Information on eating well and exercise has never been more complicated, convoluted, and overwhelming. But I have some great news! If you are asking, “where do I start?”, you have decided that what you are currently doing isn’t working for you anymore. Technically, one could argue that you have already started.
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Questions I've heard more than once: How do I shrink my belly? How do I get rid of arm “flab”? How do I get six pack abs? How do I get toned? How do I get smaller legs? These questions are similar and quite familiar to personal trainers. Of course the answer is: it depends! Many factors will come into it AND honestly, sometimes the answer is...You don’t! You focus on other things instead. For the most part, you likely have a pretty good idea of what you need to do and may have attempted and even achieved your desired results previously …but it’s not that simple, right? I’m not gonna lay out a weight loss or six pack abs plan for you here. But I will present a few important areas of consideration. Before you lift a weight, break a sweat, or modify your caloric intake in an effort to change a specific body part, consider the following questions.
Why do you want to change that particular body part? In order to sustain the effort needed to make these types of changes, it’s important to have a strong and defined why. Sometimes when we delve into the desire for change, we discover it is based on a previous negative experience, comparing our bodies to others or the bodies of our youth, or something deeper like improved health, self-confidence, strength or endurance. You may find that your desire isn't so much the arms or stomach or legs, it's what they represent to you. Body image issues and negative focus on specific body parts is pretty much a universally-shared experience among women. It’s okay to seek change or "improvement" but at the same time it is necessary to practice self-acceptance, self-compassion, and the realization that perfect bodies, especially as seen on Instagram, don't exist. Clients, friends and acquaintances regularly ask what and how they should eat. Sometimes I'm asked what I eat. A prescriptive answer may be desired but I don't have one. As with nearly all fitness or dietary related questions, the answer is, of course, it depends. For most people, what works best is to consume a wide variety of whole, nutrient-dense foods that support individual needs, goals, and preferences and include a mix of carbohydrates, fats, and protein. That's not quite the answer people seem to be looking for but it's the one I've got!
As for what I eat, the answer is almost everything. I eat mostly whole, nutrient-dense foods including plenty of vegetables, fruits, nuts, lean meats with some processed foods and dining out. I don’t count calories or macros but I generally follow the PN portion control method. I don't do a lot of food prep but I have an idea of my meals for the week before I go shopping. What I do may or may not work for you and that's okay. Below are a few simple tips anyone can use to support healthy dietary habits. I spend a fair amount of time learning from others. Books, podcasts, social media, etc. Experienced and knowledgeable fitness and health professionals help me become a better trainer because I can incorporate their ideas into my programming and the information I share with clients. One such brilliant individual is Katy Bowman. Her books have opened my eyes to the importance of movement outside of exercise and how convenience is tied to changes in our bodies, our health, and our environment.
I live in a culture that values convenience. If you live in the US, you probably do too. Products that make tasks easier are often number one sellers. We build our daily and weekly routines to make living more streamlined and efficient. We pay more for pre-processed packaged products and order goods to be delivered directly to our car or our front door. And all of this has a cost beyond the bank account. We have largely reduced the amount of energy, time, AND movement needed to complete activities required for living, at least on our end. Katy refers to this as outsourcing movement. (Others work, so we don't have to as much. If you are interested in learning more about that as well as environmental impacts, read her book Movement Matters). This is supposed to free up our valuable time for other endeavors: presumably leisure and life-enhancing activities. But often it ends up that we spend that “extra” time working more hours or in activities where we are sedentary. Many of us can lead very productive lives without moving much from our desks, couches, and cars. We can also be entertained and socialize without leaving home or even getting up. BUT we need movement for healthy, functioning bodies. A few exercise sessions per week, while important, aren’t a replacement for regular and varied movement throughout the day. We aren’t lazy. We are working. But we aren’t moving and it’s costing us. One of those costs is that it has literally become harder for us to move. Our jobs and habits keep us tied to our desks and computers or phones. As a result, our bodies adapt to the positions in which we spend a lot of time. Shoulders become rounded. Weaker gluteus muscles. Tight, short hip flexors. A sedentary lifestyle is associated with greater incidence of arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and other health problems. Our bodies are meant to move and we have "convenienced" ourselves out of that movement. As with most things, improvement is much easier said than done! A lot of jobs require hours spent on the computer and if you have deadlines or are very busy, regular breaks aren’t always available. Building more movement into your day is a necessity that requires a bit of forethought and planning. In addition, research suggests human beings are predisposed to conserve energy. Many of us may have gotten a little too good at it! Let's go over some ways you can bring more movement back into your life. |
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