The majority of the people I speak with have always worked out in some way, shape or form. Either by doing all cardio training or all weight training or maybe a little bit of both sometimes addressing nutrition.  But I go into the gym day in and day out and their physique never changes.  Why is that?

Well when you want to change the shape of your physique you need to think of the five fold synergy system.  In order to really make over your body you have to have the right amount of nutrition, exercise, sleep, hormones, and stress (or lack of)…and not necessarily in that order.

People often think that since you work out and do cardio that you can eat what ever you want and improve on your physique. WRONG!  If you want to improve on your physique you have to eat properly for your goals; which I believe is the hardest component to changing your lifestyle and physique.  So here are some tips on improving and taking control of your nutrition.

First thing is that you need to do is calculate your calorie intake for one day.  You do this by multiplying your body weight by 10 which equals your total daily calories.  But wait, what is a calorie? ” It is the word that is commonly used to quantify amount of energy stored in the food. A calorie also represents how much energy is stored as body fat or adipose tissue and glycogen (stored carbohydrates). Calories are burned and used like a fuel by your body every time you need to do some activity. They are used as the energy source for your various muscle movements. (C, Nick)”

Example: 125 x 10= 1250 kcal/day

Then you break the 1200 calories into how much protein, carbohydrates, and fats you will need by a common split called the 40/40/20 split. Meaning you will have 40 % of your calories as a protein source, 40 % of your calories as a carbohydrate source, and 20 % of your calories as a good fat source.  I would recommend that if you are starting a set dietary plan t lose weight that you begin with this.  If you are planning on competing or gaining muscle then there are different splits to use.

• 40 percent Protein / 1250 = 500 calories
• 40 percent Carbohydrates/ 1250 = 500 calories
• 20 percent FATS / 1250 = 250 calories

Well, you see the calories but how do you break that into grams so it is easier to understand?  With your different foods sources, meaning protein, carbohydrates and fats, they contain different calorie per gram of food.  Protein contains 4 calories per gram, carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram, and fats contain 9 calories per gram.  So your calculation would look like this:

• Protein 500 kcal / 4 = 125g
• Carbohydrates 500 kcal / 4 = 125g
• Fats 250 kcal / 9 = 28g (or < 28g)

To prepare your portions correctly remember to look at the nutrition facts on the back of the foods you buy and exercise portion control.  I would recommend splitting your meals up into 5 meals per day that way your body absorbs all of the nutrients that it needs without over load of one or more food sources which in turn will store as fat if over load happens.  You will keep your metabolism burning effortlessly throughout the day and this prevents your body from switching into “starvation” mode which is very important for fat loss.

Some more tid bits about diet are that you should try to stop drinking all sodas or sugary drinks and replace that with water!  Water helps expel toxins from the body and keeps you hydrated. Sugar stores as fat and soft drinks rot your digestive system.  They sabotage your ability to burn fat if drank in excess.  I use Stevia as a sugar substitute in tea and coffee, as well as in my oatmeal or anything I would add sugar too. It is all natural and is healthy for your body.  Focus on whole foods (foods as close to natural state as possible) to get all the range of nutrients your body needs. Stay away from empty calories.  What are empty calories you ask?  Empty calories are defined as high-energy foods with poor nutritional profiles, typically from processed carbohydrates or fats.  In other words they are fully processed foods in which all of the nutrients have been taken out and a select handful of synthetic nutrients are added back in, if you are lucky.

Whole Foods are things like fruits, vegetables, natural chicken, turkey, fish, almonds, and flax seed.

Empty Calories are things like sodas, white bread, white pasta, candy, margarine, alcohol, white rice, chips, most snack foods, and fast food in general.

This may sound boring but as you play with flavors and different combinations you find what works for you and what your taste buds enjoy! Your body will surely thank you for it and as you see the results your confidence will soar! And remember that you can always have a cheat meal once a week to give your mind a break and give your body something extra to burn but remember have everything in moderation!

Hey Guys,

Here is Rita’s work out; she went through this well but her triceps gave out at the end.  She also did cardio before hand and you can read that on her blog as well. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.

Rita’s Work out: 4 sets of each exercise!

Superset:
- Dumbbell chest press: 12.5lbs x 15
- Jumping jacks: 15 reps

Superset:
- Pushups on the smith machine: 15 reps
- Ski Jumpers: 20 reps

Superset:
- One arm arnold presses: 7.5lbs x 20 reps
- Double Crunch on the bench: 15 reps

Superset:
- Rope tricep extension: 20 lbs x 15 reps
- Rope overhead extension: 20 lbs x 15 reps

Precor ab machine: 40,50,60 lbs x 10 reps

Personal trainers are perfect, right? They eat healthy every day and they have the body you wish you had, right? WRONG! We are human, too, and we struggle with the things you struggle with every day. The difference, though, is our approach to our lifestyle, and our ability to let ourselves slip up sometimes. Accountability gets us back on the wagon.

So, to demonstrate how much I am just like you (and hopefully to motivate you into action), here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about me.

Number One: I despise cardio
I think it is from the devil himself! I will do it if I absolutely have to but if I don’t, I refuse.  Example: When I am prepping for a competition I will do whatever it takes to I look my best, which includes cardio. It is great for the cardiovascular system and fat lose but I like to think that I get my heart worked out enough when I throw heavy weights around.

Number Two: I don’t like vegetables
I force myself to eat them because I know the health benefits of them but I’d rather eat a cardboard box than cooked veggies!

Number Three: I’m pretty much addicted to an energy drink called A.C.T
I ask my clients to stay away from caffeine and those kinds of energy drinks but I justify this one because it is ALL natural and it only costs $1 a day. I basically have to have it or I am a cranky ol’ lady in the gym. It actually makes me smile and get excited when I think about the next time I can drink one!

Number Four: I used to have an eating disorder
I was bulimic and anorexic. My nickname back in ’05 was Mary Kate Olsen (bad, I know)! My awesome personal trainer and mentor (my mom still calls her my second mother) helped save my life would call me that; jokingly and in love of course. I would just shake my head and say, “yep, that’s me..” because I had accepted the fact that I needed help and it didn’t hurt to joke about it because I was on the right track to get my life back in order. I had reached out for help in time and I will never regret being honest with myself about that situation. Now I am healthy and happy for it.

Number Five: I wish I could cook for all of my clients
Some of my clients think they can fib to me about their diets and lifestyles.  Not exactly. I know when they have been eating well and when they haven’t – their bodies tell the story! Most individuals don’t realize how much I do care about their goals. If I could, I would cook and pack all of my client’s meals for them so that they would REALLY know what true clean eating was and how fast it would help them reach their goals. If only there was enough time in the day!