Trainers in Philadelphia

You probably realize that many people gain weight (FAT) each and every year — that’s because so many people are physically inactive, they lose muscle mass each and every year! The loss of muscle mass not only decreases the metabolic rate, but also causes the loss of effectiveness of every physiological system in the body. The decrease in metabolic rate means you burn fewer calories and without significant decreases in caloric intake, you will continue to gain more fat. Increasing fat in the abdominal region will create a unique environment where abdominal fat will begin to secrete significant levels of stress and inflammatory hormones that cause additional deterioration of all the body’s systems leading to premature aging, loss of function, vitality, virility and avoidable chronic diseases, disabilities and dysfunctions.
The only true and effective method to reverse this devastating process is to begin a lifestyle change that includes a conscious action plan of daily exercises, healthy nutrition, effective hydration, adequate sleep, controlled caloric intake and serious stress management. You must realize by now that there is no quick or easy fixes that will correct what is leading a very high percent of the world’s population to the devastation of a world-wide pandemic in obesity and the cascade of chronic disorders obesity creates.
The Healthy Lifestyle, according to Trainers in Philadelphia, Philadelphia Personal Trainers: 

• Daily Exercise: a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise/day
• Strength Training: A minimum of 3 times/week, not only to regenerate muscle mass lost by physical inactivity, but to regenerate every physiological system in the body. Strength training has a tremendously positive impact on the Endocrine System that is critically important to every system in the body.
• Exercise the legs: Recent research has shown that exercising the legs causes the endocrine system to secret hormones that metabolize the body’s fat.
• Keep a Food Diary: What you eat, how much you eat (you have to include the condiments; ketchup, mayo, salad dressing, cheese, croutons, oils, butter, and sour cream – EVERYTHING!) and how you feel (hunger level and emotions; what your “triggers” are for overeating, etc.). You need to become conscious of how many calories you consume per day and how many you expend per day.
• Stay Hydrated: Despite recent research to the contrary, you need to drink at least 64 oz. of water/day and more if you sweat a lot throughout the day.
• Make a conscious effort to determine why you overeat. You may overeat due to anger, anxiety, boredom, depression, envy, frustration, loneliness, or some other emotion. You need to make a conscious effort to discover WHY and then learn to deal with your emotion without resorting to food and overeating. When needed, seek professional help.
• Focus on your HEALTH first, not your weight loss! Every time you exercise, eat healthy or make any healthy lifestyle choice, you are getting BETTER and HEALTHIER! Research has revealed after the first and every strength training session, Type II Diabetes showed an IMMEDIATE improvement in blood glucose sensitivity and cellular uptake!
• Eat Clean – Eat Natural: The old expression “If GOD did not make it, you shouldn’t eat it!” Is true now more than ever! Highly processed foods, drug injected livestock, high fructose corn syrup, genetically modified foods, frozen dinners, fast food restaurants and every other food processing method comes at a cost. The more processed the food the less likely your body is to absorb the nutrients in the food (assuming there are any left)! The more processed the food, the more empty calories (calories without nutrition) it is likely to contain. The more processed it is, the more likely it is to contain unhealthy ingredients. Eat lean; drug free/hormone free/grass fed and wild proteins, fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables. The closer to natural the better.
• Minimize Fats and Sugars: Think of everything you eat as an investment in your body. You want the highest possible Return On Investment (ROI) on most everything you eat! Fatty and sugary goods may taste good, but “Nothing tastes as good as lean and mean feels!” Complex carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables and whole grains are high in nutrients. Simple carbohydrates like cake, candy, pie, soda, processed breads, bagels, pretzels and donuts have little or NONE in the way of nutrients and high amounts of calories. Fats have over twice the amount of calories as protein or carbohydrates. Fats have 9 calories/gram, where carbohydrates and proteins are 4 calories/gram.
• Consider joining a weight loss support group. Being around encouraging, like minded individuals can be very helpful at “Staying the Course!”
• Time Your Meals: Never skip meals, especially breakfast! Eat a meal or snack approximately every 3 hours.
• Eat slowly: Take smaller bites and chew more (you actually get more nutrients from your food if you chew it more – 40 chews/bite). It takes the brain approximately 20 minutes from the time food first hits your stomach before you will receive signals that you are full. Eating too fast makes you overeat!
• Lose Weight Slowly: Rapid weight loss, i.e. – 10 pounds in one week, 10 pounds in 10 days, 30 pounds in 30 days, etc. are programs that “sell” and almost always lead to water and muscle loss that will eventually create rapid weight GAIN or the classic “yo-yo dieting” effect! You can make sure that your “weight loss” is actual “fat loss” by making a goal of losing one or two pounds of weight loss/week. One pound of fat is equivalent to 3,500 calories. By reducing food intake and increasing caloric expenditures by increasing exercise activities, you can have manageable fat loss that can be maintained. If you must lose more than two pounds/week, you will need a doctor’s supervision to reduce caloric intake to 1,500 calories/day and still make sure you are consuming sufficient nutrients. Since fats contain the highest concentration of calories you will need to limit fat consumption. You will also need to increase exercise activities utilizing a combination of strength training, aerobic and flexibility exercises. Making time for brief “exercise breaks” through the day will keep your metabolism on high. Bell Protocols are an excellent exercise for your “exercise breaks”, as exercise for the legs increases the hormones that metabolize fats.
• Portion Control: A famous study proved that the majority of people underestimate by 40% the amount of calories they consume and overestimate by 40% the amount of calories they expend through physical activity! Is it any wonder that world-wide, people are blowing up like weather balloons! Watch your portions and again, record what you eat as well as calories consumed.

Recommended Lean Proteins:
Prefer drug free, grass fed or wild sources of protein. Beef and pork are typically avoided for the first few weeks since it may come with more fat/serving than the following choices.

• Eggs prepared keeping the yoke separate from the white, hard boiled, soft boiled, sunny-side up, sunny side down and poached.
• Fish: All wild-caught fish comes with essential omega 3 acids that help raise the body’s PH. The smaller the fish the better to avoid toxins. Suggestions: Catfish, Cod, Grouper, Haddock, Halibut, Orange Roughy, Smoked Salmon (LOX), Swordfish, Sea Bass, Tilapia, Tuna and Wild Salmon.
• Chicken and turkey: White meat (no skin)
• Clams, crab, lobster, oysters, scallops and shrimp

Snacks

• 1 hard boiled egg
• 1 serving of a low sugar/carb protein drink (less than 2 grams of sugar/serving, less than 4 grams total carb/serving). Suggested serving of protein is 15-30 and less than 160 calories.
• ½ cup of low calorie yogurt
• 1 cup of low fat (fat free) cottage cheese
• 2 stalks of celery with 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
• Sugar free gelatin snack
• Sugar free whipped topping

Fruit Group

• 1 small apple
• 1 cup of blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, melon, etc.
• ½ large grapefruit or 4 oz. natural grapefruit juice
• ½ cup fresh pineapple
• 10 grapes

Just like exercise programs, diets need to be changed on a regular basis. The first week of a diet would look something like this:

• Males: 6 oz. of protein / females: 4 oz. of protein
• ½ cup low calorie/low fat/low sugar yogurt
• 12 cup low calories/low fat/ low sugar/fat free cottage cheese
• 1 egg or ½ cup egg substitute
• 1 serving low carb/ low sugar protein supplement
• 1 serving fruit

Optional Morning Snack:

• 1 serving fruit

Lunch:

• Males: 6 oz. of protein / females: 4 oz. of protein
• 2 cups veggies (no corn or potatoes) or salad with light dressing (MAX: 2 grams of sugar/serving)

Optional Afternoon Snack:

• 1 serving from snack list

Dinner:

• Males: 6 oz. of protein / Females: 4 oz. of protein
• 2 cups vegetables (no corn or potatoes) or salad with light dressing (MAX: 2 grams of sugar/serving)

Optional Evening Snack:

• 1 serving fruit

Get started right now with your new body! Imagine in 8 short weeks you’ll have a new body to awe your friends and delight yourself! Call Phil today at 610-574-3587.