Consistency is what it really takes! Staying the course when it's not easy is what separates the champions from everyone else. Why is it so hard to stay on track with fitness and diet goals? If you have struggled with staying true to your goals, then you may find this article to be very helpful to you.
Getting derailed from your exercise/diet plan is never anyone's goal. Unfortunately, most of us have very busy lives and when another life priority comes up, fitness tends to take the back burner. However, I have discovered that most people could stay on track, with little difficulty, if they had the right mindset.
The Minimum Acceptable Standard (MAS)
I have noticed that most people have not developed a Minimum Acceptable Standard (MAS) for themselves in regards to their fitness plan. Having a MAS plan is what is necessary to keep yourself on track when life comes at you! For example, my MAS plan for cardio is 20 minutes. If I originally intended to do 45 minutes of cardio and then had more work to do then I was planning on, I always fall back to my MAS cardio plan of 20 minutes.
My MAS weight training plan is one body part. For example, if I was planning to train chest/shoulders and triceps but I didn't give myself as much time as I needed, I just do one bodypart like chest. My MAS diet plan is to eat 4 high protein foods each day. So, if my main plan is to eat well rounded meals with protein and then I realized I had to be on the road all day and I was going to be short on time, I would make sure to have enough protein for 4 meals (with 1 or 2 of those meals being Nutrilite protein shakes).
My MAS plan keeps me consistent no matter what! By being consistent, I can accomplish a lot more than most people who work harder sporadically. I am able to burn off 300-400 calories with just 20 minutes of cardio, by doing that over 5 days that's up to 2000 calories burnt just from my MAS plan! If I just followed my MAS plan for weight training, I would still train each bodypart every week. I also would get enough protein for my body by following my MAS plan.
Developing your MAS plan could make all the difference for you in helping you to stay consistent with your goals. Don't overwhelm yourself with thinking that you need to do so much when you don't have the time. It's your consistency of effort over time that makes the biggest impact! Be consistent by following your MAS plan! Consistency is key to helping you achieve your goals.
"Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees!" Psalm 119:5 (NLT)
Monday, March 22, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Correctly Exercising
Recently, I passed the new "Corrective Exercise Specialist" certification exam through NASM (National Acadamy of Sports Medicine). A corrective exercise specialist is someone who (based on what NASM teaches): "provides the advanced knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully work with clients suffering from musculoskeletal impairments, imbalances or post-rehabilitation concerns." (NASM.org)
All of that sounds pretty clinical, like I will be working with people coming out of the hospital or physical therapy, and to a certain degree that is what it implies. However, people who suffer from "musculoskeletal impairments" affects far more people than you may first think. For example, I personally have a few muscle impairments. I have a very tight hip flexor complex along with an overactive erector spinae that causes my lower back to arch during many squatting exercises and creates a lot of pain.
Through this course, I have found that I am not alone with my impairments. Many people tend to have lower back pain, knee pain and shoulder pain that is usually due to some type of muscle imbalance. For example, people who sit down at the computer a lot during the day may find that they tighten up their hip flexor muscles and pull their pelvis anteriorly which creates a lot of lower back pain. Also, people who run often may have iliotibial (IT) band tendonitis which causes them knee pain. With the proper stretching and self-myofascial release (kind of like a self-massage), these issues can be resolved.
Here is a simple self-assessment that you can do to see if you might suffer from a muscle imbalance. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your arms overhead like this picture:
.
Then squat down like you were going to sit into a chair. Like this:
All of that sounds pretty clinical, like I will be working with people coming out of the hospital or physical therapy, and to a certain degree that is what it implies. However, people who suffer from "musculoskeletal impairments" affects far more people than you may first think. For example, I personally have a few muscle impairments. I have a very tight hip flexor complex along with an overactive erector spinae that causes my lower back to arch during many squatting exercises and creates a lot of pain.
Through this course, I have found that I am not alone with my impairments. Many people tend to have lower back pain, knee pain and shoulder pain that is usually due to some type of muscle imbalance. For example, people who sit down at the computer a lot during the day may find that they tighten up their hip flexor muscles and pull their pelvis anteriorly which creates a lot of lower back pain. Also, people who run often may have iliotibial (IT) band tendonitis which causes them knee pain. With the proper stretching and self-myofascial release (kind of like a self-massage), these issues can be resolved.
Here is a simple self-assessment that you can do to see if you might suffer from a muscle imbalance. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your arms overhead like this picture:
.
Then squat down like you were going to sit into a chair. Like this:
Make note of any pain, movement of your knees, hips or feet that appear out of the ordinary. When this exercise is done properly, your feet should remain straight forward with your knees in alignment with your second toe. Your lower back should remain neutral and your arms should create invisible parallel lines with your knees. It's best to have a friend check your form as you do this.
If during the squat you find that you experience any pain, joint discomfort or any movement of your posture away from the above description, then chances are, you have a muscle imbalance and you need some corrective exercise. If you avoid these issues for too long, you may end up with much more costly health problems. Many types of surgery and physcial therapy can be avoided with proper corrective exercise.
Also, please keep in mind, this simple test is not all-encompassing. A certified corrective exercise specialist or physical therapist should watch as you perform this test and help you conduct a few other assessments. Just because you may not notice anything "out of the ordinary" yourself, doesn't mean you don't suffer from muscle imbalances. For further information about corrective exercise and if it is right for you, please email me at jonathanearnold@gmail.com
Also, please keep in mind, this simple test is not all-encompassing. A certified corrective exercise specialist or physical therapist should watch as you perform this test and help you conduct a few other assessments. Just because you may not notice anything "out of the ordinary" yourself, doesn't mean you don't suffer from muscle imbalances. For further information about corrective exercise and if it is right for you, please email me at jonathanearnold@gmail.com
"For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life" Proverbs 6:23 (NIV)
Monday, March 1, 2010
Curbing Your Appetite
If one of your main goals is weight loss, and you have been finding it difficult to keep your appetite under control, then this article is for you! Here are three ways to keep your appetite in check without starving yourself!
Eat more protein
Eat more often
Exercise more
Eat more protein:
Protein is the macronutrient that can be the most beneficial to dieters. Lean protein takes the longest to break down in your stomach, it will keep you feeling satisfied the longest compared to the other macronutrients (fat and carbohydrate). Due to the processing time of protein, it has a high "thermic effect". That means protein will actually burn off calories as you consume it. In fact, up to 30% of the protein calories that you eat will be spent just in digesting it! So, if you ate a lean piece of chicken breast that had 300 calories, your body is only going to use approximately 210 calories of that chicken breast! No other macronutrients have that high of a burn naturally.
Types of protein:
Here is a list of lean primary protein sources to consider adding to your diet to help curb your appetite:
- lean meats like: chicken breast, turkey breast, most fish, leaner cuts of beef and pork (the loin)
- egg whites
- non-fat cottage cheese
- low-fat cheese sticks
- protein substitutes like: Nutrilite Whey Protein Shakes and Bars
How to get protein to fit your diet:
- Always have a lean primary protein source with your three main meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Examples:
Breakfast: eggwhites or cottage cheese
Lunch: turkey breast
Dinner: Salmon
- A great planning tip is to make a double portion of your dinner meal so you can eat it for lunch the next day
- For snacks consider: nonfat cottage cheese, cheese sticks and protein substitute like Nutrilite Nut Roll Bars (a tasty high protein treat!)
Risks of consuming too much protein:
Some dietitians like to believe that if you eat too much protein, you can create kidney damage. This is simply not true! This is only a concern if you already have a pre-existing kidney issue. If you have a familiy history of kidney stones or kidney disease, then you may need to be more cautious about increasing protein. I would recommend speaking with your physician if this situation pertains to you. However, if you have perfectly healthy kidneys with no family history of kidney disease, then increasing the amount of protein you eat will only make you go to the bathroom more (yet another reason to increase the amount of water you drink)! If you have any further questions about this, I can direct you to a handful of peer-reviewed journal articles that have shown people with healthy kidneys who considerably increase their protein consumption do not increase their risk for kidney disease.
Eat more often:
By increasing the frequency of your meals, you decrease the temptations of overeating. By eating smaller meals more often, you allow your body to never really go hungry. This allows you to purposefully eat nutritious meals instead of reacting to cravings! If you eat every 2-3 hours foods that are high in protein, combined with quality carbohydrates and either a fruit or a vegetable, you will keep your energy level up and keep your appetite down!
Example Meal Schedule:
6am Breakfast: Egg whites, oatmeal, berries and skim milk
9am mid-morning: Nutrilite whey protein shake with banana
Noon: Tuna, salad and brown rice
3pm mid-afternoon: Nutrilite chocolate nut roll bar
6pm Dinner: Turkey breast, sweet potato, broccoli, skim milk
8pm: non-fat cottage cheese, raisins
This meal schedule outlines how often you should eat and displays proper nutrient balancing. With this meal schedule you eat lean protein sources with quality carbs all throughout the day. You will have lots of energy to exercise and you never go hungry!
Exercise more:
During intense cardiovascular exercise, you really don't want to eat! In fact, 30 minutes to an hour after your intense cardio session, your body is bringing it's adreneline down and you may not be in a mood to eat a large meal. Now, it's true that once your body does calm itself down, you may become quite hungry, however by following the above guidelines, your appetite should be thoroughly curbed!
By keeping intense cardio and weight training as a part of your regular schedule, you can seriously decrease your appetite for at least an hour to two hours during the day (1 hour for working out, 1 hour for hunger recovery). If you workout about 2 hours after your last meal, than you will have up to 4 hours with no real serious hunger issues! That's about 25% of your day (being awake for 16 hours).
Eating more often high protein meals and vigourous exercise can significantly help you with keeping your appetite down. By keeping your appetite in check, you are able to keep your goal of weight loss with less stress!
"My child, listen and be wise: Keep your heart on the right course. Do not carouse with drunkards or feast with gluttons" Proverbs 23:19-20 (NLT)
Eat more protein
Eat more often
Exercise more
Eat more protein:
Protein is the macronutrient that can be the most beneficial to dieters. Lean protein takes the longest to break down in your stomach, it will keep you feeling satisfied the longest compared to the other macronutrients (fat and carbohydrate). Due to the processing time of protein, it has a high "thermic effect". That means protein will actually burn off calories as you consume it. In fact, up to 30% of the protein calories that you eat will be spent just in digesting it! So, if you ate a lean piece of chicken breast that had 300 calories, your body is only going to use approximately 210 calories of that chicken breast! No other macronutrients have that high of a burn naturally.
Types of protein:
Here is a list of lean primary protein sources to consider adding to your diet to help curb your appetite:
- lean meats like: chicken breast, turkey breast, most fish, leaner cuts of beef and pork (the loin)
- egg whites
- non-fat cottage cheese
- low-fat cheese sticks
- protein substitutes like: Nutrilite Whey Protein Shakes and Bars
How to get protein to fit your diet:
- Always have a lean primary protein source with your three main meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Examples:
Breakfast: eggwhites or cottage cheese
Lunch: turkey breast
Dinner: Salmon
- A great planning tip is to make a double portion of your dinner meal so you can eat it for lunch the next day
- For snacks consider: nonfat cottage cheese, cheese sticks and protein substitute like Nutrilite Nut Roll Bars (a tasty high protein treat!)
Risks of consuming too much protein:
Some dietitians like to believe that if you eat too much protein, you can create kidney damage. This is simply not true! This is only a concern if you already have a pre-existing kidney issue. If you have a familiy history of kidney stones or kidney disease, then you may need to be more cautious about increasing protein. I would recommend speaking with your physician if this situation pertains to you. However, if you have perfectly healthy kidneys with no family history of kidney disease, then increasing the amount of protein you eat will only make you go to the bathroom more (yet another reason to increase the amount of water you drink)! If you have any further questions about this, I can direct you to a handful of peer-reviewed journal articles that have shown people with healthy kidneys who considerably increase their protein consumption do not increase their risk for kidney disease.
Eat more often:
By increasing the frequency of your meals, you decrease the temptations of overeating. By eating smaller meals more often, you allow your body to never really go hungry. This allows you to purposefully eat nutritious meals instead of reacting to cravings! If you eat every 2-3 hours foods that are high in protein, combined with quality carbohydrates and either a fruit or a vegetable, you will keep your energy level up and keep your appetite down!
Example Meal Schedule:
6am Breakfast: Egg whites, oatmeal, berries and skim milk
9am mid-morning: Nutrilite whey protein shake with banana
Noon: Tuna, salad and brown rice
3pm mid-afternoon: Nutrilite chocolate nut roll bar
6pm Dinner: Turkey breast, sweet potato, broccoli, skim milk
8pm: non-fat cottage cheese, raisins
This meal schedule outlines how often you should eat and displays proper nutrient balancing. With this meal schedule you eat lean protein sources with quality carbs all throughout the day. You will have lots of energy to exercise and you never go hungry!
Exercise more:
During intense cardiovascular exercise, you really don't want to eat! In fact, 30 minutes to an hour after your intense cardio session, your body is bringing it's adreneline down and you may not be in a mood to eat a large meal. Now, it's true that once your body does calm itself down, you may become quite hungry, however by following the above guidelines, your appetite should be thoroughly curbed!
By keeping intense cardio and weight training as a part of your regular schedule, you can seriously decrease your appetite for at least an hour to two hours during the day (1 hour for working out, 1 hour for hunger recovery). If you workout about 2 hours after your last meal, than you will have up to 4 hours with no real serious hunger issues! That's about 25% of your day (being awake for 16 hours).
Eating more often high protein meals and vigourous exercise can significantly help you with keeping your appetite down. By keeping your appetite in check, you are able to keep your goal of weight loss with less stress!
"My child, listen and be wise: Keep your heart on the right course. Do not carouse with drunkards or feast with gluttons" Proverbs 23:19-20 (NLT)
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