From the category archives:

eating

Alright, here is another one on the list of debunking some of the so called nutrition facts. Fat is not the big evil nutrient that packs on the pounds. It also plays a vital role in our health.  Like everything, please use in moderation.

Please be aware that fat is important but that most of us take in way too much of it and of the wrong kind. Most Americans take in 35% fat in their diet which is plenty (too much). Taking in that amount of fat blows any calorie intake up and makes weight loss almost impossible.

What are “healthy fats”? Healthy fats are usually mono- and polyunsaturated fats that you can find in vegetable oils. Saturated and considerably more unhealthy fats are connected to higher cholesterol levels and are usually found in animal fats, chocolate candies, fried foods and high fat dairy products.

Facts about Fat:

  1. Your intake should be around 15-30% of your daily intake
  2. Your fat metabolism is dependent on carbohydrates to complete the metabolic cycle. That tells you: Keep eating carbohydrates to lose weight!
  3. Fat supplementation in athletes does not benefit performance, quite the opposite it reduces performances significantly. Add fat only if the food intake should be >4000 kcal/day!
  4. Omega -3 and -6 fatty acids help with healthy skin, neural functions and reduce the risk for heart attack and stroke. You can find these fats usually in cold water fish (salmon, albacore tuna, atlantic herring)
  5. The average person has at any time roughly 50 000- 100 000 kcal of fat stored. That would allow that person to walk 500-1000 miles
  6. There are an additional 2000-3000 kcal of fat stored in muscle tissue.

Let me know if you have any questions regarding this. If you are interested in getting lean, flat abs and toned. Check out our personal training and our boot camps.

Michael

You think I am kidding? Think again, I did not marry the type of woman that loves to exercise, actually quite the opposite. My wife used to hate exercise, she has two bad knees and had a ton of bad experience as a child in her physical education classes. You know what I am talking about: getting picked last for a team, being harassed by the so -called jocks! Yep, I married that woman…the best decision I have ever made.

When we met we could not have been more different: I exercised seven days a week, sometimes twice a day, did not smoke and did not drink. Jessi did not exercise at all, loved to party, hang around people, drink beer and wine and smoke. Usually that is a turn off for me but somehow our opposing characters were drawn to each other.

But I am not writing you today to tell you how much I love my wife. No, I am telling you about her amazing transformation into a fit, healthy person that still enjoys life!

After she quit smoking she replaced the cigarettes with candy and other food, needless to say, eventually she gained a good bit of weight and ended up at 184 lbs. She had started to exercise but she failed to lose weight. The reason for that is simple, she didn’t watch what she was eating. Just the thought of denying herself her favorite foods made her anxious and made her eat more.

You can guess that her weight loss was a difficult topic for us, because being a husband and a personal trainer didn’t make for the easiest combination :) . Realizing that she did not get anywhere, she finally listened to my subtle hints (and trust me they had to be subtle to keep my head) that changing her diet would be beneficial. Slowly, over the course of weeks and months, she changed her diet, and started counting her calories. Initially just to get an idea of how many calories she was taking in, which led to her finally finding a healthy balance between weight loss and enjoyment of life. She still had the occasional glass of wine, she still had candy when she really wanted it but she watched the portions she ate. It worked because she knew exactly how much she took in and she ended up losing over 40 lbs. I can honestly say, my wife is sexier now than ever. Now, if you want to achieve that weight loss and be sexier and better looking than ever, here is what you need to do!

  1. Start to exercise (not optional) for at least 4-5 days a week. You don’t have the time? Do you sit in front of the TV or computer and shove food in your mouth? If yes, then you do have the time. What is more important? A silly TV show/ sports show or your own transformation into fabulous YOU? You can even work out in front of your TV, look through my blog I created a workout that you can do while watching TV. So no more excuses!
  2. Get on a well balanced diet! Kick out the crap! You are what you eat… if you eat Fast Food, you look like Fast Food, yuck! Eat fresh vegetables, lean protein (chicken, pork, tofu), whole wheat pasta, etc.
  3. Know how many calories you are putting into your body! Yes, I am sorry, it takes a little work but then again, you need to decide what you want to be: healthy and sexy or overweight and unhappy! If you want to stay overweight and out of shape, that is perfectly fine, but please stop whining about it! Go to www.411fit.com  (free food log) or use the weight watchers program. All these things really do work and I have had amazing results with my clients.
  4. Enjoy your sins in moderation. We all like things that are not healthy, I am no exception. I am a chocaholic. I bet you are laughing now, but I can tell you, I can consume 1000 kcal in 20 min without even noticing it. I just don’t buy it anymore but if you cannot go without it, then plan it into your day and only buy as much as you need for that day, not more, because you might find yourself grazing.
  5. Find people who want to achieve similar goals and are all gung-ho about it. Tell the people who drag you down to stop or cut them out of your life. I know it sounds harsh but the most important person in your life should be you. Only if you are happy can you make others happy.
  6. Set yourself a reasonable goal: 1-2 lbs/week fat loss are reasonable, more than that can be unhealthy and unrealistic. You are not on the “Biggest Loser”! It’s not a race, it’s a marathon!
  7. Don’t give up. There will be setbacks. Always get back on track. Try not to have so-called “Cheating Days”. They are usually not days but weeks and people have to recommit over and over again.
  8. Cook your own food (preferred), get on prepared food, or have a personal chef cook it for you. I know you think you don’t have time but you do. Slow-cookers can be awesome! A person eating out consumes on average 240 kcal/day more than a person who cooks themselves.
  9. Drink at least 80-100 ounces of water/day. Flavor it with pure unsweetened lemon/lime juice. Most people consume around 21% of their caloric intake as fluid. Just by cutting that out you can reduce your weight considerably.
  10. Stay the hell away from diet drinks! Diet drinks are associated with obesity. Having one here and there won’t hurt you but don’t make it your main source of fluids in a day.

I know this is a lot to take in, but remember you are what you eat/drink. If you don’t like what you see in the mirror right now then do something about it! Prove to me that you are different, that you can do it, just like my wife. Oh by the way, my wife was okay with me writing this here (I had to make sure because she proof reads my blogs, since my English is not as pristine as I wish it to be).

If you are ready to get your transformation going then let us personal trainers help you! We are 100% committed to your success.

Have a fit and healthy day,

Michael

The wife says:  Thank you for your patience and your expertise. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you. Just to echo what you said in your blog, I feel fitter, healthier and, yes, sexier than ever! It was a lot of work but so worth it! Thank you, Honey! :)

Yup, this is me: The Wife!

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