That's it!!! I have had it!!! Who has the time and patience to count calories? Why would anybody want to live that way? Same goes for Weight Watchers... why constantly worry about a point system. Point systems are for sports and statistics!
I have been down the road of counting calories, been there done that, saw little results. I have found a good balance that is easy to follow, will lead to better health, and help in your fitness results too! It is called moderation, variation, and portion control.
Previous generations never counted calories. In the 1800s, people ate when they were hungry or when food was available. It is ever since we have become obsessed with our health and weight that we have become sicker and more obese!
So what is the solution? Simple: Food. Like grandma used to make!
Breakfast and lunch should be complete meals about the size of a dinner plate. It should contain lean protein, essential fats, fibre, fruits and/or veggies and whole grains.
Supper should be smaller and be equal parts lean protein and veggies (steamed or as a salad).
Snack on fruits, vegetables and nuts between meals and drink plenty of water.
If you want to lose weight slightly lower the portion size, and be more active. If you want to gain muscle eat a few more complex carbs and more protein, and of course modify your workouts. If you want better health, stick to this plan.
I highly recommend you include the following into your meals at LEAST once a week,but the more the merrier;
Broccoli
Salmon
Steel Cut Oatmeal (organic preferably)
Onions and garlic
Maitaki and Shitaki mushrooms
colorful peppers
Spinach
Tilapia or Pangasius
Chick Peas and Lentils
That is a great start to a healthy lifestyle and you will NEVER have to worry about calories EVER again!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Portion size
Summer is here, and so is the desire to have that "beach" body ready. Some of us want to lose weight to feel better. Others want to drop a few pounds to show off, and some will do whatever it takes to get that infamous 6-pack.
There is nothing wrong with shedding a few pounds if you have a few pounds to shed. For many, dropping 5 to 15 pounds can be a huge jump in overall health. The question is, how are you losing the weight.
Although I am in the supplement business, and I make a living by selling fat burners, I do not see that as the answer. Many people opt for them, and if you eat well and workout hard, you will see added results.
For me, health is always the main concern. So by cutting your calories, eating proper foods, and increasing activity, you are losing the weight, AND increasing your overall health. That is a double benefit.
What I do see as a common error though is portion size. I see many people eating all the right foods and working out the proper way, but why no weightloss? PORTION SIZE!!! I can tell you that portion size is my common error, and although I know better, I often prepare myself too much.
Eating properly portioned meals and snacks will help rev your metabolism. It will allow your body to use what is being given as energy without excess being stored to fat cells. It also prevents dips in energy levels throughout the day.
So, what is proper portion size? We can talk all day about ounces and fist sizes etc... but for me the easiest way is this. For lunch and supper eat a normal sized plate divided into 3... 1/3 lean protein, 1/3 complex carbs and fibre, and the last 1/3 essential fats.
Example, for breakfast you can have an omlette 2 egg whites 1 whole egg, some fresh fruit and a slice of multigrain toast with a tab of butter.
For your snacks, enjoy either a fruit or vegetable, some fresh almonds or yogurt.
I guarantee if you keep proper portion size, you will start to lose that excess weight and you will FOR SURE feel better!
Have a wonderful healthy day!
There is nothing wrong with shedding a few pounds if you have a few pounds to shed. For many, dropping 5 to 15 pounds can be a huge jump in overall health. The question is, how are you losing the weight.
Although I am in the supplement business, and I make a living by selling fat burners, I do not see that as the answer. Many people opt for them, and if you eat well and workout hard, you will see added results.
For me, health is always the main concern. So by cutting your calories, eating proper foods, and increasing activity, you are losing the weight, AND increasing your overall health. That is a double benefit.
What I do see as a common error though is portion size. I see many people eating all the right foods and working out the proper way, but why no weightloss? PORTION SIZE!!! I can tell you that portion size is my common error, and although I know better, I often prepare myself too much.
Eating properly portioned meals and snacks will help rev your metabolism. It will allow your body to use what is being given as energy without excess being stored to fat cells. It also prevents dips in energy levels throughout the day.
So, what is proper portion size? We can talk all day about ounces and fist sizes etc... but for me the easiest way is this. For lunch and supper eat a normal sized plate divided into 3... 1/3 lean protein, 1/3 complex carbs and fibre, and the last 1/3 essential fats.
Example, for breakfast you can have an omlette 2 egg whites 1 whole egg, some fresh fruit and a slice of multigrain toast with a tab of butter.
For your snacks, enjoy either a fruit or vegetable, some fresh almonds or yogurt.
I guarantee if you keep proper portion size, you will start to lose that excess weight and you will FOR SURE feel better!
Have a wonderful healthy day!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Staying Healthy
I know I am in the mood to blog, but I am not 100% sure what I want to blog about, so this will be a random blog about things to do to stay healthy.
Lets start off by how we define health? To me health means being free of illness and disease. It means being mentally and physically well. It means not having issues with your health in general, and most important about feeling good.
I believe that I am healthy. I have no illness or disease. I have lots of energy. I am in a good space mentally and I am very happy with how I feel and look. I am far from perfect. I have things to work on, but they are in progress.
So, what do I do to get and stay healthy? There are a number of things that can help. I cannot say for fact that they will help you, but I guarantee they have worked for me. I can only tell you about my experiences and hopefully they help others as well.
So, what is it that I do? Nothing special really. Stuff that we should all be doing. Here are some of the basics;
- I try and sleep at least 8 hours a night. If I cannot get at least 7 hours a night, I try and nap during the day.
- I try and drink water regularly so as to keep myself fully hydrated at all times. This helps prevent excessive hunger, helps prevent dips in energy, and helps prevent headaches.
- I eat as many fruits and vegetables of all colors as possible. Especially berries! I personally try and get organic produce, but that is not always an option financially, but 95% of my fruits and veggies are organic.
- The only grains I eat are whole grains and sprouted grains. Buckwheat, spelt, barley and lentils are a foundation to my diet. I also enjoy limited amounts of almonds, peanuts, walnuts, raisins and cashews.
- I eat a wide variety of fresh fish, and limited amounts of lean protein such as chicken breasts, turkey breasts and extra lean lamb.
- I no longer use a microwave... its been a few months now.
- I have replaced coffee for organic green and/or white tea.
- I exercise regularly. Sometimes I weight train (about 3 - 4 times per week) and the other times I work on cardio (minimum 4 times per week).
- I try and laugh! I watch funny clips on YouTube, I watch shows and movies that make me laugh, and I read funny articles. Laughter is the best medicine.
I hope that a few of these can find their way into your regular routine, and I hope it helps keep you healthy or improve your health.
Please follow me on twitter @trainwithoz or contact me via my website www.mytraineroz.com.
Lets start off by how we define health? To me health means being free of illness and disease. It means being mentally and physically well. It means not having issues with your health in general, and most important about feeling good.
I believe that I am healthy. I have no illness or disease. I have lots of energy. I am in a good space mentally and I am very happy with how I feel and look. I am far from perfect. I have things to work on, but they are in progress.
So, what do I do to get and stay healthy? There are a number of things that can help. I cannot say for fact that they will help you, but I guarantee they have worked for me. I can only tell you about my experiences and hopefully they help others as well.
So, what is it that I do? Nothing special really. Stuff that we should all be doing. Here are some of the basics;
- I try and sleep at least 8 hours a night. If I cannot get at least 7 hours a night, I try and nap during the day.
- I try and drink water regularly so as to keep myself fully hydrated at all times. This helps prevent excessive hunger, helps prevent dips in energy, and helps prevent headaches.
- I eat as many fruits and vegetables of all colors as possible. Especially berries! I personally try and get organic produce, but that is not always an option financially, but 95% of my fruits and veggies are organic.
- The only grains I eat are whole grains and sprouted grains. Buckwheat, spelt, barley and lentils are a foundation to my diet. I also enjoy limited amounts of almonds, peanuts, walnuts, raisins and cashews.
- I eat a wide variety of fresh fish, and limited amounts of lean protein such as chicken breasts, turkey breasts and extra lean lamb.
- I no longer use a microwave... its been a few months now.
- I have replaced coffee for organic green and/or white tea.
- I exercise regularly. Sometimes I weight train (about 3 - 4 times per week) and the other times I work on cardio (minimum 4 times per week).
- I try and laugh! I watch funny clips on YouTube, I watch shows and movies that make me laugh, and I read funny articles. Laughter is the best medicine.
I hope that a few of these can find their way into your regular routine, and I hope it helps keep you healthy or improve your health.
Please follow me on twitter @trainwithoz or contact me via my website www.mytraineroz.com.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Why is smoking still legal?
OK, without being mean, I understand that governments are a little slow with change and progression, and they love their tax dollars, but COME ON!!! Do they not realize that cigarettes KILL!!!
Here is government mentality: Tobacco companies pay very high taxes. The smoker who buys packs of cigarettes also pays high taxes on the cigarettes. So the government is literally making money hand over fist.
What about health care? Obama has tried to implement new health care in the US and I am not sure what went down with that. As a Canadian, we have socialized health care, which is slightly flawed, but really not that bad. What is the cost that smokers are putting on health care?
I do not have concrete stats, nor do I need them. Smoking directly and indirectly kills thousands per year. How many cancers could have been avoided? How many patients are hospitalized due to severe breathing issues? How many burn victims due to fires started by cigarettes? Heart disease and stroke? Do I need to go on?
The government is looking at today, without any vision towards the future. Make smoking illegal, lose some revenue now, and save BILLIONS in health care in the next 50 years.
Yes, I understand people will still smoke, and I understand that cigarettes will be treated and praised like marijuana etc... But for the most part, banning it will lead to benefits. It would take years to get regulations in place, but somebody has to take that first step.
I will commend local governments that have banned smoking in public places and there are even a few places that hand tiockets to smokers who smoke in a car while children are present, but is that enough?
I would love your feedback and opinions.
Here is government mentality: Tobacco companies pay very high taxes. The smoker who buys packs of cigarettes also pays high taxes on the cigarettes. So the government is literally making money hand over fist.
What about health care? Obama has tried to implement new health care in the US and I am not sure what went down with that. As a Canadian, we have socialized health care, which is slightly flawed, but really not that bad. What is the cost that smokers are putting on health care?
I do not have concrete stats, nor do I need them. Smoking directly and indirectly kills thousands per year. How many cancers could have been avoided? How many patients are hospitalized due to severe breathing issues? How many burn victims due to fires started by cigarettes? Heart disease and stroke? Do I need to go on?
The government is looking at today, without any vision towards the future. Make smoking illegal, lose some revenue now, and save BILLIONS in health care in the next 50 years.
Yes, I understand people will still smoke, and I understand that cigarettes will be treated and praised like marijuana etc... But for the most part, banning it will lead to benefits. It would take years to get regulations in place, but somebody has to take that first step.
I will commend local governments that have banned smoking in public places and there are even a few places that hand tiockets to smokers who smoke in a car while children are present, but is that enough?
I would love your feedback and opinions.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Losing Weight vs Getting Healthy
Food has become a large part of North America's obesity problem. It has also become the topic of many, blogs, TV talk shows, articles, books and documentaries. I have noticed that many people are confused about the difference between losing weight, and getting healthy.
I want to clarify this in the easiest way possible.
TO LOSE WEIGHT:
In order to lose weight, you need to expend more calories than you are taking in. 3500 calories equals 1 pound, so if you burn 500 more calories per day compared to what you consume, you will lose 1 pound per week.
When we look at it this way, it does not much matter where the calories come from, so long as there are more calories out as opposed to in.
TO GET HEALTHY:
If you need to lose weight, then the main rule still stands... you need more calories out as opposed to in.
However, here is where the difference lies. You need to see where the calories are coming from.
If you have Type II diabetes, or are deemed pre-diabetic, you want to limit the amount of sugars and simple carbs in your diet. You do not want to eat too many fruits, and you are best off switching from white bread and pasta to whole wheat or multi grain bread and pasta.
If blood pressure and cholesterol is your health issue, you want to increase the amount of fiber in your diet. Salty foods and foods containing sodium should be very limited or even eliminated.
I see that alot of people focus on getting thinner, but they do not always worry about their health in general. Many people under eat, and that too can lead to long term health issues. People willing "to do anything" to lose weight often try supplements that are safe for most, but may be harmful if you have some underlying condition. Yo-yo dieting has been proven to cause serious long term health issues, and we all know why it is called yo-yo effect. You stick to the diet and once you reach your ideal weight... KABOOM!!!
If I can offer 1 piece of advise, it would be to focus on your overall general health. I assure you that if you train correctly, eat well, and put out more calories than you take in, you will lose the weight and gain health.
If you need any help or need suggestions for doing this, please contact me on twitter @mytraineroz or via my website www.mytraineroz.com.
I want to clarify this in the easiest way possible.
TO LOSE WEIGHT:
In order to lose weight, you need to expend more calories than you are taking in. 3500 calories equals 1 pound, so if you burn 500 more calories per day compared to what you consume, you will lose 1 pound per week.
When we look at it this way, it does not much matter where the calories come from, so long as there are more calories out as opposed to in.
TO GET HEALTHY:
If you need to lose weight, then the main rule still stands... you need more calories out as opposed to in.
However, here is where the difference lies. You need to see where the calories are coming from.
If you have Type II diabetes, or are deemed pre-diabetic, you want to limit the amount of sugars and simple carbs in your diet. You do not want to eat too many fruits, and you are best off switching from white bread and pasta to whole wheat or multi grain bread and pasta.
If blood pressure and cholesterol is your health issue, you want to increase the amount of fiber in your diet. Salty foods and foods containing sodium should be very limited or even eliminated.
I see that alot of people focus on getting thinner, but they do not always worry about their health in general. Many people under eat, and that too can lead to long term health issues. People willing "to do anything" to lose weight often try supplements that are safe for most, but may be harmful if you have some underlying condition. Yo-yo dieting has been proven to cause serious long term health issues, and we all know why it is called yo-yo effect. You stick to the diet and once you reach your ideal weight... KABOOM!!!
If I can offer 1 piece of advise, it would be to focus on your overall general health. I assure you that if you train correctly, eat well, and put out more calories than you take in, you will lose the weight and gain health.
If you need any help or need suggestions for doing this, please contact me on twitter @mytraineroz or via my website www.mytraineroz.com.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Where our blame should be
I can admit that I do indeed watch Dr. Phil. The last 2 days he has been talking about obesity. He had a panel of 3 obese ladies, Kelly Osborne (who just lost 42lbs) and 3 "healthy" guests which included Jillian Michaels of The Biggest Loser.
I think it is great that mass media is opening up the minds of millions to the obesity crisis and what dangers it may bring. Obesity can lead to personal and family crisis, and it will eventually lead to a general health care crisis.
The problem with how the show unfolded was this, it became a war of skinny vs fat. Too many people do not fully understand all the implications of proper eating. People do not understand that skinny people can still become diabetic or have high blood pressure. The same can be said that not every obese individual will develop diabetes.
There is enough proof that too much body fat prevents the internal organs from functioning properly. Eating high glycemic foods too often will likely lead to diabetes. Eating foods high in trans and saturated foods increases your risk of hypertension, elevated cholesterol, stroke, heart attack and an array of other health issues.
But who is to blame? Do we blame overweight people? Do we blame their parents? Do we blame the government? Who is at fault, and more importantly, how do we fix this ever growing issue?
The issue is not the obese people. They are the ones going to suffer, but it is not entirely their fault. Many obese individuals grew up in households where activity and proper eating was never recognized, and they just fell into the trap. They have been surrounded by fast food places, advertising, jobs that require little or no movement.
My biggest issue is with food manufacturers. It is them that add MSG to foods. They add the phony health claims such as "now with heart healthy Omega 3s"! Frozen beef patties with 18g of fat, as well as MSG and other sodiums are not healthy, even if they do add a tiny bit of omegas. Problem is, the education system never taught us that.
Phys Ed hours continue to get cut. Playgrounds are disappearing and concrete jungles continue to grow. Large corporations pay school boards to put vending machines full of chips and soda pop into schools.
There is nothing wrong with snacks. They are a part of life. Cookies, Ice Cream and Cake are part of childhood, and that should not change. What needs to be fixed is the portion size and frequency of these snacks.
Schools need to increase hours of phys ed and encourage after school sports or recreation activities. Food manufacturers have to take ownership of their products and state real claims such as "contains Omega 3s and 60% of your daily fat intake."
We have to fix this as a collective. We have to help educate each other. The obesity crisis did not occur overnight, and it will not be fixed in a few short years, but we must lay the groundwork now. It is not fat vs skinny. I challenge you to forget the "look." It doesn't matter what jean size you are, as long as you are taking steps towards optimal health. If your insides are healthy, the outer look will follow, and I assure you since you will have more energy, your personality will blossom.
I have posted a few articles about eating real food, and how we have seen the error of our ways. Please read my other blog www.mynaturaltruth.blogspot.com and you will see how badly we have done in the last few years.
If you have any questions, or comments, please feel free to contact me www.mytraineroz.com!
I think it is great that mass media is opening up the minds of millions to the obesity crisis and what dangers it may bring. Obesity can lead to personal and family crisis, and it will eventually lead to a general health care crisis.
The problem with how the show unfolded was this, it became a war of skinny vs fat. Too many people do not fully understand all the implications of proper eating. People do not understand that skinny people can still become diabetic or have high blood pressure. The same can be said that not every obese individual will develop diabetes.
There is enough proof that too much body fat prevents the internal organs from functioning properly. Eating high glycemic foods too often will likely lead to diabetes. Eating foods high in trans and saturated foods increases your risk of hypertension, elevated cholesterol, stroke, heart attack and an array of other health issues.
But who is to blame? Do we blame overweight people? Do we blame their parents? Do we blame the government? Who is at fault, and more importantly, how do we fix this ever growing issue?
The issue is not the obese people. They are the ones going to suffer, but it is not entirely their fault. Many obese individuals grew up in households where activity and proper eating was never recognized, and they just fell into the trap. They have been surrounded by fast food places, advertising, jobs that require little or no movement.
My biggest issue is with food manufacturers. It is them that add MSG to foods. They add the phony health claims such as "now with heart healthy Omega 3s"! Frozen beef patties with 18g of fat, as well as MSG and other sodiums are not healthy, even if they do add a tiny bit of omegas. Problem is, the education system never taught us that.
Phys Ed hours continue to get cut. Playgrounds are disappearing and concrete jungles continue to grow. Large corporations pay school boards to put vending machines full of chips and soda pop into schools.
There is nothing wrong with snacks. They are a part of life. Cookies, Ice Cream and Cake are part of childhood, and that should not change. What needs to be fixed is the portion size and frequency of these snacks.
Schools need to increase hours of phys ed and encourage after school sports or recreation activities. Food manufacturers have to take ownership of their products and state real claims such as "contains Omega 3s and 60% of your daily fat intake."
We have to fix this as a collective. We have to help educate each other. The obesity crisis did not occur overnight, and it will not be fixed in a few short years, but we must lay the groundwork now. It is not fat vs skinny. I challenge you to forget the "look." It doesn't matter what jean size you are, as long as you are taking steps towards optimal health. If your insides are healthy, the outer look will follow, and I assure you since you will have more energy, your personality will blossom.
I have posted a few articles about eating real food, and how we have seen the error of our ways. Please read my other blog www.mynaturaltruth.blogspot.com and you will see how badly we have done in the last few years.
If you have any questions, or comments, please feel free to contact me www.mytraineroz.com!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Health vs The "Look"
I am a personal trainer. I studied the human body immensly. I have studied nutrition, sports performance, structural anatomy, basic physiology and quite a bit more. As a trainer, I see most people in the gym wanting to have either the bodybuilder look or the fitness look.
Most people don't realize that those "looks" aren't necessarily healthy. My main focus when training and eating, is to be at my health prime. I make sure that I train for the wellbeing of my inner body, knowing that when I am at my ultimate health, the "look" will follow.
I have noticed that not too many people agree with me. I find that unfortunate, although I would love your feedback on the issue.
Here is my point... when you look for the bodybuilder look, you need a very high protein diet which can be hard on the kidneys and lower intestines. You need to lift very heavy weights which can over time wear on your vertebrae and your ligaments and tendons. You are more likely to be using supplements (most of which are harmless, but the wrong mix can lead to trouble) and some may even try illegal anabolics. (on the steroid note, I do not judge, the choice is yours and only you can say what is right or wrong for you).
At the end of your serious training you may achieve the look you wanted, but it does not mean you are any healthier. This is the field of health & fitness... HEALTH & fitness!
As a trainer, I can tell you that I get greater joy from the older gentleman telling me that his cholesterol or blood pressure went down, as opposed to a client benching 4 plates. Both are incredible accomplishments, but which one will pay off more when you are in your 80s?
Happy Training!
Most people don't realize that those "looks" aren't necessarily healthy. My main focus when training and eating, is to be at my health prime. I make sure that I train for the wellbeing of my inner body, knowing that when I am at my ultimate health, the "look" will follow.
I have noticed that not too many people agree with me. I find that unfortunate, although I would love your feedback on the issue.
Here is my point... when you look for the bodybuilder look, you need a very high protein diet which can be hard on the kidneys and lower intestines. You need to lift very heavy weights which can over time wear on your vertebrae and your ligaments and tendons. You are more likely to be using supplements (most of which are harmless, but the wrong mix can lead to trouble) and some may even try illegal anabolics. (on the steroid note, I do not judge, the choice is yours and only you can say what is right or wrong for you).
At the end of your serious training you may achieve the look you wanted, but it does not mean you are any healthier. This is the field of health & fitness... HEALTH & fitness!
As a trainer, I can tell you that I get greater joy from the older gentleman telling me that his cholesterol or blood pressure went down, as opposed to a client benching 4 plates. Both are incredible accomplishments, but which one will pay off more when you are in your 80s?
Happy Training!
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