by Kim Miller | Jun 1, 2016 | Uncategorized
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Hi Everyone,
It is Lose Your Waist Wednesday and it is the day we talk about belly fat.
This question came to me over the weekend.
A reader asks, why is it that whenever I gain weight I gain it in my mid section? My legs look fine. My arms look fine. And even my hips look fine.
I don’t see why the extra pounds go right to my middle.
Answer: You Must Know
When you begin to put on weight, especially visceral belly fat, your body is telling you that it is shifting out of balance, veering into an unhealthy state. And… a vicious, sickly cycle often ensues unless you take control of your weight. Sounds dramatic I know. But if you do not get a firm grip on fighting belly fat then your chance for disease is magnified in ways that curtail your vitality big time. Know that when one fattens up in the midsection, it has everything to do with what we eat, what we do not eat, as well as how we exercise. The how’s of exercise we’ll go into at another time, but just know that for now, over exercising often has negative effects on belly fat storage.
Here’s the thing: First congratulations on being concerned about weight gain in the middle. Often people just assume that they will gain weight in the middle as they age, and that this is normal. You need to know that it is not normal and can have devastating health effects if the visceral fat increases as the years unfold.
To get you started, and to put you fully in awareness mode, you should take the waist to hip ratio test. This test will let you know what your probabilities are of incurring diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular attacks, strokes and other life debilitating diseases. Scary yes, but the good news is we have control to live a more vital lifestyle than we ever imagined through proper diet and proper exercise plans. You’ve done well to identify that your mid section is increasing in size and your next step is to go to http://www.bmi-calculator.net/waist-to-hip-ratio-calculator/ to get the waist to hip ratio test. Then come back and finish reading how insulin is the key player in reducing belly fat.
Insulin: The Key Player in Belly Fat
Numerous hormones contribute to belly fat, but none proves more powerful than insulin, your fat storage hormone. High levels of insulin tell your body to gain weight around the belly, and you become more apple-shaped over time. Additionally insulin drives inflammation and oxidative stress, creating myriad downstream effects.
Eventually you become insulin resistant, which leads your body to generate belly fat and hold on to that spare tire for dear life. Fatigue after meals, sugar cravings, blood sugar swings or hypoglycemia, high triglycerides, low HDL, low sex drive, and problems with blood clotting are also common among people who are overweight.
Simply put, less insulin equals less belly fat, since insulin makes you hungry and stores belly fat. The best thing you can do to prevent disease and all its problems is to lose weight.
The Number One Thing You Can Do to Reduce Belly Fat
High insulin levels don’t just exist in a vacuum. They influence other hormones like leptin, your satiety hormone. When insulin blocks leptin, your body thinks it is starving even after a Big Mac, fries, and a large soda. Ever wonder how you can still be hungry right after a big meal? It is the insulin surge and the leptin resistance.
More than any other food, sugar becomes responsible for hijacking your brain chemistry and your metabolism to create insulin resistance and all its repercussions.
Calorie for calorie, sugar is different from other calories that come from protein, fat, or non-starchy carbs such as greens. Sugar scrambles all your normal appetite controls. So you consume more and more, driving your metabolism to convert it into lethal belly fat.
Fructose, the most metabolically damaging sugar, just makes things worse. It goes right to your liver, where it starts manufacturing fat, which triggers more insulin resistance and causes chronically elevated blood insulin levels, driving your body to store everything you eat as – you guessed it – dangerous belly fat.
You also get a fatty liver, which generates more inflammation. Chronic inflammation causes more weight gain and diabesity. Anything that causes inflammation will worsen insulin resistance.
Another problem with fructose is that it doesn’t send informational feedback to the brain, signaling that a load of calories just hit the body. Nor does it reduce ghrelin, the appetite hormone that is usually reduced when you eat real food.
We are programmed to store belly fat in response to sugar so that we can survive the winter when food is scarce. Genes do play a role, but they are a minor contributor to the epidemic we are experiencing currently. We need to shut down the insulin surges—and thereby arrest belly fat storage and cravings.
Why Belly Fat is Not Your Biggest Challenge
You should know that the biggest challenge you’re facing with being overweight in the middle is not your waistline or your weight. It’s not your belly. It’s your brain. Changing the way you think about food so you get your mind working with your body, not against it, is critical to weight loss and healthy living that is with less pain and less mental anguish.
In my program that has been successfully running monthly for two years called 30 Days to Lean, you will learn how to train your brain. You will learn what foods to eat and what foods not to eat. This program, is designed for readers that are just tired of not knowing what to eat or are sick of diets. We focus on real foods. We focus on bringing health back to the body. We focus on hormonal balance. And we focus on Eating. Yes eating. For more information go to http://www.bodysmartway.com/30-days-to-lean/ The last day to sign up for my June 30 Days to Lean is this Thursday June 2nd. Call, email or text me directly to get more information on this unique program that is literally changing the body shapes and minds of members.
I leave you with the question: What can you do now to empower yourself?
With Gratitude,
Kim
[email protected]
www.bodysmartway.com
https://www.bodysmartway.com/testimonial/
904 501 6002
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by Kim Miller | May 3, 2016 | Uncategorized
Over the weekend an acquaintance of mine told me he was tired of being flabby. That’s his term, not mine. He said he lost a bit of weight and is now at his college weight, but he doesn’t like what he looks like. He’s only in his early 60’s, and says he doesn’t understand why he looks so differently now since he weighs the same as years ago.
I wasn’t sure if he really wanted me to give him the reasons why his body looked differently from years ago even though he is at the same weight, so I listened. In the paragraphs below, I tell you what I was thinking.
Me Thinking Out Loud
When you start to lose muscle and lay down fat around the belly, it’s the first sign that your metabolism is off-track and your health is taking a path towards poor health. Storing fat and losing muscle is one of the biggest signs of aging, and worse yet, belly fat (also known as “visceral fat”) is metabolically active, sucking out your ability to maintain testosterone and build muscle while increasing your risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
While this is ominous sounding, muscle actually makes you a better fat burner and more resistant to metabolic problems. The more muscle you have, the better your body balances blood glucose; the better you balance glucose, the better you will feel, the easier it will be for you to maintain and or lose weight, and the healthier you will be.
I Knew He Did Loads Of Cardio Exercise – So This is What I Was Thinking.
He probably knows that lifting weights will burn calories, but what he doesn’t know is that even though he burns 500 calories on the treadmill, muscle building, as in weight training, actually makes us better fat burners day in and day out 24 hours a day.
Not only that, increases in muscle size means not only increases in metabolic processes for a longer time after your workout but there is a direct correlation between muscle mass and basal metabolic rate or called BMR. BMR is the amount of energy expended daily by humans and other animals at rest. Of course the more energy expended, the higher our daily calorie burn is. And who doesn’t want this? I like to call this burning energy or calories in our sleep. And this is just one of the nice things that muscle mass does for us. So the question becomes… Why wouldn’t my acquantance or anyone want increased muscle mass too? Not only does it look good, but it helps us maintain a higher metabolic rate.
You Need To Know
Increased muscle mass for both men and women not only makes us feel better, move better, look better, but allows us to continue to eat in abundance all the nutrients that we are designed to take in, and without gaining weight. This is what normal is. It is not normal to consume miniscule amounts of food while appearing rounder as we age. We can put a stop to this and we can improve our body composition considerably.
Increased Muscle Mass Also Makes the Rest of Life Easier
Muscle makes routine tasks less cumbersome and reduces injuries. Our day-to-day life often involves lifting and moving heavy objects, and when your body is equipped to carry these burdens, it is much less prone to injury. It’s hard to imagine (a young) Arnold Schwarzenegger throwing out his back taking the trash out, yet this is a common injury precisely because so many people don’t build the muscle to support the daily or weekly tasks they need to perform!
Muscle also provides your golden ticket if you want to improve your sex life, boost immunity, and reduce your risk for dementia. In fact, studies at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that building and maintaining muscle improves your: Balance, Fall risk, Blood sugar levels, sleep, and mental health.
And More! Hormonal Advantages…..
Strength training has another big advantage over endurance training athletes. In a recently published clinical trial, athletes who strength trained over 12 weeks reported the greatest testosterone to cortisol ratio while endurance athletes experienced plummeting testosterone levels. Increased testosterone is key to building more muscle, maintaining anabolism (growth), and it also helps with sex drive.
To keep this in perspective, just realize I am not suggesting one eliminate cardiovascular workouts. Our heart muscle is central to good health. What I am suggesting is that you would be wise to focus on more strength training as a means to reach your desired weight and body composition rather than cardiovascular workouts. Or in other words if you are pressed for time, and your heart is in good shape, then avoid the temptation to jump on the elliptical, treadmill, bike or other cardiovascular machines, thinking that a good sweat is going to burn more calories. In the long run, and often in the short run, weight training trumps cardiovascular workouts in weight loss/maintenance, body strength, and overall functional living capacity!
Note: Controlling inflammation after working out (particularly during strength training) is important because it controls the muscle repair process that ultimately causes one to gain lean muscle.
What Else?
Eating is super important for growing muscle and getting rid of belly visceral fat so tell me what you eat and what you do not eat. I bet you will be wildly surprised that many “health foods” are keeping you from reaching your body composition goals.
Quick Congrats
Congratulations to Brandon Van Dermark and his fiance Robin Cleary – 30 Days to Lean is not over for them yet but together they have already lost 35 lbs! So much good is going on everyone! People are tired of eating crap!
All My Best,
Kim
*BodySmartWay’s 30 Days to Lean Programs start the first Monday of every month. Sign up 5 days in advance by texting 904 501 6002 or emailing [email protected].
by Kim Miller | Apr 12, 2016 | gym, Uncategorized
As a fitness trainer and coach I see people falling into a lot of bad habits at the gym.
Bad habits don’t optimize your potential for success, so I think it’s important to be aware of the traps people most often fall into, in order to making these mistakes yourself.
Here’s a list of the Top 5 bad habits I see in the gym.
TRYING TO DO TOO MUCH, TOO SOON
New exercisers tend to be overanxious and so often will lift too much too soon. This is a recipe for injury. I tell clients, “When lifting a weight, your muscles will tell you that it is too light – I need more weight! But it’s really your tendons and ligaments that need the lighter weight in the beginning of an exercise plan. Ligaments and tendons break down quicker and take more time to recover. So be progressive with strength training even though you can do more initially.”
FOCUSING SOLELY ON CARDIO
Cardiovascular exercise is an extremely important component of an exercise routine. It burns calories, boosts our mood and strengthens our most important muscle: the heart. But too many people spend the majority of their workout time performing relatively low-level cardiovascular exercise. I see this often and it seems that people use cardio exercises to make amends for poor eating habits and or over-consumption of foods. My clients that make the most improvement in muscle mass and body structure are the ones that combine moderate healthy eating with minimal cardio exercise and medium to high intensity weight training.
NOT FUELING RIGHT
Beginner exercisers may train for 3-8 hours a week with various intensities. But here’s the thing: There are 168 hours in the week. If you don’t put things together properly in the kitchen then you may get a little stronger yes- but it will not show on the scale! Guaranteed! You can’t outrun the nutrition piece.
The other day, I had someone call me and say they are so discouraged. They have been exercising and doing all kinds of cardio and strength classes for 5 weeks and have not lost one pound! I am always so sad when I hear this. And I hear this scenario often. With this particular lady, I put her on my 30 Days To Lean program and told her to only do exercise that made her feel good- no wild woman routines- just enjoy movement. In the first week, which is today, she lost 7 pounds and her husband lost 7 pounds as well! I am so happy for them. So the point is, if you are training to lose weight, know you will make the biggest impact in the kitchen.
COPYING OTHER GYM-GOERS
Blindly following what other people are doing is a mistake. You have no idea if the person you are watching is doing the exercise correctly unless they are doing it with a trainer. And even if they are with a trainer, there may be a reason they are doing a particular exercise. Because I have clients that I have been training for several years, they have acquired healthy backs and hips through the various progressions over the years I have them do. But if you have a weak back, various discs that are shot, and or spinal stenosis, and you do some of the exercises that you see my clients doing, you may end up damaging your spine further.
LIFTING TOO QUICKLY
Many people lift way too fast, not allowing for both the concentric and eccentric contractions, and instead, relying on momentum. When you do a bicep curl, for instance, the concentric phase is when you bend the elbow, but the eccentric phase is when you lower the weight. This should be done slowly for increased muscular strength. The momentum piece is when people go so fast, the weights are swinging, their body is rocking and they are using the momentum created to lift heavier. If they slow down, they will work the muscles more effectively. I like to tell my clients that my job is to slow them down. I mean it in two ways however. The first way is to create a better mindset for strength training. Many of us, and it probably goes back to that old style thinking we received from coaches in our early years, that we gotta play the part of “when you are in the gym- you better be exerting continuously.” Ironically when I slow clients down in the gym and make them laser focus on muscles they are engaging, not only does it make for a better experience, but it makes for a stronger body. And although you can’t see it, they are working that muscle like no other person including the moaners and groaners in the gym! And the second way I like to slow down my clients is between sets. It’s not always necessary to rush from one set to another. Stretching in between sets to nurse a tight back or stretch a calf muscle that seems a little strained is just smart!
All my best,
Kim
by Kim Miller | Mar 30, 2016 | Uncategorized
Hi Everyone,
Since my husband John and I just got back from taking a group of student/adults to Italy, I thought it would be a good time to illustrate some of the routines I go through before traveling to maintain my weight and stay healthy on vacation.
You can see these tips at the end of this article.The article was inspired by a
30 Days to Lean member who wrote that she was going on vacation to Mexico, but was apprehensive that she would gain weight back while on her vacation. She was quite clear in her conviction that she had no plans to eliminate margaritas and or an occasional beer.
Question: How do I maintain my weight loss while on vacation?
Answer:
Here’s the thing, you must embrace key ideas, just like you have embraced key ideas with implementing the Phase I and Phase II phase of 30 Days to Lean.
It has been my experience that the vast majority of people know a great deal about losing weight, getting fit and making healthier choices. But they still struggle with following through- and really putting all the pieces together in a sustainable way. Hopefully the 30 Days to Lean plan has helped you put the pieces together in a way that makes sense and is sustainable.
What you need to do on vacation is to begin learning how to vacation and have the absolute best time, while feeling mentally, physically, and emotionally well; And not just while on vacation but in the aftermath of arriving home. We all want to come back from vacation feeling good and not worn out because we ate and drank poorly or didn’t exercise. I think everyone would agree with this.
If you haven’t vacationed since changing your diet/lifestyle then this will be a great time for you to practice key behavior concepts. Like the 30 Days To Lean plan, you will not be a pro at first so give yourself a break. In the meantime, know that as you vacation more with health in mind, it’s get easier to soak up feel good vacation mode, while not feeling like you are depriving yourself.
Below are key concepts to focus on before you leave and while on vacation. Note that I am not giving specifics on what to eat and what not to eat. You will figure that out in time so I will not suggest what you should and should not eat and drink.
Here are the key concepts:
1. Exercise is great for weight maintenance ( not for weight loss – but for maintenance) so enjoy movement you love to do while on vacation like walking, biking, swimming or other activities that feel good.
2. Know that it will be easier to maintain weight while on vacation because your mind, body, and soul are at ease. Take advantage of the decreased stress one experiences while on vacation. That margarita, hammock, and a good book may not be such a bad idea.
3. Know that your stress hormones are balanced more fully while on vacation, so your desire for sugar, bad fats, and carbohydrates are naturally reduced. Just make sure you eat 3 meals daily and do not let your blood sugar get too low. Ask yourself if you really need a dessert each night, or if it is just something we are trained by society to think we should do?
4. Take advantage of the great sleep often experienced on vacation. Sleep as you know helps us to lose weight. So enjoy every bit of it, and with no guilt.
5. Consider vacation as a time to get into a rhythm of deepening daily gratitude. Gratitude for what we have helps us to naturally consider taking care of our own bodies by not overindulging in food or drink.
6. Consider using vacation time as reflective time and be thankful for how far you have come in developing better eating habits. Studies show that those that capitalize on how far they have come are more apt to continue good habits.
7. If there are foods you want to try but they seem off the plan, consider that while you are on vacation the goal should be weight maintenance. So foods off limit are fine – eat smaller portions, and make some tradeoffs as you go about your days never worrying and having faith that you will come back home feeling and looking great!
8. Lastly, before you depart for vacation, consider thinking about how you want to feel when you arrive back home. Then make minor adjustments in your eating and drinking while vacationing capitalizing on the above key points.
Hope this helps Everyone.
Below you will find my personal routine prior to going to the eating capital of the world – Italy!
Two days prior to arriving in Italy – set up tennis match 2 days after I get back from Italy.
Why? If I have a scheduled match I will be less likely to overindulge in food and wine.
Mindset: There is nothing worse than getting beaten because I ate and drank poorly or too much.
Recommendation: Know yourself well and what motivates you. Use it to set the stage for success.
One Day Prior: write down how many glasses of wine I will have daily: 4 days of 2 glasses of wine daily. 4 days of 1 glass of wine daily.
Why? Getting it on paper makes it real. I am more likely to abide by it when it is in writing. My mind feels cleared of cobwebs once I have a decision on paper.
Mindset: I am in control but can still have a great time.
Recommendation: Try writing it down and be empowered.
One Day Prior – write a personal mission statement of how I want to feel when I return from vacation. It does not need to be fancy.
This is what I wrote in my journal: Part of the fun of traveling in Italy is sitting at the piazzas and soaking up the atmosphere while sipping wine, fancy water, and tasting different foods. I can eat pasta every night if I want, but Italian fare is more than pasta and I know my choices will naturally reflect lots of salads and fish as well. I can always eat less of high carbohydrate foods as well.
Why? I’ve learned that overthinking on what to eat and not eat in foreign countries causes too much stress.
Mindset: A personal mission statement is enough to empower me. Details will torment me.
Recommendation: Try writing a mission statement before travel. It may seem a little awkward initially, but if you want to come home feeling like you do not need a vacation from your vacation it is worth it!
Hope this provides valuable to you-
All my best-
by Kim Miller | Mar 15, 2016 | Uncategorized
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Hi Everyone,
It’s Totally Tone Tuesday and it is the day we talk about strengthening, stretching and balance!
When it comes to resistance training there is not a one size fits all answer regarding how best to train, as the amount of weight lifted and the number of repetitions and sets completed depends on a variety of factors, including individual fitness goals and current conditioning level.
Ask Yourself What You Want to Achieve
There are a variety of objectives that can be attained through resistance training, including increased muscular strength (the maximum force that a muscle can produce against resistance in a single, maximal effort), increased muscular endurance (the capacity of a muscle to exert force repeatedly against resistance or to hold a fixed contraction over time) and increased muscle hypertrophy (physiological process of muscle-fiber enlargement).
What Does This Mean For Me?
- If you’re new to resistance training and your goal is general muscle fitness and improved health, begin with lighter resistance and aim to complete 1-2 sets of 8-15 repetitions of each exercise with a 30-90 second rest interval between sets.
* Note: As you progress continue to increase the weight over the weeks. As your tendons, ligaments and muscles get stronger, you need to have the confidence that you will not get injured if you increase the weight amount. I often see people training in gyms who are reluctant to increase their weights. We need to improve muscle mass regardless of our age. It makes everything easier.
- If your goal is increased muscular endurance, use somewhat lighter resistance aim to complete 2-3 sets of 12-16 repetitions of each exercise (*the amount of weight used should fatigue the targeted muscle at the conclusion of the exercise set) with minimal rest (30 seconds or less) between sets.
* Note: Muscular endurance can be utilized by endurance athletes. It’s also important to note that given the two types of training, endurance training or strength training, a progressive strength training plan should be preferred over an endurance training plan. Ideally, once one has mastered a high level of strength over a 10-12 week period, then implementing an endurance weight day periodically would be a smart compliment to a well rounded strength training routine. More on that in upcoming articles.
- If muscular strength is your objective, use heavier resistance and strive to complete 2-6 sets of 4-8 repetitions of each exercise with a longer rest period (2-5 minutes) between sets.
*Note: One should not start out with high weights and low reps. Equally important is that you weigh the pros and cons of increased injury with heavier weights. If weight training is implemented smartly and progressively there is no reason that people in their 60,70, and even 80’s cannot reap the physiological and psychological benefits of lifting heavy.
- If you are seeking muscular hypertrophy, use somewhat heavier resistance (higher intensity than that used for muscular endurance, yet a lower weight than used for muscular strength ) and complete 3-6 sets of 6-12 repetitions of each exercise with a moderate 30-90 second rest interval between sets.
* Note: In my 15 years of training clients I have seen outstanding results in hypertrophy of muscle in persons of all ages. One of the things that inspires me the most is the attitude of many people over 40 years of age that want that muscular look. Skinny and frail is out- thank goodness. And lean and muscular is in- even for people well over 60!
Personally. Where Are You At?
While fitness goals play a large role in determining appropriate training volume, your current ability level is also important to take into consideration. If you are new to resistance training, keeping the training volume relatively low, at least initially, will not only allow your body time to adapt to the training stress, it will also help to feel more successful which ultimately can lead to long-term adherence to the program.
While the exact program will vary from one individual to another, one of the main goals of any resistance training program should be to perform each exercise with proper technique. Focusing on the quality of the movement versus solely the quantity of repetitions will help reduce the risk of injury and also ensure that the muscle the exercise is designed to target is worked effectively.
All My Best,
Kim
Next 30 Days to Lean Program begins Monday April 4th. Sign up via text by Wednesday March 30th. 904 501 6002
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by Kim Miller | Feb 23, 2016 | Uncategorized
Cooking for Health-Why and How?
When it comes to cooking for yourself, your family, and your friends, cooking is good for weight loss, weight maintenance, better disease prevention, and just plain ol’ looking and feeling better.
Here’s the thing though: perceived obstacles to cooking like time and money keep us from becoming the healthy, fit, lean, and energetic people that we want to be.
As consumers, we often buy into the fallacies of marketing messages that make us feel good by suggesting we are “so importantly busy people that we must eat out.” This type of seductive marketing makes me want to help people even more to learn how to cook for better health and weight loss.
In my
30 Days To Lean programs, One of the first questions I get is, “How Much cooking will I have to do?” I love this question because I like to be straight forward and tell it like it is.
“Yes, there is cooking involved and no you will not be cooking all day long.”
And even though I make it as easy as possible with weekly daily menus, grocery lists, and recipes, it will take a while to get into the flow of taking care of your own health and getting to an optimal weight. I love telling prospective members this because what I have found is that many don’t think about taking care of themselves through cooking and eating well, even though they wish they did. This is understandable in a society that promotes go, go, go and run, run, run and in which we are surrounded by advertisements for takeout food and all sorts of other naughty (but delicious) temptations.
In my practice, I have found that what people really want is the education, skills, and confidence to cook for themselves.
And for those members that have always cooked for themselves anyway, they want the education, and confidence to know how to cook not just to maintain their weight but to lose weight and keep it off. I tell them there is healthy cooking, but then there is healthy cooking for weight loss. There is a big difference in eating healthy for weight maintenance and eating healthy for weight loss. My aim in both phases of the program is to teach people the difference.
Cooking is Fun!
Cooking is fun and freeing. If you do not normally cook for yourself it can be frustrating, but as so many members have experienced with the 30 Days To Lean plans, it gets easier. Members often say they get to a place where life starts to feel simpler and more basic. This is what I love to hear.
If back to basics of eating and caring for yourself and your family is something you want, then give me a call.
If you have been thinking about joining the plan, the next session begins Monday, January 2nd. Sign up by December 28th by
getting in touch
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