Ask the Personal Trainer - I Run so I can Eat!

Posted in: Fitness // 1 Comment

By Wes Greer

If you’ve ever worn (or chuckled at) one of those “I run so I can eat” t-shirts, this info is for you! How you eat goes hand in hand with your workout plans and is proven to bring people’s weight loss goals into their grasp more quickly and easily. Try these top 9 strategies from the Fitness Together experts to help you spell double trouble for extra pounds!

1. EAT HEALTHY TO STAY HEALTHY.
Studies show that people who eat an unhealthy diet (loaded with fast-food meals, sugary drinks, high-fat snacks, lots of desserts/sweets, and low in fruits and vegetables) have significantly higher rates of chronic disease such as high blood pressure and heart disease. The most successful weight loss programs provide clear and uncomplicated nutrition guidance via tools such as “this is a healthier choice than that” food graphics.

2. LOSE WEIGHT AT A SAFE RATE.
Weight lost too quickly often returns — sometimes with additional pounds. The safest diets promote weight loss of no more than two pounds (or 1% of total body weight) a week.

3. LEARN HOW TO CONTROL EMOTIONAL EATING.
Experts estimate that 75% of overeating is caused by emotions. Successful weight losers have learned to apply behavior modification tools to help them deal with their emotional eating triggers and learn healthful techniques to help manage these emotions.

4. CONTROL CALORIES AND PORTIONS.
Research has proven time and again that to lose weight you must consume fewer calories than your body expends, regardless of the carbs/fat/protein ratio. Nutrition Together uses a special “food-weight” system to help make these calories-in, calories-out calculations quick and easy to do on the fly — so you can still eat the foods you love and lose weight.

5. KEEP A JOURNAL.
Studies show that people are most successful at maintaining healthy eating habits when they watch and record the type and quantity of food consumed. Take it a step further with an Accountability Journal to help you track both eating and exercise choices.

6. WEIGH YOURSELF OFTEN.
Frequent weighing is proven to help clients achieve and sustain weight loss. Not weighing in is actually associated with greater weight regain. The Nutrition Together program encourages private, weekly weigh-ins, as well as periodic body fat and waist circumference measurements.

7. EAT SMALL, FREQUENT MEALS.
The more meals and snacks you eat a day, the healthier your weight is likely to be. Eating breakfast and eating frequently increases total calorie burn. Aim to eat a healthy breakfast every morning followed by four or five small meals throughout the day.

8. CHOOSE THE MACRONUTRIENT CONTENT OF YOUR MEALS WISELY.
The type of food you select can help you boost your metabolism and feel fuller and more satisfied longer. For example, protein reduces appetite and costs your body the most calories to metabolize. Fiber is filling and helps keep hunger at bay, helping you make wiser choices at major meals.

9. INCLUDE STRENGTH TRAINING, NOT JUST CARDIO.
The most successful programs for promoting health and long-term weight control involve combinations of exercise and diet. Balancing cardio exercise with strength training is the best prescription for promoting health, fitness and weight control. Fitness Together offers the ideal combination, (healthy eating advice and exercise) under one roof, with private, personalized one-on-one workouts and nutrition guidance.

Editor’s Note Wes Greer is owner of Fitness Together Jacksonville. Originally from Coffee County, Ga., Wes earned his B.S. in Engineering from Auburn University and worked as a Manufacturing Process Engineer until he decided to return to school. He then attended the University of South Carolina and Vienna School of Economics in Vienna Austria, where he earned an International M.B.A. Wes is a former NCAA athlete and has 15 years of experience as a personal trainer and fitness coach. Through his engineering, management and business experience, Wes has developed a keen understanding of people and how to motivate them. This plays a huge role in how he approaches his business and clients. Wes realizes how success becomes so much easier when you have someone in your corner.

“When combined with diet and exercise.”

Posted in: Fitness, Healthy Eating // 2 Comments

By Jon Vredenburg, MBA, RD, CSSD, LD/N

It seems like everyone has their piece of nutrition advice they want to share. From daytime television to supermarket tabloids we are overwhelmed with nuggets of what appear to be nutritional wisdom, but are in fact just witless.

The Dr. Oz television program seems to be a harbinger of several half-truths. Perhaps you have been recently captivated by the promise of raspberry ketones as the key to your weight loss program. A bottle of this supplement averages $20 to $30 but tastes nothing like raspberries. The claim is that the supplement will “cause the fat in your cells to get broken up more effectively and help your body burn fat faster”. Although the show’s pseudo-expert stated there “are no side effects” it can actually increase your heart rate and blood pressure because of its biological action. The truth? There is no convincing human research to support the supplement’s claims. You will find the convenient escape clause “When combined with diet and exercise” which pretty much translates as “Take this, we cannot prove it works – but diet and exercise is always good advice.”

This story repeats itself frequently in today’s marketplace. The nutrition supplement industry is not regulated in the same manner as prescription and over the counter drugs. The effectiveness of a nutrition supplement does not have to be proven before it is sold. Manufacturers can put generic claims like “Supports metabolism” or “Encourages fat burning” on the bottles, without providing any scientific evidence to support the statement. These are referred to as structure and function claims. They are sufficiently vague but strongly enticing. Despite its overall deception, it is perfectly legal. Frustrating, right?

Historically, I recommend very few nutrition supplements. If I do recommend a supplement it is usually an omega three fatty acid, vitamin D, iron or calcium. However, this is only after a thorough review of a person’s typical dietary intake to see what they are missing. I may also recommend a low dose multivitamin with minerals if they are making significant food restrictions. I also talk about ways to include the real food sources of the missing nutrients back into their diets with the hope that the supplement requirement is just short lived.

It is helpful and cost effective to be cynical in your evaluation of nutrition supplements. The best supplements are those that correct a deficiency and are supported by scientific evidence. Check with a Registered Dietitian to see if a supplement is right for you but steer clear of the dietitian that sells supplements. There is a definite conflict of interest in that regard.

Happy Mother’s Day

Posted in: Family // 3 Comments

By VIrginia J. Pillsbury

My mother has always provided me with a world of comfort. Even now with Alzheimer’s and limited memory, just sitting with her and holding her hand provides a love that I can get from no other.

One of the best gifts my mother gave me was just that fact that she listened to me. She always had a great capacity for listening to whatever I wanted to tell her as she did for each of her five children, her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She listened with love and, when needed, offered her wisdom.

While my mother passed on to me a lot of great life survival skills, I think the best thing she passed on to me was the gift of listening.

There is no one else I would rather talk to or listen to than one of my children. Their thoughts, dreams, questions, rants, raves and details of their lives are vitally important to me. I am so thankful that they share themselves with me.

My daughter Leslie recently sent me the following quote:
“Listen earnestly to anything that your children want to tell you, no matter what. If you don’t listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won’t tell you the big stuff when they are big, because to them all of it has always been big stuff.”

Happy Mother’s Day to my mother; thank you for being such a loving and listening role model to so many of us.

Is there a child waiting to tell you something?