To Eat, Or Not To Eat? That Is The Question

To eat, or not to eat? That is the question. With summer now here, it’s time to start gearing up our bodies for the nice weather ahead of us. Ladies, break out your polka dot bikinis, and guys, start transforming your body into one that tells everyone to “look at me now.” How do I begin my transformation, you ask?

Before you touch a weight or begin your diet, it starts with your mentality. Set a realistic goal and believe in yourself to be able to achieve it. Like most tasks in life, if you don’t believe you can accomplish something, the likelihood of you actually doing so is very low. It’s smart to start small and gradually build-up; set short-term goals to aid you in your process so that you do not become discouraged. Focus your thoughts on the immediate psychological and physical benefits of becoming fit and getting in better shape. If you know you’re one of those people that requires a lot to be motivated and stay on task, don’t do it alone. Get your friends, family, and even co-workers involved to help support you. Finding THE RIGHT personal trainer to help you get started is an excellent idea, whether you are a beginner or a pro at working out. It is my duty as your personal trainer to motivate you to want to better yourself and improve your life in all aspects.

The next part that is a HUGE factor in creating the body you wish to achieve is your diet. What many people fail to realize is that when trying to transform your body, 80% is directly related to diet, and the other 20% is the actual physical workout. So whether you’re trying to gain or lose weight, understand that having the correct diet is key. The question I’m often asked is how many calories should be consumed daily in order to lose weight. For healthy fat loss, you should consume a minimum of 1800 calories per day, making sure you have a good mix of proteins. A good goal to have when trying to lose weight is 1-2 pounds per week. The following is the breakdown of how to lose a pound a week:

Blueprint To Lose One Pound a Week

**3500 Calories = 1lb. of Body Weight*

So…
Lowering your weekly caloric intake by 3500 calories = Loss of 1lb of body weight per week [3500 seems like a lot]
3500 calories in a week divided by 7 days a week = 500 Calories per day [or 167 calories per meal]

What this is saying is that in order to lose a pound a week, you must consume 500 less calories than you normally would in your daily diet. The best way to achieve this is through exercise and making better food choices. Many people find it very difficult to go “cold turkey” and change their diet completely. If this stands true for you, then start small. If you love pizza, instead of getting a slice with pepperoni, just get a plain slice instead. As you consume food throughout the day, be conscious of your food choices and say to yourself, “I normally would have a number 6 with only ketchup with large fries, but I’m actually eating a grilled chicken Caesar salad. This is good!” Another technique that has helped a lot of my clients is a Diet Diary. Throughout the day write down EVERYTHING you consume and look back at it to see what you can get rid of. There’s something about physically seeing what you have eaten that helps trigger a conscious decision of change.

Working Hard or Hardly Working?
Depending on what your goals are, how fast you see results is DIRECTLY related to how hard you work. Obviously, the more cardio- you do, the more calories you burn. However (going back to our blueprint of weight loss), cardio alone is not enough to balance out your caloric deficit of 500 calories per day. Many people will go to the gym and spend an hour on the treadmill and feel this technique alone will get them the results they seek, but this is false. Whether you’re trying to gain or lose weight, resistance training is essential. Many women tend to stray away from weight training because they believe it will make them look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. In actuality, resistance training helps produce and increase lean body mass while reducing body fat. It also allows you to burn calories during AND after your workout and speeds up your metabolism.

With this being said, don’t be afraid to mix it up and try new things that could end up being beneficial to you and your body. Never be afraid to challenge yourself and take it to the next level. If you take time out of your day to do something you’re normally not used to, then you’re already on the right path. Once you master the art of learning how to be comfortable being uncomfortable, then you will always be ready for any task or obstacle life may throw at you. So what are you waiting for? Get going! Believe, Perceive, Achieve. Get Fit and Live Trying.

- Terrence Baltimore
Personal Trainer

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June 28th, 2011 | admin | Comments Off |