Losing Weight & Keeping It Off

Get an insider’s look at how Ozzie, Health and Fitness Expert, helps her clients lose weight and keep it off!

Super Bowl: Start Taking Notes!

This Sunday not only should we enjoy the excitement of the competition; we should also learn something from these athletes. As these highly trained athletes set foot on the field the ingredients to success include: months of strength and conditioning, inherent skill, team coherence and mental toughness.

It is certainly true that most of us don’t have the high level of skill and talent that these players have and even the ability to dedicate an exorbitant amount of time toward our fitness goals but we can have the mental toughness.

Mental toughness is an attribute that separates the successful from the unsuccessful when it comes to weight loss goals. Mental Toughness relates to one’s ability to face challenges and conquer them, it is one’s ability to be unbreakable, it is one’s ability to persevere.

When we set out to lose weight and change our body, it can at times seem like an insurmountable task but if you make the decision that “You will lose the weight”, “You will get healthy” then you can make it happen.

Have you made this decision? If so, say it out loud. I have found that when you verbally express your goal then you’ve put it out there, making a promise to yourself.

Super Bowl: Fitness Fumble?

Super Bowl weekend is almost here. The time for the best football game of the year, the joy of friends and the consumption of chips, beer, pizza, popcorn, soda and other not so healthy foods. This Super Bowl weekend can be a road block on your way to fitness or you can take steps now to keep yourself on track. 

Prepare for the inevitable. Part of the joy of the Super bowl weekend is having fun and enjoying the festivities (a big part of the festivities is the feast). So if you know that you will indulge in these foods then you can prepare yourself by taking your current fitness routine up a notch to prepare.
 

1.Kick Up The Cardio! If you normally give 2 days a week take it to 3 or 4 days, you’ll burn additional calories, so at the very least your increased caloric intake would bring you into equilibrium (calories in vs. calories out).

 

2. Make it a circuit! When you strength train try doing an hour of “circuit” style training in which you work one muscle group (i.e. chest) immediately followed by another (i.e. legs). A single set should include exercises for all of your major muscle groups. This helps maximize the calories burned.

 

3. Cheer For the Team! Take advantage of the time you’re spending with friends routing for your favorite team. Every quarter try to initiate the “wave” (you start and encourage your friends to join in), every time your team scores each person can come up with their own cheer (make sure each cheer involves full body movements).

Big Goals & Little Goals

Ozzie Jacobs, Health and Fitness Expert, discusses how to set fitness goals and stay motivated to achieve them!

Fitness Detour: Accountability

Accountability is defined as the “state of being accountable, liable or answerable”. A big reason why personal trainers are in demand is due to this reason. Personal Trainers give you a reason to come to the gym (you did pay for that session) and they also make sure that you give a 100% to your workouts (no half-hearted push-ups my dear) and they do question your eating habits (cookies or rice cake, what would my trainer do).

As a result of having to answer to a trainer each week, we start to take positive steps toward reaching our fitness goals. Our consistency increases, our effort is enhanced and we are more aware of our eating habits. Over time this leads to success.

But what does one do if you don’t have a trainer or your budget cannot allow it anymore? All is not lost because we can be accountable to ourselves. This is easier said than done but this 3 step process to accountability may just do the trick.

1. Commit to the goal. Take out a piece of paper and write down your fitness goal and at least 3 reasons why it is important to you. Tape this piece of paper to a mirror you frequent in your home or your refrigerator door. This paper will be a constant reminder of why you started this fitness journey and can be very effective toward getting you on track at times when you start to waver.

2. Start a Food Diary. I have found food diaries to be extremely effective as they require you to confront your eating habits. Once you purchase your food diary write down your “ideal meal plan”. Then make it a habit to end your day by writing down everything you ate and drank. If you find more junk food in your diet, make changes to reduce the occurrence. If you find you are skipping breakfast, identify how you can incorporate this meal into your day. With a proactive attitude, your daily entries will soon start to look like the ideal meal plan.

3. Start a Fitness Journal. Similar to the food diary write down your ideal workout schedule (and routine). Use fitness journals and fitness websites to give you ideas. Each day write down your fitness activity and at the end of the week, give yourself a grade (A, B, C or Needs Improvement). 3-5 days a week is the recommended workout frequency to elicit a change in your body. As the weeks go by your grade should improve.

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