Category: Uncategorized

Tips for Osteoporosis Prevention and Management

Jan 06, 2022

As a society, we tend to think of osteoporosis as something “elderly” women deal with, when in fact, both men and women can be afflicted with osteoporosis (about 80% of those who have it are women, however). Although we associate osteoporosis with older people, prevention starts well before we’re eligible for our Senior Citizen discount! 

 

Many of the lifestyle choices we made in our youth and young adulthood affect our bone density 30-40 years down the road.  We can’t erase bad habits such as smoking, poor diet, inadequate calcium intake and lack of weight bearing exercise in our youth, but we can make some changes now that can slow down bone loss as we age.

 

If you’re currently sedentary and you’re over 40, you’re losing bone every year. It is estimated that an inactive woman who doesn’t consume enough calcium and is not on hormone replacement therapy will lose between 20 and 30% of her bone mass between the ages of 40 and 70. This scenario sets the stage for a high risk of bone fracture and potential disability later in life.

 

Here are my top three tips for Osteoporosis Prevention and Management that will help you maintain bone mass as you age:

Eat plenty of calcium rich foods

Adults under the age of 50 should get about 1,000 mg of calcium a day, adults over 50 should get about 1,200 mg a day. Vitamin D is also an important component in the bone building game. Adults should get about 400 International Units (IU) per day. If you don’t think you get enough dietary calcium in the food you eat, ask your doctor if a calcium supplement is something you should consider.

Engage in strength training exercise 2-3 times a week

Resistance training is one of the best forms of osteoporosis prevention you can engage in to maintain your bone mass. The best resistance training options for osteoporosis prevention should require your bones and muscles to work against gravity while they bear your weight. 

Choose standing exercises over sitting exercises whenever possible.  Include exercises in your workout that use the large muscle groups of your lower body so that you can target the muscles that pull on the back bones and hips—prime areas for bone loss. 

Exercises that fit the bill include:

 

  • Squats
  • Lunges
  • Step Ups

 

If these exercises are new to you, have a certified fitness professional train you to execute them properly. Check out Coach Becky’s video on two exercise tips to help manage/prevent Osteoporosis!

Also, a book I recommend for anyone wanting more information on osteoporosis is Strong Women, Strong Bones by Miriam Nelson. It’s got great information to help you learn how to manage or prevent osteoporosis.

Add a little impact to your cardio routine

 

Okay all you cyclists, swimmers and walkers—time to jump a little. Walking and other low and non-impact activities, while valuable for other fitness measures, don’t stimulate bone the way resistance training and moderate or higher impact activities do. 

 

You don’t have to spend your whole cardio workout jumping or running to get bone building benefits; but a little jumping or running goes a long way. Try adding 10 to 50 small jumps or step-ups to your regular cardio workout. Jumping rope, doing jumping jacks or hopping up onto your porch step a few times is all you need.

 

High impact activities are not safe for everyone, so it’s important to talk with your healthcare provider before you add them to your exercise routine.

Takeaway

Osteoporosis can be a debilitating and disabling disease. By taking action NOW, you can decrease your risk for developing it. As an added bonus, the activities that will help you decrease your risk for osteoporosis will also help you feel better, look younger and keep you trim!

If you want to get a head start or improve your conditions, try out our tips for osteoporosis prevention and management outlined here! Let us know if you’ve taken up this routine and how your fitness journey is going!

Also, if you are a woman near or over the age of 40 and are looking for a women-only fitness group, check out our Fit and Fabulous Over 40 Program here!

You CAN Be Stronger Than You Were 10 Years Ago

Dec 30, 2021

Aging isn’t easy, is it? 

 

Wouldn’t it be awesome to be able to say “I’m stronger now than I was 10 years ago!”? Well, that’s exactly what one of our clients told an interviewer when he asked her about what it’s like to be a lifeSport Fitness client.

 

I invite you to watch this 1 minute video to get an idea of how a well-constructed exercise program and nutrition coaching can add immense value to your quality of life:

Here are some thoughts to ponder today:

 

  • Can you imagine yourself 10 lbs lighter? Or feeling ten years younger?
  • How would it feel to drive a golf ball further than ever before?
  • What would it feel like to have less knee or back pain?
  • How would it feel to have more confidence and better posture?

 

Proper coaching can give you results like these!!

In Closing

 

Wouldn’t it be awesome to have 2022 be your STRONGEST and FITTEST year ever?

 

You’ve got the power to make a decision and together with lifeSport Fitness, we CAN make it happen ;-). 

 

Happy New Year!

 

–  Coach Becky

P.S. 

Want to learn more about how we help busy Silicon Valley professionals over 40 get in shape, move better and exercise without pain? If you’re ready to turn back the clock feel younger, I invite you to fill out the form below and we’ll set up a time to chat.

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This San Jose Coach Does Personal Training Differently!

Dec 23, 2021

When you think of “personal training”, what do you think of? One client, one trainer and a high price tag? Well, think again because this San Jose Coach does personal training differently!

 

The concept of personal training has changed a lot over the years.

Personal Training in the Past

Ten or twenty years ago, a personal trainer was someone at a big box gym who walked the floor looking for people who’d be willing to spend extra money to basically have their workout supervised.

 

A personal training session was basically an appointment where you had someone tell you what exercises to do and what order to do them, who pretty much thought it up on the fly (or directed you to the next machine that was available). That doesn’t sound very personal to me. Does it to you??

Personal Training Now

Two things have changed in the last 10-15 years that I believe have completely changed the personal training experience (and the amount of money one spends for it!): 1) Program design and 2) The “Semi-Private Training” model

Program Design

With “program design”, an experienced coach writes out a program of exercises based on your goals (sets, reps and resistance). They then set up that program as a series of sessions over a period of time (typical time frames are 4-12 weeks). 

Each week, the resistance or repetitions change as the coach works to progress the client to more challenging work using the same exercises (which the client gets VERY good at executing, by the way!). 

 

Program design can be a time consuming approach for the coach, but the results to the client can be phenomenal! Creating a planned, step-wise approach to getting stronger, toning up muscles, or losing body fat is an exceptional way to train someone to get results as opposed to random workouts every week.

 

I switched to “program design” about 14 years ago and have never looked back. Yes — it does take me more time to write 4-6 week program plans for each client, but WOW. Just WOW. They provide much better results for the client.

Semi-Private Training

And what is Semi-Private Training, you ask? Well, it’s not 4 people going into a studio and doing the workout of the day together. AND it’s not doing whatever is written on the white board (or at least it’s not here at lifeSport Fitness).

 

In a nutshell — A Semi-Private Training model provides a person with all that 1-on-1 Private Personal Training provides, without the price tag of 1-on-1 training. Clients come to people like me for accountability, a plan that is appropriate for them, proper cueing/feedback on form, and safety (many of our clients come to us after getting injured in larger group workouts).

 

I test drove a Semi-Private Training model about 10 years ago with a few beta testers. I honestly didn’t think they’d like it or even that I would like it. But, they LOVED it, and I found that I could coach up to 4 people at a time on completely different programs. The coolest part (aside from happy clients) was the energy and camaraderie the 4 people created. Not only did they love the group setting, they also loved the 40% drop in price from our 1-on-1 personal training ;-).

​ ​If you are struggling to get the fitness results you want and you have not experienced the difference of “Program Design” (as opposed to random workouts that might not even be appropriate for you) nor have you tried a lower cost Semi-Private Personal Training model — I encourage you to consider it!

TAKEAWAY

Yes — personal training has changed a lot compared to what it was 15 years ago. In fact, I’d say it’s a lot better. But, not every gym or trainer is up with the times. Luckily, this San Jose coach does personal training differently! LifeSport Fitness uses a modern approach that has proven time and time again over the past 14 years to be the most beneficial to our clients!

If you are interested in learning more out Personal Training at lifeSport Fitness, click here!

Committed to your success,

 

Coach Becky

Healthy Foods That Really Aren’t That Healthy

Dec 16, 2021

Try as we might to eat healthy most of the time, we’re often tricked by advertising into thinking what they’re selling is really good for us. What does this mean? Sometimes what we think are healthy foods aren’t healthy at all! Often, the foods that get touted as “healthy” by food manufacturers aren’t the best choices in their class. So to help figure out what’s what, here’s a list of healthy foods that really aren’t that healthy.

 

Here are a few foods that get touted as “healthy” by food manufacturers. Although, many of them aren’t the best choices in their class.

BREAKFAST CEREAL

Tasty and fast, for sure. But, unfortunately, breakfast cereal is often jam-packed with extra sugars that will do more to drag you down than build you up for your day. A lot of breakfast cereals will jack up your blood sugar because they’re made with low fiber, fast acting carbohydrates (which leads to a blood sugar drop later in the morning).

If you like a morning bowl of cereal, opt for whole oats or steel cut oats. Add berries or a little Stevia for sweetness and some chopped nuts for healthy fats. This will give you some filling fiber to get you through the morning and a LOT more nutrition than a bowl of Cap’n Crunch.

DON’T GET THIS!

FLAVORED YOGURT

Yes, flavored yogurt tastes much better than its plain peers, but going with a pre-flavored yogurt will instantly double the amount of sugar you consume. Fortunately, overcoming the flavorless thing can be done healthily. All you have to do is add chopped, fresh fruit of your choice and enjoy! Consider Greek yogurt for a higher protein count.

MAKE THIS!

DIET SODA

Manufacturers woo you in with “zero calories!!!” emblazoned on the label/can. Unfortunately, scientists now think that diet soda messes with your body’s ability to recognize and manage sugar properly. Switch over to sparkling water if you like the carbonation but don’t want to feed your sweet tooth.

DON’T DRINK THIS!

POPCORN

No, all popcorn is not to be avoided at all costs. But more than likely, a lot of the unpopped kernels in your kitchen should be ditched. 

Here’s a good way to determine if your popcorn is at war with your good health. Is it in a prepackaged bag that simply has to be tossed in the microwave to be cooked? If so, then stay away! 

Those prepackaged popcorn packages, whether lightly buttered, drowning in butter, or candied offer no benefit. If you’re going to do popcorn, you’ll need to pop it the old-fashioned way, preferably via air popping.

BUY THIS!

“SKINNY” DESSERTS

The word “skinny” is alluring, I know. However, these diet desserts are often filled with artificial ingredients and sugars that are keeping you stuck with your fat loss. When you want dessert — go for the real thing: really good ice cream, a freshly baked cookie, a decadent brownie. Eat those yummy desserts once in a while and they won’t mess with your overall nutrition if it’s otherwise on point.

As a bonus, desserts made with real foods won’t add chemicals to your gut! For example, consider baking a small batch of cookies at home. You will get to enjoy a freshly made warm cookie that will not only taste delicious but will also have no harmful chemicals in them! You can even freeze the leftovers for another treat in the future.

Want to try it out? Check out this recipe for homemade peanut butter cookies! 

BAKE THIS FROM SCRATCH!

GRANOLA BARS

Enjoyed by healthy hikers around the world, granola bars are the final unexpected bad choice in your kitchen. This one may have you scratching your head when you consider that your favorite kind is crammed with every fruit and nut you can imagine. But read the ingredient label and you’ll soon see that there is probably more added sugar (make that high-fructose corn syrup!) than goodness your body can use. If you need a snack bar, look for brands with little to no additional sugars and a limited ingredient list.

DON’T EAT THIS!

TAKEAWAY

 

Yes, generally these foods may be healthy or at least healthier than other foods. But, that doesn’t mean that every version of it sold in stores is healthy too! Thus, the usage of the phrase “healthy foods that really aren’t that healthy.”

 

Always check the labels when you can to see how much sugar is in the product (or corn syrup). Many times you can even make the food item yourself! Whether that be a bowl of yogurt with fruit, popcorn or even some cookies. Or, you can move towards the more healthier alternative of a product, such as the case of sparkling water in place of soda.

 

Follow our advice laid out from this article and feel confident in knowing that you are having the best option of that food item possible!

Other Helpful Blog Posts:

The Best Way to Get Fit

Dec 09, 2021

Talk to 10 people and you’ll get 10 different opinions on the best way to get fit.





One will tell you to attend an aerobics class. Another will swear by jogging. Yet another will tell you that dance and biking worked for them.





The truth is, there are lots of ways to improve your fitness. I’m slightly biased here, but I’m going to tell you that one of the best ways to get fit and improve your fitness (whether your goal is weight loss, improved strength, or less pain from arthritis) is to do strength training exercises regularly. 

 



Before I get into the details, it’s important that we agree on the definition of ‘fit’.

WHAT IS FIT?

 

Far too often, “thin” is mistaken for fit, and that’s not what you should strive for.

 

When someone is thin but has very little muscle tissue, they aren’t truly fit in my opinion! And I’ve trained some “skinny fat” people in my day ;-).

 

Here’s why thin doesn’t equal fit:

  • Their body fat percentage will be higher than ideal—even though you won’t see a lot of fat on them, if their muscle percentage is low, fat percentage will be higher.
  • Their resting metabolism will be low, since little muscle is present to burn calories at rest.
  • Their body won’t be functionally strong, which will lead to injuries, frustrations and likely more pain from arthritis.

See how this 48 year old woman transformed from skinny fat to fit by 50 here

So how does one get truly fit? Here’s my one-stop shopping answer:

RESISTANCE TRAINING

 

Resistance training is when resistance is used to challenge your muscles in order to gain strength and endurance. You could do this with traditional weights, exercise bands, medicine balls, cable machines, sandbags, kettlebells or even just using your own body weight.

 

Consistent resistance training has the following side effects…

 

  • Strength and muscle tone
  • Cardiovascular capacity
  • Speed, Agility and Flexibility
  • Resistance to injury and disease

 

If that’s not enough to convince you that resistance training is one of the top ways to improve overall fitness, read on…

If that’s not enough to convince you that resistance training is one of the top ways to improve overall fitness, read on…

TOP 9 BENEFITS TO RESISTANCE TRAINING:

 

To Build Muscle and Gain Strength: Don’t worry, ladies. This does NOT mean that you’re going to ‘bulk up’ or look too masculine. What will happen is that your arms, belly and legs will become tighter, leaner and more defined.

 

To Lose Fat: When it comes to losing size, all that you want to see go is fat, not muscle. Strength training ensures that you maintain and grow those muscles and only lose fat.

 

To Build Strong Bones: The older we get, the more important our bone density is. A good strength training program is one of your best defenses when it comes to osteoporosis.

 

To Alleviate Anxiety, Stress and Depression: Sure there are plenty of pills out there that claim to give these benefits, but you and I both know that strength training is a more wholesome and effective way. And besides, who really wants all those pharmaceutical side effects?

 

To Sleep Better: Here’s another pill you can stop taking once you start strength training. Study after study has proven that strength training improves sleep.

 

To Improve Chronic Back Pain: If you are one of the millions across the globe who suffer from back pain, you’ll love the benefit of decreased pain.

 

To Improve Insulin Sensitivity: Today diabetes is a huge threat. Minimize your risk by improving insulin sensitivity through regular, challenging strength training.

 

To Improve Your Good to Bad Cholesterol Ratio: Here is yet another pill that you could potentially stop taking while on a strength training routine. Blood pressure and heart health are of utmost concern, so why not give yourself the advantage of a strength training routine?

 

To Raise Your Metabolism: This helps to reduce body fat and to keep that body fat off, even on the days that you aren’t able to exercise. Pretty awesome, right?

TAKEAWAY

A solid resistance training routine will tone your legs, strengthen your core and will result in inches and pounds lost!

So, if you’re looking for the best way to get fit and only have a limited amount of time to work on your health, strength training is your “go to” for the best overall results.

Check out these other blog posts for more exercise tips and advice:

How to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

Dec 02, 2021

Holiday Season is upon us and with that comes big meals! Because of this, you may be worried about maintaining your health and/or your weight over the holidays. For that reason, I have written a couple of fit tips for you on how to avoid the holiday weight gain!

 

Here’s my take on the holidays as they relate to your health (and your waistline):

 

  • Holidays are to be enjoyed, not stressed over
  • YOU are in control of how much you indulge
  • Holidays shouldn’t be just about food. They should be about enjoying time with those you love.

With that in mind, here’s how to stay fit this holiday season:

Holiday Fitness Tip #1: It’s All About Moderation

 

Don’t try to deprive yourself of all the foods you love! This is highly unrealistic (and SO not fun!!). Instead, be smart about what you choose to eat. Enjoy your very favorite flavors of the season, but in moderation. Trim calories where you can by only eating those rich foods that you really enjoy.

 

When eating at home in non-holiday mode — eat really, really well (whole foods, lots of fiber, lean proteins and boatloads of veggies).

 

Also, be sure to limit the number of alcoholic beverages you drink when at social gatherings. Some typical holiday drinks are filled with tons of sugary calories. Try alternating an alcoholic drink with a non-alcoholic drink like sparkling water.

Holiday Fitness Tip #2: Fiber is Your Friend

 

Here’s a simple tip that most people overlook when loading up their plates at holiday gatherings…fill up on fiber first. You see, if your plate is mostly fibrous vegetables and greens there is only a moderate amount of room left on your plate for the dishes full of fats and carbs. Therefore, your net calorie intake for the meal will be dramatically lower than if you had eaten more of the dishes full of carbs and fats.

 

BONUS TIP! – While this tip is super effective during the holidays, it’s also a technique that you can carry with you throughout the rest of the year to stay lean while still indulging in what you love. The key is to eat less of the rich foods and more of the lower calorie, high fiber foods.

Holiday Fitness Tip #3: Exercise is a MUST

 

Many people let their workouts go to the wayside during the busy holiday weeks, however I am here to tell you how important it is that you keep your workouts a priority. I know it’s harder to get up early when it’s cold outside, or head to your evening workout when it’s dark outside. However, that act of lacing up your shoes, sweating, and getting the endorphins flowing makes a huge impact on your overall fitness (and mental health!).

 

Not only are you burning calories and stoking your metabolism by sticking to your normal exercise routine, you are keeping fitness at the forefront of your mind. It may sound like a small thing, but getting your workout in forces you to remember your fitness goals. This small act will help you make better decisions throughout the rest of your day.

TAKEAWAY

So, how do you avoid holiday weight gain? My message to you today is that you DO NOT have to sacrifice the fun and flavors of the season. You just have to keep your exercise schedule as tight as possible and be aware of your eating habits. Make good choices when you can (like at home), and enjoy those indulgences when you’re at an event. 

You can do this!

NEED HELP ALONG THE WAY?

 

I am passionate about seeing my clients achieve results—AND maintaining those results throughout the holiday season and beyond.

 

If you are not currently working with us and want extra accountability during the holiday season, call or email me today to get started on a lifeSport Fitness program.  Who knows?! You might end up on December 31st more fit and leaner than you are now — how’s THAT for a healthy holiday season? 🙂

 

Sign up below for a FREE 30-minute consultation to see if we’re a good fit for you!

 

Committed to your success,

 

Coach Becky

Other helpful blog posts to help navigate the holidays:

Why Squats Hurt – Are they Safe?

Nov 26, 2021

Squatting is one of my favorite exercises! It’s also actually one of the most beneficial when it comes to maximizing your relative strength. But …. what if your squats hurt? If you have pain when you squat you may be wondering: Are squats safe to do?? Should you even squat at all??

A doctor (or an inexperienced coach) might tell you, “If it hurts, don’t do it.”

Unfortunately, there’s a lot more to it than that.

As with everything, if your squats hurt, we need to examine why it hurts.

Are you performing the movement incorrectly? Is your stance too wide (or too narrow) for your anatomy? Do you have short thigh muscles, inflexible ankles or tight hips?

Do you have a strength imbalance (i.e. one leg is stronger than the other) dominating the movement and causing compensation and pain?

All of this information can be acquired from a short, simple assessment … so we’d start there.

Here are some of the reasons you may be hurting from doing squats:

SKILL:

If it’s a question of skill, we need to put the dumbbells away for a while and work on rebuilding and relearning the squat pattern from the bottom up. Then we can execute the squat correctly and safely before adding external weight.

STANCE:

If it’s the stance, we can quickly determine what the ideal and most comfortable stance should be for each individual based on their anatomy and flexibility.

FLEXIBILITY OR MOBILITY:

If it’s a lack of tissue flexibility or joint mobility, we’ll need to spend some time performing corrective exercises to improve that. Just doing more squats is not going to help.

STRENGTH IMBALANCE:

If it’s a strength imbalance, we’d need to focus on any number of awesome and highly effective single-leg strength exercises (split squats, lunges, step-ups) until the weaker side catches up to the stronger side.

TAKEAWAY

After reading that, you can probably understand why simply eliminating an exercise because it hurts might not be the right thing to do.

Sometimes, all we have to do is other “re-balancing” exercises before we can move on to more complex exercises.

It’s not uncommon for us to see a new client in our facility who doesn’t squat comfortably or correctly. When this happens, we work on more remedial exercises to strengthen their hip muscles before we can have them squat safely.

So, if your squats hurt or you have pain when you lunge or even press something overhead — it might not be that you shouldn’t do that movement anymore. You just might need to do some other exercises first, under the guidance of a trained professional, before attempting the exercise in question. But, you may very well be able to do that “painful” exercise at some point in the future– and do it pain free!

NEED HELP FIGURING THIS ALL OUT?

If you’ve got a painful “glitch” somewhere in your movement patterns and it concerns you — consider setting up a 30 minute consultation with me.

It costs you nothing except your time — and you might just get the benefit of being in less pain down the road ;-).

Fill out the form below or contact us here if you’d like to set up a time to talk! We’d love to hear from you!

Committed to your (pain free!) success,

Coach Becky

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How to Navigate the Thanksgiving Feast!

Nov 19, 2021

Hello and Happy Friday! Worried that this year’s Thanksgiving Feast is going to ruin all your effort working out? What if I told you, you didn’t have to be?

 

Today, I’ve got a video for you with some “Thanksgiving Feasting” suggestions in it.

 

I filmed the video last year as part of a series I did on healthy eating.

 

Lately, I’ve been starting to hear conversations in our studio centered around people getting worried about gaining weight due to what they eat on Thanksgiving.

 

I’m here today to tell you NOT to stress about what you eat on Thanksgiving. Last year’s video sums up how I suggest you should think about “Turkey Day”.

 

We think you might find it helpful!

 

So, here’s my 3-minute suggestion on how to navigate Thanksgiving feasting this year….

 

Committed to your success,

 

Coach Becky

Does Strength Training Have to Hurt in Order to Get Results?

Nov 04, 2021

Remember the old saying, “No pain, no gain?” Well, does strength training really have to hurt in order to get results?

Really, whoever came up with the saying used a poor choice of words. 

First things first, we need to make a distinction between discomfort and pain.

In order to get better/stronger/leaner/faster, you DO have to get out of your comfort zone. And, yes, you should push yourself to get there.

But – exercise should never be painful.

Most educated trainers and fitness pros are now educated enough to understand that pushing through the pain only leads to more pain … and worse, injury.

HOW TO PREVENT INJURY AND STOP PAIN FROM WORKING OUT

 

Here are a few exercises that every one of your workouts should have, in order to keep you safe, healthy and pain-free..

1. Dynamic Warmup

We can’t stress this enough — especially for those of us over 40! This is the part of the workout that many people skip, but it’s honestly the last thing that should be neglected.

Preparing your body for movement is the most important part of the workout. An effective dynamic warmup should encompass all the foundational movement patterns, increase the heart rate and tissue temperature and prepare the central nervous system for the activities ahead. NEVER SKIP THE WARMUP! 

 

Interested in some exercises you can do as warmups? Check out this Health.com article here.

2. Prehab

These are corrective exercises that strengthen often neglected muscle groups and promote soft tissue health in order to enhance the freedom of movement and prevent injury. Skip the prehab, and you’ll wind up in rehab instead.

At our studio, if we have a client that needs some prehab work, we build it right into their customized program right after their dynamic warm up.

3. Mobility

Stretching and mobility are not the same thing. Mobility exercises enhance the freedom of movement through the joints, whereas stretching involves muscle lengthening (read below). Both improve flexibility. Is one better than the other? No. Our bodies need both!

4. Cooldown 

Whereas the warmup involves dynamic movement, the cooldown is about calming the central nervous system, lowering the heart rate, and lengthening muscles through static stretching (i.e. holding positions and poses).

Setting aside a few minutes to cool down after a workout signals to the body that it’s time to start the recovery process.

A tough workout tears down muscle tissue. It’s during the rest and recovery between workouts when the rebuilding happens.

THE TAKEAWAY

 

So our message today is: Don’t get caught up in the 80’s mentality of “no pain, no gain.” Does strength training have to hurt in order to get results? Absolutely not!

Incorporate the above steps before, during and after your workouts and you’ll be well on the way to healthy, pain-free gains💪🏼.

This Myth about Calories Debunked

Oct 27, 2021

In last week’s post , we explained how eating too little can stall your weight loss efforts. This week, we’re continuing on with the “calorie” theme to dispel a weight loss myth. The myth about calories is that all calories are created equal and you just have to cut a bunch of them out to lose weight.

Well, we already established that cutting calories too low over a sustained period of time is problematic. But while managing your calories intake and outtake is important, keep in mind that a calorie is NOT just a calorie. 

Example

 

Now let’s break this down. For about 170 calories, you could eat one Twinkie or 28 almonds.

Same number of calories.

But what did you provide for your body with the Twinkie? A boat load of sugar and preservatives. No protein. Absolutely no vitamins. Zero minerals. NO NUTRITION at all for that 170 calories.

AGAIN, no nutrition whatsoever…

But, with the nuts, you get some healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, a little bit of protein and minerals. You get some decent nutrition as well as a better blood sugar profile AND a better feeling of fullness than you got with the Twinkie.

The moral of today’s story: The quality of the calorie is just as important as how much you eat. The myth about calories = all calories are the same and you can lose weight by cutting calories.

⬆️⬆️⬆️ DON’T DO THIS ⬆️⬆️⬆️

⬆️⬆️⬆️ DO THIS ⬆️⬆️⬆️

The Science

 

Different foods act very differently once they are digested and absorbed by your body. 

Foods rich in fiber, healthy fats, and a vast array of vitamins and minerals take longer to digest. 

Because of this, they have a positive impact on your blood sugar (much slower increase) and your feelings of fullness. Plus, these same foods impact your body’s ability to release hormones that boost meal satisfaction, therefore preventing overeating at other meals.

Other certain foods, like protein, may positively impact your metabolism (by speeding it up), therefore boosting weight and body fat loss.

The Takeaway

 

To conclude, making better choices with your calories will lead to improvements in your level of body fat and the overall status of your health.

​NEED HELP FIGURING THIS ALL OUT?

If you’re feeling stuck or frustrated and want help figuring out how to reach your health and fitness goals, the coaches at lifeSport Fitness are here to help!

We invite you to schedule a complimentary 30-minute consultation via phone, Zoom or in-person at our clean, bright personal training studio in San Jose. We’ll answer your questions and help you figure out a nutrition game plan so you can look and feel your best!

Fill out the form below to request your complimentary consultation!

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Want to know more about lifeSport Fitness?

 

Read more about us and the services we provide here!