Inbody & Metabolic Rate

Hopefully by now you have met with one of the trainers at Genesis (and if you haven’t, schedule it now!!) and have used the InBody. In the short time we spend in the back we discuss your goals and how to approach them based on your current InBody results. 

As you have heard many times, especially as we go over your InBody results, we always want to make sure you are eating enough and how under eating can prevent you from achieving your goals. One of my favourite numbers that the InBody provides is your BMR, or you’re Basal Metabolic Rate.

You BMR gives us a baseline number of how much energy your body uses to run for 24 hours at rest (imagine lying in bed, perfectly still for 24hrs.) This number covers all vital functions such as gas exchange and pumping blood throughout the body.

Using your BMR we can establish a calorie range to help you reach your goals whether it is fat loss or muscle gain. Below I have attached a website that explains what I have summed up. It also shows you the math behind it and allows you to plug in your personal information. If you are curious about your results, schedule a time with one of the Personal Trainer Cumming GA and we can discuss what they mean to you!

The Rule

We move faster than ever before from day to day. We demand a lot of ourselves in many facets of our lives. We cannot maintain a high intensity in these all of the time. We need to strategically think about when we are going to maintain, surge, and step back. I have noticed this with my clients over the last 13 years. They either want to go super hard or they want to just take a break. They find no middle ground, which is where we should be living the majority of the time. So, I developed what I call the 9/2/1 rule. This can be used in all areas of life, but I will relate it to nutrition and exercise here.

9 – Baseline

This is where you will be living for the majority of the year. For 9-months, you will strive to move a little bit each day, get a few hard workouts in, and eat well 80-90% of the time. You make good progress and don’t go backwards. You continue to see changes in your energy, mind, body, and physical fitness. Not huge leaps and bounds, but just enough. You can fit this routine into your daily habits without too much difficulty. This is where you really succeed.

2- Surge

There are times in your life where you will need to “surge”. I heard this term from a friend of mine and it made total sense. For this 2-month period, you will prioritize your fitness and nutrition. It will be one of, if not the main focus in your life. You will have to sacrifice some other things in your life to get there. Parties, time with friends, some work related things, household projects, and many other things might have to take a backseat for a while.

This is the time to go at it hard and never look back. For some, 2-months may be too long to keep up a high intensity. If you need to, you can reduce it to 4-6 weeks. It just depends on the person. Regardless, you only have a certain amount of time that you can go hard before you burn out, crash, and maybe even go backwards. Proceed with caution.

1- Step Back

If you put in the work up front, you will earn a well-deserved vacation. You don’t have to use this month all at once. You could use it in chunks. Most people will find it beneficial to use it on a real week long vacation, holiday parties, and during times that you are working hard on other areas of your life. Preparing for a big project at work, getting ready for your son or daughter’s graduation party, or caring for a loved one, just to name a few. Now, this does not mean that you need to go totally off the wagon. This is just a time to step back and enjoy life. Take a break from the hard work and push the reset button. After you take the needed time off, it’s time to go back to your baseline.

When You Fail To Plan 

Even though this saying sounds cliche, it is a simple fact. If you pack your gym bag the night before, you are more likely to get in even a quick workout. When you pack your lunch the night before you won’t resort to a vending machine or fast food restaurant for your lunch choices.

Besides helping with your dedication, being prepared helps you to feel in charge of your life. There is always room for spontaneity, but when you have a plan at least you know you can get right back on track and stay in charge. You don’t pack up a suitcase and go on vacation without knowing where you are going so why leave everything to chance when trying to achieve your fitness and nutritional goals?

Spend a few hours one day per week planning what you’re going to take for lunch and snacks. Pre portion your snacks and have them ready to go. Put your workouts on your calendar as appointments. And most importantly, don’t give up if you forget your lunch one day or skip a workout! Make the best choices you can and get right back on track.

Swimsuit Season

I know you are busting your gut in the Gyms Cumming GA and watching what you are eating but why does your tummy always look full? For women, we immediately blame “bloating” but this is not just a problem for us. Men and women can both suffer from uncomfortable and visible bloating, so here are some easy ways to combat it before your next trip to the lake!

First, what is bloating?

According to healthline.com abdominal bloating is anytime your GI tract is filled with air or gas. The gas builds up when food begins to break down and when we swallow air. For some, bloating is more than just a swollen abdomen. Other symptoms include frequent burping or belching, painful or hard abdomen and rumbling and gurgling noises.

So how do we fight it?

Avoid swallowing excess air. This means limit the amount of gum you chew, drinking from straws and carbonated beverages. Also, choose less “gassy” and high sodium foods. So the night before you put on your swim suit avoid cabbage, beans and lentils and excess salt.

And of course, drink water! Consuming more water will help flush your system of excess sodium and keep you hydrated. Feel free to add some lemon to your water to help you keep drinking. Lemon is a natural diuretic so drink up.

If you tend to constantly feel bloated you may also want to try out a probiotic.

Now you have the tools to stay swim suit ready!

Fitness Setbacks Tips and Tricks

They happen to everyone at one time or another. Everyone has great intentions when they get into a new fitness regimen. You’ve got a goal – maybe it’s to lose weight, shape up or just improve your health – and you’ve got the motivation. The problem is that life doesn’t always make it easy to achieve what you set out to and any number of setbacks could get in your way at any time. How can you overcome your fitness setbacks?

Forgiveness:

Forgive yourself for getting off track. Everyone struggles! You did it before, you can do it again.

Energy:

Rekindle that energy that got you started. Visualize your goals and get excited again.

Patience:

Have patience with yourself. Time off doesn’t mean you’re starting from scratch but it does mean you will have to ease back into your routine.

Consistency:

Focus on consistency rather than performance when you’re getting back to it. You’re recreating a habit so showing up is half the battle.

No matter if you’ve suffered an injury or health problem, you’ve just come back from a long vacation, or you’ve been travelling for work, your future remains what you make of it. Never give up on your fitness goals regardless of what fitness setbacks you experience.

Tips to Control Your Eating

It seems that one of the most stressful parts of the holidays is eating. Everyone always talks about how there are so many parties, and so much food they have to eat. And everyone uses the words “have no eat!!” There is a big difference in having to eat, and having to overeat!!!

Here are a couple of tips to keep holiday eating under control:

When you are going to a party, or dinner where you know there will be lots of food, do not be hungry!! Eat a snack before you go. Even a quick protein bar of some type will work. Choose something small so that you don’t arrive starving and eat too much.

Don’t be afraid to eat your holiday foods. When you get to dinner, put a small amount of all the foods you like on your plate and eat them. Just keep the portion sizes small, and don’t go back for seconds. You can rest assured that a couple of small holiday meals are not going to set you back at all, and you will get to enjoy some of your favourite holiday foods.

Don’t drink your calories! Holiday parties are notorious for serving sugar-filled cocktails and punches. Choose drinks without heavy mixers when possible and alternate with water in between.

It’s ok to say NO. Don’t feel guilty for turning down extra treats at parties, or taking home dishes. If it’s not around you can’t be tempted, right?

Don’t let one “bad” day turn into multiple bad days. If you have a huge meal, or overeat, get back on track quickly. Don’t let it spiral out of control.

Benefits of Keeping Things Simple

I like to keep things simple when talking to clients about their health. It can be very overwhelming to understand all of the components of healthy living when you’re making a lifestyle change. There’s so much information to take in. However, you must get these 5 things right in order to be successful on your fitness journey.

You need to build muscle to change your body and your mind. Physical strength builds mental strength. As you feel yourself getting physically stronger you will feel more confident in other areas of your life. Strength is power.

If you eat crap, you will feel like crap. Your body is a machine. Fuel it with real, whole foods as much as possible. Hint: that won’t come in a box.

The only effective exercise plan is one that you can stick to. Find something you like to do and keep doing it. Your body will adapt so continue to increase length and/or intensity to avoid plateaus. Don’t commit yourself to something you hate and a schedule you can’t maintain.

Your body hears what your mind says. If you wouldn’t say it to your kids, or your mom, don’t say it to yourself. Would you tell your kids they can’t do something they are trying hard to achieve? No, so don’t tell yourself that.

Unless you’re a professional boxer you don’t need to get to a specific weight. Focus on your body’s composition rather than the number on the scale. Also, if you constantly repeat numbers 1-4 the weight will take care of itself.

Weight Loss in Cardio

As a woman and a personal trainer, one of my biggest pet peeves is hearing people say they only need to do cardio to lose weight. That is one of the biggest fitness myths out there today. It has been proven repeatedly that adding weight training to your regular exercise program will dramatically increase your fat loss.

Cardio conditioning is great! Biking, running, swimming, etc. All have great health benefits but if you want to burn more calories after your workout, while you are relaxing at home, add 30 minutes of intense strength training 3 days a week to your normal routine. Additional benefits of regular weight training include injury prevention, increased bone density, increased metabolism, and it promotes better form for regular cardio exercise like spin classes, or running.