Do You Eat Too Much in New Orleans?
Don’t be a Victim of Portion Distortion
It’s no secret that people are larger today than ever before. Waistlines have expanded over the last twenty years and studies show that potion sizes have grown as well.
Researchers from New York University found that average portion sizes started to grow in the 1970’s, rising quickly in the 1980’s—and this phenomenon hasn’t shown signs of slowing. A “large” order of fries from McDonalds’ weighs the same as 1998’s “Supersize” fries. And it doesn’t stop there. Check out these eye-opening figures, provided by the National Institutes of Health:
- Today’s 6 inch bagel has 350 calories. This is 210 more than a 6 inch bagel 20 years ago
- Today’s 5 ounce muffin has 500 calories. This is 310 calories more then it had 20 years ago
- Today, a large cookie has about 275 calories. This is 220 more calories than a cookie 20 years ago.
- Today, a 3 cup chicken Caesar salad has 790 calories. This is 400 more calories than salads 20 years ago
Keep in mind that the health experts all agree on one thing: Obesity is on the rise because people eat too many calories and do not exercise enough. Portion control is a very important factor for losing weight, but to attain a slim and healthy physique exercise is also a must.
Since I am the local New Orleans fitness expert, look no further than me to get you started on an exercise program that will change your life and shape forever. Now, back to our discussion on portion distortion…
Now that you know portion sizes today are far larger than you really need, what are you going to do the next time you go out to eat? Try the following 3 tips and watch as your waist begins to slim and your confidence soars. Trim-Down Tip #1: Re-program Your Mind
I’m sure your mother did a great job when she taught you to “clean your plate.” The problem now lies in the fact that your plate is usually loaded with more than 3 times the calories that you really need. So what’s the solution?
Realize that it is O.K. to leave food on your plate. Eating everything on the plate is probably a habit now, but it is one that you can break. Focus on how you feel halfway through your meal. Are you full? If you are beginning to feel full then stop eating. Don’t worry—your mom won’t send you to your room!
Trim-Down Tip #2: Slow Down
I know that this is a tough one—so bear with me. These days we are in such a hurry, we rush to work, rush to lunch, rush through errands and then rush home. So it is no wonder that food consumption is no exception. Most meals are devoured before your stomach has the chance to let you know that it is full.
Eat your next meal slower than usual. Chew each bite thoroughly, engage in conversation and pay attention for signs that you may be getting full. Once you realize that you are full, stop eating. Congratulations—you just tailored your portion down to its proper size.
Trim-Down Tip #3: Go Halfsies
I understand that it may be very difficult for you to leave food on your plate, even though your mother isn’t looking over your shoulder, and even if you eat slowly. No problem—you just need to do some strategic planning. The next time you go out to eat do one of the following two options.
1) Share an entrée with a friend and order salad or soup to start your meal. This will cut your calories down dramatically, while still giving you the satisfaction of clearing your plate.
2) If sharing isn’t an option then ask your waiter to bring a to-go box along with your order. As soon as the food is placed in front of you put half of it into the to-go box. You are now left with a reasonable portion and even have your next meal taken care of.
Getting you into great shape is my passion—it’s a job that I don’t take lightly. Allow me to get you fit and strong the safe, healthy way with my New Orleans Boot Camp for women
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Are Your Kids Exercising in New Orleans?
A recent study from the University of Washington showed that more and more 2-year olds are regularly watching television. This sets the stage for a sedentary life with an increased risk for obesity and heart disease.
Now that last statement wasn’t from the study – that was my own prediction.
But really, the statistics don’t lie – a study done at Johns Hopkins concluded that a child’s weight increases with the number of hours they spend in front of the television each day.
Are you cringing yet? What parent hasn’t popped in a DVD to occupy the kids for a few hours?
And what about your child’s diet? How often do you find yourself in the drive thru line ordering another cheeseburger and fries?
Childhood obesity is now described as an epidemic. It puts your child’s health at risk, and makes them more susceptible to problems involving their cardiovascular systems, endocrine systems, and even their mental health. Type 2 diabetes mellitus, depression, and low self-esteem are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the problems looming over the heads of overweight children.
I’m not telling you anything that you don’t already know. It doesn’t take a study done at Johns Hopkins to discover that kids today are putting on weight in ways that we never did – you just have to open your eyes to notice.
The ‘why’ is simple. It goes back to the basic equation for weight gain: energy in versus energy out. Kids eat too much and do too little.
But I have to ask… are you setting a good example by your eating habits? This may be a painful question to want to answer – but the truth sometimes hurts (and is good for us).
Maybe you’ve noticed that your child has begun to put on a little extra weight – what do you do about it? No matter what age your child is – weight is a sensitive issue.
What do your kids eat?
Think about your child’s diet. Do they eat three balanced meals a day? Do they eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day? Are they limited in their servings of fried, processed, and sugary foods?
Maybe you aren’t sure what your kids are eating. Do some investigation by observing and talking to them about what they eat.
Identify the foods your kids are eating that are rich in calories but lacking in nutritional value. Examples: candy, fast food, chips, cookies, soda pop, and pizza. Replace these foods with fresh nutrient dense foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats and low fat dairy.
How much activity do your kids get?
Computers, video games, and satellite T.V. are our children’s latest and greatest toys. Who has time to play outside when you are about to beat the hardest level, or your favorite show is about to start? Our kids participate in less physical activity and are more sedentary than any generation before.
Do you know how much physical activity your kids get each day? Some parents may think that kids are getting an hour of P.E. each day, only to find out that the school has dropped its P.E. classes.
A great way to encourage activity is to limit the time your children spend on sedentary activities, such as T.V and video games. Sign your kids up on a local sports team so that they can run and be active with other kids. Take the whole family to the park on a weekend instead of gathering in front of the T.V.
Monkey see monkey do
This issue really boils down to one factor: Parental Example. Your kids watch what you do even when you wish they wouldn’t, and this is certainly true when it comes to diet and exercise.
Do you model good eating habits, or do your kids see you indulge? Do you exercise regularly, or do your kids see you on the couch in front of the television all weekend?
As a parent, it is your unique responsibility to teach your children the habits that lead to good health. Since you know that obese children have a greater chance of remaining obese into adulthood, thus greatly increasing the likelihood of serious health problems, this isn’t a responsibility that you take lightly.
If your eating habits and activity level have slipped it may be time for you to turn things around. It’s never too late to set a positive example for your kids – the key is to act now.
If you are interested in Starting a New Orleans Exercise Program Contact me today to get started on a program that will transform your body and renew your lifestyle. There’s nothing better for motivation than dropping a few sizes!
Make sure you Leave A Comment Below..I love to here your thoughts on Kids and what they eat.
Backwards Fitness in New Orleans?
As you can imagine, I hear a ton of excuses from people on why they don’t exercise.
Sometimes the reason is self inflicted: I don’t have the time.
Other times the reason is procrastination: “I’m going to start as soon as tax season ends.”
And occasionally the reason is downright ridiculous: “The dog ate my gym shorts.”, “I can’t handle waking up early to workout” , “I don’t like working out during the winter”, “it’s too cold”, “it’s too hot”..
I usually point out to these well meaning folks that, despite their reason, exercise is a very important activity that will dramatically improve their life. I bring up the health benefits and describe how many of their physical ailments would improve. I talk about how great they will feel dropping excess weight and rediscovering a slender figure.
However, there was always an excuse that would get me.
The devious excuse of ‘being active’:Oh, I don’t need to exercise in a gym – I’m very active. I play tennis and hike in the summer and I ski in the winter.
Well, they have a point, right? Tennis, hiking and skiing are all active sports that burn calories. Maybe they can be fit without doing any other exercise, especially if they are at a reasonable weight.
Then I started to notice a trend.
The ‘active’ people couldn’t touch their toes in a simple flexibility test. The ‘tennis players’ couldn’t jump rope for 60 seconds. The ‘hikers’ needed a week to recover from a one mile jog. The ’skiers’ encountered injury after injury. And then it hit me.
You don’t become fit by simply being active. That’s backward fitness.
Only by being fit can you become more active.
To become and maintain a level of fitness there is no replacement for a consistent exercise program. It’s the only way.
True fitness is when your body can do whatever you ask of it. This means having flexibility, strength and endurance.
-Do you exercise? Or are you fooling yourself with the excuse of ‘being active’?
-How happy are you with your level of fitness?
-Are you able to meet all of the functional demands of life?
-Do you find yourself opting out of experiences or situations that you know would be too challenging?
If you’ve used the excuse of ‘being active’ in the past, it’s time to reconsider your options. Don’t practice backward fitness with the hope of true results.
Contact me to get started on a Fitness program in New Orleans that will make you truly fit. And if you’re furthest from active and simply want to lose those extra inches and pounds, make the decision to take action today. After all, there’s no trial run in the game of life. Make sure to leave a comment below..I love to hear your thoughts!
The Hardest New Orleans Boot Camp Exercise
It’s called the Burpee..Actually it’s a pretty simple yet advanced exercise that reeks fat loss
all over it!
It’s basically a Hybrid exercise containing a … -Squat
-Push up
-Leap
1. Start off with your hands touching the ground in a squatted position.
2. Shoot your legs straight back and land on the balls of of your feet right into the top position of a push up.
3. Do a optional push up then shoot your legs back together towards your hands, landing back in the bottom Squat position.
4. From the bottom Squat position leap up and reach up for the sky then land back down into the starting position which is the
bottom position of the squat.
Reasons to do Burpees
Burpees can be considered the Holy grail of full body weight exercises. They are widely used in the Military, Football teams, and
popular exercise programs such as exercise Boot Camps because of it’s high ability of challenging your Cardio and Strength levels.
1. Fat Loss:Because Burpees require so much energy when doing them because you are required to use your whole body, they are fantastic at
increasing your metabolism which will increase the amount of calories your burn throughout the day. If you are pressed for time in the morning
and are looking to get rid of that muffin top or spare tire..doing a few sets of burpees could be what you need.
2. Strength:When Performing a Burpee correctly, you are using almost every muscle in your body. When done correctly
you will be combining some of the most challenging exercises that involve major muscle groups and area such as legs, abs, arms, chest and core.
3. Conditioning:Even though conditioning has no visual advantages to it. …having the ability to do a several sets of burpee’s
will definitely mean you will be able to run, jog, walk, ride a bike, play a sport or hobby better and longer.
4. Convenience:Burpees can be done anywhere. You don’t need any fancy equipment or expensive health club membership.
You can do them in your room, office or even your hotel room. The hardest part will be getting the motivation to actually get your butt
up and actually start doing them.
Check out this video of Mike Rowe doing a Burpee workout!
The Burpee workout Mike Rowe did is called the descending latter.
1.Start with a set of 10 burpees.
2.Rest one minute
3.Then do a set of 9
4. Rest one minute
5. Set of 8
6. Rest one minute
…… Continue lowering your reps by one on each set until you reach just one rep.
By the Time you get to 1 Burpee, you should be gasping for air and your legs should be feeling like Jello!
Things to note:
-Make sure you take your time with doing burpees, it’s important to get correct form..it’s easy to get real sloppy quick
-Don’t do Burpees on a full stomach unless you plan on not wanting to keep that food in you.
-Don’t worry if you can’t complete the whole workout, you can always stop and try again later.
-As always have fun…once you get this down, challenge your friends or husband to see who can finish the workout first.
Make sure to leave a comment below, I love to hear your thoughts!
Exercise at ANY age in New Orleans
So you’ve slacked off a bit and avoided exercise in New Orleans.
Maybe your job demands too much of your time or you simply fell out of the routine because of the Saints going to the Super Bowl and upcoming Mardi Grass events. I have news for you. Whether you’ve taken off one year, ten years or haven’t exercised a day in your life – it’s never too late to start.
You see there are problems with living a life devoid of exercise. Big problems.
Your weight rises along with your blood pressure and cholesterol. Your muscles and joints degenerate at an astounding rate leaving you with daily aches and pains. Your body becomes weak, making you susceptible to all kinds of medical issues.
Why Should I Start Now?You’ve heard about the benefits that consistent exercise bring, but what if you haven’t been consistent? Should you even start at all? This has been the subject of many medical studies and the results are unanimous:
Exercise in New Orleans helps improve your quality of life even if you start late.
Researchers are constantly finding new benefits to consistent exercise. It’s no wonder that Dr. Robert Butler, of the National Institute on Aging, once said“If exercise could be put into a pill, it would be the single most prescribed medicine in the world.”
Imagine if a pill could offer all of these benefits (without harmful side effects):
Substantially reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and osteoporosis
Decreases the risk for stroke, colon cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure
Helps to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight
Contributes to healthy bones, muscles and joints
Helps relieve anxiety and depression
Promotes well-being and reduces stress
Is associated with fewer doctor visits, hospitalizations and medications
Helps prevent and treat chronic medical conditions associated with old age
Increases energy levels and promotes sound sleep
Strengthens immune system
I know that I would take that pill – wouldn’t you? Exercise may not be something that you can gulp down with a glass of water, but it will offer you all of the above benefits that can greatly enhance your quality of life.Excuses, excuses, excuses…I know what you are thinking. Those benefits sound great, but I can’t exercise because:
Exercise is painful.Not if you do the type most suitable for you.
Exercise is boring. Most people who exercise find it to be quite enjoyable.
Exercise takes too long. It only takes 30-60 minutes a day.
Exercise is confusing. Not when you work with a trained professional (me).
Exercise if for young people.Studies have shown that exercise if for all ages.
Get Started the Right Way. Many people have started an exercise program only to quit days later. Now that you have decided that exercise may be worth your time after all, ensure your success with the following tips:
Make a Commitment
You know the meaning and value of a solid commitment. It’s in your blood. So don’t view exercise as something you will merely try. You will only reap the true benefits of exercise when you stick with it.A great way to reinforce your commitment is to solicit the support of your friends and family. Tell them how you plan to improve your health and quality of life through exercise – who knows, they may join you.
Set Reachable Goals
This is an immensely important ingredient to your success. Don’t start your exercise program with unreasonable expectations. If you expect to lose all of your unwanted pounds, drop your blood pressure and cure your joint pain all in one week then you will be sorely disappointed.Remember that it took years for your body to fall out of shape so it makes sense that it will take some time to regain it. The key to unlocking all of the benefits of exercise lies in one word: consistency. Only then will your body be transformed.
Rearrange Your Schedule
They say that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. This may be because his schedule simply didn’t allow for it. The truth is that as we age there is a tendency to become ’stuck in our ways.’ The thought of rearranging your schedule may leave you a bit squeamish.Remind yourself that exercise is worth your time and then think long and hard about your daily schedule. The fact is that you do have time to lend toward exercise – you simply need to find it. Set aside 30-60 minutes for exercise and then stick with it.
Increase the Challenge
You should start your New Orleans exercise program with the thought of easing into it.
Since you haven’t exercised in awhile your body will need to build up strength and endurance.
Consider a car that has been sitting in your garage for years. You wouldn’t turn it on and instantly slam down on the gas would you? You need to warm it up.
However, this warm up period should not last forever. Your body has an amazing ability to adapt to new challenges and will grow complacent when asked to do the same exercises over and over.
When your routine begins to feel easy take that as a hint to increase the challenge.I want to help you achieve all of the benefits that consistent exercise can bring you. Don’t let another day pass you by. You deserve the good life.
Make sure you leave a comment below! I love to hear your thoughts!
From time to time I like to share“Personal Moments” with my readers and clients to let them know, I’m just not this…
“Super Serious Fitness Dude who Lives and Breathes Exercise and Boot Camp All Day in New Orleans“ And even though, I LOVE my Profession and I’m VERY Passionate about it….. My main focus and True Passion in my Life is spending time with my daughter Alysse!
I made this video about a year ago when I first got my “Flip cam”.
At the time I had just finished taking my daughter to go see the Movie, High School Musical 3.
In the video my daughter is re-creating a dance number in the movie that they sung to called “You got 16 Minutes”.
Really I have no idea what the songs name is all I know is that they repeated the words “16 minutes” about 30 times.
Anyway checkout the video and at the end you will see my daughter actually takes the camera from me and starts asking me questions!
Make sure you leave a comment below! I love to hear your thoughts! New Orleans Boot Camp
One of the amazing things about New Orleans Boot Camp is that allows women at any Shape, Size, Age, and Fitness level to Get Results!
Check out these videos to see what I’m talking about!
“Noticed a lot of inches lost, Fun and Motivational”
“Lost inches All Over Her Body and 15 Pounds at New Orleans Boot Camp”
” Lost 5 inches and 4 pounds, Notices HUGE difference in Legs and clothes Fit Better!”
“First time working out, Saw Great Results, Lost A lot of Inches All Over and Really Pleased With New Orleans Boot Camp!”
All of these women are serious action takers AND They did their part in fulfilling what needed to be done to get Great results!
