Weight Loss as a Christmas Present - BRILLIANT!

During the past two weeks, I've had a number of people calling me expressing an interest in our calorie management program as a holiday gift. That's BRILLIANT! What better way to show someone that you love them then by helping them improve their life, so that they can live longer??? There are so many studies that show the way to a longer, more quality life, is with physical activity and losing some of the unnecessary weight.... And what better way to do it then by eating what you want, and just learning how to work your diet and your lifestyle together? I'm thrilled. What a brilliant idea. I look forward to talking to the recipients!

Help me help others.... no, seriously...

I was speaking with someone today, a friend of one of my clients. She commented about how much weight her friend lost and how great she looks. I started to talk a little about the product and the program and the response was “I just need to be motivated to do it”… This is not the first time I’ve heard this before. I hear these kinds of comments fairly often. So, how do I overcome this? I don’t want to be one of those used-car-salesman types. Weight loss and leading a healthy lifestyle are in the news nearly every day – the Surgeon General, the CDC, your doctor, your Gyn, they all tell you over and over how many benefits you’ll get from leading a healthy lifestyle. Then add the benefits you get from losing weight. Obesity contributes to so many diseases – so, how do I overcome this? How do you tell someone that they don’t know what they’re missing??? Sharron

Post Thanksgiving Weigh-ins

Post Thanksgiving weigh-ins started (our calorie management clients have weekly measurements). So far, everyone's left with a smile on their face! Most everyone stayed right on track with their Target Numbers. I had one that was surprised there was a weight loss at all, he came in expecting to see that he maintained and was thrilled to see he'd met his Weight Loss Goal for the week! After the high-fives were done, we sat down and looked at the numbers he'd recorded in his food log - his count was right in line with the Target Numbers . . . . he shouldn't have been surprised about the loss at all. This will be our first holiday season as rep's for this program, I'm excited to help people beat the '2 pound weight gain' stereotype! By the way, I'm doing really well on my maintenance program . . . . Sharron

Thanksgiving, the kickoff of heavy holiday eating...

Well, another Thanksgiving's now come and gone ..... Now it's time for the serious eating and drinking and general 'being merry'. The average person gains two pounds during the holiday season. Here are a few pointers to help you through the Holidays: - Eat a light meal BEFORE you go out to your party. By eating a light meal at home first, you'll prevent yourself from consuming too much at the party. - Stay away from the food! We have a tendency to congregate around the buffet table, which means that you will continue to eat. Walk away from the table as your having your conversations! - Limit your consumption of alcohol… your average 12 oz light beer can be 100 calories, 4 ounces of wine is 80 calories. - Don’t have seconds. It’s not the quantity that you’re craving, but the quality. So have a little bit of everything, then limit it to that one plateful. - MOVE MORE – It doesn’t matter if it’s at the gym or at home or at the mall. Get up and get moving to burn those extra calories that you’re consuming! You CAN maintain your weight during the holidays. Just be watchful of what you're eating... if you're eating more than you should be moving more. We've said it before and we'll say it again: It's not about what you eat, but how much you eat and how much you move. Move more. Eat less.

Happy Sunday!

I spoke to a client today who has done a lot of traveling this week. He had kept track of his food in written form and was not looking forward to logging it. We uploaded the calories burned data and I suggested we input his weight and that he not bother to input the food log – the important part is that he tracked it during his travels. His weigh-in will let us know exactly how much he ate (using the weight and the calories). He can start inputting his food again today, since he’s back on a regular schedule and has access to the Internet daily again. My tip of the week, park in the BACK of the lot. It adds a few steps to your walk to the mall or the grocery store or the restaurant and helps to save your car from door dings! Have a great day! Sharron

Half of all Cancer Deaths Preventable, Says ACS

Half of all Cancer Deaths Preventable, Says ACS Exercise identified as one of key ways to reduce risk of the disease In a new breakthrough study, the American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that fully one-half of all cancer deaths in the US are preventable, and identifies regular exercise as one of three key ways to minimize the risk. In its annual report, Cancer Prevention and Early Detection, Facts and Figures 2006, the ACS suggests about one-third (that is, 188,277) of this year’s expected 564,830 cancer deaths will be the result of smoking, poor nutrition, lack of exercise, and excess weight. “Although we’re winning the ‘war on cancer’, there’s a remarkable opportunity to save hundreds of thousands of lives, and to reduce suffering from this disease, with lifestyle changes and an increased use of proven screening strategies,” insists Carolyn Runowicz, MD, the national volunteer president of the ACS. ACS’s prescription for reducing cancer deaths includes smoking cessation, good nutrition, and regular exercise. ACS recommends that adults get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, five or more days per week, and eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Incidences of breast and colon cancer can in particular be reduced via exercise. Taken from the September 2006 Club Business International Magazine.

No one ever leaves the gym in a bad mood...

I really do love what I do - I once read an article where Hilary Swank (after working out for that fabulous body in 'Million Dollar Baby') was commenting about her intense workouts to be ultra prepared for the part. I don't recall the lead-in line, but essentially she said that she didn't mind it so much because "you never leave the gym in a bad mood". THAT describes my life. Yes, people come in cranky at their bosses or co-workers or spouses or at their doctor for ‘making’ them come, or a combination of all of that stuff..... but when they leave they are smiling and gracious and excited to be back tomorrow and do it all over again. Yes, I'm serious. Haven't had that feeling in a while? Just a little increased physical activity will start to bring you into that realm of thinking. Bump up that heart rate, bring a little bit of sweat to your pores (just a little, after all I am a lady). The more you do it the better you feel. The better you feel the better you sleep. The better you sleep the more energy you have. The more energy you have the more productive you are . . . . . . And that’s just the start – there are so many great medical reasons to lead a healthy lifestyle. Get started with a 30 minute walk around the block a day. . . . . . Sharron

What happens to a person's metabolism when they consistently eat too little?

This is a very difficult question to answer without more information. We generally get this question from overweight people who think they are eating less than they really are. So our typical answer is: nothing happens to your metabolism and therefore if you need to lose weight and you are not, eat less and/or move more and forget about slowing your metabolism. That said the point is not to lose weight too fast by drastically reducing calories because first and foremost that method is miserable and generally not sustainable. Secondarily, there is a slight (fairly insignificant in the big picture) metabolism down regulation in response to a very low calorie diet – but – the main reason it may appear to slow down more than it actually does, is because it’s the very low calorie intake that is slowing YOU down. In other words you become tired forcing a reduction in your daily activities, causing you to move less thus burn fewer calories. Take home message: never blame failure on metabolism – no matter what anyone tells you! Used with permission by World Gym Express of Fairfax.

oh what a week....

Okay, I'm going to admit it right now - before I even step on the scale tomorrow.... I have had not a great week. I'm on schedule to show a 1/2 pound gain tomorrow. YIKES (reminder - I'm in maintenance mode). Fortunately, I have the numbers at my finger tips. Even if I don't have an opportunity to do cardio this evening, I can work on making it up next week - pushing my cardio a little harder than usual and keeping the incoming calories in check. It's only 1:34 on Saturday afternoon, too. There's still plenty of time in the day to get some cardio in. And it's a beautiful day, too. Perhaps we can go for a bike ride or a walk.... SOMETHING to get off my butt and get some more physical activity in. Here's to knowing the numbers... Sharron

Big 'sit day' for me today....

I had two sit-down meetings today and both involved meals. I hate to skip the meal because then I get the 'snobby gym lady that doesn't eat' reputation. It's not true, I do eat...... SO, I always try to eat at these things so that people can see that I really am "normal" (quotes used because not everyone would agree to decision to call myself normal). Breakfast: Cranberry Muffin, 4 oz scrambled eggs with milk, 4oz muesli Lunch:Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (no croutons) (beverages for both meals were diet sodas – no calories involved) It’s 2pm and I’ve officially burned 1107 calories and eaten 1084 calories. Keeping in mind that I am in maintenance mode (same number burned and eaten), I’m not doing too badly today. It’s great to see those numbers, so I know exactly where I stand!! I'm going to finish up my paperwork and then get in a little workout so that I can have some calories to go to dinner with my husband tonight. Have a great day! Sharron

'Down' time and how to manage it

Got a client that's been sick for a couple of weeks - a major cold which she can't shake because she keeps going to work. Needless to say, she's not had a lot of energy to make it into the gym or do anything 'extra' to get her calorie burn in. So, I suggested that she just put herself on a self-imposed maintenance mode... (I could actually change the mode myself, but if this is just short term then I don't want to do anything like change the Target numbers - sometimes that can be such a shock to the psyche, new Target numbers) Saw her today, she's going to try to get back into the gym to get some activity in. It's this great big Catch-22, she wanted to go to work and then found herself lacking the energy after work to come into the gym. The longer she holds off, the less energy she'll have and the less desire she'll have. So, you always need to get right back in the saddle and keep going - even if it's only for a short time your first few visits. She'll have her energy level back up in no time! I love my job - it's been a tough first few years of business. But you never leave the gym in a bad mood! Have a great day! Sharron

Another home game - which means more TAILGATING!

I'm posting on Saturday night, because tomorrow's another home football game (Redskins - yes, I know, no fair bashing the team. It's a way to get 8 guaranteed dates with my husband). Just in case I don't make it to the gym tomorrow morning to weigh myself in, I weighed in today. Perfect - no weight gain. Okay, I will admit that I skipped my weigh-in last week. At first I skipped it because I just forgot. By the time I remembered, my weight has crept up a bit. SO, I spent the week working on cardio and strength training to catch up (watching my calorie burn numbers, both since my last weigh-in and the daily number). Got that 'since last measurement period' number back to my Target and BAM - the perfect weigh-in! That's good, because tomorrow is another tailgate day - we've already got the beer (Amstel Light) and Doritos. Who knows what the tailgating hosts are making! Have a great Sunday, folks. No fair bashing my team - I only admitted it to stress the point that I do eat like a 'normal' person! :)

The cold is setting in....less calories burned - ARGH!

Cold weather is fast upon us and this means, unfortunately, that it will be a little harder for you to reach your Target Calorie Burn numbers (our clients on our calorie management program will notice this because they have the ability see precisely what they’ve burned every day). Even in the summer, hot-outdoor-activity days earned you more calorie burn than air conditioned indoor-activity days. With the cold winter weather, you’ll notice even a bigger difference. Case in point – Scott got up extra a couple of weeks ago for a bike ride. He rode for 2 and a half hours outside (41 degrees) and burned only 356 calories, getting over 6 calories per minute only a few times. Then he came back and taught Cycling Class for a 30 minutes and burned 286 calories, getting over 9 calories once and well over 6 calories per minute for the entire class. What does this mean to you? It may take a little more effort, pushing yourself a little harder, or maybe you should add another day of cardio for the cooler months. Knowing your calorie burn helps you learn how best to use your exercise time. Our calorie management system will help you learn your calorie burn!

Let us help you understand Metabolism!

What Metabolism is and how it works - Metabolism is the rate at which the body uses energy to support all basic functions essential to sustain life, plus all energy requirements for additional activity and digestive processes. There are three components to energy expenditure (calories burned daily): Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) This is the amount of calories needed to run all essential functions and chemical reactions while in a rested and quiet state. RMR is the largest part of total metabolism and accounts for 65 - 75% of calories burned in a day. Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) The body uses energy to digest and absorb the nutrients present in the food we eat. The rate of energy used for the TEF is about 10%, it can be increased depending on the composition of each meal. Physical activity The amount of energy the body burns during daily activities such as exercise, recreation, work, housework, etc. Daily physical activities account for 20 - 40% of calories burned each day. This part will vary depending on the individual and how active they are each day. A sedentary person will require fewer calories to maintain weight than a busy worker in a construction site! Lack of physical activity is one of the biggest reasons why humans now gain weight more easily than in the past (think back 100 years to when they were plowing fields, and all of the other manual labor-intensive activities), not a slow metabolism. Everyone's body follows the laws of physics, which are based on the Laws of Energy. Therefore, because the Laws of Energy dictate that energy cannot be created or destroyed, humans must burn more energy than they consume or they will gain weight. Our programs assist those individuals who are trying to lose weight by educating them foremost on what it takes to succeed. Weight loss is possible for everyone as long as they move more than they eat. Reprinted with permission by World Gym Express of Fairfax

Overweight & Obesity, from the Center for Disease Control (CDC)

Center for Disease Control; Overweight & Obesity Home http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/

No weight lost, but tons of knowledge GAINED!

After three weeks of watching one client step on the scale and see no difference in their weight, I was getting myself geared up to sit down with the client and have a conversation about meeting Target Numbers. On the fourth weigh-in, and still no change in the weight, the client looked up at me with the BIGGEST smile and said “this is the first time in my life that I have gone a solid month without gaining weight!”. This took me completely off guard, because I was worried about having a conversation with the client about meeting numbers and how to help figure out how to work with them ….once I heard that, I realize that I had to address the topic a little differently. I got excited, too, and said, “And now that you've seen that you are able to balance the numbers let’s work with them a little to see which you can adjust. Would you like to give us more physical activity or a little less calories.". Can't wait to see the results!