Don’t drink your calories

     This is a common piece of advice I’ve given my clients over the years and it really seems to work. If you can avoid high caloric beverages, the majority of individuals will improve their body composition.

      It sounds simple, but there are so many people who have the hardest time avoiding these drinks. Whether it is sugary sodas, specialty coffees, adult beverages, these drinks pack on the calories (and the pounds) without individuals even knowing it. Just a couple of them a day, can quickly add pounds that will take work and effort to get off. Diet sodas aren’t much better for you then their sugary counterparts, but at least you are consuming significantly less calories. Water is your best option—makes you feel satiated, keeps us from a state of dehydration, and has zero calories ( I could go on and on, but you get the point). Some people don’t like water and need a flavored alternative, so you may want to look into Crystal Light or some of the flavored waters—just read the label and avoid the sugar (which means you are avoiding the calories). If there was one modification to an individual’s lifestyle I would recommend, it would be following this guideline. If you avoid drinking your calories you will have so many more calories to spend elsewhere.

Yours in Health and Fitness,

Slim

 Cookie-Cutter approach to Fitness        

   Ok—we’ve all seen the infomercials.  Do this workout, follow our program and you will go from unhealthy and unfit to Michelango’s sculpture of David.  But how many of you will buy what they are selling?      

     One of my best friends is a promoter of this workout—he is actually one of their “coaches” and had wonderful success with their program.  Now he is marketing and selling their program and DVD workouts.  He had wonderful results from their program---lost a ton of weight, got in great shape and actually got off of high blood pressure meds because of his improvements.  But, I truly believe this program falls into the realm of a “cookie-cutter” approach to fitness.     
       
      This is totally my opinion and my philosophy, but when a program has everyone do the exact same workout, there is a problem.  Programs have to be individualized.  Everyone has imbalances, muscles that are tight, weak, and strengths---programs need to take this into account.  Any program that has everyone does exercise X, Y, Z, that I take issue with.  That doesn’t’ mean that these workouts won’t improve your fitness---they are intense and if you can stick to the program you will see results.  But, that doesn’t mean they are right for everyone.   These types of workouts can lead to overtraining and overuse injuries.  I have another buddy, who bought the DVD’s from my “coach” buddy had to stop the workout because he had an “overtraining” injury to his back that I firmly believe came from the program.          

      Personally, I strongly feel that anything that can get an individual active is a good thing.  If this kind of program motivates you to move and exercise, then for god’s sakes, do it.  Our county is at a crisis level in terms of obesity.  But, take into account that fitness needs to individualized and that not everything works for everybody and not everyone will be a supermodel from this program.  If you’d like to continue this discussion, give me a holler at:  getfit@romansfitness.com  Yours in Health and Fitness, Slim