Boca Raton Personal Fitness Training

30 percent to 35 percent of cancers are due to nutritional factors!

Obesity is on its way to being deadlier than smoking as a cause of cancer!

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Television And Obesity

On average, Americans watch more than four hours of television per day. We're so sedentary, we don't even get up off the couch to switch the channels as we did in the old days.

Meanwhile, obesity rates are increasing.

When you sit watching TV, you burn fewer calories than pretty much any other activity, according to Dr. William Dietz from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Weight control is a matter of calories taken in versus calories burned. More calories taken in than used up results in weight gain.

Consider This

• The average household has the TV on in the background for more than 7 hours per day.
• People viewing more than 3 hours of television per day are twice as likely to be obese as those watching less than 1 hour per day.
• As TV viewing time increases, so does snacking, while physical activity decreases.
• Researchers found that for middle-aged men, TV viewing and eating between meals was associated with weight gain. Vigorous activity, decreasing TV use, and changing eating habits resulted in weight maintenance or a modest weight loss over four years.
• The American Journal of Health Behavior reports that adult TV viewing time is associated with greater obesity risk. They recommend evaluating adults for acceptance of behavioral strategies that have been shown to reduce TV watching in kids.

As for the Kids

• Children watch almost three hours of TV each day, on average.
• American children watch 40,000 TV commercials per year and develop brand loyalty as young as 2 years old.
• Children increased their risk of becoming obese by 7% for every hour of TV watched on weekends at the age of 5.
• Children watching more than 2 hours per day on weekends are more likely to become obese adults.
• 14% of young people report having NO physical activity at all!

Recommendations

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a maximum of 2 hours per day of television/video time for children.

They go on to make specific recommendations including:

• Don't have the television on during meal times
• Move TVs out of their prominent places in the home
• No television in a child's room
• Have one or more TV-free days
• Plan family activities that promote physical activity
• Keep TV journals to see viewing habits and problem-solve

By the way, many of those recommendations are also appropriate for adults. Hide the remote!

Top 5 Excuses Not To Exercise

How many people do you know that constantly make excuses for why they can’t exercise? Chances are you know at least one. Maybe you are one of them? I know at times I have been guilty of thinking up some lame excuses. But let’s get one thing straight … excuses are not reasons.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention more than 50% of American adults do not engage in the required amount of physical activity for health benefits, and 25% of adults are not active at all.

That’s a lot of people making excuses! Constantly making excuses for things will never get you anywhere in life. It is time to ditch the excuses and find the real reason behind not wanting to do the things you are making excuses for.

Here are some of the excuses I hear most often when it comes to people not wanting to exercise. Maybe some sound familiar to you, or maybe you’ve even used some of them yourself.

1. I don’t have time to exercise.
People will always find time to do something they enjoy doing. Saying you don’t have time to exercise is just an excuse to get out of doing something you can’t be bothered doing. Now, I’m not saying that you are not a busy person. Maybe you are. But I am pretty certain that almost every person can find 30-60 minutes, somewhere in their day, to exercise. Make an appointment with yourself to exercise.

2. There is no gym close to my house
You can get in great shape without ever stepping foot into a gym. Buy a set of dumbbells and some resistance bands so you can exercise at home. Stability balls are another great ‘home gym’ piece of equipment. An at home cardio workout only requires a good pair of running shoes, a jump rope, or even bike. No gym? No excuse!

3. I don’t know how to exercise
Exercise is not rocket science. If you really have no idea how to be active, go and buy a fitness magazine, ask a friend who exercises regularly for some tips, or hire a personal trainer. There is absolutely no reason why people can’t engage in some form of physical activity. Unless your doctor has specifically told you that you should not exercise at all, start by taking a jog or a walk around the block. There are also hundreds of exercise DVD’s and workout videos available that will take you through entire workouts based on your fitness level and goals.

4. I have no energy to exercise
Of course if you sit around all day doing nothing you will feel lazy. I know for me, the less I do, the lazier I feel throughout the day. Exercise has been shown to increase energy levels and leave people feeling better about themselves and more energized. Get up off the couch and get moving. Start with just 10 minutes of activity each day. Soon you will have the energy to do more.

5. I have no one to work out with
Do you really need someone to workout with? For most of us it would be nice to have some company. What will happen to your motivation though if your workout partner is not as motivated as you when it comes to exercise? What if they start skipping workouts and you’re left to workout on your own anyway? Would you stop too? Unless you have someone you know is totally committed to exercising with you, you really don’t need a workout partner. If you absolutely cannot workout alone … hire a trainer, participate in an exercise class, or take your furry friend for a walk.

As you can see, there are solutions to each of these excuses. Don’t let excuses get the better of you and keep you from reaching your goals. Focus instead on the benefits you will get from engaging in a regular exercise routine. You will be thankful you ditched the excuses in the end.

Fitness Motivation - Learn Healthy Habits & Lifestyle Changes

Summer is a time when many people jump on the fitness bandwagon believing that this is their year to lose weight and tone up once and for all! But for most, that enthusiasm for exercise tends to fade within weeks and eventually you realize that losing weight is a lifetime goal, not something you can accomplish in a few weeks. Do you really want to be successful at your fitness goals?

A few months ago I decided to ask five friends, not all who work out regularly, what motivates them to workout this time of year. As you read their answers, notice that I didn’t ask them what their goals were. In a moment I will be working with you on creating your goals.

Shannon: I want to be in bikini ready shape by the summer time. My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Mexico and I really want to wear this little bikini that he bought for me to wear last summer!

Sarah: Having just had my second child I want to loose the weight from being pregnant. Plus I know how important it is to set a healthy example for my kids. My mother worked out as I was growing up and I would like to do the same for my two boys.

Patty: Competitions are my motivation, and I have one every three – five months. If I really let myself go, come contest time I will have more work cut out for me; work that I wouldn’t have if I balanced weights and cardio with my off season diet. I make sure to fit 4 – 6 workouts in every week year round.

Tara: I feel better and have more energy when I hit the gym regularly. I work full time as a dental assistant so at the end of the day, I thrive on hitting the weights and treadmill.

Stella: On the weekends I know that I will be eating out at restaurants and drinking a little so I balance that out with the gym. It’s like by going to the gym 4 – 5 days a week I can have a little fun on the weekends. So being able to drink on the weekends motivates me.

My friends knew what they wanted but did they have the tools to reach their goals. Did they really care? Do any of my friends resemble you? If you don’t have a specific idea of where you want to be, it’s not going to motivate you to achieve it.

To let you in on who really does visit the gym as often as they wish, you can count on Shannon, after a couple years of saying she is going to start running again, Shannon has lost about 20lbs and is feeling and looking the best she has in years!

As a successful internet entrepreneur and mother of two Sarah is non stop busy, with an appreciation for walks with friends, and her husband and sons. Walking is fitness but Sarah would like to step it up a notch by summer time.

Patty has her eyes on the Emerald Cup, and is about to change gears from her off season diet to her contest diet. The last few months she has relaxed a bit on the cardio but kept her weights in appears to have gained some nice size. Patty believes she has what it takes to qualify for the Nationals. Lets wish her luck!

Picking up more shifts at the dental office and while trying to get over a cold Tara has been away from this gym for about a week. She is feeling run down but knows this will pass. 10 years ago Tara and I met on stage at a Venus Swimwear contest. Fitness is a part of Tara’s life and doesn’t let a cold get her down. She is optimistic and views fitness as a gift.

Stella works several nights a week at a very nice restaurant, so her morning starts closer to 10am. Arriving to the gym with her Starbucks in hand and her blonde hair in a sexy pony tail, she steps onto her trusty elliptical trainer and opens her novel. Chela never misses a beat, or a good glass of Chardonnay.

Let’s look at how you can now set your goals and achieve them!

What is motivation?

• The wants, needs and beliefs that drive a character.
• Motivation is the push of the mental forces to accomplish an action. Unsatisfied needs motivate. On the biological level basic human needs of food, shelter and survival are powerful motivators. On the psychological level people need to be understood, affirmed, validated and appreciated. On the business level motivation occurs when people perceive a clear business reason for pursuing a transfer of knowledge or practices.

On the biological level motivation is extremely powerful. So powerful in fact that one may feel that they cannot control what they eat. As a figure competitor I know how controlling biological motivation can be. For me, and possibly for you it’s almost as though we have two brains. One brain, we’ll refer to as ‘good’ is listening to your goals carefully and as it helps you create a game plan. However your other brain, we’ll call ‘bad’ may to turn on without warning and take over. Just when you thought you were feeling motivated to eat healthy foods, your ‘bad brain’ engages. What you hand in mind for a clean eating week is blown and you “come to” as you stair down at your plate of Starbucks latest sinful offering.

Besides eating right, you need to exercise. To help you along your way, you must understand:

1. Relying on just willpower will not work. Willpower equals short-term success. Long-term success requires planning, discipline and finding ways to motivate yourself every day.

2. Motivation takes work. From day to day what motivates you may change. Each morning, I want you to think about your goals and commit to them. Be true to your goal and choose actions that will help you get there.

3. There will be times when you don’t want to eat healthy and exercise. You are never alone. Know that every day you will have to work on staying focused, just as the most avid exercisers do.

4. Good-bye diets. Create a meal plan that works for you, based on your tastes and goals. Another persons plan may not work for you.

Goals

Ask any person who is successful in whatever they are doing what motivates them, and most likely they will say "goals". Goal Setting is the key to motivation and success. So what motivates you? I am asking you now, these four very important questions. Some of which may apply to you while others may not.

• Why do you want to loose weight?
• Why do you want to eat better?
• Why do you want to gain muscle?
• Why do you want to exercise more?

When you look at your answers do you know your goal? Goals are always things you want. They are never things you don't want.

• Correct: I want to stay at my current weight.
• Wrong: I don't want to gain weight.

Be specific with your goals. Tell exactly what you mean. Give numbers and times. Don't use words like "lots" and "more". Tell exactly what you want.

• Be realistic. Ask yourself if it is possible. Winning the Nationals for a figure contest may be possible but it's not realistic.

My Goals:

• I want to place in the top three at the Emerald Cup.
• I want to gain more size in my legs.
• I want to improve my skills on the dance pole.
• I want to loose body fat and tone my body.

Objectives

Next we need to set up our objectives. Simply put, objectives are the things we do to get our wants.

• Objectives are very specific. They tell exactly what you will do and when you will do it.
• When you think about what you will do, make a commitment to it. Objectives are written: I WILL ... Do not use words like "try or maybe" These are very BAD words to you. Forget about them. This is the dawn of the new you! ‘I WILL’.
• Be sure your objectives can be measured. Every day or every week I can say, "Did you do this?" and you answer with either a yes or a no. Don't leave room for maybes.
  Time for examples. Say that I want to gain muscle and loose body fat for the Emerald Cup.
• I will eat about 5 meals a day spaced 2.5 hours apart consisting of 25-35 gm of protein, 25 gm of carbs, and oils such as Udo’s or Flax oils.
• I will drink 1.5 gallons of water a day.
• I will weight train six day s a week.
• I will do cardio for 45 mintues, six days a week.

Goal:
I want to loose body fat and tone my body for the Emerald Cup contest.

If I do all my objectives there is a pretty good chance I will reach my goal. I suggest that you write your goals and objectives out; it will be easier for you.

Habits can take 21 days to break, and it can take three weeks before you start seeing changes in your body. In fact you may not drop a pound, but you lose inches.

I want you to be honest with yourself. Are you sincerely interested in loosing weight? Have you set realistic goals for yourself? How can you develop the internal motivation that really counts? When it comes to motivation, knowing is not as important as doing.

Exercise To Stay Young

A newly released British study finds that people who exercise at least three hours a week are up to nine years younger 'biologically' than people who are sedentary. The study of 2,401 twins found that those who exercised vigorously for at least three hours each week were biologically younger than those who did under 15 minutes. People who did moderate exercise for 1 1/2 hours each week got a four-year advantage. Researchers aren't sure what causes the effect, but it's believed physical activity somehow defends against a natural process called oxidative stress, which damages and kills cells. The study also backed up previous research that has found a sedentary lifestyle raises the risk of a range of problems from heart disease to cancer.

No State Shows Drop In Adult Obesity!

Adult obesity rates continue to climb across the USA: 31 states showed increases last year and not a single state notched a decline, according to a study released Monday. Mississippi became the first state to crack the 30% barrier for adult residents considered obese, according to the Trust for America's Health, a non-profit research group that focuses on disease prevention. Colorado was the leanest state with an obesity rate projected at 17.6%. (The rankings are based on a comparison of self-reported height and weight data from 2003-2005 and 2004-2006.) This year's report, for the first time, also examined rates of overweight children ages 10 to 17. The District of Columbia had the highest percentage (22.8%); Utah had the lowest (8.5%). Overweight adults and children are at an increased risk for diabetes, heart problems and other chronic diseases. For a complete listing of state rankings, visit www. healthyamericans.org.