A can a day

Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today I would like to talk to you about how one small change can help you lose 10 pounds of fat.  Now this isn’t a fad diet that will have you lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks.  However, it also isn’t a fad diet that is going to be hard to maintain because it completely changes your whole eating routine.  So, ask yourself, would you be happier to be 10 lbs. lighter than you were last year at this time?  And with only having to make one small change?  I think most people would!  So, what is this one small change?  To lose 10 pounds in a year with only making one small change is to give up the can of soda or bottle of iced tea you have with lunch every day.  Drinking a can of soda or a bottle of iced tea may taste good, but it is a bunch of empty calories that are contributing to your bottom line, or more correctly your waist line.

Peter was a co-worker of mine that I worked during the summer months with.  He struggled with his weight and would sometimes be on crazy diets.  One summer he would drink a concoction that we all called “muck” for his meals.  Some years he would be on a crazy diet, and others he would be going out for lunch with the crew.  When he would get lunch with everyone else, he always ordered a soda.  Whether he got lunch with us or not was determined by if he was “on” of “off” a diet at that time.  He even tried seeing a nutritionist, but that didn’t last.  When I asked him why he stopped, he said because it was too hard to make so many changes.  My suggestion to him…give up the can of soda at lunch.  It was a simple enough change, nothing major, and a much easier sacrifice than any of his other fad diets of the past.

A 12 oz. can of soda has approximately 140 calories.  The somewhat healthier alternative of an iced tea has about 150 calories approximately 150 calories.  These calories are “empty” calories, meaning they are providing you with little to no nutritional value.  By switching one can of soda, or bottle of iced tea, with any size bottle of water, you can drop significant weight with very little effort.  Watch how giving up just one can of soda, or bottle of iced tea at lunch a day can help you lose 10 pounds.  A can a day, five days a week is equal to 700 calories (140 x 5 =700).  700 calories a week for a year is equal to 36,400 calories (700 x 52 = 36,400).  It takes a net of 3,500 calories to gain or lose a pound.  So if you give up that can of soda and make no other changes aside from replacing it with a bottle of water, in a year, you would lose over 10 pounds! 

Would you be happier if you were 10 pounds lighter than last year?  To do it all you have to do is give up one small drink a day.  Simply swapping one beverage a day with a bottle of water will cause you to lose a dramatic amount of weight.  A bottle of water costs no more or even less than a sweetened beverage, and will quench your thirst as well or better.  There should be no reason to not make this small change.  Again, would you be happier being 10 pounds lighter.  I am betting you would.  An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but a bottle of water a day will get you to a fit new you!

Kryptonite

Welcome to afitnewyou! Today I would like to help you reach your nutritional goals by tackling one of your biggest stumbling blocks. I don’t know what your specific stumbling block is, but everyone has one; its that food that you know you shouldn’t eat, but it seems to trip you up every time. For some people it’s a dessert; for others alcohol; some it could be fast food. But whatever it is, its something that you know you shouldn’t be having, something that will not help you achieve your nutritional fitness goals, but somehow it finds a way to beat you. What you need to do is treat this food like Superman would treat Kryptonite…keep it as far away from you as possible. What helps even more is if you actually envision that food as something as dangerous as Kryptonite is to Superman.

David is a client of mine who works with a personal trainer three times a week, also exercises on his own, and commendably is regularly physically active as well. While he is in better than average shape for someone his age, he often struggles losing those last several pounds, and has a hard time reaching a low enough body fat percentage to have a “six pack.” His biggest hindrance, his Kryptonite, is frozen yogurt and ice cream. He would come in one morning complaining about his stomach, and I will ask him when was the last time he went out for dessert, and almost every time, his answer was the night or two before. We have even gotten to the point where we will joke about it…when I know he had an achievement or milestone in his family, I will ask how he celebrated, and he will say he went to one of the local frozen yogurt places. What is even worse, is he is lactose intolerant…so talk about being is Kryptonite!

Like I said earlier, we all have some food that counteracts us reaching our nutritional goals. Mine for a very long time was fast food. It was cheap and easy while I was on the go, and even though I knew it was bad for me, I kept succumbing to it. Not a good thing. But what really does work to get past these foods is to envision them as something that you are simply not allowed to have, or more drastically will harm you if you do. For me personally, I have implemented these rules to a few of the foods that are my Kryptonite. For

example, it is a rule of mine that I am not allowed to buy any food sold at and/or over a convenience store counter. Similarly, I am not allowed to use a drive thru window. While this one still allows me to still eat at a “healthier” chain restaurant, it also allows me to cheat with some fast food…if I can manage myself to take the time (and shame) of walking into a fast food joint. One other rule I have for myself is I am not allowed to eat a dessert that isn’t already opened. For instance, when co-workers bring in cakes or cookies and they are wrapped up, I remind myself that the reward is not worth the effort of going through the packaging.

These are all rules that I have for myself. You need to first identify what foods are your Kryptonite. Then, you need to imagine that they are as harmful to you as Kryptonite is to Superman. If you don’t want to be as dramatic, simply make it a rule that they must remain off limits. Most of us already have these subconsciously with other foods, such as not having a dinner food for breakfast…you don’t have chicken and broccoli for breakfast because it’s kind of an unwritten rule. Or you wouldn’t crack open at beer at your work’s lunch table, because it’s not allowed. When you think of these examples, you can see how simple it can be to “rule” off certain foods…even if it means imagining them as dangerous.

Its often simple changes that you can make to your lifestyle that make the most profound impacts. Thinking and treating yourself as a superhero (Why not? It’s a good thing!) and looking at a food as your breaking point, is a good way to get in your head a system to keep to your fitness goals. Mind over matter can be a super strength to a fit new you!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

Welcome to AFITNEWYOU!  Today I would like to start by asking you a question…What do you eat for breakfast?  Now when I ask this, I am not looking for the first answer most people would give, likes eggs and bacon, or a bowl of cereal.  The answer I am looking for comes from the statement people will use for intimidation, such as “I eat punks like you for breakfast!”  People will also use this type of phrase to say they have domination over a tough physical activity.  You can think about your answer differently now, and you might not have an answer to the question at this moment,

but breakfast IS still the most important meal of the day, so I want you to put into your life, an activity that you can “eat for breakfast.”  What I mean is I want you to do an enjoyable but challenging exercise that allows you to feel superior to physical activity, and I want you to do it in the morning to start your day off on the right foot to meet all of your fitness goals.

On Wednesday mornings I have a couple of clients that I train before I go to my full-time job as a teacher.  In order to fit them in, and get to school on time, I have to train them in the early a.m.  But, I also try to squeeze in a workout every time I go to the gym.  So, on Wednesdays, I get to the gym by 5:15 in the morning so I can go my own quick workout before my clients.  Because I have limited time, I do a really quick workout, and I try to make it as intense as possible.  So what I do for my warm up is a few sets of rope climbs.  A lot of people find rope climbs challenging, but I think of it as an old school elementary Phys. Ed. activity.  When people look at me in amazement, or bewilderment, that I am doing that activity in the morning, I use that phrase “I eat rope climbs for breakfast.”

Now I am not asking you to do an activity that has to be as intense as a rope climb first thing in the morning.  But I do want you to do a physical activity in the morning that you find somewhat challenging.  This will have multiple positive effects.  First, it gets you active immediately in the day.  Not only does this get your body working positively, physiologically early, but it also stops from you from being inactive later in the day due to some excuse that pops up; at least you already have done something positive to reach your fitness goals.  Furthermore, you will have a positive mental and emotional effect from conquering some physical activity early in the day.  Again, I am not only referring to the chemical effects from the physical activity that will lift your mood; I am also referring to the accomplished feeling that you will be starting your day off with.

I still think you should eat a healthy meal for breakfast…but add some challenging physical activity as well.  Go for a quick mile run, or even a jog/walk around the block.  Try to reach your personal best on a wall sit, plank or push ups.  Heck if you can, squeeze in a quick work out at the gym if you can.  It can be something simple, or intense, but make sure it is an activity that makes you feel powerful in both the literal AND figurative sense.  What better way to start the day than feeling accomplished?!  Starting the day off with the saying “I eat ______ for breakfast!” will be energetic, and can be an empowering way to reach a fit new you!

Out of sight, Out of mind!

Welcome to afitnewyou!  Today I would like to give you a simple suggestion to help you reach your nutrition goals.  All you need to do is keep the foods that are not part of your healthy diet out sight, this way you won’t have them as an option.  While this may seem overly simplistic, it will help with a common stumbling block for many people who are trying to avoid certain foods.  People with the best intentions to “eat better” sometimes “fall off” their diets, or “cheat” when they see a food that they are trying to avoid.  That’s why this simple tip of keeping foods that you are trying to avoid out of your sight can actually be pretty profound. 

Ryan and Tim are co-workers of mine who are into fitness, work out regularly, and make healthy food choices the majority of the time.  However, in certain situations, they make less healthy

food choices as a result of seeing something they normally wouldn’t want as part of their diet.  When co-workers bring in baked goods to celebrate a special occasion, Ryan is often the first in line with a plate.  Furthermore, he will usually go back for a second helping.  But I have seen him been asked how he maintains a low body fat percentage if he loves baked goods so much.  He replies that he normally doesn’t eat that type of food, and doesn’t even crave it.  However, when it is in front of him, he simply has to have it.  In a similar way, Tim strays from his usually well balanced lunches when he

sees people eating pizza for lunch.  Tim starts out on the right track by being prepared with a healthy

lunch everyday, but when he sees people eating pizza, he often says that because it looks so good, he is going to have a slice.  In these examples it was pretty unavoidable for Ryan and Tim to avoid seeing their downfall foods, but it does illustrate the point that they would not have made the unhealthy choice if they never had seen the food.

As a responsible fitness conscious individual, you are in control of your food choices the majority of the time.  While there may be times when your choices are limited, you are most in control of the foods that will be in front of you when you go food shopping.  There are many tips to making healthy food choices while shopping such as sticking to the list when you are at the store, or only shopping on the perimeter aisles of the market.  These guidelines help you make healthy choices at a later time, because have you not brought home a food that you will be tempted to eat simply because it is there. 

           Maintaining a healthy body composition goes hand-in-hand with making healthy food choices on a regular basis. Although it is ok to occasionally eat something for pure enjoyment, if there are constant temptations in front of you, there is a greater chance you will succumb to it.  So your best chance of making healthy food choices on a regular basis is once again to simply not have those tempting choices in front of you.  If the package of cookies or bag of chips were not in front of you, they wouldn’t be a choice in your brain, and therefore not getting into your mouth.

The saying “out of sight, out of mind” could and should be applied to maintaining your healthy diet.  Without the option of seeing a food that would be tempting for the wrong reasons, you would not have them as a choice.  Yes, there will be times when your options are beyond your control, but regularly making healthy food choices is a lifestyle, and will directly contribute to a healthy body composition.  One of the simplest ways of doing this is by limiting the amount of options your brain has to decide upon.  Without seeing the unhealthy option, you have a greater chance of making a healthy food choice and maintaining a fit new you.