Four Things I Learned From a Personal Trainer

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trainer

New year, New you, is the motto that so many people go by at the start of each year. I think its great! It opens so many windows for change and opportunity and helps us all jump start a new habit, activity, or change within ourselves. Did you know the top New Year’s Resolution is about fitness? Whether it is diet changes, or physical changes, it is something we all strive to change. Last year I met with a trainer for about an hour to go over a fitness/nutrition plan, take measurements and just help jumpstart goals that I wanted to accomplish. Here are a few takeaways from my meeting with her that I hope can help others.

PROTEIN, PROTEIN, PROTEIN!!

I had to mention this first because this was my biggest change, saw the biggest transformation, and had no idea the importance of protein. As adults we hardly eat enough protein in our diets. Did you know we should be eating 60-100% of our body weight in grams? That means if you weigh 115lbs then you should be eating anywhere from 70-115 grams of protein a day! Seems like a lot, I know. Here are some helpful tools to help you reach that goal.

  • Track how much protein you eat in a day.
  • To make up for the lack of protein, try drinking a protein shake (just powder, do not add fruit or veggies to it) after each meal.
  • Focus on having a protein at each meal INCLUDING snacks. (beef jerky, low fat cheese, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt)

Protein helps speed up your metabolism, burns body fat, helps you feel full longer and helps build muscle. After increasing my protein, I saw a HUGE difference in my body!

CUT CARDIO or keep it minimal.

I used to be a cardio queen. I thought running was the only way to lose weight and I was scared to move away from it. After meeting with the trainer, she taught me that lifting heavy weights will help get to your weight loss goals a lot quicker and is more successful at speeding up your metabolism. If you want to keep some cardio, keep it to 20-30 min POST lifting.

Stay away from trendy diets and just eat healthy!

Let’s face it, most diets are the same when it comes down to it: eat more fruits and vegetables, portion control, etc. etc. BE realistic, BE flexible, and BE HUMAN. A piece of chocolate or glass of wine isn’t going to derail you. Just be mindful how often you are enjoying the finer things in life 😊

Last but not least, carbs ARE NOT the enemy!

This was another big lesson for me from my trainer. Previously I ate a very low carb diet. I was tired a lot and wasn’t gaining the muscle I was working so hard to get. I learned that my body wasn’t getting enough calories to produce more muscle. It was hungry and overworking. As I started to add back carbs, I did feel full more and saw an increase in my overall body. Remember to keep carbs to about ¼ of your dinner plate. Good carbs to eat include quinoa, rice, sweet potatoes, and steel cut oats.

I hope this can help anyone who is starting a new journey in their diet, at the gym, or wherever you may be. Always remember, you need to love yourself before you can love others! Happy New Year.