When I hear the same excuse over and over, it gets me to questioning why certain things are easy for some and not others. A good amount of the time it comes down to how you look at things, or your perception of the problem.
For example, I have heard several times that eating 6 meals a day is just too hard, it doesn’t fit a person’s lifestyle, and it takes too much time.
What frustrates me about these reasons is that they are really not true. It’s not hard at all, in fact in can be easier than three meals a day. If you eat three meals a day and snack occasionally, it does fit your lifestyle. It takes no more time than fixing and eating three meals a day, and can even take less time. Here’s why:
6 meals a day is easier than 3 meals a day
The key here is to remember that what you are really doing is dividing each of your three meals in half, so it’s actually just 6 half-meals. Instead of eating a sandwich and two pieces of fruit for lunch, eat half of your sandwich and one piece of fruit for lunch, and then have the rest a couple hours later when you are hungry. For breakfast, have a bowl of protein fortified cereal and make a protein shake to save for a mid-morning snack. Have a normal dinner or divide it into two smaller meals. Not hard.
6 meals a day fits most lifestyles
Most people have breakfast, lunch and dinner, and snack a few times during the day. That’s what you’re doing when you eat 6 meals a day. Eating breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacking. At night, you can choose to call it a latenight snack, or make a smoothie and call it dessert! It’s what most people do anyway.
6 meals a day is faster than three meals a day
When you reduce the amount of food you eat during your main three meals, you also reduce the amount of time you spend eating them. This means you save time in the morning, at lunch, and at dinner time if you so choose. You can wake up a few minutes later and go for a walk or get some extra work done during lunch time. You might even be able to squeeze in a workout where you used to be eating! Most snacks take a maximum of ten minutes to consume, and can often be eaten while you are doing something else, like walking, taking a coffee break, etc.
It comes down to perception – if you see a lifestyle change as a struggle, it probably will be. But if you are able to look at eating with a different perspective, you will find that changing your point of view can change your life!
Photo by Barbie Hull (www.barbiehull.com)
By generating electricity and conserving space and energy, Total Body Turnaround is the first fitness facility I know of that generates some of its own electricity. I'm laying the groundwork to build a gym that exclusively uses a combination of solar and pedal electricity and is just as comfortable and effective as any other gym.
Come by sometime for a free spinning session!
I've been training clients and leading circuit classes in the new Green Microgym and it's really fun! There's plenty of room and everything you need to get a great workout. Additionally, it's private, comfortable, and you can play your own music on the stereo!
It's a 600 square foot former artist's studio in Greenwood
Above is a picture of how it looks now, but it will look so much better when I get the chance to paint, etc.
You won't have to pay a gym membership fee here, because at first it will be only personal training and classes. As we get things dialed in, there may be the opportunity to come in on your own.
Obviously, I'm excited to have this space and make it just the way I want it. My main focus will be to keep things simple and only use good quality equipment. Also, I want to have an open space for the possibility of having small group yoga, pilates, and movement classes in the future.
On Sunday, September 9, I'll be hosting a pre-open house for those of you who would like to put their two cents in on what kinds of improvements would be best for the space, so if you're into that sort of thing, please get back to me and I'll let you know the time and address. I'll serve some drinks and healthy snacks.
I look forward to working with you in the coming months!
A fresh perspective and a little guidance can maximize your potential.
I'm available for Personal Training at Total Body Turnaround, a Green Microgym in the Greenwood neighborhood in Seattle. I also do outdoor workouts and can work with you in your home.
Call me at 206-226-7347 or email me at adam@NWtrainer.com to talk about your goals and how we can reach them together.
My Mission:
By catering to your individual interests and lifestyle, I maximize your potential with simple, fun, innovative and effective techniques. I make workouts fun and efficient so you get results without getting bored. Using only natural and sustainable resources, I offer a whole body, whole life philosophy based on extensive research and personal experience.
Working with a personal trainer is about taking control of your health. You’ll be taking advantage of my expertise and skills to get you on track and keep you moving forward. All you have to do is show up, work hard, and have fun.
My best customers are up for anything, willing to make healthy decisions 24/7, and are always looking to improve themselves. This attitude enables you to leave every workout saying, “That was awesome!”
My clients don’t need to be convinced they should work with a personal trainer, and they don’t need a miracle worker to get them to the gym and keep them going. They already have made the decision to put their health as such a high priority that exercising everyday is a given.
Once you have made this decision, it’s my job to watch and listen. I find out what you want out of a workout, what you need to learn and work on, and what will keep you interested and motivated. We might lift weights to build muscle, do interval training to burn calories, or go outside and move! All workouts and programs are designed based on the best current traditional theories and techniques available to help each individual reach your goals.
Adam’s Bio
Certifications: MIT, CPT, CSCS
NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and ACE Certified Personal Trainer with a Masters in Teaching from The Evergreen State College. NOLS Graduate (Outdoor Educator, Sea Kayaking).
Specialties:
Personal training for lifelong health, strength, power, flexibility, and sports specific training for recreational competitive athletes.
Experience:
I have worked at Sound Mind and Body Gym, Seattle and Anytime Fitness in Seattle
I currently work at Total Body Turnaround, a Green Microgym in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle, in individuals’ homes, and lead outdoor fitness groups in parks all over the city.
Availability:
Monday through Saturday, various times throughout the day.
Why do I do what I do?
To help people live high quality long lives.
I recently went to a fitness forum in Vancouver Washington, where we got some great nutritional advice from a registered Dietician. Nothing fancy, but some great information:
From Dana Sturvetant, MS, RD
On eating:
Dieters think: Do I deserve it? If I eat heavy food, I try to find a way to make up for it. I feel guilty when I eat heavy foods. I usually describe a day of eating as either good or bad. I view food as the enemy.
Non-Dieters think: Am I hungry? Do I want it? Will I be deprived if I don't eat it? Will it be satisfying? Does it taste good? I deserve to enjoy eating without guilt.
On Exercise:
Dieters think: I focus primarily on calories burned. I feel guilty if I miss a designated exercise day.
Non-Dieters think: I focus primarily on how exercise makes me feel, especially the energizing and stress-relieving factors.
On Success:
Dieters think: How many pounds did I lose? How do I look? What do other people think of my weight? I have good willpower.
Non-dieters think: While I'm concerned with my weight, it is not my primary goal or indicator of progress. I have increased trust with myself and food. I am able to let go of "eating discretions." I recognize inner body cues.
Recommendations:
1. Decide to change from a deeper place.
2. Make a firm commitment to do this for a lifetime.
3. Find what works for you rather than letting an "expert" tell you what to do.
4. Improve your health and let your weight loss be a side effect.
5. Identify other ways to judge your success.
Some stories from the past few weeks of training:
1. Someone who has trained hard for the last five months is incredibly frustrated because their plans for running a marathon are being derailed by a calf muscle that won't cooperate.
2. Several people in the first few weeks of their program are frustrated because they're not losing at least a pound a week.
3. Someone is so needed at work that they can't find the time to get to the gym and workout, even though they paid a lot of money to be part of a program that will help them change their lifestyle.
Priorities, Perspective, and Perseverance. That's what it's ALL about.
Priorities: Here's the bottom line. If you don't have your health as a priority just as high as doing well at work, supporting your friends and family, relaxing on the couch, etc., then you are making the choice to lower your physical quality of life and increasing your chances of dying younger than you need to. Is that really worth it?
Perspective: Exercise needs to be looked at as a lifestyle choice, not a lose weight quick scheme. Your body doesn't necessarily want to lose weight, and if you're eating healthy food, will sometimes even gain weight if you're working out also. It's rare and can be unhealthy to lose more than a pound of weight a week. Your body just isn't built to change that fast. You most likely didn't gain all your weight at a rate of a pound a week, so why would you lose it that fast?
Perseverance: It's almost a guarantee that you will feel and live better if you exercise and eat right consistently for the rest of your life. It doesn't mean that you have to go without your favorite foods or kill yourself in the gym every day either. Whether you are achieving your goals or not, if you just keep on exercising and eating right, you are going to get and stay healthy.
Here's a way to help you set priorities, understand perseverance, and get some perspective:
Imagine yourself a year from now, having quit exercising and eating whatever unhealthy foods you wanted. Where would you be? Would you be running a marathon? Would you be more productive and happy at work? Would you have lost any weight at all? Would you have energy?
Now imagine yourself a year from now, having eaten healthy and exercising a little bit almost every day. Not working out like crazy, not restricting yourself to a 1000 calorie diet, just being sensible and active. Where would you be? Would you feel better? Might you have more friends who are also active? Would you be more productive and happy at work? Would you have lost weight?
The evidence is overwhelming that low level chronic stress (like worrying about things you can't control or beating yourself up for not being perfect) is very hazardous to your health.
The evidence is also overwhelming that sensible nutrition and regular exercise not only can save you a ton of money on doctors' bills, it can help you deal with stress and stay healthy, happy, and productive, including maximizing your chances for a long life.
It's got to be a priority! If it's not, do what you need to do to make it one. Your life depends on it!
Thanks for your time,
Adam
OK. How do I start to tell you about what the 12 Week Total Body Turnaround Program with Adam did for me? I'll start with just a little background on myself and that should help you to understand.
I am 45 years old and have 4 small children 11, 9, 7, and 4. My husband and my children mean everything to me. About 11 years ago I quit my job to be a full time mom and eventually began helping my husband start his own business. All has been great, but I did forget to care for myself physically along the way. I had only carved out a small portion of time over those past 11 years to workout and eat right. So when I joined SMB and joined up with Adam and the 12 week program, I really was excited but not sure how successful I would be. Committing to workout consistently every week can be a bit of a managing nightmare for me with kids in 2 schools and one child only in class three mornings a week.
When I first started out with Adam and the program, I was considerably weaker than I am today. My energy level was so low that I would end up sitting on the ground at times to even play ball with my sons.
As I started to meet up with my workout group or with Adam weekly, I noticed within three weeks that I could possibly make this happen. I could do this for myself. Each time I worked out with Adam I learned more and more about myself and what I could achieve. I tried to find some type of weekly workout whether it be meeting with Adam, running football drills with my kids if I couldn't get into the gym, or working out on my own in the kitchen of my own home. I would love to say that I would have been this motivated without being part of a program, but I don't know for sure. Adam’s program helped me to set a fitness goal, and make a plan to try to achieve it. With his support and the support of others it really helped me to stay on task. I tried to not be too hard on myself if I had a bad week and to ALWAYS show up for my next session and workout. After my first 3 weeks, I felt so comfortable coming to the gym and my mind set had really changed. I actually MISSED working out if my schedule conflicted, and was actually becoming more and more aware of what I was putting into my body.
Today, my energy has increased so much that even my kids make mention of it. The other night I was wrestling around with my boys and my oldest son said, "Mom, it's not fair anymore because you have been working out and you are stronger!"...as I had him pinned on his bed. He laughed and I felt very proud. OK and lastly, since my husband said I was writing too much, I have to say one final corny thing. On the final day that we all met with Adam to weigh-in and to take the fitness test, I was walking out of my home and my husband stopped me, gave me great big hug and kiss and told me how proud he was of me, which might not seem a big deal to most of you, but if you knew my husband you would know that he's a great man, but not one of many words, especially not with compliments attached. It meant the world to me, and I truly am proud of myself and of everyone that made it through the program. Whether we met our goals or not, we learned a lot about ourselves and we all have a better understanding of what we need to do to stay healthy. I don't know if I will win this competition, but in my own mind, I had already personally won many weeks ago, when I mentally made the transition for talking about getting healthy to GETTING healthy. Thanks Adam and SMB for all the support and encouragement. I feel better than I have in 11 years and I am happier with my family and friends because of it. I am wearing smaller clothes and feel great. Thank you!
Colleen
The Total Body Turnaround is the only workout program in which I have participated where I have actually succeeded in achieving my initial goal. At the beginning of the program, Adam had us write down one goal, and suggested that “losing weight” was not necessarily the best goal given the nature of the program. Although I did want to lose weight and inches, I decided that my main goal would be just to get used to exercising on a regular basis and to make exercise an integral part of my life. Adam’s program called for working out six days per week, and I decided that I would consider myself successful if I worked out at least five days per week. As it turned out, there were only a few weeks where I exercised only five days per week, and on several others I was enjoying exercising so much that I actually worked out every day, so I feel that I achieved my goal of exercising consistently.
As for my background, I am 45 years old and, over the years, what I considered to be an acceptable weight had climbed slowly but steadily higher. One or two pounds per year, over the course of 20 years, added up to my being at least 30 pounds over what would be a more healthy and “ideal” weight. My waist size had crept up from 36 to 38 to (gulp!) one with a “4” in front of it this year, and my suit size increased correspondingly. During my adult life I have belonged almost continuously to one gym or another, but have been very inconsistent about actually using them. I have worked with a few trainers in the past, and did have some improvements in strength and general health, but overall my workout schedule was sporadic at best and I never stuck with a regular exercise program for very long.
My job for the past seven or so years was extremely hectic and stressful, and led to many bad habits. In scurrying about downtown Seattle I would often be so busy during the day that I wouldn’t be able to eat any form of lunch until mid-afternoon, and this was after a breakfast probably 7 or more hours earlier. At that point I was usually so hungry that anything looked good, and it was all too easy to stop by the nearest Starbucks and grab a cookie, brownie, scone or whatever else was there. Even when I did eat lunch at a more normal time, I would almost always have at least one, and sometimes more than one, fatty, sugary dessert during the day. These bad eating habits were coupled with a lack of dedication to any form of regular exercise. I counted it a good week if I made it to the gym 2 out of 7 days.
I left that job at the end of August, and started a new (and less stressful) job in Fremont. I am only a 5 minute walk from Sound Mind and Body, and stopped by in early September to check it out. I liked what I saw, and coincidentally I saw the advertisement for the TBT program, which was starting in less than two weeks. Adam happened to be at the gym the day that I visited, so I met with him briefly and then we exchanged e-mails about the program. I decided to join the gym, and also decided that TBT was the kick in the pants that I needed to jump-start my return to regular exercise and to get me back on the road to a healthy lifestyle, so I signed up.
It was quite an adjustment going from 1-2 days (at best) of exercise per week to six. The program was challenging physically, and after the first few weeks of excitement I found myself being very fatigued during the day. I talked with Adam about this, and he provided good suggestions, including backing off a bit and taking an extra rest day if necessary. During the three months of the program I found that I had good weeks and weeks where I wasn’t quite as motivated, but Adam told me this was normal.
In addition to the exercise component, the program incorporated a much healthier six-meals-per-day way of eating. That too was an adjustment for me, and was perhaps an even bigger challenge than the exercising. I was so used to eating sugary treats during the day that for a while I had to fight off cravings for cookies or other goodies. But I was committed to sticking with the program, and Adam incorporated one “guilt free day” into the program every week, so I knew that I could have a treat if I waited until the weekend. Fortunately, my wife was very supportive and decided to adopt the new eating program along with me. Eventually, I found that I stopped craving those desserts, although if I go out for dinner and a dessert looks particularly good, I now will share it with my wife and still enjoy it.
After 12 weeks, I had lost just under 8 pounds, just under 2% body fat (I started out at over 29%, which kind of shocked me), 2 inches off my waist and 2 ¾ inches off my stomach. I increased my flexibility and my strength (I started out not being able to do a single unassisted pull-up to doing 1 ½, and doubled the number of pull-ups I could do at half my body weight). I want to lose more weight, but I know that it will come off eventually. Over the course of the program the number on the scale steadily, although slowly, went down. The extra pounds I was (and still am) carrying were added over a lot of years, and I knew they wouldn’t come off in 3 months. I realize it may take another year or more (and hundreds of hours of exercise, along with proper eating) to lose the remaining extra pounds and inches.
Although I am not where I ultimately want to be, I am very happy with the start I have made, and am committed to continuing the healthy habits I have developed. The results may not seem dramatic on the outside, but the change in my attitude and commitment is huge. A married couple with whom I am friends (one of whom is my boss) were so impressed with my new-found dedication to working out that they have hired Adam to work with them at their home. I have talked with Adam about continuing on with a similar workout plan in the new year, and am excited about the results I expect to see next year at this time. I realize that this isn’t a 12-week, or 12-month commitment – it is a lifetime commitment, which is particularly important as I approach my half-century mark. Thanks to Adam and the people at SMB Gym for starting me on the path to a longer and healthier life.
Tim
Success Stories
