Link: http://buffalopersonaltraining.com



What are your habits?

Do you eat the same thing for lunch, go through the same exercise routine, and fall into bed at the same time each night?

Or maybe you've made a habit out of eating whatever looks good, avoiding the gym, and staying up as late as possible.

John Dryden famously said, "We first make our habits, and then our habits make us."

Confucius said, "Men's natures are alike; it is their habits that separate them."

And Aristotle noticed that, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit."

It's pretty clear that the habits you adopt will shape who you are.

When it comes to your body, the two habits that define your physique are your eating and exercise habits. In fact, everyone that you know who is in great shape has dialed in these two important habits.

If you aren't happy with your body, then simply adjust your eating and exercise habits. Here's how to adopt a habit:

Making a Habit
Use these seven steps to create a life-improving habit.

1) Decide on the ONE habit that you would like to develop. It's tempting to pick up 3 or 4 healthy habits, but choosing just one new habit is realistic and doable.

Here are some healthy habit ideas:

Do not eat after 7pm each night.
Bring your lunch to work instead of eating fast food.

Exercise 4 times a week after work for 45 minutes each time.

Only eat fruits and veggies as your afternoon snack.

Get up early and exercise for an hour each morning.

Work with a personal trainer 3 times a week.

2) Write your new habit down on paper. Also include your 3 main motivators for developing this new habit, the obstacles you'll face, and your strategies for overcoming these obstacles.

Here's an example:
My new habit is to work with a personal trainer 3 times each week.
My 3 main motivators are

1) to feel confident in my bathing suit this summer, 2) to have more energy, and 3) to fit into my skinny jeans.
The obstacles I will face are 1) not having the energy to go to my session after work, 2) not having enough money to pay for sessions, and 3) not having my spouse's support.
I will overcome these obstacles by 1) doing my workouts before work instead of after work, so I have more energy,

2) cutting down on frivolous spending to ensure that I can afford it, and 3) asking my spouse to join me so we can get in shape together.

3) Commit fully to your new habit, in a public way. This could mean posting it on facebook, or simply announcing it at the dinner table. Put yourself in a position where you'll be embarrassed to give up on your new habit.

4) Keep track of your progress. You could keep a detailed journal or simply make a check mark on each calendar day that you successfully exercise your new habit.

5) Keep yourself publically accountable. This means either status updates on facebook or verbal status updates at the dinner table. Your friends and family are in a position to offer you support, so don't shy away from those close to you.

6) When you fail, figure out what went wrong so that you can plan around it in the future.

7) Reward yourself for your success.

Once your new habit becomes second nature, usually in about 30 days, feel free to add a second habit by going through the same 7 steps.

Good Luck,

Brian

Link: http://www.buffalopersonaltraining.com



Happy new year! I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing Holiday. There is no better time than the Holidays to sit back with friends and family and enjoy the season.

Ok, so all the parties, presents, cookies, cakes and candies have come and gone. It seems like everywhere you went there were treats around.

So how did you do? Did you gain the normal 3-7 pounds that most people gain? Did you blow your diet? Worse yet...did you just give up in frustration and vowed you would do better in 2011??

If your like most you did the latter. Most people took the holidays off and promised to get back on track in the new year.

So do you have a plan for the year? I mean something more concrete than I will lose weight! Seriously, ask yourself how much you want to lose. Come up with a number. Setting vague goals will never accomplish anything.

So whether it's 5..10...25 or 50 pounds of fat you want to lose..devise a plan. Know your numbers. Know how many calories you need. Know how much fat, protein and carbs your body needs to lose weight.

How about exercise? Have you thought about that? How much exercise is the right amount to see results? Conversly, how much exercise is too much and will lead to injury.

These are all very serious questions that you need to ask yourself. Never forget that old adage that '"failure to plan is a plan to fail.

I wish you all the best in 2011. May you have a happy and healthy year.

Yours in health,

Brian

Link: http://www.buffalopersonaltraining.com




CAN IT BE TRUE?

It's not enough that a female fertility drug used by bodybuilders for steroid recovery is now being distributed as an injectable "diet."

It's not enough that supplement sellers found new names for caffeine and diuretics so they can sell "extreme" new fat burners.

Its not bad enough that there is a new "fad" diet called the Hollywood Cookie Diet (dont ask).

Now . . . the Taco Bell Drive Through is the solution to America's weight loss woes???!?!!

As a Personal Trainer, it amazes me what people are willing to do to get out of eating properly and exercising.

If it sounds to good to be true.... Lets remember that nothing is free in life. If you want lasting results than you need to put the work in. If you want a Healthy and Fit body that you are proud of than it will require some time and effort.

My goal, my mission, my objective is to help make your program as effective and effecient as possible. No crazy diets... no weird pills and certainly NO TACO BELL!

Listen, I can and will help you. We can do this together. Lets make 2010 a healthy year.

Yours In Health,

Brian

Link: http://www.buffalopersonaltraining.com



Imagine you are sixteen years old and your parents give you your first car. They also give you simple instructions. There is one small hitch, you only get one car, you can never get another. Never. No trade-ins, no trade-ups. Nothing.

Ask yourself how would you maintain that car? My guess is you would be meticulous. Frequent oil changes, proper fuel, etc. Now imagine if your parents also told you that none of the replacement parts for this car would ever work as well as the original parts. Not only that, the replacement parts would be expensive to install and cause you to have decreased use of your car for the rest of the cars useful life? In other words, the car would continue to run but, not at the same speed and with the efficiency you were used to. Wow, now would we ever put a lot of time and effort into maintenance if that were the case.

After reading the above example ask yourself another question. Why is the human body different? Why do we act as if we don’t care about the one body we were given. Same deal. You only get one body. No returns or trade-ins. Sure, we can replace parts but boy it’s a lot of work and it hurts. Besides, the stuff they put in never works as well as the original “factory” parts. The replacement knee or hip doesn’t give you the same feel and performance as the original part.

Think about it. One body. You determine the mileage? You set the maintenance plan? No refunds, no warranties, no do-overs? How about this perspective? One of my clients is a very successful businessman. He often is asked to speak to various groups. One thing he tells every group is that you are going to spend time and money on your health. The truth is the process can be a proactive one or a reactive one.

Money spent on your health can take the form of a personal trainer, massage therapist and a gym membership or, it can be money spent on cardiologists, anesthesiologists, and plastic surgeons. Either way, you will spend money.

Same goes for time. You can go to the gym or, to the doctors office. It’s up to you. Either way, you will spend time. Some people say things like “I hate to work out”. Try sitting in the emergency room for a few hours and then get back to me. Working out may not seem so bad.

Much like a car, a little preventative maintenance can go a long way. However, in so many ways the body is better than a car. With some good hard work you can turn back the odometer on the body.

Do me a favor, spend some time on preventative maintenance, it beats the heck out of the alternative. Just remember, you will spend both time and money.

Yours In Health,

Brian

Link: http://www.buffalopersonaltraining.com

1. Play by the numbers.
No matter where it comes from, a calorie is a calorie, and it takes 3,500 calories to gain or lose a pound. Want to shed a perfectly respectable 1 pound per week? Carve 500 calories off your day by thinking through your food choices and upping your exercise. But make sure you're not cutting too many calories. Drastically reducing food intake could slow your metabolism and sabotage your efforts to build muscle, which is needed to burn maximum calories and be toned. To make calories count, choose nutrient-rich foods with a mix of protein, carbs and fats at every meal.

2. Consider nutrition first.
Eat plenty of foods full of the six nutrients most often lacking in most diets. The quality and length of our lives depend on our health; our bodies thrive only when nourished with optimal amounts of the more than 40 nutrients and 12,000 phytochemicals found in minimally processed foods. And, these also aid in weight loss. If you focus more on your health and less on your waistline, you will automatically eat more low-calorie, nutrient-packed foods, like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nonfat dairy products and legumes, which help you maintain your weight.

3. Learn how to control food cravings.
Cut out the specific items in whatever category—carbs, sweets, meat—gives you difficulty without cutting out the nutrition. Give pretzels the heave-ho but don't dismiss whole-grain breads. Has ice cream become a problem? Instead, snack on single-serving portions of yogurt.

4. Set your own rules.
The best way to achieve that same clarity when you're trying to lose weight is to set some rules. Find yourself snacking on cereal at night? Make an only-for-breakfast rule. If you slip, no cereal in your house for a month! Tend to dive into the breadbasket as soon as the waiter brings it around? Set a one-starchy-carb-per-restaurant-meal rule. If you want the bread, tell yourself before you head out that you'll skip the potato or pasta that comes with your meal. To make the rules official, write them down.

5. Choose foods with staying power.
Fill up on wholesome, fiber-rich, water-filled foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans, which fill you up faster for longer on fewer calories. And how you eat is as important as what you eat. A growing body of research shows that the best way to keep your metabolism revved and body-fat levels low is to feed yourself in small amounts. Eat airline-size (rather than restaurant-size) portions of meat, fish, pasta, grains and desserts. And eat every three to four hours, for a total of five mini-meals per day.

6. Enjoy food.
You're much more likely to stick with a diet if your food looks, tastes and smells delicious. Feeling deprived will only backfire. Make a plan you can live with by livening up food with herbs and spices like basil, cilantro, curry and ginger; aromatic veggies like garlic and onions; and condiments like mustard, hot pepper sauce or salsa. Experiment with new foods: Tantalize your taste buds with two new fruits or vegetables at each meal. Try different cold/hot cereals and breads. Don't declare high-fat favorites "off limits"; savor them in small amounts.

7. Strive for balance.
For energy, satisfaction, staying power and good health, aim to eat a healthy balance of protein (15-20 percent of your total daily calories), fat (less than 30 percent of your total daily calories) and carbohydrate (50-55 percent of your total daily calories) each day. Rule of thumb: Fill three-quarters of your plate with plant foods, leaving the rest for small amounts of fish, nonfat milk products and nuts or seeds.

I hope this helps. Let me know your thoughts.

Yours In Health,

Brian