Weight Loss — Better Body San Diego

Start Somewhere

February 1, 2012 By Blake Leave a Comment

Still not a breakfast eater are ya? Mom was right in that breakfast IS the most important of all meals. It is the meal that kick starts your day and should be the highest calorie meal of your day. I know I know, you don’t have time, you never have eaten breakfast, you hate eggs, you’re not hungry, you grab n go coffee. I get it. But start somewhere. Your body as it slept last night repaired itself from all of the damages you laid in to it yesterday and prepared itself for the next round today. But it takes work to fix you. IT IS hungry. Your last calorie intake was when? What? Yep that’s right it was last night sometime, early or late, good or bad content. So your body works all night for YOU, in reality burning the midnight oil to get you lined up to take on today. Breakfast is about breaking the fast of not eating over the time period in which you slept, and your body continued its’ toiling over your repair and preparedness. Do with out a “break the fast” meal, and the body slows down metabolically working at a less than optimum pace, robbing you of restorative calorie input to get the most from your body.

Look, start simple but start somewhere. How about a meal replacement shake to begin the day’s journey? It is simple, easily obtained from a variety of sources and can provide balanced nutrients and calories. It’s a start yes? Get in the habit of at least this. In a few days or perhaps a week or two you’ll find that you ARE hungry when you awaken, and you can then add a cereal, oatmeal or bagel to the line up and then pretty soon you’ll be a full fledged breakfast eater. Your body learns and adapts to what you teach it in the gym or at the table. Do the same things in the gym, teach your body just that, and get no results. Teach it to go hungry by not eating breakfast, it learns to live with it. “Learns to live with it” does not mean it likes to live with it. Want to live better? Want to train smarter and get better results faster? Eat breakfast! For more information call us today! Fitness Together 619-794-0014 and join us on Facebook at Fitness Together San Diego-Mission Hills.

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Your Resolution Solution

January 10, 2012 By Blake Leave a Comment

Resolutions are merely a group of solutions that you intend to find and use as you move forward on the road of self improvement. The important thing is to seek out those solutions and embrace your new beginning with anticipation, positive attitude, visualizing the end goal as being already accomplished. That is, “live as if” it has already happened. It may not be as much about the end goal as it is about the steps, that is, the solutions needed along the way to realize the goal. If our solutions are out of line, or our goal too high, we’ll easily defeat ourselves regardless of the living “as if” principle. The most significant solution is to visualize you now “as if” the resolution has been obtained. Those who use visualization are 6 times more likely to reach their goal. You, living today “as if”, helps you fend off temptations more readily. If your resolution is to be a more healthy and active for example, you have to be asking yourself today, “would an active healthy person do this” behavior you are currently contemplating? If the answer is no, then do as they do becomes your mantra rather easily. “An active healthy person would not do this, nor will I.”

We all have to deal with the part of us that wants to do better, as well as the part that is resistant to change. We all know that voice inside that whispers “I can’t do it”.

You want to eat better and be more active…..

You want to stop smoking……..

You want to better manage money……..

You want to lose weight……..

Future vision, that is seeing who you are going to become, and living as that person today combined with tracking progress creates “I can do it.” Kaiser published a study last year focusing on the efficacy of various weight loss programs in more than 1500 overweight adults, showing that after 5 months participants lost on average 13 pounds. However, those that used a food diary to track progress almost lost twice as much, and perhaps more importantly they kept the weight off. Tracking creates visualization, accountability and self reward.

Wishing is passive, resolving is action oriented. ”I hope I can lose 20 pounds in 2012”, is different from “I am going to lose 20 pounds and here are the steps (the solutions) I plan to take in order to accomplish it.” In a wish there is no commitment, no action. In commitment there is clear understanding that it “won’t be easy, I expect some set backs but I am ready to fight for what I want.” Visualizing yourself as a lighter, more confident you, combined with smart solutions and tracking, then actually living today “as if” you’ve already lost the weight keeps you on track. In essence it negates “I can’t do it” because you see it in your minds eye, you then live it now, and it’s reinforced in your tracking.

Break Big Goals down to smaller solutions

Track progress

Visualize

Live “as if”

The New Year has begun and you are pumped up about it, full of hope and anticipation at a brand new YOU! “This year I am going to do it!!” Correct? Believing in yourself is THE most important solution to your resolution. You can DO IT! Believe, Achieve.

For more information on how to stick to it, call Fitness Together 619-794-0014. Join us on Facebook at Fitness Together San Diego – Mission Hills.

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Application Makes All The Difference

November 9, 2011 By Gwen Leave a Comment

You’ve decided, “I’m going to get into shape”. You are motivated, you are determined; you are ready to get after it. There’s no stopping you, this time. A delicious ad for a treadmill appears, and “that’s it”, “I’ll buy a tread mill and use it everyday”. You execute your purchase, obtain delivery and set up your new “get fit now treadmill” and you are off to the races. But wait a minute, “I need some new “get fit clothes”. So, you go out and buy the newest whisk away sweat, svelte trendy outerwear. Heck, just trying on the stuff makes you feel tighter, and fit. “I feel good” you exclaim as you look in the mirror at your new fitness attire. At first you’re so excited because you’re going to get in shape! You get the chart out, you go on the internet, find the exercises and you get a routine and you get all that stuff prepared. You have the equipment and the clothes, but up to that point, are you any more fit or healthy? No. Because application makes all the difference!

Now, for some, your exercise equipment has evolved into, like, a clothes hanger hasn’t it? You’ve got clothes hanging on the rails of your treadmill, boxes on the tread, and dust in most places. Simply buying the exercise equipment was kind of a fitness experience. There was euphoria of “I’m going to get into shape”, but what you discovered was that owning exercise equipment doesn’t do it. Because, application makes all the difference. It’s in the doing, the consistent doing that gets one in shape.

Have you have ever purchased a book on a specific diet you plan to go on? You bought the diet book, you started reading and understanding and highlighting. You’re so excited, you have that feeling again of “I’m going to get into shape” and you go to your pantry and throw a bunch of stuff out. You might have even gone to a health food store and bought some healthy foods. You’re moving in the right direction, but having read the book and having cleaned out your pantry….have you made any REAL progress yet? No. Because, application makes all the difference. Buying the stuff, committing to the stuff, believing in the stuff, paying your bills for the stuff, intending to get into shape, telling your friends about your plans, doesn’t do any good, if you don’t apply it.

How do you beat “application blues”? Set your alarm clock 15 minutes earlier to create needed “me time”. Make “fitness appointments” in your day planner just like any other important priority appointment you have. Use short term, daily and weekly goals as motivators. Write them down, place them somewhere visible and refer to them often. You told your friends about your plan, so have one of them hold you accountable to what you said you’d do. Weigh yourself once a week against your weight loss plan, and don’t get discouraged, it takes time. Create and receive self rewards along the journey, when key fitness goals are met. Laugh at you. You are not the only one with clothes, boxes and dust on your fitness stuff. Clean it all off, reinvigorate and get going. You can!

For help getting in the best shape of your life, call us today! 619-79Fitness Together 619-794-0014. Join us on Facebook at Fitness Together San Diego-Mission Hills for Fitness, Nutrition, Weight Loss & Health information.

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Are you Eating Enough to Lose Weight?

October 31, 2011 By Gwen Leave a Comment

This seems like a ridiculous question to be asking, but in reality it is an important fact of healthy weight loss. For most of us, getting our heads around the notion of eating more to lose weight is a difficult concept to grasp. Eating healthy, eating light and eating often with a plan built around one’s individual metabolism, activities, and appropriate calorie intake, are the cornerstones of permanent weight reduction.

Everyone has a basic calorie intake need to exist in their present state of being, given their height, current weight, gender, age, lean weight and fat mass percentages, as well as their lifestyles, whether they are prone to the sedentary or to the active end of the activity spectrum. Variations in any, or all of these anatomical or lifestyle attributes, alter the equation for weight loss, or gain.

Your metabolic rate is the rate at which your body burns calories. Burning more calories than consumed is the goal to lose weight. You burn calories to provide energy for three main functions:

Basil Metabolic Rate: This is the amount of calories you burn just by being alive, even when you’re doing nothing. It accounts for approximately 60 percent of calories you burn.

Burning Calories for Activity: This is the energy used during movement- from lifting your arm to button your blouse to cleaning house. This accounts for approximately 30percent of the calories you burn.

Dietary Thermo Genesis: The calories burned in the process of eating, digesting, absorbing and using food accounts for approximately 10 percent of the calories you burn.

The real quandary in many cases is eating too little. Our body reacts to this, as it knows how it is being nourished, based on what it needs for survival. It recognizes high activity and too low of an intake of calories. When activity and intake are too far out of line, the body see’s this and slows itself metabolically to cope with this mismatch. “Too far out of line” being the key phrase here. This mismatch often results in the byproduct: “I can’t lose weight”. Dialing in your calorie intake, against your activity, such that you are about 500 calories under the required calorie intake goal that is appropriate for your activity level is extremely important.

All too often, we see people on a combination of the “starvation” plan, and or the “inconsistency” plan, neither of which are good ideas with respect to long term healthy weight maintenance. High calorie one day, low calorie another, skip breakfast today, skip lunch tomorrow, or not eat at all due to “work pressures”, won’t get you there. The fast fix crash plans through the unregulated supplement industry are not the way to go either. Long term healthy lasting fixes are eating healthy, eating light, and eating often within a science based calorie count for your current anatomical and metabolic circumstances, with balanced high quality, frequent, portion controlled meals and snacks targeted to your appropriate “activity level”. These are the locks and the keys to the “ideal body door”.

You too may be thinking “less is more”, eating less and less and finding yourself standing on the scale wondering why you can not lose the weight. Portion size and calorie control comes in to play with every food and beverage choice you are making. BUT, if you are not aware of your calorie needs based on your body composition and activity level, it will be more difficult for you to successfully navigate long term weight loss. For information on how to fine tune your calorie count and activity levels for long lasting results, call us at Fitness Together 619 794 0014.

Join us on Facebook at Fitness Together San Diego-Mission Hills.

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Tis the Season

October 26, 2011 By Blake Leave a Comment

It’s hard to say “no” to the coming invitations for party merriment in these next few weeks. The schedule gets loaded with events that can derail your progress if you’re not watchful. With a few “party moves” you can beat back holiday alcohol over dose and still party hardy. Be mindful that alcohol is a toxin. Though your body can “cope” with it, it’s really not ideal to consume it. Alcohol takes a lot of hydration to be converted to fatty acid to either be stored where you don’t want, or need it, or be burned off through exercise.

The simplest strategy is to pace yourself. Start your event with a full glass of water before you leave home. This gives you a sensation of fullness and kick starts hydration. A glass of water with a twist of lime or lemon at the event, alternating with your alcohol drinks can give you the party feel of a “glass in my hand”, while keeping alcohol on par with water intake.

Water based alcohol drinks are better for you, as opposed to the fruity high sugar based mixers which add sugar and calories. The calorie content of beer, wine and alcohol falls to the “useless” calorie line. It may feel and taste good; be in vogue at the event, “everybody’s doing it”, but in reality alcohol has nutritional consequence, not value. In the end, whether we drink or not, realize that alcohol was not meant to be in our systems, at least not if one seeks optimal health. Lastly, what ever you drink, keep the glass in your left hand, so that your handshake when saying “hello” is nice and warm, like you are. When the party is done and you are ready to hit the hay, drink one more glass of water. You’ll thank yourself tomorrow when hitting the gym to repay your party debts.

Call Fitness Together today 619-794-0014 to get started on your way to healthier holidays. Through the holidays and beyond! Join us on Facebook at Fitness Together San Diego-Mission Hills.

Filed Under: Fitness, Nutrition, Weight Loss Tagged With: 619-794-0014, alcohol, calorie, calories, exercise, fitness together, Fitness Together San Diego-Mission Hills, health, hydration, nutritional, sugar, water

No Time for a Workout?

September 28, 2011 By Gwen Leave a Comment

Getting in shape doesn’t mean you have to spend hours at the gym, but how you do train when there, makes a big difference. The secret to getting in shape and feeling great ladies is prioritizing your health and fitness into small frequent windows of available time. Here is a speedy 20-minute workout using sculpting moves to shape specific muscle fibers that, when targeted, tone, firm, and keep your metabolism revved up to increase your calorie burn all day long.

Do a quick 3-minute warm up by marching in place.

The following 7 moves performed at 12 to 15 repetitions per, with little to no rest, becomes Set #1. In 20 minutes you can complete two rounds of this “giant set”.

Chest Press – Lie face up on a bench. Hold a dumbbell in each hand so they are end to end. Extend your arms over your chest without locking your elbows. Lift your legs and bend them so your calves are almost parallel to the floor, this will engage you core for added benefit. Bend your elbows out to the sides and slowly lower your arms toward your chest until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Keep your abs tight and your back flat, pausing for a second, then press the weights up, extending your arms directly above your chest.

Sumo Squat w/dumbbell – Stand with your legs wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing out to the sides as far as comfortably possible. Hold a pair of dumbbells at your hips. Keeping your heels firmly planted; slowly bend your knees, dipping your butt until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Pause, then slowly straighten your legs and immediately rise up on the balls of your feet for a calf raise. Pause, and then lower your heels back to start.

Bent over row - Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, back straight, and knees slightly bent for support. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Keeping back straight, bend 90 degrees from the waist and allow arms to hang toward floor, palms facing inward. Squeeze shoulder blades together and bend elbows, raising dumbbells up to either side of torso. Pause and then lower dumbbells back to start position.

Reverse Fly - Sit on an exercise ball, chair or bench with your feet flat on the floor, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Bend forward from your hips keeping your back flat and abs tight. Bend elbows slightly and raise weights up to about shoulder level, squeezing your shoulder blades behind you. Return to beginning position.

Bicep curl - Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells at your sides. Keeping your elbows at your sides, lift the dumbbells upward. Turn your wrists so the dumbbells end up at chest height, palms facing your body. Pause, then lower.

Tricep chair dips - Sit on the edge of a sturdy chair, hands grasping the seat of the chair at either side of your rear. Walk your feet out slightly and inch your butt off the chair. Keeping your shoulders down and your back straight, bend your elbows back, and lower your butt toward the floor as far as comfortably possible. Slowly push back up.

Reverse Lunge – Stand with left foot 2 to 3 feet in front of right, back right heel off floor. Bend both knees, lowering hips until left thigh is parallel to floor. Without leaning forward, keeping abs tight, straighten legs, raising your torso. Pause, then lower. Switch legs & repeat.

Small periods of physical activity can add up and influence our health and fitness in big ways. You gain flexibility, burn more calories, look sleeker, and feel better when you’re active and exercising. For information on getting in shape, call me, Gwen Beckcom, owner of Fitness Together, at 619-794-0014. Join us on Facebook at Fitness Together San Diego-Mission Hills.

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Mind Body Attitude Matters

August 8, 2011 By Blake Leave a Comment

So, how are you feeling these days? Got energy for life, plenty of get up and go, feeling spry and light on your feet? Life has a lot to do with attitude and outlook. Challenges that come our way are meant for our good, growing our strength, growing our character, and molding us, much like what happens to our body when it is exercised. The challenge you throw at it, forces it to “adapt” to that stressor, and grow to handle it. The same is true for the mental side of life. If you think you can’t………..you won’t. If you think you can……….you will. Your life “adapts” to the journey. Funny how that works huh? Our attitudes determine our altitudes, and our “can do” spirit, determines what we can, in fact ………….do.

Let me give you another real life example of what I am talking about. Kris started her transformation in March of this year. Intermittent exercise throughout her life, but nothing consistent, she knew she had to do something due to the severe back pain she suffered after the birth of her daughter two years ago. She procrastinated, and lived with the pain for two years due to her new mother status, and a demanding job. Self-doubt about exercising can debilitate action and avoidance only serves to exacerbate problems. Gravity has a way of torqueing our body over time, and the pull of earth’s gravity, combined with an unexercised muscles tendency to atrophy, yet still be forced to deal with our height and weight……..one of which usually grows with age, tends to lead to pains gate.

Trying to fit in when you are tall as a youth can lead to longer-term adult postural problems. “We focused on school as kids and young adults, and the emphasis was on the academics, rather than the physical.” What we learn as kid’s, tracks with us to adulthood, yes even the physical. We all know what it’s like to want to “fit in”, be liked and be loved. It’s human nature. No one is harder on you, than you, in terms of self worth and what you perceive people’s thoughts to be, about you. If you were taller than your peers as a child, you too probably adjusted your posture to “fit in”. With out of balance posture, lack of exercise, a busy life, an arduous job, and gravitational influence taking its toll, Kris turned to us for help. That gravity thing is working on you too ya know?

Five months later, 30 pounds lighter, Kris is more flexible, much stronger in terms of total body, her postural issues are in check, circumference measurements are down, she has a new way of eating, and a mattress more fitting to her body needs, and now the pain is gone for this 41 year old. We dug deep here, as is our nature, and discovered that sleep was being affected by a mismatched mattress, and via a little detective work, “uncovered” a complimenting anecdote to her exercise and nutrition program.

“I am over the moon with how much progress I have made in only five months. My life is so much different from what it used to be. I feel I can do anything, mentally and physically. I am not as worried about debilitating health issues that come with age, as I feel I can stave off anything at this point. Gwen and Blake have changed my life, and I will be forever grateful to them for getting me on the path to optimum fitness.”

If you live life thinking; “I can’t”, “I don’t have the time”, “It’s hopeless”, “I will never be able to get out of this situation”……………..THINK AGAIN.

YOU CAN!

For more information call Fitness Together at 619-794-0014 today.

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Simple Steps To Increase Your Burn

July 20, 2011 By Blake Leave a Comment

The meal that kick starts your day that should be the highest calorie meal of your day is BREAKFAST. I know, you don’t have time, you never have eaten breakfast, you hate eggs, you’re not hungry, you’re a grab n go coffee type. I get it. But start somewhere. Your body as it slept last night repaired itself from the damages you laid in to it yesterday, and prepared itself for the next round today. But it takes work to do this. IT IS hungry. Your last calorie intake was last night sometime, be it early or late, good or bad content? Your body then works all night burning the midnight oil to get you ready to take on today. Breakfast breaks the fast of no nourishment during sleep, while your body continued toiling over your repair and preparation. Do with out a “break the fast” meal, and the body slows down metabolically working at a less than optimum calorie burn, robbing you of results.

Start simple but start somewhere. A meal replacement shake to begin the day’s journey is simple, and easily obtained from a variety of sources and can provide balanced nutrients and calories. It’s a start. Get in the habit of at least this. Perhaps in a week or two you’ll find that you ARE hungry when you awaken, and you can add a cereal, oatmeal or bagel to the line up and pretty soon, you’ll be a full fledged breakfast eater. Your body learns and adapts to what you teach it in the gym or at the table. Do the same things in the gym, teach your body just that, and limit results. Teach it to go hungry by not eating break fast, it learns to live with it. “Learns to live with it” does not mean it should live with it, as breakfast jump starts today’s calorie burn.

Outside of good and frequent eats, to get the most from your calorie burn, you must commit to cardio with regularity and change. People reply often when asked about cardio exercise “well I walk”. That’s great of course, but my reply is “your body knows how to walk”. Simply put, it is not being challenged by walking as it already acquired that skill. It is familiar with walking. But what if you walked as if you were late to a meeting? I mean late, as like your gonna be the VERY last person to walk in to a crowded “all hands” meeting where every one goes silent and looks at you as you enter the meeting, with that “ I’m glad I am not YOU” look on their faces, jaws agape. Now there, you have something. A brisk walk can raise your heart rate enough to give it a cardio vascular benefit. Just walking is just that….JUST walking. Have you ever tried walking backwards, or on uneven surfaces, or sand? Give it a go and see what it tells your body. It’s all about proactive cardio change, shaking up your norms to get gains.

Take your age and subtract it from 220. That result represents your maximum heart rate. The goal is to train such that your heart rate has a sustained period of time in the 65% to 85% range of that MHR number found by taking your age from 220. The lower end of that range; 65%, is more in tune with fat burning and the upper end; 85%, more for high end cardio endurance building. For an added boost use resistance training in combination with cardio. Weight lifting has its own cardiovascular benefits and the combination of the two is a powerful weapon. Using cardio for a warm up followed by a weight training session then closed out with a cardio session can be most effective. During weight training your body will burn through most of its stored fuels and when you hit the cardio post weight training, it has to reach deeper in to your fat stores for energy. For more information call Fitness Together 619-794-0014.

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Summer New Rears Resolution #3

July 5, 2011 By Blake Leave a Comment

By following April and May New Rears Resolution Parts 1 and 2, you are now 8 weeks or so ahead of the curve to tighten your toosh to bring in the summer with a tighter toner look in the back side. Last month’s installment tackled “My Buns Are Too Saggy” where we employed the Hyperextension with leg curl; the Donkey Kick; the Side Lying Bicycle, and the Couch Bridge. Those movements combined with the 3 additional exercises we demonstrated in our Part 1 segment for big bun reducing, should be giving you noticeable differences in the gluteus area.

Now we attack our last area of booty challenge: ”My buns are too flat” to “round out” your New Rears Resolution summer reveal. It is time to show off your hard work with confidence. You have now tackled the prevalent problem areas brought up when talking about our backside: 1) “My buns are too big;” 2) “My buns are too saggy;” 3) “My buns are too flat;” In order to de-flatten and build a shapely booty, you’ll need to head to the gym for this final round of shaping. The following 4 booty-building exercises will give your bum a serious shape-changing workout.

Booty-Building Exercise #1: Dumbbell Squat

Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart, with toes pointed straight ahead. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Inhale as you squat down, keeping your back straight and tummy pulled in, as you lower your upper leg to near parallel with the floor. Exhale as you press up through your entire foot surface with equal pressure on the toe and heel to return to the standing position. Do 15 repetitions.

Booty-Building Exercise #2: Dumbbell Lunge

Stand with feet together and a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Inhale as you step (lunge) forward, keeping your lunging knee directly over your ankle. Exhale as you push off with your lunging heel, and return to the starting position. Take your time here, this is not a race. You need to “feel” the movement. Do 15 repetitions and repeat on the other leg.

Booty-Building Exercise #3: Straight-legged Deadlift

Stand with feet shoulder width apart, a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing your thighs. Inhale as you bend forward at the hips, keeping your back flat, and legs relatively straight. Lower the dumbbells down until you feel a pull in your hamstrings. Keep the dumbbells close to your legs and as you exhale to return to the start position, focus on contracting your glutes and driving your pelvis forward. This movement, as with most, is all about “feel”. You must feel your glutes contract as you push through your heels to maximize results. Do 15 repetitions.

Booty-Building Exercise #4: Dumbbell Sumo Squat

Stand with feet significantly outside of your shoulders, toes pointed at 10am and 2pm respectively. A wider foot width allows you to drop your hips deeper in this motion. The goal is to squat to a level where your upper thigh is parallel or slightly below parallel to the floor. Depth of squat matters here. Let’s now take a single dumbbell that would equal the combined weight used in either the Dumbbell Lunge or Dumbbell Squat. Hold this single dumbbell in front of you with arms extended toward the floor gripping the dumbbell with both hands on one head of the dumbbell. Inhale as you sink your hips to parallel to the floor. As you ascend, place all of the pressure on your heels to direct the force to your glutes as you exhale.

Portion size, frequency and quality of food choices are key, as well as starting your day with a quality breakfast. You can not out train bad nutritional choices, no matter how hard you work at shaping your toosh. Eating healthy; light and often are key.

For professional guidance call Fitness Together at 619 794 0014. Follow our blog at BetterBodySanDiego.com

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Summer Look Calorie Burn Basics

June 21, 2011 By Blake 1 Comment

summer calorie burn basics mans abdominals

With summer right around the corner following a few tactics can help you achieve the best look possible when slipping back in to those shorts, tanks, tees and swim suits. Your metabolic rate is the rate at which your body burns up calories. Burning more calories than consumed is goal to lose weight. You burn calories to provide energy for three main functions:

Basil Metabolic Rate: This is the amount of calories you burn just by being alive, even when you’re doing nothing. It accounts for approximately 60 percent of calories you burn.

Burning Calories for Activity: This is the energy used during movement- from lifting your arm to button your shirt to cleaning house. This accounts for approximately 30 percent of the calories you burn.

Dietary Thermogenesis: The calories burned in the process of eating, digesting, absorbing and using food accounts for approximately 10 percent of the calories you burn.

You can influence all of these factors, and speed up your rate of burning calories, using the following tactics:

• Build muscle: increase the amount of muscle in your body. For every extra pound of muscle you put on, your body uses around 50 extra calories a day. Leaner is better, as lean tissue is “active”. Fatty tissue just hangs around, literally, while lean tissue burns calories due to their active status.

• Be active: the average person burns about 30 percent of calories through daily activity; sedentary people only use about 15 percent. Taking every opportunity to move more can make quite a difference to the amount of calories you burn.

• Eat spicy foods: spices, especially chili, can raise the metabolic rate by up to 50 percent for up to 3 hours after you’ve eaten a spicy meal. I love spicy foods, and notice when I eat them, that it tends to make me perspire. Yes the food itself might be hot with spices, but my metabolism is also a blaze!

• Aerobic exercise: high-intensity exercise makes you burn more calories during exercise and for several hours afterwards. The after burn is called Excess Postexercise Oxygen Consumption. After exercise the body must use increased amounts of oxygen to replenish energy supplies, lower tissue temperatures, and return the body to a resting state. Getting your heart rate up is one of the keys to the calorie burn kingdom.

• Eat little, often: eating healthy small meals will keep your metabolism moving faster than larger, less frequent meals and helps to control hunger, making you less likely to binge. Start with a balanced breakfast. Skipping this meal is the worst thing you can do as it tells your body that it is in starve mode, so it slows metabolically, storing fat, waiting for its next intake of nutrition to burn for energy. The goal is to burn calories around the clock by teaching the body that it gets fed every 2 to 4 hours. What can you port from home for your day out that is smart snacking to keep the calorie burn on high? Fruits and nuts, power bars, protein drinks, yogurts, the list is endless, but planning ahead is required.

Five sure fire ways to get you lean and toned for that best summer look possible!

Fitness Together 619-794-0014.

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