Burning more calories than you consume on a daily basis is the key to losing weight. You can try the fanciest diet in the world, but when it comes right down to it, eating less and exercising more is essentially what you’re doing. At the beginning of the diet, you’ll probably find that shedding the pounds comes fairly easily. However, there will always be a point when weight loss may no longer occur. A week, or even a month may pass with the same number registering everytime you step on the scale, despite your best efforts at sticking religiously to your diet.

If your diet is giving you sufficient nutrients to sustain your health and your exercise regimen is still burning those excess calories, then it may be your habits that are preventing you from losing weight. 3 reasons why your diet isn’t effective anymore may be due to the following 3 points:

1. You’re stressed out, all the time. Even though you might not be gorging on snacks, boozing, or smoking to help you relax, stress can still be detrminetal to weight loss. It sends your hormones out of whack, preparing your body for tough times. Stress not only slows your metabolism, it also facilitates fat storage and boosts your cravings for sweet and starchy foods, since “tough times” to your body means food scarcity (probably harking back to the past as a method of self preservation when food supplies were not as stable as today). It’s a little counter productive if you’re on a diet, isn’t it?

We know – everyone has stress in their lives. However, those of us who are constantly under pressure tend to have the most difficulty maintaining healthy and controlled weight loss.

Solution? Deal with the stress by solving the problem, practicing breathing and meditative exercises, or indulging yourself in things you enjoy. Gentle stretching can also help.

2. Over exercising. Exercise is good, but not if you overdo it. Spending 5 hours at the gym pumping weights and running for miles on the treadmill may work for a professional athlete, but it’s probably way too much for the average person. The huge discrepancy between caloric output and input causes the body to store fat, since you’re actually putting it into starvation mode. It can also cause serious wear and tear on your body, making you more prone to injury.

Solution? You can exercise most days of the week, but experts say that gentler activity is much more effective than long, drawn out sessions filled with grunting and holding your breath. Even better, follow an exercise regimen as outlined by your physician and the advice of your personal trainer.

3.  Sleep deprivation. And yet another form of stress, not sleeping enough is one of the worst things you can do to your body (regardless of whether you’re on a diet or not). Lack of sleep increases levels of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates the appetite. It also messes up your metabolism and doesn’t allow the body to release toxins and repair itself.

Solution? Get more sleep! While everyone’s requirements are different, aim for at least 8 hours of sleep a night.

Special offer expires March 31, 2010, so act now before it’s too late!

Get rid of the idea that it’s just for little girls with pigtails playing outside – skipping is a great way to boost cardiovascular fitness, helping to trim and tone the body. It increases endurance and helps improves speed, positively affecting your ability in any sport that requires such qualities, including martial arts, basketball, and badminton. If you’ve got to stay light on your feet, then adding a skipping component to your exercise regimen is ideal.

Remember to do the following:
bend at the wrist only, keeping the arms soft
stick to little jumps to maintain speed
only skip on a padded floor, since concrete floors can be damaging to the joints

It’s not as easy as you think, you know! There are many people out there who don’t know how to skip, or to skip more than a few seconds.

Need more info? Watch the video – it may help. And don’t be surprised if your personal trainer asks you to do a few minutes of skipping.

The title may not sound interesting to you, but if you’re concerned about building muscle, read on.

Anabolic and catabolic refer to states the human body is in at any given time, in relation to the muscles. Basically, if you’re in an anabolic state, your muscles are building and growing. If you’re in a catabolic state, your muscles are breaking down and shrinking.

Anabolic State
Obviously, it’s the state preferred by most of us who want to maintain or increase muscle mass. While it may sound like you have to constantly pump iron to remain in an anabolic state, this couldn’t be further from the truth. All you really have to do is this:

1. Eat a balanced diet (that includes carbs and low-fat protein), preferably consisting of smaller portions several times throughout the day, including right after you work out. You want to aim for protein and carb “mini-meals” every couple of hours. This provides your body with a consistent stream of food to convert into energy. When you don’t have enough food, your body will just steal muscle tissue to convert into energy (dieters beware: this means you shouldn’t under eat either). And don’t forget the most important meal of the day: breakfast!

2. Did you know that your muscle grows when you’re actually not working on it? That means you need to give your body time to let it build up, which is why you have to take a day or two off to rest before you work on an area again when strength training. How long you rest is just as important as how long you work out.

3. Don’t overtrain. Doing countless reps and sets simply overexerts your body and can easily damage muscles, actually forcing it into the catabolic state. It’s best to do reps and sets in a number that suitably achieves your desired outcome. For example, if you’re muscle building (hypertrophy), you may need to do moderately heavier weight with a higher number of reps and sets. For this reason, talking to a personal trainer in Toronto will help you determine the most suitable exercise regimen for you – something that isn’t counterproductive and will maximize the time your body remains in an anabolic state.

There’s no way we can stop our bodies from entering the catabolic state, since it would be abnormal if we did. But these tips can help you avoid it as much as possible.

High blood pressure is dangerous because it has been related to a slew of medical problems, from heart disease to eye damage. One or two blood pressure readings over 120/80 (considered normal) may not indicate you have hypertension – which is why your doctor takes a number of readings before determining your state. If the average is over 140/90, then you’ll most likely be diagnosed as having hypertension, and you’ll have to start making some lifestyle changes to control it.

One of the best ways to lower high blood pressure is through exercise. Most experts believe that gentle exercise that’s at a low intensity and performed on a routine basis is much more effective and safer than sessions of prolonged hard core aerobic and anaerobic activity.

So does that mean you have to give up weightlifting and strength training if you’ve got hypertension?

Absolutely not. You’ll just have to change how you do it.

Blood measure readings can go through the roof when powerlifting, especially when holding the weight above your head for sustained periods of time. Plus, readings can continue to teeter on the edge well after you’ve finished.

To keep readings manageable and do something that actually helps rather than harms, you’ll have to reduce the weight low enough that allows you to do about 12-15 for each set without seriously straining or holding your breath. Unfortunately, this may not achieve the bloated muscle popular with bodybuilders, but it can still build some serious strength and power when performed correctly. Don’t know how to do it correctly? Talk to a Personal Trainer Toronto for more info.

Before beginning any fitness program, always consult your physician. This is particularly important for those suffering from hypertension.

At these times, your energy levels are probably at an all time low. If your muscles aren’t aching, you aren’t sick, or you don’t have another more pressing engagement to commit to, then you have no real excuse that’s preventing you from working out. The only thing you’ll need to do is to boost your energy levels, which will put your body and mind in a better state for exercise.

Here are 4 surefire ways to boost your energy levels when your Personal Trainer isn’t around:

1. Low energy levels are often related to low blood sugar levels (BSL). A low BSL doesn’t just make your body feel sluggish, it can also negatively impact your mental state, making you feel cranky, stressed out and pessimistic. This makes it even more difficult to exercise, since your mindset will help you supply a number of self defeatist excuses.

To maintain healthy blood sugar levels, all you have to do is eat all day. Sounds like a pretty good deal, huh? The only thing you have to remember, though, is that what you eat has to be nutritious, which means instead of chips and cookies, you’ve got to eat vegetables, fruits and whole grains, with occasional lean protein. If you don’t have the luxury  to snack all day, then eat something about 30 minutes or less prior to your scheduled work out. Choose something that’s rich in simple carbs with some protein (about 20% protein). Avoid sweets and other sugary foods. Although you’ll feel great right after you eat them, your energy levels will crash minutes later, causing you to feel worse than before.

2. Take a 5 minute walk outside. This can help get the blood circulating, which is enough to kickstart some people. Or it just might make you want to keep walking, long enough to sufficiently become your actual cardiovascular work out!

3. Drink black tea, coffee or other beverage with caffeine about 1 hour before your scheduled work out. The caffeine will provide a quick boost that’ll help you get to the gym.  Avoid drinking caffeinated drinks regularly throughout the day, however.

4. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to avoid dehydration (6-8 cups for the average sized person), and 1-2 cups about half an hour before exercising.

Parties, family dinners and edible presents – it’s a dieter’s worst time of the year. Christmas and the New Year translate into, what seems like, endless days of eating and drinking without much care for control. Most of us fall off of the wagon and don’t bother getting back on until January 1, when we vow to reach our goal weight when we’re bloated and hung over, writing out our New Year’s resolutions. (It’s not surprising that it’s Personal Trainer Toronto’s busiest time of the year!) Treating yourself can help to maintain your sanity while you’re dieting, but we tend to go overboard when on holiday, thinking it’s okay since it’s just one or two days and we’ve been good all year.

Binging is not healthy behaviour. It can stretch the stomach, slow the metabolism and make you gain weight more easily, thereby undoing all of the effort you’ve invested thus far. Remember: 3,500 extra calories translates into a pound of weight, and we gain an average of about 1 pound come the first of the new year.

But there’s no need to refuse invitations to parties or turn your nose up at all of the food you’re offered  this season. Just follow these tips instead:

1. Nibble on bread and crackers without dips or spreads, or if you have no choice, opt for the lower calorie types made with yogurt or reduced fat ingredients.

2. Spreadable cheese like Brie and Camembert are loaded with fat. Avoid them like the plague!

3. Remove the skin from your Christmas turkey. It’s where most of the calories hide.

4. Pie crust is packed with fat. For a healthier alternative, choose filo pastry instead.

5. White wine has fewer calories than red wine and champagne.

6. Stay away from the buffet table and go mingle, or better yet, get on the dance floor! It’s time to burn some calories!

7. Want to snack on something salty? Replace that handful of chips or salted nuts with pickles or olives instead.

8. For sweets, avoid chocolates (unless dark) and other “creamy” confectionery. They usually have a higher caloric content than candy made from just sugar and flavouring. Choose gummy bears, drops and candy canes.

Here are some pictures of the event.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

The year’s almost over and the holidays are here. Time to gorge on food and relax, right?

Wrong!

Even though exercising and your diet are probably the last things on your mind at the moment, avoid feeling guilty come the new year. It’s time to sign up now with Personal Trainer Toronto and save!

So what do you get? Imagine 12 private personal training sessions for only $500.00! That’s an unbeatable $41.67 per one-hour session with just you and a dedicated personal trainer, following a uniquely tailored program to achieve whatever your personal fitness goals are. Regular prices for fitness programs start from $49, so you’re saving at least $7.33.

The offer expires 31 Jan 2010, so act now before it’s too late!

Martial Arts Classes

Bored of pumping weights and the treadmill? Try a different tactic to get into shape. We also offer martial arts programs that are guaranteed to get you toned and trim, while at the same time learning the essentials of self defence.

Take advantage of our special pricing for group classes. You get 18 classes for $150.00. (If you’re already a client, don’t worry – we’ll give you a special rate for any additional classes you sign up for at the moment, too!) That’s $8.33 per class, discounted from the regular price of  $9.38 per class. Again, the offer expires 31 Jan 2010, so don’t wait!

With autumn in full swing, many of us who dread the cold and dreary weather find exercising more difficult. Plunging temperatures and cloudy skies make the outdoors inhospitable to exercises like running and walking, or even fun activities like playing sports. Who wants to bundle up just to get sweaty underneath all of those layers of clothing?

You may think that the gym is the only solution to maintaining your exercise regimen on colder days, but it’s not. When your personal trainer isn’t around to help, think outside the gym. Instead of running on the treadmill or doing a stint on the stair climber, do something that burns calories and increases your productivity: do some chores!

The fall is a great time to get outside and do that yardwork you’ve been putting off.

Start by raking up all of those leaves lying around, suffocating the lawn. Place them in a bag for pickup, or if you’ve got a garden and potted plants, keep them since they make a great mulch that provides nutrients for soil. Burn 236 calories an hour if you’re 130lbs, 281 calories if 155lbs and 345 calories if 190lbs.

After you’ve cleaned up the leaves, follow with some gardening to prepare your yard for the winter and spring. Pull up weeds, plant bulbs of flowers you’d like to bloom in the spring (e.g. lilies), and remove any spent plants that won’t be returning next year. Burn 295 calories if you’re 130lbs, 352 calories if your 155lbs and 431 calories if 190lbs.

Just because the fall is here, it doesn’t mean you can forget about lawn care. You’ll still need to mow the grass, with a manual push mower, of course! That will help build some muscle and strengthen your core. Burn 325 calories if you’re 130lbs, 387 calories if your 155lbs and 474 calories if 190lbs.

And finally, the gutters. Cleaning the gutters will help with rainfall levels that are usually heavier this time of year. This task can be dangerous, so make sure you get someone to help you keep the ladder steady. Burn 207 calories if you’re 130lbs, 246 calories if your 155lbs and 302 calories if 190lbs. Or, you can go apple picking instead, since it’ll burn the same amount of calories if you carry the apples with you.