Being over 40 years of age doesn't mean you automatically become out of shape.
This all too acceptable in our nation. Countless times have I heard the comments "I'm too old to get in shape" or "I'm too old to have a flat stomach". Most of my clients, when they first come to me, can't look down and see their feet. I usually ask them "What happened? Why did you let yourself get out of shape?" The responses I receive vary but the general consensus is that life took over. I interpret this as working long hours, raising kids, eating poorly and not making time to exercise. I'm grateful they have reached a point where they are fed up with the way they feel, look and have decided that enough is enough.
I've been a personal trainer for 8 yrs and I am 41 yrs old. Some of my best accomplishments have been people in there 40's or 50's whom have lost 80 lbs or more. Of the countless clients I have had only half of them really "get it" meaning they understand what it will take to get in the shape they want to be in. One of my first questions during my initial consults is "What does getting in shape mean to you?" So if you're reading this article then I'm sure you must be over 40 and you are probably interested in losing some weight or "getting in shape". Now I'm asking you, "what does getting in shape mean to you?" Do you understand that it will take time. Do you know that you will get frustrated and want to quit? Do you know you have to put more effort into weight loss than anything else you have ever achieved in your life?
It's true and I don't mean to discourage you but weight loss is challenging, more challenging than earning a promotion at work or earning a higher level of education. Why? It takes changing your the way you are living. You can study all night and eat powered donuts or drink sodas to help keep you awake while earning your master's degree. You can work your way up the corporate ladder and not make time to exercise. When it comes to weight loss you have to change the way you think. You have to change the way you manage your everyday schedule. You have be willing to sacrifice time and money to get in the shape you want. But if you do all of this, if you can change, there is no greater reward! I promise you. First and foremost you must consult with your physician before exercising. Remember we aren't as young as we use to be and there may be some issues that we are not aware of. Once the okay is given, we should begin. We'll need to make sure we have proper exercise gear.
It always amazes me to see some of the highest paid people I know to have some of the worst exercise gear I've ever seen. Please don't pull out your 10 yr old t-shirts and faded cotton shorts to work out in, especially if you are going to the gym. Oh and before I forget, don't even think about using your lawn cutting sneakers to workout in either. The better the gear the better you feel about you so spend some money and get some nice gym gear. That doesn't mean expensive, just nice.
Now that we have our gear we need to have a plan. Do we want to work out in gym, outside or in the privacy of our home? If you decide to go to a gym then we need to brush up on our gym etiquette.
1. Share the equipment.
2. Pick up and wipe down after yourself.
3. Be respectful to the gym beauty's.(their b-friend might be working out next to you and trust me you don't want these guys after you)
4. Wear clean workout gear and makes sure it smells fresh.
5. No loud grunting.
6. Minimize the cell phone usage.
That's just part of having a plan. The next part is an evaluation. If you chose the gym/home gym route you can do a few different tests to see where you are at, physically and design your program from the results. Your tests should include muscular endurance testing, strength testing, and a cardiovascular test. If you chose to just walk or run outside, a timed mile is recommended while monitoring your heart rate. I'll fill you in on the testing in part 2. Have a good evening!
Monday, 9 February 2009
Diet Tips for Successful Weight Loss 3/3
Conquering the Diet Love-Hate Relationship in Order to Gain Weight Loss
Eat organic corn meal. Use it to replace some of the whole grain wheat flour in breads, muffins, pancakes, scones, etc. You can even make yourself a weird little corn pancake of organic cornmeal, oil, a pinch of salt and water to eat with meals instead of pasta, breads or potatoes. It is surprisingly filling and nutritious. Eat strawberries, oranges, spinach, tomatoes, cantaloupes.
These are high is nutrition and antioxidants which are both integral to successful weight loss. Eat spinach salads. Use a light lemon and oil dressing (e.g., organic sunflower seed oil, organic lemon juice, water, salt and pepper, herbs and shake well...yummy).
Eat Salsa. Antioxidants and nutrients are in salsa in abundance. And, like with soups, the nutrients are retained in the salsa sauce enriching the food value and benefit to weight loss. Use evaporated organic cane juice as a sweetener. Drink organic juices. Especially drink cranberry, pomegranate, orange and lemon juices. These, too, are loaded with antioxidants and nutrients. A serving of a good organic juice is equivalent to many pieces of the actual fruit, so again, you get more goodness from each gulp. Drink juice shakes made with organic cranberry, pomegranate or orange juice and organic, non-GMO soy protein/nutrient powder. For a juice shake that reaches the level of dessert, add a dollop of organic whipping cream and stir or in-glass beat well. Yum. Drink organic herbal teas. Especially good are organic Yogi Teas. These come in wonderful, potent and delicious blends.
Diet Tips for your Dieting and Eating Rituals.
Eat a plentiful appetizer of strawberries or cantaloupe, papaya, (several) kiwis and orange juice before every meal. Eat more - weigh less. Don't eat bedtime snacks. If you must have a bedtime snack, make it 2 or 3 oz. of organic cranberry or pomegranate juice and organic, non-GMO soy protein/nutrient powder. It provides nutrients to quell desire, few calories, and helps you sleep deeply and restfully. Make this your bedtime snack.
Cut way down on desserts. Have smaller servings less often. If you must have dessert, take only half and add fruit, lots of fresh organic fruit.
Use serving dishes. When you fill your plate straight from the cooking utensils, you inevitably serve more so as not to "leave it sitting in the pot."
Eat organic corn meal. Use it to replace some of the whole grain wheat flour in breads, muffins, pancakes, scones, etc. You can even make yourself a weird little corn pancake of organic cornmeal, oil, a pinch of salt and water to eat with meals instead of pasta, breads or potatoes. It is surprisingly filling and nutritious. Eat strawberries, oranges, spinach, tomatoes, cantaloupes.
These are high is nutrition and antioxidants which are both integral to successful weight loss. Eat spinach salads. Use a light lemon and oil dressing (e.g., organic sunflower seed oil, organic lemon juice, water, salt and pepper, herbs and shake well...yummy).
Eat Salsa. Antioxidants and nutrients are in salsa in abundance. And, like with soups, the nutrients are retained in the salsa sauce enriching the food value and benefit to weight loss. Use evaporated organic cane juice as a sweetener. Drink organic juices. Especially drink cranberry, pomegranate, orange and lemon juices. These, too, are loaded with antioxidants and nutrients. A serving of a good organic juice is equivalent to many pieces of the actual fruit, so again, you get more goodness from each gulp. Drink juice shakes made with organic cranberry, pomegranate or orange juice and organic, non-GMO soy protein/nutrient powder. For a juice shake that reaches the level of dessert, add a dollop of organic whipping cream and stir or in-glass beat well. Yum. Drink organic herbal teas. Especially good are organic Yogi Teas. These come in wonderful, potent and delicious blends.
Diet Tips for your Dieting and Eating Rituals.
Eat a plentiful appetizer of strawberries or cantaloupe, papaya, (several) kiwis and orange juice before every meal. Eat more - weigh less. Don't eat bedtime snacks. If you must have a bedtime snack, make it 2 or 3 oz. of organic cranberry or pomegranate juice and organic, non-GMO soy protein/nutrient powder. It provides nutrients to quell desire, few calories, and helps you sleep deeply and restfully. Make this your bedtime snack.
Cut way down on desserts. Have smaller servings less often. If you must have dessert, take only half and add fruit, lots of fresh organic fruit.
Use serving dishes. When you fill your plate straight from the cooking utensils, you inevitably serve more so as not to "leave it sitting in the pot."
Diet Tips for Successful Weight Loss 2/3
Conquering the Diet Love-Hate Relationship in Order to Gain Weight Loss
Don't damage your health. No extremes. Be reasonable and rational. Your health is sancrosanct. Don't damage your temperament by creating cravings and over-pressing the point of your diet, the point being weight loss.
Don't be in such a rush. Take it slow. Adjust to your new weights as necessary. Your physiological mechanism - outside the bounds of your control - can take several weeks to several months to become accustomed to a new weight. Be patient and loving with yourself. Don't seek to look - or be - anorexic. It isn't pretty. It isn't healthy. It isn't logical. Be sensible. Be reasonable.
Diet Tips on Basic Guidelines of weight loss are these that follow.
Identify what causes your weight problems. Huge helpings? Bedtime snacks? Bad food choices like candy, potato chips, etc? Desserts? The same size breakfast you ate when you were 18 and rowing crew at 5 AM? Well, then - stop doing the things that cause you weight problems. Rats, again. Yeah, but stop. Eat meals and snacks at regularly scheduled times.
Tame yourself and your hunger with predictability, just the way the Fox taught the Little Prince to tame him (the Fox) in The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery). Don't eat after 7 or 8 o'clock at night. Give your physiological system some Empty time, some Processing time, some Quiet time. Don't eat bedtime snacks. Drink a cup of organic herbal tea, especially organic Yogi Teas, instead. Force yourself to buy organic foods, including organic juices. They have more food value per bite - no chemical-contaminant competition.
Diet Tips on Food Choices for weight loss are these that follow.
Eat fish. Lots of fish. Watch out for tuna, though, because of the mercury contamination content. Eat tuna no more than two or three times a week, at most. Eat homemade, organic ingredient, soups. The broth contains the nutrients, so you get more nutritional boost to each bite. And the broth fills the empty space yet packs a low weight-gaining impact. Double indemnity.
Don't damage your health. No extremes. Be reasonable and rational. Your health is sancrosanct. Don't damage your temperament by creating cravings and over-pressing the point of your diet, the point being weight loss.
Don't be in such a rush. Take it slow. Adjust to your new weights as necessary. Your physiological mechanism - outside the bounds of your control - can take several weeks to several months to become accustomed to a new weight. Be patient and loving with yourself. Don't seek to look - or be - anorexic. It isn't pretty. It isn't healthy. It isn't logical. Be sensible. Be reasonable.
Diet Tips on Basic Guidelines of weight loss are these that follow.
Identify what causes your weight problems. Huge helpings? Bedtime snacks? Bad food choices like candy, potato chips, etc? Desserts? The same size breakfast you ate when you were 18 and rowing crew at 5 AM? Well, then - stop doing the things that cause you weight problems. Rats, again. Yeah, but stop. Eat meals and snacks at regularly scheduled times.
Tame yourself and your hunger with predictability, just the way the Fox taught the Little Prince to tame him (the Fox) in The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery). Don't eat after 7 or 8 o'clock at night. Give your physiological system some Empty time, some Processing time, some Quiet time. Don't eat bedtime snacks. Drink a cup of organic herbal tea, especially organic Yogi Teas, instead. Force yourself to buy organic foods, including organic juices. They have more food value per bite - no chemical-contaminant competition.
Diet Tips on Food Choices for weight loss are these that follow.
Eat fish. Lots of fish. Watch out for tuna, though, because of the mercury contamination content. Eat tuna no more than two or three times a week, at most. Eat homemade, organic ingredient, soups. The broth contains the nutrients, so you get more nutritional boost to each bite. And the broth fills the empty space yet packs a low weight-gaining impact. Double indemnity.
Diet Tips for Successful Weight Loss 1/3
Everybody has a love hate relationship with dieting.
We all want to look and feel our best, but no one wants to suffer and be miserable to get there (even though some courageous ones join groups and diets trends and athletic clubs to achieve their ends). And no one should be crabby and hateful to their spouse, partners and children because of the reason of dieting. Hence, bring on the diet tips for successful - and peaceful - weight loss. In truth, there are times when it is necessary to diet. After a prolonged convalescence or after an accident when you've put on 30 pounds because you found benefit in using chocolates as pain killers.
When you are beginning to stretch open the seams of those $700 business suits. When you are on an extended vacation to visit your widowed aunt who says, "Your uncle just loved to eat my spaghetti four nights a week. Want another helping of creme pie?" We all know that there are vital reasons to diet. An article posted recently on MSN Homepage in the news briefs pointed out that, as Andreas von Bubnoff and Joanna Lloyd suggest in, maintaining the weight you had before turning 25 takes years off the aging process. (Actually, they say at age 18. But, really now, I'd still weigh 90 pounds and stand 5' 8". That would be just wrong, morally, physically and visually.) Another example of a vital reason to diet is that parents take better care of and are more tenderly loving toward their children when not overweight and able to move around with ease and comfort.
Chronic illness, like diabetes, and chronic back pain are better controlled when a person is not overweight. These are just some examples of vital reasons to diet. So what are the diet tips?What helps a person to reach the goal and reduce the discomfort, pain and struggle of weight loss? Diet Tips on the basic principles of weight loss are these that follow.
Eat less. Rats. There is no way around it. You are what you eat. That goes for quantity and quality. Eat less of what adds weight. Period.
We all want to look and feel our best, but no one wants to suffer and be miserable to get there (even though some courageous ones join groups and diets trends and athletic clubs to achieve their ends). And no one should be crabby and hateful to their spouse, partners and children because of the reason of dieting. Hence, bring on the diet tips for successful - and peaceful - weight loss. In truth, there are times when it is necessary to diet. After a prolonged convalescence or after an accident when you've put on 30 pounds because you found benefit in using chocolates as pain killers.
When you are beginning to stretch open the seams of those $700 business suits. When you are on an extended vacation to visit your widowed aunt who says, "Your uncle just loved to eat my spaghetti four nights a week. Want another helping of creme pie?" We all know that there are vital reasons to diet. An article posted recently on MSN Homepage in the news briefs pointed out that, as Andreas von Bubnoff and Joanna Lloyd suggest in, maintaining the weight you had before turning 25 takes years off the aging process. (Actually, they say at age 18. But, really now, I'd still weigh 90 pounds and stand 5' 8". That would be just wrong, morally, physically and visually.) Another example of a vital reason to diet is that parents take better care of and are more tenderly loving toward their children when not overweight and able to move around with ease and comfort.
Chronic illness, like diabetes, and chronic back pain are better controlled when a person is not overweight. These are just some examples of vital reasons to diet. So what are the diet tips?What helps a person to reach the goal and reduce the discomfort, pain and struggle of weight loss? Diet Tips on the basic principles of weight loss are these that follow.
Eat less. Rats. There is no way around it. You are what you eat. That goes for quantity and quality. Eat less of what adds weight. Period.
Friday, 6 February 2009
Acai Berry: My Story on Weight Loss
Sometimes, everyone wants a quick solution to their problem. I wont deny it, during my search for weight loss solutions, I encountered many offers. Such as dieting, fat burning exercises, weight loss formulas etc. Incidentally, one early morning I stumbled upon an Alternative Medicine community that was featuring a peculiar little plant which apparently does miracles for losing weight. Acai Berry they call it, I found myself wondering: surely this cant be the answer to my biggest weight problem?
I never thought that medicine can be so small, look so great and have such rejuvenating properties! After trying an extract, I felt refreshed, young and full of energy. So I decided to see exactly how this so called berry will help me lose weight. I wanted to find scientific answers that will explain this miracle. It wasn't long before I read up on it; a Doctor by the name of N Perricone, the leading advocated of Acai Berry consumption in the United States quoted: "Acai is good for weight loss because it contains a unique compound called cyanidin, a highly antioxidant photochemical compound."
The statement was based on some very cool Japanese research that concluded: cyanidis reduces the fat absorption in the body, and helps "drain body fat" as a side effect. I couldn't believe it, the answer to all out problems right there. Just by drinking a glass of refreshing Acai Berry juice, we are able to reduce the amount of fat absorbed into our body!
But that's not all, Acai Berry has other natural life giving and nutrient enhancing properties. Athletes, celebrities and ordinary people like ourselves have been using it not just for Weight Reduction, but to optimise energy and fitness levels for quite some time!
Acai berries contain high levels of amino acids, essential fatty acids and help harmonize your inner self! Many people believe this is the key ingredient behind many sensational success stories; all due to the Acai Berry.
You wont believe it until you try it! Its cheap and its affordable, there's no better proof than getting your own weight loss results: the only way you are going to get there is by giving it a try and getting first hand knowledge yourself. For the first time in many years, Acai Barry is easily accessible for the average person, and if you are truly trying to lose your weight - you just lose the excuse not to do it.
I never thought that medicine can be so small, look so great and have such rejuvenating properties! After trying an extract, I felt refreshed, young and full of energy. So I decided to see exactly how this so called berry will help me lose weight. I wanted to find scientific answers that will explain this miracle. It wasn't long before I read up on it; a Doctor by the name of N Perricone, the leading advocated of Acai Berry consumption in the United States quoted: "Acai is good for weight loss because it contains a unique compound called cyanidin, a highly antioxidant photochemical compound."
The statement was based on some very cool Japanese research that concluded: cyanidis reduces the fat absorption in the body, and helps "drain body fat" as a side effect. I couldn't believe it, the answer to all out problems right there. Just by drinking a glass of refreshing Acai Berry juice, we are able to reduce the amount of fat absorbed into our body!
But that's not all, Acai Berry has other natural life giving and nutrient enhancing properties. Athletes, celebrities and ordinary people like ourselves have been using it not just for Weight Reduction, but to optimise energy and fitness levels for quite some time!
Acai berries contain high levels of amino acids, essential fatty acids and help harmonize your inner self! Many people believe this is the key ingredient behind many sensational success stories; all due to the Acai Berry.
You wont believe it until you try it! Its cheap and its affordable, there's no better proof than getting your own weight loss results: the only way you are going to get there is by giving it a try and getting first hand knowledge yourself. For the first time in many years, Acai Barry is easily accessible for the average person, and if you are truly trying to lose your weight - you just lose the excuse not to do it.
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
Weight Loss - My Story
In our everyday society, time plays a significant role in our lives. Many of us are simply unaware of how quick time goes by and how big an aspect it plays in our life. We take small things like exercise for granted and set it as a low priority. I used to be one of those people.
Back when I was 26 years old, I was considered an Obese man, people would walk down the streets and point and laugh at me. MY life was tearing apart and no matter how many products/diets I would try, nothing did the trick. I tried doing extensive workout sessions, but this only lead to several injuries. I eventually gave up on exercise, this was mainly due to the fact that the regiments I tried were a time consuming 60 minute ordeal.
During my 27Th Birthday, I have met a special person in my life, I was desperate to lose weight! I tried anything I could again, and I stumbled upon several magazines which featured step by step exerciser's that didn't look that bad. These exercise sessions would last me 5 - 10 minutes a day and didn't leave me exhausted or worn out either! It was great! In fact, it was so great, I noticed I was gradually getting fitter, and felt more alive, more healthier. So today, I have decided to start a blog and tell other people about MY EXPERIENCE. Here's what I did:
Sprint.
Obviously, when you are overweight, it isn't the easiest thing to do, the first couple of times I found myself puffing and huffing after a couple of steps. It was brutal, but I didn't give up. Turns out, sprinting was one of the most effective ways to lose weight, it uses a lot of energy and especially if you are unfit like myself; it uses more energy that normal - which is all great news! I found this to be one of the best ways to lose weight fast. I would sprint for about a minute every day as part of my routine exercise.
If you cant sprint, and you will get those days when all the fat just weighs down on you; there are several other alternatives. You can skip, run, swim or jump or even ride a bike flat out for 30-60 seconds. This will tremendously reduce your body fat, especially if you combine the lot. One of the benefits of using alternative exercises is that you don't use the same muscles over and over and this doesn't lead to excessive strain.
Go hard as you can for 5 minutes.
Every once a week, I would have a FAT GRINDING session, where basically I would exercise as hard as my body would allow me for 5 minutes straight. Then, I would try to do better the following week.
I remember when I started with a stopwatch and an exercise bike, I would record my progress, cycling flat out for 5 minutes. The next week, I would try and beat that record.
3. Lift Heavy
When you are losing weight, it is always a good idea to convert some of that fat into muscle. You can do this from just 1 session a week, all you need is to lift as much as your body weight several times. Record the amount of times you were able to lift the weight and try to do 1 more the following week. This will burn your fat over time to build muscle, boost your metabolism and reduce your overall weight. Plus it doesn't take longer than 5 minutes to do.
4. Stretching
If you are serious about keeping up with your exercise and loosing that weight, and removing that fat, you should always stretch your muscles at the start of the day and before exercise. This will prevent unnecessary strains and injuries. I found out the hard way when I sprained my ankle - it was agony! I couldn't walk for a week! Always stretch, it pays off in the long run.
So, doing these very simple exercises didn't remove all my weight at once, but it sure as hell made me fitter, and made me feel better. It gave me the confidence to carry on and fight my obesity problem. If you are truly serious about weight loss, you should check out some of my other articles on this blog. I guarantee you if you went through what I did, you will come out slim and healthy.
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