It’s common to get in a place of feeling stuck. You know you want to change but find yourself paralyzed from fear — fear of failure, of being uncomfortable, of the unknown. You may have an inner feeling of unhappiness with where you are, with your habits, your environment, and your relationships. You may think it’s better to hold on to the familiar and to the things you do well rather than take risks and leaps that might not pan out. All of these feelings and fears are completely normal. However, 2021 is coming to a close, and as you reflect on the past year and your goals for 2022, you might also be thinking there are some aspects of your life you “should” improve. You may even be considering a new year’s resolution or goal for yourself — exercising more often, eating healthier, sticking to a financial budget, reducing …
Well, It’s been a challenging year trying to stay on top of coaching clients, managing my new rental property, adopting a puppy and being without childcare for my 4-year-old son. I’ll admit I haven’t been the best at keeping up with my newsletter. With my son back at preschool a few times a week, my puppy turning 1 years old, and my rental property up and running I am now in a place where I can sit down and start writing again. I feel like I can finally breathe a little, phew. So, without further ado, I wanted to share with you my past year of sobriety. Exactly a year ago today I had my last alcoholic drink. During the prior years I began to drink less and less often, maybe a drink per month. I found the less I drank the worst I felt the next day. Which really …
Many of us are undoubtedly struggling to continue to stay active during this pandemic, and possibly finding it even more difficult to help our own children and pets stay active too. Rest, sleep, and mindfulness are vital elements of coping with the stress associated with COVID-19. Sedentary pursuits like watching TV, playing video games or reading a good book can be used frequently in our attempts to protect our own mental health during this time of isolation. It’s important to remember that physical exercise is just as vital to our own mental health and therefore, should be made a priority for ourselves and those close to us. Prior to the pandemic, exercise was viewed as an add on to the beginning or end of the work day, often times done as a solitary activity. Now with gyms, work places, and schools closed many parents are left busy juggling many other …
Over 15 years ago I made the conscious choice to pursue my career in exercise science and nutrition as a means to contribute to the greater good. I realized the most straight forward and effective way for me to improve others health and well-being in addition to extending their longevity was through the most basic principles: daily physical activity, whole foods-based eating, and mindfulness practices. This very belief is at the core of how I have coached my clients since the very beginning. I honestly believe that a lot of the chronic diseases, ailments, and discomfort that people struggle with all come from their own lifestyle choices. If we choose to treat our bodies and minds with care and respect, we can lead a healthy, vibrant, and fulfilling life. Over the past couple months COVID-19 has completely uprooted our daily lives. It has taken the lives of many, closed down …
A little over a year ago I was struggling with fatigue, poor performance in the gym, hunger all the time, stomach pains and discomfort, and coming down with frequent colds. Despite having a healthy diet and exercise routine I felt terrible. Fast forward a few months to last September and I ended up in urgent care due to debilitating stomach and back pains, coupled with nausea. After being treated with anti-nauseous medication I was discharged with no rhyme or reason to what the source was, except maybe it was food poisoning. I have had food poisoning before and that wasn’t it. Since I was a teenager, I have always struggled with gut issues off and on and could never get the help I needed to fix it completely. Sure, I would have times where I was feeling better, but never “healthy” like I should be given my nutrition and exercise …
Despite our best intentions to eat a healthy and well-rounded diet, we still aren’t getting sufficient nutrients from our food alone. That’s because the soil has been severely depleted due to over-farming and pesticides over the past few decades. Even if you are getting the recommended 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, the food lacks 20% fewer minerals compared to 80 years ago. In fact, fruits and vegetables today contain 24% fewer magnesium, 46% less calcium, 27% less iron, and a whopping 59% less zinc. Even in the meat and dairy we eat there is 40-60% less iron, and 15% less calcium than years ago. These minerals alone are vital to hormone function, energy production, sleep, blood sugar and metabolism, bone health, and immune function. Not only is the soil depleted from these vital nutrients but the food is then picked before its peak ripeness and transported miles …
The human body was designed to move, and for thousands of years that’s exactly what humans did. But starting in the early 1970’s, we started to see a progressive incline in the overweight and obese population, largely attributed to the increasing rise in technological advances… mainly the television, computer, and transportation. As time went on, technology did more of the heavy lifting, and people became increasingly sedentary. Fast forward to the present day, and we humans are experiencing a huge rise in deaths stemming from symptoms associated with minimal physical activity: increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels — that make up metabolic syndrome. This phenomenon has been coined the Sitting Disease by the scientific community. An analysis of 13 studies of sitting time and activity levels found that those who sat for more than eight hours a day with no physical …
“You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” This quote, originally attributed to motivational speaker Jim Rohn, was used in the context of personal and professional growth and success, but the same principal can be used for improving your health and wellness (and let’s be honest – without the latter, does the former even matter?). Social influence has a large impact on whether or not you can stick to your fitness and nutrition goals, and make health a lifestyle. Think about it, if tomorrow you decide to start eating healthier and exercising then you come home to your spouse cooking an unhealthy dinner at home, it’s going to be an uphill battle. If your weekdays are filled with co-workers that like to go to fast food for lunch and happy hour after work, it’s going to be harder to get to the gym regularly. …
Let’s face it, dieting is hard. Hard to follow, hard to stick to, hard to enjoy life while on one. This is probably why so many people fail at diets, because they can suck. What if we re-framed the dieting mentality toward healthy living and better nutrition without sacrificing all our favorite foods or compromising taste? What if instead of saying foods are bad and off limits, we practice more mindful eating practices that help us enjoy some foods that are deemed less healthy? What if we decided to go back to the basics and nurture a better relationship with food so that we could stay on track and lose weight? In learning anything… a sport, an art, an instrument, etc, it’s always best to master the basics, build on them, and then modify them to fit your personal style. Sometimes, you hit a slump and it’s usually helpful to …
Our morning routine is often looked at as the most important part of the day. As we trudge through our day and roll into the evening, we often let good intentions fall to the wayside. However, it is the evening time routine which sets us up for success the next day. Have you ever looked at what your evening routine looks like in great depth? How you choose to spend your last couple hours of the day could be impacting your success when it comes to feeling rested, burning fat, recovering from workouts during the day, and keeping your immune system strong. I promise after just a few weeks of following these three habits your quality of sleep and energy levels will improve, you will get sick less often, and you will start to burn more fat during your sleep. First things first, finish dinner 2.5 hours before going to …
Since Vitamin D can be assimilated in the body by exposure to the sun, many individuals make the false assumption that they are getting adequate levels of Vitamin D every day, but statistics show that about one third the population is deficient in this vital nutrient. There are many reasons for this problem: sunscreen, lack of outdoor time, weather and seasons, lack of fatty fish in the diet, affects of aging, and skin color. People who are more susceptible to a deficiency are: Those over 70 years of age, kidneys are not able to convert vitamin d into its active form. Exposure to sun is limited: due to spending a lot of time indoors; living in climates with limited sunny days; wearing a lot of garments; or sunscreen protecting you from sun exposure. Those with darker skin have higher amounts of melanin which reduces the bodies ability to make vitamin D from sun …
Fitness trackers are becoming increasingly popular as more Americans are turning to technology to help motivate, evaluate, and improve their workout sessions. 1 out of every 6 consumers in the U.S uses some type of wearable technology such as a fitness band or smartwatch. Historically, the most precise heart rate monitors have used chest straps and electrode attachments such as the Polar heart rate monitors. However, more recently today’s fitness trackers use optical sensing technology that goes further than just monitoring heart rate it also analyzes body temperature, perspiration, oxygen saturation, and physical and electrical activity of the skin. A study last year compared the accuracy of five wearable heart rate trackers that use optical sensors to gain an understanding of just how accurate they can be. The study had 50 aerobically active men and women complete a 4.5 minute light, moderate, and vigorous exercise sequence (1.5 minutes each) on …
Happy 2019 to you! With every new year brings hope, determination, and a new beginning to working towards bettering yourself. January is also the time in which many are determined to lose those extra pounds gained during the holiday season through increased physical activity or by following a strict diet plan. Often times we get so caught up in just focusing on the quality and quantity of food yet ignore a very crucial piece of the equation the “when.” The timing and frequency of our meals throughout the day can have a real baring on fat loss, energy, physical performance, and sleep. The contemporary pattern of eating is anywhere from 3-5 meals per day, often times not eating until later in the day up until just before bedtime. Now, you might be asking, what’s wrong with this way of eating? Let’s step back for a moment, up until about 12,500 …
Wouldn’t it be great to know that any time spent in the gym was delivering you results and getting you that much closer to your goals? The truth is, not all workouts are created equally. However, there are some known techniques for getting the most out of each workout. By utilizing these techniques you’ll achieve quicker and more noticeable results over time. Check out the following workout tips to get the most out of your workout routine every time: Workout Tip 1: Use Challenging Resistance In order to get the most from each rep it’s important to challenge your muscles, and to not to simply go through the motions. If you are able to complete up to 15 repetitions easily, then the weight is just too light. On the flip side, if you aren’t able to perform an exercise for at least 8 reps through its full range of motion, …
Yesterday I was sitting on the beach enjoying a nice summer afternoon marveling in the shear peace and beauty of that very moment, with my son playing next to me in the sand. I looked over to see a family of five vacationing, beach towels out, umbrellas up, and everyone with their eyeballs fixated on their cell phones. Now, I am not here to pass judgement, as I too can be guilty of checking my phone when really unnecessary, but I think we can all benefit from stepping back and evaluating the amount of time we spend on our devices. As of recently, I have come up with my own rules when it comes to cell phone usage as a means to be more present in the everyday moments. Vacations are one of those times. I turn off the phone and computer for the entire time I am on vacation, …
Besides January, May is the most common time for people to try out a new diet plan. The weather is getting warmer, beach vacations are booked, and the neglectful habits of winter are starting to rear their ugly head. From Paleo, to Keto, to Whole 30, everyone is chiming in about this new diet or that new diet they are following. Unfortunately, most dieters won’t stick to the new plan much past the first month. Why is that? Because the whole premise of a diet is villainizing certain foods, making it extremely difficult to keep it up between work, vacations, social obligations, etc. Because of all the restrictions on foods, many dieters find it hard to sustain that eating plan over the long term. In my experience what I have found to be much more effective and sustainable is the idea of small changes that add up to a compound …
There is an ever-increasing epidemic of digestive distress across the country as almost 70 million Americans are affected by digestive diseases (NIH 2009). In 2013, 72% of U.S. adults said they experienced at least one of the following gastrointestinal symptoms a few times a month or more: diarrhea, gas, bloating, stomach pain, frequent or infrequent bowel movements. A good majority of these adults reported they had lived with these symptoms for more than 6 months (AbbVie 20013)! If you experience any of the following, it is a good sign that your digestive system is under distress and not functioning properly: Reflux or bloating after meals or snacks Difficulty going to the bathroom, and not going regularly Frequently have loose stools or diarrhea Frequently have gas Abdominal pain, cramps, or discomfort following a meal Headaches after eating When your digestive system isn’t working optimally your metabolism slows; your nutrient absorption decreases …
It’s officially summertime and for many of us, that means the kids our off from school, and less time for ourselves. So how do we stay in shape during the summer with vacations, kid duty, and weddings and other social engagements? How do we keep the momentum from spring still rolling through the summer months until September and school is back in session? I have compiled a list of ways to still get your workouts in without pulling too much time away from the kids. For younger kids that are still napping, you could do a yoga video on youtube, complete a bodyweight circuit in the living room, or run sprints down your block in front of your house. For slightly older kids, you could have them watch a show while you get in a quick body weight workout for 30 minutes. Take your kids to the park and play …
With so many protein powders on the market today how do you know which ones to buy? Whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, soy protein isolate, egg white, rice, pea, hemp, with so much to choose from how does one know where to start? The market has become so heavily saturated that unfortunately it can be difficult for the average consumer to discern what is good vs. bad quality protein powders. It is very rare in my practice that I meet a new client that has already been purchasing quality protein powder. At least 95% of the time when I ask to see the protein powder a client is currently using, it is poor quality. This is because most supplement manufacturers try to cut corners on ingredients to stay competitive on the shelves but also turn a profit. They figure most consumers will not know what to look for. It …
The notion that exercising in a fasted state in the morning yielded greater fat loss was based on the fact that storage of glycogen (the stored form of glucose) is much lower after a night of sleep. Your body prefers to utilize stored glycogen first, then stored fat when it comes to fueling workouts. So the theory makes sense but had never really been tested until a few years ago. An Italian study wanted to understand whether it was more beneficial for fat loss to exercise in a fed or fasted state in the morning. The study involved eight men who over the course of two weeks, exercised in both a fed and fasted state, with a week in between each. They had all the men complete the same workouts (36 minute treadmill exercise) and eat the same daily calories and macronutrients, and only changed the timing of their breakfasts. …
There are so many opinions out there on what are some of the best strategies to lose weight, but how many of those claims can be backed by science? In this article I share three lesser known strategies backed by science that are simple and easy to start implementing right away. Eat less at nighttime. The majority of people consume their largest meal of the day at dinner time, and their smallest meal for breakfast. Scientists found the exact opposite can help you stay fit. Italian researchers observed the eating habits of more than 1200 middle aged adults and discovered a substantially higher obesity risk for subjects who consumed half or more of their total daily calories at dinnertime. Another study in the Obesity journal found that participants who consumed more calories at breakfast and less as they progressed throughout the day (breakfast: 700 kcal; lunch: 500 kcal; dinner: 200 …
This year, before stepping into the month of overindulgence, shopping, family gatherings, holiday obligations, traveling, and cooking take 5 minutes to think about what you want out of your holiday season. That’s right, I want you to sit down and write out thoughtful answers to the following 5 questions: What are the top 5 activities that would make me happy this holiday season? What are the top 5 activities I do not want to do? Who are the top 5 people I would want to spend time with? What are the top 5 ways I would like to take care of myself? What are the top 5 actions I would like to do for others? If you can’t think of 5 answers for every question, or if some overlap no big deal. What is important is you write them down before the month gets underway. Otherwise, if you don’t plan …
With Halloween just behind us and Thanksgiving and the Holidays just around the corner, I get asked this question multiple times by clients, “How do you deal with the unhealthy food temptations during the holidays?” And this is my take on it, do not obsess over it. Have some self-restraint especially with the foods that you don’t really enjoy, and indulge in the foods that bring you happiness. Food is so much a part of tradition, and social gatherings that unless you want to be a social outcast you gotta partake in some of it, just don’t overdo it. I really do believe everything in moderation. This can help you enjoy life but also keep you fit and healthy over the long term. This is what I do: I give clients on average 20 days off of any dietary restrictions a) December 24 to January 1, this is also when I …
When starting on a new nutrition and exercise routine it’s easy to get caught up in the numbers on the scale as the only means of tracking progress. It’s natural to feel defeated when numbers aren’t progressing at the pace we expect them to with all of the changes we are making. It’s at these times I encourage my clients to look at the big picture and see how their new eating lifestyle and workout routine is effecting other parts of their life that they may not even notice. There are 5 major areas that are already reaping benefits from your new nutrition plan and exercise routine that you may not have even recognized. You don’t feel ravenous all the time. This is the most frequent feedback I get from clients when they are eating the right amount of calories and macro breakdown for their lifestyle and goals. Very often …
You either know someone, you have done one, or you are considering following a juice cleanse detox program in the near future. The trend of juice cleansing has become more and more prevalent among the population as individuals are looking for a solution to lose quick weight or to “detoxify” from all their poor lifestyle choices. But how effective are these juice cleanses for ridding the body of toxins and helping to drop some quick pounds? Let me first state that there is a lack of scientific support for the concept of juicing, drinking teas, eating certain foods, etc. for helping the body to eliminate toxins. In fact some may say these concepts are trending because of sheer marketing tactics. Toxins cannot be avoided; anything, even seemingly healthy items can become toxic to the body if consumed in excess for example: vitamin a, vitamin b, phytochemicals, lectins, etc. Because of …
Over 95% of the population is deficient in magnesium, a mineral that is necessary for over 300 reactions in the body. It plays a key role in strong bones and teeth, the nervous system, the cardiovascular system, the balancing of hormones, and the detoxification pathways. The following is a comprehensive list of the benefits from proper magnesium intake: Regulates and normalizes blood pressure Promotes restful sleep Eases muscle cramps and spasms Decreases insulin resistance Enhances circulation Ends migraines Prevents osteoporosis Assists in vitamin D absorption Lowers serum cholesterol levels Gives rigidity and flexibility to bones Proper magnesium ratios are important for the body to correctly use calcium in the cells. Even a small deficiency can lead to a dangerous calcium imbalance and lead to problems like calcification and cell death. This manifests itself with symptoms like heart trouble, migraine headaches, muscle cramps and premenstrual cramping. Magnesium was once attained from …
Changing bad habits isn’t easy. In fact 98% of us fail at keeping our New Year’s resolutions besides our best intentions. One of the biggest reasons people fail at changing their bad behaviors is because they are in the dark about what is actually causing these behaviors in the first place. Those that are successful at changing and maintaining do so by a scientific process or trial and error. They observe, analyze, plan, and carry out. Sometimes they stumble, may even take a couple steps back, but what makes them successful is they learn from their mistakes, and use that information to modify and evolve their direction. You have to study you. No diet plan, or exercise program is perfect for everyone. Those two variables must be tailored to the individual, because everyone is unique in what motivates them, inspires them, transforms them and most importantly, brings them happiness. If …
We are in the midst of the cold and flu season, and inevitably you are bound to catch something. So what do you do about your exercise routine? Do you keep up with your current workout plan and try to sweat it out, or do you take it easy and get some rest? I have clients ask me this all the time. So what is the appropriate protocol for when you are feeling under the weather? Let’s review some basics. Every day you are exposed to bacteria, parasites, and viruses that your immune system is working around the clock to protect you from. When you are born you have an innate immune system already in place which is your first line of defense against foreign invaders, think of your stomach acid, mucous in your nose, and your ‘NK’ cells. Then there is the adaptive immune system that is made up …
With the winter months comes a higher percentage of sickness (up to 7% more than the summer months). Many blame this phenomenon on the colder weather; the stress from the holiday season and the end of the year deadlines; and extensive travel. Very few ever consider that it could be the nutrition they consume during this time and the resulting health of their digestive system. 70% of your immune system resides in or near your digestive system because of the enormous amount of food and drink we consume that are foreign substances that your body has to sort through. When you plague that system with unhealthy food that creates inflammation over time, this can lead to a higher incidence of the flu, and the common cold. Let me explain further. 99% of the time your immune system’s job is not to respond to food ingested like whole foods that are …
January is the month for making lifestyle changes: quit smoking, spend less, make time for loved ones, exercise more, or eat less. If weight loss is a resolution of yours, it is easy to fall into the trap of wanting to restrict calories to make up for all the poor food choices made the prior month. Many of us fall victim to the idea that eating less and moving more is the key to weight loss success. In fact, how could you not, with the billions of advertising dollars spent on pushing diet plans, exercise programs, and fat loss supplements that contain the predominant message to exercise more and restrict calories. It’s very easy to be misled. The problem comes when we restrict calories too much. There is a fine line between reducing caloric intake and seeing steady fat loss progress (300-500 calories), and restricting too much (anything more) to …
As we approach the end of the year, our schedules get filled up with social engagements, hosting guests, travel, work deadlines, children off from school, let’s not forget the shopping, cooking, the list goes on and on. How can you possibly fit in working out on top of that? Good question! Even in times of stress and very little free time it is important to get in a quickie workout in when you can. There are times, even as a fitness trainer in San Diego when I only have 20 minutes to workout, BUT I still workout, I just make it an intense 20 minutes. I am a fan of utilizing the following workouts when I do not have a whole lot of time to get in a quality strength or cardio session, these are great fill ins when life is a little too crazy. I have included some examples of …
With the steady decline in the quality of our food supply Americans are starting to understand the importance of including a daily multi-vitamin to help fill in the gaps that may lacking in their food intake. According to a 2013 Gallup poll about half of Americans take a multi-vitamin. So it is surprising for me to find out that only 10% of Americans regularly take a fish oil supplement. Fish oil supplements are one of the most important supplements in rounding out the current American diet. With the high percentage of the population consuming a larger amount of processed goods saturated with vegetable oils, and the fish, poultry, and meat coming from grain-fed animals; our balance of Omega 6s to Omega 3s have spiraled out of control. The average American has a ratio of 26:1 Omega 6s to 3s, when over a century ago it was more like 2:1, which …
Fall, that time of year when the kids are back in school, summer vacations are over, and the 30 day challenges pop up everywhere. Right when you are feeling down about your lack of exercise, and less than stellar eating habits, they chime in with drop 10lbs. in 30 days, lose inches in your waist in no time, get back your energy and stamina by following this cleanse. So you get sucked in, you vow to swear off certain foods, beverages, and commit to just drinking juice, exercising every day, and frankly making yourself bat shit crazy for 30 days. You remind yourself, it’s only 30 days, no big deal. I can follow this ridiculously strict diet regimen for 30 days, and I’ll lose that weight I gained in no time. Two weeks go by; you are out to dinner with friends trying to navigate through the menu to pick …
Did you know that 5 out of 6 dieters fail? That means that 85% of dieters either don’t lose any weight at all or gain it back and then some within 3 years according to a recent review of almost 900 different diets. No wonder they keep developing new diets, it’s a profitable business. I have good news for you though, these odds can be in your favor if you play your cards right. Most well-intentioned dieters fall victim to the same 7 mistakes. I wanted to shine light on these common dieting blunders and provide the solutions for avoiding these to attain true weight loss success that you can maintain for years to come. So, what are they? #1 Not eating enough. Many think skipping meals or severely reducing caloric intake will help them drop pounds fast. Unfortunately, most experience extreme sugar cravings, and often times break down and …
If you suffer from low back pain, you are not alone. Nearly everyone at some point during their lives suffers from low back pain either acute or chronic. In fact, Americans spend at least $50 billion towards treating symptoms of low back pain every year. Back pain is the second most common neurological aliment behind headaches. Fortunately, most occurrences of low back pain go away within a few days to a couple weeks. There are two categories of low back pain, acute and chronic. Acute is short term pain that usually last from a few days to a few weeks. Typical acute back pain results from trauma (sports injury, car accident, etc.) or arthritis. Acute trauma can become more serious if left untreated. Chronic back pain lasts for more than a few months, can become progressive, and is often difficult to diagnose since the cause can come from various sources. …
The whole concept of calories in vs calories out has plagued the weight loss industry for decades. Programs like P90X and Weight Watchers want you to believe that if you just eat less calories then you burn you are guaranteed to lose weight. Sometimes, just this small change alone can help elicit fat loss success. However, for the vast majority of the population it is just not this simple. The problem with operating on solely counting calories alone is that it can lead you down a dark and often metabolically damaging path. Most individuals have heard of the concept of BMR (basil metabolic rate) this is the amount of calories it takes for your body to just function on a day to day basis, if you were to sit on the coach and do absolutely nothing. There is a formula to estimate what this number is given your age, sex, …
Did you know that globally 1-2 billion tons of food produced from farmers goes to waste every year? It’s a scary figure when you think of the 850 million people around the world that are becoming ill or even dying from starvation. So you might be asking yourself, how is this even possible? Why is food being wasted and yet, millions are starving across the world? I’m glad you asked. It goes back to consumer demands and the all mighty dollar. The agriculture business, more specifically the industrialized farming industry is in it to make money at any cost. In order to produce the most food possible for the least amount of money they create: pollution of the air, surface water, and groundwater; over-consumption of fossil fuel and water resources; degradation of soil quality, erosion, and accelerate the loss of biodiversity through mono-cropping. Mono-cropping is where a region will specialize …
The average American spends 55% (7.7) hours of their wake time sitting. This is in addition to the 8 hours on average of sleep per night. Some even log up to 12 hours between their office job (7 hours) commute (2 hours) eating meals (1 hour) and watching TV (2 hours) before bed at night. This habit alone is one of the many causes for the obesity epidemic. A Spanish study in 2009, found those individuals who sat for four hours or more per day were 1.7 times per likely to be obese than their counterparts who sat for less than 4 hours. This was the case for even active individuals. Risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease, several types of cancer and diabetes increases exponentially the more time spent sitting. This is now being coined the “sitting disease” by the scientific community when referring to the ill-effects of …
As we enter into the month of March, many of us who created New Year’s resolutions to eat healthier, and exercise more regularly, are finding it more difficult to stick with these habits 100% of the time. Maybe by now you have fallen off the wagon once, or twice. It is perfectly okay to fall off the wagon, it will happen often, probably more than you would like, but don’t burn the wagon down. Just get back on and keep moving slow and steady towards your goal you have created for yourself. In a world full of quick, and easy, we often forget that not everything worth working for happens overnight. It is the perseverance and strong will to keep pushing forward that will ultimately get us to our goal. Think about when you first learned to do anything, let’s use riding a bike as an example. Did you get …
Last month I touched on the importance of putting aside time for healthy eating and exercise. As time is one of the biggest excuses I hear for not exercising or eating healthy, finances come in second. When it comes to spending money on services and products that will help us become healthier individuals, a lot of us find that we cannot afford this “luxury.” However, when you sit down and begin to analyze how you spend your earnings, are the items you are prioritizing going to help you live a longer more fulfilling life? Health care has become far and away one of, if not the most expensive part of this country’s expenses, upwards of over 3 trillion annually. This will continue to rise and is expected to reach 4.8 trillion in 2021 (just 6 years from now) this will account for 1/5 the gross domestic product. In fact, the …
It is a well-known fact amongst San Diego fitness trainers that the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, becomes a slow period of time for us. The gym seems empty, your clients have other “obligations” to attend to, and their fitness goals take a back seat to social events, travel, shopping, etc. Then after New Year’s Day, just like clockwork everyone becomes more dedicated to themselves once again for two months, before other “obligations” reappear. What if, perhaps, we prioritize ourselves and our wellness goals instead of everything else? How different would our lives become? I challenge you to reflect on how you allow other things in life to take priority over your mental, emotional, or physical self. In reflecting on this, how can you learn to prioritize yourself year round? I am not purely promoting selfishness; I am promoting our ability to allow our health to take priority over …
Since January first is only weeks away, I know many of you are already making New Year’s resolutions to better yourself either professionally, physically, mentally, or spiritually. The top New Year’s resolution among Americans every year is to lose weight and get fit, with quitting smoking coming in a close second and eating healthier coming in third. Unfortunately, most do not stick with it for longer than 2 months. As a personal trainer in San Diego I have discovered that most people quit because they do not see great enough results from what they are doing. Most people assume that if they just exercise 2-3 times a week, cut back on some fast food, and alcohol that they are going to see the weight just fall off. Now do not get me wrong small changes are a good thing, and they will help you get somewhere, however, they are only …
With the holidays just around the corner we are coming up on that dreaded time of year filled with all sorts of delectable goodies. I am not going to bombard you with tips to avoid holiday weight gain, I’m sure you will be receiving many of those tips from various resources in the next couple weeks. What I would like to do is enlighten you on the one ingredient that many people overlook as a big obstacle on the road to fat loss success. In the nutrition world we call it the white devil, that’s right, you guessed it, sugar. I am not just talking white sugar, but this includes brown sugar, raw sugar, molasses, agave nectar, honey, corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners. All these types of sweeteners are the devil as far as we are concerned, not only for preventing fat loss but they also play a huge role …
Does the phrase eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper ring a bell? A recent study by Lombardo M., et al. aimed to shed light on whether there is some validity to this statement for optimal health and wellness. They had two groups of 21 subjects follow a Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes vegetables, whole grains, fruits, olive oil, beans, nuts, legumes and seafood. Poultry, eggs and dairy were used in moderation, while red meat and sweets were reserved only for special occasions. Both groups followed the same dietary regimen made of 55% carbohydrates, 30% fat and 15% protein. The difference between these two groups was the caloric distribution of these foods throughout the day. Group 1 ate 70% of their calories at breakfast, morning snack and lunch, and 30% for their afternoon snack and dinner. Group 2 ate 55 % of their calories …
I hope you had an enjoyable holiday Labor Day weekend and summer vacation! As the kids are going back to school and summer vacations come to an end, many individuals begin to refocus their efforts towards their own personal health and fitness goals. Often times those fitness goals involve shedding excess pounds gained by indulging on vacation, and maybe not exercising as routinely over the past couple months. The majority of individuals will take to the streets and start jogging again, got to the gym and log miles on the elliptical or go on long bike rides in an effort to burn calories and lose weight. This unfortunately, is a very misleading perception on the most effective path to fat loss. Time and time again, I see individuals, especially women; spend hours each week subscribing to cardio workouts in the hopes of getting that lean and toned look of the …
Years ago I attended a seminar that really changed the way I view exercise, nutrition, and healthy living. For the early part of my career as a San Diego fitness trainer, I would accept information that was given to me without really questioning it. What I realized is this. There is so much garbage out there being fed to the general public in regards to exercise and nutrition, and what it means to be truly healthy. It is with that mind-set that I created True Balance Fitness. To help shed light on what it means to truly live a healthy life in balance. Today, I want to discuss the biggest farce ever created in regards to healthy eating. I still meet people that follow these recommendations, and are suffering from diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and obesity because of it. I am hoping that I will be able to …
If you ask any expert fat loss fitness trainer San Diego professional whether or not it is better to exercise on an empty stomach, or after eating, you will most likely receive conflicting opinions. As with most things in life, there are convincing arguments for both sides. This leaves the general fat loss seeking individual confused, and sometimes paralyzed at the thought of having to pick a side. I wanted to share some interesting results from research studies conducted to find the solution to this often debated over topic, and then share my take on what I recommend to my fat loss personal training San Diego clients. Research in favor of training on a fasted state A 2006 study looked at moderately trained subjects during a 2 hour moderate-intensity cycling workout and found that ingesting carbohydrates before training suppressed fat oxidation and other markers of lipid metabolism in both women …
I wanted to share with you the often over-looked and ignored piece of training success, which is the mental side of exercise. I am currently reading a book called Warrior Cardio by Martin Rooney. A section of his book covers the mental aspect involved with hard physical training. When it comes to training for results, it becomes much more about your mental capacity to convince yourself to continue pushing forward much more than your physical capacity to do something. When working with a San Diego personal training client, I will only give them an increase in weight or progress an exercise, when I feel that they can do it. So many times I have clients think they are not capable of doing something, just to discover that they can. It is that negative mindset that kept them from advancing and pushing themselves forward when they exercised on their own. Most …
May, that time of year when you know in just a few short months you are going to be going on vacation, hanging out at the beach, attending weddings, and reunions. That time of the year when you want to look your best. In your mind, its crunch time. So you do what anyone else would do, restrict your calories and go hard at the gym everyday religiously for the next 2 months (you have to make up for lost time.) The first 10 lbs. comes off easy, but as you get closer to your vacation you see the weight become stagnant, and you panic. So you do what anyone else would do, eat less, workout more. You find yourself at work getting irritated by your co-workers, needing more coffee to stay alert at work, and finding those week old cookies in the break room to be very tempting. So …
Over the course of the past 10 years working as a San Diego personal trainer in within the health and wellness industry I have witnessed multiple trends come and go. There was the Atkins no-carb craze, the Mediterranean diet, the Paleo diet, and now more recently, there have been hundreds of cleanse diets coming out. These cleanse diets last anywhere from 3 up to 21 days, and promise significant fat loss, improved sleep, energy levels, and a renewed sense of well-being for those who commit to them religiously for that time period. Afterwards, the dieter is assumed to be cleansed and detoxed from all their bad eating and lifestyle habits leading up to the miraculous cleanse. What troubles me about these cleanses, is most often they have a hidden agenda behind them. They want you to take their supplements or meal replacement in lieu of the other foods you normally eat. …
Being a new mom is a real struggle, and so is losing the weight you gain during the pregnancy. As this article from Yahoo! Voices notes, medical science offers a clue as to why losing the “mommy bulge” is so difficult: “Stress Becoming a mother responsible for the life of another being is unquestionably an exciting, yet stressful situation. Many new mothers and even mothers having subsequent children find themselves under a great deal of stress just caring for their children. Stress triggers a chemical reaction in the body hardwired from ancient times when stress usually meant mortal peril. The response releases a certain hormones including cortisol that can increase appetite and cause the body to store more fat around the mid-section, which also happens to be where most postpartum mothers have that lovely mom pouch. Many women also have formed a behavior tendency to eat in reaction to stress …
One of the many benefits of personal training from San Diego coaches like Andrea King of True Balance is getting a detailed, customized workout and diet plan that’s fashioned to fit your needs, and nobody else’s. You might notice however, that regardless of how varied your plan might be from another, cardio seems to be a staple. Since it’s always essential, you should find ways of ensuring that you get the best out of it every time. Find Enjoyment Don’t just run if you don’t want to – there are many forms of cardio workouts, and the important thing is that you find something that you enjoy doing, so as to promote tireless effort. Work with your personal trainer to find the right cardio for you, making sure that you will enjoy doing what you choose repeatedly in the future. Sneak It In If you’re in a building or lifting …
Now that the holidays are over, millions of people are once again stepping onto their scales with baited breath, awaiting the results of their festive gorging. Did they gain a pound? Or even ten? This follows with the promise of hitting the gym to burn off the excess pounds – but how do you motivate yourself after being sedentary for so long? Perhaps you convince yourself put off your workout until tomorrow. There’s still 364 days left in the calendar, right? If this sounds like you, it’s probably time to ditch solo workouts and join group fitness training instead to better achieve your fitness goals. Andrea King, an established San Diego personal trainer and owner of True Balance Fitness & Coaching, emphasizes the following benefits that group fitness training offers to clients: Gain a Support Group The New Year is a great time to make new friends, and your new …
START 2014 BY WORKING TOWARDS THE PERFECT BODY Pay only $1,799 for a 12-week body transformation program worth $2,200, from a fitness trainer in San Diego Offer good until January 31, 2014 only. First time clients only. ____________________________________________________________________________ A brand-new year often brings with it hopes that this year is going to be better than the previous one. One of the most common resolutions made when the clock strikes 12 is the promise to become a healthier person. Everyone definitely wants to live a healthier lifestyle, but financial and time constraints usually stop them from doing so. Do not worry, because at True Balance, we can definitely provide personal training San Diego residents need. Our 12-week body transformation program can help you lose up to 25 pounds in 12 weeks. You can meet with one of our personal trainers three times a week for private hour strength training sessions, personalized …
It’s healthy in a number of ways to fantasize about sporting a lithe frame of the kind you see in Hollywood actors. Sunny Pepper of the Examiner news website has one such example: Hangover actor Bradley Cooper is sporting some ripped abs post-filming of his new flick, The A-Team. So how did Cooper sculpt his Hollywood six-pack? “I had to literally transform my body,” the 35-year-old said of his six-month body transformation in an interview with Details magazine. Adding that his whole life hasn’t been full of handsome nature and brute. “I never lived the life of ‘Oh, you’re so good-looking,’ ” Cooper explains. “People thought I was a girl when I was little, because I looked like a girl.” The popular actor’s determination to look good and feel great may resonate with health-conscious people in San Diego, CA. The long beach all the way down to Mexico, and good …
Another year has come and gone, and we welcome a new year of possibilities, goals, and agendas. So many of us set out each New Year with resolutions for bettering ourselves, but often times are not able to see these goals realized. What gets in your way of reaching the goals you set each year? Could they be too lofty? Too broad? Not time-sensitive? Many of us fail to reach our goals, because we are not entirely sure what those goals are. We create general goals with no specific time period in which we want to achieve it, no specific action plan, and no rewards system for carrying it out. It becomes very easy to give up on a broad goal, such as exercise more, or eat healthier. What specifically are you going to work towards? I want to take you through an exercise I utilize with my San Diego …
Triathlons are among the most brutal physical activities any sports enthusiast or athlete worth their salt could ever participate in. However, these activities are not without danger, as Justin Levine expounds on one such flap in the triathletes’ resource TriFuel: Not lifting any weights. This is probably the most common mistake among triathletes. Most triathletes think lifting weights will get them bulky and inflexible. But in all actuality, lifting weights the correct way will enhance your performance, reduce injury, and correct imbalances. The sport of triathlon is very demanding on the body. Overuse injuries occur because most individuals are not functionally strong. They can swim, bike, and run all day long, but have them do a push-up, and it will be extremely tough. You need to be a strong athlete, all around. San Diego residents can relate with Levine’s thoughts on the subject. The so-called “America’s Finest City” is the …
Legend has it that Milo—the famous athlete from Greek mythology—trained by carrying a young calf on his back until it was fully grown. People no longer train that way these days, but they do still use the same approach that Milo used—strength training. According to experts, strength training is primarily an exercise with the goal of increasing physical strength. Runners, weightlifters, and contact sports athletes in America’s Finest City have long known that strength training is necessary to increase their max power, that’s why San Diego personal training programs are so popular. However, it turns out that cyclists can benefit from strength training as well, as reported by a Norwegian study. Bicycling.com provides more info: “The study, conducted at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences in Oslo, followed 14 cyclists through a four-day-per-week strength program. Half the program was devoted to leg exercises that included squats and leg curls. After …
Exercise and diet—these are two words long the bane of people too lazy to quit their couch potato lifestyle, or those who don’t care enough about their bodies to keep it healthy. Whichever way you look at it though, fitness isn’t just a key to bragging about slim waistlines or rocking abs, it’s the way to happiness and socialization. Here are a few things to remember about keeping fit and getting personal training in San Diego: It’s all In Your Head If you want to achieve optimal fitness, what matters in the end isn’t what is expected of you, but what your mind expects of you. While personal trainers, such as trainers from True Balance Fitness and Coaching will guide you through the process of attaining these goals, the motivation to reach your goal is what will drive you to keep on. Say No to No Carb Diet One of …
It is my experience, that one of THE hardest items for my San Diego personal training clients to sacrifice is their drinking. Consuming alcohol in our society is a way to bond with others, relax after a long day, or just let loose. I have clients that will completely clean up their eating, exercise several times a week, but struggle to reduce their alcohol consumption. It is for this very reason that I created Sober October, to help my clients see that they can drop the booze for a month and survive. So how does alcohol consumption affect weight loss exactly? Empty Calories Alcohol in general, is fairly high in calories. In one bottle of wine, there are anywhere from 500-1000 calories, depending on the type of wine. If you are somebody who enjoys a bottle of wine with dinner, the amount of calories you consume in the wine is …
A September 10, 2013 article on the U-T San Diego news portal explores the prevention of joint injury through exercise. By performing the right exercises, individuals can avoid suffering bad posture and stiff muscles caused by strain, inactivity or stress. The article takes helpful hints from medical experts on how exercise can lessen joint pain, as seen in this passage: “It is critical to work with a trainer or therapist by recruiting them when doing physical exercise,” Hoenecke said. “For an activity you haven’t been doing, you should work with a trainer who will find out if this is something you are prepared to do or should do at all.” Hoenecke suggests strengthening the core, looking for soft landing spots (as opposed to hard-impact surfaces), and proper posture can protect the joints from injury. “Proper shoe wear also helps maintain proper alignment,” he said. According to the Mayo Clinic, any …
San Diego has sunny weather all year-round; giving residents plenty of incentive to enjoy the numerous hiking trails that the city offers; to go hiking, however, people need to be in good shape otherwise they may be putting themselves in danger. So how do people get fit? According to Bobbi Kittle of Kelowna Capital News, positive thinking can help. It is often said that when it comes to losing weight, half the battle is in our own mind. If you can erase negativity and doubt from your thinking and develop your inner strength, you’ll reach your weight loss goal more easily. Here is some advice from the experts on some practical self-talk to help you reach your fitness goals: Be kind to yourself and accept your body. Being kind to yourself and accepting your body doesn’t mean you allow yourself to be overweight. It means you honor your body as …
January is a month filled with resolutions, hope, and desires for change. One of the most popular resolutions is to become healthier and lose weight. What most of us fail to look at, is how much weight do we actually need to lose to be a healthy weight? How do we learn to not be fixated on a number but more importantly appreciate the way we look and feel? It is my hope to inspire you to look past a number and start to look at becoming healthy first and foremost. When you start to view nutrition and exercise as a way to make yourself feel better, all of the outside motivations will follow. I have compiled a list of the 5 Simple Ways to Achieve a Healthy Weight to help you jump start a healthier approach to weight loss. 1) Eat Whole Foods. A whole food is a food …
When I started training with Andrea, she helped me change my eating habits. She provided me with knowledge about the type of foods to eat and the foods to avoid. She even motivated me to try going gluten free and I have noticed a huge difference in my energy levels. Through Andrea, I have discovered a new world of excersise and diet that makes me feel great. I learned the correct form when lifting weights and now have great definition and am stronger. She takes time with each of her clients to create a personalized workout that becomes more challenging as you progress. She means business but manages to make every gym experience fun and desirable! -Shannon P
Having worked with Andrea for over 3 months, I am hooked. Not only is Andrea a consummate professional, she is exceptionally personable. She keeps me coming back to the studio with novel routines that challenge me in new ways and I’m seeing impressive results. Others are noticing too. I like that she incorporates a functional fitness methodology. This is new to me and I can see her techniques are not only helping to improve my posture and flexibility, I am significantly stronger and also am beginning to see muscle definition – where previously there was none. With Andrea’s encouragement and education, I’m turning my diet choices around, contributing to overall better health. This investment in my health is one that will certainly pay long term dividends. Thanks Andrea! -Claire D.
According to John Hopkins Medicine successful weight loss is literally just a phone call away. A successful clinical trial following participants in a telephone based weight loss coaching program revealed significant weight loss that was maintained for 2 years plus. As a nutritionist in San Diego, this is wonderful news in support of my current San Diego nutrition coaching programs that are all telephone based. The study, compared two behavioral intervention programs, one delivered through face to face coaching sessions and the other delivered remotely over the phone. What they discovered is the participants in the telephone based coaching trial achieved and sustained clinically significant weight loss over a period of 2 years. 40% of the obese patients enrolled in the program lost 5% of their body weight, an amount associated with health benefits such as lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and lowered risk of type II diabetes. What they discovered …
When we think about the benefits of strength training most often times we focus strictly on the physical benefits, lowered risk of heart disease, better insulin sensitivity, increased metabolic rate, improved body composition and posture. Many times we forget to look at the mental benefits from strength training. More recently research has turned towards discovering what positive impacts strength training has on participant’s mental health. You will find that there are many common mental ailments that can be relieved by incorporating a solid strength training program into your weekly routine. Anxiety 15% of the US population is reported to experience anxiety symptoms lasting anywhere from 15-30 days a month. It is normal to experience feelings of anxiety centered around upcoming challenges such as interviews, presentations, tests, etc. Those symptoms should subside after the event is over however, those with chronic anxiety will start to experience sleep deprivation, mental distress, and …
I trained with Andrea for six months. Shortly after we started our sessions together, I found out I was pregnant. My initial goal was to lose weight but Andrea changed our game plan accordingly. I am so happy to have trained with her through some of the tougher months of pregnancy. She was so knowledgeable about what I was capable of doing. Every session was different and challenging, and I always left energized. Despite my expanding body, I feel strong and healthy. She is a full-service trainer and always has great advice. Sadly, I am moving so I won’t get to train with her post-pregnancy. – Rekha M.
Since the early 1990’s canola oil has been touted as a healthy oil option for high temperature cooking. It has been revered for it’s low fat, low calorie capabilities, and its high source of omega-3s compared to its saturated fat counterparts like butter, lard, and coconut oil. Extracted from the rape seed this oil, has become the new substitute for cooking with corn or soybean oils. After much research, scientists are finding dangerous side effects resulting from consumption of this oil. For example, Canadian researchers found that piglets fed milk replacement containing canola oil showed signs of vitamin E deficiency, even though the milk replacement contained adequate amounts of vitamin E. Piglets fed soybean oil-based milk replacement, fortified with the same amount of vitamin E, did not show an increased requirement for vitamin E. Vitamin E protects cell membranes against free radical damage and is vital to a healthy cardiovascular …
Welcome to 2012! As a nutrition and lifestyle coach, plus San Diego fitness trainer, I understand the importance of setting goals. Statistically, 90% of health related goals are never accomplished. Why do you suppose that is? There are a few factors that can contribute. Read below to find out what they are, and how you can move past these obstacles into a brand new, healthier you in the year 2012! 1) Setting unrealistic, lofty goals. It’s great to dream big, but sometimes when we create goals that are big, or too far out then we often feel like we can never reach them. It is better to set mini goals throughout the year, that build up and contribute to the bigger goal. For example, say you decide this year you want to complete a marathon, but presently you can’t run more than a mile without feeling like you might pass …
As a La Jolla personal trainer I have heard it all. Everyone is looking for that remedy to losing weight and quickly. After years of working in the field, and doing years of countless research and experimenting I have come across a break through solution to quick and effective fat loss. Before my big reveal, let me add that I plan to market and package my solution to the world very soon. It will be available for a nominal fee, require no assembly, and can be accomplished anywhere and anytime. I am gonna call it “eat right, get up and move.” That’s right, get moving, stop filling your body with garbage and do what nature intended us to. It’s just that basic. No flashy diet plan, no counting calories, no fat loss pill, or exercise gadget. Just eat whole foods, and get moving. The next time I hear someone complain …
I was training one of my San Diego personal training clients the other day, correcting her on her form and technique with an exercise when she made a very smart and observational statement. She simply said, even when I think I am doing the exercise perfectly, there are small corrections that you make that makes a world of difference with how it feels. She followed that statement with simply, “that’s why I work with you.” That’s just it folks. If you are someone who works out all the time, or rarely does you can benefit from working with a La Jolla personal trainer. We are trained to understand how the body goes through movements, how postural problems, injuries, chronic pains, etc. can impact what exercises we take you through. Not only that, but we educate you on proper form, program design and manipulation, plus nutrition, and cardio exercise. In addition, …
One of my favorite commercials is the Kaiser Permanente message about motivation. It jokingly approaches the concept of losing your motivation and how to find it when it comes to your exercise program. And the 3 key points it makes is: 1) find what you enjoy doing that is physically active, 2) find a partner (a ping to your pong), 3) remind yourself of why it is that you exercise, what are the benefits you get from it. We all lose motivation sometimes, but that’s no reason to quit all together. Taking a few days to a week off here and there isn’t a terrible thing, and actually it helps your body recover and rebuild. Every 3 months or so it’s good to take this mental and physical break. However, what you don’t want to do is loose your motivation all together and not come back to the gym the …
I specialize in working with busy individuals. Most of my San Diego personal training clients are entrepreneurs, high ranking executives, professional working moms, all very busy individuals. And all of them come to me with the same problem; I don’t have time to exercise. They let everything else in their life take precedence over exercise and eating right that before they know it they have gained weight, feel lethargic, and have trouble sleeping at night. They wake up one morning and realize that they put their health on the back burner and let relationships, work, and other obligations out weight their dedication to their health. It is my goal within my San Diego weight loss programs to help my clients learn how to make time for exercise. Because let’s face it, at the end of the day, all you have is your health, and everything that you stress over and put as …
As a holistic certified San Diego fitness trainer I have a firm believe that not all bodies are created equal. As with the outside of our bodies differing slightly from one person to the next so does the inside of our bodies. As such, we cannot all thrive of the same type of diet. A very brilliant man by the name of Weston Price conducted research back in the 1930’s looking at the health of primitive people. In particular he studied the Eskimos who consume a diet high in fat and protein with very little veggies, fruits, and grains. What he discovered is that when these Eskimos adapted the standard diet of the American diet 60% carbohydrates, 15% fat, and 25% protein their health declined significantly. He also discovered similar trends with other tribes from various climates and cultures around the globe. This is because our bodies thrive off of different proportions of fats, carbohydrates, …
“Andrea has been a friend and colleague of mine for about seven years now, but it is just recently that I enlisted her services in the field of personal training. As one who has spent countless hours in the gym and knows the genuine importance of someone on your team, cheering you on every step of the way, I can wholeheartedly recommend Andrea as the ideal person to fulfill this role. Her extensive knowledge of diet, exercise, and mental stamina, combined with a nurturing personality and passion for fitness make me excited about improving myself and showing the world my full potential. Thank you Andrea!” -Matthew Joy
“Andrea is a true pro!! She knows how hard to push you to get the maximum results, through multiple methods! It doesn’t matter what area I want to work on (cardio included), she knows how to impact that particular muscle group. And what I like about her the most is that she’s very personable, but can drive you hard to reach your goals. I would recommend her to anyone!” -Al Rex
For many of us sugar is almost like crack, we think about it late at night, we wonder when we are gonna get to enjoy it next, and let’s face it some of us are cranky without it. Sounds a bit unhealthy does it? You don’t feel that way towards broccoli do you? That’s because sugar can be addictive. And unfortunately it can be your enemy when it comes to your weight loss goals, and your ability to maintain stable energy levels throughout the day. Excess sugar can cause diabetes, heart disease, obesity, cancer and many other complications. Unfortunately, in today’s food supply it’s hard to avoid over consumption with all of the places it hides; sweets obviously, but think about cereals, granola bars, terriyaki sauce, instant oatmeal even yogurt. Items you may think are health are also just gimmicks! The average American in 2010 consumed 132 lbs of sugar …
Being a female San Diego fitness trainer I work with a lot of female clients. I would say females make up about 80% of my client base. That being said, women have the hardest time losing weight, and getting fit on their own. Most often times it relates back to the woman’s basic instinct to put everything before herself, including family, significant others, career, friends, etc. Women have a hard time putting aside time for themselves to exercise, cook healthy meals, and grocery shop. So many times as females we are eager to please and cater to others demands that often times we let others dictate what we eat, when we eat, when we relax, and when we/if we get to exercise. It’s just as important to put your foot down, stand up for your needs, ask for support, and start making positive changes in your life. Here are some …
Get rid of, or at least minimize this item and you will help reduce belly fat, and have an easier time losing wight. It’s an item that makes up 50% of the average American’s diet. Any idea? Bread….refined flour and sugars. The average American consumes entirely too much carbs, much more than their body needs to function optimally. Have you ever looked at the ingredients in most of the popular breads at the supermarket? High fructose corn syrup, soy, preservatives, hydrogenated oils, processed salt, emulsifiers. The refining process itself strips away the nutritious part of the grain, and you are essentially left with a form of sugar. Take a look at what gets striped from the grain when it is refined: * 80% of iron * 50% of calcium * 98% of magnesium * 50-80% of the B vitamins Consumption of refined flour and sugar has been linked to: * …
Alright it’s time for an emergency test from the National Breath Better Association….okay so I made that up. Now in all seriousness let’s test something. Take your right hand on your belly, and your left hand on your chest. Close your eyes and start to breath normally. Now, open your eyes and look down as you continue to breathe. Which hand comes out more than the other? If it’s your right, give yourself a hand, if it was your left than we need to have a talk. That means you are a chest breather, don’t worry it happens to the best of us. I should know I used to be one. It took me years of yogic practice to realize that outside of yoga I was still breathing shallow, and not incorporating my diaphragm. So I was making my body work twice as hard to deliver oxygen to my body …
As I come closer to my figure competition, I can tell that my body is in need of some recovery and relaxation. I have been training hard for the past 3 months, and haven’t had the chance to allow for a break. I plan on taking a full week off from working out right after competition to allow my body to recover fully before training again. The reason being, if you constantly stress and fatigue the body, eventually you will get run down, and your body will fight against you. This is true for athletes and those seeking weigh loss. As a San Diego personal trainer, with my clients I always work in a week every 8 weeks for them to recover. We may do less sessions that week, or do something less intense when they come in. If you are one of those go-getters that works out very week …
We all have stress in our lives: our job places too many deadlines on us, children are involved in too many activities, family events and functions, financial burdens, traffic delays. We all encounter stress in our lives. It is how we react to stressful situations, and what we voluntarily expose ourselves to, which will either allow us to be very healthy individuals, or drain our energy levels and hinder us from making progress in our exercise programs. As a San Diego fitness trainer my focus is not only on exercise but also nutrition, stress management, emotional and mental perceptions, and how my clients live their lives outside of the gym. Because all these impact how successful my client’s results are with my program. Stress can hinder weight loss, and muscle development. If I have a client that is a giant stress ball: negative attitude, running from place to place, eating …
It was only a matter of time, till I wrote a blog post on this. It seems so many people are still naive to the serious consequences that come from consuming soda. As a San Diego personal trainer I am shocked at how many clients start my San Diego weight loss program and log in their food journals soda! Especially with a recent report in 2005 stating soft drinks are the number one source of calories in the American diet! I keep repeating that statistic because I find it so incredible. According to recent statistics, Americans consume close to 50 billion liters of soda per year, which equates to about 216 liters, or about 57 gallons per person. Holy Crap Batman!! So what makes soda so bad for you. Let’s start with the amount of sugar found in a can of soda, 16 teaspoons. This is nearly three times the …
As a San Diego personal trainer one of the biggest components of my job and what really affects the success of my San Diego weight loss programs is the nutritional component. Many people make the wrong assumption that if they just workout they can eat whatever they want. Unfortunately, that really is just not the case for so many reasons. A lot of my clients that start with me at the beginning think of me as their metabolism. They go out and drink and eat out at restaurants during the weekend, and come back Monday weighing heavier than they did Friday. What many of us don’t realize is that eating healthy isn’t some crazy science. It’s actually pretty simple when you think about it. It goes back to the basics. Eating your foods in whole form. When you go to the grocery store and pick out your favorite box of …
As a San Diego fitness trainer my clients know every time they come in to train with me that I am going to put them through the wringer and that they better fuel up properly or they won’t make it through the full 60 minutes. So when I get new clients going through my San Diego personal training program I always address what their meals should be before and after workouts. Most often times they don’t understand how much what they eat impacts their performance in the workouts. So they will eat a burrito for lunch then come train with me after work and end up getting sick. Or they won’t eat anything before the morning workout and not be able to make it through the workout without feeling weak and light-headed. When it comes to working out especially at such an intense level it is extremely important to properly …
As a San Diego fitness trainer, I have many people come to me frustrated about not being able to successfully lose weight. They try diets, exercise programs, and still fail to see any real results. If weight loss was so simple the nation wouldn’t have such high rates of obesity, right? However, all the clients whom go through my 90 Day Body Transformation San Diego weight loss program see results and lose anywhere from 20-35 lbs. So what is it that I do that is so unique, and effective that I can deliver the results they are looking for? Finding the bad habits. There isn’t one cookie cutter approach to weight loss. If there was, I would be a millionaire laying on the beach in Aca Poco. There are a handful of factors that could be contributing to their failure to lose weight, not eating the right foods, not eating …
Today I want to talk about being prepared. The boy scouts motto is “always be prepared.” So their training includes having, and knowing how to get through obstacles and situations they may encounter in the wilderness. So how does this apply to you? It is important to always plan ahead when it comes to meals and your nutrition. As a San Diego fitness trainer one of the biggest obstacles my clients face is making time to eat nutritious foods. From bringing snacks with them, to having food readily available to eat when they get home from work. The problem is so many of my clients would get caught up in their day and not take time to eat. So what ends up happening is they binge on the bad foods from the vending machine at work, to the cookies at home. The obstacle that many face is eating the right …
Within my own workout routine I like to practice different types of exercise and switch up my workout program every few months to a year. It gives me a chance to be more well-rounded as a San Diego fitness trainer; let’s me see how these different exercise formats affect the body; and it helps keep exercising fun and exciting. So for the past six months I have been practicing yoga and running. My intention was to start training for a half marathon in June. However, plans changed and I got the opportunity to work with a personal trainer who specializes in getting women ready to compete in bikini physique competitions. So I am currently training three times a week with him for 10 weeks to get ready for this competition. What I realized….that during those months of just running and practicing yoga I had a significant decrease in muscle mass …
Andrea King was my personal trainer for approximately 8 months. The high level of service she provided was very effective. She was able to hone in on my weaknesses and strengths, therefore I had an understanding of her focus and why, she provided instruction on the exercises needed to be completed on my off days in order to reach my goals. Nutritionally she guided me in uncovering and realizing the ‘bad’ food choices I was making and ultimately made better decisions and realized the weight loss I had worked so hard for. She is a true professional, passionate about her work and highly recommend her services.
Andrea was a blast to work with while I was working to improve my fitness this past spring. She organized a plan for me and helped me to achieve fast results. My only request of her was that she challenge me during each and every session and she did! Andrea knows what she is talking about and is a great personal trainer that I would recommend to others!
Andrea is an excellent trainer who tailors her training programs to the specific needs of her clients. After a detailed analysis of my strengths and weaknesses, my workouts were designed to address them. I feel much stronger after a couple months of training, and have a much better understanding of what I need to work on. Thanks!
Encouraging, creative, and professional are the words that immediately come to mind to describe Andrea. Her encouragement took on various forms, such as her always enthusiastic greetings, the genuine interest she showed in me as a person, and most importantly, the way in which she would guide me through her well-designed workouts. She seemed to intuitively know how to push me beyond what I thought I could do without going overboard or getting in my face. I highly recommend her!
As a San Diego fitness trainer that works with a lot of clients looking to lose weight, one of the very first things I tell them is to cut back on eating out. You would be surprised at all the secret loads of calories you can find in items that may not seem like they would harbor a lot of calories. However, restaurants often use loads of butter and oils to prepare dishes, tons of cheese, salt, sugar, and processed flour. These ingredients all lead to more calories, and a bigger waistline. So, if you are one that likes to dine out, I recommend cutting it back to one to two times a week, you will save more money and be able to watch your calories better. If you have to travel a lot for work and therefore are forced to eat out more there are some precautions you can …
As we roll into a new year, most resolutioners are looking to be more active, lose weight, or perform well in an upcoming competition. Many of these go-getters haven’t really exercised consistently in quite some time, and even avid exercise enthusiasts often sacrifice some of their hours at the gym to go to holiday parties and visit with family. When we haven’t exercised our muscles in some time and then decide to start working out again often times we experience soreness the following day, and even up to a couple days later.Don’t let a little muscle soreness get in your way from continuing with your training and ultimately reaching your goals. Here are some tips for combating muscle soreness after a tough workout: 1. Post workout stretching: Make sure to do static stretches after a workout, focusing on the muscles worked. Hold each stretch for a minimum of 30 seconds. …
As we come close to the end of another year and start to gear up for a new year filled with goals and new year’s resolutions I want you to keep in mind how to make effective and realistic goals. In an age in which there are Biggest Loser contests in which contestants are losing up to 25 lbs a week, fat burning pills that offer fast fat loss, and get rich sales company gimmicks, it’s easy for many to lose touch with how to develop realistic goals for themselves. Establishing goals are very important to creating a road map for your own fitness challenges and eventual accomplishments. What you want to keep in mind when developing goals is to make them small more short term goals for you to focus on one every couple months. This type of goal setting is much more effective than making lofty, long term …
When it comes to effective weight loss strategies there are many factors to look at. Being a San Diego fitness trainer it is my job to not only address all those factors but give you the solutions and tools to have effective weight loss results. Many of us understand that strength training, cardio, and a sound nutrition plan are crucial to weight loss but what many people fail to realize is that consuming alcohol is really counter intuitive to their fitness goals. It has become a social norm and almost an expectation that in social situations alcohol consumption should take place. Most holidays, nights out, dinners, and parties all offer many ways to consume alcohol. It can be challenging and almost chastising to refuse drinks. There is a stipulation in society that in order to relax and socialize one must consume alcohol. However, not only is alcohol harmful to the …
Living in San Diego we are fortunate to have great weather year round. It provides us with the opportunity to participate in many physical activities in beautiful surroundings. Outdoor exercise not only gives our bodies much needed vitamin D it has also been proven to reduce stress and depression in individuals who participate in outdoor recreation regularly. So with that in mind I have compiled a list of fun San Diego weight loss activities that anyone can participate in. 1. Buy a beach cruiser to run errands and cruise up and down the coast and around the neighborhood. 2. Go on a hike. There are hundreds of open space parks to go take a leisurely stroll, or really get your heart pumping by climbing a mountain with quick elevation gain and a great panoramic view of San Diego at the top. 3. Get a group of friends or colleagues together …
As a San Diego personal trainer I come across many individuals that suffer from lower back pain and discomfort. Now there can be many reasons and causes of low back pain: a previous injury; misaligned spine; gastrointestinal distress; repetitive movements; weak muscles; tight muscles; and poor posture to name a few. The majority of Americans that do suffer from low back pain it is most often caused by poor posture, and minimal physical activity. There are ways to improve and even eliminate lower back pain through proper flexibility, nutrition, and strength training activities. Stretching Take yourself through a series of stretches to determine for yourself if you are tight in these areas: 1) Abdominal Wall: Is it difficult to lay on your stomach and push yourself up so that you have full extension in the arms while keeping your hips in contact with the floor? 2) Hamstrings- Can you lay …
Many of us struggle to get 6-8 hours of quality sleep a night. Whether it be due to stress, time, work, or children we all find it difficult to get an adequate amount of sleep every night. Well, what if I told you that sleep deprivation can actually effect weight loss and overall fitness goals? That not only is the lack of sleep affecting your energy throughout the day it is also working against you when it comes to achieving your own fitness goals. We need sleep for a variety of reasons including recharging energy, our muscles recover and rebuild during sleep, and it allows the brain time to store experiences as memories. There are three major reasons why lack of sleep will lead to weight gain. 1. Sleep patterns affect our hormones. When we get less sleep often this results in an increase in cortisol levels. A increase in …
This weekend I am participating in Race for the Cure. A fun easy 5k through Balboa Park with tons of runners, joggers, and walkers participating. It got me thinking about the hundreds of people who decide to participate in these runs without properly training for the event. Now a 5k is just over three miles so the chances of someone who is not very conditioned getting hurt is not as likely. However, there are plenty of people who decide to participate in even further distances that can be very taxing on the body like 1/2 marathons and even full marathons. Participation in such events has increased over the past decade as people begin to realize the benefits from physical activity and healthy competition. Some people find it a great motivation to help them lose weight. Unfortunately, many people go about training for these events, without a great understanding of how …
I am sure you have heard the importance of metabolism and it’s impact on weight loss goals. What you may not know, is what methods are the most effective for naturally keeping your metabolic rate high throughout the day. Many people turn to unnatural and unhealthy means for increasing their heart rate like caffeine and diet pills known as thermogenics. That not only increase the heart rate but the internal body temperature as well, maybe giving you an extra burn of 100-300 calories a day. But what if I told you the following tips and strategies could get you burning up to roughly 650 calories a day? You would be much more likely to follow those, than taking those silly fat burning pills, right? 1. Eat Breakfast. I cannot stress the importance of this enough. Your metabolism slows down as you sleep at night and needs immediate fuel upon waking …
As a San Diego fitness trainer I subscribe to e-newsletters and flip through the popular fitness magazines on occasion to see what’s new and trendy and what tips, advice, and lies they are telling to the common consumer and more importantly, my clients. Woman’s Health magazine has come out with a new 21 day workout plan that they are offering to consumers free with the intention of hooking them into a six week program for $40. So every few days I get another email about how I am going to become a whole new person with their super secret plan designed to make me sexy, thin without losing my curves. Here is the exact email: Subject line: Triple your fat loss and keep your sexy curves! Dear Andrea, Order Look Better Naked today! If you want a gorgeous, flat stomach … high, lifted breasts … tight, toned arms … a …
It’s been long debated whether or not eating eggs is in fact good for you. Nutrition experts have gone back and forth with whether eggs high cholesterol content has an impact on consumers own cholesterol levels. It had been hypothesized for some time that eating eggs could increase cholesterol levels which could eventually lead to heart disease. However, more recently in 2000 a research study was conducted to identify if there is in fact a correlation between egg consumption and higher cholesterol levels. The results were published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition: Eggs make important nutritional contributions to the American diet and their consumption is not associated with high cholesterol levels. More importantly, the study showed that egg consumers had a higher intake of important nutrients like vitamins B12, A, E, and C than non-egg eaters, and that people who reported eating four or more eggs …
Here’s the scenario: You have a big event coming up, your pants are getting tight, or bikini season is around the corner. You decide that you must drop 10 pounds and rather quickly. So for the next month you skip meals, eat very little in the hopes of losing weight. Like magic you lose 10 pounds! However, somehow despite your best efforts to maintain this leaner version of yourself the weight starts to creep back. Oddly enough, you end up gaining the exact same weight you lost from the crash diet. So what happened? This phenomenon goes back to primitive times when people were hunters and gatherers and at times they would go days without food. So as a way to conserve body fat during times of scarcity the body’s metabolism would drop to protect the body. Unfortunately, because of this defensive mechanism crash dieting is ineffective. Because even though …
Article abstract taken from Harvard Medical Schools e-newsletter Have you ever had a “gut-wrenching” experience? Do certain situations make you “feel nauseous”? Have you ever felt “butterflies” in your stomach? We use these expressions for a reason. The gastrointestinal tract is sensitive to emotion. Anger, anxiety, sadness, elation—all of these feelings (and others) can trigger symptoms in the gut. The brain has a direct effect on the stomach. For example, the very thought of eating can release the stomach’s juices before food gets there. This connection goes both ways. A troubled intestine can send signals to the brain, just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut. Therefore, a patient’s distressed gut can be as much the cause as the product of anxiety, stress, or depression. That’s because the brain and the gastrointestinal (GI) system are intimately connected — so intimately that they should be viewed as one …
Are you finding that the strength gains you experienced at the beginning of your workout program are starting to become less and less? Are you frustrated and wondering how to see continuous gains in your program? Here’s something that I swear by in applying to my own programs as well as my clients programs. It’s called periodization training. Perioda-what? It is a semi-complex training system proven in numerous case studies to promote greater gains in strength, help prevent overuse injuries, and most importantly avoid training plateaus then any other type of training regimes out there. One case study compared high school football players using a periodized strength training to players using a non-periodized program. Both types of training were performed three times a week for six weeks. At the end of the period the periodized program resulted in greater 1 RM squats compared to the other program; as well as …
You've seen them in your gym, the girls who spend at least an hour on the stairmaster then they move to the elliptical for another 30 minutes and finally they end with 20 minutes of crunches. Almost two hours spent at the gym, but day in and day out they look exactly the same. Why? They should have dropped pounds with the amount of time they spend sweating right? Well, here's the problem. Cardio is by no means a magic wand, in fact it can be an inhibitor when it comes to weight loss. To put it in simplest terms, when you are doing any form of cardio activity your body will automatically use the stored glycogen in your muscles first as a fuel source, then go to your fat reserves. Now it could take hours before you burn through the glycogen and start actually burning fat stores. Not only …
As a certified San Diego personal trainer I was shocked when I overheard another trainer explaining to their client that in order for them to lose weight they would have to exercise first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Many clients ask me about this phenomenon that has been flooding the fitness market. I am writing to clear this up once and for all. Exercising on an empty stomach is probably the best way to have a weak, ineffective workout. Your body has gone 8+ hours without any food or water. So your blood sugar levels are extremely low and not sufficient to fuel your body through an entire workout. The rumor is that working out on an empty stomach allows your body to only use fat stores as a source of fuel, so therefore all the calories you burn are fat because they are no immediate carbohydrate …
Alright Kiddos it’s time to start taking your workout program seriously and start really pushing yourself. How are you ever gone see results if you continue to do the same old same old, lulling through your workout? No wonder you still are teetering at the same weight for the past three months. You gotta challenge yourself! Get the muscles screaming, your body sweating and your lungs burning. Now don’t get me wrong we definitely don’t want you over-exerting yourself, causing yourself unnecessary pain, or passing out from sheer exhaustion. But let’s just admit that when you leave the gym you aren’t all that wiped out, and most likely you could push yourself a lot harder. Being an optimistic San Diego fitness trainer most of my clients fight me when it comes to what they are capable of. Let’s face it a lot of it is mind over matter. When you …
As a busy on-the-go person I found it hard to find the time to go to a gym. Andrea worked with my hectic schedule and trained me at my condo’s gym. This allowed me to create a consistent workout schedule and ultimately reach my goal of toning up. Thanks Andrea!
Over the past three years, I tried everything from gyms to Jiu Jitsu to try to get fit and lose some weight. I also made a lot of excuses for not getting the results that I had hoped for. After just 3 months of personal training sessions with Andrea King, I have noticed significant improvements in the overall size and shape of my body- and so have my family and friends! I look and feel better thanks to a focused, motivating workout designed for me by a fitness expert. I only wish I had done this sooner!
Working out with Andrea promises a time when someone will be devoted to you and your needs and interests. Andrea will observe your weaknesses and give them special attention with additional training. Andrea will observe your strengths and tell you what they are, and build on them. Andrea is responsible, always on time, always professional. You will be glad you found her.
Andrea is a fun, thoughtful, and result-oriented trainer. She is much more detailed and precise with her instruction and coaching than other trainers I have worked with in the past. I know she puts research and thought into the workouts every time. Overall, the workouts are very personalized.
Andrea is accepting and sensitive to your weaknesses, but combines that with a quiet firmness in prodding you to ‘push’ yourself. Her patience helped me to get through challenging workouts I never thought I could.
The instruction and overall environment was warm and welcoming, I felt like I had the gym to myself do to her undivided attention. Her workouts were always unique and challenging so it never got boring. Her cheerfulness and knowledge encouraged me to come back every week.
I feel fantastic! My overall energy, mood, and health have greatly improved over the past five months of training with Andrea. I can get through the day without feeling tired, and my mental health is a lot sharper. Andrea makes working out something that I look forward to doing. She inspires me to be healthier in all aspects of my life.
It is a tribute to her that even after I moved away I have continued to work out and pursue alternative treatments such as acupuncture, massage, and am exploring Chinese mushrooms and herbs. I am becoming my ‘old self’ once again. The only thing I can totally take credit for is making the call to join the gym Andrea worked for. The rest evolved in great part to partnering with Andrea. Big, big thanks to you girl!
How do you find a San Diego personal trainer that is motivating, knowledgeable and delivers results? With so many trainers out there it almost seems overwhelming when trying to find a personal trainer. There are a lot of factors you need to keep in mind when researching, meeting with, and finally deciding on which San Diego personal trainer is right for you. Here is a simple guide to helping you find a personal trainer that is going to get you to your fitness goals. 1. Location. Will they come to your home or work? Will you train outdoors, a private studio, their home, or a gym? If it is a gym do you need a membership or do you need to pay for a day pass? In addition, are they located near your office or home? If you have to drive more than 20 minutes out of the way, you …
We have all heard about it the “Fat Burning Zone” and tried our damnest to stay under 45% of maximum heart rate to make sure that the majority of the calories that we are burning our coming from the fat stores in our thighs. Now what you may not know is that you are cheating yourself out of making a more effective use of your time in the gym. How so? It’s simple math. It isn’t so much the type of calories that you burn but the quantity. At lower intensities your body requires less O2 to convert stored calories into energy, which results in less calories being burnt. Now with higher intensities the amount of calories being converted into fuel increases. Indeed, physiological data supports the fact that as exercise becomes increasingly intense, less fat is burned per calorie but more total fat, and calories are burned overall. So …
You have heard it time and time again. The importance of eating a well-balanced breakfast. Well, believe it or not if you are struggling to lose weight, lack energy and motivation, experience headaches or irritability it may be due to what you are neglecting to eat for breakfast. When you rest at night your body’s metabolism slows down in order to preserve enough energy to feed your brain and resting body for at least 6-8 hours. Upon rising your body is starved for nutrients, it has used all of it’s resources while you were at rest. Now if you completely neglect putting anything in your body at all for breakfast here’s what happens: 1) Your metabolism decreases even more because your body is trying to continue to conserve energy (meaning less calories being burned) 2) You start to experience headaches because the carbohydrates that feed the neurological functions of the …
Do You Need a Personal Trainer? 10 Reasons a trainer may be right for you. By Elizabeth Quinn, About.com Personal trainers aren’t for everyone, but a trainer provides certain benefits that you can’t find when working out on your own. Here are ten reasons a personal trainer may be right for you. Motivation One of the main reasons people benefit from a personal trainer is that they loss motivation to stick with a consistent exercise program. Certified personal trainers can provide structure and accountability, and help you develop a lifestyle that encourages health. Individualized program If you have any chronic health conditions, injuries or training goals (running a marathon, for example) a trainer will work with you and your health care provider to plan a safe, efficient program that considers these needs and enable you to reach your health goals. Efficiency Personal Trainers help you focus on results and stop …
As a certified San Diego fitness trainer I am always reading books and articles about the body, exercise, nutrition and so forth. Currently, I am reading a fascinating book called The Body Clock, Guide to Better Health by Michael Smolensky PH.D and Lynne Lamberg. It discusses our body’s natural clock and how there are better times of day to complete certain tasks compared to others. One section of the book in particular discusses exercise in relation to times of day. When it your body, there are better times to compete and train for specific activities. According to the book this is a brief outline of the best times for various activities: 6am-9am. Eat a healthy breakfast. This is most important for people trying to maintain a lean weight like boxers, gymnasts, jockeys, and those seeking to lose weight since your body is more likely to burn food immediately that is …
It takes three months for a change in habits to stick, whether it’s to quit smoking, eating junk food, start exercising, quit drinking alcohol and so forth. At this point you have hopefully kept with your new years resolutions after the first month. The time between 1-3 months is the most crucial. It is the time when you are most likely to fall back into your old habits that you have been trying to quit. Once you get past the initial three months it gets much easier to keep with your intended resolutions. So what is going to help you with these new changes? Accountability not only to yourself, but to someone else as well. A friend, significant other, or relative can help support you and keep you on the right track to kicking bad habits and creating new positive ones. So how can they keep you accountable? You can …
