Best Fitness Blog

You are busy, and when you are busy you exercise less and don’t eat as well as you should. But the key to weight loss is burning more calories than you take in, but also eating healthy. You may think you eat fine, but if you take a few minutes to evaluate what you eat, you may start to notice some unhealthy habits. The first question that you should ask yourself is: What types of processed foods do you eat?

Processed foods have added fats and sugars to make them taste better, last longer and cook faster. This hidden extras add on the calories more quickly than most of us realize. Because of this, the typical American diet is loaded with sugar, fat, and sodium, often leading to high blood pressure, low energy, and poor digestion. The best way to reduce your risk for many diseases and health issues is to choose natural and minimally processed foods. Often called “eating clean”.

If you want to eat clean, you need to eat the least processed food with the most nutrients. How? No more fast foods, no more frozen food aisle at the grocery store, choose fresh vegetables and fruits over canned or frozen.

Choose foods that are low in fat, high in fiber, with essential vitamins and minerals. This will control blood sugar, give you more energy for exercise and give you the fiber that you need for better and healthy digestion.

Eating a less processed, healthy diet along with increased exercise can boost your metabolism and help you lose weight. Replacing fast foods and processed foods can help you eat less calories overall and increase the amount of fiber you eat. Additionally, high-fiber whole grains, vegetables, and fruits will help you feel fuller longer causing you to eat less. Did you know that people who eat an additional 14 grams of fiber a day eat 10% less throughout the day.?

...By Karli Taylor

You have heard it before -- if you want to know the state of your health, turn your attention to your waistline. Waist circumference is getting a lot of attention as the new risk factor for future health problems, even becoming more popular than the old standard of BMI. Why? It’s because belly fat is thought to be more dangerous than fat that pads other parts of your body. Even people who look to be “skinny” should be concerned if they hold any extra baggage around the middle.

Your body needs some fat, but where the fat is on your body makes a big difference. Fat can behave differently in different places, and the stuff that lies along your midsection has been proven to be the most unhealthy. There are two types of fat that can live around your waistline, the first is subcutaneous fat, or the fat just under your skin. This is the fat that you can pinch with your fingers. Though it is what most of us concern ourselves with, it’s actually the lesser of the two evils. It’s the visceral fat, the belly fat that hides deep inside, around your inner organs, that may pose a silent health threat if there's too much of it.

There are four keys to losing visceral fat: exercise, diet, sleep, and stress management.

Though there are no specific moves or activities that lessen visceral fat, by including both cardiovascular and resistance exercise into your daily routing you will be able to burn off fat while you are exercising and add lean mass that will continue to burn fat while you are at rest.

It has been proven that 30 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, done four times per week, reduced subcutaneous and visceral abdominal fat. Resistance training alone reduced only subcutaneous fat. However a stronger, leaner body burns more calories at rest so it is always best to do cardio as well as strength training to accomplish your weight loss goals.

Contact Best Fitness in your area for assistance in creating a weight loss plan that incorporates the loss of belly fat.

Visit one of our Best Fitness Clubs to learn even more about this topic. We have locations in Albany,NY, Tonawanda, NY, Schenectady, NY, Erie, PA, Nashua, NH, Chelmsford, MA, and Drum Hill, MA.

...By Karli Tayor

Being active is an important part of any weight-loss or weight-maintenance program. When you're active, your body uses more calories. When you use more calories than you take in, you lose weight. It really is that simple!

Because 3,500 calories equals about 1 pound of fat, you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose 1 pound. So if you cut 500 calories from your diet each day, you'd lose about 1 pound a week (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories). Similarly, if you eat exactly the same amount, but burn an extra 500 each day, you will see the same results.

I’m sure you know where I’m going with this right? Now if you were to cut 500 calories a day AND burn 500 calories a day, you would be able to lose 2 pounds a week and reach your goals even more quickly! Though weight loss can be achieved through diet alone or from exercise alone, it is much more efficient, and much better for the health of your body in the long run to combine the two.

While it is recommended that most healthy adults follow the guidelines set below, your specific goals may impact the amount and type of exercise that will work best for you. The general guidelines are:

• Do at least two hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity (think brisk walking or swimming) or one hour and 15 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity (such as running) — preferably spread throughout the week.
• Strength train at least twice a week.

The chart below shows the estimated number of calories burned while doing various exercises for one hour.

Mayo Clinic

Keep in mind that this chart does not take into consideration a number of individualized factors that may impact caloric burn- it should be used only as an estimate. For a more individualized number, seek help from a fitness professional to learn your rate of calorie burn.

Visit one of our Best Fitness Clubs to learn even more about this topic. We have locations in Albany,NY, Tonawanda, NY, Schenectady, NY, Erie, PA, Nashua, NH, Chelmsford, MA, and Drum Hill, MA.

...By Karli Tayor

If you are a woman over 40 who wants to lose weight, you may have realized that it is a totally different ball game than it was when you were in your 20’s.

Not only do you have a slower metabolism; you may also be experiencing a hormone imbalance which can cause fluid retention, bloating, poor thyroid functions and weight gain. Though these things may seem like you are beginning a losing battle, all hope should not be lost! Weight loss is still possible, the process is just a bit different.

Over 40, dieting may no longer provide the best results. As you age, your body will not respond to quick fixes and short term plans like it may have at one time. When you are over 40, rather than dieting, you need to change your lifestyle to make it healthier. An over 40 diet needs to be different than your diet was when you were younger. Choose foods with higher nutrient value that provide more of the things you need for energy with fewer calories while avoiding eating out and pre-packaged meals which are common to the lifestyle of woman today.

Keep in mind that labels can be deceiving. Many foods labeled low-sugar often contain extra fat or salt instead of sugar to help the taste and texture. Similarly, many “low-fat” foods are loaded with excess sugar for the same reasons. Though life may get hectic, taking the time to prepare fresh foods will not only help keep your weight in check, but will also help keep you healthy.

"No time to exercise” is often a mantra of women over 40. But middle aged women must incorporate physical activity into their schedule. In fact, if you want it to fit in, you can fit exercise into your schedule. But you can add little things to your daily routine, such as parking farther away, take the stairs rather than the elevator and walking on your lunch hour. Increasing physical activity in your daily routine can have a large impact on your weight loss goals.

Believe it or not, a good night's sleep is essential for weight loss. Unfortunately, many women don’t get an adequate amount of sleep because of their busy lifestyle. It is important to get 6-8 hours of sleep a night, so if you want to lose weight, learn techniques to relax so you can sleep at night.

Lastly, don’t forget about the power of drinking enough water. Make a habit of keeping a water bottle with you at all times. Drinking water is one of the best things you can do for your health and it help your kidneys, helps your body detox, and it improves bowel movements. Keep a water bottle on your desk at work.

If you are a woman over 40 and you want to lose weight, contact Best Fitness in your area for help.

Visit one of our Best Fitness Clubs to learn even more about this topic. We have locations in Albany,NY, Tonawanda, NY, Schenectady, NY, Erie, PA, Nashua, NH, Chelmsford, MA, and Drum Hill, MA.

...By Karli Taylor

It is one thing to change your attitudes toward food and exercise when you are actively trying to lose weight, but those habits need to remain intact once the weight is off in order to maintain your weight loss. In short, permanent behavior change is necessary to effect long lasting physical change.

One of the best gifts you can give yourself whether you want to lose weight or not, is the gift of a personal trainer.

A personal trainer can create a program for you with your current fitness level and goals in mind. But more importantly, a personal trainer can help you stay motivated. Trainers provide education, support, and accountability. Just the fact that you have paid money for a personal trainer will help you keep your appointments.

Personal trainers will help you exercise at a level that is right for you, and can help push you to new levels. A good personal trainer can help you target the areas you want to work on and provide the right combination of machines, cardiovascular activity, and functional strength exercises for you.

Goals like building strength, improving posture, decreasing body fat, and staying fit, flexible and healthy are ones that can be capitalized on with a personal trainer. Clear goals keep you focused and moving steadily forward every day. Contact Best Fitness in your area to schedule personal training for weight loss.

Visit one of our Best Fitness Clubs to learn even more about this topic. We have locations in Albany,NY, Tonawanda, NY, Schenectady, NY, Erie, PA, Nashua, NH, Chelmsford, MA, and Drum Hill, MA.

... By Karli Taylor

Now that you have forever banished on-your-knees push-ups from your workout vocabulary, the next obstacle standing in your way from being a total fitness buff is that pull up bar… The pull-up has been haunting many of us since grade school fitness testing, and surprisingly is equally as hard for men as it is for women. By adding the following moves to your weekly fitness routine, you will be seeing the view from above the bar in no time.

First things first- get used to holding your body weight up off of the ground. Simply practice hanging from a bar with straight arms, hands shoulder width apart and palms forward. Until you can hang tight for 90 seconds, this is as far as your pull-up training should go.

Once you have mastered the bottom half of the move, it’s time to work on the top. Stand on a bench or a chair that is high enough to place your chin just above the bar. Grab on to the bar slightly wider than shoulder width with your elbows bent by your sides. Step off and hold yourself up over the bar for as long as possible. Once you can hold for 30 seconds, it’s time to progress!

Sometimes a little negativity is a positive thing- in motion that is, not in attitude. Start in the same position that you have been practicing, but this time, allow yourself to drop to a straight arm hang. Control the movement and try to fight the pull of gravity all the way to the bottom. Once 5 or 6 repetitions of this gets easy, it’s time to move to the final step!

Starting from the bottom, there are a few techniques that will get your body used to the pull-up. If your gym has an assisted pull-up machine, you are in luck. Set the weight to a little less than half of your body weight and do 5 or 6 repetitions. If you do not have access to an assisted pull-up machine, have your workout buddy or trainer assist you on each upward pull. Once you can get 6 done with ease, you should be able to do a real pull-up or two on your own!

... by Karli Taylor

Yes, I know- we were all taught to eat 3 squares every single day. The more we have have learned about the body and the way it metabolizes food however, the more we learn that there may be a better way.

What I want you to do is hold out both of your hands in front of you with your palms facing up and your little fingers just touching- like you are forming a bowl. This is the amount of food that your body can efficiently digest at one time. yup- that's it! It doesn't matter if its lettuce or m&m's- that is all you should eat at one sitting.

I'm sure you are thinking that if that was breakfast, by lunchtime you'd be eating your arm. Well- the good news is that you need to eat the same amount of food between breakfast and lunch- and again between lunch and dinner. The terms may get confusing-breakfast, brunch, lunch 1 & 2, pre-dinner? Who knows, maybe we as a group can coin the term linner.

Semantics aside, this way of eating will keep that internal fire called your metabolism burning steadily all day long. The food becomes the log added to the fire every 2-3 hours making the flame never fully extinguish.

So this week, try to visualize that portion size every time you sit down to eat- and try to eat AT LEAST 5 times a day. After eating this way for 2 whole weeks, you will find that you will be full after a smaller amount of food, and will truly be hungry every 2 hours.

... By Karli Taylor

I hope you are sitting down for this one: After the age of 20, if you do not add activity to your day or cut calories, you will gain approximately one pound each year.

Now that I’ve gotten your attention, what if I told you that you don’t have to do anything drastic to keep that weight from creeping up on you? Feel better? Keep reading.

If you walked an average of 150 extra steps every single day, you will avoid that weight gain. That is the equivalent of walking for 3 minutes that you would normally be sitting. You can accomplish this simply by pacing your office or home while on the phone or parking a little bit further away from the front door or your office or grocery store.

Can’t find extra time during your average day to sneak in a few steps? You can accomplish the same thing by going to the gym for 30 minutes 10 times a year- yes- a year!

Now, let’s say you don’t just want to maintain your weight, but you’d like to lose a pound every year as you age. All you have to do is double those numbers and enjoy the benefits of virtually reversing the aging process!

The bottom line is simple: weight gain happens slowly over time. SO slowly, that sometimes we don’t see it until it’s too late and we have gained 20-30 pounds. Start being conscious of the amount of activity you do each day, and this sneaky weight gain will never impact your lifestyle!

... By Karli Taylor

Tis the season for holiday parties- both at the office and on the weekends.  We all know that we can’t possibly avoid ALL of them,  nor should we try.  There is no reason to shy away from the holiday festivities just because we are afraid of gaining those holiday pounds.  There are ways to enjoy the fun AND still fit in your favorite party outfit for New Years Eve. Here are a few tips to help keep out bellies from  shaking like bowls full of jelly :

• No matter what, exercise an hour a day, 4-5 days a week during the holidays. You can even exercise in 10 minute bursts throughout the day.  If you absolutely can’t fit in some kind of structured exercise, be conscious about increasing your normal daily activity throughout the day- park further away, take the stairs etc.
• Don't skip meals. Eat small snacks if you are saving up calories for a big feast. Skipping meals slows down your metabolism, leads to hunger, low energy levels and improper food choices.
• Don't pass up favorite foods or deprive yourself completely.   Allow yourself to have those things that you truly enjoy and do so in moderation.  If you deprive yourself completely, you will only crave those things more.
•  Don't go to a party starving. Before you leave home, eat something light.  Also, drink a extra  water the day of the party.
• Park  yourself as far away from the buffet table as you can. The harder it is to slip some extra goodies onto your plate, the less likely you are to do it!
• Alcoholic beverages pack on the calories so if you're going to drink alcohol, stick to light beer or something mixed with a diet soft drink or seltzer. Steer clear of  the eggnog, it is high in calories and fat.
• Most importantly, take the focus off of what is going into your mouth! Try to enjoy the season, not just the food!