| Copyright (c) 2007 Charles Carter | | | | goals. There are three big concepts that I find have |
| Whether your fitness goal is weight loss, athletic | | | | really helped people get a grasp of the basics. |
| performance, more energy, better health, or just simply | | | | The first is to EAT ENOUGH! As I said before, the |
| toning up, it is vital that you pay attention to your | | | | tendency is for people to really restrict their food |
| nutrition and food intake to reach this goal. In my | | | | intake in an effort to lose weight. If a person comes |
| experience as a personal trainer, working with | | | | into beginning a fitness program having truly been an |
| thousands of clients over a period of 16 years, I | | | | overeater, then a reduction in calories is appropriate. |
| observed that the role that food intake plays in a | | | | However, the culprit with most people who are |
| person reaching his or her fitness goal is paramount. In | | | | overweight or overfat is not that they eat too much, |
| fact, it makes up for more than 75% of the influence | | | | it's that their metabolism is shot from a lack of |
| of whether or not a person is successful. The | | | | exercise and bad eating habits. So, ironically, one of the |
| challenge for me was that people who would be | | | | things that has to happen with a person who wants to |
| working very hard in the gym expected to see results | | | | lose weight is that they frequently have to increase |
| and couldn't understand why they weren't getting them, | | | | their overall intake of food somewhat to keep up with |
| even after all that work. I would always say to my | | | | the demands of the new exercise and keep from |
| clients and anyone in the gym that would listen, "You | | | | starving, allowing the metabolism to rise naturally. |
| can work out �till the cows come home, but if | | | | The second is to EAT OFTEN. Rule #1 doesn't do any |
| you're not eating well, your body won't change, at least | | | | good if all the calories you might be taking in come at |
| not cosmetically, period." Frequently, that statement | | | | dinner after starving yourself all day. This is the biggest |
| would be met with some confusion and the response | | | | single reason people have trouble with their physiques, |
| that they had been eating well, and things just weren't | | | | this lack of regular eating. Regular eating throughout |
| working anyway. Well, upon further review of the | | | | the day never lets the body get too hungry or too full, |
| actual diet and food intake the clients actually had, it | | | | and the body responds by raising the metabolism and |
| usually wasn't difficult to see what could be improved | | | | burning more fat. The ideal number of meals and |
| with them so they could start seeing the results | | | | snacks combined throughout the day is from 4-6, |
| (typically weight loss) that they desired. | | | | spaced evenly starting with breakfast as soon as you |
| What I found was that people who want to lose | | | | get up in the morning. |
| weight believe that the only way that is going to | | | | The last rule is to EAT BALANCED! I once had a client |
| happen is if they eat less food, which in many cases is | | | | who said that she was eating 5 times a day like I had |
| actually counter to what the person actually needs. | | | | suggested, yet upon further examination I found that |
| They have been eating a certain way for awhile and | | | | she was eating a handful of Cheerios for three of |
| they are dissatisfied with their appearance, so they | | | | those meals. The result was that she wasn't eating |
| take the food intake they have been eating and they | | | | enough food overall to fuel her body, and she was |
| reduce the calories while they come to the gym and | | | | missing some key necessities in her diet, like adequate |
| work with a personal trainer. They get sore and | | | | amounts of protein, that kept her from reaching her |
| maybe see some change in the beginning of their | | | | fitness goals. Eating balanced means getting adequate |
| program, but it isn't long before they are at a plateau | | | | amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fats, fruits and |
| and frustrated, because this plateau certainly isn't the | | | | vegetables spaced evenly throughout the day with |
| result of a lack of effort. | | | | each meal, if possible. This controls appetite and keeps |
| Here is where a basic knowledge of the way that | | | | the body feeling well fueled throughout the day, |
| food intake actually influences weight loss is a | | | | contributing to fat loss. |
| tremendous help. It takes some of the mystery out of | | | | Find personal trainer with the fitness and nutrition |
| the equation and allows a person to make some | | | | information you are seaching for at has a full library of |
| intelligent choices that will help them reach their fitness | | | | diet, exercise, and supplement information. |