I am NOT going to be sugar-coating this one ... diets DO NOT WORK!!! Wow, I guess that's one way to start a blog ...  But I really want to make sure that this is understood. Diets do not work because people just give in to their hunger and deprivation. No one desires to be on a diet, we all just desire to lose weight.

Well how do we go about that if diets don't work? It's called a lifestyle change. Do it! Give yourself the chance to lose the weight you want or to maintain the figure you already love.

Look at what we are bombarded with everyday!  One minute everyone is fat-per-gram conscious, and then the focus has moved to our starchy friend, the carbohydrate. Wading through all the info on diets is hard, and that is why I am going to show you how a lifestyle change is a much more efficient, healthy, and productive method to weight loss.

Once you start to "diet" there is a pre-occupation with food instead of the idea of healthy eating. You need to be more aware of proper nutrition and food options. If you put too tight a choke hold on the amount of calories you consume you will not get the proper amount of nutrients needed for growth and development. Too often people use dieting as a way to cope with the pressures of society and peers, which can sadly lead to eating disorders and food fixation. Make the choices that we KNOW we can all make, brown bread instead of white, high fibre, less sugar etc.

Now we tread carefully when we start talking about eliminating fats, as we NEED fats ... the proper ones!! Eliminating all fats from your daily foods can be catastrophic. Certain fats are essential for development of sex hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Fats are also important for the development of our brain and nervous system.  I know that a majority of you are thinking; "Come on, at this age why should I be concerned with my brain development?" Well some of us may be past that age of developing our brains, but we DO need to maintain them, and also look at these effects as how they will impact our children.

Eliminating ALL carbs can also pose a problem because carbs are the bodies immediate fuel source used to expend energy. If we do not eat carbs, our bodies will start breaking down fat to use as fuel. Once the fats are used up the body starts breaking down proteins to get energy. The problem here is that the body needs to filter the byproducts of protein breakdown and if not done properly can be harmful to our organs.

Something that I firmly believe is a big step in the lifestyle change I am talking about is journaling. I suggest keeping a journal for 1-2 weeks so that you are able to look back and see where you need to make those critical changes that will start you on the road to a new lifestyle.

This journal should include:

* Whenever a morsal of food passes your lips.
* Note your mood when you eat.
* Write down the times you eat.
* Keep track of the exercise you do.
* Write down how you are feeling about yourself that day (body image emotions).

We need to be mindful of the calories we are taking in, but more important we need to be aware of the type of calories we are taking in. There is a HUGE difference between 1200 calories of vegetables, fruit, and protein opposed to 1200 calories of pizza, fries, and chips!!!

When weight is lost through resisting calories - especially when the diet is not accompanied by aerobic and strength training, muscle mass is lost along with fat.  Muscle burns more calories than fat, even at rest, thus the muscle mass leads to a slowing of metabolism, among other things.

We all know the better choices that we can be making in our own lives. Toss that white bread that is void of nutrients and go for the whole grain instead. Simple change? YES. Worth it? ABSOLUTELY.

Opt for that salad instead of the side of carbs (believe it or not we do get good carbs for vegetables) so don't tell yourself that you are not getting carbs, just eat them in the form of vegtables.

WALK! Guaranteed that there are times that you can simply use those 2 feet you have, but instead we opt for our vehicles.

This is a simple one and one that I KNOW you can all do. Commit to doing some form of physical activity each day, aim for 30-60 minutes.

Here comes my shameless plug; what better way is there to get that exercise in then coming to boot camp first thing in the morning?  You will know that is out of the way for the day and can go about your day energized to make those smart life choices!

Be strong enough to face the world each day. Trust in yourself that you can make those choices and feel strong and proud when you do make them. Give yourself the chance to get the results that you desire and deserve. Be weak enough to know that you can't do everything! Don't tell yourself that you NEED to make all of these unobtainable goals and changes and then be disappointed in yourself. We are all human and we all need to face that we will not be able to make ALL of the best choices, but lets aim for making ALOT of great ones.

Many people don't realize what circuit training is and that it can be beneficial for everyone. They simply chalk it up to something people who want a general workout routine do, and don't give it a second thought.  Well this is me asking you to GIVE it that second thought and push your fitness goals to the next level. Don't think of circuit training as the latest fad in fitness because it is here to stay and it is a fabulous way to build strength, endurance and your overall fitness level.

Well I guess then we should start with, "what is circuit training"? The purpose of circuit training is to keep you moving by only allowing you to take minimal breaks between exercises.  If you absolutely must rest you can take 10 seconds to walk around and then KEEP GOING. NEVER STOP MOVING!!

This may be different from other workouts you have followed. For example, it is different from super-setting or compound setting, which target one or two specific muscle groups and will work the fatigue factor of those muscles to increase the intensity of your workout. Circuit training, on the other hand, works because it causes you to keep pushing your body aerobically while at the same time still challenging your strength and muscular endurance.

Like every other activity at the gym there are always going to be some common misconceptions. This is my chance to clear those up and to give you a clearer picture of the amazing benefits of circuit training. You may think that circuit training is something that you do with some small 5 lb. weights. This is probably because you associate no rest with light weight, and you associate wanting to increase your strength with lifting heavy weights. However, and this is where I clear things up ... muscle responds to the total tension produced. If you use lighter weights, but are able to get in more reps during a certain period of time, you will produce the same - if not more - total tension and will stimulate your muscles to GROW.

So now that I have given you a base of what exactly circuit training is all about let's get into the good stuff ... the BENEFITS of circuit training.
 
First, it allows you to be able to work on your aerobic training while at the same time building strength. Since you are constantly working your way through the workout and keeping your heart rate elevated the entire time, you are therefore reaping the same benefits as that runner logging all those miles on the treadmill; but your added bonus is the strength training you are receiving at the same time. Not to mention circuit training is A LOT less mind-numbing than running on a treadmill for hours at a time.  Trust me, as I have become acutely aware of this!

Second, since you are able to get through a full body circuit training program much more efficiently than any other workout you are going to be spending much less time in the gym. Who doesn't like this concept?! I am sure like most other people out there you don't really have time to be spending hours and hours training at the gym.

Lastly, due to fewer rest periods you will experience an increase in the amount of testosterone you release. Now women, DONT PANIC ... you NEED this release of testosterone as it serves to help your muscles grow. And although you may not want big bulging muscles, they still need to grow for your strength and tone to develop.  The more muscle density you have the more calories that you burn all day, everyday!

Circuit training is an excellent way to kick-start your training or to boost it to a new level if you feel you have hit that plateau we all dread.  So, when you hear people "water cooler talking" about what they are trying out at the gym you can toss this idea at them. Circuit training is NOT a fad, and it is NOT an easy way out of a workout.  It is for people like you who are committed to their training and their workouts and who want to SEE and FEEL results!

    3 - 2 - 1 and there it is, midnight! Happy New Year!!! You look around the room for that significant other so that you can plant that first kiss of the new year on their lips and what is the next thing we do? Start with the list of New Years Resolutions..... that same list that has been haunting and taunting us for years and years. The list that seems to always grow and NEVER shrinks, but wait, isn't that #1 on your list? TO SHRINK!!!

    We have all done it and we have also ALL failed to stick to that "new you" that our resolution list is sure to create. "Happy New Year!" that greeting will be said and heard for at least the first couple of weeks as a new year gets underway. But I pose this question: What is so happy about a new year that you are already in your mind sure to fail at all those resolutions? Nothing is happy about that so I'm going to try my best to walk you through some tips, pointers and motivation to set yourself up for SUCCESS this new years.

    On the list of top 10 New Years resolutions fitting in the gym was number 2, taming the bulge was number 3, quit smoking is number 4, and quit drinking is number 6. So with 4 out of the top ten geared towards our lifestyles and feeling better what REALLY stops us from following through on these resolutions? It only makes sense that when you wake up bleary-eyed on the first day of a new year - or - decade - resolutions to "cut back" and " moderate" seem both an excellent idea and an impossibly hazy dream. But don't let them derail you! Not this year!

These are my top 5 ways to succeed this year and finally, once and for all kick those bad habits to the curb:

1. Don't Kid Yourself

We all need to know the difference between enjoying ourselves and self-medicating. Don't try and fool yourself! We each know what we are individually capable of achieving and we need to make sure that we are not trying to "Keep up with the Joneses" when it comes to making these commitments to ourselves. We have all heard that everything is better in moderation..... well lets apply that here. Successful moderators set a limit for what is too much and stick to it - no matter what! Realistically why can't we all do that? Decide what is too much chocolate for the goals you have set, what is enough time in front of the T.V instead of at the gym? Did we really need that second helping or did we eat it becasue it tasted good? I am sure that all of those sound familiar because we have all used them.

Have a cookie a day if that is what you have deemed acceptable for you. But if you cheat by having " just one more", know that you are only cheating yourself and exacerbating the problem. Choose healthy options for your groceries, don't kid yourself that you can have all that junk food in the house and not eat it. Why are we always setting ourselves up for failure? People are so often consumed with what they eat between Christmas and New Years, when they should really be worried about what they eat between New Years and Christmas!

2. Quit Cold Turkey - Temporarily

Who hasn't heard that if you need to quit something then just do it "cold turkey" ? Well it is proven that an initial period of complete absintence can make it easier for people to moderate behavior by eliminating the habitual, automatic aspect of the unwanted activity. If we think of this in terms of giving up that favorite snack food, we need to look at the fact that if you replace that bad habit with a good one, say an apple or another piece of fruit then it is guaranteed that within a few weeks of that abstinence you will NOT be missing that "favourite" snack but be newly accustomed to the new healthy version. Challenge yourself! Try replacing one bad food habit this week with a healthy option and do this for the next 4 weeks and I will promise you that you will be not only proud of yourself for this accomplishment but also rid of the past bad habit.

3. Use Meditation

Being mindful may involve traditional meditation, in which you sit quietly and observe your thoughts and breathing without judgment. But here, it is also used to focus awareness on thoughts and feelings that lead to unwanted behavior. Simply recognizing the triggers to relapse can help you choose not to give into them. Do you eat when you are watching T.V? Well then common sense says TURN THE T.V OFF!! Make a conscious effort to diagnose what triggers your poor health choices and be aware of them, so you can avoid them.

Try "urge surfing." It involves being mindful that a craving is like a wave, it rises to a peak, then falls. This happens whether you yeild to the urge or not, though most people erroneously think their cravings will escalate endlessly unless they give in. When in fact succombing to cravings only reinforces them.

4. Don't Try to Scare Yourself

The pleasure of victory is a better incentive than the agony of defeat. Reward yourself for sticking to your limits. For instance, every time you resist that urge to indulge in something bad, reward yourself with a dollar towards a new outfit, do the same for going to the gym or bootcamp, pay yourself. Trust me before you know it you will have a closet full of new clothes, and guess what? They will all be a NEW SMALLER SIZE!! How is that for motivation?!

5. Surround Yourself

Consciously and unconsciously people tend to imitate those around them, so surround yourself with friends and family that can also be motivators and role models. Make sure the people you surround yourself with are the people who look and act the way you would like to. Take me for instance, I have recently agreed to run a 50km ultra marathon through the Lethbridge coulees. Now I will make it clear that although I am a trainer and in the fitness industry, a runner I AM NOT! But I have surrounded myself with a training partner who can motivate me to do it. I now get on the treadmill and run those KMS and dare I say that I am starting to enjoy it?! This is exactly what I mean when I say to surround yourself. I know that if I had not put the proper people around me this goal would not be met, but I have no doubts now that it will be.

Don't go out for dinner with those friends that you rarely see but like to indulge on everything on the menu. Instead grab a water and stroll the mall and chat with a friend that has fitness goals in mind also. Boot campers are always great people to surround yourself with, they obviously have the same goals in mind as you if they are showing up day after day, GETTING FIT!
Don't let your new years resolutions take over your life, embrace them into becoming a part of your life, like the new you.... I like to think in terms of the day's resolutions, not the years. Allow yourself to positively change one thing that you do every day and before you know it you will start feeling better and moving better. And that is all in addition to hitting those goals that we have set year after year. Rather that obsessing with what you shouldn't be doing, think about things you should be doing. This distraction will help you curb bad habits and help form new ones.

Let this year be the year you succeed and let me and 403 Fitness help take you there.

Happy New Year and Happy New You!!!