CoachMeFit Blog

So you have worked hard all week and stuck to your diet flawlessly. Its Firday morning and you’ve stepped on the scale in your bathroom and you are two pounds down. Yes! Tonight you are going to go out and you will be able to slip on  your favorite jeans that you’ve been waiting to wear again. You go out with the best intentions of sticking to your diet for the most part, but of course you will allow yourself a few drinks and some pizza. You deserve it right?

  Wrong! The mentality of a night of splurging to reward yourself for a week of discipline is flawed. Yes, its good to treat yourself occasionaly, perhaps one treat a week. But, when you splurge for an entire night on pizza and beer for example, one week of hard work is easily lost. One pound consist of 3500 calories and 3500 calories can be consumed easily at a pizza buffet. So, instead of splurging for an entire night, allow yourself one treat a week. Whether it be a drink, a dessert, or a slice of pizza, enjoy it. But, for the rest of weekend, practice the same discipline that caused you to lose weight during the week.

There are many myths when it comes to exercise. Take this short quiz to assess your level of exercise knowledge. Review the following statements and determine if they are true or false. If the answer is false, write the correct answer on the lines below.

1. When you are doing a workout, it is most effective to be in the “Fat Burning Zone”.

True False

2. Cardio exercise on a machine is most effective for weight loss.

True False

3. Doing abdominal exercises is the best way to get rid of belly fat.

True False

4. It is just as effective to do six, 10 minute bouts of exercise, as it is to do one solid hour of exercise.

True False

5. Doing circuit weight training is as effective or more effective than doing cardio exercise on a machine, for heart health and weight loss.

True False

6. Exercise is hard work and is not supposed to be fun.

True False

7. The secret to successful weight loss is simply to burn more calories than you consume.

True False

1. False: The “Fat Burning Zone” is a myth, it does not exist. In a workout calories are burned not fat. It is important, when thinking in terms of weight loss, to understand the Law of Thermodynamics. The Law of Thermodynamics says that if more energy is expended than is consumed, weight will be lost. Thus, a weight loss will occur if more calories are burned than consumed.

2. False: Cardio exercise IS effective for weight loss, however ALL exercise is effective for weight loss.

3. False: Doing abdominal exercise is good and it will tighten and strengthen your core muscles. However, this does not remove fat from your midsection. The best way to get rid of fat around your middle is a total body fat loss. It is a myth that you can spot treat your body for fat loss.

4. True

5. True

6. False: The best type of exercise for an individual to do is the type of exercise that they WILL do. All exercise is effective to burn calories, so the exercise that is enjoyed is the best because it is the exercise that is most likely to be accomplished.

7. True

By Amber Tebeau, NASM CPT

Manager CoachMeFit West Bloomfield

I sometimes struggle, like a lot of people, with making the right choices in the grocery store.  There are a lot of different foods out there and sometimes they all look the same!  I found this article to be very informative.  I hope you find yourself choosing more of the better and best options as you progress in reaching your healthy living goals.

One of the best things about supermarkets can also be the most confusing: all the choices! When walking from aisle to aisle, it can be overwhelming to look at all the products in each section. Just think of all the choices when you’re looking at the entire wall of cereal or a large cooler packed with tiny yogurt cups! Trying to find the best item-especially when you’re trying to eat healthier or watch your intake of calories, fat or sodium-is not always a walk in the park.

Within each section of the grocery store, you’ll find plenty of healthful foods that can help you reach your goals. But sometimes you have to make a food choice based on budget constraints, availability or taste preferences that isn’t ideal. Not to worry. This “Good, Better, Best” guide will help you make the best possible choices on your next trip to the store. If you’re new to eating healthy, start at the bottom and work your way up to the top of the lists over time. Even if all you can afford is in the “good” category, you’re still doing pretty well. If you prefer the taste and texture of the “better” item to the “best” choice, that’s OK, too. Or maybe you’re facing a hotel breakfast buffet or trying to find something healthy to eat at a party and all you’ll find is the “good” choice. No matter what your situation, you’ll still be able to make the best possible choices by using this simple guide.

MILK

YOGURT

BREAD

CEREAL

PASTA

DELI MEAT

With all the options in the grocery store, it’s easy to find items to feel good about buying. But remember: Healthy eating isn’t about perfection. All foods do have some merits and even if you can’t eat ideally all the time, that’s OK. By striving to make the best choices from what is available to you, you’ll make a real difference in your health!

This article has been reviewed and approved by SparkPeople resident expert Becky Hand, Licensed and Registered Dietitian.

<!– Article created on:  2/23/2010 –>

Two situations within the past couple of weeks have compelled me to do a bit of research on soda.  How bad is it, really?  I can honestly say that I never took the time to actually look into the effects that soda has on one’s body, until now. 

I have a new client who is trying to lose quite a bit of weight.  One issue he had when he started with me is that he drank about 5 cans of diet coke a day!  Even though I didn’t have a lot of knowledge on this bubbly substance, I knew that drinking 5 cans a day cannot be healthy.  If he is drinking that much soda, water is probably a very limited part of his daily liquid intake.  I had him start by replacing one can of diet coke with one glass of water a day.  He is down to 2-3 cans and drinking far more water than he used too.  We are progressively working to get him off of soda completely. 

Another client of mine told me that her husband, who does not work out and does not pay close attention to what he eats, cut soda from his diet.  Just in doing this, he has lost 12 lbs in 5 weeks.  I was shocked and furthermore took some time to look into soda and what it really can do to one’s body.  Here is what I found;

June 13, 2005 — People who drink diet soft drinks don’t lose weight. In fact, they gain weight, a new study shows.

The findings come from eight years of data collected by Sharon P. Fowler, MPH, and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio. Fowler reported the data at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association in San Diego.

“What didn’t surprise us was that total soft drink use was linked to overweight and obesity,” Fowler tells WebMD. “What was surprising was when we looked at people only drinking diet soft drinks, their risk of obesity was even higher.”

In fact, when the researchers took a closer look at their data, they found that nearly all the obesity risk from soft drinks came from diet sodas.

“There was a 41% increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day,” Fowler says.

More Diet Drinks, More Weight Gain

Fowler’s team looked at seven to eight years of data on 1,550 Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white Americans aged 25 to 64. Of the 622 study participants who were of normal weight at the beginning of the study, about a third became overweight or obese.

For regular soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese was:

• 26% for up to 1/2 can each day
• 30.4% for 1/2 to one can each day
• 32.8% for 1 to 2 cans each day
• 47.2% for more than 2 cans each day.

For diet soft-drink drinkers, the risk of becoming overweight or obese was:

• 36.5% for up to 1/2 can each day
• 37.5% for 1/2 to one can each day
• 54.5% for 1 to 2 cans each day
• 57.1% for more than 2 cans each day.

For each can of diet soft drink consumed each day, a person’s risk of obesity went up 41%.

Diet Soda No Smoking Gun

Fowler is quick to note that a study of this kind does not prove that diet soda causes obesity. More likely, she says, it shows that something linked to diet soda drinking is also linked to obesity.

“One possible part of the explanation is that people who see they are beginning to gain weight may be more likely to switch from regular to diet soda,” Fowler suggests. “But despite their switching, their weight may continue to grow for other reasons. So diet soft-drink use is a marker for overweight and obesity.”

Why? Nutrition expert Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, puts it in a nutshell.

“You have to look at what’s on your plate, not just what’s in your glass,” Bonci tells WebMD.

People often mistake diet drinks for diets, says Bonci, director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and nutrition consultant to college and professional sports teams and to the Pittsburgh Ballet.

“A lot of people say, ‘I am drinking a diet soft drink because that is better for me. But soft drinks by themselves are not the root of America’s obesity problem,” she says. “You can’t go into a fast-food restaurant and say, ‘Oh, it’s OK because I had diet soda.’ If you don’t do anything else but switch to a diet soft drink, you are not going to lose weight.”

If you are a consistent soda drinker, I hope you realize how much damage it can do to your body.  Along with gaining weight, you may gain a lot of other health problems.  Start by replacing a can of soda with a glass of water. 

Water is your body’s principal chemical component, making up, on average, 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on WATER, not soda.

  “Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.”             

                     -Winston Churchill

       Do you remember when you first began your weight loss journey?  You were so excited - full of motivation and great expectations.  You had a plan and you were sticking to it! Perhaps you have remained faithful to your plan and as a result your body has changed. Your muscles are stronger, your waistline slimmer, and your endurance greater. You should be proud of your success.  Or maybe you have come short of the expectations you set for yourself when you began this journey. You miss an exercise session on occasion and stray from your intended diet frequently.  Regardless of which person you are, the road to weight loss can be bumpy.  There will come a day when you will need more than enthusiasm to reach your goals, you will need to persevere.  Here are some tips to help you endure the road to weight loss.

1.      Go down memory lane

Reminding yourself regularly of reasons you started this journey is key to staying on track. There will be days when you just want to go home, hit the couch and grab the Oreos. However, when you look back at your goals which state that you want to feel more comfortable in your own skin; be more active with your kids, or attract some extra attention from that special someone, then you will be more likely to exchange the Oreos for a nice glass of milk.

2.      Find an accountability partner.

Accountability is the obligation or willingness to accept responsibility for your actions. This is the tool that will help you resist the habits that hinder weight loss. Personal trainers are great accountability partners. With a trainer you are forced to keep your appointment and if you miss your session, you lose your money. Friends are great motivators as well. The fear of disappointing a friend could be what drives you to attend the 7p.m. cycling class after a long day of work. Your most important source of accountability, however, is yourself. To keep yourself on track, try keeping a daily journal and setting weekly goals. Simple goals such as “I will eat breakfast every day this week,” may seem small, but these are the stepping stones that will ultimately lead to the “big” goals. Remember accountability is the obligation, not just the willingness to take responsibility for your actions. Whether you consciously use these accountability aids or not, there will always be a consequence for every action. You would rather put forth the effort and see your short comings in your daily journal than see them in next year’s family vacation photos.

3.      Strengthen your will to resist.

The goals that you set years ago, months ago, or even today will not be achieved without much effort and sacrifice. Regardless of any circumstance, if your goal is to stop eating at 7p.m., then you must stop eating at this time. Each time you resist the urge to eat at 7 p.m., you feed the healthy habit and strengthen your will to resist. When you do not meet your daily goals, you are feeding the poor habits and ultimately strengthening your will to give in. Resisting temptation is not easy, but the only way to strengthen your will power is by exercising it. Any time you are tempted to give in remind yourself of the consequences. For example, “The cake would taste so good right now, but I will be disappointed in myself later if I eat it; not to mention, the enjoyment of eating the cake will last less than five minutes; but the weight I will gain as a result of it could last a while.”

4.      Recognize your progress

Acknowledging your achievements is just as important as acknowledging your shortcomings. When you see the healthy changes you are making, it only encourages you to continue. However, when you focus solely on your shortcomings, you will become discouraged. You may think thoughts such as “I will never lose the weight,” or “I’m a failure, “but discouragement can also manifest itself with the “all or none” mentality. For instance, you eat one chip, so you think, “I’ve already messed up, so I’ll eat twenty more.”  Obviously it would be great for you to avoid the chips, but usually it is the bowl of chips, not the one that causes excessive weight gain.  If you eat something that was not planned, your weight loss journey is not over.  Keep moving forward and applaud yourself for doing so.

            Achieving long term weight loss can be difficult. The tools listed above such as accountability and will-power will help you greatly on your journey. However, there will still be times when you miss a workout or splurge on buttered popcorn at the movies. Do not give up.  The road to weight loss is often completed by taking one step forward and two steps back.  No matter where you are on the journey, keep moving forward. Sooner or later everyone needs to look past motivation and depend on perseverance.  If you have exceeded your expectations thus far, remember success is not final. Perhaps you have come short of what you had hoped; thankfully, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts. Keep heart. You can do this!

By Amber Tebeau, Lead Personal Trainer, CoachMeFit West Bloomfield

Lactic acid training should be incorporated into your cardio routines

It is important for any individual who is trying to stay fit to understand the difference between aerobic and anaerobic training. The anaerobic system does not use oxygen to burn glucose for energy, and is used in any activity lasting less than two minutes. An aerobic activity usually lasts longer than 2 minutes and it does use oxygen to burn glucose for energy. A 30 second sprint would use the anaerobic system due to its high intensity and its short duration; a distance run would use the aerobic system due to its low intensity and its long duration. In the anaerobic system energy is readily available; however, it is not as efficient due to the lactic acid that builds up in the muscles. The build up of lactic acid in the muscles is the reason anaerobic activities do no last a long time. In an aerobic activity the body is efficient in removing lactic acid from the muscles which allows the activity to continue for an extended period of time.

The National Academy of Sports Medicine defines the Anaerobic Threshold as the point when the body can no longer produce enough energy for the muscles with normal oxygen intake. This is the point when the body stops using oxygen to burn glucose for energy. Due to the short amount of time that the body can sustain an anaerobic activity, it is advantageous to increase the anaerobic threshold because an aerobic activity will burn more fat calories than an anaerobic activity.

To increase the anaerobic threshold one must continually push themselves to their anaerobic threshold, until the body becomes accustomed to removing lactic acid from the muscles more efficiently. Interval training is effective in doing this because the body is pushed to its anaerobic threshold several times in one workout. This allows the body to be pushed almost to its limit and then allows adequate time to rest and recuperate energy. Interval training will enable an individual to increase their anaerobic threshold and thus increase their calorie burn during a workout.

“Those who do not find time for exercise will have to find time for illness.” –Earl of Derby

Don’t make a fitness resolution you won’t keep for the whole year.  Decide to make a lifestyle change.  Below are a few tips on how to make this change:

Keep track of your progress: Instead of focusing on the scale, get yourself pumped by logging improvements in your performance and the way your clothes fit.

Surround yourself with positive role models: Find inspiration in someone who motivates you to be your best and who has a sense of determination you admire.

Excuse proof your environment: Leave a packed gym bag on the passenger seat of your car, your running shoes by the door and a clean eating recipe on your fridge.

Have a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Now that Christmas has passed. It is time to get back to your regular diet. The cookies and cakes tasted delicious, but these treats in excess will damper your fitness goals. Here is a delicious recipe that is tasty, satisfying, and  nutritious. 

Ingredients

4 cups raw broccoli                                                     

3 cooked chicken breast,chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tbsp plain greek yogurt

4 tbsp apple cider vinegar

juice of 1 fresh squeezed orange

1 tbsp orange marmalade

1/4 cup cranberries

1/4 cup of cashews

1/2 red onion

Make it!

Combine chicken and broccoli in a large bowl. Then combine olive oil, yogurt,vinegar, orange juice and marmalade in a seperate bowl. Mix well. Pour the dressing over the chicken and broccoli. Stir in cranberries and cashews and onion.  Enjoy!

Here in Ann Arbor, about 20 of our clients are participating in a little challenge we call “Fit for the Holidays 2009″.  The whole idea behind this challenge is to keep people on track with eating and exercise during the holidays.  The participating clients paid a small fee to join.  They all weighed in the first full week of December and will weigh out the first full week of January.  The clients who maintain or lose weight get their money back and the one who loses the most weight gets a free session with his/her trainer.  The clients who gain weight, lose their money and it is split among those who maintained or lost. 

Some tips and ideas were given to them in a booklet form.  I’d like to share those with you!

How to Stay Motivated During the Holidays

The holidays are approaching, how do you stay motivated to exercise and eat right during this season?  You don’t need to give up everything, but making the right choices is important to keeping your fitness level.

1. Try to get plenty of rest.  You may be invited to a party every night, but that doesn’t mean you have to go.  Leave some time for you, learn to say no.  Only go to the important parties.

2. Try to stick to your fitness plan.  If you run three times a week, try to stick to this.  During the busy season this is really hard, or if you’re traveling, you might not always have the time.  But when you do, you need to really get out there and exercise.

3. Find exercise in smaller ways.  Take the stairs, walk, park further away from things.  Ask your family and friends to go with you for after dinner walks.

4. Remember that you have been strong and motivated all year, now is not the time to break down.  Try to keep your eating choices healthy, try not to over eat and make time for exercise.  Also remember to get back on your fitness program once the holidays are over.

Holiday Eating Tips

1. Don’t go to a party hungry: We often eat faster and more when we are hungry.  Therefore, eat a wholesome breakfast and lunch on the day to avoid overeating at the party.

2. Watch your portion:  Treat yourself to a nice drink, dessert, chocolate or sweets without guilt, but always watch your portion.  Go for small portions.  This way you can sample all the different foods.  Moderation is always the key.

3. Make a conscious choice to limit high fat items:  High fat food items can be found in fried food, cream-based soup, cheese-filled casseroles, pies, processed meats and some pastries and baked goods.

4. Drink plenty of water: Alcohol and coffee can dehydrate your body

*Article for holiday eating tips was found on healthcastle.com

By Amber Tebeau, Lead Personal Trainer at CoachMeFit West Bloomfield

It is no secret that exercise is an important part of life; however, we can all come up with several excuses of why we cannot or will not exercise. Some of the excuses include being too busy or too tired and, if we’re honest with ourselves: too lazy. As a trainer I hear excuses everyday about why a client has not exercised on their own or why they cannot make it in to the studio for their scheduled appointment. No matter what the reasons, in the end they are all excuses. If we examine our lives we will find that the things we value as important, we always make time for. If you find yourself making excuses and skipping workouts, take the time to examine why it is that you do not value your health as important.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m also guilty of making excuses or skipping a workout; I have my own personal list of excuses. However, I have a client who has legitimate excuses and yet never plays the excuse card. She has a list of health problems including Rheumatoid Arthritis, and a rotator cuff injury, but, regardless she is probably my hardest working client. She never complains about her conditions or her pain and she always pushes herself. She knows that exercise is imperative to her health and she will not be deterred from reaching her goals. She understands her pain and when she can push through and when she needs to quit, which I have yet to witness. Due to her perseverance she has seen amazing results because she CHOSE to make exercise part of her life. When I first met her in the winter of 2009 she could not lift her left arm above her shoulder. However, by May 2009 she could lift her left arm over her head with ease. Her balance and strength have made major improvements and she is able to get up and down off the floor, which she has not been able to do for several years. Other than her physical improvements, her confidence is also greatly improved. She is amazed by her progress and she frequently comments that she is doing things that she never thought she could do. She never thought she would be able to get on the floor again, lift a weight heavier than 5lbs, or work on the Bosu without support. In the summer of 2010 she is going hiking in the mountains and she is confident that with her continued hard work and progress she will not struggle to complete her hikes.

My client really inspires me with her dedication and her perseverance. She never gives up or gives in. I can’t come up with an excuse for skipping a workout that comes close to comparing to the excuses she could give me. So I’m challenged to work harder. Keep a story like this in mind the next time you are tempted to skip a workout: in reality, you can probably make it work.