fitnessrevolution

5 Metabolism Myths-Busted from a Personal Trainer in St Johns Wood

Myth 1: Metabolism Works from 9 to 5
Difficult as it may be to believe, your body’s metabolism does not stop working when you do. In fact, your metabolism works all day, every day. If it didn’t, you wouldn’t even have the energy to get out of bed in order to read this article. (You are out of bed, aren’t you?) Also the time of day that you eat isn’t what makes you gain pounds. It’s what you eat. So if you think you can get away with eating that quarter-pounder with cheese, bacon, mayo, and bun; a large order of greasy fries; and a 32-ounce milkshake without any consequences—just because you ate it at lunch and not late at night—think again! Eat smart all day long, have a healthy snack at night if necessary, and then sleep well, knowing your metabolism is doing its thing even while you’re catching some Zzzzs. 

Myth 2: It Can’t Be Controlled
You’ve probably met someone who seems to be able to eat anything they want without gaining weight. You may have even dreamed of having such a metabolism. Well, there’s good news. You may not have the metabolism that lets you do that just yet, but you can work toward it. Help boost your metabolism by lifting weights, getting a good night of sleep, eating enough protein to power you through the day, and drinking plenty of water. Want something more than water? Here’s another smidgen of good news: a little caffeine in your daily intake will help you get rid of calories faster than going without. Just make sure your caffeine isn’t bathed in sugar and unnecessary calories. 

Myth 3: Skinny people Have Higher Metabolism
Yes, a high metabolism can help you burn more calories than a low metabolism. But don’t let that fool you into thinking the skinniest people around have the highest metabolism. Quite the contrary. If the thinnest individuals had the highest metabolism, they would likely be dangerously underweight. As it is, when you are very thin, your metabolism will likely be lower, as there’s not much of you to burn away safely. 

However, you shouldn’t grab the ice cream carton in order to put on extra pounds to up your metabolism. Instead, focus on adding muscle pounds via the weight room.

Myth 4: Getting Old Makes Your Metabolism Go Bye-Bye 
There is a bit of truth to this myth. As you age, your metabolism will drop a tiny bit. Not enough to make a meaningful difference, but it does drop. Much of this decrease (again—it is almost negligible) is due to the typical muscle loss that accompanies aging. 

Want to curb your body’s age-related drop in metabolism? Include resistance training in your exercise routine. As you age, keep up the weight training and you’ll keep your metabolism strong and steady throughout all the stages of life. In the event it does drop a little, you’ll be in such good shape you won’t notice.

Myth 5: You Can Eat Your Way to Higher Metabolism
Occasionally, the world is taken by a weight-loss idea that is so simple you’d be a moron not to give it a try. One of these recent ideas is that you can eat or drink certain things to boost your metabolism and lose weight with greater ease. 

While eating peppers on a regular basis and drinking gallons of green tea each week offers some health benefits, it won’t do more than temporarily boost your metabolism. Approximately half an hour after consuming these supposed metabolism mega-boosters, the boost is over and you’re back to your normal metabolism. A normal, well-balanced diet is a much better option. 

When it comes to achieving and maintaining your most effective metabolism, a consistent and challenging exercise routine is key. Call or email today and I’ll get you started on an exercise program that will take your metabolism to the next level. 


3 Gifts (of Fat Loss)

When you put in the focused effort to lose weight there are certain benefits that you expect to get. You expect to look better in your clothes. You expect to have more energy. And you expect to feel pretty happy about your accomplishment.


10 Reasons to Exercise

1. To Prevent Disease

Exercise has been proven to reduce the risk of just about every single health problem known to man, from stroke to heart disease to cancer and osteoporosis. Exercise is also a great defense against type 2 diabetes, which is one of the most widely growing diseases of our time.

2. To Look Great
Exercise firms your body, improves posture and even makes your skin glow. Looking your best is a wonderful result of regular exercise. 

3. To Lose Weight and Keep It Off
Exercise burns fat and prevents future fat storage. If you want to have a thinner, healthier body, exercise is the answer.  

4. To Have More Energy
Anyone who exercises regularly will tell you that they are more energetic, less easily irritated and are more peaceful.  

5. To Sleep Better
Exercise boosts energy levels, but also wears you out. It makes you feel more vibrant during the day and sleep better at night.  

6. To Age Slower
Exercise is one of the most effective ways to fight aging. When you age your body loses muscle and bone, while the loss of both are drastically reduced with regular exercise. Exercise also helps reduce inflammation. 

7. To Relieve Back Pain
In most cases, the best thing that you can do for back pain is to move and strengthen those muscles. Consult your physician or physical therapist for guidance. 

8. To Ease Depression
Exercise has been proven to reduce depression – sometimes even as effectively as medication. Just chalk this up as yet another amazing benefit to exercise. 

9. To Reduce Aches and Pains
By strengthening muscles around your damaged joints you’re able to use exercise to reduce joint pain and overall aches. Always consult your physician before starting an exercise program, especially if you have chronic joint pain.  

10. To Prevent Disease

Exercise has been proven to reduce the risk of just about every single health problem known to man, from stroke to heart disease to cancer and osteoporosis. Exercise is also a great defense against type 2 diabetes, which is one of the most widely growing diseases of our time.  

 


14 Reasons to Exercise Today

  1. Exercise makes your clothes fit better:Consistent exercise will tone and tighten your body, and this means that your clothes will not only fit better they will also look nicer. But don’t get too attached to your current clothes. Exercise ensures that soon you’ll be trading those current clothes in for smaller sizes.
  2. Exercise reduces your stress:Let’s face it, you have enough stress in your life—so take a break. A challenging workout invigorates your muscles and leaves you relaxed and less stressed.
  3. Exercise boosts your energy:Research routinely concludes that exercise increases energy levels in sedentary people. So when you’re feeling fatigued, fight it with the most powerful tool available: exercise.
  4. Exercise makes you stronger:Who doesn’t want to be stronger? You rely on your body’s muscle strength and endurance throughout each day. With consistent, challenging exercise, your body will naturally become stronger.
  5. Exercise burns calories:Extra calories end up stored on your body as fat. Fight back by eliminating loads of calories with fat-blasting workouts.
  6. Exercise gives you confidence:Healthy confidence is a wonderful thing to have. By exercising consistently you’re able to increase your natural confidence.
  7. Exercise can be fun:Don’t laugh, I’m serious on this one. Whether you believe it or not, exercise can be really enjoyable. Remember how fun it was to run and jump as a child? Tap into your inner child as you find enjoyment in moving your body through exercise.
  8. Exercise reduces your blood pressure:Exercise is so powerful that it has been proven more effective than medication in reducing high blood pressure. A single workout has even been shown to reduce blood pressure for the day, and consistent exercise reduces overall blood pressure.
  9. Exercise tightens your problem areas:With exercise you can reduce flab on your arms, legs and waistline. So wave goodbye to the jiggles with a consistent, challenging exercise program.
  10. Exercise increases your insulin sensitivity:Research continues to prove that exercise dramatically improves insulin sensitivity. Peak after-meal insulin levels have been shown to drop by more than 20 percent after as little as 3 weeks of consistent exercise.
  11. Exercise improves your sleep:Exercise is your most powerful sleep aid. Tired muscles encourage your body to quickly fall asleep in order to get overnight repair work done.
  12. Exercise lowers your risk of heart disease:Exercise strengthens your heart and protects it against disease. A non-active lifestyle is a huge risk factor for heart disease, so use consistent exercise as your ally against disease.
  13. Exercise makes you feel amazing:Challenging exercise releases natural endorphins (happy hormones) into your bloodstream that dissolve pain and anxiety. You’ve probably heard of the ‘runner’s high’, this can be achieved by any great workout.
  14. Exercise lowers your risk of diabetes:Research has shown that exercising as little as half an hour each day can dramatically reduce your risk of diabetes. If you are at risk of diabetes, or already have diabetes, use regular exercise as treatment for reversing the disease.

4 Self-Motivating Mind Tricks

Are you struggling with self motivation? Having a hard time getting yourself to your regularly scheduled workouts? Finding more and more reasons to cheat on your healthy diet?

You’re not alone and today I’ve got just the 4 Self-Motivating Mind Tricks that you need to lock onto your goals…

A healthy dose of motivation coupled with determination will get you almost anything in life. So how do you know if you’re genuinely motivated?

  • Motivation will tell you to get out of bed for an early workout.
  • Motivation will nag you to put down the doughnut.
  • Motivation makes passing on fries a reflex.
  • Motivation makes a sweat drenched workout exciting.
  • Motivation constantly reminds you why you do what you do.

Self-Motivating Mind Trick #1: Pinpoint Your Motivator. 

Motivation stems from having a goal. What is your goal? Why do you want to get into great shape?

Once you uncover your personal motivator you’ll find that motivation flows quickly your way.

Take a minute to really uncover the reason that you want to lose the weight. Don’t say something vague like you want to ‘Be thinner‘ or ‘Look more attractive.‘ Dig deeper – there is a very specific motivator in your life, you simply need to uncover it.

Here are some possible motivators… 

  • I want to have more energy to keep up with the kids.
  • I want to improve my health through weight loss to extend and improve my life.
  • I want to lose 10 pounds before my vacation.
  • I want to restore my confidence to wear sleeveless shirts.
  • I want to regain my figure to impress and attract my significant other.

Self-Motivating Mind Trick #2: Make It Official.

When you write something down it suddenly feels official, doesn’t it? Write down your motivator for getting into great shape, and post it where you will see it often—next to your alarm clock, on the bathroom mirror, or in your car.

Each time you see your written motivator take a moment to visualize yourself accomplishing your goal. Try to make the scene as clear in your mind as possible. This is a powerful tool for maintaining your focus and direction.

Self-Motivating Mind Trick #3: Be Practical.

It’s game plan time. You know what you want, and now you need to map out exactly how you’ll achieve it. It is important to be practical in your planning, rather than throwing out ideas that you know you won’t stick with.

With any weight loss goal it is important to 1) maintain a healthy low-calorie diet, and 2) participate in a consistent and challenging exercise program.

Plan a routine that will fit into your schedule and you’ll be more likely to stick with it. Also choose an exercise program that you enjoy—don’t force yourself to jog everyday if you hate jogging.

Self-Motivating Mind Trick #4: Call For Backup. 

Enlist the support of your friends, family and co-workers. Tell everyone about your goal to lose weight and get fit, you’ll be surprised how supportive most people will be. By being open about your goals you’ll likely be an encouragement to others to make healthy changes in their own lives.

The most effective way to ensure that you meet your goal is to enlist my support, your personal trainer. Together we will identify what really motivates you. Together we will design a workout routine that fits into your schedule and into your life. And together we will see it through until your goal is met.


5 Big Benefits of Fat Los

Big Benefit #1: Confidence

You may not consider it a concrete benefit, but that doesn’t stop confidence from being one of the most important perks of dropping fat. When you have increased confidence, you change how you view yourself and go about your daily routine. The world is at your fingertips and you are able to take on whatever it throws your way.

Additionally, when your confidence increases after losing a few pounds, you’re poised to keep losing. So the confidence you gain gives you what you need to lose more weight and feel even more confident.

Big Benefit #2: Money

It may be difficult to understand how losing weight saves you money, but it happens. How? Because one of the best ways to trim pounds is to cut down on the amount of calories you consume every day. When you start eating and drinking fewer calories, that means you don’t have to buy as much food or high-calorie drinks. Additionally, losing weight may make it possible to stop taking certain medications, which will help save you even more money.

On top of that, when you lose weight, you get a boost of confidence. (See previous point.) That boost of confidence will change how you handle yourself at work, helping you make the right impression on your boss, so you can get the promotion you need.

Big Benefit #3: Better Health Now

Go to the doctor with some sort of health condition, and unless it’s the common cold or flu, losing a few pounds can almost always help you manage the condition better. From diabetes to heart disease to joint pain, trimming the fat from your body gives you a heads up right now. Cutting fat makes it easier to get around on your joints, reduces your blood pressure, and helps you sleep better.

As additional perks, less fat today means better sleep and better sex tonight. Since both of these improve your quality of life, taking the time necessary to shave off fat will give you the best life you could experience!

Big Benefit #4: Better Health Later

Today isn’t the only time your health will improve if you lose some fat. Shed some pounds and you’ll reap the rewards for years down the road. Instead of having to manage a variety of health conditions, you will be able to keep those conditions at bay. A few health issues you can cut your risk for by cutting fat are diabetes, heart disease, joint pain, a variety of cancers, high blood pressure, and dementia. In other words, get rid of the fat today and you can avoid all the health issues in the future that requires fat loss for maximum management.

Big Benefit #5: Everything Tastes Better

As you settle into your new fat-burning lifestyle that includes eating healthily and working out regularly, you’ll notice something. Because you no longer overeat at the buffet or go for a second or third helping, you will begin enjoying every bite that you take. As the bite sits in your mouth, you won’t swallow it before tasting or chewing. You will take your time and really savor the flavor.

And when you do start chewing your food and enjoying the flavors, your brain will have time to register when you’re full and cut you off before you stuff yourself with more calories than you can burn. Do this regularly and you’ll lose even more fat!

I’ve dedicated my career to helping people, just like you, conquer their fear of exercise and clear up their confusion with healthy eating. I know that a healthy life is within your reach – I’ve seen hundreds of my clients before you do it, and I’ll see hundreds after you do it. Today it’s your turn.


3 Steps to Overcome Overeating

Here are 3 Steps To Overcome Overeating – read these, and apply them to your life.

Step #1: Pay Attention

Be aware of what and how much you eat. This simple concept will save you from hundreds upon hundreds of calories each week.

To apply this rule, don’t eat while your attention is distracted by another activity. Only put food in your mouth when you are hungry and conscious of it. This means turn off the T.V., get out of your car, and no matter what you do, don’t graze in the kitchen while cooking.

Step #2: Practice Balance

Be aware of the types of food that you eat during each meal, and make sure that it’s balanced. When you eat a balanced diet filled with lean protein, whole grains, lots of veggies, a few daily servings of fruit and limited fat and sweets, your body will be satisfied and you’ll lose the urge to overeat.

This means you shouldn’t always eat carb-based meals, and you also shouldn’t always eat high-fat meals. Make a mental checklist of the food groups that you’ve eaten each day. Did you eat lean protein? Did you have plenty of vegetables? Did you refrain from eating more than one or two primarily carb-based meals? This mental checklist will save you from making food decisions that you’d later regret.

Step #3: Be Tuned In

Your body will always tell you when its hunger has been satisfied – you’ve just gotten so good at ignoring the signs that you barrel through your meal only to feel like you’ve been hit by a ton of bricks once all that food hits your stomach. It’s time to take a deep breath and listen to your body.

An important part of being tuned in is to eat slowly. Once you start to pay attention you’ll notice a point when each bite becomes less and less satisfying. That is your body’s way of letting you know that you’ve had enough and that each continued bite is simply overkill (yes, even if you’re only halfway through that plate of pasta).

By learning how to control your eating habits, you’ll find weight loss to come simply and naturally.

Want to speed up your weight loss, make it permanent, and shape your body at the same time? I’ve got what it takes to get you there! No guess work, no fad diets, and no super long workouts.


5 Habits for Rapid Fat Loss from A St Johns Wood Personal Trainer

Rapid Fat Loss Habit #1: Water! It’s not always easy to get to the water cooler or the sink. But if you’re going to shred pounds, you’re going to have to keep a tall glass of water nearby. There are many perks to drinking down plenty of water. Doing this helps you feel fuller, which keeps you from overeating or thinking you’re hungry when you’re actually thirsty.

Drinking water instead of other drinks also keeps you from ingesting additional, unnecessary, and worthless calories. And finally, if your body is going to perform at its peak, it needs to be well hydrated. Drinking plenty of water helps all your bodily functions operate well, which prevents you from holding onto water weight and suffering avoid constipation, while also giving you what you need to push through the final stages of a difficult workout.

Rapid Fat Loss Habit #2: Be a Planner

The beginning of discipline is a good plan. Know when you’re going to the gym, how many calories you’re going to eat and what foods the calories will come from, and how you are going to avoid giving in to that tempting piece of chocolate cake. Once you have your plan, you’ve got to do the hard part: stick with it. If you’re willing to do this, your fat stores will burn away in no time.

Rapid Fat Loss Habit #3: Get Intense with Your Routine

Maintaining a steady pace on the treadmill will help you improve your overall health, but it isn’t the best tool for burning fat quickly. To speed up your fat-burning process, you’ll want to add some HIIT into your exercise regimen. During a HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workout, you mingle bursts of intense exercise with lighter exercise.

This could involve running, cycling, swimming, or other aerobic exercises. Whatever exercise you choose to do, do it hard for 30 seconds, take it easy for 60 to 90 seconds, and then go full force again for 30 seconds, repeating the cycle for 30 minutes. You’ll be exhausted when it’s all said and done, a sure sign that you’re burning fat!

Rapid Fat Loss Habit #4: Lift Weights

Think you can burn fat fast by doing nothing but aerobic exercises? You can. But you can do it faster and better by mixing in some weight-lifting sessions. In fact, if you don’t add weight lifting into your regular routine, you may begin to lose muscle. The scale may go down, but if you’re dropping muscle mass, you’re setting yourself up for disaster.

When shooting to burn off fat, nothing helps more than extra muscle. Added muscle helps you feel better and perform tasks of daily living with greater ease, while improving your metabolism and ultimately helping you burn more of that pesky fat!

Rapid Fat Loss Habit #5: Eat Right

You know that what you put in your mouth is either going to fuel you to get through the day or simply add some pudgy inches to your waistline. So choose wisely! Fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats all give you the upper hand on burning fat.

But it’s not just the foods you eat. It’s how you eat them. Chew slowly, use a smaller plate, and leave the food dishes in the kitchen. When you’re finished with your plate of food, relax and give your brain time to figure out that your stomach is full. Then take the cue and stop eating. These small steps may seem significant, but they will boost your fat-burning potential exponentially.


4 Beach Body Myths

There’s a good chance that you’ll find yourself in a swim suit sometime this month.

If you are like most people then that realization will 1) bring a grimace to your face and 2) will motivate you to lose some weight.

While I commend your desire to slim down . I’m here to warn you of the 5 myths that most people fall for. Don’t waste your time on these:

Myth #1: Starve the pounds away. 

Attempting to lose weight by starving yourself is not only ineffective, it’s also dangerous. It may seem that severe calorie restriction would deliver the quickest weight loss, but your body is complex and by doing so you’ll disrupt your metabolism and slow your results.

Tip: Don’t starve yourself – instead eat healthy small meals throughout the day.

Myth #2: Take diet pills to boost your effort.

It’s so tempting! The commercials make compelling claims about the power of diet pills, but don’t fall for it. The ‘magic pill’ has yet to be discovered (it has been discovered – exercise. It’s just not in pill form…). Diet pills are more likely to damage your health and burn your pocketbook than to slim you down.

Tip: Don’t pop a pill – instead burn calories with exercise.

Myth #3: Do extra crunches to flatten your abs.

We all want our midsection to look toned as we stroll down the beach, but excessive crunches aren’t the answer for tight abs. In order to achieve a lean look you’ll have to focus on burning off the layer of fat that is covering up your abs.

Tip: Don’t obsess about crunches – instead focus on fat burning.

Myth #4: Eat packaged diet foods for speedy results.

It is amazing to see the kinds of foods that are packaged as ‘diet’ or ‘weight loss’ aids. More often than not these products are packed with refined sugar and other artificial ingredients that your body doesn’t need.

Tip: Don’t eat packaged diet foods – instead stick with nutritious whole foods.


10 Reasons to Exercise Today

I know it’s summer and you have exciting places to go and things to do. But wait! Did you forget about your workout? Again?

Just in case you needed a little reminder that will motivate you to lace those shoes back up and get your workout back on, here are 10 Reasons to Exercise Today!

  1. Exercise makes your clothes fit better: Consistent exercise will tone and tighten your body, and this means that your clothes will not only fit better they will also look nicer. But don’t get too attached to your current clothes. Exercise ensures that soon you’ll be trading those current clothes in for smaller sizes.
  2. Exercise reduces your stress: Let’s face it, you have enough stress in your life—so take a break. A challenging workout invigorates your muscles and leaves you relaxed and less stressed.
  3. Exercise boosts your energy: Research routinely concludes that exercise increases energy levels in sedentary people. So when you’re feeling fatigued, fight it with the most powerful tool available: exercise.
  4. Exercise makes you stronger: Who doesn’t want to be stronger? You rely on your body’s muscle strength and endurance throughout each day. With consistent, challenging exercise, your body will naturally become stronger.
  5. Exercise burns calories: Extra calories end up stored on your body as fat. Fight back by eliminating loads of calories with fat-blasting workouts.
  6. Exercise gives you confidence: Healthy confidence is a wonderful thing to have. By exercising consistently you’re able to increase your natural confidence.
  7. Exercise can be fun: Don’t laugh, I’m serious on this one. Whether you believe it or not, exercise can be really enjoyable. Remember how fun it was to run and jump as a child? Tap into your inner child as you find enjoyment in moving your body through exercise.
  8. Exercise reduces your blood pressure: Exercise is so powerful that it has been proven more effective than medication in reducing high blood pressure. A single workout has even been shown to reduce blood pressure for the day, and consistent exercise reduces overall blood pressure.
  9. Exercise tightens your problem areas: With exercise you can reduce flab on your arms, legs and waistline. So wave goodbye to the jiggles with a consistent, challenging exercise program.
  10. Exercise increases your insulin sensitivity: Research continues to prove that exercise dramatically improves insulin sensitivity. Peak after-meal insulin levels have been shown to drop by more than 20 percent after as little as 3 weeks of consistent exercise.