Despite your best efforts, you may find your training and nutrition plans aren’t giving you the results you and your personal fitness trainer had originally hoped to see. Your body needs to see constant change in order to get continuous results, which means switching up your workout routines on a regular basis. There is one other important area of concern, though, and that is your diet.

 If you’ve hit a plateau it may be time to take a closer look at your habits in the kitchen. There are several foods and drinks that will totally destroy your diet, adding tons of sneaky calories. Here are a few things you should be staying away from.

Sauces, Salad Dressings, and Condiments

Sauces, salad dressings, and condiments taste great and can really spice up an otherwise bland diet. If you’re not watching what you’re doing, though, you could be adding tons of calories, sugar, and fat – totally undoing what you did in preparing a healthy meal to start with.

The good news is that you can easily replace these things with spices, all of which are virtually calorie-free and can add a ton of flavor to your food. Staples you should have in the house include pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and anything else that packs a flavor you enjoy. Try to stay away from seasoned salts as they’ll add too much sodium to your diet.

Energy Drinks

Energy drinks, like Red Bull, may give you a quick burst of energy but the damage they’re doing to your diet can be devastating. A little can with just over 8 ounces of beverage can have 27 grams of pure sugar. If you’re trying to restrict your carb intake, you’ll completely blow your limit for the day out of the water. If you’re merely trying to eat a healthier diet, you’re replacing healthy, complex carbs with simple sugars. It simply doesn’t work. Ask your personal trainer to recommend a healthier alternative.

Alcohol

Alcohol is bad for your diet and physical goals. Period. End of statement. No matter what “reduced” calorie or reduced carb concoction you pick up, it will still be packed with empty calories (ie. absolutely no nutritional value). To make things worse, most people drink alcohol at night, which is when your body is more likely to try to store it as fat. If you’re really serious about your physical fitness goals, you’ll need to put alcohol on the back burner.

There are plenty of other dietary changes you can make to jump-start your weight loss and physical fitness goals. Talk to your personal fitness trainer about making modifications to your current plan. You’ll begin to see results again before you know it.

So you’ve just spent an incredible hour in the gym. Congratulations! What you do now, post-workout, is just as important as what you’ve just finished doing. Choosing the right post-workout snack will help your body to maintain its metabolic rate while aiding your muscles in the recovery process. It is important to find a personal trainer who understands the importance of combining strength training and proper nutrition. Here are some of our favorite trainer-approved snacks to try after you’re done in the gym.

Banana Protein Shakes

Grab one half of a banana and combine it with your favorite protein powder and some water to make a tasty post-workout shake. The combination will give you both protein and healthy carbohydrates – the perfect combination for creating an energy boost after you’re done in the gym.

Chicken Breast

Lean chicken breast is a great source of protein, a nutrient you need to aid in muscle recovery. We’re not saying you have to go home and cook when you’re done in the gym. You can easily cook up some chicken breast early in the week and store it to munch on later. You can also buy precooked chicken breast strips in the grocery store. Throw them in your bag before you leave the house or store them in the fridge at work and you’ll always have a power producing snack on hand.

Vegetable Omelets

Those who love eggs and veggies will really enjoy an energizing omelet after a hard workout. You can use whole eggs or you can use a container of egg whites to avoid the added cholesterol intake. The eggs will provide protein while the vegetables will give you extra fiber and nutrients. This snack will of course only work if you have time to go home after you’re done at the gym.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal has definitely earned a reputation as a great, healthy food for any type of diet. Oatmeal is full of healthy carbohydrates, fiber, and even some protein. While the stove-top version is usually healthiest, you could simply throw a microwave pack into your bag to eat wherever you have the opportunity to heat it up and chow down.

Low Fat Yogurt

Yogurt is jam packed with healthy nutrients including not only protein but essential amino acids as well. Eating yogurt after a workout will help your muscles to recover and repair themselves. Adding some fruit to your low fat yogurt will add a little carbohydrate kick to your snack, too.

Cheese and Crackers

You’re probably thinking about carbs and fat but low-fat cheese and high-fiber crackers are actually a great post-workout snack combination. Make sure you’re sticking to healthy serving sizes, though. One piece of string cheese and about 6 crackers should do the trick.

Almonds

Almonds are another super snack to munch o after a workout. You only need a handful (about 20) to get a mega-dose of unsaturated fat, vitamins, protein, and antioxidants. Make sure you pick up the unsalted variety.

Take your time and find a personal trainer who understands the nutritional needs of those who spend a lot of time working out. He or she should be able to either help you create a post-workout snack plan or can refer you to a nutritionist who can help.

Premier Personal Training with Dennis Carroll is located in West Chester, PA and serves clients in West Chester, Downingtown and Exton. Every client at Premier receives the individual training needed to successfully reach their goals. All programs come with a 100% money back guarantee, so why not get started today? Don’t hesitate! Sign up for a Free Consult now!

A Fitness Trainer in West Chester provides valuable information about both exercise and nutrition. A well designed fitness program must include both components in order to be truly effective. One without the other cannot produce the best results because good nutrition provides the body the energy it needs to get the most benefit from the exercises.

Fueling the Body

You can’t run a car without gas; you can’t turn on lights without electricity; and you can’t get the most out of your exercise program without nutrition. But just like you shouldn’t put cheap gas in your expensive auto, your body needs the right balance of nutrients in order to operate efficiently.

When you are reading about good nutrition, the first thing your personal fitness trainer will help you sift through is the enormous amount of information that is available. When you begin to read about losing weight, you will notice that much of the information is conflicting. Some people say you can lose weight quickly while others say the weight loss must be slow. Seeking the advice of a knowledgeable Fitness Trainer in West Chester can help you determine which information is right for you.

But one fact the majority of people agree on is that healthy weight loss must be accompanied by regular exercise. When it’s not, the result is often the infamous yo-yo weight gain-weight loss-weight gain cycle. Good nutrition and exercise work together like a team, and when one team member is missing, the whole team suffers.

The Right Nutrition for the Right You

The fact is there is no single nutrition plan that fits everyone’s needs. Using the vernacular….one size does not fit all. That’s where quality training from a personal fitness trainer can make all the difference. A professional personal fitness Trainer in West Chester will not focus on just exercise, but will design a total fitness plan that also includes nutrition.

The Fitness Trainer in West Chester can help you decipher the vast amount of nutrition information that exists and build a sound dietary plan that will supply your nutritional needs. For example, an athlete in training that is burning an extra 2,000 calories a day will need a different dietary plan than a mother who exercises 30 minutes a day and burns the average amount of calories.

A great fitness program will always be composed of both exercise and nutrition. Your custom designed program will balance your nutritional needs against your level of physical activity. The trainer will also take into account any other nutritional requirements due to special needs related to genetics or health issues.

Energizing the Body

Nutrition is energy, and you need your energy supplied through the right balance of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins. You need to eat balanced meals if you want your body to respond to exercise the way it should. Your personal trainer knows how to measure your caloric needs and then develop a sound nutritional plan that will help you lose or maintain weight while supplying the energy your body needs.

A well designed fitness program can meet any goal you might have in mind. The key lies in the words “well designed”. A Personal Fitness Trainer in West Chester can work with you at your home or office which means you get the convenience and results at the same time.

Premier Personal Training with Dennis Carroll is located in West Chester, PA and serves clients in West Chester, Downingtown and Exton. Every client at Premier receives the individual training needed to successfully reach their goals. All programs come with a 100% money back guarantee, so why not get started today? Don’t hesitate! Sign up for a Free Consult now!

Personal trainers in Downington know that exercise and good nutrition can do a lot to prevent or delay diabetes onset, but that they are also key factors in controlling diabetes, preventing serious complications, and in living well with diabetes. Typically, a fitness personal trainer will recommend some form of exercise for all diabetics, but care must be taken to develop a safe plan given your specific situation.

Many Benefits Of Fitness For Diabetics

A 2005 study showed that people who had diabetes and who walked daily were healthier after two years. Their medical expenses were lower as well, indicating their overall health was better. In contrast, people with diabetes who did not exercise experienced a decline in health and increased health care costs.

Physical fitness is important to diabetes as a means of controlling blood sugar; it is also a highly effective means of maintaining heart health—a top threat to people with diabetes. Personal trainers in Downington have seen that diabetics who exercise benefit from:

• Improved circulation—preventing lesions and tissue damage throughout the body
• Prevention of heart problems
• Increased blood flow to the heart
• Decreased cholesterol (of ‘bad’ cholesterol levels)
• Increased levels of good cholesterols
• Decreased nerve damage
• Weight loss
• Lower risk of stroke
• Decrease in blood pressure

People with diabetes who exercise enjoy many of the same benefits of people exercising without diabetes—and more. For people with diabetes, though, exercise takes on an even greater importance as the extra boost is necessary to keep the heart, lungs, and body functioning at optimal capacity.

Exercise Considerations For People With Diabetes

Exercising with diabetes is similar to exercising without, but there are special considerations that need to be accounted for. Since exercise causes dramatic changes to blood glucose, it is important to talk to your doctor about how to manage blood sugar before, during, and after exercise.

It is also important to know what types of exercise are beneficial and will improve your condition and what types of exercise are safe given your specific symptoms/condition. For this it is important to ask personal trainers in Downington for advice.

For example,

• Aerobic exercise and sports are recommended, but care must be taken to monitor effects on blood glucose
• Strength training helps build muscle and improves metabolism, but when complications arise strength training may need to be modified or suspended
• Patients who have lived an inactive lifestyle need to gradually break into exercise and increase intensities as fitness improves
• Blood glucose levels dictate the safety of exercise—it is generally recommended that diabetics not exercise with blood glucose below 100mg/dL or above 300mg/dL

In addition, personal trainers in Downington require that all diabetics stay well hydrated during exercise (because dehydration impacts blood sugar) and should always check for injuries (particularly of feet) following exercise.

Getting Help To Exercise Safely

Developing a plan for safe and effective fitness can be daunting if you have diabetes. The help of qualified professionals—including the advice of your doctor and the knowledge of personal trainers in Downington—can help immensely. Your doctor will work with you to make sure that you are exercising in a way that is beneficial and safe, and a personal trainer will build upon your doctor’s recommendations to develop a fitness plan that is right for you.

As a diabetic, exercise is one of the best ways to remain healthy at your optimal level throughout life. Get the professional advice and assistance you need and commit to regular exercise so that you can live well for many years, despite your disease. Personal trainers in Downington can help you learn about how this is possible.

Premier Personal Training with Dennis Carroll is located in West Chester, PA and serves clients in West Chester, Downingtown and Exton. Every client at Premier receives the individual training needed to successfully reach their goals. All programs come with a 100% money back guarantee, so why not get started today? Don’t hesitate! Sign up for a Free Consult now!

A West Chester Health Expert Writes In the last few years, the term glycemic index has grown in prominence in West Chester health and fitness circles. This is a relatively new tool for those that are seeking to improve their overall health and loose fat, and while there are plenty of West Chester health and fitness experts that support incorporating the glycemic index in the diet, there are others that say that it’s not worth the trouble. In this article, we’ll learn more about the glycemic index, as well as its pros and cons, and what a West Chester health professional can do for you!

What is the glycemic index?

The glycemic index was developed by Dr. David Jenkins, a professor of nutrition at the University of Toronto in the early 1980s. The purpose of his work was to discover the best kinds of foods for people that suffer from diabetes, a disease in which the body doesn’t produce enough insulin, the hormone responsible for breaking down foods like sugars and starches. Dr. Jenkins discovered that foods like potatoes, traditionally thought of as a complex carbohydrate, or food that was thought of as breaking down slowly, thus causing the blood sugar to rise slowly, actually lead to a rapid rise in blood sugar, which can be dangerous for a diabetic. This discovery prompted researchers to begin classifying foods by their glycemic index, or the change in blood sugar that happens after food that is high in carbohydrates is consumed.

How can it help me lose fat?

Following glycemic index diet, which encourages eating foods that have a low glycemic index and avoiding foods that have a high glycemic index, can work because eating foods that spike the insulin, or those that have a high glycemic index, and reduces glucagon, a hormone that metabolizes carbohydrates, making it harder to burn off fat. It sounds simple enough, and research has shown that it can actually work. A study was performed by researchers at the University of Sydney in 2006, in which 129 overweight young adults were split into four groups, and each group was given a different diet to follow for twelve weeks. Two diets were high in carbs and two were high in protein. In each group of two, one diet included foods with a high glycemic index and the other had foods that had a low glycemic index. Between the two high carb diets, those that followed the diet with a low glycemic index experienced nearly double the fat loss, with a very strong response in women. While those following the two high protein diets lost equal amounts of weight, there were differences in the level of good and bad cholesterol, with those following the low glycemic index diet coming out with better cholesterol levels.

The Negatives

To be honest, there aren’t any major reasons not to follow a diet including foods that have a low glycemic index, but there are some important things to keep in mind. First, the glycemic index is an average, and every body is different. It is impossible to predict how any given food will react in your body, so keep this in mind if you don’t see the results you wished for not happening right away. Secondly, the most important thing to keep in mind when changing your diet with the focus of losing fat is that you still need to burn off more calories than you consume – just because a food has a low glycemic index doesn’t mean that you can eat tons and tons of it. Finally, if you’re already following a West Chester health and fitness program, throwing the glycemic index into the mix can make planning your meals much more time consuming and confusing that it needs to be.

The Bottom Line

Whatever your fitness level, a West Chester health trainer will keep you motivated throughout your entire weight loss process. They will show you exciting and new exercise routines to keep boredom at bay! There is no better time than the present to hire a West Chester health professional to make your goals a reality!

Premier Personal Training with Dennis Carroll is located in West Chester, PA and serves weight loss and fitness clients in West Chester, Downingtown and Exton. Every client at Premier receives the individual training needed to successfully reach their goals. All programs come with a 100% money back guarantee, so why not get started today? Don’t hesitate! Sign up for a Free Consult now!

West Chester personal trainers have found that many people still mistakenly think that diabetes is an entirely hereditary disease. Recent increases in the incidence of diabetes and in the incidences of the disease in young people show otherwise, however. Type 2 diabetes has steadily been on the rise across all age groups and the rise has been directly correlated to inactivity and poor nutrition.

Diabetes—The Stats

West Chester personal trainers agree – recent statistics concerning type 2 diabetes are alarming. If it seems like everyone you know knows one or more people with diabetes that is because it is very likely true. Statistics show that around seven percent of the U.S. population has diabetes…but not all of them know it. An even higher number of people have pre-diabetes, a precursor condition just steps away from full onset diabetes.

Some sobering statistics on diabetes and pre-diabetes:

• Close to 21 million people in America have diabetes
• 21 million is equivalent to 7% of the total population
• Of that 21 million, 14.6 million cases are confirmed and 6.2 remain undiagnosed—6.2 million people have diabetes and do not know it yet
• 54 million people have pre-diabetes
• People with pre-diabetes often develop diabetes within 10 years
• 1.5 million people were diagnosed with diabetes in the U.S. in the year 2005 alone
• About 3% of the population between the ages of 20 and 29 have diabetes
• About 10% of people aged 40-59 have diabetes
• About 20% of people over 60 have diabetes

These numbers continue to rise as well. However, simple lifestyle changes can do a lot to prevent diabetes, even in those people who have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes. West Chester personal trainers can help you learn what kinds of changes will prevent diabetes, and for those with diabetes they can teach you how to make living with diabetes easier.

Diabetes—What A Difference A Lifestyle Makes

Poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle—two factors that have been more and more prevalent in society—are significant contributors to diabetes. By just improving diet and starting a regular exercise and fitness program, the likelihood of developing diabetes drops dramatically. Enlisting the help of West Chester personal trainers may make this easier for you. For many people, again even people with pre-diabetes, a good fitness program can prevent diabetes onset entirely.

West Chester personal trainers would like you to know some important things about diabetes prevention and exercise:

• One study showed that 2.5 hours of moderate exercise per week cuts diabetes risk by 58% (just a half hour per day, five days per week)
• Metabolic syndrome, a syndrome consisting of a compilation of diabetes risk factors, was more effectively prevented by lifestyle changes (diet, exercise) than by the leading prescription medication used to fight it
• Diabetes risk is lowered with just a five to seven percent reduction in body weight (when lost through diet and exercise)
• Ten to 14 pound weight loss for an average person weighing 200 pounds translated into 60% reduction in diagnosis of pre-diabetics

Diabetes is a disease that can very often be prevented entirely by changing the way you eat and live. Better nutrition and even a moderate fitness routine can keep you from falling victim to one of the leading chronic diseases, a disease that causes numerous complications and results in death due to exacerbated heart and organ disease. West Chester personal trainers would like you to make changes for the good now, and live long without the burden of this growing disease.

Premier Personal Training with Dennis Carroll is located in West Chester, PA and serves clients in West Chester, Downingtown and Exton. Every client at Premier receives the individual training needed to successfully reach their goals. All fitness and personal training programs come with a 100% money back guarantee, so why not get started today? Don’t hesitate! Sign up for a Free Consult now!

West Chester personal training experts know that as many as seventy-five percent of Americans aren’t drinking enough water. As most of us learned in school, our bodies are made up of nearly seventy percent water, so doesn’t it seem natural that we need to stock up on this most important element? In this article, we’ll learn why staying hydrated is so important to your health, the dangers of not getting enough water, and what a West Chester personal training expert suggests to incorporate drinking water into your healthy lifestyle.

Why we need water

Our bodies are nearly two-thirds water; it’s in our blood, muscles, brains and even bones. This water plays a very important part of keeping our bodies healthy. It helps the body absorb nutrients and vitamins, helps digestion, detoxifies the liver and kidneys, carries away waste, helps the blood circulate, and many other important jobs. But the level of water in our bodies doesn’t stay the same; we lose water through urination, sweating, and even respiration. A West Chester personal training expert stresses that this is why it is so important to replace the water that we’ve lost.

Dangerous dehydration

Many of us wait until we’re thirsty to start drinking water, but our bodies are dehydrated long before we have the sensation of thirst. We all need to replenish the water level of our bodies over the course of the day, and this is especially important the more active we are. If we’re not drinking enough water, we can experience signs of mild dehydration like joint, muscle, or lower back pain, headaches or constipation. Another clue that you’re not getting enough water is urine that is yellow or amber in color accompanied by a strong odor. Because water helps keep the blood flowing smoothly, the blood can actually become thicker without enough water, leaving us feeling tired. These problems can only get worse over time and can cause complications with the liver and kidneys.

How to get enough water

A West Chester personal training expert suggests that the best way to estimate the amount of water you should drink over the course of a day is to divide your body weight in pounds in half. This number is how many ounces of water you should be drinking in a day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should be consuming 75 ounces of water a day. You can count on about twenty percent of your water intake to come from your food, so that leaves sixty ounces of water, or around eight glasses of water a day.

A West Chester personal training expert understands that it can be difficult in the beginning to get used to drinking eight glasses of water a day if you haven’t been following this rule, but you can get your water from a variety of sources. Although the caffeine in your morning coffee is a diuretic, which can leave your body feeling like it has consumed more water than it has, your body has likely compensated for this daily dose of caffeine.

Just don’t make the mistake of replacing your entire water intake with coffee! You can also get your water from fruit or vegetable juices (as long as the juice indicates that it is 100 percent natural and not loaded up with sugar!) or flavored or sports drinks, as long as you keep an eye on the extra calorie intake. You can also get in the habit of carrying a small bottle of water with you on the go.

One other note on how much water you drink – there is such a thing as drinking too much water! Never attempt to drink all of your daily water intake in one sitting, and don’t try to overcompensate when you feel you need to catch up. Drinking too much water can result in a disorder called hyponatremia, which literally means “low sodium.” This can happen when too much water is consumed, which in turn overwhelms the kidneys that can’t process the water fast enough, forcing the sodium levels to drop. This can lead to seizures and even death. If you are interested in getting healthy with a West Chester personal training expert, contact us today!

Premier Personal Training with Dennis Carroll is located in West Chester, PA and serves clients in West Chester, Downingtown and Exton. Every client at Premier receives the individual fitness training needed to successfully reach their goals. All programs come with a 100% money back guarantee, so why not get started today? Don’t hesitate! Sign up for a Free Consult now!

Dieting is no easy task. Taking the first step towards West Chester weight loss by making the decision to diet and improve nutrition is commendable and will do much to improve your health and well-being. Still, dieting is just plain hard to do. To help you along, we’ve compiled five of the top tips for avoiding dieting slip-ups as you make your way toward better eating habits.

5 Tips For Preventing Diet Missteps

To increase the odds that you will stick to your diet this time around, achieve your West Chester weight loss and nutrition goals, and build up eating habits that will last for overall weight control and health, put these five tips into action.

1. Work Out. Exercise holds a number of advantages for those seeking West Chester weight loss: it helps you control your appetite, it gives you something better to be doing, it places focus on your health and fitness, and it helps you see faster results of dieting efforts. What’s more, working out places increased demands on your energy, so if you can commit to a workout you enjoy, you can commit to fueling that activity by providing the right diet needed for working out.
2. Work With A Personal Trainer. A personal trainer is really more like a personal advocate. It is the job of the personal trainer to see you reach (and move beyond) your fitness goals by helping you move towards West Chester weight loss. Trainers accomplish this by teaching you about good nutrition, supporting you and motivating you, and reminding you of your own wants and needs when you’ve forgotten.
3. Write It Down. What you eat, that is. Keep a journal of what you eat each day so that you don’t miss a beat. Revise your list at the end of the day and see where you succeeded and where you need to improve. It is helpful to share your journal with your personal trainer and nutritionist—many of us think we are eating well when we are not, and an experienced nutrition expert can help you find the hidden foods and ingredients that might be spelling diet disaster for you despite your best efforts.
4. Get Educated. As we’ve said, many of us think we are eating well when we are not. Our understanding of food and nutrition is increasing. Manufacturers are also getting better at hiding bad foods under good labels. Read and seek professional advice about West Chester weight loss to learn more about what really is and really isn’t good for your diet.
5. Maintain Balance. In dieting, balance is key—balance portions, balance foods, and balance timing. Eat a well-balanced meal (which you’re going to learn about!) and eat as often as you should so that you are never starving and binging to catch up.

To Err Is Human

Follow these tips and you will be well on your way to West Chester weight loss. As always, remember that it is human to err, and so a diet slip-up is not an excuse to give up. Seek the support of your friends and family, nutritionist if you have one, and personal trainer. With these people on your side and this plan for preventing dieting difficulties, you’ll soon be reaping the rewards of your new and improved dieting efforts!

Premier Personal Training with Dennis Carroll is located in West Chester, PA and serves clients in West Chester, Downingtown and Exton. Every client at Premier receives the individual training needed to successfully reach their goals. All programs come with a 100% money back guarantee, so why not get started today? Don’t hesitate! Sign up for a Free Consult now!