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The Truth About Weight Loss

The truth about weight loss by one of the most successful personal trainers in Charlotte

I recently read an article on NPR that said that the average American male is 5’9″ tall weighs 195.5 lbs, and has a waist circumference of 39.7″.
Women don’t do much better; the average woman is 5’4″, weighs 166.2 lbs and has a waist of 37.5″.
Being overweight is the new normal. The average woman’s BMI is 28.5; the average man sits comfortably at 28.9, to put that into perspective, the healthy BMI range is considered 18.5-24.9. We are considered overweight between 25 and 29.9 and obese above that. I am mentioning these facts, not to shame anyone, quite the opposite, we need to be aware of this situation to act.
Going back to our statistic, we quickly realize that we are not far away from being obese on average, as a country. The increased risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, mental illness, arthritis, etc. grows exponentially.Family watching TV and eating pizza
Now, if you are savvy, you will tell me that BMI does not distinguish between body fat and lean muscle mass. You are correct about that. It does not matter, though. The reason for that is simple. Only 20% of Americans get the minimal dose of exercise needed, and those who do are between the age of 18 and 24. While the other 80% are busy busting their butt at work, their family, sitting on the couch or stuffing their face.

How can I be so flippant and insulting? I do not intend to be; it shows a simple reality in life. Once life hits, meaning family, work, grad school, etc. all of the energy available goes towards making a living, raising a family and making ends meet. By the end of the day, the long hours without break take their toll. We break down. We sit on the couch, watching Netflix or Sports, living vicariously through some drama blaring out of the Zombie Box (TV), our phone, tablet, etc. All the while we eat sugary, fatty delights created by the food industry to light up our brain like a Christmas tree and give us the well-deserved Dopamine release we craved for all day and did not get. We are trying to drown our stress, emotional discomfort, and sorrows with food-porn and TV.

Weight Loss is not easy

Against all the propaganda that Fitness Magazines or the whole Fitness Industry spout, losing weight is not easy and not for the reasons that you think.

sport, fitness, healthy lifestyle and people concept - close up of man in fitness bracelet with jar and bottle preparing protein shake

The Job

Very few of my clients work only eight hours a day; they work more like 10-12 hours a day, take work home with them and might even put work in on the weekends. Due to the fear of not being good enough, we are often incapable of saying no to colleagues, projects, and requests. We load ourselves up with more and more tasks or let other people do it for us. Research shows that slaving away is not adding to productivity, but rather takes away from it.
After a particular time, we are just less productive, for some that happens after 40 hours, for others after 50.
– find out what your peak hours of productivity are and do your most important tasks then
– schedule your time in 45-90 min increments
– Cut down on interruptions. Tell co-workers not to bother you at certain times.

The Family

A family is one of the most beautiful things in the world. I love my kids, my wife. I love spending time with them, playing, or simply having a conversation with Jessie, the wife mentioned above. Nevertheless, they can be exhausting, not just physically but emotionally as well. My wife might have a bad day at work, my child trouble at pre-school and I, well, I have a whole host of issues…. On top of it, I am an introvert working in a field suited best for extroverts. I need to re-charge my energy at some point, preferably alone.
You might have a similar experience in your life, or it might be slightly different. The point is, as much as a family can add value, joy, fulfillment and happiness to our life, it can also be hard, draining, and exhausting at times.
It is important to admit to yourself your needs and feelings and find a good way to communicate with the rest of the family those needs. I am a food addict. I don’t look like it but trust me, when I say that my relationship with food is not the healthiest at times.
In my work as a personal trainer and coach, working online and in person with clients, I have noticed that many of my clients never talk to their partner, family, or friends about their goals, needs, and wishes.
Ergo, they do not have the support at home that they could have, if they were to open up.

The Distractions

Google defines distractions as “a thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else.”
I think that pretty much defines us as a society by now. While driving home, I see people reading books, eating, drinking, being on Facebook, on the phone…and they all sit in the car and drive while doing that. Clearly, I have never pursued any of those activities, yeah, right! We are always distracted nowadays. The inability to concentrate on one thing lets us be less productive at work. The estimate in 2014 was that workers spend about 25% of their work-time on social media.
It might come as a surprise to you, but you could work less with a dedicated time each day to check social media, email, etc. Focus on what is crucial and then dial in on goals like weight loss.

Emotional Issues, Stress, Etc.

Yes, I am touching a “touchy” subject. See a therapist, yes, you, me and the rest of the world. As an alternative, you might find a group that has similar interests, a friend, a church group, or group therapy. We all have our struggles in life, and it seems that the “Lone Wolf” attitude is quite pervasive in our society. We have the need to make it alone, not to talk about issues, voicing them. I am not sure, how often I have heard that therapy did not work, that they could not find a good therapist. I agree, it is not easy, just like with any other profession, just going to school does not make someone inherently good at something. Book knowledge is not everything and especially in regards to all things of the mind; we cannot connect to everyone. It takes work.
Many people coming to personal trainers struggle with identity issues, happiness, feeling fulfilled. They often feel like they don’t contribute to society and their symptom is food. To make a difference in your life, consider talking to someone.

Grocery Stores

Grocery stores are created by evil little minions employed by the food industry to sell you junk. As much as I have to giggle (yes, I can giggle) at that thought, there is some truth to that. Have you every noticed the layout of a grocery store? All the junk is on the inside, well, most of it, while produce, meats, etc. are on the outside. That has changed over the past couple of years, and you can find all sorts of “specials” on the outside just waiting to catch your eye and, more importantly, the memory of your taste buds indulging in hyper-palatable foods created by the food industry. Should you have been able to navigate the grocery, you will have to approach the cash register. You dread it because you see more offers of terrible crap food on the end of the aisles, as well as the little “goodies,” left and right while you are waiting patiently for your turn to pay up, in health and money.
Grocery stores are designed to sell, to make a maximum amount of profit. There is nothing wrong with that. We just need to be aware of the strategies behind food placement in stores.

Conclusion

Without having written much about food, we can see already that there are numerous reasons for us to fail in our endeavor for a healthier life, a life without surplus amounts of body fat. When clients of mine fail to accomplish their goals, it is usually because of these issues.
Our nutrition coaching program is set up for a year. You might think it too long. You might believe that success can be accomplished in a short period. You are correct, it can, for a short while. In 2010 a study showed that 35% of people were able to maintain a weight loss of 5% body weight for about one year, 17.5% were able to sustain a weight loss of 10%, 8.3% lost 15% and 4.4% maintained a weight loss of 20%.
What does that mean in reality:
Let’s pick a male 195 lbs:
A 5% weight loss = down to 185.25 lbs
10% weight loss= 175.5 lbs
15% weight loss 165.75lbs

If we look at our average female 166.2 lbs, the numbers would be:
5% weight loss = 157.89 lbs
10% weight loss = 149.58 lbs
15% weight loss = 141.27 lbs

Those numbers don’t look that terrible and would be a real improvement if the problem was not that they are talking about maintenance of weight loss for one year.
The goal is to keep the weight off for the rest of your life. That is only possible by establishing healthy habits, looking at your motivations, the obstacles, and challenges that you have every life and dealing with them.

Action Steps

I want to give you three action steps that are underrated but necessary to be successful.
For satiation to set in, we have to take time eating. Anything you eat within 20 min, almost regardless the amount won’t let you feel full and satisfied. That process needs about 20-25 min. So, going forward put the fork down in between bites, chew your food longer, take your time. You will find that you eat less, by eating more slowly.
The next step is awareness, make a point of actually enjoying your food. Sit down and turn off the Zombie box and enjoy your food, instead of shoving food mindlessly into your mouth.
The third step asks you to eat when you are hungry. Try to rate your hunger on a scale of 1-10. Eat when you are around 7, just don’t go grocery shopping at that point. You would be surprised what finds its way into your basket.
The fourth step is eating until you are 80% full. Eat when you are hungry, not at a given time. Eat until your 80% limit then stop, regardless what is left on the plate.

If you want to learn more about our nutrition coaching, please contact us at michael@charlottepersonaltrainer.org

Have an awesome day,

Michael

Solid nutrition advice at Shape Up Fitness & Wellness Consulting

Supplementation – What do you really need?

This question arises quite frequently with our online or offline personal training clients. The concern is real and there are definitely sometimes advantages to supplementing. The problem is that the fitness & supplement industry has muddied the waters when it comes to what you really need.

What supplementation do you really need?

This brings me to the first question. What do you really need. Most of us listen to some fellow lifters, weight loss colleagues, etc. What works for them will work for you and me. Well, that can be dangerous, inefficient, or expensive and at its worst all three.

How to identify your need?

Urine & blood testing might be the best option to really identify what you need. The problem is the expense.

There are a couple of other options.

  1. Identify your goals: weight loss, recovery, performance, muscle gain, etc.
  2. Write down your basic diet for one week, don’t change anything
  3. Analyze the diet for the following factors
    1. Macro-Nutrient Intake: carbs, protein, fats.
    2. Vegetable intake
    3. Fruit intake
    4. Nutrition during exercise
  4. Sleep patterns

Goal based supplementation

  1. Weight Loss: weight loss supplementation is sketchy at best. Some of the supplements that work can have interactions with medications. You should consult your physician before randomly using supplements.
    1. 2 Cups of coffee per day spaced throughout the day then add
    2. 2x10mg of synephrine, get used to it, then add
    3. 2x 90 mg of salicin (white willow extract)
  2. Muscle Gain
    1. Carb+Protein drink during workout (30g of carbs+10-15g of protein)
    2. Creatine 5g/day, no loading phase necessary, basic creatine monohydrate the best
    3. Nitrate through 500g of your chosen veggie like beets
  3. Injury Recovery
    1. 1.5-2.0 g of protein / kg of weight; in g/lbs = a little bit under 1g/lb
    2. Supplementation of 3-9g of fish oil/day (too high of anti-inflammatory response can reduce healing)
    3. Avoid oral Vitamin E supplementation, since it may slow healing
    4. Vitamin A may be taken by up to 10,000 UI daily for week 1-2 of an acute injury but will build up toxicity.
    5. 1-2g of Vitamin C can help recovery from surgery, injury and ulcers
    6. Turmeric can be taken to up to 8g without contraindications. It has a poor oral bioavailability and should be taken with black pepper extract (piperine).

Nutrition based supplementation

We are talking about good basic nutrition. I know you have a busy life. That is why I had you write down your nutrition for 5 days. It will give us some ideas on where we can help with nutrition.

  1. If you are low in carbs, don’t worry about it, you usually do not need to supplement it  unless you are an endurance athlete and need a higher carb intake.
  2. If you are low in omega-3 fatty acid, because of your fat sources you can supplement 3-5g/day with some high quality fish oil
  3. If you are low in protein, we recommend supplementing with a high quality whey/vegetable protein. A minimum of 0.8g / kg if you are completely sedentary, up to 2g/kg as an athlete
  4. If you are low on veggies & fruit on some days you can supplement with a freeze-dried greens & fruit product on those days, as well as some fiber, if your diet is low fiber.
  5. If you have weight gain goals, or performance goals you want to make sure to eat during workouts longer than 60 min and or workouts in the early morning. A mix of carbs+protein comes in handy (mentioned above).

Sleep & Recovery

If you are not sleeping enough  (<7 hours). You should definitely see what the cause is:

  1. Do you allow enough sleep? allow 7.5 hours of sleep at least
  2. Do you have the television on, or watch movies or read on your tablet? It will interrupt your melatonin production. You can get a blue light filter app for your device or nerdy glasses 🙂
  3. Are you a worrier? Write down the things that go on in your mind and take a 10 min warm to hot foot bath. It helps you to relax
  4. If all of these fail to improve your sleep:
    1. 200 mg of magnesium citrate or malate can help as a base
    2. 600 mg of lemon balm and 80 mg of lavender oil can work for people who have intrusive thoughts or anxiety. Take it 30 min prior to your bed time
    3. If you have trouble falling asleep take the magnesium and 500 mcg of melatonin 30 min before going to bed.

Conclusion

Supplements should always be exactly that: they should supplement your nutrition and your lifestyle. They are not a replacement and should not be abused. Make a serious effort in order to get your ducks lined up in a  row.

 

Have an awesome day,

Michael

References:

Examine.com
Berardi, J. & Andrews, R. (2013). The Essentials of Sport and Exercise Nutrition. Precision Nutrition

 

Young woman weight training

Be Honest With Yourself – Succeed in Fitness & Life

  • A lot of people are self critical and mistake that with being honest with themselves.
  • A lot of people are deluding themselves into thinking they are doing better than they really are.

How can that be – is it not contradictory?

Well, like everything life is not simply black or white, one way or another. We have grey areas everywhere. In some areas our inner critic comes out and when she/he comes out she means business. If we would hear anyone talking like that to someone we would be like: “Hold on there for a second, you cannot talk to that person like that!”

On the other hand we have often plenty of areas where we think we do pretty well but really may do only a mediocre job at best.

What does that have to do with fitness?

  • The Inner critic: people who have a strong inner critic have often a tendency to be harsh to themselves when they mess up, cheat, etc. The consequence is often that they say in their mind: F*** it, I suck, I already cheated, might as well go for it. In addition, they are more likely to not try again because they don’t want or need that negative feedback anymore. They give up more easily. Research in the field of “Positive Psychology” in the pasts 15 years has shown that people in this area are often doing better by training “mindfulness” in combination with self-compassion. It seems allow them to be human, to not go all out after cheating but resetting their efforts.
  • The person who thinks they eat or exercise better than they really do has a different problem. They don’t understand why they don’t make any progress despite their perceived effort. If you fall into this category, get an honest assessment by a third party like a trainer. Write down your training and the times you actually went, the effort you put in. Write down your food intake clearly to see for you and your personal trainer. It is eye opening and often fixes the problem.

What does that mean for you?

It is important to find a positive but honest environment that supports your efforts and holds you accountable. Your spouse or partner is often not the right person for that job because we have a tendency to take things to personal. Better would be a life coach, personal trainer, doctor, or dietitian. If for some reason you cannot afford that make sure to write it down for yourself. There are also “mindfulness classes” that help you be more self aware and teach self compassion as well.

If you are looking to get help with your program, we are always there for you.

Michael

Shape Up Fitness & Wellness Consulting Nutrition Fat Loss

Are Low Carbs Diet Dead?

Recently a new posted study gained a lot of attention from the media proclaiming that the Low-Carb Diets are not as effective as Low-Fat diets. I am grateful to the people at Examine.com who looked more closely at the study design to try to figure out what this study really means. This post will just summarize shortly what the article has to say. If you are interested you are welcome to read the article here: Really Low Fat vs. Somewhat Low Carb

Study Make-Up

  • It was a six day study
  • 19 volunteers resided in a metabolic unit
  • Calories were reduced by 30% in both group (352g of carbs w/ 17g of fat vs 140g of carbs w/ 108g fat)
  • steady protein intake
  • exercised 1 hour/day on a treadmill
  • both groups went through both protocols after a 2-4 week break
  • Body fat analysis via indirect calorimetry

Results:

This is where it gets interesting. The “low carb group” had a decreased metabolism of about 98 kcal, while the “low fat group” had a drop of 50 kcal. This difference is not high enough to explain the variation in fat loss.

We need to understand that this study did not compare apples with apples. They used a really low fat diet and a moderately low carb diet, if they wanted to go to an extreme on the low carb diet like they had on the low fat diet and keep it equal their fat intake would have had to be in the negative, which is hardly possible.

The fat metabolism at least in the short run is dependent on glycogen as well. This could be one of the reasons for the difference in outcome compared to a steady state glycogen in the long run.

Really low carb studies have shown to lead to a slightly higher fat loss over a 6 month period but after that seem to even out with a low fat diet. In addition most low carb diets usually make up for a higher protein intake which helps fat loss.

Like the authors of Examine.com mentioned, this study was designed to see the results over a short term period. The research shows that you lose body fat on a low carb diet or a low fat diet. In the end, what matters most is the ability to adhere to it.

Nowhere was the actual food mentioned in the article. A whole foods, minimally processed, diet has many advantageous independently of the macro-nutrient intake. Fat loss is not the only factor to measure success by, like a recent study showed comparing diets heavy in meat or cheese to a high carb diet. The meat and cheese diet improved cardiovascular risk markers significantly compared to the high carb diet.

Conclusion: Don’t buy the media hype

The study was designed to fill in some of the gaps in nutrition it does not prove or disprove the effectiveness of any diet.

If you are in the process of cleaning up your diet, reducing junk food, eating more whole foods you are probably one step ahead. You can lose weight on a low fat diet or on a lower carb diet but you cannot out-train your food intake!

Personal Training at Shape Up Fitness & Wellness Consulting

5 Fitness Myths That Keep You From Being Successful

The 5 Myths In Fitness 

  • Really short workouts several times a week will get you a fit, athletic body
  • High Intensity Interval Training is all you need to shred. Steady state cardiovascular training is dead.
  • Crossfit-, yoga-, running-like training will make you a good performer in everything.
  • You are gaining fat because you are getting older it is a race against time
  • A really low carb diet is all you need

Short Workouts will get you a fit athletic body

We all have seen the advertisement on TV or the internet. Work out for 10 min and you will have the body that you always wanted. Well that is a bunch of crock. Fitness and athleticism is dependent on what you put in. If you work out every day for 10 min without having done anything prior, your fitness level will improve. You won’t become a shredded athlete with a six-pack or have those long, lean, toned arms you always wanted. Improvement is relative to effort put in. You will be healthier with your 10 min a day but please don’t expect miracles.  Now, working out 3-6 hours a week can accomplish a lot which would put you at an average of 30-60 min on most days.

Ditch the steady state cardiovascular training and do HIIT only

High intensity interval training has shown to be a very effective tool in weight loss. But if you look at the studies you will quickly find out that those doing it also had some steady state training as well as a steady state 10 min warm up prior to each HIIT. Steady state training is still great for improving your cardiovascular fitness, supplementing your strength training and HIIT on off days. Don’t go for hours because you would reduce the anabolic effect of your strength training but 20-30 min of low-moderate intensity can speed up your results.

Crossfit, yoga, running… is all I need – I will become SUPERHUMAN

Please, let’s understand one fundamental principle in training: training adaptation is highly specific. That means that if you do a lot of crossfit, you will get better at crossfit, if you run a lot you will become better at being a runner, etc. Yes, there is a cross-transfer of strength and endurance to other sports but only up to a certain degree. A powerlifter is really strong but his strength help him little in running and he might be too heavy to be an efficient rock climber. To be really good at something, that something needs to be your primary sport or training tool. The result will be: You are really good at ONE THING! Fitness is relative to your field. 

Cross training, supplemental training to enhance your performance in your chosen sport is important to prevent injury and improve your longevity in your discipline. Well rounded athletes will never be as good in each discipline as specialists but they might have less overuse injuries –> General Fitness

I am gaining fat because I am getting older

One of the most famous excuses in history. Are you sure it has nothing to do with

  • you not sleeping anymore,
  • because you have a busy schedule,
  • because you are not exercising anymore,
  • because of work, that your kids take all the energy that you have left,
  • that you are sitting on your butt at work all day long?

The first thing to change is accepting responsibility. Accept that you have made life choices that have led you to this point. Now you can make changes. Turn off the TV an hour earlier and read 30 min before going to bed. Talk to your wife/husband to figure out a schedule with the kids, or see what gym offers daycare. Check if you can work out during your lunch break at a gym close to your work.

Most of the reduction in metabolism as we age is due to loss in muscle mass. That loss of muscle mass for most of us is caused not by aging (unless you are a top athlete) but due to being sedentary.

I am going low carb and I will make it.

What does low carb diet mean? A true low carb diet contains 20-50g of carbs per day. That is less than one banana on the low end. Guess what? Your performance in and outside of the gym is going to suck! Some ultra-endurance athletes swear by it but for most of us it does not work or is not sustainable. Having your carb intake around 30% of your total intake is perfectly sufficient. It is much more important to eat whole foods, minimally processed foods. Sometimes people ask me why. The reason: You are eating a higher volume of food which has a tendency to satisfy you sooner. Nice side benefits: more fiber, less additives.

Now go out and rock it.

 

Men's athletic training at Shape Up Fitness & Wellness Consulting

Increasing Testosterone Naturally Through Lifestyle

Today’s blog is primarily for the guys. We sometimes get asked what a client can do in order to increase testosterone naturally. This is crucial for us since we refuse to work with clients who use anabolic hormones for fitness gains.

Two of the most common dietary supplements that can help are zinc and vitamin D. If you do not take in enough zinc in your diet (sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, wild game, crab, poultry, beans, cashews, chickpeas, almonds, peas, yogurt, mushrooms, oyster & shrimp) it might be appropriate to supplement zinc in your diet.

Vitamin D is important for people living far away from the equator or like most office jockeys stay inside for the most part of their day. An intake between 400-800 IU is commonly recommended in most countries but still might be subclinical deficient.

Examine.com recommends a year round supplementation of 3000 IU of Vitamin D which increases serum vitamin D above 30nmol.

Magnesium (250-400 mg/day) as well as Creatine (5g/day) seem to have a positive impact on testosterone as well.

Interestingly talking to an attractive woman seems to increase testosterone production temporarily by about 30% but that is hardly enough to have a positive impact on your fitness results.

The testosterone increase through sexual arousal diminishes after the arousal is gone but it does not completely vanish and unlike some common myths portray: ejaculation does not negatively effect testosterone levels.

I know this is kind of an odd topic but we are occasionally asked what men can do to increase their testosterone levels without going for hormone treatment.

Have a great day,

Michael

Resources:

Examine.com

Personal training helps stop making excuses

You know what to eat and do but you are not happy with your fitness level

Most of our clients are beginner’s in fitness when they start with us but we have a good number of clients who have been pursuing fitness for years, even decades and are not happy with their results.

They come in and when we talk to them, it is pretty evident that they have been reading up, have been in the trenches. Still when you look at them or their performance it does not seem to measure up to their knowledge.

So what is the problem?

In many cases it is accountability. What are you accountable to, who are you accountable to? When we have people write down when they train and what they eat, it  becomes obvious quickly that most people lack consistency. They train alright but they are busy at work and they miss a training session here and there. Missing one training session = not a big deal but missing one of 3 a week = 33% of your training in a month. You won’t be successful this way. With nutrition it is the same way. If you have a cheat meal you will still rock your goals but if you have whole cheat days or a cheat meal each day [which basically comes down to 2 whole cheat days counting breakfast, lunch and dinner] you are not going to make it.

What is your What?

It is much easier to stay on target if you are working towards something you really desire, and sadly weight loss is often not enough.

It might be: you wanting to prove to yourself that you are not the weak person that you were in high school or college, your first race, an active vacation with heavy duty hiking, you name it, the sky is the limit. In a few cases it can be health or fitness but I have seen it primarily work for people who have had a big scare like a doc telling them they are going to die if they keep it up. Even then unless they truly feel bad the chances are high that it won’t stick. They are training away from something, which can work at times. It is better to find something positive to train towards.

Who is your Who?

We train better if we are accountable to someone, at all times. with the good and the bad. It can be a personal trainer, it can be a friend, a family member, a dietitian, it even can be your online social media community. Find the person that is right for you. This person might change over time and you might find other people who can fill that role.

Powerful Combination

A combination of both will have the most impact. You will have most likely the most success If you are working with a person [i.e. personal trainer]  and you are working towards a specific tangible goal at the same time.

 

Have an awesome day,

Michael

Nutrition Consultation at Shape Up Fitness & Wellness Consulting

Food Sensitive? An Elimination Diet Might Help

According to Berardi & Andrews (2013) 3 out of 4 people have some form of food intolerance. These food intolerances are uniquely individual, some of which are benign, while others can lead to serious gastro-intestinal distress, hives, headaches, ulcers, stuffy nose, mucus build up in the lungs, etc.

If you suspect that you have some of these issues and want to address them, you can have yourself tested in a lab for a lot of money. I am not judging it. It is a legit path but the food elimination diet is still the gold standard.

If you want to figure out if you have issues with some of the most common food allergies and intolerances you need to be aware of them:

Common food allergies

  • in adults:
    • eggs
    • milk
    • fish
    • nuts
    • corn
  • in children:
    • eggs
    • milk
    • wheat
    • nuts
    • soy

Common food intolerances

  • gluten
  • dairy
  • fructose
  • yeast

Food allergies are the worse of the two. Some of you might have been hospitalized because allergies to certain foods but that does not mean that food sensitivites or gastric reactions do not have severe impacts on someone’s life.  Here are just some of the disorders and diseases caused or impacted by food sensitivities are:

  • asthma
  • autoimmune disorder
  • skin conditions
  • arthritis
  • ADD / ADHD
  • etc.

After you have removed the most common causes for food sensitivities, allergies for six to eight weeks you reintroduce them one by one. You might find out that you actually got rid of the issues. If your problem reappears you can simply remove the food from your diet and you should no longer have any issues.

Going in depth

I do not need to reinvent the wheel. Berardi wrote an excellent article with explanation on how to proceed best with food sensitivites. Here is the link to his article. Precision Nutrition: Elimination Diet.

Make sure to talk to your healthcare professional before embarking on this endeavor.

Yours in health & fitness,

Michael

Nutritional Advice at Shape Up Fitness & Wellness Consulting

When should I eat? How much should I eat? When should I stop eating?

Many of our personal training clients seeking weight loss ask us questions like these:

  • Should I eat breakfast
  • What should I eat for breakfast
  • Can I skip lunch?
  • Should I not eat after 6 or 7 pm?

Should I eat breakfast if I want to lose body fat, or can I just skip it?

That is actually an excellent question. As you can see with Intermittent Fasting skipping breakfast can be actually beneficial for some people in order to lose body fat and improve their body composition.

On the other hand, some people skip breakfast and then just wolf down so much food in the following meals that it not only offsets their skipped breakfast but they super-compensate.

Conclusion: If you want to follow an intermittent fasting diet, make sure that you plan it out properly.  At the same time skipping a meal here and there will not do you any harm as long as you don’t go off the rails because of it.

I have decided I want to eat breakfast but don’t know what to eat

Breakfast seems to be difficult for many people and one approach hardly fits everyone. We like to tell people that your dinner and your breakfast could look pretty much identical. Veggies, protein and some starchy carbs if you have worked out prior to breakfast.

The problem with that suggestion is simple. Some people cannot do it. We need to adjust for that. Some breakfast options that are healthy are the following:

  • plain Greek yogurt or regular yogurt, some frozen fruit w/ raw honey (1 1tsp)
  • whey protein mixed with almond milk, one serving of fruit and possibly one Tbsp of almond butter or peanut butter
  • omelet or egg muffins with spinach, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, maybe some meat
  • sauteed veggies with some stir fry meat
  • veggie pan cakes with some scrambled eggs.

Can I skip lunch?

I prefer for you not to skip lunch. Here is the reason why: Most people seem to completely derail in the afternoon or evening and start binging on crap food. Now I also understand that it is not always easy to get lunch in. Meetings, work, etc can get in the way. Have alternatives ready if you cannot tear yourself away for 10-15 min to eat your lunch:

  • Protein Bars: Even though I am not a big fan of them, they can be used for the occasional meal replacement. Look at the KIND bars or Quest bars. I personally don’t like them but as a quick fix on a stressful day they will do.
  • Green smoothie: if you have a thermos you can mix some whey protein with frozen fruit and some kale or other dark greens, almond milk or water and if you like the taste add some nut butter. You just covered protein, veggie and fruit intake for lunch and it is super healthy.
  • Nuts; All you have are some nuts? Well, that is better than nothing. Have some almonds or walnuts to get you safely across the food gap and have a later lunch.

Should I eat after 6 or 7 pm?

That is a pretty general question. If you are heading to bed 5 min later it is probably not a good idea to have a heavy meal just before then. I usually recommend clients to stop eating one to two hours prior to bed time. This way the body has time to digest and sleep quality is not necessarily impaired. Ingesting a heavy meal just before bed time can definitely mess with your sleep, especially if you have trouble sleeping to begin with.

 

 

Get ready for the summer w/ Shape Up Fitness & Wellness Consulting

Beginner’s Summer Fitness Challenge 2015

Summer is approaching quickly and with it the sought after goal to look great in a bathing suit or bikini. Maybe you just want to be healthier than you are now. This Summer’s Fitness Challenge is designed to gradually increase your workout regimen and improve on your eating habits. It is a gradual approach and not a quick fix. By the end of summer you should see huge improvements in your overall fitness levels.

Beginner to Fitness

Each week we will add a a little bit to your routine. Keep doing what you have been doing and substitute or replace as required by the weekly suggestion. The video demonstrates all the exercises of this Summer Fitness Challenge:

Week 1

  • Every day: Walk 10 min a day at a brisk pace
  • Every day: Include veggies with lunch & dinner
  • Every two days: 2×10 bodyweight squats, 2×10 (modified) push ups, 2×15 band rows (attach to stair rail, etc. )

Week 2 

  • Increase your daily walk to 15 min a day
  • Start including proteins into your three major meals: pork, fish, beef, poultry, eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, etc.
  • Add 2×20 jumping jacks (or modified jumping jacks) +2x30s plank on knees or balls of feet

Week 3

  • Download a HIIT timer (high intensity intervals) to your phone. Set it to 30s on and 60s rest. Increase your speed for the 30s and walk as before during the rest phase. Stay with 15 min total. Do this every 2nd day while walking your regular 15 min every other day.
  • Decrease one of your vices (soda, diet soda, alcoholic beverages) by adding 16-20 oz of water in between drinks
  • Increase all of your sets by one (doing 3 instead of 2) for two of your strength training routines during the week

Week 4

  • Increase your pace during the intervals. If you cannot do that because of joint issues, take some hand weights with your or use nordic walking sticks.
  • Eat only until you are 80% full. Good gauge: after 1 hour of eating = not hungry, after 2 hours of eating = could eat some, after 3 hours of eating = hungry, after 4 hours of eating = starving.
  • Add 3x30s of dead bug (ab exercise) to your strength regimen

Week 5 

  • Increase your walking duration on non interval days by 5 min
  • If you sleep less than 6.5 hours, schedule a nap or go to bed 15-30 min earlier
  • Add one more set to all of your strength exercises.

This is a 5 week program. within 5 weeks you will make huge changes in your lifestyle without thinking that it is not accomplishable. You will notice an increased energy level, decreased body fat and you will definitely be overall fitter.

If you prefer a customized fitness transformation please contact us at Shape Up Fitness & Wellness Consulting

Have a fit & healthy day,

Michael

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