As you have probably guessed, the number one reason for nutrition misinformation is…PROFIT!

Companies that produce diet/nutritional products are interested in making money and they will stop at nothing to turn people’s desires for quick and easy weight loss into cash, as long as they are within the legal parameters of the FDA (and other such agencies).

There will always be a huge market for new (and improved) nutritional products as long as people continue to buy the myths of fad dieting, and look for quick and easy ways to lose weight, look younger, and build muscle.

Although there are some good nutritional products, that, combined with a healthy exercise regimen, can help you achieve your nutritional and fitness goals, many others are simply gimmicks that prey on people’s desires for instant gratification.

So, how do you identify nutrition misinformation?
Below is a checklist straight from “Nutrition Now” by Judith E. Brown:

1. Is something being sold?
2. Does the promotional material use the terms “magic”, “revolutionary”, “secret”, “new”, “never before seen”, “studies prove”, etc?
3. Does the product offer solutions to problems that are difficult to solve (such as cellulite, obesity, aging)?
4. Is there a money back guarantee?
5. Are before and after photos, testimonials, etc used?
6. Does it seem too good to be true?

I hope you found this helpful.

Aviva
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Sources:
Nutrition Now by Judith E. Brown (it is filled with great & easy to read nutiritional information and was the book that was used in my nutrition class)

It’s that time of the year again…
The sun is coming out more often, it is getting warmer, and people are planning their summer getaways.

Are you looking for ways to tone up your body so that you can be confident that you look good in a bikini when you hit the beaches this summer?

Although there is no quick fix (since fitness is a lifestyle), check out these tips that can help you get into shape for the summer (and beyond).

1. First, take a hard look at your diet. Diet is just as important (if not more so)as exercise when it comes to getting in shape and staying there. I am not an advocate of depriving yourself of things that you like to eat, but if you are eating cake, ice cream, Kraft dinner, chocolate cookies, and potato chips every day, you are doing yourself a disservice.

I find it helpful to write down what you are eating every day, and adjusting your portions accordingly. Often times, we don’t realize how many calories we are actually taking in, and by writing it down, we are able to think about what we are eating and how much we can cut out without depriving ourselves.

I believe that it is not very hard to cut out about 250 calories from your diet per day. 1 Chocolate chip cookie and a can of soda equate to approximately 250 calories.

2. Try not to drink anything with calories. It does not mean that you can’t enjoy a glass of juice once in a while, but did you know that a glass of juice is anywhere between 100-200 calories, not to mention that there is often sugar added? Instead, substitute your juice (and other caloric beverages) with water or green tea, both of which are good for your health.

If you are still craving juice, you can dilute it by adding water to it, and that way, the concentration of sugar will be reduced and you can still enjoy the flavour.

According to my nutrition notes, you should divide your weight in half, and that is the number of ounces of water that you should drink. So, I’m 118 lbs, which means that I should be drinking 59 ounces of water per day.

3. Figure out what exercises you enjoy doing. I hope that my earlier post on “creative ways to get fit” can give you a few ideas.

4. Write down what you did for a workout every day. Personally, I find it useful to get a calendar and put a check mark on every day that I worked out. If you really want to get detailed, you can actually write down what you did for that day… for example: Wednesday, April 20th-went for a jog. Writing things down keeps you aligned with your goal and keeps you on track.

5. Find someone to work out with. Working out is much more fun when you have someone else with you who enjoys the same activities as you do.

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What do you like to do for exercise?

I hope you found this helpful!

Aviva =)

Before deciding how to lose weight, it is important to set a realistic goal weight. Many people start an exercise & diet program with unrealistic expectations of the speed at which they want to lose weight, and a goal weight that is too low for their body type. Such unrealistic expectations set people up for disappointment, binge eating, are demotivating, and not to mention can be bad for your health.

Some people can be big and fit at the same time, and no matter what they do they will not be a size 2, because that is not their body type. Your body type is genetically determined, and although you can tone up and look great, you may not reach your goal weight if it is unrealistic.

Generally, if you are able to exercise every day, your BMI is under 25 (but don’t go below 19, that’s not healthy either), and your waist is smaller than 35 inches for women or 40 inches for men, then your risk of obesity-related health problems decreases and you are OK.

Also, if you are a woman, and your waist-to-hip ratio is greater than 0.8, then you may be at risk of serious health conditions (cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, etc).

It is good to have a weight loss goal, but a goal has to be SMART. A SMART goal is one that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. Without the aforementioned, a goal is not really a goal.

It is important to note that a healthy weight for me is not necessarily a healthy weight for you, and it’s not necessarily a healthy weight for someone else. When you reach your optimal weight, you should feel great about your body and your health. Every person is different, so every person’s workout, diet and weight loss program should be customized to suit their needs.

If you are very new to working out, don’t set goals such as “I will work out 6 days a week for 2 hours a day and lose 15 lbs by the end of the month”. Although it is specific, measurable, and timely, it may not be realistic nor attainable. Quick weight loss should not be the goal, because it took you longer than a month to gain the weight, so it will take you longer than a month to lose it.

How do you decide what’s a realistic weight goal for you?

Thank you for reading,
Aviva

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Source: My nutrition class notes

Just 100 extra calories per day for 1 year can add up to 10 extra pounds. After my track & field injury back in 2008, when I continued eating as much as I did before having quit intense training, I noticed that I gained about 10 lbs. Living in a small town, with volleyball being the only sport offered at school, no wonder why the extra calories somehow found their way to the waist, butt and thighs in the form of a few unneeded inches.

Are you having difficulty with a few extra inches and those 10 pounds that seem to have appeared out of nowhere?
The secret to losing those few pounds could lie in your eating habits during food preparation and after dinner. Sure, a spoonful of what you’re making here, and an extra piece of bread after supper, and some more spoonfuls after dinner don’t seem like much. However, considering that you are eating all your meals, snacks, AND a few extra spoonfuls, you may very well be blowing your calorie budget.

Here are a few tips that will help you avoid unnecessary caloric intake:

1. Don’t cook on a completely empty stomach. If you are very hungry while making your dinner, you will start reaching for the chips, bread, cookies, and other high-calorie foods. You will also be more likely to eat what you are cooking, while you are cooking it, before you actually sit down for dinner.

2. Avoid grocery shopping when you are hungry. It is not unusual for a hungry shopper to come back with about 3 bags of different flavours of potato chips, 2 packages of cookies, and a chocolate cake. When junk food is in front of you, you are more likely to eat it.

3. Don’t wait until you are hungry to eat. If you are trying to lose weight, you should be eating smaller meals more often so that you don’t overeat later in the day.

4. If you are still feeling hungry after dinner, instead of reaching for the bread, make some green tea or water to fill the gap. Green tea is wonderful, and has no calories.

5. If you need to, write down everything you eat, including any calories that you take in before and after your meals. Writing things down helps you see what you are eating, and allows you to make adjustments to your diet if you feel you need to.

I hope you found the above post helpful.
If you have anything to add, feel free to do so in the “comments” section.

Aviva 🙂

Source: My nutrition notes from my university class.

This is a guest post by Toni Falcone of Lean Fit Body.

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For most people, starting a daily fitness routine is somewhat hard to do. For some people, it can never be the top priority because something will always come up that needs your immediate attention like your work. For others, work always comes first, setting aside the health activities, which should not be the case.

Yes, most people do plan to engage in fitness activities, but they never get to the point of making their plans a reality.
Goals must be set and acted upon in order for you to achieve your plans. Your goals must be realistic enough to minimize pressure and ensure achievement. It will guide you through the achievement of your desire to have a healthy body.

These tips will help you stay on the right track of keeping your body healthy:

1. Follow a healthy nutrition and a well balanced diet:According to health experts, healthy foods and nutrients fuel up your body to function properly.You need a healthy balanced diet to keep up with your daily nutritional requirements.

2. Get enough rest:Get enough uninterrupted sleep with an average of 6-8 hours. Your body needs rest to fuel up and restore your energy. Sleep will also help boost your immune system and give your nervous system enough time to heal.

3. Be present:Thinking about several things at the same time compromises your mental health. Worrying about other things will just keep you distracted and give you stress. You must concentrate on and enjoy what you are doing now.

4. Exercise:It is vital to exercise at least 30 minutes per day. It improves your body’s circulation, helps relieve stress, and keeps you fit by burning excess fat and expending excessive calories. Aside from physical exercises, you can also do mental exercises, like meditation, to help keep your mind relaxed and at ease.

5. Keep yourself surrounded with good support system:Your family and friends are important to motivate, inspire and support you in your endeavor. With their support, encouragement and appreciation, you will be motivated to pursue your fitness goals.

6. Laugh:As the common saying goes, “laughter is the best medicine.” Laughing helps keep you young and healthy. Laugh at your problems and do not think too much about them.

7. Think positively:Do not listen to discouragements because it will just pull your hopes down. It is normal for some people to try to pull you down. Always think about the good things and never forget your goals.

8. Learn to handle your emotions:It is normal for people to have problems. Your best defense against worry and other negative emotions is an effective coping mechanism. If you healthily cope with your stresses, you will have a stable mental health.

Now you are all set to formulate your own health and fitness plan. Determine your goals and follow these tips for a healthier and longer life. It does not only help you in keeping your body healthy but your mind as well.

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This wraps up Toni’s 8 Tips to Keeping Your Body Healthy. We hope that these tips will help you reach your fitness goals. For more information, please visit Toni’s website, http://www.leanfitbody.com/

We hope you enjoyed this article, and come back for more!

Aviva

Now that the holiday season is here, you are probably being invited to many gatherings that involve delicious food. Turkeys, stuffing, red wine, prime rib steaks, cakes, candies, chocolates, and other deserts are on your mind.

Additionally, there seems to be no time for exercise as you are going from one party that revolves around amazing food to another. At the same time, you are doing your last minute shopping, cooking, and more.

The holiday season is a time where people usually take a break from their diet and exercise regimens. That’s fine. However, to make it easier for you to deal with the holidays, here are a few tips on how you can enjoy the season, eat the food you like and still maintain your ideal weight.

1. Don’t deprive yourself of delicious foods. If you want that piece of cake, go ahead and have a small piece. If you keep depriving yourself, eventually you will end up binging, and that is worse for you than having a small piece when you really want it.

2. Control your portions. You can have a taste of every delicious food item on your friend’s party table, but there is no need to go for seconds or thirds.

3. Stay hydrated. Drinking water or tea curbs your hunger, which will help you keep your portions under control when it comes time to eat.

4. Make exercise a part of your holiday routine with your friends and family. For example, instead of sitting and watching a movie, go for a nice walk downtown where you can enjoy window shopping and sharing the festivities with other people. Exercise can also help you deal with the stress of the holiday season.

5. Eat slower. When you eat slower, you savour the taste of that yummy food, and eating slower also keeps you from overeating because you get full sooner.

6. Don’t skip meals. You might think that skipping breakfast and lunch because you were invited to come to a large turkey dinner is a good idea, but such thought can backfire because when you are very hungry, you will eat more than you intend to. Ultimately, you will end up taking in more calories in that one meal than you would have if you had eaten your breakfast and lunch.

7. Don’t eat junk foods like chips. Chips are filled with trans fat and empty calories. If you must have something “bad”, have a small piece of your favorite holiday treat. You will be happier, as opposed to blowing your caloric budget on junk food that you can eat all-year-round.

8. Control your intake of liquid calories. Alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, and other beverages can rack up the calories very quickly if you are not careful. Try limiting your alcoholic drinks to only one or maybe two. As for soft drinks, skip them.

9. If there are vegetables and fruit at the party, eat those first. Fruits and vegetables are delicious, healthy, and they can help keep your cravings down.

10. Aim to maintain your weight, as opposed to dieting. The holiday season is probably the worst time of the year to start dieting, and besides diets don’t last, but healthy eating habits do.

Happy Holidays!
Aviva 🙂

I was recently asked by a reader to publish another fitness post.
I did some research on getting fit, as well as drew from personal experiences, and the experiences of my friends. 🙂

Here are are few ways to get fit without spending money on gym memberships:

1. Park a block or two away from where you are going. For example, when you go grocery shopping, always park in the farthest spot away from the store. The extra distance that you would be walking will allow you to shave off a few calories, although you will most likely not lose weight.

2. Skipping. Get a jump rope and see how long you can do it. It’s fun, and helps with your coordination and cardio, all of which are important. Aim for 5 minutes the first time you start, but then try to get to half hour or longer.

3. Do push ups, squats, swimmer ab exercises and sit ups at home. You can do them while watching TV and during commercial breaks. You don’t have to do a lot right away. Instead, when starting out, do a few, then take a break, then do a few more and see how many sets you can do.

4. People sometimes give away fitness equipment that is taking up too much space in their houses (therefore exercise equipment could be had for free on sites like Craigslist, UsedEverywhere, and Kijiji). Take advantage of that. If you have the room in your house to fit a mini gym, by all means, that’s the best thing! You can get a Nordic track (I have one), and a Weider Home Gym. Even if you might have to shell out some money for a home gym system, it will still end up being cheaper than a gym membership with all the admin fees, taxes, registration fees, etc. Click here to read my post about why I don’t have a gym membership.

5. Take up jogging. You don’t have to train to be the next Paula Radcliffe or Haile Gebrselassie (both at one point held marathon records), but you can certainly jog in your neighbourhood or the local track. When I got started with running, I subscribed to Runner’s World Magazine in order to see beginner, intermediate and advanced running routines that are designed to build up stamina, increase your distance and speed.

6. Get a stability ball. It costs approximately $20, which is FAR less than some gyms’ administrative fee. Then, Google “stability+ball+exercises” for instructional videos and images of all the different exercises you can do with the ball. I own one, so I sit on it when I’m on the computer, and I do all kinds of ab work, in addition to exercises for improving posture. You can also find more tips on using the stability ball in the book, Ultimate Core Ball Workout: Strengthening and Sculpting Exercises,
which is not expensive and has had positive reviews from people.

7. Opt for using the stairs in your building. If you have stairs in your apartment building-use them! Forget the elevator! I remember reading that you can burn up to 100 calories per day if you take the average flight of stairs 6 times per day. When I was younger, I used to go up and down the stairs at my house while listening to music. I enjoyed it and it was fun, so I know that you too can put on some of your favorite tunes and hit the stairs.

8. If you are having difficulties getting started and keeping motivated, try signing up for a local run for a good cause. Running for charity is a beautiful thing, and you get the physical benefits for your participation. Therefore, it’s a win-win situation. The only cost to you is the entry fee, and you will usually get a T-Shirt, not to mention the fact that most proceeds go to help a worthy cause. I’ve ran and fund raised for the Terry Fox Foundation and The Heart & Stroke Foundation, and I can tell you first hand that both were some of the BEST running experiences I’ve had.

9. Purchase a workout DVD. They are generally not expensive and you can learn a few great exercises. There are workout DVDs for all skill and fitness levels.

10. Become a dog walker. You can actually get paid for walking other people’s dogs. If you love dogs, would like to make some extra cash, and can commit to a regular routine, then this option is definitely worth a try. Again, it is a win-win situation in the sense that the dog owner benefits by not having to worry about walking the dog, and you benefit by making a few extra bucks while getting exercise.

11. Start your own fitness group. Get a few friends together and pick out some physical activities that you enjoy, such as volleyball, hiking, basketball, walks in the park, and anything else that makes you move. The best part about doing this is that you stay motivated because you do it with people whose company you enjoy. Workout buddies are great!

12. Be adventurous! Can you think of an physical activity that you would like to try? Now is a great time to start! How about rock climbing, skiing, rollerblading, cycling, rowing, kayaking, kickboxing, rafting, dancing, swimming, etc? All are great.

13. Thanks to Nintendo Wii Fit, people can now get in shape while playing a video game. I have never personally tried it and I’m not into video games, so I cannot give a testimonial nor review.

14.Join a volunteer organization that helps disabled people find activity partners. It’s a great way to contribute to your community and get some exercise time into your routine. Such organizations match your activity interests with those of the person with special needs.

I will add more ways to get fit in upcoming posts as well.

Lastly, 101 Workouts for Women: Everything You Need to Get a Lean, Strong and Fit Physique is a book published by Muscle & Fitness Hers Magazine, which gives people tons of ideas on how to work out.

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My fitness background consists of gymnastics, long-distance running, track & field, basketball, badminton, and volleyball. I have won several events throughout my high school involvement in track and distance running and have trained with the best coach in Western Canada, some of whose athletes have gone on to Olympics (while they went on to incredible athletic careers I went on to the Internet….just kidding). In university, I took a few courses on fitness and nutrition with an award winning health and wellness consultant, and the host of an internationally syndicated television fitness show.
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In the comments below, state your favorite way of getting exercise without going to the gym 🙂

I wish you all the best in achieving your fitness goals! I know you can do it when you put your mind to it.

Thank you for reading,
Aviva

The following article about calories was written by Zandra Alexander, a Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach originally from Sweden, now living in Phoenix, AZ. She is certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine, Scandinavian Academy of Fitness Education and Sports Aerobic Training System. Therefore, Zandra has extensive knowledge of the fitness industry.

This article is copyright of Zandra Alexander (2010) and has been republished here with her permission.

Enjoy!! 🙂

All diets are made up of calories. Everything you eat and drink (besides obviously calorie-free things like water, etc.) has calories in it. It’s how many calories and exactly where those calories are coming from that effect your body and your weight. The way the human body works is pretty simple. There are a certain number of calories that your body requires every day in order for it to maintain its current weight. If your diet plan is made up of less calories than you burn in one day, you will lose weight. If it’s made up of more calories, you will gain weight. And calories are made up of 3 things. Protein, carbohydrates (carbs), and fat. Weight gain though is related to total energy intake and has absolutely nothing to do with macronutrients, eating too many calories makes you fat and not your choice of macronutrients. So whether these excess calories in your diet plan are coming from protein, carbs or fat makes little difference. Fat used to be the bad macronutrient, these days it seems to be the carbs. Never avoid either fat, carbs or protein if you want to get fit and stay healthy, you need them all.

A calorie is a unit of heat used to express the energy value of food. A pound of fat stores about 3500 calories, so in order to lose a pound of fat, you need to burn an extra 3500 calories. If you cut 250 calories from your diet and burn 250 calories with exercise each day, you’ll lose about a pound a week.

One way of calculating your calorie need.
A common way of calculating your calorie need is to set your daily calorie intake at 12 calories per pound, (12 calories x your weight in pounds= daily amount of calories).
This number will be your basic need in one day= basic metabolic rate (BMR). If you exercise or if you have an active job you will need to consume more calories, especially if you lift heavy weights.

An example of a diet could be about 20% fat, 40% carbs and 40% protein (depending on your goal and exercise, this example is for someone losing fat while gaining muscle mass and mostly used in fitness circles. Obese people may want to stick to a 20% fat, 50% carbs and 30% protein diet to begin with, and then later progress to the diet above.)

1 gram of fat is 9 calories.
1 gram of carbs is 4 calories.
1 gram of protein is 4 calories.

And lets say that you weigh 166,5 pounds and that will make your daily calorie need 2000 calories (BMR), this is how your calories would be divided per day:

20% fat= 400 calories from fat, (400/9= 44,5 grams of fat)
40% carbs= 800 calories from carbs, (800/4= 200 grams of carbs)
40% protein= 800 calories from protein, (800/4= 200 grams of carbs)

But here is where it gets tricky.
It’s hard for me to sit here and say how many calories one should eat per day/what diet you should be on without a proper assessment. Every body is different and built differently and goal/exercise is different, so the above diet is just a common advice.

Another way of figuring out for yourself how you should eat is:

Protein
0,8 g x kilo you weigh (one kilo is about 2,2 pounds). When in hardcore training, especially weight lifting you will need more protein and then 1,2-1,5 g x kilo you weigh is recommended.

Protein is an extremely important part of all diet plans. That’s because your body needs protein, and lots of it. It is the building block of muscle mass. But too much protein is bad for your kidneys and heart and it drives water and calcium out of your body, so don’t over do it with the protein..
Great protein choices:

* Chicken Breast
* Turkey Breast
* Tuna
* Cottage Cheese
* Egg Whites
* Salmon
* Lean Beef
* Whey Protein

Carbohydrates
Are different depending on your goal, endurance exercise like a marathon demands high levels of carbs and carb loading with up to 6-10 g per kilo. A normal person needs about 2,2 g x kilo you weigh and the more you exercise the more you need.

There are fast carbs and slow carbs. Slow carbs (whole grain) will slowly work their way into your blood and leave you feeling full longer, fast carbs (white bread) will work fast and make you hungry again very fast after your meal. Carbs are used as natural fat burners in the body, as energy and repairing tissue after a workout. Weight gain is related to total energy intake but it is easy to eat too much of carbs and any excess carbs will be stored as fat.
Great carb choices:

* Parboiled Rice
* Baked Potatoes
* Whole Wheat Pasta (not too often)
* Sweet Potatoes
* Oatmeal
* Low sugar Yogurt (good for your stomach, but not too often)
* Beans
and of course vegetables and fruit!

Fat
0.5 g x kilo you weigh.

Unlike protein and carbs which are both 4 calories per gram, 1 gram of fat is equal to 9 calories. This explains why high protein foods are usually low in calories, while foods high in fat are high in calories.
Fat itself does not make you fat. Eating too many calories makes you fat. Whether these excess calories in your diet plan are coming from protein, carbs or fat makes little difference.

Sometimes people on a specific weight loss diet plan try to eat less fat (or even fat free) and think that that alone will work. What they don’t realize is that they are probably replacing those fat calories with calories from protein or carbs. Their fat intake has become lower, but their calorie intake evens back out to what it was, if not even more. Fat is used as transportation in the body for vitamins A, D, K and E and is also needed in building up cells. Avoid saturated fat though it raises the bad cholesterol, and choose monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat instead.
Great fat choices:

* Avocado
* Olive Oil
* Pumpkin seeds
* Nuts
* Flax Seeds
* Fish Oil
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You can read more of Zandra’s articles on her blog by clicking HERE I recommend you follow Zandra’s blog, which is filled with fitness and nutrition advice.

Cheers,
Aviva

After I quit competitive running due to an injury, I wanted to stay in shape. My biggest mistake was thinking that by joining a gym, I would be a lot more motivated to work out because I spent money on it. Therefore, my thought process was, “I just spent $70 for the month, so I better visit the gym as many times as possible in order to get full value for my money.”

Unfortunately, that was not the case.
Some of my excuses were:
~I don’t want to drive there right now
~I’m too tired
~I get my exercise by running/walking/using my free weights at home and therefore I don’t need to go that often
~I’ll go tomorrow (and then that didn’t necessarily happen)

Ultimately, I maybe went 2x a week, and would have saved more money just by paying a drop-in fee each time I went.

Here are the reasons why I do NOT need a gym membership anymore:

1.To avoid being ambushed by a high pressure salesperson who will tell me the benefits of working out at their gym. They will tell me that they care about my well-being and they will be my best friend for the hour that they lead me around the gym. However, their ONLY goal is to get me to sign a non-refundable 2 year contract in order to milk me for approximately $900. Face it, the longer the contract you sign, the higher the commissions the salesperson will make.

2. I work out on my own. When I’m at home working out, I can get as sweaty as I want to, while listening to MY favorite music. At a gym, I usually don’t work out as hard, because I don’t want to get too sweaty.

3. I do not need to wait for a shower. I can shower immediately after my workout at home. At gyms, people often have to wait for a shower, and even worse-some people are nervous about showering in public.

4. I save gas money. Every time I drive to the gym, I am using gas. Gas costs money, so I’ll have to add the cost of gas to the cost of my gym membership to find out the real cost of going to the gym.

5. I do not have to worry about parking anymore. In bigger cities, people have to pay for parking. Even if it costs $1/day to park your car each time you go to the gym, you are looking at almost $30/month worth of parking expenses.

6. People do not generally need a gym membership in order to stay in shape. Yes, having a variety of equipment to try and having access to knowledgeable gym staff is great, but at the same time a gym membership is a luxury. That being said, those who are serious about being fit will find other ways to get and stay in shape.

7. The “knowledgeable” gym staff are not always as knowledgeable as they claim to be. That is especially the case if they are paid on commission.

So, save the $70/month and instead put it towards something you want or need. How about that savings account? Do you want to treat yourself to nice new clothes? Well, cutting out the gym membership and finding free ways to get fit might be a good start.

I wish you all the best in your fitness endeavors and I hope that you achieve your goals! I will be posting an article on ways to stay fit without a gym, so stay tuned 🙂

Aviva