Body Fit - St. Louis Personal Training

Cut Calories with Food Journaling

admin — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 23:13:26 +0000

At the end of a typical day, if someone were to ask you to list off everything you had eaten that day, could you do it? You would probably recall most of what you had but likely forgot to account for about 10-20% of that day’s caloric intake. Maybe you failed to remember the few times you grabbed that handful of m&ms at the office reception desk or perhaps you ate the remainder of your toddler’s uneaten dinner and forgot about it. These calories add up fast and are forgotten even faster!

A food journal is helpful in more ways than one. First of all, it keeps you accountable. Chances are you will not eat countless tortilla chips at your favorite Mexican restaurant If you know that you are going to have to write it down and see it on paper. Secondly, if you jot everything down, you can easily see where your weaknesses are and what you would like to change about your diet. Lastly, it is a great way to keep track of how many glasses of water you are drinking.

How to start a food journal
Some type their journal out on their smart phone while thers like to keep a little notepad and pen with them. If you are on your computer all day, keeping your journal typed in Microsoft Word may be easiest. Simplicity and convenience are key. Start by logging what time of day you ate and what/how much you ate. See the example below:

ex.

Monday 4/13
7am – piece of whole wheat toast with 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter
– banana
– coffee

10pm – handful of raw almonds
– piece of coffee cake

12:30pm – grilled chicken wrap (tortilla, 6 oz. grilled chicken, lettuce, 1/4 c. cheddar cheese, onion, 2 Tbsp. ranch dressing)
– orange
– 16 sour cream and onion potato chips
– glass of water

3pm – 20 mini pretzels
– glass of water

6:30pm – Turkey burger on whole wheat bun with a slice of swiss cheese
– 3 Tbsp. bbq sauce
– 1/2 of a sweet potato with 2 Tbsp. butter
– glass of water

10pm – 1c. cookies ‘n cream ice cream

It’s your journal. Be detailed or undetailed, formal or informal. Most importantly, make it routine. Be consistent for at least 2 weeks.

Myth of the Fat Burning Zone

admin — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:12:49 +0000

There’s an idea that has been traveling around for a long while now about the “Fat Burning Zone”. The concept is that if you stay in your “Fat Burning Zone” you will burn more fat and thus lose weight faster. Almost every piece of cardiovascular equipment has a graph with this zone hi-lighted which leads the public to believe that if they work at a lower intensity they will actually make more progress. Wow. What a concept! Who wouldn’t love to do less and have better results?

What is actually happening in your body when you workout? You use fat, carbohydrates, and protein as fuel sources during activity. The intensity and duration of the activity determines which sources and how much of each source, measured in percentages, are used. You burn the MOST fat at rest. Yes, read it again…the most fat, at REST. Percentage-wise, fat is the body’s main source of fuel at rest. The confusion comes from thinking that more calories are being burned if more fat is burned which is not true. On the other side of the spectrum, an Olympic sprinter is burning minuscule amounts of fat and using almost all carbohydrates as fuel during a 100 meter sprint. Have you ever seen fat on a sprinter? At first, this myth seems logical but as you can see, it has been misinterpreted.

So even though, percentage-wise, you are using more fat as fuel (as opposed to carbohydrates) when you are in the “Fat Burning Zone,” you are not burning more calories by restricting yourself to that zone. If you push yourself harder and higher above it, you will burn even more calories and lose more fat.

Motivation – Ways to Make Your Workout More Interesting

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:35:57 +0000

Are you stuck in a workout rut? If your workout is becoming a bore and you are having a hard time getting excited about exercising, perhaps you need to tweak something about your schedule or routine to reignite the fire you once had about getting in shape. There are several things I do to pump myself up when I start feeling that way. First I try to figure out what is at the source of my “blah-ness”. Am I busier and more stressed than usual? Have I been eating horribly? Have I been doing the same workout for too long?

If you’ve been stressed out, remind yourself of how great you would feel after a short cardio session. Even 20 minutes is better than nothing at all so try not to hold yourself to your usual duration since it can be overwhelming. I find that downloading several new songs to my iPod ALWAYS gets me charged for a run, bike ride, etc.

If you haven’t been feeling enthused because your nutrition has been sub par, it may be a good idea to go shopping for healthy food to stock your fridge with. Then eat a good meal and reset your frame of mind with a gratifying workout.

Doing the same workout for more than a week or two will lead to certain boredom. If you are sick of taking yourself through the same old routine, grab a pen and paper and write out a new plan that you can get excited about trying. Mix it up! Add some cardio activity in with your strength training or pick a new time of the day to train. This may be all you needed to get the blood pumping again.

Bottom line, we all have ups and downs with fitness. Sometimes we are so into it and can’t wait to workout and other times, we think we will never lace up the sneakers again. It’s mental. If you can change your attitude, associate positive feelings with exercise and pull yourself out of your slump, you will be able to get back on track a lot faster and on your way reaching your goal.

What to Look For When Hiring a Personal Trainer

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:38:35 +0000

The idea of having a personal trainer has really exploded over the past decade. Preventative health is on the rise and so is the desire to be slim, toned, and active. There are many factors to consider when it comes to finding a personal trainer who is perfect for you. This CAN BE a pricey service after all. Here’s what think about and look for…

Must be certified
Your candidate must be a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT). There are a great deal of companies who employ “fitness specialists” or “fitness consultants”. This is a sneaky way of not having to say “Certified Personal Trainer” and these trainers have not gone through a rigorous certification process by a nationally accredited organization in order to maintain the CPT title. A degree in a fitness related field (Kinesiology, Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology, etc.) is ALWAYS a plus as well.

Initial Assessment Offered
Make sure you are able to meet with the trainer before you seal the deal. During this meeting, he or she should be very interested in your goals, wants and needs. Be honest and say what you are looking for in a trainer. Your trainer will get to know you very well and vise verse so you want to be sure it is someone you feel comfortable with and can trust.

Experienced
Does the trainer you are interested in have previous training experience? Because people are unique, It is great to find a trainer who has observed a diverse clientele. If you have or have had a musculoskeletal injury or chronic pain, this may be especially important for you to look into.

Sex?
Do you prefer a female or a male personal trainer? Will you feel comfortable working closely with a member of the opposite sex? This is personal preference sort of thing but is definitely something to think about.

Conducive Schedule
Scheduling is very important. You will want to make sure you and your trainer have similar availability in your schedules.

Now you know! Go forth and exercise!

Do I burn any extra calories post workout?

admin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:17:16 +0000

You ARE burning fat long after you have completed your workout. After exercise, your body is in a state of recovery for up to 2 days! The acronym EPOC was coined to describe this recovery process. EPOC stands for Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption. After both aerobic and strength training, your tired body is working hard to adapt to the work it has just been through and to replenish energy stores in order to return to it’s resting state. It’s very plausible that if you are working hard during your workout, you are burning 120-150 calories afterward. The magnitude of EPOC is directly related to the intensity of your workout so enjoy a high intensity strength training session, feel the burn, and reap the benefits while you sleep!

Benefits of Foam Rolling

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:43:51 +0000

Foam Rolling Defined:
The process of eliminating trigger points found in muscle tissue by way of a 6 in in diameter roll of foam. This practice is carried out by applying pressure to sore muscles using one’s own bodyweight to roll back and forth on the foam roller. Once a tender spot is identified in the muscle, stop and hold on that point for a minimum of 30 seconds.

Now, you many be wondering if rolling around on a piece of foam is really doing anything for you. Let’s dig further into this concept to answer that question. The technical term for “foam rolling” is Self-Myofascial release. What does Myofascial mean? Myo = muscle and fascia = web of tissue that encases the muscle. In essence, you are giving yourself a deep tissue massage and releasing the tangled up web of tissue that encases the muscle. Over time, trigger points, tender spots, or knots, if you will, build up in the muscle fascia. These knots cause tightness in the muscle which decrease muscle extensibility thus disrupting your body’s normal movement patterns. In turn, these knots bring about unfavorable imbalances throughout the body as well as musculoskeletal pain. When executed properly, foam rolling relaxes the tight muscles you are targeting and returns the muscle fibers to their ideal arrangement.

The following are just a few of the many benefits foam rolling has to offer:

Increased blood flow to recovering muscle tissue
Injury prevention
Inhibits overactive muscles so the underactive muscles may then be strengthened
Relieves sore muscles
Aids in eliminating waste products trapped in tight muscles
Breaks up the knots that have formed in muscle tissue
Increases range of motion

In conclusion, YES foam rolling is benefiting you. It is an inexpensive alternative to visiting a massage therapist and can be incorporated into your daily exercise routine. For more information on foam rolling, visit http://www.mountainpeakfitness.com/M.P.F./SMR.html for more detail on the topic and to see images and descriptions on proper foam roll technique.

Case of the Mondays anyone?

admin — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 06:52:06 +0000

I hope the start of this week brings you a clear mind, fresh ideas and a positive attitude. For some of us, Monday can be a bit stressful which is why I will quickly slip you a few snack ideas to help extinguish mental pressure and anxiety so you can focus on breezing through your task list:

1. Blueberries- Full of antioxidants to help with concentration
2. Almonds- Mood lifter
3. Cottage cheese and oranges- Relaxes and fights free radicals that are released when you are stressed
4. Sushi- Contains feel-good serotonin and melatonin
5. Whole grain cereal- Has stress relieving B vitamins and folic acid

Start off on the right foot! Get a good workout in, eat well, be productive, and take time for yourself!