Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip | Gimme, Gimme, Gimme

 

I hear it all the time

Hey Erik…I want…a six-pack, a bigger butt, a smaller butt, smaller arms, bigger arms, to lift more weight, to run faster, the list goes on and on. 

Let me remind you where you started:

  • You started out as little girl or little boy weak
  • You had 45% body fat
  • You got winded walking up the stairs
  • You carried your groceries in one bag at a time
  • You used the armrest to get out of a chair
  • You couldn’t barbell squat
  • You couldn’t barbell deadlift
  • You couldn’t do a chin-up or push-up
  • You had high blood pressure
  • You had high cholesterol
  • You had bad posture
  • You were not mentally tough
  • You overate

Where are you now?

The list goes on and on…. never forget where you started! 

And enjoy the sweet success of where you are now!

Image credit: scream by David Salafia on Flickr

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Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip | Don't Worry Be Happy

 

A Slippery Slope

I recently got an Ask Erik question that was quite concerning to me. The woman wanted to know what was the minimum amount of calories that she could eat and still function. So basically she wanted to know how little she could eat and still be able to stand up on her feet, go to work and live her life.  This is the part of my job that I don’t like, not because of the question, but because I thought how the hell did we get here?! When is starving yourself okay?  I do have the answer, and it’s only on one day every 10 years after the age of 50, because you’re going in for a colonoscopy.  Eating 1000 calories or less isn’t fun, it isn’t healthy, and it is a miserable place to live.

Under Pressure

There is an amazing amount of pressure and stress that people put on themselves to look a certain way.  This pressure comes at the cost of their health, muscle mass, and having fun.  Eating a minimal amount of calories is not sustainable for the long term.  When the day comes that the individual decides to indulge it often leads to them going back to their old ways. 

Be You

My response to this woman’s question was: DO NOT GO DOWN THIS ROAD! Clean up your diet, yes, absolutely 100%.  Eat a sensible amount of calories that includes real food, not processed junk.  Move every single day, whether it’s a scheduled workout, walk, bike ride or class.  Learn to lift weights, because muscle burns calories.  Be patient.  Finally, stop watching TV, looking at social media or reading magazines that are putting unrealistic body images in your head. Be happy in your own skin and if you want to make changes, please do so in a positive and healthy manner.

Image Credit: Matthew Wiebe on Unsplash

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Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip | Count On This

 

 

What are macros?

Your macros consist of the carbohydrates, protein, and fat you consume in a day that your body uses for energy.

Why we should count them

Counting your macros can be very telling.  If we start paying attention to what we are eating it becomes apparent that we can be eating too many or too few calories depending on our particular goals: weight loss, weight gain, or maintaining weight.

What are Your Goals?

There is value in knowing how much you are eating because you can tweak your daily allowance to meet a very specific weight goal.  Your goal may be to decrease body fat, pack on more muscle, prepare for an endurance event, or help you meet your doctor's orders to lost weight.

How do you do it? 

It is not an easy task to figure out your macros.  You have to read food labels, weigh food after it has been cooked, and log everything you consume into a food dairy.  I know it’s a lot of work, but it can be well worth the investment of your time.  MyFitnessPal is a fantastic app that you can put on your phone. It allows you to keep track of your calories and it is super easy to use. 

Simple Math

1 gram of carbs = 4 calories

1 gram of protein = 4 calories

1 gram of fat = 9 calories

 

Tips

1.     Do not make any drastic changes in your nutrition. Only after you have figured out how many calories you are eating per day, should you then slowly adjust your daily allowance. 

2.     If you are looking for an edge in your respective sport or looking to lose weight, counting your macros will get you there.  

Image Credit: Declan Rex on Unsplash

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