Philly Personal Training Blog

Thanksgiving is almost here! For food lovers, this is hands-down the greatest holiday of them all. But for those who struggle with their weight, it can be the most dreaded day of the year. Between the constant snacking during the football game, giant dinner with endless sides, and wide array of desserts that seem to call your name, Thanksgiving can be a seriously calorie-dense day. The good news is, with a little preparation, you can enjoy Thanksgiving—and all the yummy food that goes with it—with much less guilt. Keep reading for five easy-to-follow tips to avoid gaining weight this Thanksgiving. 1. Start your day with a fiber-filled breakfast. By filling up on a healthy, fiber-loaded meal for breakfast, you’ll be less likely to snack during the day as you wait for dinner to be ready. Try some oatmeal topped with fruit and nuts, some whole-wheat blueberry pancakes, or a strawberry-banana smoothie. 2. Take 30 to 60 minutes for a brisk walk or jog before the dinner preparations...

I’m sure you’re well aware by now that 70 percent of adults in the U.S. are overweight. But have you ever thought about the flip side of that statistic? It implies that around 30 percent of U.S. adults are able to maintain a healthy weight despite the abundance of calorie-dense foods and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. In a 2010 poll, only about half of normal-weight adults reported exercising three times per week. This raises a good question: If you’re already at a healthy weight, why should you exercise? I’ll tell you why—keep reading. Exercise Increases Lean Mass Resting metabolic rate describes the amount of calories you burn while at rest. Basically, it’s the amount of calories you’d burn if you just sat in a chair and didn’t move for the entire day. In normal conditions, resting metabolic rate is the largest component of the total amount of energy expended in a day and it varies considerably from person to person. It seems almost cruel and unfair, but some people ju...

  Everybody has a morning ritual. Some wake up and have their coffee as they listen to the birds sing. Others turn on the news as they iron their clothes. But those who struggle with their weight tend to have the same old routine: You wake up, go to the bathroom, get on the scale. Does this sound like you? “Oh no, I actually GAINED weight!” you think to yourself. “This can’t be right, let me try again.” So you step off the scale and try again only to see the same result. “Maybe if I move the scale over it’ll be better. This tile looks uneven.” But the scale reads the same number yet again, and your day is off to a not-so-great start. If this sounds like you, I have some good news: You don’t need to step on the scale to see results. The number on the scale is only a fraction of the story. Ask yourself this question: Would you be happier if you lost a couple pounds but didn’t see any difference in your pants size, or would you be happier if you lost a pants size but di...

If you’re reading this post, I’m going to guess it means you’re trying—trying your best to lose weight and get into the best shape possible. Problem is, it’s just not working out for you, right? For some, not being able to lose weight means they’re not working out enough or they’re eating way too much junk food. But you’re different: You eat the right things, you work out every day, and you’re definitely not overeating. So what gives? Get this: The key to losing weight is not to work out more, not to eat better and not to eat less. You need to eat more! Before you think I’ve lost my mind, let me explain some very basic science to prove it. What Is Basal Metabolic Rate? Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR, is the amount of energy a person expends at rest. Believe it or not, your body still burns calories even when you’re laying on the couch. Your body needs to expend energy so that the vital organs like your heart, lungs, nervous system, kidney and liver ...

Intense exercise programs like P90X, CrossFit and Insanity are some of the hottest workouts in fitness right now. Many are drawn to the challenging, mega-calorie-burning sweat sessions that leave their muscles sore and deliver fast results, and the supportive community keeps them coming back for more. But as enjoyable—and perhaps addictive—as high-intensity, out-of-the-box workouts may be, they can also be dangerous, especially for beginners or those with a history of injury. Here’s why. High-Intensity Workouts Can Cause Kidney Damage Rhabdomyolysis, the breakdown of muscle fibers and release of their toxic protein byproduct into the bloodstream, can result in kidney damage. It’s one major risk factor for those who jump right into these intense workouts glorified for their difficulty. Some of the most common causes of rhabdomyolysis (called “rhabdo” for short) include overexertion, extreme physical activity and trauma to the skeletal muscles—all of which can easily occur as a result of...

Getting your fitness routine down to a science is huge—but that’s only half the equation. The right snacks and meals before and after a workout can make or break your efforts. The pre- and post-workout meals are the most important ones of the day, and according to the American Heart Association, food should be considered fuel and your body the vehicle. If you’re not putting the right fuel in your tank at the right times, you’ll be running on fumes. The right fuel can make your workouts more efficient and give you better results, but you don’t have to diet or stick to a rigid eating schedule. Here are a few important guidelines to keep in mind when planning your pre and post-workout meals. • Don’t exercise on an empty stomach. Working out on an empty stomach is like trying to drive a car without gas. Your workout will suffer because you won’t have the energy to sustain it, or you’ll be too distracted by hunger to focus. And contrary to popular belief, exercising on an empty sto...

If you’ve been exercising consistently or recently increased the duration or intensity of your workouts, you may have noticed your appetite has a mind of its own. Hunger may strike at inopportune times or you may even feel ravenous all day long. The solution is to make meals and snacks good nutritional investments so you can increase satiety without filling up on empty calories. Follow these rules to avoid an empty stomach and ensure you’ll have plenty of energy throughout the day. 1. Eat Real Food Hunger is a side effect of low blood sugar. Eating and digesting food helps your body produce insulin to regulate blood sugar. Boxed, packaged and fast food causes the body to produce too much insulin, a fat-storage hormone, which is then used up by the body really quickly. Blood sugar drops and you feel hungry soon after. Elevated insulin levels prevent fat burning. So instead of burning fat as fuel, the body hangs onto it. Wholesome foods like vegetables, fruit, whole grains and lean prote...