Spot reduction - can I get flatter abs by doing crunches alone?

We talked about chipping away at your fitness goals, one step at a time. Last week, I suggested you start by actually sitting down, writing out your goals, and start taking action. This week, we'll talk about spot reduction.

When you were younger, you had a pretty perfect body, right? Then as you grew into adulthood, your body started betraying you a little bit at a time. You look in the mirror and all you see is that one thing on your body that doesn't look the way you want it to. Perhaps, it's your tummy. Maybe it's your thighs. For some, it can be that extra wave you picked up under your arm. You know, when you wave to someone, stop, but the under arm still keeps moving....

We do all we can to focus on that one body part to make it change. But it doesn't change. You could do a thousand sit ups a day, but your tummy doesn't really look any better. Sure, there's some improvement, but if we were being really honest with ourselves, not much is truly changing.

Spot reduction is when you pick a spot on your body, and try and target that spot, to make change. Guess what? It doesn't work that way. You have fat cells all over your body. Those cells have to minimize in size in order for you to make change. Doing a thousand crunches to get a six pack isn't going to work, because your body will not favor fat cells in your tummy, over fat cells on your backside. They will either all reduce in size, stay the same, or increase in size, depending on your caloric intake and output.

In your plan, you should include the following:

* What do I need to address in my food intake, to reduce the number of calories I consume in a day, to help me reach my goal? You have to create a caloric deficit in order to make true change. Period. There's no way around it.

* Once you figure out how many calories you need to consume, divide it by 4 or 5 (depending on the number of meals you realistically can consume daily). Create your "Calorie Budget" for the day and don't "over spend".

* Lifting weights (resistance training) has many benefits for your body. One of the benefits, is that you will actually burn more calories at rest, increasing your metabolic rate, over time. An analogy I use is this: if you compare a 300 lbs overweight man to a 300 lb body builder, the body builder will burn more calories in a day, simply because he has all that lean body mass to fuel. I'm not suggesting YOU become a body builder, I'm simply pointing out that lifting weights will help you reach your goal faster, than not lifting weights.

* Do your cardio! Cardio gives you more energy, increases the strength of your heart, and burns body fat. Find something that works for you, and if you need suggestions, ask. I will help you find something you will enjoy.

* Take your vitamins. You will be in a caloric deficit, but your body will require nutrients you will not be able to give it through food consumption alone. So you'll have to supplement.

* You have to drink water. Yes, you'll have to cut back on your Diet Coke addiction, and replace it with water. Your body needs to be hydrated in order to get everything it needs, so it'll let go of the extra stuff it has been storing. 

You have to chip away at all of these things in order for even one spot on your body to reduce in size. That's not my rule, so don't blame me. It's like trying to lift a dumbbell with one finger. It's nearly impossible, but if you use all of your fingers, you can be successful at picking up the dumbbell. Use all your "fingers" (food intake, weight lifting, cardio, supplements, water) because you'll be more effective at reducing that one annoying spot you want to reduce in size. With consistency, you'll reach your goal before you know it.

Small steps toward your fitness goal.....

I've talked endlessly about the stress of having a family, but I haven't really talked about my career. Some of you might think I am a full-time Mom. While I do consider myself a full-time Mom, I do have a career, one that I enjoy and love.

I started Personal Training 13 years ago, about 6 months after having Lala. I started this career after feeling like I had burned myself out in the retail world. I knew I was meant to help others, but I felt like my purpose wasn't to help put away clothes or handle endless complaints, I had no control over. I left the retail world and followed my instincts to help others feel better about themselves. By helping people achieve their desired fitness goals, I was able to help them improve their self esteem, feel better physically, and help them connect with their partner again. It's a truly rewarding profession, and I feel that it's the right fit for me.


My biggest challenge is figuring out what is preventing a client from achieving their goal. I am constantly trying to figure out how to help, motivate and guide a client to continue working toward their goal. I wish there was a magic pill that we could all take to reshape our bodies the way we want them to look, but it doesn't exist. You have to be willing to sacrifice certain things, work hard toward the goal and stay in the game, mentally. It can be tough to change your habits, but replacing poor habits with healthy habits, will benefit you in the long run.

I sometimes think people have the impression that a personal trainer is someone who puts them through workouts. Although that is part of the service, it's not the basis of what we do. Yes, we have to continue to keep the workouts fun, challenging and effective, but we also have to be a big support system for most of our clients. Most people are not as disciplined when it comes to their food intake. Some people are not as disciplined in maintaining their workouts on their own. Others need help all the way around. We are coaches, motivators, therapists and life coaches all in one bag. Well, the good trainers are, anyway.

I have found that small, reasonable changes work best for most people. Although, we always have good intentions (I'll get up at 5am everyday and workout. I'll keep my caloric intake at 1200 everyday.), it rarely lasts for a long period of time. Most people are creatures of habit, so pulling out a few things and making small changes work best, rather than trying to make a complete make-over all at one time. For some people, the make-over approach works best, but for people who have struggled with weight gain and loss, their entire life, it's more difficult to break poor habits. Look at some of the Biggest Loser contestants. Although they inspire us, a LOT of former contestants have gained their weight back because they were playing a game on the ranch, and once they moved back into real life, real life took over.

My suggestion is to figure out what your plan is. What do you want to achieve? Set a goal, a timeline and figure out what will be realistic for your lifestyle. Understand that initially, you will be super motivated, but eventually, that wears off. What will you do once that happens? How will you track your food intake? What are you willing to give up and sacrifice and what are you unwilling to give up? Once everything is in place, start chipping away at your goal. Those wanting to lose 50 lbs or more, I suggest chipping away at it in pieces, so the number doesn't get overwhelming.

We all need a swift kick in the ass sometimes. It can come in the form of a doctor's visit, a look in the mirror, a spouse commenting on your weight gain, or simply coming to terms with where you are at in life. Whatever the spark is, ride the wave. Take photos of yourself, commit to the goal, the program and inch your way toward your goal. It's not easy, but what is in life? It's not going to be handed to you, so work for it! Claim it. Celebrate the small successes. Your pants fitting better, the scale moving in the right direction, or compliments from other people. Stay the course, because at the end of the day, it's your journey, your life, and your success.

I'm here for you. Do you have questions for me? Anyone interested in starting a Fitness Challenge to lose weight before summer really gets started?

Overcoming your fears - Trainer's perspective

I've been a personal trainer for over 13 years. In all of the years that I have been training, I've never come across a client that woke up one day, and decided that being overweight, unmotivated, and unhappy, was something they set out to achieve. It's never a goal that someone chooses willingly, deliberately, or consciously. In fact, it's usually the opposite of that.

Life happens. For most people, it's a slow progression over time. Perhaps it started in college, putting on the freshman fifteen. Then you entered the work force and didn't have the time or the energy to take care of yourself. You ate out, drank like a fish and worked your tail off. Then you got married, had children, and struggled to get off the last of the baby weight. You are now an overworked mother of seven, eating all the left over macaroni and cheese scraps from your little ones plates.

Perhaps the issue you have, is loving food too much. Or maybe you use food as an outlet to feel better when you get stressed out, or simple cope with life's ups and downs.

What if you HATE exercising? You've tried it, but really, it's just not for you. It's too hard to fit it into your busy lifestyle and you cannot stand sweating, or working hard. You already work hard, and adding physical activity just doesn't do it for you.

I've spoken to men and women who have shown interest in seeking help from a trainer, only to object to actually hiring one because they need to "run it by their spouse". I understand that some people want to talk about bigger purchases with their spouse, but come on people, really? Are you saying that if you went to your spouse and said "Hey honey, I am going to hire a personal trainer because I am going to lose 40 lbs, look fabulous and gain more self confidence!! Is that alright with you?", that they wouldn't be behind you 100%?

Fear is an overwhelming emotion. Fear can be masked in many forms. It can be masked in jealousy, anger, rage, sadness, and depression. You can turn fear inward or you can act out. Some people turn inward and punish themselves. Others, act out by taking it out on other people. Understanding this emotion will help you gain more perspective about why people choose not to take the steps necessary to live a healthier lifestyle.

We, as a society, can talk ourselves into, and out of anything we want to do. Deep down we are complacent with ourselves. We like the outter shell we created because it protects us from really being truthful with ourselves. We aren't consciously choosing to carry more weight, have medical issues down the road, and burden our joints with all the unnecessary baggage. But that is exactly what will happen.

Fear can control you. The fear of failure, fear of change, fear of the unknown. It can prevent you from doing what is truly important for your overall well being. Some people call it discipline. I call it overcoming your fear. When you face your fears, look that son of a bitch in the eye, and make the decision to not let it, or circumstances control you, then you have won. You will be able to overcome the challenges by understanding what is standing in your way.

You are the only thing standing in your way. Do you let that treat you just ate, or plan to eat later, stand in your way? No, you eat the treat. Do you let anyone else determine whether or not you should eat that treat? No, you eat it whether they allow you to or not. Stop sabotaging yourself and do better for yourself!! You absolutely deserve to have the best, be the best and treat yourself better than you ever have!

If this is reaching you today, then get up and do something, even if it's only for 10 minutes. Tomorrow, try another 10 minutes. Keep going until it becomes easier to do, then add on another 10 minutes. The point is to face your fears, and overcome them. Do something for yourself that matters, and believe me, this matters! Why wait for someone else to take care of you, when you can start taking better care of yourself.

I can go on and on. I'll stop here for today. If you'd like more information, please message me. If you want to continue to hear more on this subject, let me know.