Get Your Questions Answered Here!
**Any advice that is given is just that, advice. Please consult with your trusted medical advisor for the "good to go" before embarking upon any exercise and nutrition program**
Hello all! If you've been following along with the last four parts of this little series, it's my hope that you're walking a bit more, you're trying to eat a more sustainable breakfast and you're looking at yourself in the mirror in a way that makes you smile rather than cringe! If you haven't been following along, no worries--I won't take it personally :) You can get started here!
This week, I thought it would be nice for you to hear some of the more "typical" questions that I get almost on a daily basis, and for me to provide the answers--without you spending money or energy on hiring me or doing a bunch of push-ups before I'll give you the answer! Also, many of these questions are often asked because there is an established trust between myself and my clients and it takes a lot of courage for them to even admit they have these thoughts running around in their heads... and I know they're not the only ones. So on that note...
Hello all! If you've been following along with the last four parts of this little series, it's my hope that you're walking a bit more, you're trying to eat a more sustainable breakfast and you're looking at yourself in the mirror in a way that makes you smile rather than cringe! If you haven't been following along, no worries--I won't take it personally :) You can get started here!
This week, I thought it would be nice for you to hear some of the more "typical" questions that I get almost on a daily basis, and for me to provide the answers--without you spending money or energy on hiring me or doing a bunch of push-ups before I'll give you the answer! Also, many of these questions are often asked because there is an established trust between myself and my clients and it takes a lot of courage for them to even admit they have these thoughts running around in their heads... and I know they're not the only ones. So on that note...
How Do I Lose Weight Fast?
I'm not here to judge, but this question usually makes me set my jaw and have to regin in my Sicilian fire. Uh...you CAN you lose weight fast, but it won't stay lost! Let me say that again. Sure, you can lose weight fast...it will not stay lost! Yes, if you stop eating or if you stop eating and try to exercise yourself into madness, absolutely you can lose weight fast, so fast in fact that you'll enjoy the fun effects of getting dizzy, low blood sugar, fatigue, metabolism slow down, fat storage (yeah FAT STORAGE!) mental fatigue and rebound pounds...sound fun? If not, then keep reading :)
Weight loss and overall health is NOT something that you should do quickly. You shouldn't want to; holistic health should be a lifelong commitment that becomes part of who you are, no matter the individual journey or goals. Throughout the years my clients have ranged from those considered morbidly obese to those who want to compete in fitness competitions and while the goals are different, the demand for speedy results is always the same. I can't give that to either end of the spectrum...well, I could but I would be considered an unethical trainer for sure. What I can do is remind them that long-term weight loss and fitness...overall health, takes time and investment. No, that's not something most of us want to hear or are used to hearing even, but it's the truth.
Everyone has a starting point, even those individuals who want to be fitness competitors; they don't usually start out with eight-pack abs (and most don't and shouldn't stay that way after a competition either--particularly women, but that's for another time). Consistency is the "fastest" way to achieving your weight-loss goals. You MUST be consistent, even after "off" days or even "off" weeks. When I say "off" I mean that you don't feel well, your kids require extra time, your job requires more hours than there are in the day and you have to skip your workout...if you are going to reach your goals, you have to bounce back from those little stops and starts that ALL of us endure in life.
I recommend aiming for a pound lost a week for those gals in the US or for those across the pond, a little less than a kilo lost a week. Some weeks will be better than others. Some weeks you'll lose more than a kilo, some weeks you'll lose less, but the key is that you keep consistent, you keep walking, you keep putting good things into your body to fuel your new life( and no, a pint doesn't count!), you keep moving forward.
Weight loss and overall health is NOT something that you should do quickly. You shouldn't want to; holistic health should be a lifelong commitment that becomes part of who you are, no matter the individual journey or goals. Throughout the years my clients have ranged from those considered morbidly obese to those who want to compete in fitness competitions and while the goals are different, the demand for speedy results is always the same. I can't give that to either end of the spectrum...well, I could but I would be considered an unethical trainer for sure. What I can do is remind them that long-term weight loss and fitness...overall health, takes time and investment. No, that's not something most of us want to hear or are used to hearing even, but it's the truth.
Everyone has a starting point, even those individuals who want to be fitness competitors; they don't usually start out with eight-pack abs (and most don't and shouldn't stay that way after a competition either--particularly women, but that's for another time). Consistency is the "fastest" way to achieving your weight-loss goals. You MUST be consistent, even after "off" days or even "off" weeks. When I say "off" I mean that you don't feel well, your kids require extra time, your job requires more hours than there are in the day and you have to skip your workout...if you are going to reach your goals, you have to bounce back from those little stops and starts that ALL of us endure in life.
I recommend aiming for a pound lost a week for those gals in the US or for those across the pond, a little less than a kilo lost a week. Some weeks will be better than others. Some weeks you'll lose more than a kilo, some weeks you'll lose less, but the key is that you keep consistent, you keep walking, you keep putting good things into your body to fuel your new life( and no, a pint doesn't count!), you keep moving forward.
I Love Sweets! What Do I Do?
Well first, you laugh...because of course you love sweets--most of us do! The second thing you do is get rid of them--mostly. Yes, as a trainer I don't really want my gals over indulging in the refined sugars of the world and those sugars are in EVERYTHING from your favorite pasta sauce to of course the Cosmos you're drinking with the gals after work. If weight-loss is your issue, then you really need to pay attention to the amount of refined sugar you're consuming. Now, when I say "refined" I mean processed sugar, the white stuff that's in your snacks, the high fructose corn syrup that shows up in tomato sauce and of course the loads of it that you'll find in your favorite yogurt. It's everywhere and it can add up to extra pounds before you can say "split a dessert?" Is it horrible for you? Weeell...not in the broad scheme of things and I know there will be many who are very anti-sugar and that's fine, but I'm all about moderation and enjoying life because it's short. Do you need to be aware of the amount of processed sugar and chemicals you're putting into your body? Absolutely! Would I prefer that you steer clear of excess sugar in your diet? Yes! Can it sideline your goals for overall health if you're consuming foods loaded with artificial sweeteners? YES IT CAN! Do you have to cut it out cold? No...you can start slowly. Becoming aware and educating yourself on labels, on what is making up the foods you eat, is a great place to start. Is sugar the "death" of human society? I'm gonna say probably not....BUT consuming too much will not get you the long, healthy life you deserve! What's too much, you ask and that's a tough one because I don't know what you're eating on a daily basis, but most doctors recommend for women no more than 24 grams of sugar a day... that's equal to 6 teaspoons a day.
I recommend replacing the sugar you're adding to things, with AGAVE syrup. It's a plant based sweetener that requires A LOT less of it to make things sweet. It's also low glycemic, which means it will not cause a sharp increase in your blood sugar or a "crash" as your body tries to regulate said increase. It's released slowly throughout your system unlike white or processed sugars. I also recommend, if you're a sweets gal, that you try cutting out one sugary snack a week. One a week. So if you indulge in a drink everyday after work AND you eat dessert AND you munch a few chocolates while you're riding the rail...cut ONE of those out please. You pick. Then the next week, you cut another and so on until by the end of the month, hopefully you're down to one if any, heavily processed sugary foods/drinks.
Really what I'm asking and what I ask of all of my clients, is to just pay attention. Pay attention to what you're putting into your body and ask yourself these questions. "Will this food help me be physically strong enough to achieve my fitness goals?" "Will the third Cosmo help me crank out that circuit of push-ups and squats that I know I need to do tomorrow?" "Will that scone with butter and jam really help me get through a 30 minute workout or run around with my kids at the park like they deserve?" I think you know the answers because you're just that smart--start remembering that please!
Until next time...and as always, please feel free to contact me with your own questions and I'll be happy to help you discover the answers!
I recommend replacing the sugar you're adding to things, with AGAVE syrup. It's a plant based sweetener that requires A LOT less of it to make things sweet. It's also low glycemic, which means it will not cause a sharp increase in your blood sugar or a "crash" as your body tries to regulate said increase. It's released slowly throughout your system unlike white or processed sugars. I also recommend, if you're a sweets gal, that you try cutting out one sugary snack a week. One a week. So if you indulge in a drink everyday after work AND you eat dessert AND you munch a few chocolates while you're riding the rail...cut ONE of those out please. You pick. Then the next week, you cut another and so on until by the end of the month, hopefully you're down to one if any, heavily processed sugary foods/drinks.
Really what I'm asking and what I ask of all of my clients, is to just pay attention. Pay attention to what you're putting into your body and ask yourself these questions. "Will this food help me be physically strong enough to achieve my fitness goals?" "Will the third Cosmo help me crank out that circuit of push-ups and squats that I know I need to do tomorrow?" "Will that scone with butter and jam really help me get through a 30 minute workout or run around with my kids at the park like they deserve?" I think you know the answers because you're just that smart--start remembering that please!
Until next time...and as always, please feel free to contact me with your own questions and I'll be happy to help you discover the answers!
No comments:
Post a Comment