What keeps me going

Today I had another session with my client. Since he does chemo on Wednesdays and is usually still recovering by Friday, training sessions on Fridays are light. We started off with a 10 minute warm-up, then went into a 20 minute yoga session. He really enjoyed the yoga, saying that he felt very relaxed once we were done. We then did a 25 minute brisk walk, and stretched after.

While we were stretching, I asked him about his chemo sessions and how he was feeling.

To my surprise, he said he was feeling great. He said that he’s usually not feeling better until Saturday, and, despite this week being a harsher dose of chemo, he felt better by Thursday morning! Although he has only done about a week and a half of sessions, he said working with me has already had a great impact.

Needless to say, this made my day and impacts like this one is why I wanted to be a trainer in the first place.

Tax Recreational Exercise to Fight Global Warming

So I’m sure all of you have heard of the report that came out about obesity being a cause of global warming. I read a parody of that report on the Freakonomics blog here suggesting that because people who exercise actually burn more calories (energy), they should be taxed for their contributions to global warming.

I thought it was funny, especially because of the comments! Check it out and give me your two cents.

Have any of you read Good Calories, Bad Calories? What did you think of Taubes’ argument that exercise doesn’t help with weight loss?

Take the time to change your habits

The life that we lead is a result of the habits we create. Sure, environment plays a role, but if you choose to follow certain habits, environment becomes a nonfactor. For example, you could be going to the best private school in the nation, but if you don’t have good study habits, you won’t learn and succeed. The same is true for weight management, nutrition, and health!

Too many people say “I don’t have time to cook healthy” or “there are no affordable healthy options around where I live,” using these thoughts as crutches and excuses in order to continue living the way they do. The last one really gets on my nerves. Even in DC there are several weekly farmers’ markets across the city. People just choose not to find out when such markets are held and to attend them. I can’t tell you how many flyers I’ve seen for farmers’ markets. And farmers’ markets tend to be cheaper!

I digress.

If you truly want to change your life, you have to make the decision to do so first. You have to choose that you’re mad enough at your situation, whatever it may be, to change it!

One of the first habits you will have to change is your self-talk. You can’t continue telling yourself that the work towards your goal isn’t worth it, or that you’ll never reach your goal, or that there’s nothing you can do to change.

From the time you wake up, you need to have positive thoughts. Think about what you want in life, rather than what you don’t have. Once you change the habit of negative thinking, your life will change. Guaranteed.

Be disciplined enough to cook for yourself. I’m not saying go cold turkey and start cooking everything, but if you eat out many times a week, start with cooking for one night. Once you get comfortable with that, cook for two nights out of the week, and so on. Find the time to make healthy foods, even if that means spending time over the weekend to cook the week’s meals and freeze them.

If you have time to catch your favorite shows on tv every day, you have time to make a healthy meal. Make cooking a habit!

I’m sure there are other habits that need to be broken and created, but I can’t emphasize the power of positive thinking, and the amazing results that come from homemade, healthy cooking. It takes time to break bad habits, but if you tell yourself that it will be worth it, and think about how great your life will be once you reach your fitness goals. Start taking the time today.

First Bike Commute to Work!

Today I began training my first client. I think it went well and we have another session tomorrow. I also got a few leads this weekend and I believe they will pan out. I’m going to call them tomorrow at work.

I decided when gas prices started to become absolutely ridiculous that I would bike to as many places as possible. Today I biked to work. It ended up being almost 2 hours, round-trip, and about 18.5 miles. When I got to work, I felt amazing! I didn’t get lost in DC on the way in, but I did on the way out; I found my way back, though.

Anyway, biking to work was great and I recommend it to anyone who lives within a reasonable distance from work. Not only did I get my exercise in today, I also didn’t use any gas and didn’t have to sit in traffic. There weren’t many cars due to Memorial Day, but my route takes me through a lot of neighborhoods, where the speed limit is 25 mph anyway.

Now that I’m done with school (until August) and have moved into my new place, I will be posting more often. I bet some of you were wondering where I’ve been What have you been up to?

Supermarket Secrets

I am a fan of the website FreeDoucmentaries.Org where I spend many hours watching documentaries, especially health ones. Right now I am watching a British documentary called Supermarket Secrets which talks about, yep, you guessed it, the secrets of supermarket food. It’s broken up in two parts about 50 minutes each, but I learned a lot. The problems discussed in this documentary applies not only to British supermarkets, but American ones as well.

Some of the issues raised include the treatment of animals used for meat, the quality of preprepared foods, and even the issue of how produce “looks,” which causes millions of dollars lost and tons of wasted food. Just because some potatoes have blemishes, but are perfectly edible, they are discarded. Food has to look perfect, just like conventional products. There was a stat in there that said about 40 percent of organic farmers’ crops are wasted purely on cosmetic grounds. That is surely a deterrent for farmers to farm organic. This wasted crop is left to rot.

What about all the poor people who could eat that food? Why aren’t those potatoes sent to starving children and families across the world? We eat, and waste, so much food, it’s a bit sickening.

One of my favorite quotes from the movie was about the issue of making food look a certain way before they are sold. Joanna Blythman, author of “Shopped,” said that she doesn’t think housewives go home, after finding an imperfectly shaped orange in their purchases, and cry about it. I surely doubt people have become so ridiculous that they become upset over the shape of their produce. So why do grocery stores care so much about it that a significant number of food is wasted?

I never thought I would be interested in consumerism, but its connection to obesity, the food that is available to eat, and how people view health is undeniable and worthy of exploration. Let me know your thoughts, even if you haven’t had a chance to watch the videos.

I met my first client today

I met my client today and did a consultation, what we call a JumpStart at One World Fitness. I like him a lot. He is fighting colon cancer right now and I want to help him with his fight. He has a gentle soul, and I hope he is able to sign on with me. It’s weird how the universe works though; I signed up to do the LiveStrong challenge in memory of my grandmother’s death from colon cancer and the first person sent to me for training is fighting it. That changes the purpose of my ride a little too.

I haven’t even begun training (I start next week since I graduate from college this week :)) and I already love my job!

Today’s motivational quote: That which does not kill me makes me stronger. ~ Nietzsche

Making Fitness Efficient

Today I am meeting my first client, Josh, and as I wait to head down to DC, I thought to write about something fitness related. I enjoy helping people find ways to make their workouts more efficient, since people complain that they don’t have time to work out.

1. Double-up on your exercises. Why not do a lunge and bicep curls at the same time? Or do a squat and shoulder presses? This way, not only are you targeting more than one muscle group, you are also burning more calories in a shorter period of time. Unless you’re a body builder, doing multi-joint exercises is one of the most effective ways to cut down on the time you spend at the gym as well as a great way to reach your fitness goals.

2. Do circuit workouts. Jump from one exercise to another without rest in between. This way you’re not only strength training, but you’re also getting a cardio workout.

3. Do housework. Try vacuuming an entire house with a heavy vacuum cleaner, or sweeping at an intense rate; I guarantee that your heart rate will increase.

4. When you’re watching TV, do situps and push ups during the commercials, and avoid doing mindless snacking while you’re watching TV or reading.

The first tip is my favorite. I love coming up with new combinations of exercises in order to maximize results in the shortest amount of time. How do you make fitness efficient for you?

Obesity Threatens a Generation

Young boys and girls in elementary school should not be suffering from ailments common to adults who don’t eat well or who put on a significant amount of weight later in life. However, we are seeing children with high blood pressure, higher incidences of type 2 diabetes. In the past 25 years, even though the US as awhole has gotten heavier, the rate of obesity among those aged 6 to 19 has more than tripled! This has led not only to the previously mentioned diseases, but to higher rates of premature deaths.

A Washington Post article tackles this issue, describing the problem and its effects, focusing on the death of an obese 31 year-old woman. Check it out here. There’s also several interactive features, such as a nutrition quiz and a segment about how to choose healthy foods. Read the article, it’s 2 pages, and let’s have a discussion. Despite efforts by nonprofits, the government, and even some businesses to increase the rate of physical activities among Americans and the messages that people must adopt healthy habits, the problem is getting worse. What can we do, from both a policy and a community-oriented grassroots perspective (healthcare providers, personal trainers, health educators, etc.) do to get people to drop the deadly habits?

I’m loving it!

Enough said.

Researchers Link Chemicals to Obesity in Adulthood

I read an article this morning about common chemicals that are consumed during pregnancy leading to obesity as an adult. One of the chemicals has been found in common plastic water bottles; a movement has recently begun to move people away from plastic water bottles to steel bottles due to Bisphenol A.

I just thought this was an interesting article and I’m still thinking about what it means. Obviously, to me, it means that obesity is not only genetic and that there are environmental factors that trigger the propensity to hold on to weight.

In other news, I got cleared to bike again (no running yet)! I rode my bike around campus yesterday and powered my way up a pretty steep hill, but was busted by the time I got to the top. I have a month’s worth of training to catch up on