Things that make you go #?/&%$

So this week I'm going to talk about something that just really gets under my skin concerning fitness. People that say, “I can't.” I'll be training someone who is just going through their reps relatively easy and all of a sudden say,

Client: “I can't do it!”

Me: “What!? You can't do it!? You're doing fine. Look, you're still going.”

Client: “I know, but my arms are hurting.”

Me: “Ok. Is it a muscle hurt or an injured hurt?”

Client: “A muscle hurt. It burns!”

So in this situation it's not that the client can't do it, it's that they don't want to. The way I feel about it is (in the words of Jillian from The Biggest Loser) “If you choose to be less that what God intended you to be then don't tell me that you can't. Tell me that you choose not to!” There's no room for excuses when it comes to fitness, but that's what I hear every day. You either do it or you choose not to. That's it! The word “can't” should never come into play. This is also true with nutrition. I'll look over a client's food log and they're either not eating enough or they're not eating enough and what they are eating is junk. It usually goes something like this:

Me: “You're nutrition isn't looking too good here. What's going on?”

Client: “Well I'm at work all day so I can't eat 5-6 times a day” or “I have kids” or “I just wasn't hungry.”

Really? I work all day, I have kids and you know what, sometimes I'm just not hungry either. Millions of people are in the same situation, but they still make it happen. Then when it comes time for their monthly assessment and they don't see very good results they want to look at me like I'm failing them when they're the ones who aren't working out like they should and/or eating like they should. I can only do so much. I can't force anyone to do 5 more reps, although sometimes I try. And I can't follow clients home and force feed them or prepare all of their meals while they relax. Oh you want to look like Jessica Simpson? Quit eating freaking cookies and ice cream and try a few carrots and apples. You want to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger or look good in a bikini this year? Quit complaining that you're muscles burn or that the weight you just did 12 reps with is too heavy. It's called responsibility and determination people, try a little bit!

The bottom line is it all depends on how bad you want it. If you really want it you'll do what it takes to make it happen. Something else that gets me is when people look at me and say, “You can probably eat anything you want and not gain a pound. I wish I was like that.” Are you freaking kidding me!? I've busted my ass EVERY day in the gym and at the dinner table to get where I am. I'm no supermodel or the next Mr. Olympia, but I work for what I do have. I don't sit around complaining that it's too hard or it's not convenient cause you know what, it IS hard, it IS inconvenient, but that doesn't matter because I can see the goal line. I can see where I am now and where I want to be and I know what I have to do to get there. You're damn right it's hard and anything worth having should be! So suck it up people and see your goal line. How far away is it? What do you have to do to get there? Got a trainer? Need one (hint, hint)? If you're paying someone money to help you get to where you want to be then listen to them. That's why they're there. To help you. Not baby you!

The Exercise Prescription

A woman walks into a doctor's office for a check-up. After running a few tests the doctor tells here that she has high blood pressure, high cholesterol and is on the verge of type 2 diabetes. He then prescribes a series of medications to treat all of these problems and tells her about the importance of getting these things under control by taking her medications to prevent further damage to her body.

Now imagine what would have happened if instead of prescribing a list of drugs to "cure" the problems if he instead would have written her a prescription for exercise. I'm sure the lady would have been shocked as would have anyone else that she told about her experience; however, that doctor would have done the best thing imaginable for his patient had he done that.

The benefits of exercise don't end with looking and feeling better.

Heart Disease and Stroke - Daily exercise can help prevent heart disease and stroke by strengthening your heart muscle, lowering your blood pressure, raising your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels (good cholesterol) and lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels (bad cholesterol), improving blood flow, and increasing your heart's working capacity.

High Blood Pressure - Regular exercise can reduce blood pressure in those with high blood pressure levels. It also reduces body fat, which is associated with high blood pressure.

Noninsulin-Dependent Diabetes - By reducing body fat, physical activity can help to prevent and control this type of diabetes.

Obesity - Daily exercise helps to reduce body fat by building or preserving muscle mass and improving the body's ability to use calories. When physical activity is combined with proper nutrition, it can help control weight and prevent obesity, a major risk factor for many diseases.

Back Pain -. By increasing muscle strength and endurance and improving flexibility and posture, regular exercise helps to prevent and/or lessen back pain.

Osteoporosis - Regular weight-bearing exercise promotes bone formation and may prevent many forms of bone loss associated with aging.

Psychological Effects - Regular exercise can improve your mood and the way you feel about yourself. Researchers also have found that exercise is likely to reduce depression and anxiety and help you to better manage stress.

Millions of Americans suffer from illnesses that can be prevented or improved through regular exercise!

• 13.5 million people have coronary heart disease.

• 1.5 million people suffer from a heart attack in a given year.

• 8 million people have adult-onset (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes.

• 95,000 people are newly diagnosed with colon cancer each year.

• 250,000 people suffer from a hip fractures each year.

• 50 million people have high blood pressure.

• Over 60 million people (two thirds of the population) are overweight.

• 33% of the adult population are considered obese

• An even scarier statistic, 15% of children over the age of 6 are considered obese!

So if you ask me, the doctor in the story above just took the easy way out. Instead of prescribing exercise and holding his patient accountable for her own health he just whips out his pad and signs over prescriptions. The scary part is that is what's taking place in our world today. No longer are people responsible for ensuring they live to see their grandchildren. They put their faith instead in the drugs that are pushed by the doctors who are paid by the drug companies who are making billions each year. I find it sad that the CEOs of these drug companies whom people will never meet are sitting on a goldmine while personal trainers in every gym are barely able to make ends meet. I'll close in saying that the next time you visit your doctor and he pulls out that trusty old prescription pad tell him you think you'll try a different route first. Then if you really apply yourself and try to fix it the right way via exercise and nutrition and that doesn't work then, and only then, turn to the prescription!

America's Worst Lunches

I'm posting a new blog and although it isn't one that I personally wrote, I'm sure you will find it helpful. Also, I apologize for my absence over the past month. I've been dealing with a few things including a sick baby, but we should be back on track now. There will be a new blog next week that I'll actually write so be sure to check it out as well.
Thanks!


America's Worst Lunches - And What You Should Eat Instead
By David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding

If you're like two thirds of working Americans, you pick up lunch from a fast food joint or restaurant at least once a week. Sure, it's not as healthy as packing your own celery sticks, but eating out every once in a while can't hurt, right?

Not so fast: There might be trouble in the drive-thru lane.

Not only could the window worker pile an entire day's worth of calories through your car window, but you might also be sapping your energy and productivity: Carb overloads lead to energy spikes and crashes, and studies have shown that the bigger your waistline, the lower your cognitive functioning and the more sick days you take.

Kind of ironic, considering "convenience" is the most common reason people give for buying lunch during the workday. In this economy, it's hardly convenient to snore through the 2 o'clock meeting, or miss a few crucial days when the boss is looking for you.

A healthy lunch can help you maximize your afternoon performance, but if you're in a hurry to grab and go, you might not take the time to sort through the menu hits and misses. Let the Eat This, Not That! folks be your efficiency experts: DON'T order the following items. Opt instead for less outrageous alternatives (also below), and reap the benefits at bonus time.

QUIZNO'S
Large Prime Rib Cheesesteak Sub
1,770 calories
116 g fat (25 g saturated, 2.5 g trans)
2,895 mg sodium

Fat Equivalent: Like eating 5 Dunkin Donuts cheese danishes!

It's hard enough to make the argument for one cheese Danish, but five? And we're just talking fat, here — with more than 1,000 calories of the stuff in just one sandwich. You're also be filling up with more than a day's worth of sodium and saturated fat. While this is one of the worst items you could choose, the rest of the Quizno's menu has hazards, as well.

But if your coworkers insist on eating there, order this:

Regular Turkey Ranch and Swiss Sub with reduced fat Ranch
590 calories
18 g fat (2.5 g saturated)
2,235 mg sodium

CHILI'S
Crispy Honey Chipotle Crispers
1,890 calories
99 g fat (19 g saturated)
3,470 mg sodium

Calorie Equivalent: Like eating an entire medium Pizza Hut 12" pepperoni pizza!

If you have the time for a sit-down meal, you have the time to think this through. Chicken Crispers are fun, but account for almost a whole day's worth of calories and almost two days' worth of sodium.

Your smarter choice is to eat this instead:

Classic Chicken Fajitas
330 calories
11 g fat (2 saturated)
2,080 mg sodium

And another hint for a healthy sit-down lunch: forgo the appetizers. Chili's Texas Cheese Fries with Jalapeno Ranch Dressing made the top of our list when we rounded up the worst appetizers money can buy.

ARBY'S
Roast Turkey Ranch and Bacon Sandwich
818 calories
38 g fat (11 g saturated, 0.5 g trans)
2,146 mg sodium

Calorie Equivalent: Like eating 23 Thin Mints (one whole sleeve)!

Just because you could prepare it at home doesn't mean it's good for you when you order it away from home — the Roast Turkey Ranch and Bacon Sandwich packs nearly half of your daily allowance of calories and almost an entire day's dose of sodium. Doesn't leave much room for anything else, does it?

Eat this instead:

Sourdough Roast Beef Melt
355 calories
14 g fat (5 g saturated, 1 trans)
1,047 mg of sodium

DAIRY QUEEN
Wild Buffalo Chicken Strip Basket (4 piece)
1,340 calories
96 g fat (18 g saturated)
4,820 mg sodium

Sodium Equivalent: Like eating 14 large orders of McDonald's French fries!

Talk about a value meal: one Chicken Strip Basket gives you two days' payload of sodium! If thinking about it doesn't elevate your blood pressure, eating it might. Don't become a statistic.

Eat this instead:

Crispy Chicken Sandwich
530 calories
29 g fat (4.5 g saturated, 3 g trans)
1,020 mg sodium

PANERA
Italian Combo on Ciabatta sandwich
1,070 calories
50 g fat (19 g saturated, 0.5 g trans)
3,010 mg of sodium

Fat Equivalent: Like eating 6 slices of Papa John's cheese pizza!

You were on the right track in choosing Panera, but don't be sidelined by the allure of the Italian Combo. Ciabatta bread may sound sophisticated, but you won't look so refined when you're lugging that spare Pirelli around your midsection.

Eat this instead:

Smoked Turkey Breast on Sourdough sandwich
470 calories
17 g fat (2.5 g saturated)
1,680 mg sodium

CHIPOTLE
13" Tortilla with steak, black beans, rice, cheese, sour cream and lettuce
1,005 calories
40 g fat (17 g saturated)
1,948 mg sodium

Calorie Equivalent: Like eating 40 Hershey's Kisses!

The good news about this tortilla is that it contains 57 grams of protein, but that's hardly worth the outrageous calorie and carbohydrate load — with 100 grams of carbs, you've already covered a third of your recommended daily intake, plus you're taking in nearly a day's worth of sodium and saturated fat. Downsize to drop pounds.

Eat this instead:

Three hard tacos with steak, pinto beans, sour cream and lettuce
633 calories
25 g fat (11 g saturated)
854 mg sodium

(Another hint: When it comes to Chipotle chips, just say "no." They add an outrageous 570 calories and 73 extra grams of carbs.)

HARDEE'S
2/3-lb Monster Thickburger
1,420 calories
108 g fat (43 g saturated)
2,770 mg sodium

Saturated Fat Equivalent: Like eating 43 strips of Oscar Mayer bacon!

It's called Monster for a reason. It's a monster load of saturated fat (more than two days' worth). The good news is that it has a friendlier, healthier cousin in the 1/3-lb Low-Carb Thickburger, with 1,000 fewer calories and a third the amount of fat. Even better, the Low-Carb Thickburger is true to its name — it only has 5 grams of quick-burning carbohydrates, compared to 46 grams in the Monster.

Eat this instead:

1/3-lb Low-Carb Thickburger
420 calories
32 g fat (12 g saturated)
1,010 mg sodium

BURGER KING
Triple Whopper Sandwich with cheese and mayo
1,230 calories
82 g fat (32 g saturated)
1,590 mg sodium

Fat Equivalent: Like eating 10 slices of Papa John's cheese pizza!

You should know by now not to order a triple anything. In this case you're getting egregious calorie, fat, and sodium overloads. Choose a regular cheeseburger instead and slash 900 calories, 66 g of fat, and save yourself from the judgmental stares of your coworkers, who are three times as likely to be grossed out!

Eat this instead:

Cheeseburger
330 calories
16 g fat (7 g saturated, 0.5 g trans)
780 mg sodium

And once you've navigated lunch's landmines, don't blow your day with a bad dinner!

Common Sense Nutrition for No Nonsense Weight Loss

In leui of a blog written by me I decided to post an article that I read that may be helpful. So without further ado:

Common Sense Nutrition for No Nonsense Weight Loss
By: Dominique Adair, MS, RD

Lost in the flood of diet aids, diet books, magazine articles, and skinny diet gurus giving you advice? No matter what gimmick, fad, or miracle pill each guru tries to shove down your throat, there is no mystery to weight loss. These "quick and easy" solutions are merely masks to hide the simple fact that if you eat less and move more, you will lose weight. What counts are the calories you ingest. Here are five common sense rules to stand by when you want to achieve no nonsense results:

Fads will not deliver the body of your dreams.

Stop the madness! Fad dieting is simply a quick gimmick to get people to drop weight, but will not ensure lasting weight loss success. After all, fads come and go, leaving us a little ashamed at ourselves once we have partaken in them. (Think about the parachute pants era with the white glove or the famous hair-don't, the "mullet".) Use weight loss recommendations based on a balanced diet with a caloric deficit that is appropriate for your age, activity levels, and gender.

Diet is DIE with a T.

A diet has become a negative term to describe a restricted food plan. Very often people decide to go on a "diet," but think of it as a short term solution to a long term problem. Dieting has become a problematic condition in which the dieter tends to believe that beloved foods are off limits and one must forgo all food desires to lose weight. Let's talk semantics. Everyone is on a diet. A diet is just what one is consuming. It is either a "bad" diet or a "good" diet. You need to understand that "dieting" is a short term solution that will only yield short term results. Serious people should not embark on a "diet," but a healthy food lifestyle. Learn the basics of the food pyramid and know that small indulgences are necessary to keeping up healthy eating patterns.

Small delights allow people to have what they need and what they want, without having to deny themselves of a little fun with food. Just be warned that everything must come in moderation!

Not all carbohydrates are created equal.

There are "good" carbs and there are "bad" carbs just like there is "good" and "bad" cholesterol. "Good" carbs include starchy vegetables (like leafy green spinach), whole-grain breads such as wheat breads, rices, and pastas with low fat and little sugar added, and fibrous fruits such as strawberries and apples. "Bad" carbs include potato chips, candies, sugary sweets like cakes and cookies, and French fries. (But when it's all said and done, when it comes to weight loss, it's calories in versus calories out no matter what the carb… just make the calories in as nutrient-dense as possible.)

"Know Your Role"

Daily ingestion of all the macronutrients is important. Whoever said to cut out the carbs, cut out the protein, or cut out the fat, needs an update on the basics of the food pyramid. Our bodies run efficiently when we have the proper amounts of each macronutrient in our bodies. Carbohydrates, protein, and fats each play a role in regulations of activities in the body. For instance, each macronutrient plays an independent and interdependent role in the following activities: digestion, energy creation and utilization, regulation of body temperatures, regulation of hormones, satiety, nervous system activity, fighting off harmful infections, and building strong bones and muscles among other uses.

Portion control helps measure success.

When in doubt, measure it out. People often mistake portion sizes due to the large portions that are commonplace in American restaurants. There are simple methods to determine portion sizes such as using your fist as a guide when trying to determine how many ounces your serving of meat is (three ounces is roughly the size of a small fist). When measuring drinks, measure how many ounces to be ingested by pouring the liquid into a measuring cup before pouring the drink into the glass. This creates awareness and allows you to get a better sense of how much you should be pouring into their glass with each serving. Very often you'll find that the small glass of wine you had the night before was actually greater than eight ounces (at 7 calories a gram, that can bring more than 300 calories in one serving!). Besides diet cola, water, and coffee (with no additives) all beverages have calories. Liquids count, so watch how much juice, milk, and soda you pour into a glass! If you are not sure how many ounces are in a slice of meat, or what the serving sizes are at a restaurant, give them this easy trick: cut the meal into thirds and eat the first third of the meal and box the rest. Restaurants often serve up to three times the typical portion size.