Weight loss 101

Food Diaries

Hello, one of the most successful things you can do for yourself in your quest to loose weight is to keep a food diary. Though, I have written about this in the past I am compelled to keep pushing it on you all again and again. It really makes all the difference in keeping weight off and learning to eat right.

With the advent of the Internet and sites that track your food it has become even easier to accomplish this. A few posts ago I outlined three sites that provide excellent food tracking logs.

One real world example I can give you is that I have a client that is training with me currently. They give 110% during our two 1-hour sessions a week but every now and then they would put on 3-4 pounds overnight. Well it wasn’t until they accepted my advice and started logging their food that we discovered the culprit. In their case I discovered – after careful examination – that on the days they gained weight they were taking in over 4,000mg of sodium and over 50 grams of saturated fat. They “thought” they were eating healthy and for the most part they were. But we all underestimate the impact of what is contained in our foods. That is why a diary becomes so magical when loosing weight. It allows us to see everything in detail and make conclusions.

I challenge you to keep a food diary for just week through the sites I recommended. I will even sweeten the pot and offer you the benefit of sharing that log and letting me review it for you so I can point or uncover eating trends. I usual charge $50 dollars for this service but I am willing to forgo that to help you out.

By the way my client no longer sees any weight gain and continues to keep a diary daily. In their case I discovered that sodium was making them retain water. Some of the population is susceptible to that and they were one of them. They have learned what a powerful tool a log is to their success.

As a Personal Trainer I give people back their lives, I mend them and make them stronger and healthier. My clients call me a magician because of the results they see when they work with me. But really it is always my clients that have the magical art – I just show then how to conjure up a healthy potion and spell to succeed.

As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.

Regards,

Eddie Camaroto CPT

Perfect You LLC

Fitness lecture at the East Brunswick library

To anyone interested I will be giving a fitness lecture at the East Brunswick Library on how to write an effective workout program. I will be sitting with each participant (depending on turnout) one-on-one to design a fitness program that will allow them to progress their goals.



Send me an email to perfect-you@comcast.net if you are interested.



The lecture is free and will be on August 5th from 7:00pm to 8:00pm. You do NOT have to be a resident of East Brunswick to attend.

No post this week - sorry

To all my readers of my BLOG I apologize but I have been ridden with a kick-butt illness. And I have been pretty much down.

I will return next week with a new post.

Regards,

Eddie

Nutrition websites

Websites that can help your nutritional goals

This will be a very small article tonight since I want to only address some really great sites that I use daily with my clients to help them with their nutritional goals.

1) http://www.sparkpeople.com/
2) http://www.mypyramid.gov
3) http://www.weightwatchers.com/

As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.

Regards,

Eddie Camaroto CPT

Perfect You LLC

General Nutrition

What is nutrition

When I start training a new client the biggest barrier to their success is nutrition. It always seems that a person will let me put them through a very challenging workout but they will not let me dictate what they can eat. Food it seems has a very powerful connection that is hard to change.

Over time I AM able to change their habits but it is really hard to do.

So let me write this article, as I would talk to my clients.

First and the most important component of nutrition is discovering what your BMR is (Basal Metabolic Rate). There are multiple sites on the web that you can enter in specific information and uncover your BMR. Basically, your BMR is the absolute minimum calories you need to take in EVERY day to satisfy your bodies operating requirements “if you do absolute nothing per day but breath etc.” And I have to tell you that 75% of all of my clients that are trying to diet do not come close to their BMR. When one takes in fewer calories then their BMR they are going to keep gaining weight. This is biological science. You cannot fight the laws of nature! So for ¾ of my clients, I need to tell them to eat more. Well, you can imagine how that goes. But for the clients that heed my words - they discover weight loss is rather easy. Give the body what it wants and it will regulate your weight, as it should. Of course such things a thyroid issues etc. can prevent this but for the most part the statement is true. You need to eat to lose weight.

Get your BMR reading ASAP and start eating at least that to be successful in your weight control goals. Don’t do it and the statistics will be your enemy and you will not lose the weight you so eagerly desire.

CARBS:
So many of us have had it drilled into our heads that CARBS are bad and yes, the simple carbs are bad (sometimes) but complex carbs are what your body uses as fuel. Cut them out and you will suffer – I promise you that. You will suffer with reduced energy (muscles use carbs as their fuel source and you cannot change that). So what is the recommended carbs per day for a healthy individual? 125 grams a day but optimally it should be 350 – 400 grams or 55 – 65% of your daily caloric intake. After an intense workout the recommended carb intake is simple carbs. A bagel or white bread is actually a good thing to refuel your muscles.

FAT:
No more then 25 – 65 grams a day or no more then 25 – 30% of your daily caloric intake.

PROTEIN:
No more then 50 to 70 grams per day or 12 – 20% of your caloric intake. The media has conditioned us to eat more protein for greater muscles size etc. We have been introduced to the Atkins Diet that states that protein is good. And yes you will lose weight by increasing your protein intake for the short term but of the long term you will gain all that weight back. Don’t take my word for it - there is 10 years of solid science to back up my claims.

WATER:
Though no study to date has established an absolute requirement I do believe that 1-ounce of water per body pound is solid and safe. Again, this is based on solid science of what normal bodies require.

Some of you reading this article are going to snicker and do what they always do but for the few that heed my advice I will be hearing from you about how you finally lost that weight.

As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.

Regards,

Eddie Camaroto CPT
Perfect You LLC

Theme for the month of July

Hello, I thought I would do a fun topic for this month that focuses of nutrition. I will be going in depth about nurtrition and hopefully debunk so many of the myths out there that are really confusing many as well as my clients.

Week 1: What is nutrition?
Week 2: Web sites to improve your progress.
Week 3: Why a food diary could be the greatest thing you ever did for yourself.
Week 4: A discussion about current diet plans.

Regards,

Eddie

Multiple movement exercises

Maximizing your workouts with multiple move exercises

When I have clients that renew with me for months at a time I am able to start challenging them with exercises that involve multiple muscle groups. When I first start training a client I need to build their balance, stability, core strength, increase strength, and certainly increase their endurance.

But after I have met those goals I want to start challenging them with “real world” moments. And that involves doing exercises that involve multiple muscle groups.

For example when you do a squat to pick up a box and then press it over your head to put on a shelf you are doing a multiple muscle movement. And if I want to give my clients training that make their life better I choose multiple movements.

I will list a few below. But before you try this – seriously – please ask a gym trainer to demonstrate them to you. Because if you do them wrong YOU WILL HURT YOURSELF.

1) Do a lunge, rise up into a two-arm curl, and press dumbbells above your head. Repeat.
2) Do a pushup then squat thrust into the air and break out to a few jumping jacks. Repeat.
3) Do a pull-up, drop down to a squat and then do a pushup before squat thrusting up to the pull-up bar. Repeat.
4) Utilize a Reebok step and side lunge then jump over step and do side lunge on other side.
5) Dumbbell clean and jerk. Repeat.
6) Do reverse ab lifts off a bench then do a Bench press. Repeat.

I stress that you MUST be at a high level of conditioning to try these and not get hurt over the long term. Please do not attempt them unless you are absolutely sure you can do them and do them perfectly.

As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.

Regards,

Eddie Camaroto CPT
Perfect You LLC

Working out while Pregnant

Working out while pregnant

For most woman that are into fitness there is going to come a time when you will be pregnant and want to continue your fitness. You CAN still workout but the WAY you workout and the intensity of your workouts will change drastically.

I put this article in with the series of working out with another rather then special population type workouts because the theme this month was working out with another. And – well – a baby is another.

Here are the guidelines for pregnant woman to workout based on the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 2002.

1) Any exercise goals must be discussed with your physician. Everyone woman is different and only your doctor knows you best.
2) If you have not been doing a vigorous workout before your became pregnant now IS NOT the time to start one. Keep up with your normal exercise regiment.
3) Gradually reduce the intensity, duration, and frequency of exercise during the second and third trimesters.
4) Avoid exercise when the temperature or humidity is high.
5) Try to run or walk on flat, even surfaces
6) Always wear supportive shoes while exercising.
7) During the second and third trimesters try other forms of aerobic exercises like swimming, bicycling, or even running in water.
8) Do not do any exercises that require lying down after the first trimester. Modify existing exercises to do standing up if possible. Utilize machines if possible.
9) Extend your warm-up and cool-down periods.
10) Never let your body temperature exceed 100 degrees.
11) Reduce your intensity and monitor it by never letting yourself get to a state of a pounding heart, breathlessness, or dizziness.
12) Eat a small snack before exercise to help avoid hypoglycemia.
13) Drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise. Roughly one ounce (one filled mouthful) every 15 minutes.
14) Avoid overstretching or going beyond normal range of motion.
15) If you experience any unusual physical changes such as vaginal bleeding, severe fatigue, joint pain, or irregular heart beats see your doctor immediately!

There are many other restrictions that one needs to follow as well such as watching that your heart rate does not exceed a certain limit. Please reach out to your doctor for a full script to follow.

Training a pregnant woman is a very rewarding experience that I have been lucky to do quite a bit of times. As a Personal Trainer you are making two healthy at the same time.

As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.

Regards,

Eddie Camaroto CPT

Perfect You LLC

Working out with your significant other

At lot of times the best way to start exercising is by enlisting the help of your significant other. Maybe you both are sick of feeling un-fit or you just made fitness your New Years resolution. Whatever the reason the fact is you both want to train together and that can prove to push you both farther and see better results.

I have addressed in a previous posting how to do some exercises together so this time I will address a few simple cardio routines for partners.

1) Jumping rope together has always been a proven way to push each other. There are so many routines you both can do – I urge you to seek some out.
2) Group classes together. There are so many out there – even dance type ones. Take a relaxing Yoga class together and be relaxed and at peace the rest of the day.
3) One you probably never thought of but it provides a huge cardio benefit. Go play some Frisbee together.
4) Do some interval jogging/walking together. Five minutes waking to every one-minute jogging is a good formula.
5) Use some resistance bands and wrap one around your waist, face away from your partner and do hop away as they pull on the band. Not only is this cardio for both of you but you will also get a whole body workout. Try to go three minutes each.

A short article this week but none the less important for spicing up your partner workouts in a cardio sense.

As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.

Regards,

Eddie Camaroto CPT
Perfect You LLC

Workouts with a partner

There are many times a client will come to me and request that they train with another at the same time. For one it is much cheaper for each to train this way plus it gives the added benefit of having each other push each other. I personally love training two for ones as we call it in the biz.

One of the first things that comes up though is how can I get two different people to train the same even though they possibly are at different fitness levels.

Well, it is pretty easy actually. I formulate a fitness program that allows each of them to “need” the other for most exercises. Let me explain.

Lets take a real world situation of a program I just designed for a couple at Bayshore.

SPECS:
1) They well both around the same age.
2) It was a man and his wife.
3) They both were super-charged in starting their program.
4) The both agreed to workout together.

Here is an example of some of the exercises I had them do together.
1) Partner pushups where each partner claps the opposite hands of their partner when they come up from the pushup.
2) Medicine ball ab lifts. One partner does an AB crunch while throwing the medicine ball to their partner. Then the partner throws it back to them when they are about to descend.
3) Flexibility ball knockouts. One partner holds a flexibility ball while the other try’s to knock it out of their hands. It sounds silly but if you have never tried this it is so intense.
4) Hand presses while your partner provides resistance.

Though there were a few others I hope you get my point. Many exercises can become partner required if you think them out. And the benefit of working with another could really blast your workouts and take them to another level.

I have only touched upon the workout philosophy of partners. Other times I will create programs for partners that require super-setting and pyramiding type workouts. The possibilities are really endless.

If you can get another person to workout with you and you incorporate the “need” for each other. Not only will you see amazing results you will also start to rely on each other for that needed push to make you stick with it.

As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.

Regards,

Eddie Camaroto CPT
Perfect You LLC

Exercise theme for June

The next fitness theme will be working out with someone and the last article of the month will be how to incorporate exercises that have mutliple moves to work multiple body areas at the same time.

As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.

Regards,

Eddie Camaroto CPT
Perfect You LLC

TV workout

Workouts while watching TV

On my final article for this month’s theme I wanted to talk about how to squeeze in some precious exercising while watching TV.

The average commercial break for most TV shows that run one hour is 12 minutes (about 4 minutes each 15 minute mark). That gives plenty of opportunity for some circuit training during those breaks.

So here is a simplified workout to get you further in your fitness needs.

I have broken up the workout into three parts to capitalize on the three 4 minute breaks.

First commercial (there is no break between exercises): LOWER BODY WORK
1) 25 squats.
2) 20 lunges.
3) 50 calf raises on one foot.
4) 20 leg planks off of the couch.

Second commercial (there is no break between exercises): CORE AND BACK WORK
1) 20 Bird/dogs.
2) 25 bicycles on the ground while moving your elbow to opposite leg.
3) Inner/Outer Oblique rise while on your side.
4) Cobra off floor.

Third commercial (there is no break between exercises): UPPER BODY WORK
1) 25 pushups.
2) 20 dips off of a chair.
3) 25 side planks with twist.
4) 20 punches into a cushion.

During just one 1-hour TV show you can get a total body workout minus the cardio. Hard to give excuses when you can do this and still appear lazy or relaxed.

I realize that some of you may have no idea what some of these exercises mean or how to do them. If you would like clarification just reach out to me and I will describe more in detail.

As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.

Regards,

Eddie Camaroto CPT

Perfect You LLC

Workouts for the seasons

This week I thought I would show you the creative side of workouts. I have devised a few fun things to do for each season. Though you may never have realized that these things produce fitness they do indeed. Hope you enjoy.

Winter:
1) Go build a snowman. Rolling a big ball of snow till it collects more and more snow is an incredible lower AND upper body workout. Plus you will burn an estimated 280 calories.
2) Do some snow shoveling for an hour and you will burn an estimated 400 calories.
3) Make some snow angels for an hour and you will burn an estimated 218 calories.
4) Best yet have a snowball fight and you will burn a whopping estimated 318 calories per hour plus let out some stress.

Spring:
1) Do some light yard work or gardening and you will burn an estimated 250 calories per hour.
2) Go for a nice bike ride at a moderate pace and you will burn an estimated 238 calories per hour.
3) If you are a golfer go play a round of golf and carry your own clubs to spark an estimated 265 calories per hour.
4) Pick your favorite trail or mountain path and go hiking for an estimated and whopping 380 calories per hour.

Summer:
1) Go for a refreshing swim and you will burn an estimated 413 calories per hour.
2) Go for an intense jog and you will burn an estimated 472 calories per hour.
3) Head down to the basketball courts and dribble your way to an estimated 472 calories per hour.
4) Take your usual aerobic routine outside and let the sun shine on you. Doing so will burn an estimated 413 calories.

Fall:
1) Go for a walk in your community and admire the beauty of nature and the colored leaves. All while burning an estimated 240 calories per hour.
2) Rake up some of those leaves for an hour and you will burn an estimated 218 calories per hour.
3) If you clean out your own gutters from all those leaves for an hour you will burn an estimated 250 calories.
4) And if you are trying to get in the last few lawn mows of the year take heart that you will burn an estimated 202 calories per hour.

All of the items above do indeed burn calories but they also get work your body in different ways that is great for fitness.

I am sure you can think of much more items that should be on this list. I have provided just a sampling. Be creative in your exercise approach and you will never get bored and you will always be at the top of your game.

Note: Most of the calories were calculated using the following profile:
135 pound female age 35 and five foot five. They were provided for example only. Your profile may be more or less then my example.

P.S. for the romantics out there squeeze in a minute kiss here and there and you will burn an estimated 26 calories. J

As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.

Regards,

Eddie Camaroto CPT
Perfect You LLC

Working out while sick. Good thing or bad thing?

On our road to greater fitness and health sometimes we become hard-core in our training philosophy. We don’t miss a day, utilize every opportunity to bring fitness into our lives and get stressed whenever anything gets in the way of us doing our daily workout.

But even the fittest of us are going to get sick once in a while. Thank goodness that the fitter and healthier we get the less downtime from a sickness we realize.

But, the golden rule of exercising while your sick is pretty straight forward. If you only have mild symptoms and you generally fill good then exercising while sick will actually boost your immune system and help you fight off your ills. But if you are felling pretty bad then exercising will weaken your immune system and make your illness possibly last longer.

But for some of us, we get scared that maybe we will lose all those results that we have gained while we take a few days or week off. Take solace, it is actually a GOOD thing to skip a week every now and then as long as you exercise regularly. In fact it is actually a GREAT thing to reach your maximum potential.

In my personal training business I usually give my clients off a week for every three months they work with me (depending on hard I have been working them). Not only do they see it as a reward for their progress but it also makes them stronger and fitter by resting their muscles and allowing their bodies a full recovery week to reach their potential. There is proven science behind the rest a week every now and then.

Some of my clients are ultra hard-core and will never take off no matter what I say to them. For them I do a high repetition and easy workout. We move the muscles in a less stressed way and work on proper technique for the week instead. They still receive most of the benefits and their body recovers nicely for it.

So my expert advice to you is if you are sick and need to take off for a week – do it. Your body may just surprise you and be even stronger when you return.

As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.

Regards,

Eddie Camaroto CPT
Perfect You LLC

Simple exercises to do on the job

Hello, what if you are a workaholic and are finding it hard to get to the gym and by the time you do get home at night you are exhausted.

Maybe the following advice will help you. Try some of the following exercise and cardio movements at work. They are all simple, easy, and beneficial to do. And all except the walking ones can be done during a simple 15-minute break during your busy day.

1) Do some old-fashioned push-ups. They are a good core and upper body workout.
2) Do some squats for a great lower body workout.
3) Do some one leg calf raises for some calf work.
4) Do some rotating side planks for arm and core work.
5) Do some isometric holds for various parts of the body. CAUTION – IF YOU HAVE ANY BLOOD PRESSURE ISSUES DO NOT DO ISOMETRICS HOLDS. ISOMETRICS CAN RAISE THE BLOOD PRESSURE TO DANGEROUS LEVELS IN CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS – ESPECIALLY THE ELDERELY!
6) For some quick cardio find some stairs and walk them up and down for a few minutes.
7) For a greater cardio experience go for a walk around your office/campus or take a walk outside during your lunch break.
8) If your job has a gym on site or there is a gym close by – utilize it.

So even though we all think there is no time for fitness I hope I have shown you that doing these simple tips during your day can go a far way in making you feel better, be more fit, and hopefully relieve some of your stress. I had jobs where I worked 15 hours a day and still found simple 15 minute blocks of time to get healthier – you should be able to.

As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.

Regards,

Eddie Camaroto CPT
Perfect You LLC

Support channels for your fitness goals

Hello, So you tried to get all of your friends and family to workout with you or support you but it hasn’t worked out like you planned. Now what do you do?

1) Go to the website http://www.presidentschallenge.org/ and pick a challenge for you to complete. This site is really cool and you can even track your success. You can do these challenges all by yourself or you can even gather a group together to perform the challenge as a group effort.
2) Get a virtual Personal Training program. This is a program (usually 8 weeks) that a certified Personal Trainer creates for you. You and the Personal trainer communicate over email to track and support your goals together. Better yet hire a Personal Trainer that will assure you are never alone or lax in your fitness goals.
3) Send out a flyer to your neighbors and see if anyone is interested in creating a walking group for fitness.
4) If you belong to Weight Watchers or another weight loss group see what kind of eager members might love to have a workout partner. I am sure you will have lots of willing participants.
5) Team up with someone who will never say no to you for a good walk. Your dog.
6) Join a sport. Some gyms have racquetball courts, basketball, or even outside bicycling weekly events and almost all of them have single member signup sheets.
7) Join a group exercise class at your gym. If you have never participated in a group exercise class you will find that for the most part the group becomes very tight and supportive of each other.
8) There are a lot of websites that offer support specifically geared for motivation.

I have just touched upon a few ways to garner support your fitness goals when you feel all alone in your quest.

Next months theme will be (Making fitness a part of your daily living).

As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.

Regards,

Eddie Camaroto CPT
Perfect You LLC

What happens when your fitness support dries up

What happens when your support dries up

Hello, for this week I wanted to talk about a real concern for some exercisers. What happens when your support stream dries up? What happens when the people you depend on for your fitness support goes away?

For many of us we find that we need the support of others to continue on our fitness quest. We like hearing their positive admiration as we progress to fit and fitter individuals. Maybe these same individuals also exercise with us or are our walking partner. What do we do when they “fail us”?

First and foremost as I have cautioned before (http://personal-trainer-nj.blogspot.com/2009/04/support-for-your-fitness-goals.html) you should always be exercising for your OWN goals. Be your OWN support mechanism. Anything less then exercising for you puts the rate of failure higher.

Maybe you relied on Mary from accounting to walk with you during lunch – but now she cannot. Do you stop walking and getting fitter because of Mary? Of course not! Take some initiative and go to Human Resources and get their buy-in for a walking club at work. Maybe have the company sweeten the pot by giving the top walkers certain benefits (better parking spot, vacation time, free meal at the cafeteria, a plaque highlighting the top walkers, etc.). I have YET to find a company that would not buy-in to this. Now you are the HERO. And you will have lots of walkers to reach your goals.

Grab your IPOD and listen to some great music and walk alone.

But what happens if the partner you go to gym with fails you. Well, first do you really need a partner? If you do then go to some group classes and find that “someone”. Ask your spouse to try the gym with you. It will be quality time you both can share and you will BOTH be getting fitter for it. If the club has a Jacuzzi like my club – that only sweetens the pot for your spouse and you. Make the gym a special time for you both.

Start walking the dog at home if that is your only avenue. The point I hope I keep making is work the problem and find solutions. Never – ever give up your fitness goals.

I really could’ve written a volume on this topic but I kept it short. There are so many roadblocks that I hear from potential clients on this. In fact some clients of mine that have signed on for my Personal Trainer services do it because they want accountability and a partner during their workouts. They love the idea of someone looking out for them and pushing them to their limit.

Always remember that YOU started your fitness goals with YOU in mind. Never let someone else take that away from you!

As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.

Regards,

Eddie Camaroto CPT
Perfect You LLC

Tools to help you make exercise a part of your life.

Hello, this week I would talk about some tools to make your exercise and fitness goals easier.

1) One thing ALL successful dieters have utilized to make their weight loss efforts stick is to keep a food log. With the advent of the Internet this is easier than ever. Most sites allow you to just drag and drop your meals based on a food database. If you need help finding one reach out to me about what I feel are the best.
2) Even if weight loss is not your goal keeping a food log goes far in showing you exactly what you are eating and how balanced your nutrients are for a given day. Below is what each of you should strive for per day.
a) PROTEIN: 50 to 70 grams per day or 12% to 20% of total caloric intake.
b) CARBOHYDRATES: A minimum of 125 grams per day, optimally 350 to 400 grams or 555 to 65% of total caloric intake.
c) FATS: Approximately 30 to 65 grams per day or 25% to 30% of total caloric intake.
d) WATER: At least 1 ounce per pound of weight.
3) Get a jump rope – and us it daily! Why? Because it is still one of the best ways of getting an intense cardio and building lower body strength. If you do not have a jump rope you still can pretend and go through the motions as if you did have one to supercharge your cardio.
4) Buy a cheap pedometer to assure you are getting 10,000 steps a day. By taking 10,000 steps a day you will burn an additional 500 calories a day. See my post http://personal-trainer-nj.blogspot.com/2009/03/walking-as-part-of-your-fitness-goals.html
5) Take a multi-vitamin daily. Very FEW of us ever get all the required nutrients we need daily. Buy the store brand multi (with minerals) – they work just as well as the pricier ones.
6) Write into your calendar/planner set times to exercise and OBEY the appointment you have with yourself. Research has shown that this little step goes far in your goals for obtaining a fit body.
7) Buy some Personal Trainer sessions (Believe me I am not trying to self-promote myself here). When you are accountable to another about your fitness goals research has shown you are more apt to go the distance to achieve your goals. I have some clients that only see me once a month to assure they are at their best. Others only buy ½ hour sessions with me weekly. The point is my clients realize that having a professional review and work with them really makes a BIG difference. Again, research shows that people who utilize a Personal Trainer are happier with their exercise experience and obtain results MUCH quicker then if they tried to go it alone.
8) Plan on two days away from the gym to achieve your goals. On these days walk your neighborhood. What this does is get you into the mindset that the gym is NOT the only place to get fit.
9) Keep an exercise diary. Map out your goals, what you did, how many sets/reps and pounds, and write how you felt before and afterward. Strive to better your results daily.
10) Make exercise a part of your favorite TV show. If you watch a 1-hour sitcom plan on either stretching or doing easy exercises while you watch it. I use this technique with all my clients and they are amazed how good they feel about themselves when then do this.
11) Fit exercise into everything you do.
a) Park farther away from your destination.
b) Bike more.
c) Take the stairs more.
d) During your lunch break grab a willing partner and walk.
e) Do some sort of stretch every 45 minutes while at work. See my post for some simple all body stretches. http://personal-trainer-nj.blogspot.com/2009/02/basic-stretches-to-keep-you-relaxed.html

12) And lastly – love your body. It is the only one you will ever have – make it ready for the challenges that life demands.

As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.

Regards,

Eddie Camaroto CPT

Why so quiet out there in cyber land

Hello, I have over 50+ members (and it grows by about 5 new members a month) to this BLOG but so many of you are SO silent and never comment etc.

So to sweeten to the pot I will be offering an 8 week virtual trainer session to the subscriber that comments the most for the month of April.

The subscriber that comments the most in this month will be offered a full Personal Trainer program that will show them the results they want.

The winner will be offered email support for the duration of their program. This is a $350.00 value.

I look forward to awarding this to a lucky subscriber to my BLOG.

As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.

Regards,

Eddie Camaroto CPT

Support for your fitness goals

Hello, Some of the toughest barriers you may encounter when you are working towards your fitness goals is lack of support from those around you. Below I will talk about some obstacles you may encounter and offer some steps and hints that hopefully will get the needed support you want. I have picked some of the most common arguments I get from my Personal Training business to show you how I answer to them.

Dilemma: Your spouse thinks you are trying to get fit to leave them or test the waters (You would not believe how many times I hear this one).
Response: You should reassure your spouse that rather then testing the waters you are assuring that you will be around for a long time and that you care about them enough to make a change to make that possible. That you are making yourself into a healthy person that can keep up with them (even if you feel they are of shape) to have the best possible life. Try to get them to do a few workout moves with you like partner push ups, medicine ball twists, etc. Your goal here is to make them feel good about your efforts while drawing them in to the benefits. With the right coaxing you will snag them into your fitness web. I caution you to not give the answer that you are doing this for them. Don't ever ever forget that you are doing this for YOU!

Dilemma: Your friends and everyone around you think you are perfect just the way you are.
Response: Tell everyone that you truly appreciate that but you are not changing the old you. Your personality will still be the same - except now your body will be able to do more. You may look better but that is just an added benefit of why you are doing this.

Dilemma: Your friends miss the old you. They miss a night of ice cream and sorrow stories with you.
Response: Let them know that they still can have those days with you but you might just eat frozen yogurt instead. Your mind and compassion hasn't changed just your fitness level. Let your friends know how great exercise has been to your well being. Offer to exercise with them and THEN grab that ice cream. Better yet - go for a long walk with that ice cream cone around your neighborhood with them in tow.

Dilemma: Your spouse is suspicious of your gym time.
Response: Invite your spouse to join you. Even if exercise isn't their thing. All gyms offer some sort of free pass to potential members. Show them your workout - your dedication - and show them how great you feel afterwards. Tell them how great you would feel if you could workout with them and them alone. Make them feel special and wanted. For example one of the gyms I work at offers boxing instruction. Not cardio boxing but true boxing instruction. Other gyms offer martial arts training. Maybe this is the hook you need to get your spouse wanting to go with you to the gym. Most gyms have pools as well. Sweeten the experience with your spouse by telling them you both can relax in the jacuzzi after working out. Make it your own private time together.

Dilemma: Your friends tell you that the effort you are putting into your fitness goals is not working and it is a waste of time.
Response: Accept their judgement. And prove them wrong with every clothes size you go down. Never be in their face - let the results talk for you. Before long I can guarantee you (based on past experience) that they will be coming to you for help with their fitness goals.

Dilemma: Your friends and/or spouse tells you that they miss the old you.
Response: Reassure them that you still have the same personality and mind. All they miss is the unhealthy you.

Dilemma: You miss being one of the crowd.
Response: Do not give up. The more fit you get the more opportunities you have to cheat once in a while. Do not be one of the crowd anymore be the leader.

As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.

Regards,

Eddie Camaroto CPT