Real Fitness Solutions LLC Personal Training in Cherry Hill NJ

Watch out for hidden trans fats! A trans fat is a fatty acid, usually in the form of an oil such as vegetable oil, with an added hydrogen atom, turning a liquid fat into a solid. This is called hydrogenation. Hydrogenation increases the shelf life of packaged foods such as crackers, salad dressings, and peanut butter, and is also used for its super high burning point in preparing foods that are deep fried such as French fries. As a result of the FDA’s recent label requirements, although there is no %RDV of trans fats (there should be and it should be zero!), manufacturers are required to list reportable amounts of trans fats on the supplement facts of a product. But be careful, this reportable amount is defined by the FDA as .5 grams or more and can show up as zero on the label if it’s less than that amount. So even though the nutrition facts may read “Trans Fat 0”, look a little closer and you could find in the ingredients list, a partially or fully hydrogenated oil. That’s a trans fat! These little “less than half grams” are extremely common and can really add up at the end of the day especially if you find them in more than one product you are consuming regularly, or if you are using more than the serving size. This should be carefully avoided. These fats are extremely hard for your body to process and burn off and will not only wreak havoc on your weight loss goals by storing as fat in your body, but can also wreak havoc on your health as well by raising your LDL (bad cholesterol). In conclusion, make sure you read the nutrition labels carefully before you purchase something, and if a product you are about to buy contains a partially or fully hydrogenated oil, than put it back and find a healthier alternative!

To get the body you want…know the body you already have.

Knowing your body is not easy. It takes time and experience. By knowing your body, I mean really knowing how your body works and how it responds to different foods and different exercise techniques. Are you working hard enough? Maybe you are doing too much…how do you know if you need more or less exercise? Should you do more cardio or do more resistance training? Eat more carbs or less carbs? Should you be eating 1100 calories or 2000 calories? Maybe you have lower back problems, how will you work around that and what will you do to improve or even eliminate that obstacle?

Let’s say you’ve been on a 1200 calorie diet for two months. You lost 7lbs and then hit a plateau for a week straight. What are you going to do next? Eat less? Ok. Then another two months go by, you lose a few more pounds and your weight loss stops again. Now what? Eat less again? No way! You eat more! Did you know that consuming less than a thousand calories per day can actually make you gain weight? By continually eating less, you are slowing down your metabolism. The more you eat, the faster your metabolism becomes. You just have to eat the right foods at the right times. Actually, the brain alone requires, on average, 300 - 400 calories per day just to function properly. So eating less isn’t always the answer!

This valuable information and experience takes time to learn on your own. You could spend decades of trial and error trying to figure out how to be your own personal best, but you don’t want results later, you want them now. That is why working with an experienced and knowledgeable personal trainer can benefit everyone from beginners to elite athletes. We have seen time and time again what works for some, and what does not work for others. This not only applies to nutrition, but to exercise as well. We can get your body to respond to your workouts quickly and efficiently through expert training and nutritional techniques. So if you are serious about getting the body of your dreams, do your homework first. Better yet, call us! We can help you. You will be able to create a more effective program for yourself when you know how your body works.

How do you find the drive to exercise on the days when you just don’t feel like doing anything at all? Here are 10 ways to help motivate you to exercise even on the worst of days.

1. You Time – your workout time can sometimes be the only hour or so out of the day when you get to have time for yourself. With busy work schedules, taking care of your children, etc., it can be easy to forget about yourself. Take that hour or so no matter what. You deserve it and you will be glad you did.
2. Read a fitness magazine – sure we know those cover models might be airbrushed and photo shopped to look perfect, but we still want to look like them! Reading a fitness magazine and seeing other people in tip top shape always motivates me.
3. Envision the body you want – keep your goals fresh in your mind and try to constantly remind yourself exactly why you started working out in the first place.
4. Fitting into new (or old) clothes – have a dress in the closet you would like to get back into? Take it out and hang it up where you can see it! It will remind you what you want and keep you motivated.
5. Music – if you don’t have headphones, then get some! Make a playlist of songs that motivate you. Listen to it to get that extra boost of energy whenever you need it.
6. Get a workout partner – It’s true. Working out with someone else can be very beneficial. Your workout partner (or trainer) will push you harder than you would normally push yourself.
7. Get naked – yeah this one might shock you but it works! Take your clothes off and go look in the mirror! Do it every day! Either you like what you see or you hate it, but either way you’re going to be motivated!
8. Post your goals on a social media site- the more you tell people you are going to do something, the more likely you will be to follow through with it. So tell the world your health and fitness goals and then go get it done!
9. Motivational quotes – find a couple you like and print them out every once in a while. Put them where you can see them to help keep you motivated in all aspects of life.
10. Plan a warm vacation or day at the beach – your shirt will be coming off in public…enough said!

This is a strategy that I not only use with my clients, but with myself as well. You can apply these mini workouts to your routine in two different ways; you can add them to your existing routine, or you can use them on days when you don’t have time to hit the gym for a full workout. (Sorry, this article is not about getting results by only working out for ten minutes per day so don’t be lazy and keep on reading!) Ten minute mini workouts added to your existing routine are a great way to get terrific results when you’re trying to lose weight and burn fat. This is also a great and easy way to increase your daily RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) and give your metabolism that extra little boost it needs to keep you burning fat and bust through a plateau. For example, say you normally work out for about 45 minutes in the morning before work; add a mini workout towards the end of your day. Pick three to four days out of the week that you can supplement these short training sessions to your existing routine. Try this for two or three weeks in a row, then go back to your normal routine for a couple weeks before starting it again to avoid overtraining. Remember you only need ten minutes for that second workout. Now for those busy days when you just know you won’t be able to get in a full workout; implement a ten minute mini workout! Squeeze it in your schedule anytime and anywhere you can – at home before you leave for work, at work on your lunch break, before you go to sleep at night, or anywhere in between. It’s better than nothing and you might be surprised how much you can accomplish in just ten minutes when you really put your mind to it! These workouts can consist of anything from a low intensity cardio session (like pedaling on a stationary bike on an easy resistance for the whole ten minutes), to a high intensity plyometric training session (such as squats, pushups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks, performed for one minute each, followed by a one minute rest and repeat twice.) I would recommend using the low intensity cardio session on days when the ten minute workout will be added as a second session. Perform the high intensity version on days when you won’t be able to fit in a full workout. Remember, you can make these workouts as creative and advanced as you like, or just keep them easy and basic depending on your individual fitness level. The most important thing is just to get them done!

Peanuts and beans are not a source of protein! Many people think that nuts, peanut butter and beans are a good source of protein, but they are not. Peanuts (and nuts in general including almonds), and peanut butter are a fat source, and beans are a carbohydrate source.  Yes, they do have protein in them, but they have more fats and carbohydrates than protein. These foods are great in moderation. Nuts are a good source of healthy fats (again, in moderation), and beans are generally a great carbohydrate source and high in fiber. But it’s very easy to consume too many fats or carbs when you are eating these foods and I usually have my clients avoid them while trying to lose weight. So when you are looking for a low fat and low carb protein source, you’re better off (if you are trying to lose weight), going for egg whites and lean meats like fish or chicken. If you don’t eat meat, try a whey protein powder instead.