Week one done for the Paleo test. This was 6 good days of Paleo and one conventional day because of the lack of caveman food availability.
The one issue that I am having is wanting to eat A LOT of fruit. The years of eating lower carb fare makes eating all that yummy fruit irresistable. It isn't good to allow me something like that in unlimited amounts.
Still, even with eating tons of fruit my weight dropped 3 pounds. I would imagine if I had limited the fruit to something more reasonable like 2 or 3 servings a day it would have been quite a bit more.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Paleo Trial Month
A fellow trainer that I know has convinced me that I should at least give the Paleo diet a trial month. Coming from the last several years of pretty low carb I have to say that it is giving me some apprehension.
The basic premise of the diet is that we have not evolved to the point that we can thrive on the cereal based diet that we have created for ourselves.
The intriguing part of this plan is that there is no calorie counting. At each meal you eat all you want. Eat when you are hungry, stop when you are not.
Sounds good so far. I am not into all of this low calorie thing at all.
Basically, you should eat meat, fish, eggs (moderately) fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. yep, that's it. No dairy, grain, salt, sugar, or vinegars.
After three days it is going pretty well and is very simple to follow. After 3 days I can definitely see a difference in the number of times I have heartburn which is normally quite a bit.
The basic premise of the diet is that we have not evolved to the point that we can thrive on the cereal based diet that we have created for ourselves.
The intriguing part of this plan is that there is no calorie counting. At each meal you eat all you want. Eat when you are hungry, stop when you are not.
Sounds good so far. I am not into all of this low calorie thing at all.
Basically, you should eat meat, fish, eggs (moderately) fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. yep, that's it. No dairy, grain, salt, sugar, or vinegars.
After three days it is going pretty well and is very simple to follow. After 3 days I can definitely see a difference in the number of times I have heartburn which is normally quite a bit.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
What the heck is Jacob's Ladder
Jacob's Ladder is the newest piece of equipment at Springfield Health and Fitness Center. As simple as it looks, this is one butt kickin' , butt firming , training tool..
Soon, there will be challenges and prizes for climbing the Empire State Bldg. , Eiffel Tower, Mount St. Helen and many more.
Come by and try it out!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
I am just like everyone else you know. I can find any excuse not to work out if I let myself. When I get really short of time, am tired, or the old injuries from years of heavy lifting act up I certainly feel as though I "should not" work out today. Then, someone like Alan comes along to bring me back to the reality of my faulty thoughts.
While in high school , Alan was fit and athletic. After high school, life came along and he let his fitness go by the wayside then real tragedy struck.
He had a horrible motorcycle accident and lost his limbs. Unable to work, his employer pensioned him out which brought him a sedentary life. This was coupled with poor eating habits and he put on quite a few pounds of fat.
The turning point for Alan was his father of 82 years renewing his gym membership. That was the catalyst for Alan to turn things around. Alan had the ultimate excuse but didn't give in to it.
He had to do everything one handed which highlighted strength problems. Alan also had to deal with nerve damage in his right shoulder and the total atrophy of his neck and back muscles.
When Alan decided to get in shape he had to assemble equipment that fit his needs and designed his own apparatus. He never really saw any of this as an obstacle and enjoys the challenge of " seeing the un-obvious solution to things".
Thank you, Alan, for bringing me back to the fact that my reasons for not working out are only excuses. You are quite the inspiration.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Starting this week
Keep an eye on this Blog. Starting this week some of the amazing transformations will be showcased.
Friday, April 30, 2010
New Contest
Well, the Commit to Be Fit contest has ended and Allen lost an incredible 40 pounds in 12 weeks.
Wanting to continue the efforts Springfield Health and Fitness Center and The Springfield Paper is at it again!
Watch for details because it could be you and your company that is chosen to take part int he next challenge.
Best of all it is all free.
Wanting to continue the efforts Springfield Health and Fitness Center and The Springfield Paper is at it again!
Watch for details because it could be you and your company that is chosen to take part int he next challenge.
Best of all it is all free.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
How to Hire a Personal Trainer
If you make the decision that you need a personal trainer, here are some first steps.
1. Credentials
Your trainer should have a background in human anatomy, physiology, exercise physiology and bio mechanics. If they are hesitant to show you their credentials or liability insurance count that as a red flag.
2. Experience
Some are students doing training until they can "get a real job". There is nothing wrong with working part time as a trainer but it often means that the trainer has minimal hands on experience.
3. Adaptability
Some trainers have ready made workouts that they hand out to everyone regardless of their needs and personal goals. A good trainer will write your program based on your current fitness level and goals. Beware the trainer that wants to train you without a consultation first and trains all clients the same.
4. Exude Health
Trainers don't have to be professional athletes or bodybuilders but should exude health and have no obvious habits, like smoking
5. Ability to teach exercises correctly
This requires knowledge of good form and can sometimes be a problem for trainers. It has been my experience that some trainers often tell clients not to do squats because they are bad for their knees when in fact they do not know how to properly teach the technique.
6. Ability to work with a diverse clientele
A trainer should have experience with the kind of program that you are looking for. For example, if you are looking to become more muscular or get into a serious weight training sessions and the trainer only has experience with weight loss circuits they may not be as responsive as they should to your needs.
7. Cost
There is a big swing in costs for trainers. More expensive is generally not better training, only higher overhead. It is wise to purchase ( or try to get free ) an initial trial session before making a commitment. Don't allow yourself to get talked into a long term plan. Also , make sure that sessions are refundable if you change your mind. You should never sign a contract for training beyond your package that was purchased.
8. No matter how highly recommended, some people just don't click. If you don't feel comfortable in your consultation don't hire the trainer. You don't have to be best friends but you should feel good enough to know that you can work together.
1. Credentials
Your trainer should have a background in human anatomy, physiology, exercise physiology and bio mechanics. If they are hesitant to show you their credentials or liability insurance count that as a red flag.
2. Experience
Some are students doing training until they can "get a real job". There is nothing wrong with working part time as a trainer but it often means that the trainer has minimal hands on experience.
3. Adaptability
Some trainers have ready made workouts that they hand out to everyone regardless of their needs and personal goals. A good trainer will write your program based on your current fitness level and goals. Beware the trainer that wants to train you without a consultation first and trains all clients the same.
4. Exude Health
Trainers don't have to be professional athletes or bodybuilders but should exude health and have no obvious habits, like smoking
5. Ability to teach exercises correctly
This requires knowledge of good form and can sometimes be a problem for trainers. It has been my experience that some trainers often tell clients not to do squats because they are bad for their knees when in fact they do not know how to properly teach the technique.
6. Ability to work with a diverse clientele
A trainer should have experience with the kind of program that you are looking for. For example, if you are looking to become more muscular or get into a serious weight training sessions and the trainer only has experience with weight loss circuits they may not be as responsive as they should to your needs.
7. Cost
There is a big swing in costs for trainers. More expensive is generally not better training, only higher overhead. It is wise to purchase ( or try to get free ) an initial trial session before making a commitment. Don't allow yourself to get talked into a long term plan. Also , make sure that sessions are refundable if you change your mind. You should never sign a contract for training beyond your package that was purchased.
8. No matter how highly recommended, some people just don't click. If you don't feel comfortable in your consultation don't hire the trainer. You don't have to be best friends but you should feel good enough to know that you can work together.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Week 2 commit To Be Fit
All of the contestants of The Springfield Paper and Springfield Health and Fitness Center's Commit to Be Fit Contest lost weight in week 2. The big winner of the week is David Reeves who lost a whopping 6 pounds. David did that by cleaning up his diet. He had given up sodas, even diet ones, years ago. David did add more vegetables and water . David knows that finding an exercise and diet program that he can live with is key to making the lasting changes that he will need to continue his healthy lifestyle.
It is interesting to note that although David had the resources of personal trainers at his disposal, he did his weight loss on his own by coming to the gym every day and walking on the treadmill programmed for intervals.
As a trainer myself for many years I am the first say, not everyone needs to hire a trainer. If you are looking for specific training, or want someone to push you a trainer is invluable. Trainers are also good to help trouble shoot your workouts if you are not getting the results you want on your own. A good gym can help you get started without the added expense of a personal trainer and will have a knowledgeable staff to help you if you have questions.
It is interesting to note that although David had the resources of personal trainers at his disposal, he did his weight loss on his own by coming to the gym every day and walking on the treadmill programmed for intervals.
As a trainer myself for many years I am the first say, not everyone needs to hire a trainer. If you are looking for specific training, or want someone to push you a trainer is invluable. Trainers are also good to help trouble shoot your workouts if you are not getting the results you want on your own. A good gym can help you get started without the added expense of a personal trainer and will have a knowledgeable staff to help you if you have questions.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Why do you lose so much weight the first week?
After one week of The Springfield Paper's Commit to be Fit challenge two people stood out. Allen Rea lost an astounding 9 1/2 pounds and Tracy Tackett 6 pounds.
Allen went from being a couch potato to taking Timothy's BodySculpt class 4 days a week and walking on the treadmill 2 days. He also stopped drinking soda and began drinking water instead. His diet changed to eating 5 to 6 small meals a day, 2 to 3 hours apart. This he said kept him from getting hungry and supplied plenty of energy all day.
Why is that when we go from being sedentary with a junk food diet to exercising and eating a more wholesome diet there is such a dramatic weight loss the first week?
Glycogen is created from the carbohydrates and starches you eat. Your body carries 3-4 grams of water for every gram of carbohydrate/glycogen you store. If you , on a regular basis, are eating somewhere around 300 to 500 grams of carbohydrates and were storing ( not burning off ) and then while dieting cut it to 200 grams of carbohydrates you will lose a lot of water weight the first week. Generally this comes from my clients eliminating or drastically reducing soda, chips, cookies, candy etc.
It is important to understand that when you start, especially if your diet has been heavy on sugar you can see these dramatic results the first week or two but it's permanent lifestyle changes that allow you to have permanent weight loss.
The lifestyle changes of increased exercise, both cardio and weight training, will improve metabolism. Eating good wholesome foods like lean protein, lots of vegetables and fruit will help you get the permanent results that can be maintained for a lifetime.
Allen went from being a couch potato to taking Timothy's BodySculpt class 4 days a week and walking on the treadmill 2 days. He also stopped drinking soda and began drinking water instead. His diet changed to eating 5 to 6 small meals a day, 2 to 3 hours apart. This he said kept him from getting hungry and supplied plenty of energy all day.
Why is that when we go from being sedentary with a junk food diet to exercising and eating a more wholesome diet there is such a dramatic weight loss the first week?
Glycogen is created from the carbohydrates and starches you eat. Your body carries 3-4 grams of water for every gram of carbohydrate/glycogen you store. If you , on a regular basis, are eating somewhere around 300 to 500 grams of carbohydrates and were storing ( not burning off ) and then while dieting cut it to 200 grams of carbohydrates you will lose a lot of water weight the first week. Generally this comes from my clients eliminating or drastically reducing soda, chips, cookies, candy etc.
It is important to understand that when you start, especially if your diet has been heavy on sugar you can see these dramatic results the first week or two but it's permanent lifestyle changes that allow you to have permanent weight loss.
The lifestyle changes of increased exercise, both cardio and weight training, will improve metabolism. Eating good wholesome foods like lean protein, lots of vegetables and fruit will help you get the permanent results that can be maintained for a lifetime.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
The Springfield Paper Gets Fit
Eight people working at The Springfield Paper have made the decision to change their lives. The group is a wide array of ages and fitness levels. While biggest loser type challenges generally involve only losing pounds this one is different. Although most people competing want to lose at least a little weight on the scale, others want to lower their blood pressure, build some lean muscle mass or just regain their old fitness levels. One even wants to gain some lean weight.
There are two teams of four, each with their own trainer as a resource, but the teams do not compete against each other. The teams work together to help the other succeed. Any person on either team can work with either trainer depending on their schedule.
Springfield Health and Fitness Center and Underground are providing two Certified Personal Trainers, full access to the gym, a fitness coach and all available classes and nutrition coaching. The person deemed to have made the biggest improvement in their lifestyle will win a year's membership at the gym.
For the next 12 weeks I hope that you will follow along with the successes and the challenges facing the Commit to Be Fit group.
You can read about it in The Springfield Paper, this blog, and on Facebook.
Bios on the trainers will be coming soon.
There are two teams of four, each with their own trainer as a resource, but the teams do not compete against each other. The teams work together to help the other succeed. Any person on either team can work with either trainer depending on their schedule.
Springfield Health and Fitness Center and Underground are providing two Certified Personal Trainers, full access to the gym, a fitness coach and all available classes and nutrition coaching. The person deemed to have made the biggest improvement in their lifestyle will win a year's membership at the gym.
For the next 12 weeks I hope that you will follow along with the successes and the challenges facing the Commit to Be Fit group.
You can read about it in The Springfield Paper, this blog, and on Facebook.
Bios on the trainers will be coming soon.
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