Featured Post
By Jeff Lindstrom On January 24, 2012No Comments
This is a common question I get from clients who are looking to lose weight. The healthy amount of weight to lose is 1-2 pounds per week. If it’s anything more than that you are most likely losing water weight and muscle mass.
When losing the latter this will negatively effect your metabolism. The more lean muscle you have on your body, the higher calorie expenditure you will have doing nothing or any activity. A phrase I frequently use with clients is the more fit an individual is, the more calories they will burn 24/7. They have a higher metabolism which means your body is still working outside of the gym.
There are a lot of crash diets and extreme weight loss methods out there which mis lead people when they hop on the scale. They lose weight and see their body weight number go down, however it’s not going to be the ‘fat’ weight you are looking at getting rid of.
Over 70% of people are dehydrated daily. It’s important to ensure you drink plenty of filtered water as your body works more efficiently when it is hydrated. Water will actually make you feel fuller which is great for people who are wanting to lose weight. It helps curb your hunger! Half your body weight and this gives you the approximate ounces to drink daily.
We face stress daily so by keeping hydrated will help combat it. It’s normal for people to get agitated and impatient when dehydrated and hungry. Not saying it’s acceptable so if you are feeling this go get some healthy snacks and drink some water for crying out loud!!
For those who are looking to lose weight, focus on your diet. Eat clean as much as possible, a variety of fruits, vegetables, organic meats, proteins, raw nuts and seeds. Eat 80-90% right and you will succeed. Sip at water all day long to keep hydrated, feeling good, energetic and minimize stress.
Try not to be fixated on what the scale says. Our weight can fluctuate 3-5 pounds daily. Pay attention to how your clothes feel. Losing inches in the pants, you will be losing unwanted fat!
If the pants are getting tighter and the scale is going up, you are putting on body fat. On the contrary if the scale is going up and pants are looser, you are putting on lean muscle mass (which is great) and losing body fat!
Keep this is in mind during your weight loss journey. Remember 1-2 pounds a week is healthy and don’t fret if the scale isn’t moving. Be patient and consistent with your healthy lifestyle choices. The better you feed your body, participate in activity on a regular basis, the quicker results will show!!
Recent Posts
By Jeff Lindstrom On January 17, 2012
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At work we just started our 100 day fitness challenge. It’s a great way to stay motivated from the new year carrying you through to spring. The goal is to give you a sustained habit and a better lifestyle that you keep being healthy day in and day out!
We simplified the scoring to giving yourself credit each time you do some sort of physical activity for 30 minutes or more! Goal sheets were sent out to let the participants to determine how many days they want to workout out in 100. The second goal is more personal. Be it weight loss, strength gain, do a certain number of pushups.
When the participants succeed in their goals they are put in the highest end of prizes which is a fitness membership, iPad 2, and weekend getaways. How is that for a reward!??
It’s a great motivator for people and gives them drive to succeed at their goals.
Why not consider doing a 100 day challenge? Set the same type of goals, how many days you want to be active (being realistic), and a more personal goal. Write out a mini contract to yourself and get a loved one to sign it as a witness. Put something on the line for you to reward yourself! Make it something that would motivate you to work hard and reach your goals!
Everyone has different tastes and preferences. We all know being active is good for us but by having something on the line can be the extra motivation we need to be active. Who doesn’t like treating them self?
Aim as a bare minimum to be active three days a week and losing 1-2 lbs a week is considered a healthy rate!
Drink lots of filtered water, eat as clean as possible and do something you enjoy! Your body will show you the appreciation and I guarantee you will feel a lot better….. Give it a try!!
By Jeff Lindstrom On January 10, 2012
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It’s that time of year again when the gyms are packed and people are feeling motivated to workout and lose that unwanted weight!
Have you ever noticed after two – three weeks into the new year the gym will start to die down?
As a regular gym goer you might just have to bear through the weeks until it naturally gets quieter.
A big reason as to why new years resolutions for people don’t work out is that do too much too soon!
I’m all for the enthusiasm to want to make changes and get into the gym more regularly, but most people will over do it.
Personally I’m not a fan of the ‘resolutions’ as we can make changes to our life, set goals anytime of the year. The new year is catchy I suppose as “starting fresh.”
For those who have new years as a time to start off on the right foot, allow me to give you some tips to be successful.
1) Set realistic attainable short term goals. This means, aim to go to the gym 2-3 days maximum for 30 minutes total. I find lots of people will go 5 days for an hour and after 2 weeks of doing so they are hating the experience. Going too much right away will not make the experience enjoyable, a big reason why people quit going to the gym. Start off slow, get consistent, build positive momentum and progress accordingly!
2) Write down medium and long term visions. Where do you want to be in 6 months? One year? Don’t let media or pictures of people in magazines influence how you want to look. Be realistic and patient. Changes don’t happen overnight. Convince your body to change and it will. Lead the way!
3) Tell close friends and family about your goals. When those who care and respect for you know what you are trying to achieve you will have that extra moral support needed to get you through those tough days. Indirectly when we know others are aware of our intentions, we are more likely to be successful and follow through!
4) Make conscious efforts to minimize or even eliminate the junk. This means cookies, candies, donuts, fried foods, fast foods, pop, alcohol! I know I know, all the “fun” treats. By doing so you will see the results quicker. I promise you! They say a calorie is a calorie but that’s untrue. These types of foods I listed have no nutritional value and will not fulfill you. Eating clean as much as possible will get you to your goals quicker! This means, lots of fruits and vegetables, lean means, raw nuts and seeds. Eat organic whenever possible! Eating is 80-90% of your success. Be in control of what kind of calories you intake. After all you are what you eat!
5) Drink lots of clean filtered water daily. A good rule of thumb is divide your body weight by 2 and that will give you the amount of ounces you should have. Almost 80% of people are dehydrated daily. By being hydrated our bodies work more efficiently, curbs hunger, reduces fatigue and stress!
6) Get regular sleep each night. Sounds simple enough however people go to bed on a regular basis and this effects the most important time to be recovering. When you are lacking sleep it can create havoc on our hormonal system and will encourage you to consume stimulants to get you through the day. The ideal sleeping pattern if possible is 10:30pm – 6:30am. In any case try to aim for a regular 7-8 hours a night! When the body is cranked up internally on stimulants and overall fatigued, this has a negative effect on your bodies ability to lose weight. That’s why it’s important to keep stress under control or your thyroid (which controls your metabolism) will not function properly.
7) Keep your repetitions high at the gym to start. I’m talking 12-15 reps. Feel a good muscle burn but don’t push yourself to absolute failure. By doing so will reduce the uncomfortable muscle soreness 2 days later.
8) Start off with 10-15 minutes of cardio just to get going. Get a good sweat but don’t over do it. The key is to build the habit and convince your body it isn’t so bad! You can increase your time and intensity as you feel comfortable.
9) Use a workout journal. Keep track of your workouts, progress, weights, cardio time etc. Consider this an actual journal. Feel free to write down how you feel and then you can reflect back onto it.
10) Be patient. Making a lifestyle change is physical and psychological challenge. Be in tune with yourself. Our bodies appreciate movement and activity. It releases endorphins which will give you that happy feeling! Getting the blood pumping and moving is a fantastic way to feel better about yourself. As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Go at a comfortable pace, develop a habit and work on bettering yourself each day. The cleaner you eat, the better you will look and feel! The workouts are a bonus!
Good luck to you and feel free to leave comments, ideas tips that worked for you or ask questions if you are having struggles!
Jeff Lindstrom (28)
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Jeff Lindstrom is a Certified Personal Trainer for the last 10 years. He's trained 100's of clients over the years and is considered a muscle building and fat burning expert.