Fitness Together - Concord

Losing The Last Few Pounds

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 13:26:00 -0500

Losing the Last Few Pounds

By Johnny Kuettner, ISSA Elite Trainer Trainer

In the quest of losing fat, those last few pounds are usually hardest. Just as in many cases, finishing the last mile or writing that last sentence. Obstacles get in the way of obtaining the ultimate goal. In order to lose the last few pounds of body fat, sacrifice, dedication, and modification will help you in reaching this goal. In making these changes it is not suggested to spend additional hours working out or starving yourself. After awhile your body becomes accustomed to a certain routine and becomes programmed to this. In order to de-program, you must make a few adjustments to kick-start your routine. Losing those last pounds of fat can be as simple as changing a few variables in your current regimen. Making simple modifications to your diet, cardiovascular, and/or weight training can accomplish this.

One area where there could be room for adjustment is your diet. Making simple changes can help in eliminating those last few pounds. If you follow a healthy diet, it can be a matter of just adding an additional healthy meal or two and decreasing your regular portions if you are not consuming at least five balanced meals a day. A key component will be substituting examples as follows:

Switch form 1% to skim milk or from whole to 2% or 1%.
Use light or fat free dressings instead of full fat.
Look at food labels you eat each day and try to find lighter versions in order to cut calories.
Draining the fat on your cooked meats.
Adding more fiber (fruits, vegetables, & whole grains) which will fill you up and help you consume fewer calories.

By changing to lighter or fat-free, diet or sugar-free, you are making a big step in eliminating calories from your diet. This will drastically reduce fat and sugar consumption, kick starting your body into shedding those last few pounds. Also, adding healthy snacks such as fruit will not only fill you up but also prevents you from eating more calories during your next meal.

If you find that you are adhering to the aforementioned diet then you would most likely have to change another variable while continuing with our healthy eating habits. An excellent way to burn more calories would be making changes in your cardiovascular routine. Here are a few ways:

Picking up the intensity by walking a little faster on the treadmill or raising the incline, which will burn more calories. Also if you are walking include some jogging or add some sprints.

Changing the duration of workout. Adding 10 minutes of jumping rope, kickboxing, and/or running is a sure-fire way of burning additional calories.
Include circuit training in your routine. This is combining strength training and cardiovascular exercise right after the other with no rest. An example would be doing a set of tricep pushdowns followed by (30-60 sec.) of jumping rope, repeating three times, then next round would follow a set of shoulder presses going right into step-ups.

By making slight adjustments, by adding another activity and/or increasing the intensity will burn those calories in reaching your goal. Last but not least the most overlooked factor or “Trump Card” is pumping iron. In the beginning you might not notice a significant decrease in weight loss but might notice changes in appearance. Muscle weighs more than fat, the more muscle you have the more fat and calories you will burn.

Just as in diet your weight training program can reach a plateau. Changing variables here as well will prevent stagnant results and get you closer towards your goal. Here are a few ways in adding variety.

Change the exercises. For example if you continue to do bicep curls with a bar, switch to dumbbells, cables, change the grip, and/or add a twisting motion. Also, if you are constantly doing chest presses or flyes on a flat bench, try varying the angles of the bench by switching to an incline or decline.
Change the weights/reps. If you continually working at 15 reps, increase the weight and drop the rep range down to 10-12. If you are working on strength and completing 6-8 reps, decrease the weight and increase the rep range to 8-12.

Weight training added to cardiovascular program and a sound diet will go a long way in helping to shed those last few pounds and promote continued overall good health.

In sum, those who are looking to shed the last couple of pounds of body fat are eager and determined. Most have a regimen that they consistently adhere to. However, complacency does not always finish the job and by changing the variables and stepping it up to a new level will definitely shake things up. Quick fixes such as; extremely low-calorie diets, fad diets, or fasting are not the answer and will only lead to additional problems down the road. Patience and consistency will be the virtue towards your success, leading to a healthier lifestyle and more permanent solution. What I have suggested is a matter of tweaking. The information I have provided is not new or cutting edge, they are proven methods that work.

EAT LIKE AN OLYMPIAN: Go For the Nutritional Gold

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 09:09:00 -0500

EAT LIKE AN OLYMPIAN: Go For the Nutritional Gold

We can all take inspiration from the remarkable athletes competing in this year’s summer Olympic games (in London from July 27, 2012 to August 12, 2012). These athletes not only train their bodies and their minds to perfection, they also know that their nutrition plays a key role in the recipe for an Olympic champion. Training and competing in the Olympics involves an immense amount of hard work, dedication and perseverance. Eating a healthy diet sufficient in nutrients and with enough calories to fuel competition and training is an important component of all athlete’s training plans and just may be the deciding factor in that tenth of a second that distinguishes gold from silver. Take this opportunity to tap into the Olympic energy swirling around the world this summer and see if you can incorporate some or all of the 6 nutrition tips below and you will eating like an Olympian!

1. Eat breakfast and wake up a winner. Mom was right, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Athletes know that they must fuel their workouts with nutritious foods or they will not be able to train and compete to the best of their ability. Ideally it is best to “break the fast” with a whole grain (oatmeal wins the gold for heart health), mixed with a calcium and protein-rich liquid (such as fat-free milk or soy milk) and topped with vitamin and antioxidant-rich fresh fruit (such as blueberries).

2. Eat at home more often. Athletes must ensure that what they put in their mouths is top quality food that has the highest nutrient to calorie ratio. This means that athletes minimize the amount of “empty” calories they consume by limiting refined sugars, flours, and “bad” fats. When we eat out, we are served gargantuan portion sizes packed with too much sodium, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar and refined carbs. Cooking at home more often will allow you to control what goes in your mouth. Start with fresh, unprocessed food and flavor your meals with more healthful alternatives.

3. Eat small frequent meals for endurance. Another principle many professional athletes embrace is to eat small, frequent meals. Olympic athletes begin early by fueling-up with a quality breakfast and then continue to fuel throughout the day with healthy meals consisting of low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and “good” fats. Eating lots of healthful mini-meals keeps energy levels up and powers the body over a 12 hour time span. Although the main nutrient in an athlete’s diet is healthy carbohydrates (such as fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains such as quinoa, steel cut oats, potatoes, brown rice, and 100% whole wheat pasta and breads), athletes also know to include quality protein sources such as lean beef, poultry, eggs, beans and fish as well as a smaller amount of “good” fats such as olive oil, nuts, seeds and fatty fish.

4. Rehydrate but limit liquid calories. Athletes drink plenty of water to keep hydrated through the day, and so should you. Sports drinks have been marketed as the elite athletes “secret weapon” for peak performance, however in reality this is not the case. Hard core athletes know that sports drinks were designed to be consumed during training or during the event - not to drink all day long. Water is still the best for rehydration (for most of us) unless we are competing in long distance endurance events.

5. Eat those carbs. Athletes look at what they put into their bodies as essential fuel to perform. Carbohydrate is the muscle’s primary form of energy so the athlete’s plate will most often consist of foods that are packed with carbohydrates (as well as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals) to maximize performance.

6. Eat healthy fats and limit fried foods. Fried foods are not only high in calories, but often contain “bad” fats. Athletes typically limit their intake of fried foods and instead compliment their meals and snacks with more healthful plant based sources of fats such as nuts, avocados, olive oil, canola oil, and fatty fish.

Follow these six tips with the support of Fitness Together and you’ll surely be staying fit and striving for nutritional gold. A Fitness Together trainer will develop a program designed to meet your specific goals. You’ll also receive nutritional counseling through the Nutrition Together program, which will complement your workouts. To find the Fitness Together studio nearest you, visit fitnesstogether.com.

Let Fitness Together help you eat like an Olympian!