Month: November 2019

Let’s talk about weight loss again. My last post explained why something as simple as listening to the signs your body gives could help with losing weight. Hopefully, that tip alone is helping some (if not many) either lose weight or maintain their current weight. For today’s post, the quick tip to help you maintain a healthier weight or even lose a couple pounds is substitute half of your meals with healthier options.

For many people, changing their diet “cold turkey” is either very challenging or not sustainable. While there are some who can make that change, most find it very difficult. A plan or strategy that is more likely to last and be effective is simply substituting half or part of your meal with healthier alternatives. Here’s an example. If your typical meal is a bacon cheeseburger, fries and large soda, making a small change like including mixed vegetables instead of the fries can make losing weight much more achievable. Why is this effective? A serving of small fries can be 300-400 calories (or even more) and a serving of mixed vegetables can be 100-150 calories. That is a difference of up to 300 calories. Many don’t burn that many calories during a workout! What is accomplished by doing this in one or two of your daily meals? 1) An improved (though not perfect) diet, 2) less daily calories consumed which leads to healthier weight or even weight loss, and 3) most importantly, a plan that is more achievable and sustainable beyond the first month of the year as you are still eating some of your favorites. The goal is to get you healthier over the course of a long period and not just for a few weeks out of every year. If it means starting off slow, that is actually ok!

Join me next week, December 2nd, as I continue to provide tips on fitness and weight loss.

Weight loss.  When it comes to popular topics related to the gym or exercising or fitness, losing weight seems to reign supreme above all.  The world is stuck in a perpetual circular maze in chasing after that ideal figure that comes with losing weight.  For many, it is due to not having the knowledge to reach the weight loss goal and an ongoing habit of making bad eating and exercising choices.  Even with this day and age of social medial, it can be very confusing as there are so many diet plans out there.  How do you know which one is right for you? Let me help.  Over the course of the next few months (and possibly years), I will provide fitness and weight loss tips as often as possible. You can help me by providing feedback on the tips that are effective and working for you. 

First tip for weight loss? Let’s start with the easiest one. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! What does that mean? The human body is designed with a specific caloric need to function optimally. It means everyone has a certain amount of calories necessary to work at its best. If you go over that need for years and years, the end result will be gaining weight. If you don’t provide your body with enough calories, you will eventually be underweight. Yes, there are always other factors but this is a big factor in weight gain/loss. It’s a simple concept, right? Yes, it is. However, we don’t apply it often enough. Everyone has heard his/her stomach growl. For many of us, it is a reminder that it is time to eat. Oftentimes, we listen to it. This is an indicator or a sign that your body gives so you know to eat. Most of us have also felt stuffed during lunch or dinner. Guess what that means? This is your body telling you it’s ok if you don’t finish all that delicious food on your plate. I have heard “I am stuffed” or “I shouldn’t have had that last plate” from family, friends and even I have said it. However, we typically choose to ignore while participating in social events like dinner or partying or even alone at home. As I get closer and closer to 40 years old, this has become my most consistent tip in maintaining my weight. It is not dieting and it is definitely not a grueling workout. I am simply listening to the signs my body is giving me to stop eating. Try listening to your body. You might lose a pound or two.

As I mentioned in my last post, I had planned on working out again after going months of minimal to no activity.  I finally started last week and it was a success.  Why?  Did I achieve some great feat physically?  No.  It was a success because I have started the process of improving my fitness level again. 

Everyone has to start somewhere.  For any goal whether it is fitness or financial or educational or anything, you have to start somewhere.  Now is always the best time to start.  I listed during my last post that my workout would consist of a circuit training with five exercises and each lasting only 30 seconds.  Definitely not the most grueling workout but I’ve accomplished the most important goal of getting back into the gym.  That was all that was accomplished.  My effort while doing the pushups was pathetic.  Won’t reveal the rep amount.  I kept ending the planks a few seconds early.  My 2-minute break between sets sometimes became a 2-minute-and-30-seconds break.  So why was it still a success again?  It was all about accomplishing my goal.  November will mainly be about getting back into working out consistently. Grueling intense workouts will come in the future.  For now, building a habit of working out will help me accomplish other goals in the future.  Whether it is running a sub 7-minute mile or bench pressing 400 pounds or losing 10 pounds or simply starting a 30-minute workout session, the right goal is the one you have set for yourself.

Stay tune for my next post “Weight Loss” on 11/18/2019.

I have gone over six months without consistently working out. As a former personal trainer, this really annoys me. One of the reasons for wanting to blog to the world about fitness is to provide an honest account of my struggles and also my achievements. Like everyone else, it is a challenge to be as consistent as I want to be. After going half a year without working out, I am ready to get back on track. I no longer set goals that are not realistic to achieve. Most who don’t know me well would assume an initial goal of benching 500 pounds or working out 7 days a week would be a target. NOPE! I am 38 years old and much more patient nowadays.

Considering I’m not in good fitness shape, my goal for November is small and feasible. I am setting a target of 3 days a week of circuit training. The exercises will be pushups, planks, squats, dumbbell bicep curl to a shoulder press, and jump rope. Each exercise will be set at 30 seconds and each round of circuit training will include 2-minute resting period. Only two rounds. Before beginning the circuit training, I will spend 10 minutes warming up on the treadmill at only 4 miles an hour. In total, the workout should last 20 to 30 minutes only. Weights and reps should be set to where you are able to perform continuously during the entire set. If you have to stop, you are either doing too many reps or using too much weight. My primary goal for this month? I just need to start a consistent pattern of working out and then progressively build on month after month. That’s it for November! Start small and build on it.