away our youth get from being as healthy and happy as possible and they deserve better. No more excuses, no more playing ignorant, no more delaying. Today is the day we stop helping our children kill themselves slowly and instead increase the longevity and quality of their life forever.
Friday, April 3, 2009
The Truth About Personal Trainers
Don't Be Fooled Any Longer!
So what does it mean to be a certified personal trainer? Don't be fooled again into thinking that just because someone works at a gym that they're certified by a nationally or internationally recognized organization. Reason being is that a lot of personal trainers are not. When shopping for a personal trainer make sure you do a little research before you invest your hard earned dollars. Without naming names there are plenty of franchise gyms that hire people as personal trainer who have absolutely no experience or certification to be a personal trainer in the first place. In fact, some of those large franchise gyms will certify people they hire off the street in a weekend seminar and call them personal trainers under their own umbrella of credentials. These 'trainers' are now certified as 'Gym Name' Certified. In actuality that means absolutely nothing. So what kind of certification does mean something? Those that are nationally or internationally certified or NCCA accredited organizations such as The American Council on Exercise (ACE), Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), International Sports Science Association (ISSA), American Fitness Training of Athletics (AFTA), National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT), or National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) just to name a few. Make sure to ask if the trainer is certified with one of the leading fitness associations, that way you'll have a better chance of working with a professional that knows what they're talking about and won't hurt you. That brings me to my next point, there are some strange methods of teaching out here about health and fitness that could end up hurting you in the long run. For example, if you're told that there is only one way to train every different body type and that everyone can do the same thing all the time regardless of fitness level, then run; run as fast as you can from there and don't look back. This is a very dangerous practice that has the potential of either not getting you the results you're looking for or even worse hurting you. Although the body is a marvelous creation that is capable of handling a lot of stress and increased demands very well, it's is important to recognize that everybody works a little differently and designing a fitness program cannot be a one-size-fit-all strategy.
Here are a couple of things that you can look for when you go in to talk with a personal trainer:
1. Are they certified and with who
2. Do they take a complete medical history
3. Do they discuss setting realistic goals
4. Do they go over nutrition
5. Do they explain that there is no quick fix, that it will take time
6. Do they ethically design a safe, effective fitness program with your goals, time schedule and financial ability in mind
This is what a personal trainer does, they don't just count reps. A good personal trainer has knowledge on how the body operates from the inside out and understands how to get results for all kinds of body types in all kinds of fitness levels.
So don't be fooled again into thinking that just because they call themselves a personal trainer that you're really getting what you're paying for, because a good personal trainer is worth every penny. Plus, would you rather give those pennies to the pharmaceutical companies? I didn't think so.
So what does it mean to be a certified personal trainer? Don't be fooled again into thinking that just because someone works at a gym that they're certified by a nationally or internationally recognized organization. Reason being is that a lot of personal trainers are not. When shopping for a personal trainer make sure you do a little research before you invest your hard earned dollars. Without naming names there are plenty of franchise gyms that hire people as personal trainer who have absolutely no experience or certification to be a personal trainer in the first place. In fact, some of those large franchise gyms will certify people they hire off the street in a weekend seminar and call them personal trainers under their own umbrella of credentials. These 'trainers' are now certified as 'Gym Name' Certified. In actuality that means absolutely nothing. So what kind of certification does mean something? Those that are nationally or internationally certified or NCCA accredited organizations such as The American Council on Exercise (ACE), Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), International Sports Science Association (ISSA), American Fitness Training of Athletics (AFTA), National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT), or National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) just to name a few. Make sure to ask if the trainer is certified with one of the leading fitness associations, that way you'll have a better chance of working with a professional that knows what they're talking about and won't hurt you. That brings me to my next point, there are some strange methods of teaching out here about health and fitness that could end up hurting you in the long run. For example, if you're told that there is only one way to train every different body type and that everyone can do the same thing all the time regardless of fitness level, then run; run as fast as you can from there and don't look back. This is a very dangerous practice that has the potential of either not getting you the results you're looking for or even worse hurting you. Although the body is a marvelous creation that is capable of handling a lot of stress and increased demands very well, it's is important to recognize that everybody works a little differently and designing a fitness program cannot be a one-size-fit-all strategy.
Here are a couple of things that you can look for when you go in to talk with a personal trainer:
1. Are they certified and with who
2. Do they take a complete medical history
3. Do they discuss setting realistic goals
4. Do they go over nutrition
5. Do they explain that there is no quick fix, that it will take time
6. Do they ethically design a safe, effective fitness program with your goals, time schedule and financial ability in mind
This is what a personal trainer does, they don't just count reps. A good personal trainer has knowledge on how the body operates from the inside out and understands how to get results for all kinds of body types in all kinds of fitness levels.
So don't be fooled again into thinking that just because they call themselves a personal trainer that you're really getting what you're paying for, because a good personal trainer is worth every penny. Plus, would you rather give those pennies to the pharmaceutical companies? I didn't think so.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
