Always be your best
Whether you do charity work, love to garden, redecorate your home or use your time to help your family, there is something far more important. That’s taking care of your health. Your best project will always be you, or at least it should be. Too many people put aside fitness, because they feel they’re being selfish using their time to make their life better. The reverse is actually true. If you don’t do your best to have a healthy lifestyle, it’s actually a selfish act. Not only could it result in illness, where you can’t help others, it also could require other people taking their time to help you. While you’ll look and feel better, fitness isn’t all about vanity. It’s about good common sense.
Exercising on a regular basis stay healthier.
Exercise is extremely beneficial to keep your body functioning at its best. One study showed that for every minute of exercise, you gained seven minutes of a healthy life. While these are just statistics, there are so many studies that prove exercising helps you maintain good health and none that show it’s unhealthy that you can’t ignore them. Not only does exercise help prevent diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and yes, even some forms of cancer, it also has been shown to be as effective for slowing bone loss of osteoporosis as some medications. The only side effects are more energy, better weight control and a toned fit body.
Eating healthy is part of the program
Do you grab quick snacks on the run? Do you skip meals because you’re too busy to eat and then binge on sugary treats later? Is fast food the only food you have time to eat? If you answered yes to all of these questions, you’re like millions of people in this country. Either work, family or both take their time and there’s none left over to sit prepare and sit down to a healthy meal. Luckily, there’s a solution. Learning to eat healthy means you can eat almost anywhere, but need to make smart choices in the foods you select. It may take a little extra time at the end of the day to prepare healthy snacks, but it’s well worth the effort and if you’ve started a workout program, you’ll have the extra energy to do it. If you’re a mother, the people who often put their needs last, learning to cook healthy not only boosts the potential for your good health, but the health of your family, too.
Feeling good about yourself provides a good mental state for helping others.
When you take care of your own needs, it’s a step toward appreciating yourself. Loving yourself may sound foreign or narcissistic, but it’s not. Loving yourself is a positive thing. It’s not saying you’re better than anyone else, but saying you are important enough to be treated with respect and kindness. That kindness and respect should start with your own self treatment. The first thing that many people notice when they start a fitness program is that their self-image improves. That’s a start. Once you feel you’re worthy, others will show you the same respect.
Exercise burns off the hormones created by stress. As every busy person can attest, life is filled with stressors. A vigorous workout can burn off the hormones created by stress that can create health issues.
Getting a good night’s sleep is important too. If you lay awake at night worrying about everyone’s needs, exercise can help. Not only does exercise burn off stress hormones and replace them with ones that make you feel good, it helps you sleep better at night, too.
Studies show that people who smile a lot are healthier. Taking care of yourself is validation that you’re a good person and that’s something to smile about, plus when you workout regularly, your body sends “happy hormones” to your system that makes smiling easier.
Your posture improves when you workout and you’ll feel better. Both give you a boost of energy that you can use to help others.
So Called Healthy Foods To Avoid
If you’re trying to eat healthy by choosing foods that look like they’re beneficial, you may be in for a big surprise. There are foods that do have health benefits, but when they’re processed they disappear. Not only that, processed foods often have other ingredients added, which often include chemical preservatives to extend their shelf life. Here are some healthy foods to avoid and the reasons why.
Nut butters in a jar may not be healthy.
I included the words, “in a jar,” to indicate processed nut butters sold commercially. Nut butters are an important source of protein and healthy fats. They contain phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and fiber. According to a report from Mayo Clinic, nuts provide aid in controlling cholesterol. Cashews and cashew butter, for instance helps reduce blood pressure, protects against cataracts, can aid in the prevention of diabetes, helps build blood cells and provides antioxidants. They also help prevent weight gain and aid in building strong bones. When you eat pre-processed nut butters, often “extra” ingredients are added. These ingredients include palm oil, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil, extra sodium, extra sugar and milk products. Find a whole food store that offers organic nuts in bulk and make your own with a food processor. Some stores even have one available, so you pay for the nut butter (same price per pound) at the check out as you would for the nuts.
Trail mix is deceptive.
When you hear trail mix, you automatically envision a picture of snacking on it while climbing a mountain or following a path in the woods. That’s the quintessential picture of health. Today’s commercial trail mix contains almost as much candy as it does healthy food. Again, homemade is best if you want to control ingredients—such as using small amounts of dark chocolate with nuts and homemade dried fruit. Note the ingredients of commercial dried fruit. If it has sweeteners, sulfites or any other ingredient besides the fruit, don’t include it. It has become far less healthy.
Soy foods that imitate other foods.
I always say, “Never eat a food that’s pretending to be something else.” That may sound strange, but it actually is a healthy rule to follow. Soy products or other imitation foods that profess to be meat substitutes, such as soy burgers, veggy burgers made with beans or rice, soy bars, soy protein powder and soy yogurt and milk are all processed. Not only does it affect the nutritional quality, it adds extra ingredients that aren’t necessarily healthy. By now you should realize my finger pointing to unhealthy foods is pointing to processed foods that were healthy before processing.
Diet “TV dinners” are stripped of their nutrients and often contain extra sodium. You may be getting fewer calories, but also shorting yourself on nutrients.
Those yummy health food bars are really candy bars in disguise or close to it. Opt for other quick snacks or make them yourself, allowing you to control the ingredients.
Fat free sugary treats or those with artificial sweeteners. Fat free treats often contain more sugar or sweeteners to enhance the flavor. If that sweetener is artifical, it’s probably bad for you or at least suspicious. There are a number of different studies and a great deal of controversy. It’s best to keep consumption at a minimum.
Be wary of energy drinks and stick to water.
Exercises You Can Do At The Office
There are many reasons to find exercises you can do at the office,, however, replacing a program of regular exercise is not one of them. Breaking the monotony of the day, getting your blood circulating to think clearer and preventing aches and pains that come from sitting in the same position too long are three good ones, however. Even with a program of regular exercise, doing some simple “office exercises” can increase the amount of activity you get daily and be a boon to your health.
Keep it simple with these three exercises.
If you have a cubical or office that protects you from view, Others might avoid entering the elevator with you if they see you doing some of these exercises without knowing why. For instance, walking and running in place, lifting your knees as high as possible for a 30 seconds to a minute will look rather odd, but it does do wonders. Standing up and sitting down repeatedly to mimic squats could be another eyebrow raiser that also is excellent. Using the edge of your desk to do push ups as a modification, or even getting on the floor to do them, as long as you can’t be seen.
Raise yourself up with tricep dips.
To help avoid bat wings and tone the back of the arm, tricep dips are a good exercise. Don’t use the floor to do the dip, particularly when dressed in good clothing. Instead, sit on the edge of your desk, put your hands on the desk behind you with your fingers pointing toward your body and lift yourself up off the desk, then slowly lower yourself down.
Be the office kook and lunge everywhere you go.
To do a lunge, you take a step forward about two to three feet, with one foot, let’s say the right foot, leaving the other foot in place. Bend both knees until you’re down in lunge position with both knees at a 90 degree angle. (The back knee will touch the floor). Stand back up, bring your left foot forward to meet the right foot, then step forward with the left foot and repeat. It will take you quite a bit of time to get very far, so make sure you’re not on a mission that needs to be completed quickly.
- Lean against a wall and slowly lower yourself down to sitting position. Don’t do this against a cubical wall, unless you thrive on the excitement of things crashing.
- Take a quick break and stand when you can. You don’t have to sit down to read a correspondence, so don’t. Just standing is helpful.
- Go up on tip toes while waiting for technology or people. Place your feet shoulder width apart and go up on your tip toes and lower until the papers are all collated at the printer or your takeout is ready.
- Squeeze your glutes. No one will ever know you’re squeezing your buttocks but you. It’s the perfect under cover exercise for the office.
Find A Motivational Book
Losing weight and getting into shape can be easier if you find a motivational book to provide words of wisdom to feed your mind. Let’s face it, losing weight is like any other challenge in life. You need a goal, a plan to get their and the motivation to follow those steps daily. Tony Robbins, a motivational speaker and book writer, got into the business because he was obese in high school and decided to turn his life around. His success led him to helping others reach their goals. Good advice for success translates to every area of your life.
Create a motivational list of phrases.
Sticky notes can help you when they contain positive messages. Use a sticky note with phrases like, “Eat less sugar, you’re sweet enough,” or “Good habits are as addictive as bad habits, but so much more rewarding.” Gather your own personal favorites and write them out, then post them in appropriate places. You might put a reminder to eat healthier on the refrigerator, such as “Think skinny jeans” or use whatever motivates you to stay on track of your goals.
Create a motivational song list.
I have a client that exercises to an endless loop of “Easy Street,” a song used to torture Daryl when he was locked in a compound. It’s an extremely happy song, which makes her smile. It also drives her spouse crazy, which she says is just a bonus. She knows that 24 repetitions of the song is a 40 minute workout, so she uses it once a week to dance to 24 repetitions. In the past, she used disco favorites like “I will Survive,” “St. Elmo’s Fire–Man in Motion,” or the theme from any Rocky movie. It provides a beat for the workout and a message at the same time.
Set realistic goals.
You may want and need to lose 100 pounds, but don’t expect to do it the first few months. Setting achievable goals is important. While a huge weight loss goal can seem unattainable, breaking it down to smaller, more achievable goals can help. You’ll appreciate yourself more if you set a 10 percent weight loss goal. In this case, it would be 10 pounds, then set a reasonable time for it to happen, such as a month. As a personal trainer, I try to help clients set goals that are achievable and healthy, so they can celebrate the accomplishment.
Don’t be a perfectionist when it comes to weight loss. People who expect to be perfect often give up when they fall off the wagon and give up completely.
Phone a friend. Get a workout buddy or diet buddy you can phone when you need a boost.
Cheer for your successes, no matter how small. If you’re new to working out, it may be enduring a cardio for five minutes longer or lifting a heavier weight. Be your own cheerleader.
Change your lifestyle. Most people gain weight out of habit. A habit of eating poorly, leading a sedentary lifestyle and grabbing snacks and fast food on the go. Change your habits and change your life.
Favorite Cheat Meal
I have my own personal favorite cheat meal that I allow myself to indulge in periodically. I know it’s not what I recommend others to eat, but it is one I love and look forward to eating when I want a lift or just the taste of this food. For years, high calorie junk food was a treat that you only got on special occasions. Today, it’s become a way of life. For those who switched to a healthier lifestyle, a cheat meal actually can help you lose weight, while giving you a treat. One thing to remember when eating your cheat meal is that portions still count. Don’t overstuff yourself because it’s a cheat, eat normal portions.
Focus on one splurge per week.
A cheat meal isn’t a carte blanche invitation to consume everything at a buffet, but rather a chance to consume extra calories and one favorite dish you love. Take time to plan your cheat, whether it’s a treat at the end of the week of a pasta dish, a martini or two or a delectible dessert, just choose one. Planning ahead will help you resist the temptation of piling on the calories and feeding at the trough of all three of these items. It also makes the treat even more special, savoring every minute during the process of deciding how to cheat and then enjoying the bounty of your decision.
Cheat meals help you boost your metabolism.
You’ll increase your leptin levels with a cheat meal. Leptin is the hormone that tells the body it’s hungry. When it drops, the metabolism slows to prevent a calorie shortage for important functions and to save energy. The cheat meal tricks the system into believing all is well and there’s a bounty of food, so burning some extra fat is a good thing. Increasing your calorie allotment with a cheat meal once a week tricks the body and keeps your metabolism running at full speed.
Don’t eat a cheat meal when you’re starving.
You may think it’s a great idea to skip meals the day of the cheat meal, but it’s counter-productive. It encourages eating far more calories than a cheat meal should contain. Eat normal, healthy meals throughout the day and even healthy snacks so you aren’t famished. It will save you from eating all the rolls and asking the neighboring table for theirs. Cheating a bit is good, cheating a lot can set you back.
Limit your cheat meal to one per week. A little is good, a lot is not and can wipe out progress quickly.
Eat normal meals later in the day before a dinner cheat meal. It will keep you fuller so you won’t be tempted to overeat your cheat. Make sure you have a protein and high fiber veggie earlier to help slow down digestion and keep you feeling fuller for portion control.
Exercise hard the day of the cheat meal to burn glycogen reserves so it won’t store the extra calories as fat.
Sit down and savor every bite. Don’t grab your cheat meal on the run. If you’re eating out, check the menu first online to pick your favorite and don’t be tempted to go to a buffet. It’s too easy to cheat at your cheat meal there.
Best Vitamins For Weight Loss
Good nutrition and a well rounded, healthy diet is the top priority for weight loss, but there are vitamins for weight loss that can help get you into shape faster, particularly if you’re lacking them. B-complex vitamins, for example aid in metabolizing proteins, carbohydrates and fat. B12 helps prevent anemia that can slow the metabolic process. B6 helps break down fat. Niacin, another B vitamin, may be more important if you’re overweight. While it doesn’t necessarily cause weight loss, it does help convert food to energy. If you’re overweight, you may need more niacin. These vitamins help unlock the energy stored in fat so you can use it. Co-enzyme A also aids in the process.
You need to improve the production of L-carnitine.
L-carnitine is an amino acid that encourages fat burning. The body makes this amino acid by synthesizing lysine and methionine in the liver, both of which are essential amino acids. Carnine helps to transport the fatty acid to the cells where it’s turned into energy. It also releases triglycerides into the bloodstream and muscles for energy. Vitamin B-6, niacin and iron increases that production.
Mitochondria are the power centers of the cells.
Coenzyme Q10 isn’t exactly a vitamin, but it acts like a vitamin. You may find it labeled ubiquinone. It is in the energy centers of every cell, the mitochondria. It helps increase the oxygen to the muscle cells and improve strength and muscle efficiency. For those with a physical restriction from a heart condition, this supplement allows them to lengthen their exercise time, thus burning more calories.
Women are often low in iron, which is necessary to create hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the part of the blood that carries oxygen to the muscles, which starts the process of burning fat. Low levels lower your metabolic rate and slows weight loss.
Several studies, including one published in the 2005 in the “Journal of the American College of Nutrition,” show that people deficient in the sunshine vitamin, vitamin C, have a harder time losing weight.
Vegetarians need to be particularly aware of their nutritional intake, since many tend to lack several important nutrients for weight loss, including B12.
You can boost your weight loss and nutrition level by adding herbs and spices to your cooking. Turmeric, for example, contains curcumin, which not only provides other health benefits, it also boosts the metabolism. Sprinkling a little turmeric on your eggs, in your smoothie or on dinner dishes can help you shed pounds. Cinnamon, cumen and cayenne pepper are also good for weight loss. Cumen and cayenne pepper help burn fat while cinnamon levels blood sugar to prevent highs and lows.
Herbs And Spices For Weight Loss
Herbs and spices for weight loss not only flavor your meals and make them far more enjoyable, while adding nutrients without adding calories, they help your body shed pounds in other ways. Some actually aid in boosting your metabolism, while others may keep your appetite in check. Many of these have substantial health benefits, too. Turmeric, for example, was used in a study on mice. When the mice had turmeric added to a high fat diet, they ate the same amount, but gained less weight and fat. Other studies show it helps speed the metabolism of fat and helps weight loss. It can help prevent diabetes, cure heartburn, slow Altzheimer’s, prevent cancer and lower the risk of heart attack.
Cinnamon and ginger are metabolism boosters, too.
Cinnamon not only smells yummy and adds loads of flavor, it’s a good spice for regulating blood sugar. That makes it exceptionally good for anyone with diabetes. It helps reduce bad cholesterol levels in the blood as well, while increasing glucose metabolism. Ginger not only boosts the metabolic rate but helps your stomach and other parts of the body with its anti-inflammatory properties and can prevent heart disease, stroke and cancer.
Just ask for the pepper, not the salt.
Black pepper has a strong flavor that comes from the piperine it contains. That’s not all it does. The piperine also interferes with the formation of new fat cells. One study showed that when combined with other herbs, such as red pepper, it helped the body burn extra calories. These were the same number of calories one might burn taking a 20 minute walk each day. That doesn’t mean eating pepper can substitute for exercise, but it can help boost the effects. It also boosts the effectiveness of other nutrients and is anti-bacterial and an antioxidant.
Turn on the heat with Cayenne pepper.
The capsaicin in hot peppers provide the heat and can even help you in the battle against the bulge. Its spicy flavor adds a sizzling to the meal because of the capsaicin, which is also why you find it in rubs to relieve muscle pain. It helps shrink fat tissue, lower blood fat levels, decrease calorie intake and helps fight fat build up. It’s a thermogenic substance, which helps heat up the body and can boost metabolism by as much as 5 percent.
Cardamom also helps boost your metabolism so you burn more fat. It helps with intestinal problems too.
Cumin helps burn body fat, while also providing many health benefits for the body, including aiding respiratory problems, digestion, skin disorders and more.
Garlic not only wards off vampires (according to some sources), but also helps you burn fat. It has other amazing health benefits too.
Don’t get sucked into paying high prices for these herbs and spices capsules as supplements when you can buy them in your grocery store as spices, use them for cooking and get the benefits, plus a tastier meal. Eating healthier with more nutrition can be extremely tasty.
Train For Your First 5K
Many of our clients’ first goals are just to lose weight and get into shape. That’s really the hardest goal to achieve. Once they’re in shape, they set new goals that are both exciting and tax their new fitness level. Whether you train for your first 5k, take up surfing or decide mountain climbing is your next goal, we can help. Marathons, like the 5k, are a very popular goal, and like any other sport, require special training.
Each sport requires different type of training.
Basic fitness is the first requirement for any sport. If you have a good base, it’s time to get sports specific, while maintaining your overall exercise program. For running, using a combination of interval, Fartlek and tempo training provides benefits. Fartlek training is more freeform than the other two, varying both terrain and speed. It’s good for improving stamina and mental strength. Interval training is a burst of speed for a short period, followed by a recovery period at a lower pace. You can use it to improve form, endurance and it does a great job of burning fat. Tempo training has a warm up, a pace above your comfort level and then warming down. It’s excellent to help your run faster without as much effort and closely resembles what you’ll feel in a race.
Sports that require quick movements with brief rests in between benefit from interval training.
While interval training is good for runners, it’s also great for athletes participating in basketball, ruby, soccer and other sports that require a quick burst of energy. It is also one of the best cardio exercises to build endurance fast. You can use interval training with any type of exercise. Just go at top speed for a while, have an equal, if not longer period of recovery, where you’re moving far slower and volley between the two for a set period.
Talk to our trainers about your new goal.
Not only will trainers provide a great deal of help showing different exercising techniques, they’ll also supply some great exercises specific to your sport. The trainer will also assess all your levels of fitness, strength, endurance, flexibility and balance to insure you’re ready on all levels. You’ll be surprised at the type of training they may suggest. You might not think that a runner needs strength training, but it’s vital. You need strength training to prevent injury and improve performance. In fact, running more won’t help as much as a well rounded program with strength training as part of it.
Alternate between working out at the gym and practicing your skills. If it’s running, run three days a week and cross train the other three.
Make sure you eat healthy. Some runner’s for instance follow certain nutritional guides, particularly right before the race.
Keep a positive attitude and look for improvement. Track your progress, just as you would for any goal. Make sure you include all the skills necessary for the sport and work on them diligently.
Never give up. You can achieve any goal you decide to do with a little perseverance, a lot of sweat and hard work.
Be Your Own Project
It doesn’t matter what your hobby, whether gardening and bringing life from the soil or finding great antiques to refurbish, there’s another project you should always have at the top of your list and that’s you. You should be your own project, bring life and energy back into your body while making it fabulous looking in the process. Not only will be able to proudly show off the results to more other people, you’ll have more energy for other things you love to do.
It doesn’t matter what the project, when you start seeing the change you’re more motivated to continue.
That’s one reason people love working with our personal trainers. They get to see results faster. It’s like anything else, when the plants start poking through the garden or that bureau you’re refinishing shows signs of life, you get excited to continue and see what other miracles it has to behold. The greatest part of being your own project is that you get many other big benefits besides just looking great.
You’ll be healthier and work faster, with time left over for other things.
One huge reason to take care of yourself first is to have the energy for other activities. The time you take exercising and eating healthier reflects in how quickly you can accomplish other tasks. Both mental and physical tasks become easier when you’re in shape. Several studies show exercising improves your cognitive thinking and even helps prevent or slow dementia. It creates new neural paths in the brain to make learning easier. Of course, the strength, endurance and flexibility helps in your everyday life. It lets you work or play longer, carry heavier loads and prevents injury from doing simple tasks.
Best of all, you’ll shed extra pounds and look years younger than you did before you exercised.
This project has huge benefits that you can see right away, plus many that aren’t as visible, but still there. The slimmer, well defined body that exercise creates is one of those and it comes with a more youthful appearance. The bounce in your step accounts for some of that, but your complexion is the other part. Exercising stimulates circulation, sending oxygen and nutrition rich blood to all parts of the body, creating a shimmering glow and younger appearance.
The new you will have a sexier appearance and an improved sex drive. Part of the reason is your new self-confidence and improved self-image.
You’ll be healthier. In fact, your doctor will probably tell you that your cholesterol, blood pressure and sugar level numbers all improved. Exercising regularly also helps stave off osteoporosis even better than some medications and the only side effect is a super fit body.
You’ll sleep better at night. A good night’s sleep is both heart healthy and helps you avoid sugary snacks you might need otherwise to boost your energy level.
Once you start your program, you’ll love finding great recipes that are healthy and may even make this a brand new hobby.
Summer Is Here
Summer is here, but you still have time to get into shape for your favorite summer wear. If you’re not ready to go try on bathing suits, it’s a call to action to get into shape. It doesn’t take long when you have the help of a personal trainer to see results. We can help you improve dramatically if you give us just thirty days of dedication. After seeing the quick results, you won’t want to stop there and you’ll be back to a youthful appearance that could be better than you’ve ever looked in your life!
We know you’re a unique person.
Here at NLF, we know everyone has different issues they face when it comes to fitness. That’s why we get to know a little about you before creating a program. We ask about your goals, learn about your eating habits and even assess your overall fitness before we design a plan. We have over 40 of Orange County’s best personal trainer to insure you have the best personal trainer for your needs.
We help you with nutritional programs, workouts and support.
Getting into shape, whether underweight or overweight, requires the right fuel. Your body is like an expensive vehicle, if you don’t give it the right type of fuel, it simply won’t run properly. One thing is certain, neither your body nor a car will run well on sugar water! We combine healthy eating with a vigorous workout that helps build muscle tissue while it burns calories. If you’re trying to lose weight, you’ll be giving fat a double whammy, burning more calories while eating fewer.
We’ll provide the motivation and help make the workout fun.
Fun is not the same as easy. In fact, most of our clients find the workout is tough, but that’s just what makes it so rewarding. It will challenge you, but you’ll see results faster and results are the ultimate motivator. You’ll start to see your fitness level improve dramatically. That’s when we up the ante, changing the workout to match your newly achieved level of fitness so you’ll always be working your hardest.
You’ll boost your energy and have plenty for a summer of fun, which also burns more calories while helping you enjoy life more.
As you build muscle tissue, you’ll burn even more calories. Muscle tissue requires more calories for maintenance than fat tissue does, so it boosts your metabolism.
You’ll feel more confident and even walk taller. Not only does looking great boost your confidence, the exercise improves your posture to give you presence and make you look thinner.
The exercise not only burns off the hormones created by stress, it stimulates the brain to create ones that make you feel good.
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- …
- 14
- Next Page »