Month: March 2020

Why hire a personal trainer? Most who need or want help losing weight or reach a fitness goal would love the guidance of a health & fitness professional. There are many important factors for committing to such an investment. While I will not be listing every positive reason, I will provide my current top three on the next few posts beginning with today’s. The number one reason I think a personal trainer should be hired? How about the cliche ” to help you reach your health & fitness goal”.

Let me explain. Can you reach your goals using a gym or dieting on your own? Yes, you can. Can you use utube or fitness videos to guide you to your goal? Of course, most can accomplish goals with such resources. However, the expertise provided by a trainer can help you reach your goal more quickly. The health & fitness professional is the GPS that will get you to your destination using the hwy and tolls. Without that guidance, you can still get to where you’re going. You just might come across more red lights and construction during your ride there.

In my last post, I mentioned the challenges of staying away from delicious foods that are high in calories. Typically, these are the most delicious foods in life. Additionally, we also know that high calories are associated with weight gain. When most of us gain some pounds, we know what has occurred. This is a puzzle many of us know how to solve. However there are barriers. While some are able to consistently refrain from indulging in the greatness provided by food, some of us are not as disciplined. We may start strong and ready to be great and ready to take over the world and then we plummet head first into the pool of poor eating decisions. Over the years, I have used plenty of tips to help me not “overdo it” with my many cravings. It has not only helped me maintained an ideal weight over the years, but also helped me in reaching other fitness-related goals. One of my favorite tips? One that is very effective and also sustainable for most people? How about continuing to eat those high-calorie dishes.

This doesn’t make sense, right? How will eating foods that are high in calories help you maintain a healthy weight or even lose weight? Let me elaborate. There are many of us who can get on a diet plan and be disciplined for one week, two weeks, three or even four weeks. However, for many of us, continuing beyond a few weeks or a month is a challenge. The tip of continuing to eat foods that are high in calories should only be applied on a schedule. For example, if your previous diet included you eating poorly seven days a week, try creating a schedule to have two, three or even four healthy, lower-calorie days. This will result in a decrease in caloric intake when compared to your previous diet. This tip/plan is easier to sustain as you are still eating many of the foods you like but not quite as often. We all have to start somewhere, right? How about beginning with a plan that will last beyond a month.

Losing weight is a challenge. It is hard. I have had former clients who have helped me better understand this. Most know that healthy, clean eating and exercise will lead to a healthier, ideal weight. However, there is this thing that makes it very challenging year after year. It never fails. You would begin a new diet plan. You start off strong. One month. Two months, and then it rears its ugly head again. That damn thing better known as delicious food.

Is it impossible to overcome? No. But it is an everyday challenge to select healthier options when you’re surrounded by high-calorie foods everywhere you go. Not only are such food convenient, oftentimes they are cheaper than healthier alternatives. They also appeal to the palates a little more as they are typically sweetened and/or seasoned. Why have baked chicken when you can have one that has been fried, well-seasoned, and dripping delicious juices. How about choosing between a bowl of boiled carrots or a slice of warm carrot cake with icing on top? Which sounds appetizing? You sometimes hear friends and/or fitness enthusiasts utter “healthy food is delicious!” or “healthy food taste much better than regular food”. Such statements might be interpreted as LIES. How does one overcome this and not pay the price with your weight? Stay tune for the next post for some of the tips that have helped me over the years.