Kimberly Fitness

4th of July Holiday Eating Tips: Survive the BBQs!

Some quick tips to enjoy the holiday weekend, but still keep up with healthy eating and weight loss goals.

1.  Eat BEFORE you head to a BBQ or party.  If you are already full, you won't have so many cravings or "pig-out" on a lot of high-fat foods. 

2.  If it is Potluck, offer to bring a fruit or veggie platter.  Bringing a healthy platter will guarantee you have healthy food to nosh on. 

3.  Don't feel you have to sample everything.  Choose a few favorites you don't get very often and enjoy them.  No need to eat potato chips when you can get them anytime, anywhere. 

4.  Keep a balanced-plate.  If you do need to eat your main meal at a BBQ, choose a meal the same way you would at home, one meat serving, one starch, 1-2 vegetables, etc...  No need to have a hamburger and a hot dog, potato salad and macaroni salad and pasta salad...you get the idea.

5.  Stick to water.  Just because all you see is soda and beer, doesn't mean you need to drink it.  Everyone has water.  Ask for a glass.

6. Keep alcohol to a minimum, if at all.  Alcohol has almost as many calories, per gram, as pure fat.  Not only is alcohol high in calories, but it is taxing on the liver (as the liver has to work hard to detoxify) and it is also the liver that burns fat and calories.  So if you drink, your liver is so busy detoxifying the alcohol, it isn't efficient at burning fat. 

7.  Don't munch all day.  Have a meal and be done. Mindless eating adds a lot of calories, quickly.

8.  Remember parties are about friends, not eating.  While it's nice to have goodies at any party, we're there to see our friends and have fun.  Rather than eating all day, get your friends interested in a game of volleyball, badminton, Frisbee or some other activity. 

The Myth of Morality-Based Eating

Have you ever heard yourself say, "wow, I was good today, I ate a salad for lunch?" Or maybe you have said, "I was bad today.  I ate pizza and wings for dinner."

Since when does morality stem from what we eat?  Are we "bad" or "good" based on whether or not we ate a muffin for breakfast?  I thought our morality was based on things like honesty, compassion, responsibility, respect for others, etc...

While this may seem like I am nit-picking, the myth of morality-based eating is a major reason why so many diets fail people and why so many people fail at breaking free from the diet mentality.

If you can eat without personal judgment you will be much more likely to eat in moderation, enjoy eating, and improve your self-esteem.

So next time you judge yourself based on what you chose to eat, stop the thought and correct it.  Then remind yourself of the traits you possess that really do make you good and smile :)

What To Consider Before Starting a Weight Loss Program

Right now 67% of Americans are either overweight or obese.  Being in this category increases your chances of developing heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke, joint problems, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, fatigue, and the list goes on...

Many people are looking for a solution and want to help themselves obtain a healthier weight, but with so many diets to choose from, aren't sure where to start.  Here is a list of questions you should ask when considering a weight loss program.

1.  Does it promote healthy dietary habits that can be followed for life?

There are many diets that promote eating a lot of one kind of food, or eliminating foods entirely.  Is this practical?  Could you really go your entire life without ever eating bread or chocolate?  Probably not. 

2.  Is there enough variety?

Eating the same meals or foods over and over again can get old very fast.  A good diet will include a lot of variety with many different foods.  Remember, the more variety in your diet, the more chance you have of getting all of the nutrients you need.  Once you start eliminating foods (or food groups) you increase your chance of developing nutrient deficiencies.

3.  Are the foods easy to obtain?

Unless you have a health problem like Celiac Disease, weight loss programs should not require you to go out of your way to obtain food.  You should be able to find most, if not all, of what you need, at your local grocery store.  This also includes eating out and eating while traveling.  If your diet doesn't allow for these things, it isn't really practical.

4.  Does it meet your nutrient needs?

This is a point much worth considering.  There are a variety of minerals, vitamins and nutrients that your body needs in order to function.  Reducing your calories too much, or eliminating foods and food groups, can cause you to lack all of these nutrients.  You need a minimum of 130 grams of carbohydrates a day to fuel your brain, a minimum of .8g/kg of body weight of protein, and at least 50-60 grams of fat per day.  If you restrict calories too much, you most likely will not meet these needs.  In addition, you are more likely to create deficiencies in calcium, B vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin A, essential fatty acids, and fiber.  

5.  Does it promote reasonable and healthy weight loss?

a.  It should provide a reasonable number of calories per day (no less than 1200, may be higher depending on your weight).

b.  It should recommend 1 to 2 pounds of weight loss per week, and no more.

6.  Does it promote physical activity?

Though most weight loss plans focus on diet, the plan should at least highly recommend physical activity and allow for additional eating to compensate for additional calories burned during exercise.  Sound weight loss, and weight loss that will stick, needs a physical activity component.

7.  Does it promote behavior change?

The program should focus on lifestyle and behavior changes  that can be maintained for the long-term.  There may also be a social support system that is encouraged.  The program should also promote healthy eating habits and not "diet" habits.

8.  Is it scientifically sound?

This may be hard to discern, especially for the non-scientific community, but to simplify things look for components of the program that follow generally accepted principles that are promoted by the ADA (American Dietetic Association), the AMA (American Heart Association), and the USDA Food Pyramid.  Be suspicious of people or companies that tout studies that are not widely accepted or were paid for by the person/company selling you the diet. 

The History of High Fructose Corn Syrup in America

As with many foods and food ingredients, there is argument over whether or not High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is safe to use.  Some of this controversy stems from the origin of its introduction into our food supply as well as the simple argument of whether or not it is a natural sugar.  In order to understand why there is such controversy over HFCS, it is important to know and understand the history that sugar has played in our society.

Interestingly, sugar has played a huge role in American history dating back to the early years of slavery as well as being one of the first items to hold a national tax.  During most of American history, there have been tariffs paid on imported sugar.  A debated topic through most of the 18th, 19th and even 20th century was whether or not America should be an independent nation, free of reliance on other nations, or if America should have open trade with other nations.  This concept is known as Protectionism and was one of the leading causes of the Civil War.

One of the protectionist issues debated involved sugar, indirectly.  The Protectionists, who wanted an independent America, believed that if they added a tariff to imports such as sugar it would discourage American companies and consumers from buying imports, and instead, would buy from American farmers.  This theory worked until the early part of the 20th century when sugar became so cheap overseas that even with tariffs, imported sugar became cheaper to buy than American sugar.

This issue was dealt with numerous times through Farm Bills and Sugar Acts in Congress; however the tariff came to an end in the Sugar Act of 1934.  It was replaced with a new system (in order to deal with the new economic issues) that was changed many times throughout the 1930’s into the 1970’s. [1]

It was in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s that HFCS was first introduced to the marketplace.  Under the Nixon Administration, Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz, had re-introduced a system of farm subsidization for farmers in an effort to deal with the economic situation that farm products needed to be cheap for consumers, yet farmers needed to make enough profit to survive.  Part of this legislation was to replace sugar with HFCS.  The reason was that it would create two beneficial aspects; it would help the corn farmers earn a profit and it would create cheaper products for consumers.  The government also planned to use the corn products to launch a program for using ethanol in vehicles rather than gasoline.  The two products complemented one another, helping the farm industry as well as keeping more money in the U.S.   As a result of these decisions, HFCS is now the primary sugar found in most “sugar-added” products such as cereals, breads, juices, soda, sweetened beverages, jams, and condiments.[2]

Proponents of using HFCS claim that it is made from fructose and glucose and comes from a natural food product, corn, and is therefore a natural sugar.  There have also been numerous studies performed, funded by companies such as the American Beverage Association, Archer Daniels and  PepsiCo, that have results claiming there is no biochemical differences in the body between HFCS and table sugar.  [3][4][5]

However, opponents claim that it is a highly processed sugar, thus not a natural sugar. They believe there is evidence demonstrating that it is a cause of obesity and metabolic disruption and want to see it removed from foods and replaced with natural sugar.  There are many books and articles written by health food advocates protesting the use of HFCS.  Whether or not there is any validity to their protests is yet to be determined, however the belief that HFCS is bad for health is a popular theory.

Knowing the real answer is difficult.  There have been studies demonstrating that fructose, and not high fructose corn syrup, may effect obesity as well as regulatory hormones.  However, this is ambiguous at best as fructose is typically found as part of larger sugar molecules in many natural food sources.

While more studies (preferably not funded by any company or association affiliated with HFCS) need to be done to show any true correlation between HFCS and obesity or metabolic disruption, it is a good idea to reduce your sugar intake, period, whether it is from HFCS or table sugar. 

[1] The American Sugarbeet Growers Association.  ”History of Sugar Programs”. http://www.americansugarbeet.org/ 4 Dec 2007.
[2] Nestle, Marion. Food Politics.  Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2002.
[3] K.J. Melanson et al. “Effects of high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose consumption on circulating glucose, insulin, leptin, and ghrelin and on appetite in normal-weight women”. Nutrition 23 (2007) 103-112.
[4] MW Empie et al.  “Lack of findings for the association between obesity risk and usual sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in adults”.  Food and Chemical Toxicology, Volume 45, Issue 8, August 2007, Pgs. 1523-1535. 
[5] RA Forshee et al. “A critical examination of the evidence relating high fructose corn syrup and weight gain”.  Food Science and Nutrition, 47:561-582 (2007). 

The Differences Between Farm-Raised and Wild-Caught Seafood

We're all aware that fish and other seafood should be part of a healthy diet.  Fish are high in essential fatty acids (omega-3 fatty acids), vitamins A and D, B vitamins, and are a good source of calcium (bony fish), phosphorus, copper, iron and selenium.  But lately there has been a lot of talk over which is better for you, farm-raised or wild-caught. 

Let's go over reasons for consuming each.

Pros of Farm-raised (aquacultured)

Fish have become over-fished and wild fish stocks are diminishing.  Aquaculture offers a possible solution to dwindling fish stocks.

Cheaper than wild-caught

More energy-efficient than raising cattle or other land animals

Pros of Wild-Caught

Lower levels of PCBs compared to farm-raised.

Farm-raised typically come from China or Chile, and there are concerns over contamination.

There is an increase in farm-raised fish consuming grain-based diets, which is obviously not natural for them to consume.

Farm-raised fish may be raised using chemicals, pesticides and antibiotics. 

Fish farming can be bad for the environment (though not always).  Shrimp farms in Asia cause coastline erosion and shrimp and salmon farming can pollute water with antibiotics, chemicals, and fish excrement.

So how can you tell if your seafood is farm-raised or wild-caught?  Typically, though not always, you will see it labeled somewhere on the label.  Price can also tell you as wild-caught are usually more expensive.  However, in 2005 the New York Times found that six out of eight salmon (in NYC) labeled wild-caught were actually farm-raised. Retailers were mislabeling fish in order to charge a higher price.  [1]

Most canned salmon is wild, but if the fish is Atlantic, it is farm-raised.  Wild salmon is usually Alaskan. 

Overall, what matters is that you are eating fish two to three times a week.  Most people don't eat enough fish and may be deficient in essential fatty acids because of it.  So whether or not it is farm-raised or wild-caught, eat more fish. 

Nutritional Differences Among Organic vs. Conventionally Grown Foods

I have started a research project to determine if there is enough scientific evidence supporting the idea that eating organic foods has more nutritional value than conventionally grown foods.  There are many claims that this is the case, and while I do not believe there is enough evidence to support this idea, I owe it to my readers to investigate.  Aside from health, there are other reasons one may have for buying organically grown foods including political, social, moral, and environmental reasons.  (Though all of these are debatable, as well.  For instance many argue that locally-grown, conventional foods are healthier than organic foods that are shipped from across the country.  And, conventional farming uses less land than organic. I'll save those debates for another day). 

Personally, I try to buy organic foods for the purpose of avoiding additional chemicals.  I like to buy meats, eggs and produce knowing that they have the least amount of pesticides, growth hormones, or any other added chemical that is not naturally-occurring in the food.  On the other-hand, I will agree that it is better to buy locally because many local farmers do, in fact, follow organic farming methods but they are too small to afford the high price of getting certified organic. (Again, another blog topic for another day).

Aside from chemicals, there are many people who believe that organic foods have a higher nutrient content than conventionally grown foods.  I have spent hours today searching through the library databases trying to find out how many studies have confirmed nutritional differences between the two farming methods and I am coming up empty.  I will continue to research this topic and will keep looking for new studies that may show differences.  But for now, I am not seeing enough scientific data backing up the idea that organic foods are more nutritious than conventional. 

Here is one abstract I found in PubMed:

Bourn D, Prescott J. A comparison of the nutritional value, sensory qualities, and food safety of organically and conventionally produced foods. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2002;42(1):1-34

Given the significant increase in consumer interest in organic food products, there is a need to determine to what extent there is a scientific basis for claims made for organic produce. Studies comparing foods derived from organic and conventional growing systems were assessed for three key areas: nutritional value, sensory quality, and food safety. It is evident from this assessment that there are few well-controlled studies that are capable of making a valid comparison. With the possible exception of nitrate content, there is no strong evidence that organic and conventional foods differ in concentrations of various nutrients. Considerations of the impact of organic growing systems on nutrient bioavailability and nonnutrient components have received little attention and are important directions for future research. While there are reports indicating that organic and conventional fruits and vegetables may differ on a variety of sensory qualities, the findings are inconsistent. In future studies, the possibility that typical organic distribution or harvesting systems may deliver products differing in freshness or maturity should be evaluated. There is no evidence that organic foods may be more susceptible to microbiological contamination than conventional foods. While it is likely that organically grown foods are lower in pesticide residues, there has been very little documentation of residue levels.

You can find this abstract and more information by searching http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/

My plan is to blog about my findings as I continue to research this topic.  If you haven't already, subscribe to my RSS feed and you will receive updates on my research project.

Where to Find Good Health Information and What is a "Reliable Source"

Funny, I wrote an article last week for mint.com, an online personal finance managing program, on 15 ways to save money buying natural foods.  My purpose for writing the article was to give people tips on how they can save some money while buying the typically more expensive organic and/or natural foods.  I know "organics" and "natural foods" are big marketing buzz-words, these days, and many people are hearing some of the benefits to buying natural foods and are taking their cues from the media and buying them.  I have heard many people state that although they would like to buy more natural foods, they can't afford to.  So I came up with some tips based on my years of experience as both a shopper and a degreed nutritionist.  

However, much to my surprise, writing this article, which in my view was a non-political blog post, brought out many different kinds of political zealots who decided to attack me (my writing) on how inaccurate my information was (which it wasn't, by the way) and how people like me are destroying the environment, health, and pretty much all of society.  Funny, I thought I was just writing about finding a grocery store that has good deals on milk...

Let me first say that most of the comments I received on my article were very positive. So to the over 550 people who liked my article, THANK YOU!  Much appreciated.

However, the handful of negative comments are the ones that I would like to address, today.  Those with negative comments asked me for my "sources", while they were giving me their sources.  Interestingly, they all gave me the same, exact single source;  Michael Pollan.  If you are not familiar, Michael Pollan is the NYT best selling author who wrote "Omnivore's Dilemma" and "In Defense of Food".  Even more interesting than the fact that they all cited this one and only source, was the fact that they believed I was not familiar with him.  So let me assure those who are skeptical that I do infact know of Michael Pollan, I have actually read his books (even own them), and I even found them to be good books to read. Phew, I said it...

So to clarify a few things here, I was not trying to debate the moral, social or environmental issues surrounding "organic" farming.  I was solely focusing on health and personal shopping tips.  Secondly, Michael Pollan has done some of his homework and has written some interesting books.  But he is one guy with one opinion.  It is worth taking into account that he tells some great stories from experiences that he has had, but one guy's experiences doesn't hold a candle to decades of scientific research.  I am not saying he is not accurate, I am saying that many of the claims found on organics vs. non-organics, in regards to health, have not been studied in great depth among the scientific community.  He may be right, or not, but regardless, to get all of your information from one source is not a sound way of getting your information. 

Interestingly enough, I did my Master's thesis on High Fructose Corn Syrup and it's relation to obesity (a hot topic these days).  I chose the topic because, much like my critics, I had read many books written by people about how horrible it is for your health.  So I couldn't wait to delve into all those scientific journals full of published studies that would back up all the claims.  Much to my surprise, I didn't find much.  There have been quite a few studies on fructose, but not high fructose corn syrup.  I also conducted my own research and found no such connection between HFCS and obesity.  I was disappointed. 

My point is, and while many may disagree, studying nutrition is not like studying art. Art is relative, meaning we can interpret it in a variety of ways.  We can have different opinions on whether or not it is good.  But nutrition is a science.  And science doesn't work that way, it isn't relative.  You formulate a hypothesis, you test it, you test it again, you get results, you formulate a theory.  But one test isn't enough and one study isn't enough.  You need many tests, conducted in the exact same manner with the exact same criteria from many sources that produce the same results many times.  And then, and only then, can you claim some validity.  That is science.

So for those who wanted my sources here they are:

1.  Scientific journals that include published studies that have been peer-reviewed and accepted as sound by the scientific community. 

2.  10 years of college education. 

3.  College textbooks that I use for teaching. 

Now, to give the critics credit (because, believe it or not, I am one of you, too) scientific journals do not always tell the whole story.  There are most definately politics involved that alter what actually gets published.  If studies show results that do not agree in favor of the funder, then they may not see the light of day.  I know that.  So I, too, am skeptical.  But, in general, I am not a conspiracy theorist and I don't beleive that everyone is out to get me (or you, for that matter), and although nothing is perfect, I do look to science for my sources. 

So if you want to know my advice on getting good information from reliable sources, here are some good tips.

a.  Does the website (or book, wherever) give you sources that designate a published, scientific study(ies)?

b.  Were the studies conducted on enough people? (Doing a study of 12 people isn't really "proof in the pudding")

c.  Does the person or persons dispensing the information have something to gain from it (are they selling supplements, diet pills, books, etc..)?

d.  Is the source from a major university or government agency?  Usually, they are your most reliable sources (though not always).

e.  Who funded the study?  (again, is there monetary gain involved)

f.  Is it from a non-profit organization? (such as the American Diabetes Association) Usually a good soucre, too.

g.  Does it make sense to you?

h.  Is it safe?

Take these things into account when deciding if the information you are getting is reliable.  And if you get your information (only some of it, hopefully) from me, know that I follow these golden rules stated above whenever I share information. 

And again, thanks to all the support and all of the Diggs that brought my article to #1 in the World and Finance section on digg.com. 

Money Saving Tips for Grocery Shopping and Healthy Living

1.  Buy lettuce by the head, not by the bag or box. OK, so it may actually take you all of three minutes to cut, wash and dry a head of lettuce compared to buying the pre-washed bag or box, but on average you will save about $3.50-$4.50 for the exact same amount of lettuce.  It's also better for the environment (not as much plastic being used) and you probably want to wash the lettuce anyway, regardless of whether or not it's in a bag or box. The lettuce will also be fluffier and fresher.

2.  Buy your milk (& orange juice) from a convenience store rather than the grocery store.  This may vary depending on where you live, but where I am a gallon of milk in the grocery store (store brand) is about $3.19-3.75 and in the convenience store it is only $2.49.  May not seem like much of a difference, but every little bit helps and in my house (with 2 kids, 4 people total) we go through about 4 gallons a week.  That equates to a savings of $22.50 per month! Orange juice is also cheaper as a half gallon is typically $3.50-3.99 at the grocery store and only $2.50 at the convenience store. 

3.  Don't buy perishables in bulk, unless you will use them.  Every time I buy a 5 pound bag of potatoes I use about 1.5 pounds and the rest grows arms before I get to eat it.  I could have saved around $2.00-3.00 had I just bought the 4 potatoes I ate rather than the big bag that got tossed.

4.  You can also buy celery, carrots, and other veggies in singles.  Just as in point #3, if you don't need an entire bag of celery sticks, don't buy the whole bag.  Most grocery stores have a separate section where you can buy carrots, celery and other vegetables in any quantity.  Maybe you only need one stick of carrot and one celery for a soup you are making.  You can just buy one of each for a fraction of the cost of an entire bag.

5.  Prepare you vegetables yourself. I know it is tempting to buy the pre-chopped onions, peppers, and zucchini, but it is a high price to pay to save 5 minutes of your time.  You will save anywhere from $2.00-5.00 cutting your own vegetables.  If time is a factor, my advice is to prepare all your vegetables ahead of time (I usually do it after I get home from grocery shopping).  Place the vegetables in tupperware (not plastic bags) and add a crumbled up paper towel.  The paper towel will absorb the moisture, thus leading to longer shelf life, and your vegetables will be ready to go when you need them. 

6.  Don't buy watered-down juice.  If your a savvy mom or dad (or at least health-conscious) and you have heard that your kids should reduce their juice intake, that's great!  Many companies are cashing in on this and are selling juices that are watered-down.  So you are paying the same amount as the regular juice (whether in a bottle or in a juice-box), but you are getting half the juice and tap water that is free from your faucet.  In other words, the companies are making twice as much money off of you!  Buy 100% juice (in its entirety) and mix it with water at home.  You will save around $2.75 to $4.99. 

7.  Don't buy bottled water.  In case you haven't heard, most bottled water is tap water.  Only difference is you pay $1.50 per 20 oz. if it comes in a plastic container.  Drink more water from your faucet, it really is the same quality (may even be better!).  You will be doing your wallet and the environment a big favor!  If your town water is questionable, you can always buy a water filter for your faucet.  A much more economical answer to filtered water. If you only drank one 20 oz. bottle of water a day, this would save you $45 per month. And of course you need at least three times that.

8.  Always look through the flyer and ask the deli clerk, butcher, etc, to see if anything is on sale.  I know I have made the mistake of going to the deli counter, asking for the same meat I always get, just to find out a competing brand is on sale that week for $2.00-3.00 less per pound. 

9.  Try to shop at the same store.  When you know a store's layout, you spend less.  You're familiar with the products they carry and spend less time looking for things.  In contrast, when you shop in places you aren't familiar you tend to "look" more and thus buy more because you notice items you haven't seen but want to try.  On average, whenever I venture out to a "new" store, I spend $30 more than normal.

Now, if you make every change I just mentioned (on estimate) you would save about $170 per month!

I Do Not Run Merely to Exercise; I Run to Build Character

A few weeks ago, I found out I had been chosen to be the Featured Fitness Professional in American Fitness Magazine's Member Spotlight.  There are only six people chosen each year.  I was, and still am, thrilled and honored they chose me. 

When they interviewed me, they asked me a very open and difficult question to answer, "Tell me about yourself?"  Don't you hate that question?  It is so vague and you never know just how to answer it.  Do you want to know about my career, my interests, my life story...what??? 

I figured since they were interested in me as a professional, and asked other questions regarding my entry into the Fitness Industry, I would tell my story of how I became who I am.

If you could have met me 20 years ago, you would never think I would grow up to be an exercise coach or a nutritionist.  I watched a lot of TV and I really didn't like to physically exert myself.  I thought it was painful (OK, it was work!).  I didn't like work.  I was always looking for short cuts and the easy way to do things (which is why I never accomplished anything as a kid, either).  And I didn't like sports, wasn't any good at them, and I really hated PE class.  I also ate a lot of candy and drank a lot of Slurpees from 7-Eleven.

Fast forward a couple of years, and I turned into your typical, no self-esteem teenage girl who realized I had gained weight and I couldn't get a date to save my life.  So I finally started exercising and dieting in order to lose some weight, but I wasn't focused on my health, unfortunately. 

By the time I hit 17 years old, I had started smoking and the proceeding few years of my life weren't exactly spent in good health.

By age 21, I started realizing that much of my life, up to that point, had been a failure.  I was struggling in school (too tired from the three jobs I was working while in school), I still smoked, I didn't exercise, and wasn't sure I was ever going to make anything of myself.  That's when I met my husband.  He was all the things I wanted to be; smart, a good student, strong, and healthy (both physically and mentally).  I really admired him (still do).   But knowing him made me realize that if I wanted to succeed in life, I needed a good role model.  And if I wanted to keep him around, I needed to quit smoking.

I tried to quit, maybe 4 or 5 times, but with no luck.  It made me feel like I had no control over myself or my life.  It also made me think about my exercise habits, or lack there of, and how I always thought exercise was too hard, especially running.  But for some odd reason, when I would run in PE class, I would experience a moment of exhilaration and it made me wish I could run. 

I decided that it was time for me to accomplish something in my life.  It was time for me to see my potential.  I made a deal with myself.  I would quit smoking and if I caved and had a cigarette, I would make myself go outside and run.  I stuck to my word and when I would have a cigarette, I ran right afterward.  I huffed and puffed, my lungs ached, and I was exhausted.  As I would run, I would think about the physical sensations that were running through my body, primarily my lungs hurting, and it was the mind/body connection that I needed to realize what I was doing to my body.  I was smoke-free within two weeks.  That was 13 years ago.

Not only did I kick the habit, but I started a new one.  I started to become a runner.  I put together a plan for myself, always setting goals, and in no time I was amazed at how much I was accomplishing.  I started out being able to run only 90 seconds at a time, but within a few months, I could run non-stop for 20 minutes. 

My running wasn't the only thing that got better.  That semester in school was my first ever of earning a 4.0 G.P.A.  I became the "A" student I always wanted to be, and for the most part, maintained it throughout the rest of my college years.  I have running to thank for that.  Running taught me to believe in myself, work hard, and never quit.   It taught me to focus on what I was doing.  It taught me to set goals for myself and focus on those goals, using them to measure my progress.  It made me realize that if I stopped fearing work, and started to take action, I could accomplish great things.   Invaluable life lessons. 

I'll leave out "my story" of how I became a Fitness Professional for another day.  I will just say that I do not merely run for the exercise, I run because it has been the foundation of my character. 

So if you are feeling like you need some motivation to exercise, think of my story and let it motivate you.  If I can do it, anyone can.

Kimberly Fitness Client Success Story: Jenny Couldn't Lose a Pound No Matter How Hard She Tried, Until I Made Her...

Some time ago, I had a woman named Jenny* who hired me to be her personal trainer and nutritionist.  In her first appointment, as with all of my first appointments, I asked her about her exercise history, diet history, and what was she hoping to achieve by working with me.

Jenny began to tell me how she weighed 172 pounds (at about 5' 6") and was sick and tired of being overweight.  But what frustrated her even more than that was the fact that she was eating healthy and exercising regularly, but still couldn't get under 170 pounds.  Her husband, a vegetarian and cyclist, made it easy for her to be active and healthy.  They ate many healthy, vegetarian meals together and both worked out 5 or 6 days a week.  For exercise, she would do the elliptical machine for 45 minutes each day or maybe do a Spinning class.  She was confused and depressed as she couldn't understand how she could eat healthy and exercise regularly and not get below 170.

I made some diet recommendations, such as keeping a food journal and cutting back on cheese-based vegetarian dishes. As for her exercise routine, I recommended she mix it up a bit and start taking some aerobics classes in lieu of the elliptical and I also created a strength training program for her.  She gave this a try for a few weeks and was happy to lose 2 pounds (going from 172 to 170), but seemed to not be able to break that number.  Over the next few weeks, she kept up with the changes but seemed to stay at 170.  During her next appointment, she talked to me about how hard she was exercising and how much she was paying attention to her diet, but felt discouraged because it didn't seem to make a difference.  She cried and was genuinely frustrated and depressed, feeling like she was a failure.

I decided to get more aggressive with her as I knew that unless she had an underlying medical issue that was keeping her from losing weight, there had to be something we could do to get her to break 170.  And I knew the answer....

I looked at her and said "OK, new game plan.  From now on, no more elliptical, no more Spinning, no more aerobics....from this day forward, you will run."  She looked at me as if I were crazy, argued with me, and said, "No Kim, I can't do that.  My husband has been trying to get me to run for years and I won't do it. I HATE to run."  Being the somewhat devilish person I can be at times, I gave her a smirk, laughed and said, "You CAN run and you WILL run", (followed by some bad joke referencing the Karate Kid when Miagi says "Teacher say, student do, no questions...").

She then asked me when and how long.  I said "Now, and you'll find out".  So I took her outside and we started out with a short walk, just to warm up.  I then told her that we would find markers.  She would walk until we saw a marker, then she would run until the next marker.  Walk, run, walk, run.  She was miserable, looked like she really was considering punching me, and I think there were some four-letter words coming out of her mouth if memory serves me well.

When we were finished with my drilling, we headed back to my office and sat down.  I quickly put together a beginner running program for her, handed it to her and said, "This is your new plan.  Five days a week, do exactly what it says."  I then told her I would see her in two weeks.

After she left, I wondered if I really would see her again or if she would decide that she hated me, throw her running program in the trash, and never return.

However, two weeks had passed and she did, in fact, show up for her appointment.  I could tell by the expression on her face that as much she wanted to hide it, she was proud of herself and damn happy.  I asked her, "How did you do?"  She responded "...I'm 167!!!".  She was so happy, she cried (again), but at least this time they were tears of joy.

She began to tell me how hard it was the first week but decided she would do it anyway because of how great she felt after I made her run.  She hated it at the time, but afterward, stated she felt great.  She figured it was worth a try.  We decided to keep her on a beginner running program and see how she did over the next month.  When she came back, she was down to 162.  The next appointment, 158. 

About six months later, I received an email from her.  She was down to 135 and happy with her new healthy weight.  She told me that she had signed up for her first 5k running race and loved being a runner.  She thanked me for all that I had done to help her change her life and told me she would forever be grateful to me for making her see how much she could really accomplish.  I love those kinds of emails.

Success is possible for everyone, you just need to believe you are capable of achieving it.

If you are having trouble with your weight and need an effective program, contact me.  I'm here to help you change your life. 

*Jenny is not her real name.  Of course, you knew that, though.....