One of the biggest questions I get is what is the top diets?

Keto, Graperfruit, Low Carb, Mediterranean, Veganism, Atkin, Raw food only, Dash Diet, Macro Tracking,  Military diet. The list could go on and on.

The premise of all diets go on the basis of creating a caloric deficit. If you are consuming less than you are burning weight loss will happen.

The thing to ask on which is the best, is it sustainable for you?

Keto can be a great way to lose weight quickly due to carbohydrate elimination, but is that way of eating sustainable to you? Some people it certainly is, some people it definitely doesn't,

So the best diet is one that makes you feel good, is sustainable and provides the direct end result you are looking for.

A simple way to find out how many calories you should be eating to lose weight is to multiply your basal metabolic rate x your activity level indication many people are around 1.3= that is your maintenance level for calories. Then decide how aggressively you want to get to your goals- that way you can figure out how much you need to be consuming. 

If you have questions on a specific diet or want to know more about figuring out a sustainable way of eating shoot me a message.

What do you want to accomplish?

If you could accomplish one thing this month- what would it be?

Why do you want to get to it?

What made you want to get it?

What are you willing to do to get to your goals?

The more you break down your why for a goal, the more you realize how important or isn't to you?

If a goal is important to you, youll stick with it no matter what... if it is not that important you will come up with more excuses if something goes a stray.

How important your goals are to you will show you when things are not convenient to you anymore? You have to be willing to work, if you arent willing to put in the work you need to do, the goal you have probably isn't as important to you as you may say it is.

Staying on track during the work week is a little bit simpler because we all have structure and routine.

We have to be to work by 7, be to an appointment at 9, if you have kids you have their schedules, your workouts, but then Friday hits- finally time to RELAX. But hey you've got goals right?

Here are a few things to help you stay on track:

1) Start your morning with some exercise- whether its a workout at the gym, jog through the neighborhood or some yoga. Get your blood flowing at the start of each day.
2) Drink your water still.
3) If you are going out to eat, take a quick glance at the menu- try and pick an option that aligns with your goals.
4) If you are having cocktails, alternate water and a cocktail. 
5) Get sleep. Sleep is a huge part of goals. Try and keep your sleep schedule as much as you can.

Those are some quick tips to keep you on track.
Here is a quick 15 minute workout to try at home.

4 Rounds
:40 seconds of work :20 seconds rest
1) Squat
2)Incline Pushup
3) Hip bridge
4) Plank

Rest 1 minute between Rounds

Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

Conventional wisdom has long held that running is better for heart health than weightlifting.
 
But a new study says that’s not so. 
 
Scientists looked at health records of 4,000 people. They concluded that, while both forms of exercise lower the risk of heart disease, weightlifting has a greater effect than running, walking or cycling, as reported in publications including the British Telegraph. The study also supports earlier views that weightlifting is better for the circulatory system because the “oxygen expenditure” is more intense.
 
Any exercise is good, of course. And weightlifting (or resistance training) also has other health benefits for people over 50. For example, it helps improve functional independence. Here are some of those benefits, accumulated by RunRepeat, which reviews all kinds of athletic footwear.

• Improved balance while still and while moving
• Better neuromuscular functioning for control and balance
• Protection from age-related declines in neuromuscular functioning
• Improved flexibility and joint movement
• Improvement in front hip flexion
• Better movement in step length, speed and balance
• Less fear of falling

In day-to-day life, all this means that strength training helps us move easier and more gracefully. This improved strength shows up in daily functions like climbing stairs and getting out of chairs. All adults lose muscle mass as we get older – unless we train to minimize that loss.
 
“The science is clear,” RunRepeat says. “Weightlifting will help reduce tons of risk factors for falls, improve functional independence, functional capacity, and quality of life.”
 
In short, it’s a necessity for people in their 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond. Come in and let us show you how easy and enjoyable it is to gain these functional benefits from resistance training.

If you suffer from chronic pain in your low back, you are not alone. Not by a long shot.
Unfortunately, low back pain is widespread, and it’s often hard to figure out why it’s happening or how to feel better. Too many people reflexively turn to medications, surgery or ongoing misery.
We know there’s a better way: movement.
“Moving is probably the most important thing you can do for back pain,” states an article on Vox that reviewed dozens of studies into low back pain. “When back pain strikes, your first instinct may be to avoid physical activity and retreat to the couch until the pain subsides. But doctors now think that in most cases, this is probably the worst thing you can do.”
Let’s discuss the best exercise options for you. In the meantime, review these five facts about low back pain in America.

1. Low back pain is the second most common cause of disability in the United States.
2. It costs us $90 billion a year.
3. Evidence shows exercise can alleviate the pain – without reliance on drugs or surgery – while doing nothing and hoping for the best just delays recovery.
4. Studies show flexibility of the lumbar spine and hamstrings, core stabilization, and muscular strength significantly reduce low back pain.

     5.If you have low back pain, first see your doctor to rule out serious causes. Then start moving. 

 
Weightlifting gets a bum rap, sometimes.
 
Too many older people think it’s only for the young, athletes, and bodybuilders.
 
“I just want to enjoy my life in retirement – not look like Arnold Schwarzenegger,” they might say.
 

 
Fair enough. But let’s look at it from a quality-of-life point of view. Remember, we’re here to help you live your best life, however you define it.
 
Functional independence is the goal – not big muscles, per se (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
 
But did you know that resistance training or strength training, which includes weightlifting, is one of the best things mature Americans can do for their health?
 
It’s true. Here are five of the top reasons why older people should include in their regimen regular resistance training – which also can include using elastic bands and even body weight to strengthen muscle.
 
1. Resistance training adds years to your life
Did you know that we start losing muscle mass as early as our 30s? That loss gets greater as we age. By 80, most men have lost half the muscle they had when they were younger.
 
Without muscle, we are frail, have more trouble with basic mobility (like getting out of a chair) and become more likely to fall – and we all know how dangerous falls can be to older people.
 
But resistance training does so much more to lower our risk of injury and death. In a study by the National Center for Health Statistics, older Americans who strength-trained at least twice a week were half as likely to die for any reason, compared with the older people who did not.
 
And it’s not too late. Studies show weightlifting actually adds muscle mass and strength regardless of age.
 
2. Stronger muscles = stronger bones
Many seniors struggle with bone health, like arthritis and osteoporosis – inflamed joints and weak bones. These not only hurt, but they also lower our ability to move in everyday tasks and, like muscle loss, can lead to dangerous falls.
 
Stronger muscles around affected joints keep them stronger and lubricated. Strength training slows bone loss and helps with swelling and pain.
 
It helps bones stay strong because it makes them produce more cells.
 
3. It works out the brain, too
You might know that aerobic exercise is good for your brain as well as your body.
 
Well, the same is true for strength training.
 
University studies and the Alzheimer’s Association, for example, report that resistance training can slow the cognitive decline we experience as we age.
 
Resistance training, as well as aerobic exercise, has demonstrated improvement in decision-making and memory, the Functional Aging Institute reports. Combining the two (say, walking and weightlifting) provides the biggest impact.
 
4. Less body fat, better skin tone
Strength training definitely tightens skin tone and reduces body fat, even among older people. (You will not become a cartoonish super-hero – seriously, that takes a long time and incredible focus.)
 
Less body fat is important to our health and ability to function.
 
Do you feel like a big belly is the inevitable outcome of being older? But you find it a bother when playing with the grandkids?
 
Those extra pounds are not inevitable. Weightlifting is incredibly helpful to lower that bothersome – and dangerous – belly fat because it increases your metabolism, causing you to burn more calories, even when you’re not at the gym.
 
5. Play better golf, tennis and more
Being older doesn’t mean we have to give up everything we enjoy – including competitive sports like tennis and golf.
 
But if we’re not strong enough to play safely, we could injure ourselves or lose the confidence we need to enjoy the sport.
 
Resistance training to strengthen your back, arms, core and legs will improve your golf, tennis, swimming – just about any activity you still enjoy.
 
And again, it’s not just for senior athletes. For millions of senior Americans, reaching for the high shelf can be a strain. Gardening can be exhausting, even dangerous.
 
It doesn’t have to be.
 
Summary: What to do now
OK, you’re convinced: Resistance training is important for your ongoing health.
And it won’t make you look like a goon.
 
What now?
 
Call us today.
 
We’ve just given five good reasons here.
 
Let us help you discover even more.

Nutrition and eating for goals can get really confusing...am i eating too much...am i eating to little... its hard to say. Does that food you eat matter or is it just calories in and out? The answer is... well it depends.

If weight loss is your goal calories in calories out for sure matters. Technically food quality doesnt matter but youll get to eat a whole lot more if you eat foods with better quality like protein and veggies.

​

This is a basic gist of general eating if you are just going for clean eating.

I will go more into this in a post next week

Sometimes its easy to think that you need an hour is a minimum for what you need to get an effective workout... but guess what you can utitlize whatever time you have to get that workout in. Say you have twenty minutes from start to finish. 

Here is an example. 5 minute warmup- dynamic movements (jumping jacks/high knees/ buttkicks) 
move to a 15 minute Strength Section- 
Supersets: 2-3 Sets of 8-12 of a Squat and a Hinging Exercise
                   2- 3 sets of 8-12 push and pull
                   2-3 sets of a cardio and abdominal exercise
   5 minute quick stretch and cool down.

​Make the time- even the short workouts have benefits!