The Playbook for Avoiding Unconscious Eating

The kickoff to the holiday season is right around the corner with Halloween candy and fall baking ingredients rushing into your pantry. Consuming empty calories through mindless eating habits is one of the biggest penalties most people commit during this time of year. To keep yourself moving toward the goal line of living a healthy and fit lifestyle, incorporate the following eating strategies into your nutrition playbook.

Review Game Tape
The best way to pinpoint your eating habits and identify where you might be committing penalties is by creating a food journal. Over the course of a week, write down all of the calories you consume (food and beverages) to get a good picture of what types of foods you typically eat and how many meals and snacks you consume on a daily basis. It also is helpful to write down all of the foods you like, as well as foods you absolutely won’t eat. Focus on the types of foods you like, identify healthy options for your preferable foods and start creating a game plan from there.

“It’s important to practice healthy eating habits on a regular basis, but especially during this time of year,” says Billy Beyer, personal trainer and studio owner at FT Basking Ridge. “The key is to keep it as simple as possible.”

Follow a Game Plan
As you run routes throughout your day, it is easy to fumble your healthy eating habits by eating something here or there without realizing how many total calories you are consuming each day. When you’re busy at work and get stuck in a meeting over the lunch hour, your first play when you’re hungry and tired is to start putting whatever is around the office into your mouth. The way you avoid getting yourself into sticky situations of unconscious eating like these is to set up a game plan that is easy to execute every day of every week, Beyer suggests.

To draw up a healthy eating playbook, the first step is to figure out how many total calories you need to consume on a daily basis to either maintain or achieve your desired weight. Divide your total number of calories into three meals and one or two small snacks. A sample game plan that Beyer suggests to get you started on the road to a victory includes:

Breakfast: Yogurt and oatmeal
Snack: Your favorite fruits
Lunch: A mix of whole grains, lean proteins and the greenest vegetables possible
Snack: High-protein snack like almonds
Healthy Dinner: Whole grains, lean proteins, heart-healthy fats and vegetables

“There is no quick fix,” Beyer advises. “Don’t get caught up in fad diets. Keep what you eat as simple as possible.”

Score the Game-Winning Touchdown
This time of year between Halloween and New Year’s is prime time for people to gain a lot of weight without realizing it. To avoid this trend this year, it’s important to eat the proper amount of healthy foods on a daily basis and during holiday parties.

Portion control and eating in moderation are leading players when it comes to scoring big with eating healthy and avoiding mindless eating. To make sure you are eating proper portions on a daily basis, Beyer recommends investing in small storage bags and preparing one serving size of your snack or meal items for each bag. This portioning strategy eliminates the need to worry about eating too much because when you’ve finished the food in your storage bag you know that you just consumed one serving size.

Depending on your schedule, you can prepare and portion out your meals for the week during the weekend or do it on a daily basis during the evening or morning. Just figure out what works for you and stick with it.

When it comes to managing the tendency of overeating at holiday parties and dinners, don’t be afraid to bring your healthy eating game plan with you. Instead of sampling a little of everything on the buffet table or serving platters, look through the menu, pick out the healthy options, and build your own meal based on the healthy foods that are available. It also is a good idea to eat something healthy and light prior to the party to curb your appetite and reduce the risk of eating everything in sight at the event.

“Eating a healthy meal before you go to a party can help you avoid unconscious eating,” Beyer said. “You don’t want to let yourself get too hungry because that’s when you can get out of control.”

To keep control of calorie consumption and score healthy eating habits, it’s important to follow a game plan that is based on nutrition, proper proportions and moderation. By keeping your head in the game, you are setting yourself in motion to scoring the game-winning touchdown of leading a nutritionally sound lifestyle.

Trainer Tuesdays

TRAINER TUESDAYS

Hey All, thanks for checking in! Welcome back to our weekly post on Trainer Tuesdays. Make sure to check back to our blog every Tuesday evening to learn the expertise of our great staff. Aside from being fantastic exercise coaches, they are also extremely knowledgeable in many aspects of health and fitness; so, it's time that you get to know them a little better! Each week, we will post a frequently asked, or sometimes just a fun fitness related question followed by the answers of each of the trainers at Fitness Together Brecksville.

How often should I do Cardio and for how long?

Justin Traft:

First off, the most important element of your workout will now be how long you do it. You should work on duration before anything else. It’s also important to work on building a continuous cardio program and sticking to it.  A beginner should start with 10-20 minutes and add more time to each workout until you're up to 30 minutes of cardio on the days you choose.

Remember, it’s okay to split your workout up if you can’t get it all in at once. For example, do some stair climbing on your lunch break to save time later. Also, maybe go on a fast walk or brisk jog with a family pet in the mornings before work to make sure you’re getting some sort of cardio in when your day starts. Remember, your exercise  workouts will depend on your fitness level and your schedule. Beginners should start with about 3 non-consecutive days of cardio and work their way up to more frequent sessions. The general guideline to maintain your current fitness level is 2-4 days a week for at least 20 minutes. To lose weight, increase to 4 or more days a week of at least 30 minutes with different levels of intensity. For example, start slow for a minute or 2, then speed it up for 3 minutes, then back down again, then burst and continue to change your pace.  Keep in mind that too much cardio can actually backfire. In eg: Not being able to obtain muscle or breaking down new muscle made by burning too many calories. Don't forget to take rest days when needed. Everyone needs rest days.

Adam Teplitz:

It's recommended that all adults engage in at least 2 and a half hours of moderate cardio exercise per week.
The frequency of your cardio workouts will primarily depend on your fitness level. Beginners should normally start with 3 non-consecutive days a week and then work up to more frequent sessions.
Some general guidelines are 2 to 4 days a week for at least 20 minutes to maintain current fitness level; 4 or more days a week for at least 30 minutes to focus on weight loss.
A more advanced type of cardio training is known as high intensity interval training. This is where you vary your intensity from high to low throughout the duration of the workout. It's extremely beneficial considering you burn calories during AND after the workout.
It's also important to vary your cardio between running, biking, using the elliptical and other methods of cardio. Swimming is an excellent choice as well. This will help to avoid plateauing. 

Justin on the treadmill; Adam on the stationary bike at FT Brecksville

Fall Back Into Fitness

Adapting Your Outdoor Exercise Routine for the Fall Season

 As the cool fall breeze blows glistening gold leaves from neighborhood trees and the sun prepares itself for another season of hibernation, your body might be more in tune with taking a long winter nap this time of year rather than springing into action for an outdoors workout. Instead of sidelining your fall fitness routine during the changing of the seasons, though, it’s actually a great time to add some special plays into your workout playbook to keep your fitness routine running strong in the final quarter of the year.

“We go by the 'commit, convenient and consistent' philosophy in our studio,” says Stacy Adams, personal trainer and studio owner at FT Central Georgetown. “I say that back to school means back to fitness. The fall season is when you should get back into fitness so you can establish a solid routine before the holidays.”

Adopt a Convenient Fitness-Friendly Fall Schedule
 With mornings buzzing to get kids to school on time and afternoons filling up quickly with after-school activities, your window of opportunity for getting in your workout may seem to be disappearing quicker than the afternoon sun setting on the horizon. To keep your fitness routine on track, you may have to adjust your workout schedule to earlier in the day before everyone in the house is awake or head outside to exercise right after you drop your kids off at school.

If your kids are enrolled in after-school activities, you also can schedule your own fitness time during their extracurricular commitments. Rather than sitting on the bleachers reading a book during sports practices, walk laps around the field with a friend or go for a run around the park. By being active when your kids are busy, you can be more efficient with your time and make working out convenient with your family’s schedule.

“When you work out, your location should always be convenient to where you work and live,” Adams explains. “With the days getting shorter and darker earlier, pick somewhere close so you don’t have to waste time driving far to your workout location.”

Embrace Consistent Activity as Seasons Change
If you love exercising outside, the fall season can bring gorgeous sunsets, fabulous fall colors and cooler daytime temperatures to your workout scene. By soaking up the brilliance that nature can serve this time of year, you can rejuvenate your workout spirit to get outside, explore and actively embrace the changing of the seasons.

As weather fluctuates during the fall season, though, it can be helpful to have a few indoor alternatives lined up for when the calm fall weather quickly turns into cold, wet thunderstorms. The fall season can be a great time for incorporating new indoor activities into your fitness routine such as racquetball, fall fitness classes or strength training. The most important thing is to not let unbearable weather derail your fitness program and attitude. Instead, focus on staying consistently active for the remainder of the year by striving to do something, even if it’s only a 10-minute workout, every day.

“A lot of people enjoy being outside during the fall,” notes Adams. “It’s nice and it’s pretty out there this time of year. It’s also a great time to look for new fall programs and try out different activities to help you stay motivated.”

Commit to Lead by Example
Committing to working out on a regular basis is not only important to your health, but also to the health of your family. Parents are a huge influence on their children’s lifestyles. If you are active, then it is more than likely that your kids will be too. Scheduling your workouts just like any other appointment tells your kids that being active is important to a healthy lifestyle. But, actually following through with working out regularly shows them that you mean business.

Take time outside to be active as a family this fall – whether it’s going out for evening walks or playing football in the yard on a Sunday afternoon – to not only help improve your fitness levels, but to also strengthen the bond between family members. Enjoying a breath of fresh fall air with your loved ones can make some of the best life-long memories.

“Growing up as a kid, my family was always active. I am so thankful now for that,” reflects Adams. “As a parent, you have to practice what you preach. Any bit of activity is worth it.”

Gear Up for the Elements
With fluctuating temperatures and quickly changing weather conditions, what you wear can directly impact the success of your fall outdoor exercise experience. Dressing in layers with a moisture-wicking material at the base can help keep you dry and warm as your sweat levels rise and the outdoor temperatures cool. Reflective gear is an important piece of safety equipment any time of the year, but especially if you are being active before dawn and after dusk during the fall and winter seasons

As the conditions of the outdoor environment change this time of year, you can use all of these fitness strategies to ensure your activity levels and workout routines don’t fall to the wayside. Grab a friend or a family member to get outside, get active and enjoy the fall fitness season.

TRAINER TUESDAYS

TRAINER TUESDAYS

Hey All, thanks for checking in! Welcome back to our brand new weekly post on Trainer Tuesdays. Make sure to check back to our blog every Tuesday evening to learn the expertise of our great staff. We have been very fortunate to keep the same training staff that you have come to know and love together for a while now, and it's time that you get to know them a little better! Each week, we will post a frequently asked, or sometimes just a fun fitness related question followed by the answers of each of the trainers at Fitness Together Brecksville.

Where Should I Start if I've Never Exercised?

Justin Traft:

The answer to your question is simple: First, you want to make sure that you get a physical from your doctor to ensure you can safely start a fitness regimen. After the doc gives you the okay, determine what your fitness goals are; in eg: What is your personal reasoning for you to start exercising?  Then, set the table. The best way to do that is by setting a s.m.a.r.t. goal. This acronym stands for specific , measurable , attainable, realistic and timely. This gives you the best chance of accomplishing your goals to come.  Finally, find what works for you. The best programs for success always involve a combination of strength training, cardiovascular and stretching.

When starting to exercise, you want to begin with bodyweight exercises. Ease into it the basics with movements like regular or modified pushup, Body weight triceps dips, resistance band bicep curl or chest press. For the lower body, you can try bodyweight squats, lunges, and go through the motions without weights for deadlifts to get those muscle stretched. Cardiovascular wise, try some step ups with half of the blocks or mountain climbers leaning on a bench. Those are just some of the exercises you can use. It may not seem like much, but you are building a foundation. This will get you ready for the next stage, strength training. You always want to start slow, especially since your body is not used to all the physical activity. The worst move you could make is to do too much too soon and end up hurting yourself or setting yourself back.

Adam May:

You should start with small attainable goals in your diet. You should always start with diet because no matter how much you exercise, you can never out train a bad diet. There are 3,500 calories in one pound of fat. This means in order to lose one pound you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you consume. If you set a goal of losing one pound a week than you need to set a smaller goal of having a 500 calorie deficit per day. If every day you burn 500 more calories than you consume by the end of the week you will have achieved the 3,500 calories you need to lose one pound of fat. A good place to go to find out how many calories a day you should consume to lose weight is www.myfitnesspal.com or you can schedule a Nutrition Together appointment at your nearest FT Studio.

Adam Teplitz:

If you have never exercised before, it is important to visit your doctor first and get a physical so you can safely begin.  It is important to start slow with simple activities such as walking and light resistance training.  Another important step to take is to determine why you want to start exercising and to set certain fitness goals.  These goals could be as simple as wanting to become more active or something as specific as wanting to lose a certain amount of weight in a certain time frame. 

Let's Talk Coffee...

Is Coffee A Good Energy Boost for a Workout?

A: Let's clarify the question, is it smart to down a cup or two of coffee before you work out or is it better to refrain until after you get your exercise in?

Caffeine is the most widely used ergogenic aid (a substance that can purportedly enhance sports performance) and has been scientifically proven to be a highly effective sports aid. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that can help you perform better because it acts to increase alertness as well as lower your perception of effort during exercise—so you can exercise harder and it won’t feel as difficult.

The science has shown that caffeine is most valuable for endurance-type athletes involved in sports such as cycling and long-distance running. Caffeine has been shown to increase the amount of fat floating in the bloodstream of endurance athletes, which would theoretically improve endurance performance by helping to spare muscle glycogen.

When muscle glycogen runs low, endurance athletes need to slow their pace, so an ergogenic aid that enables athletes to “spare” the glycogen in favor of using the fat for fuel would be highly beneficial and potentially delay fatigue.
 
If you do decide to drink a cup of coffee before exercising, there are a few caveats. Caffeine is a diuretic, so if you choose to consume it before exercising in a hot, humid environment, be sure to drink extra fluids to compensate. Furthermore, many people are caffeine sensitive and can have negative side effects from consuming caffeine, such as nervousness, upset stomach and a rapid heart rate. If you are caffeine sensitive, I would suggest that you abstain.

 -By Nutrition Together's Dr. Janet Brill

 

TRAINER TUESDAYS

TRAINER TUESDAYS

Hey All, thanks for checking in! Welcome to the first entry of our brand new weekly post on Trainer Tuesdays. Make sure to check back to our blog every Tuesday evening to learn the expertise of our great staff. We have been very fortunate to keep the same training staff that you have come to know and love together for a while now, and it's time that you get to know them a little better! Each week, we will post a frequently asked, or sometimes just a fun fitness related question followed by the answers of each of the trainers at Fitness Together Brecksville.

Should I Strength Train if I Have Chronic Back Pain? 

Adam Teplitz:

It may come as a surprise, but strength training is actually a more effective solution for chronic back pain than going for surgery or taking pills. Most of the time, back pain is due to postural alignment problems.This can be corrected with exercise and strengthening. Weak muscles lead to back pain and  it is important to focus on strengthening the muscles involved in the body's core stabilization. Strength is extremely effective for chronic back pain in its early stages.  It can help to relieve the pain, overcome physical inactivity, and build overall strength.  

Back pain can occur in an area of the back, but its most common to affect the lower back, which supports most of the body's weight. 

Exercise plays a very beneficial role in chronic back pain. It is important to strengthen the specific muscles that support and stabilize the spine.  Lumbar extension strength training exercises will be the most beneficial.   These exercises will strengthen those muscles, improve lower back mobility and enhance the flexibility in the hip. 

Some exercises that will be beneficial are prone planks, supine twists, side planks, superman's, quadrupeds, hip lifts, crunches on stability balls and russian twists.

Bojana "Boki" Soljaga:
The most common cause of chronic back pain is muscle imbalance.  Particularly, anterior pelvic tilt is associated with sedentary life style where individuals spend most of the time in a seated position. Tight hip flexors, weak glutes and abdominal muscles increase tension in the lumbar spine. Stretching and strength training are essential to alleviate chronic back pain. There are other ways to strengthen your core muscles rather than traditional sit ups and crunches. I recommend functional strength training, which works multiple muscle groups at the same time.

Justin Traft:
The answer to your question is Yes, strength training with chronic back pain is a must!! Not only to help prevent more pain, but also to build endurance and muscle to protect your back. Here are some benefits to strength training with chronic back pain: In the long run it will help build stabilizers as well as hip flexors to help improve your posture. Also, you'll strengthen your Transversospinalis muscle in your back--the deepest, most important muscle group when it comes to stability; Which, in return helps alongside with flexibility in everyday life movements.
 Most importantly, you can't forget abdominal exercises which aid in helping to reduce pain by building as well as strengthening  muscles around the spine to properly function as a whole. This helps to take strain off of the back during movements, allowing proper posture at all times. This is Key the common phrase strong core, strong back!

My First Morning as the Owner

Hey Everyone, Thanks for checking in!

Well, the big moment is finally here. Kyle sent out an e-mail to our clients letting them know the news, that he has stepped down as the owner of Fitness Together Brecksville and sold it to his manager, yours truly! I will be sending a reply e-mail early this evening. I have been so focused and excited for so long now, but I have always wondered if it would actually feel any different. I have been handling the day-to-day operations of the studio for the better part of 5 years now, and that aspect certainly isn't going to change. But the answer to the question is still a solid "yes." It feels a lot different to be the owner. This morning, I have trained 5 clients already, and every single one of them has greeted me with overwhelming support. Last night, my wonderful parents, grandmother and girlfriend surprised me at the studio with congratulatory balloons and cards. It feels great to have the love and support of so many of you who have come to believe in me the same way that I believe in myself.  Everyone has been sharing ideas of how I can continue to network to grow the business and improve our service to our most important asset, our clients. The biggest feeling that I have right now next to excitement and gratitude would be relief. It has been a very stressful past 8 months doing my part to make all of the aspects of being a franchise owner line up properly and in a timely manner. I finally feel like I can completely be myself again and put a lot of the ideas that I have accumulated over the years into an action plan! I have to prepare for my next client who should be walking in any minute, but please check back later for the first blog of our brand new series, TRAINER TUESDAYS in which my fantastic staff will be answering frequently asked fitness questions. Stay tuned....