About a year ago we posted the incredible transformation of a young man named Jeff Franco. In fact, it was one of our most popular articles ever!
Over the course of one year he lost 65 pounds and an amazing 11.25 inches off his waist! By the end he was totally ripped! If you missed it you’ll definitely want to check it out HERE to get up to speed.
Now, one year later, Jeff is still maintaining a body fat percentage around 10% and his waist is within ¾ of an inch of his last visit.
Recently Jeff dropped by for a chat and we managed to get him to open up about the trials and tribulations of maintaining such an unbelievable amount of weight loss.
Mark Young: Hey Jeff! I want to start by saying congratulations for keeping the weight off. It’s obvious that you’ve worked hard over the last year and you look fantastic.
It seems to me that while losing weight is tough, most people seem to have even more difficultly keeping it off. What do you think it is that has allowed you to keep it off for so long?
Jeff Franco: Thanks, Mark.
Losing weight was tough at first, but when I started to see the pounds come off, it motivated me keep going to achieve my weight loss goal. And, believe it or not, it did get easier as time went on. After all was said and done I had lost the weight and looked and felt good about myself. Now all I had to do was try to stay that way which was hard as well.
The reason I think that this can be difficult is because when you’re maintaining the weight that you’ve worked so hard for, there’s no real goal to achieve afterwards. At first you could say, “My goal is to lose 40 pounds”. After you’ve lost the 40 pounds, you set another goal; to stay at your current weight, but that isn’t very exciting.
When you weigh yourself every week, you don’t see your weight drop; instead it stays the same and that can be unmotivating. “Okay, so last week I weighed in at 170 pounds and this week I weigh in at…170 pounds”.
Although you are progressing because you’re maintaining your weight, you feel that you aren’t. When it comes to maintenance, people have to find other goals or ways of motivating themselves. Just because you’ve lost the weight, it doesn’t mean you stop eating healthy and exercising. You’ll go back to the way you were before, overweight and out of shape. And then do you really want to go through that all over again?
The battle doesn’t end after you’ve lost the weight. You can always improve yourself in some way. You can always be leaner. People have to understand, that it is a lifestyle change. So even after losing the weight, the training must continue in order to maintain the body that you now have.
When I lost all that weight, I liked the way that I looked and more importantly, I liked the way I felt. I guess what really motivated me to keep the weight off for so long was thinking back to what I was before and realizing that I never want to be like that again.
People notice me now. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like the attention. And my girlfriend loves my body. That’s motivation enough. There are still ways that I would like to improve my physique. I want to be leaner and more cut, but like I said it’s a constant battle and it will take time and I’m willing to do it. This is the lifestyle I decided to choose and I will continue doing this for all my life.
Mark Young: Congrats on the girlfriend! I guess we’ll have to hold back all the ladies who have been emailing us for your number since we ran your article. *Laughs*
Seriously though, when you did the Jeff Franco Project series you were a single guy. How has having a girlfriend affected your workouts and your eating regime? I know you were pretty strict before, but most people find it more difficult to stick to their plan when they’re sharing their time with someone else. How do you manage it?
Jeff Franco: *laughing* Yeah right.
Having a girlfriend affecting the eating regime? Not at all. Affecting the workouts? Absolutely.
For the time being, we live in different cities. My routine for the last 6 months or so was going to work in the morning, coming home from work anywhere around 2:30 - 4:30 pm, heading to the gym for an hour or two and then coming home in the evening. She’s an hour away and since I only get to see her weekends, I’ve found myself skipping workouts to go see her because I really miss her during the week.
So, I’ve definitely skipped a few workouts for that. Not mention the other times in the last year where I was too tired, too busy, too sick, or injured and missed workouts. I went whenever I could.
It hasn’t exactly been 5 days a week like I was used to when going through the Jeff Franco project, but I usually hit 3-4 workouts a week getting and get in about 5-6 hours of exercise. Some weeks it’s been 2. Some weeks it’s been 1 or none. Although, just recently I’ve become more strict with the training; I told my girlfriend I couldn’t come down as often during the week so I could stick to my training. She understands, but I’m sure she doesn’t like it so much. *laughs*
As far as the eating habits are concerned. I haven’t slipped. If I were to slip on that as well as miss workouts, then I’d be in trouble. But I haven’t. She pretty much eats like I do. I think I’ve inspired her to do that which is kinda cool. We have our one cheat day together on the weekend and enjoy it.
Every other day of the week I’m as strict as I ever was with the food. Once in a while, I’ll find her eating a donut or something in front of me and waving it in front of my face telling me how good it is. But it’s all in good fun, because she knows I can handle it. We both eat pretty healthy most of the time. Some of my habits have rubbed off on her and has inspired her because now she wants me to train her!!!
So even though I’ve missed workouts, I haven’t gained any weight back. I’m still happy where I am and will continue to improve as I go. And I will keep training and eating this way so I can continue to improve myself. We both will. Things are going to happen that interrupt training. Life throws you curveballs, you’ve just gotta roll with it.
Mark Young: Since you’ve been pretty constant with the diet and missed a few workouts some people might be thinking that the workouts maybe aren’t that important. Could you clarify that for us?
Jeff Franco: They are important, don’t get me wrong. Weight loss occurs when you combine healthy eating habits and exercise together. That’s how I lost all that weight. Since I don’t need to lose anymore weight, I can afford to miss a workout here and there. I won’t progress my muscle tone as quickly but I won’t all of a sudden become overweight again because I missed two days at the gym one week… unless I was consistently eating unhealthy foods.
I don’t care who you are, no one is going to go to the gym for 5 days a week every week for the rest of their lives. We’re not robots. I’ve been eating as healthy as possible and worked out consistently to get to where I am now. I’ve done the best I could and this is the body I’ve built SO FAR.
I wouldn’t look this way if I’d just dieted and didn’t workout at all. It would never have worked. I would have lost maybe like 10 pounds in a year, not 70. You have to burn more calories than you consume to lose weight.
You also have to use weight training to strengthen and tone your body. If you just diet, big deal. That’s only half the battle. The workouts are very important.
Mark Young: I agree 100%.
One thing science has demonstrated conclusively is that those who have strong social support are more likely to succeed at losing weight and keeping it off. You mentioned that both you and your girlfriend eat healthy foods together.
How important do you really think social support is for long term weight loss? Do you think it would be harder if she wasn’t so supportive?
Jeff Franco: I definitely think social support is important. It would be harder if she wasn’t so supportive of my lifestyle. If you had one person that worked out every day and ate healthy all the time and the other person was just lying around doing nothing but eating junk food, there would definitely be a problem.
One would rub off on the other. More likely the unhealthy lifestyle would rub off the most. Luckily for me, my lifestyle has rubbed off on her and we do this together now. I’ve known people who were thin while single and then blew up months after being in a relationship.
It’s true that social support is very important to keeping the weight off. And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been to a party or gathering of friends and have turned down a drink, or a cookie or a piece of cake or what have you. It’s hard.
Mark Young: It sure is.
As I’m sure you’re aware, New Years is approaching. What recommendations would you have for anyone who is going to make permanent weight loss a priority this year?
Jeff Franco: Ultimately, the most common New Year’s resolution that happens every year is “I’m gonna lose weight”. In January at the gym, it’s packed with people who have said “yeah, this time I’m really doing it!”
By the time mid-February rolls around, it’s back to normal again because most of those people have given up. I say, if you’re going to make permanent weight loss a priority this year, just do it. People are either going to stick to it or not. All I can say is stick to it. Consistently. No matter what. I did. It was worth it.
Mark Young: Thanks again Jeff for taking the time to chat with us.
Jeff Franco: No problem. Anytime.
If you still can’t get enough of the Jeff Franco Project you can check out his interview from last April where he dishes out some tough love and shares what it really takes to make a radical transformation. See the full interview HERE.
We’ve all experienced those moments where, in a burst of insight, we say to ourselves “Ah-Ha” and something complicated suddenly becomes remarkably clear. This article will detail 5 of the most powerful Ah-Ha moments I’ve had in my career.
Calorie Intake Controls Your Metabolism
If you want to lose weight you need to eat more food. When you follow a calorie restricted diet, your metabolism falls to match your intake.
Here’s an example:
Let’s say your metabolism is burning 2000 calories per day. This is determined by the exercise you do and the amount of energy your body requires just to keep you alive. If you eat 2000 calories per day your weight will stay the same because there is no difference between what you’ve taken in and what your body has burned off.
You want to lose weight so you decide to follow a calorically restricted plan and drop your calories to 1200 (or even 800 as some poorly constructed plans suggest). This creates a difference of 800 calories per day. For a week this amounts to a total of 5600 calories or 1.6 pounds of fat!!! Not too shabby.
After a month or two on the plan you’re down a ton of weight, but you’ve noticed that your weight loss has slowed significantly. The problem is that your body has determined that you are starving yourself and it has decided to slow down your metabolism to match your intake as a protective mechanism.
You’re still consuming only 1200 calories per day, but your metabolism is now burning off 1500 so the difference is only 300. This is obviously much different than it was before and now you’re only losing just over half of a pound per week. You decide to stick with the plan because it has worked so far and maybe things will sort themselves out.
Your body decides to show you otherwise and continues to decrease your metabolism until you reach a complete plateau. Your metabolism reaches the point where it exactly matches your input and you can’t lose a single pound. You reduce your calories a little more, but the same thing happens and you’re almost at the end of your rope. Finally, you resort to exercise, but you’re far too exhausted because your intake is too low to give you the energy or nutrients required.
Eventually the frustration is overwhelming so you ditch the plan altogether. From the months of starvation your cravings are intense and at this point you could care less about what you stuff in your face so you’re packing in everything in sight. You’re following the See-Food Diet. If you see it, you eat it. You’re eating more than you used to eat and you’re probably consuming around 2400 calories per day. But your metabolism has not budged and is still running at 1200 calories so the difference is 1200 calories per day in favour of fat gain. This amounts to almost 2.5 pounds of weight gain per week! That’s faster than you lost it in the first place. In three months you’ll be at least 10 pounds heavier than when you started!!!
Keep in mind that this is the BEST case scenario because it assumes that all you lost during the first three months is fat and that your muscle mass (which burns calories) was left intact. Sadly, this is rarely the case. At this point if you started another calorie depriving plan you’d repeat the process only to do more damage and result in more weight gain.
5 Hours of Exercise is the MINIMUM Required for Long Term Weight Loss
Here are two scenarios designed to produce a weight loss of about one pound per week: (Note: We don’t actually count calories at our facility. This is done for demonstration purposes only.)
Scenario #1:
Average Daily Calorie Output (Metabolism + Exercise 2 hours per week) = 2000 calories
Average Daily Calorie Intake (Food) = 1500 calories
Difference = 500 calories per day
Scenario #2:
Average Daily Calorie Output (Metabolism + Exercise 5 hours per week) = 2500
Average Daily Calorie Intake (Food) = 2000 calories
Difference = 500 calories per day
While on the surface these might look like the end result is the same, I can guarantee you that the physique produced by scenario #2 will be leaner and healthier than the physique produced by scenario #1. There’s even research to support it.
Of course, many dieticians would disagree, but if you don’t believe it I’d suggest you try it out for yourself. We’ve done it both ways and the difference has been astounding.
I won’t get into the science of why it works (that’s a whole other article), but a great side benefit is that when you exercise more, you get to eat more. When you eat more you can consume more nutrient rich foods that supply your body with the vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients that your body requires to leave you feeling totally energized. When you’re energized you have less cravings for junky food. At the same time, your metabolism climbs not only because of the exercise, but because you’re consuming more food.
The only thing you have to do is make time for the five hours of exercise per week and consume the right foods and the transformation will be INCREDIBLE. Not only will you look better, but you’ll feel like a million bucks.
Core Training Might be Useful After All
I’ll admit it. I’m quick to resist trends. When someone comes up with a new diet or a new exercise program I’ll read the information, but unless it is backed by science and a long history of successes I won’t give it a second glance. The tried and true methods are usually the best.
When core training burst onto the scene a few years back the only information about “the core” was a slew of marketing hype and complete garbage with no reference to scientific material or even anecdotal results. It was a media driven circus and people were dropping loads of cash on stability balls and wobble boards like crazy. In fact, many chiropractors I know still do this. I basically bucked the trend altogether and didn’t give it another thought.
For years my wife urged me to reconsider my decision and I finally came around this past year, thanks to her persistence. What I discovered is that there is more to the core than balancing single legged on a Bosu ball with a blindfold and singing “Gonna Make You Sweat” by C&C Music Factory.
Sure, there are still plenty of shady people capitalizing on the public desire to find some new and exciting quick fix, but I’ve finally come to terms with the word core. It still doesn’t mean what most people think it means and most people are still doing it wrong, but I’ve accepted core training as a mainstay in our programs…and that’s a huge leap for me.
By the way, if you’re looking for an incredible resource about the appropriate use of stability balls and similar devices check out “The Truth About Unstable Surface Training” HERE.
Crunches are a Completely Ineffective Way to Train the Core
The “core”, as we’ve discussed, is often a catch phrase used to sell overhyped and overpriced exercise programs on late night television. It is also composed of more than just the abdominals that everyone so desperately desires.
In reality, the core is made up of all of the muscles that surround and provide support to the middle of the body. It contains, the rectus abdominis, internal and external obliques, transverse abdominis, multifidus and other low back extensors, glutes, and maybe the even the hip flexors just to name a few.
To start with, crunches are bad for a couple reasons:
1. When spines are tested in spinal research labs they use machines that bend them back and forth repeatedly until a disc herniates. This is exactly what crunches are doing to your spine. If it helps, try to think of bending a credit card back and forth repeatedly. At first you’ll start to see the card turn white as the plastic weakens and then eventually…SNAP. It’s all over and there’s nothing you can do to bring it back to the way it was before.
2. Most people are dominant with their rectus abdominis (the six pack muscles) and have underactive external obliques. Since crunches only train the rectus you’re only contributing to something that is already an issue which can eventually lead to lower back pain.
However, the main issue with crunches is that they don’t allow the abs to function in the primary role they were designed for…to support the core. If you question this notion, just think about the last time you walked around a social gathering doing a crunching motion. Unless bowing is very customary around your friends (this would mean bowing every second or so) you’d probably look nuts.
Static exercises like planks, deadbugs, pallof presses, chops, and lifts are the very best way to train the abdominal portion of the core because they train all of the muscles that function in the role of stabilizers as they’re meant to be used. In fact, the guy in the picture above probably doesn’t do any crunches at all!
You Can’t Possibly Know Everything
I know stuff. In fact, I feel that I know a lot more than a lot of people and I work hard every day to stay on the cutting edge. However, the single greatest lesson I’ve learned over the course of my time in this field is that no matter how much you know, you can never know nearly enough. Every time I start to forget this fact I pick up a book, listen to a fitness audio CD, or go to a conference and am completely floored by how much I still have to learn. What’s even tougher to take is that whenever I learn more, I know that people are continually coming out with new stuff to learn. Sometimes I just wish people would take the next 100 years off of producing great information so I could catch up.
Of course, I’m being facetious here. I absolutely love the influx of new information all the time. It makes me feel alive and reminds me that there are so many more exciting things I’ll be able to attain in my lifetime in this industry.
In my attempt to stay current I read for AT LEAST half an hour each day while walking on the treadmill each morning. (By the way, this gets in an easy 3.5 hours of exercise per week above and beyond my workouts…while multitasking!) In fact, I usually read more than that (about an hour per day).
Despite my efforts, there is always going to be more to learn and this is one of the most humbling and exciting things about working in this field.
Why should you care about this?
Because it reminds me that most of us spend countless hours doing mindless activities each day like watching TV or surfing around for people we don’t even like to pad our friend list on Facebook. If we all took just half an hour per day to learn more about something we really wanted to know or doing something we’ve “always wanted to do” our lives might look totally different than they are.
We originally ran this article on December 4th, 2007 but since the holidays are upon us once again, we thought it might be of use to you all this season. Enjoy!
The time has arrived. The snow has fallen. Christmas lights are twinkling brightly in the night sky. Malls are bursting at the seams with people elbowing each other to get to the cash registers. Festive music and sounds abound. The scent of holiday baking comes from houses all around. ‘Tis the season for that “round belly that shakes like a bowl full of jelly.” For whatever reason, the Christmas season revolves around food. And usually it is not of the healthy variety.
Last year we wrote an article regarding strategies to survive the holidays when you are trying to lose or even maintain your weight. In Part 1, Mark Young talked about PLANNING your schedule so that all events that involve “holiday food” are planned “cheats”. He also discussed incorporating healthy food into the mix. In this article I will be expanding on these and equipping you with even more strategies for you to cope with the season.
What if I’m out Christmas shopping and all there is to eat is fast food?
The simple answer: PLAN
You and I both know that the malls are crazy, crazy, crazy during the Christmas season. Shopping for one hour can turn into several because of the crowds. Parking lots can take almost as long to get out of. If you are going to brave the mall traffic, then simply plan to be out for at least a few hours. Take food with you. Put food in a small cooler with ice packs inside it and throw it in the trunk of the car. Or bring a protein shake with you so you can simply purchase a bottle of water and mix it up. These are small items that can fit inside of a purse.
Worst case scenario? You forget to bring food and have to enter the dreaded food court. As hard as this may be to believe, there are healthy options available. Try a grilled chicken salad or a sandwich on a whole wheat bun. Look for the items that aren’t going to cost you in pounds. You don’t always have to go for the burgers. You just need to make the healthy decisions.
What about all of the baked goods around me?
Like Eve in the Garden of Eden with the apple, temptation is all around us this time of year. How do you go about resisting?
The short answer: DEFER
The temptation may be there, but that doesn’t that imply that you have to give in at all times. Remember when I mentioned planning? It may mean that you hold off on giving in at that exact moment and defer to one of your PLANNED times to “cheat”. The baking will still be there. This may be difficult and YES - this may suck but instead of telling yourself “no” you are telling yourself “just wait until”. The impact that this has on you psychologically will sustain you when it comes to weight loss goals.
Believe it or not this is just like everything else in life. Do you ever have those days at work when you just don’t feel like working and wish to take the day off? Do you give in every time you have these thoughts?
I’m guessing that the answer is no. You work the day like every other one and you look forward to the weekend. The same principle is in effect with holiday treats. Designate times for them and stay strong until those times arrive! It’s worth it in the end.
What about pressure from outside influences?
Believe it or not this can be the most difficult part in surviving the holidays. Your friends can quickly become foe. Your family can turn on you. I’m not talking about anything overly dramatic but I am talking about something that most people think only children have to deal with; peer pressure. Don’t laugh - it is true and if you haven’t experienced it yet consider yourself lucky.
Turning down a holiday feast is hard enough on your own but what happens when your close ones are pushing you to eat “just one bite” and telling you that “a little bit won’t hurt at all”?
Or the questions:
“Why aren’t you eating the food?”
“Is my baking not good enough for you?”
“How come you can’t have it?”
Sometimes there are even people who allow jealousy to rule and start to come down on you and point you out to the other people in the room. They want to make you feel different. These are usually the people who have not had the willpower themselves to make a change in their own lives.
Stay Strong
Show those people what you are made of. They will see your results and come to you for advice! So…even if that shortbread is shoved under your nose… if it’s not planned DON’T EAT IT!
Christmas Day
Christmas day has arrived. You’ve managed to minimize damage this holiday season. You feel good and proud of yourself. Great! Now reward yourself and take the day off. Enjoy the day with friends and family! But remember to be back at it the following day.
Good health is the best gift that you can give to yourself and to your family. You reap more rewards than you can imagine. And it really is a gift that keeps on giving! Treat yourself to that this year. You deserve it.
In today’s Ask a Trainer column in the Hamilton Spectator I had the opportunity to discuss the issue of women, weight training, and the concept of bulking up.
Check out the whole article on the Spectator website HERE.
*Nutrex Solutions client Sherry is featured in the photographs*
The way the world works can seem backwards somehow to me at times. People can baffle me like nothing else can. Sometimes we speak up when we see something we perceive is wrong and at other times we remain silent when our voices should be heard loud and clear. Don’t understand what I’m talking about? Let me explain.
Over the years we have worked with many people to help them achieve their goals. We’ve had several people hit their weight loss targets. And in almost every circumstance someone close to that person came forward with their opinion, “You’re getting too skinny”, “Are you even eating anything at all?” or “Oh- I think that’s enough weight lost, you shouldn’t lose anymore.” To be honest there have been worse things said to people than I’m willing to write here. And in all of these cases the person losing the weight looked and felt healthier than ever before and none of them would be considered underweight or undernourished.
People are so willing to step forward and tell someone that they are “getting too thin” for whatever reason BUT they do not tell their loved ones when they are gaining too much weight. Why is that? Could it be because it is a societal norm to be overweight and therefore is more readily accepted? Is it that the loved one somehow feels better about themselves because their friend is overweight? Or is it feasible that they are afraid to say anything to spare their friends feelings? Let’s examine these options further.
Societal Norms
In North America obesity is a raging epidemic. It is everywhere you look. It’s affected our parents, our peers and our children. Here in Hamilton, Ontario we are officially the city with the highest rate and percentage of overweight and obese citizens in all of Canada. This is definitely not something to be proud of. It is also something that I feel is not being addressed adequately. Let’s face it. It is acceptable to be overweight and obese. If someone puts on 20lbs, rarely is it discussed as a concern by the people closest to that person. It seems as if people find nothing wrong with the situation at all. As stated above, it is the norm and it is accepted.
Insecurity
I believe that everyone has their own issues with themselves. Something that makes them feel insecure. And most people, especially women, feel the need to compare themselves against others. I’ve known people who freely admit to surrounding themselves with friends who are overweight because it makes them feel better about themselves and about the way they look. Is this wrong? Heck yes! But it is a reality. And when one of their friends decides to take their health into their own hands and make a change then all of a sudden that comfort and security is threatened. Sometimes they react with some of the opinions above. You see, when people see their friends succeed in their weight loss it can be a reality check to the person. It IS possible. There is NO excuse for it not to happen. It’s almost as if their own inadequacies are coming back to haunt them when they look at their friends success. And while they should be celebrating her success and encouraging her, instead they find themselves doing the opposite. Like I said above I have seen this many times with families and friends of clients who are doing well.
Fear
Some people are afraid to say something to their friend who has packed on some weight. I do understand that feelings can and will get hurt but this option is far better than the friend falling victim to disease from obesity. There are ways to come across as concerned and encouraging. The point is that we don’t do it enough. If we really care about people and see them going down a road that leads to death then it is our responsibility to step in and say something. No one has a problem doing so when their loved one has a drug or alcohol addiction. It is the same thing. It is a sickness and it CAN kill them.
It ultimately does not matter what the reason is behind you not standing up and saying something to your loved one. It just matters that you do say something to them. It matters that you do express your love and concern for them. Being overweight or obese is dangerous. It can lead to heart disease, stroke, Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension and many, many other health issues. It is something we should take very seriously. And it is something that we, as a society should do something about. Start with those closest to you.
Below are five things I think everyone needs to do. Some are related to looking good. Some are related to feeling good. Others are just related to staying alive (which is a real bonus if you’re going to do all that work to look and feel good). All in all, the thought process is pretty random, but if you’re not doing all of these things you need to start.
Eat Breakfast
You can’t start a fire without wood and you can’t start your metabolism without fuel. Skipping breakfast is the equivalent of failing to put a log on your metabolic fire. It just isn’t going to get started until you eat. What’s more important to note is that people who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight and less likely to overeat later in the day. Ideally, breakfast would be a larger meal with meals actually tapering in size towards the end of the day.
Certainly there are those of you with excuses. Trust me, I’ve heard them all. But that doesn’t change the unalterable truth that unless you’re eating breakfast you’ll never have the body that you truly desire.
Start by eating something small within an hour of waking. Experience with hundreds of clients we’ve dealt with demonstrates that you will eventually become hungry in the morning and it will get easier.
Take Your Blood Pressure
Did you know that your blood pressure is a better predictor of cardiovascular health than your cholesterol numbers? In fact, high blood pressure does more damage to your arteries than cholesterol ever could on its own. For cholesterol to stick to your artery walls there needs to be damage and do you know where that damage comes from? Yep, you guessed it - high blood pressure.
And just in case you’re not worried about your heart, arterial damage can also affect your skin (giving you wrinkles), your eyes (giving you glaucoma), and even your parts south of the border (causing erectile dysfunction in men and loss of sensation in women).
An ideal blood pressure in the average healthy adult is 115/75. If yours is higher than this you need to do something about it as this is a MAJOR risk factor. But before you go racing to the doctor to get the latest and greatest medication consider whether you’re actually doing everything you can for your arterial health.
If your food choices are poor and you’re completely inactive you probably need to address this issue. Go get the meds if you need to, but don’t get too comfortable as these can’t stave off the effects forever. Start taking care of yourself and make it a concrete goal to get your blood pressure under control without the aid of drugs and you’ll live a healthier and happier life.
Floss Your Teeth
With all the tooth whitening products out there you’d suspect that many of those beautiful smiles would be healthy smiles, but unfortunately several of them aren’t.
Despite having brilliant looking pearly whites, many people fail to make the time to floss and this could end up being a fatal mistake. It appears that unless we take care of our gums we’re susceptible to bacterial infections causing gingivitis and other conditions. More importantly, people with these conditions are likely to experience artery damage as a result.
Scientists don’t know yet if the bacteria themselves get into the bloodstream and damage the arteries or if there is some other kind of low grade inflammatory response that affects them, but they do know that taking care of the gums reduces the risk.
Take the few seconds to floss your teeth and it might be a lifesaving experience.
Exercise a Minimum of 5 Hours Per Week
You’re busy aren’t you? In fact, you’re probably so busy that this seems to be a high price to pay for better health doesn’t it?
Well let me explain to you the most common scenario in North America to see if I can change your mind. And by the way, I’m not reading this from the statistics in a magazine either. These are the people we deal with every day.
Many people are inactive. They then become overweight or obese from being inactive. Carrying the extra weight puts excess strain on the body and they start to experience lower back, hip, or knee pain. Often they end up taking pain medication because they can’t handle the constant ache. Unfortunately, the pain leads to less movement and more weight gain resulting in Type II Diabetes. For this a doctor prescribes Metformin. In the same visit the doctor notices that the person’s blood pressure and cholesterol are sky high so they’re also now taking some form of blood pressure medication and a Statin like Lipitor for the cholesterol. The person finally decides to fight back and follows a severe diet program and loses weight rapidly only to regain it just as fast. Now they can’t lose weight for the life of them because their metabolism is shot from crash dieting, their whole body aches and they’re essentially a walking pharmacy. They’re completely depressed and their doctor has no other recourse, but to put them on antidepressants and possibly anti anxiety meds to help them relieve the stress. If they’re female the doctor will also probably suggest some calcium and vitamin D because their bones are becoming brittle from inactivity. Ultimately, they feel completely exhausted and defeated every day, they can’t look in a mirror much less shop for new clothes, and they feel that there is no hope. In essence, they’ve almost completely given up.
This is often when people finally come to us in search of one last chance to turn their lives around. If they’re not there yet, they’re usually at some place along that slippery slope and would eventually reach the endpoint given enough time.
The main point here is that all of this could have been averted if people had just made a little time each week for themselves to go out and exercise for just 45 minutes per day. In fact, just walking for 30 minutes per day is a great start.
Time might seem short with all of your work, family, and social obligations, but if you were to picture yourself in the place of the person at the end of the scenario above I guarantee you the price would not seem so high. If you can’t picture yourself there…just wait.
Inspect Your Private Parts
Many Cancers start in places that most people don’t like to talk about. Unfortunately, this often leads to lack of information on the topic and, sadly, many people die as a result of late detection. If you’re sensitive towards this topic you can skip the rest of this article. However, I’d suggest you forge forward as the information below might just save your life.
Women
It is well known that women should administer a self breast exam regularly to detect lumps that could be dangerous. However, it is less well known how often women actually do this. Because early detection is key to fast and effective treatment, make sure to do this on a monthly basis. If you think you’re not likely to remember just let your partner know that they can do it for you when they remind you it needs to be done. My guess is that you’ll never miss an exam again.
Some statistics suggest that at least 50% of sexually active women will contract human papillomavirus (HPV) at some time during their lives. Many scientists believe the number is even higher than that and that most women don’t know they have it. The biggest issue is that this can eventually lead to cervical Cancer and in most instances THERE ARE NO SYMPTOMS in the early stages. This is why it is so critical to get a pap smear annually after a woman becomes sexually active. Granted, this appointment probably won’t be your favourite day of the year, but it could be the most important day of your life.
Men
Remember when you were a teenager and your parents told you not to touch anything down there or you’d go blind? Well I’m here to give you outright permission to do just that. At least once a month it is imperative to check your testicles for lumps you don’t recognize. In fact, even if you don’t think you have any lumps it is important to get to know how things “should feel” so if you eventually do develop a lump you’ll recognize it as being out of place. If you do find something it is always better to get it checked out than to rationalize it away. Better safe than sorry. For the record, I don’t suggest using the same “ask your partner” strategy as I mentioned above for the breast exam. In this case, it might be a long time before you get your next exam.
Finally, the one test men don’t like to talk about - The prostate. The sound of a rubber glove snapping onto the hand of a doctor standing behind you is the stuff of nightmares to most men, but Cancer scares me MUCH more. In fact, prostate Cancer is the most common Cancer in Canadian men. It is estimated that in 2008 approximately 24,700 men will be diagnosed with prostate Cancer. So…as much as you hate it…every man over 45 (or 40 if your family has a history) should get a prostate exam annually. Don’t forget to ask for a PSA (prostate specific antigen) test while you’re at it. The manual prostate exam can sometimes miss things this test will pick up.
Summary
The main point is that the stuff I’ve written above are simple things that need to be done to keep you looking and feeling great while living a long and exciting life. Many of them only need to be done once yearly, monthly, or daily, but they’ll hardly take any more than a few minutes at a time (except for the 45 minutes of exercise daily…which really isn’t much time in the grand scheme of things).
If you’re looking for some small steps to take to get healthy…now you can start stepping.
1. There are a lot of personal trainers out there in the world but only a handful of good ones. A personal training certification can be attained in a matter of hours to a matter of weeks. It’s the ongoing quest for knowledge and the ability and desire to help people achieve their goals that separates the good from the bad.
2. A positive attitude makes a world of difference in anything you do. Just like the little engine that could… if you think you can then you are more likely to achieve it.
3. People always want to do something that will make them happy eventually. “When I pay off my debt, I’ll be happy”, “When I get married, I’ll be happy”, “When I lose 30lbs, I’ll be happy” or “When I’m retired, I’ll be happy”. The trick is to BE HAPPY TODAY regardless of circumstance. Don’t waste time being miserable. You never know how much time you have so please make the best of it.
4. Motivation is something that comes from within. As a personal trainer it is part of my job to help motivate people to do better. That’s right, I said to HELP. I can provide the tools but the drive and persistence has to come from within.
5. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
6. People have a tendency to look for validation that what they are currently doing is working. Just because Lean Cuisine says that you will lose weight eating their fettuccini alfredo or that someone educated says that a glass of wine and a piece of dark chocolate a day is beneficial for your health does NOT mean that I agree or that it will work for everyone. If it works for you then all the power to you. If not – stop validating things and make real changes.
7. The formula for weight loss is very simple. Expend more calories than you take in. The formula for health is also very simple. Eat what the earth provides and exercise frequently. This is not rocket science and you do not need gimmicks or pills to accomplish these things.
8. In order to change your body you must combine both exercise and nutrition. Any plan that offers only one or the other is not doing you a service. Some popular plans only offer nutrition and while you may lose weight you do not look and feel the best that you can.
9. We, as a species have done unimaginable things to our planet. Educate yourselves and make small changes. Many small changes can make a big difference.
10. Anyone lucky enough to be blessed with children has an opportunity to instil good habits and values in them.
11. If you’ve ever seen the show “Jon and Kate + 8” then you get a taste of what it would be like to have a set of twins and a set of sextuplets. I’ve learned by watching this show that absolutely anything is possible.
12. Recently, my husband and I attended a fitness trade show in Toronto. We were appalled at the food choices provided. There were booths with French fries, pizzas and pretzels. Obviously we were not prepared for this because we assumed that there would be healthy options. So we headed outside and fought through the crowds of “fitness professionals” waiting in line to get to that French Fry Truck for some good old hot dogs and onion rings. We made our way across the street to a restaurant and ordered some healthier options. Strangely, the restaurant was not busy and we had a good view of that line up of hungry “motivators”.
13. Most women that start training seem to have a fear or lifting “big weights” and “bulking up”. I’ve learned to accept that this is the mindset and to alter it. In order to change one must progress and challenge herself.
14. Along the road to good health and weight loss people will stumble. There will be tough times and you will slip. Accept this and move on. Do not dwell on it for this will only end negatively. Simply pick up the pieces and get back on track.
15. Spot reduction or being able to lose weight in one specific area on your body is a load of crap and anyone that tells you differently is trying to sell you something.
16. You must EAT to lose weight. Your metabolism needs fuel in order for it to speed up. To stop eating is to kill your body and ensure many more health issues than you bargained for.
17. Setting clear and concise goals for yourself makes you more likely to be successful. I have said this many times and I will continue to say it. You can achieve things if you set your mind to them even if they seem impossible at the time that you set them. This is a video of my husband performing The Human Flag, something he couldn’t imagine himself doing.
18. Too many people in this industry are trying to make the almighty dollar while selling you absolutely useless products and supplements. Do not fall victim to this. Do your research. And see #7 on my list.
19. Some people will disappoint you in your life and leave you feeling jaded. But on the flip side others will astound you. The key is to balance the two.
20. And finally I have learned that health, happiness and family are irreplaceable.
Since I first started in the personal training industry my views on supplements have changed dramatically. Having come from a prestigious exercise metabolism research lab I knew that there was a lot of junk out there and I was always skeptical of the latest and greatest supplement on the market. I also knew that, although supplement companies do have independent labs research their products, they tend to change the wording to make it seem as though the product is better than it is.
For example, researchers might run a study and make the following conclusion:
Over 4 months the group that received the fat loss product managed to lose 1 pound while the group who did not only lost half a pound.
With a few small changes the marketing company runs this in a magazine:
In clinical research trials the group who took our product lost 100% MORE WEIGHT than the group who did not.
I’ve actually seen something like this done by one company who will remain nameless. Technically they’re not lying, but they aren’t exactly being totally transparent either. Would you spend $60-$80 per month to lose an extra half of a pound over the course of four months?!?
With that in mind I came up with three criteria to determine if a supplement might be of use to my clients.
1. Is there high quality published research done on the product? And more importantly, how many studies have been done?
Generally speaking, a single research study in isolation does not mean very much. Repeated studies with a similar result over the course of several years are a better indication of the effectiveness of a supplement.
2. Have I personally read this research?
As mentioned above, supplement companies tend to inflate the statements from research papers so you really can’t trust them too much. They’re in the business to make money and, in this case, truth doesn’t always sell the product.
More importantly, fitness experts who are genuinely trying to help the public are often forced to interpret articles that are beyond their scope of expertise. This information gets passed on and is sometimes taken as gospel by other professionals.
One such example is a popular study that concludes that taking amino acids (protein building blocks) and carbohydrates (sugar) before training has a greater muscle building effect than taking them after training.
Unfortunately, what many people miss is that one of the methods for measuring blood flow (an important factor in this study) is subject to errors and that the result is likely untrue.
In a later study the same group of researchers found that a whole protein (actually whey protein) taken before exercise was no better than when it was taken after exercise. In this case, it is possible that the blood flow measures were actually accurate and that would likely explain the difference in the outcome.
Of course, if you didn’t know what you were looking for you’d probably miss it. That’s why I like to read things for myself.
3. Is the supplement conducive to the goals of my client?
People often come in and ask if a certain supplement is good. My first question is always “good for what?”
While creatine might help you gain some strength and muscle size, it probably isn’t going to help you too much for fat loss so supplements have to be specifically chosen to help you reach your goals. No matter how well researched a supplement is, you have to make sure to choose the right one.
The Turning Point
For the earlier part of my career these rules served me fairly well, but one day a couple of years ago I was reading the newspaper when I read something that caused me to start thinking a little differently. That day a world renowned researcher was asked about the ultimate post-exercise recovery drink. His answer? “Chocolate Milk.”
At that moment it finally occurred to me that just because something works doesn’t mean that we should consume it. Granted, chocolate milk might make you gain some muscle, but I highly doubt that this is the type of nutrition our bodies were meant to consume.
Since that day I’ve slowly started to rethink my views on supplements, but it wasn’t until recently that I finally had a complete change of heart. As far as I can tell, there were two factors that pushed me over the edge.
First, my wife and I recently purchased a DVD of a seminar we once attended by a guy named Paul Chek. If you’ve never heard of him I would highly suggest you pick up his book How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy. I strongly believe that this is one book that everyone should have in their library. Granted, the guy can be considered downright crazy sometimes, but at other times he’s a veritable genius. If you’re looking for top notch information on nutrition I promise you that this book will not disappoint.
Anyway, the seminar essentially reminded me of something I already knew, but Paul drove the point home with conviction. We can get everything in these supplements from food. Protein comes from meat and dairy. Creatine is from meat. Calcium comes from dairy. Vitamins come from almost every major food group. Fish oil is obviously from fish. Fiber comes from fruits, vegetables, legumes. Do we really need supplements?
The second factor sealed the deal for me. Recently my wife and I were invited to attend the Canadian Health Food Association expo at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. This event is primarily for retailers that are promoting health, but nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see.
In the whole place with thousands of tables I only saw ONE full of fruits and vegetables and one other booth selling organic dairy. The rest of the “food” consisted primarily of microwavable organic dinners, organic chocolate pretzels, and other similar items. The remaining 50% of the booths were peddling various supplements, pills, and concoctions that were scientifically proven to build muscle, burn fat, improve health, and everything under the sun.
However, what hit me the hardest was that about 95% of the people selling and purchasing all of these items showed little to no evidence that they’d ever eaten a healthy food or exercised at all. At that moment I came to the firm conclusion that most people have no business at all using any form of supplement whatsoever.
Yep. I just said that. Unless your diet is 100% perfect and you’re performing a bare minimum of 5 hours of exercise per week you have not earned the right to take a supplement. Only after you have done this can you even CONSIDER it.
Granted, there are exceptions to the rule (i.e, cancer patients who are unable to eat or exercise), but you are most likely not one of them. Our bodies are meant to consume food not some gelatin encapsulated food substitute.
“But why is my trainer, chiropractor, gym selling this stuff to me if it doesn’t work?”
I’m not saying it doesn’t work. I’m just saying that food works the same way and our body is meant to process food. It is not meant to process a neon green energy drink or a synthetic protein substitute. Maybe they mean to help you, but they’re naively feeding your body unrecognizable chemicals.
Secondly, people sell this stuff because it is an additional revenue stream. As much as I hate to say it, there are people out there who would sell you anything as long as it put a dollar in their pocket. Not all people are trying to be malicious, but they could unknowingly be giving you something that is negatively affecting your health to make money to pay the rent.
“What about naturopaths?”
In my opinion, food should be the first course of action for anyone with the root word “nature” in the name of their chosen profession. While I genuinely believe that most naturopaths are sincerely trying to help you, I feel that many have been misguided. I would be apt to suggest trying food by itself first not in conjunction with supplementation to rectify any problems.
That said, if you’re taking more than two supplements I would highly suggest you revise your understanding of the word “natural”. Last time I checked, I didn’t see any untouched aboriginal tribes popping Centrum multivitamins in the morning.
In Conclusion
As with most things, the truth usually lies somewhere between the two extremes. While it might seem that I’m quite far on the anti-supplement side of the spectrum, I’m actually not totally averse to their use. In fact, in some cases a high quality protein supplement or nutrient replacement is warranted. The main point I’m trying to make here is that food and regular exercise should take precedence over anything that comes in a bottle. Only once you have completely mastered these two elements should supplementation be carefully considered.
Nutrex Solutions was created in 2002 to help people lose weight, become healthy, or just plain improve their physical appearance. Using our cutting edge system our goal is to help you reach levels of fitness you thought were impossible and, more importantly, to stay that way. » Read More
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. I strongly believe that this is one book that everyone should have in their library. Granted, the guy can be considered downright crazy sometimes, but at other times he’s a veritable genius. If you’re looking for top notch information on nutrition I promise you that this book will not disappoint.