Being healthy is a terrible goal
When ever I hear an overweight person say this phrase “I want to be healthy” it makes me very sad. Sad because I know that they will still be overweight and probably unhealthy 6 months down the road.
Don’t get me wrong, being healthy is something that you definitely want to achieve. But as far as a tangible goal that will help you lose weight it’s just awful.
Below are some tips to help you set and achieve realistic weight loss goals.
1. Think big. Pick a goal that gets you excited. Losing 5 lbs isn’t going to cut it.
2. Set weekly and monthly targets, review them daily.
3. Make your goals public. Announce what you want to achieve to people that will hold you accountable. This can be a great source of motivation.
4. Write it down and post it where you can’t miss it. On your fridge, your bathroom mirror or the inside of your front door.
5. Always include exercise in your plans. Weather it’s completing 20 push-ups a night or running 20 miles a week. Always include some kind of exercise in your plans.
I have been guilty of uttering that phrase hundreds of times myself. I didn’t start to move towards being healthy until I stopped talking about it and started taking action.
In my opinion when I hear people say “I want to be healthy” in terms of goal setting what they are really saying is “I don’t know how to be healthy”
Here is more info on setting weight loss goals.
Goal Setting
WebMD
MayoClinic
Steve Pavlina
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Top 5 Weight Loss Weapons (non-exercise)
These are what I consider the Top 5 non workout/exercise weapons for losing weight and keeping it off. My full list can be found at here
1.) Chicken Breast – Chicken Breast is very versatile, you can bake it, fry it, or BBQ it. It can be cut it into strips, or stuffed with your favorite veggies, you can skewer it and grill it or just eat it on a sandwich. With nearly 9 grams of protein per ounce it will help you feel full longer and is a smart choice for building or maintaining muscle.
2.) Chocolate Milk – 1% Chocolate milk is quickly emerging as a great health treat. All the benefits of milk (Calcium, low fat, high protein etc..) with the great taste of chocolate. A word of caution, the calories can add up very quickly. Keep your servings to 1 to 2 cups per day. (150-300 calories)
3.) The Food Scale – This is a great tool for controlling your portion sizes. You don’t need a fancy digital or nutritional scale. A plain old mechanical one will work just fine. You can find them for under $10 online or in-store. I suggest you buy one with a minimum 500 gram max capacity.
4.) Almonds – A great snack between meals or after a hard workout. Almonds are full of protein and heart healthy fat. A handful of Almonds, 1 ounce or 23 whole ones have about 160 calories, 6 grams of Protein, 14 grams of unsaturated fat and 3 grams of fiber. Not to mention all the vitamins and minerals packed into them.
5.) The Internet – There is a wealth of information on the internet that can aid you in your weight loss efforts. With more people becoming healthier everyday and new sites popping up to offer their advice and share their experiences, it has never been easier to get in shape. You can find anything from what to eat to
how and when to exercise. There are also lots of great tips on how to stay motivated through it all.
Here are some of the other great weight loss related resources to help you out:
If you have a favorite weightloss site let me know about it. I am always looking for something new to keep me inspired and motivated. Email me or leave a comment.
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How to beat the midday slump
Does this ever happen to you?
It’s midday, lunch is over and done with and there is still an hour or two before dinner. You’re working away at your job, busy with school or with the kids when you start feeling tired and begin to lose focus on what you’re doing. Or maybe you get a headache and the “little things” begin to get on your nerves.
This is what is known as the midday slump and it’s usually caused by a rapid drop in blood sugar. Combine this with a lack of proper rest and you have a recipe for weight gain.
What you do between the hours of 2pm and 4pm can have a dramatic impact on your weight loss efforts. There is a twofold effect that happens:
1.) When the slump hits your first instinct is to eat, eat, eat and your cravings are usually not for some health fruit or vegetables either.
2.) If you’re like me you make poor decisions when you’re hungry and that leads to pizza for dinner or a trip out to your local restaurant.
So how do you stop this from happening?
I usually fight this in 3 ways:
1.) I eat a smaller, more protein dense lunch. This way the drop in blood sugar is not so dramatic.
2.) I bring pre packed snacks so that I am not tempted to grab something really unhealthy. Granola bars, almonds, or 100 calorie snack packs are all good choices as well as at least 1 bottle of water.
3.) I get moving. Take a break from whatever you are doing and walk, stretch, or run. It doesn’t really matter just get your heart rate up and the blood flowing. You’ll be more alert and able to make better decisions.
One last suggestion I can give you is to get your rest at night. 6-8 hours a night at least. Most of us waste way too much time at night watching TV or dare I say on the computer. An extra 30-45 mins of sleep can really make a big difference during your day.
What do you think? What do you do to beat the midday slump?
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Personal Trainers, Do you really need one?
What does a personal trainer do for you that you can’t already do on your own, right?
I asked myself that question a year ago while I was 35 Lbs over weight. I received a lot of advice from family and friends, mostly negative. They’re too expensive, not worth it, and just another way for the health club to make money was what I heard.
So naturally I signed up for some one on one sessions. I figured everyone that offered me their negative opinion was overweight and out of shape, so of course they would be against hiring a trainer.
Going in I thought I knew enough about weight lifting and cardio that this guy would be impressed. Boy was I wrong. Apparently my technique and form were really bad (that explains the shoulder and lower back injuries); currently up to 70% of people perform at least 1 weight lifting exercise incorrectly.
He also pointed out that I was missing out on all of the benefits from those last few reps that I quit on. I was “lifting for comfort and not for size or strength”. (His words)
What did my trainer do for me?
The 2 most important lessons that I learned from my trainer were:
1.) How to lift weights properly, for safety as well as maximum gains.
2.) How to push myself beyond my normal comfort zone, on my own.
To this day I still follow that advice and have been injury free ever since. As well as dropping the 35lbs 
How Much do they cost?
This varies from city to city and gym to gym. I signed up for 10, 1 hour sessions and paid a total of $450. So you really need to check with your local health club. My sessions were without a meal plan. But the generally accepted fees are anywhere from $40 to $100 an hour.
Most health clubs have plans that include your trainer fees, fitness assessments and meal plans.
Conclusion
I do recommend hiring a personal trainer for at least 6 sessions anything less and you won’t really see the benefits. After that you should be knowledgeable enough to go it alone.
Follow these guidelines on how to pick a personal trainer. From Ray Burtons site buildingbodies.ca
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When is the best time to workout?
I’ve been asked this many times both on and offline. It seems that people have this misconception that there is a magical time during the day at which your body will melt the fat and burn off tons of calories. This simply isn’t the case.
I will concede that you can burn slightly more calories after a good rest and on a somewhat empty stomach.
The short answer: The best time to workout is when you have the time to do it. Fitting workouts into your already busy life can be difficult but it’s essential to losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Here is the long answer. This is just from my experience and the results I’ve seen. When it comes to aerobic activities like running, biking, rollerblading etc. the rule I follow is that – motion creates energy – So I do my cardio workouts when it’s most beneficial to have or create lots of energy. This means first thing in the morning. I need that energy boost to start my day.
I’ve found that an early a.m cardio workout wakes up my whole body, reduces any anxiety or stress I have about upcoming tasks that day and makes me more creative and productive. This is of course after refueling with a good healthy breakfast and a hot shower
Weight training or strength training workouts are best suited for the early evening/night. The reason is you’re breaking down your muscle fiber during these workouts. If they’re done properly they should leave you feeling a little shaky and a bit weaker. Your body’s reaction to this is that it wants to rest and rebuild. What better way is there to listen to your body, than to give it 8 hours of sleep!
Final Thoughts
I have found that cardio sessions done at night keep me up all night and I just can’t get a good rest. Weights in the morning make me tired and I do nothing but yawn all day.
Experiment with your schedule and see if you can fit this way of exercising into you routine. You can remember it like this – Burn in the morning, build at night – It’s worked for me.
If you’re thinking that I am just a morning person? Wrong, I’m the snooze button King.
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