Thanksgiving is a day to spend time with family and/or friends and to focus on what you are thankful for rather than how uncomfortably full you are or guilty you feel from over indulging.

1. Start your day with clean eating.
Think about 3 meals and 3 snacks. Don’t starve yourself all day waiting for the main event. Treat the turkey dinner as your cheat meal for the week and stick to your regular clean eating for the rest of the day.

2. Get some exercise.
Treat it like any other day and make sure you include a workout. If the gym is closed go for a run/walk (weather permitting) or try an exercise DVD. Even yard work counts get outside and rake the leaves that have collected on your lawn.

3. Drink lots of water throughout the day, starting in the morning.
We all know how important it is to drink water and to stay hydrated. Also the water will keep your body from feeling hungry throughout the day and make you feel a little fuller.

4. Eat breakfast.
Have your usual oatmeal with fruit or scrambled egg whites. It’s important to get your metabolism going and will give you energy for a workout. Thanksgiving may be a big eating day but you still need to keep eating a few meals to keep your metabolism up and to make sure that you are not too hungry when dinner comes around.

5. Have some kind of snack a couple hours before dinner or before leaving the house if you are having dinner at someone else’s place.
You’ll be less likely to graze while waiting for dinner to be served. If you must snack stick to raw veggies and stay away from the cheese board.

6. Stick to still or sparkling water.
The Champagne and Pinot Noir might be tempting but consider all the extra calories from the stuffing, gravy and pumpkin pie. Do you really want to double that by washing it down with liquor, wine or beer? Besides, alcohol will make the couch that much more inviting after dinner.

7. Eat everything at dinner but only small portions of each food.
It is not the amount of food that matters but the trying of all of the foods at the table. Remember you can have leftovers for days in small servings as well.

8. Go for a walk if the weather is good.
The worst thing to me is that after having a great Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner there is no energy outlet, so you end up just sitting and almost falling asleep from the tryptophan in the turkey and then you don’t want to get up at all. Why not instead take a little walk around the neighborhood. Again, if it’s not outdoor weather everyone these days has a Wii console– even your Grame can bowl with the Wii. Even a game of charades will keep you moving after dinner and provide some entertainment rather than sitting still.

9. Dessert.
Go ahead enjoy the pumpkin pie with whip cream. It’s one of my favorite desserts and is really only available this time of year. Just have a small piece and savor every bite. If there are other choices for dessert ie. squares, tarts, etc. choose only ONE thing and enjoy, don’t sample one of everything– talk about sugar shock!!

10. The midnight snack.
Some families eat early enough that by 8 or 9pm you are ready for round two. Don’t get me wrong, I love a turkey sandwich as much as the next person. Remember your mantra for the day of sticking to your clean eating and just have some sweet potatoes or veggies you won’t be awake much longer and don’t really need another heavy meal right before bed.

Thanksgiving is a day that people always associate with a lot of food and what I have in mind is not to have you starve yourself on Thanksgiving, but instead just make sure that you enjoy the day, eat some healthy snacks to keep yourself from eating too much heavy food and to feel a bit better about yourself the next day.

Saturday & Sunday are two perfectly matched days to relax and take care of personal business– not go to the gym. If you remember back to The Paper Principle, you should have no major excuse not to train during the Monday to Friday period. Instead of saying, “I’ll make up for it on the weekend” just go to the gym! The weekend is your reward for training hard all week– and if you stick to your training regime, you’ll need those two days off to recover anyways.

Personal fitness is a full-time job, so treat it like one. Schedule your fitness the same way you maintain a work schedule, that way it’s engrained into your routine. When Saturday comes around, it’s time to sleep in, relax and enjoy your time off; not try to squeeze a workout in. Come Monday, you’ll be ready to start training again.

These are all excuses that everyone has use at one point or another to get out of training. Sometimes it’s a once-a-month excuse, sometimes it’s everyday.

As children, we all remember trying to get out of trouble by shrugging our shoulders and saying, “I don’t know…” when asked why we did or didn’t do something. Fitness is no different; it’s an important part of our daily lives. The only person you’re accountable to is yourself. Your mom & dad aren’t there to grab you by the hand and make you workout, you have to force yourself.

The Paper Principle
Next time you don’t feel like going to the gym, or going outside for a run, etc. take a piece of paper and write down the date and the reason you don’t want to workout. Tape that piece of paper to your front door, put away your gym gear and go do whatever else you were planning on doing.

Next time you don’t want to train, write your reason on the paper and go sit down– but remember, every reason has to be unique. If you can’t come up with a unique reason, suck it up and go workout. If you still can’t do it, write down “I don’t care about you.”

Once you’ve filled about half of the page, give that piece of paper to someone who cares about you and your physical health. It could be your spouse, children, parents, a friend– anyone who has tried to encourage you to get in shape in the past. Tell them that it’s a list of excuses you’ve used to not get in shape and then have them read the page back to you.

How bad does it feel to hear someone say “I don’t care about you” once, twice– maybe 15 times?? On that date, you decided that you didn’t care about them because you would rather risk your own health and do something else than go get in shape.

Put the piece of paper back on the door. The next time you don’t feel like working out, remember how bad it felt when your special person said, “I don’t care about you.” If you fill up the entire page, have them read the whole page to you and then start another one.

Personal health & wellness is a lifelong commitment. Sometimes you need that extra discipline to get you over a hump or out of a rut. The power of your friends & family can provide you with that extra lift you need to reach your lifelong fitness goals.

People that are out of shape equate sweat with fatigue, “I got to the top of the stairs and I was sweating.” You shouldn’t be sweating just to climb a flight of stairs, so the mind immediately says, “I’m so weak I can’t even climb a flight of stairs– I’m so weak I’m sweating.”

Sweat becomes part of the negative equation. Instead of being a ‘reward’ for a job well done, it becomes punishment for being physically weak.

This thought process often follows people to the gym. People that have never exercised are suddenly mortified that their dripping wet– but why should you be surprised? If you’ve never trained before, you have no idea how your body will react. Instead of thinking, “eww gross” or “I’m so weak” think “wow, this is really working. I’m putting so much drive and effort into this that sweating like a pig! This is great!”

Everyone brings a towel for their workout, why? To wipe off the sweat! Sweating is part of training! You’ll get more funny and disgusted looks if youdon’t have a towel than if you bring an extra one.

Once you break the belief that sweat is the enemy, you’ll begin to embrace the fitness mindset. Soon you’ll be able to gauge how hard you’re training with your body’s own reaction, not what the clock on the wall says.

*Water weight will be regained immediately after you begin to re-hydrate yourself.

Now that’s a pretty strong statement, so first let’s explore why the fitness industry would be fighting against itself.

Fitness is a business, like anything else. It’s a business of health & beauty—your health & beauty! If everyone worked a physically intensive job that saw them in the fields or mines sweating for 8-10 hours a day, the fitness business would still exist, but certainly to a much smaller extent. However thanks to the Industrial Revolution, not everyone works in the field or the salt mine (and thank goodness for that).

So because not everyone works a job that’s physically intensive, we have to supplement our lives with physical training on our own time. No one is born knowing how to do a perfect squat, lunge or shoulder press, and not everyone has the discipline or resources to develop their own training programs. This is where the Fitness Industry comes in: We provide you with the knowledge and guidance to ensure that you meet your own goals of health & beauty…

But first, you have to determine what your own goals for health & beauty are (I bet you didn’t see that coming). Is your goal to be lean & slender, ripped & chiseled, functionally strong, powerlifting strong, weightlifting strong, endurance oriented—all of these are completely different goals and it’s important that you visualize in your head what you want to look like—because if you don’t know what you want to look like, how will you know you’ve achieved your goal?

Next time you’re at a magazine stand, pickup a copy of a running magazine (like Runner’s World) and a bodybuilding magazine (like Flex, Muscle & Fitness etc). Compare the two covers; the cover models are polar opposites. Flip through and compare the advertisements; one will be selling you new shoes, the other will be supplements.

Now imagine asking them to compete against each other. Can you imagine watching a 280lbs bodybuilder trying to run a marathon, or a 145lbs marathoner squat 400lbs? If you were to ask them, “who is better built?” the likely response will be, “we’re built differently; we have different fitness goals.”

So what does any of this have to do with Personal Training, cross-training and at-home programs? We’re getting to that, but now we have to compare your options.

The sole job of a Personal Trainer is to help you achieve your fitness goals. If you don’t communicate what your fitness goals are to your Trainer, how will they know how to best train you? It is a personalized program, designed specifically for your goals. If you want to be sport-specific strong, a Personal Trainer can help you. If you want to be a Bodybuilder, a Personal Trainer can help you with that too.

Cross-training involves training in a number of different ways to improve your fitness condition (you’re “crossing” cardio with strength training, balance etc). Cross-training can be taught one-on-one by your Personal Trainer or in a class environment. Most people experience cross-training in class environments, where an instructor provides direction—“wait, did you say that classes are taught by instructors? How is that different from hiring a Personal Trainer to provide me with instruction?” It’s not—that’s what we’re getting at…

If your goals are to be functionally strong, lean & slender or help increase your endurance then a cross-training class is a great option. Boot Camps (like our own Fit Body Boot Camp) are cross-training classes.

At-home programs are a great option if you’re limited for time or even money. You don’t travel any further than where your TV is located (for video-based programs) and you’re saving money by not joining a gym. At-home programs are a great option if you want to be functionally strong, lean & slender or to help increase your endurance. At-home programs involve following an instructor—“wait, did you say that I’m following an instructor? How is that different from Personal Trainers or cross-training classes?” You’re starting to catch on…

All of this has been a round-about way of showing you that whether you choose to work with a Personal Trainer, attend a cross-training class or use an at-home program, you’re following someone else’s instruction. You are relying on their expertise to help you achieve your goals. Should you feel guilty because you are using a Personal Trainer? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Replace the words “Personal Trainer” with “Accountant” or “General Contractor” or “Dentist.” Do you feel guilty for seeing a Dentist to help clean your teeth? Brushing your teeth is no different from going to the gym or being active: You know you should do it, but sometimes you need someone to push you along and keep you on track. You are relying on their expertise—just like you are with an Accountant, General Contractor, Plumber, Electrician… or Personal Trainer.

“I’ve never thought of it that way. That actually makes sense.” Now that you know Fitness is a business and you no longer feel bad paying for someone else’s expertise, you have to remember that competition exists in the Fitness industry. Everyone wants you as their client and some people have no problems chopping down their competition in an attempt to win your business. It’s as simple as that. My product is better than their product.

“So what about the fact that most Personal Trainers use machines and movements that I’ll never use in real life?” How do you know that? If you have a Personal Trainer you can always ALWAYS say, “I just want to do free weight exercises” and they’ll say, “sure.”

When was the last time in real life you had to do pushups? What about lunges? The point we’re trying to make is unless you work a physically demanding job, most movements you do in the gym or cross-training class are not movements you’ll do in your daily life. You’re doing them because you want to be physically fit; healthy & beautiful. Fitness for the sake of feeling good and looking great.

“Yeah, but what about machines and cardio equipment?” Not everyone’s fitness goals are the same. If you’re a Bodybuilder, then you’ll see the benefit of using machines to isolate certain muscles. If you’re injured or have a mobility problem, machines may be the best or only option. Not everyone has access to an indoor track or outdoor running trail. Most people won’t even think about going outside during the rain or snow. Sometimes cardio equipment is the best choice. You can also simulate hill climbs or interval training on a treadmill; you can’t climb a hill where one doesn’t exist outside…

All of this is to simply illustrate the point that for every argument someone presents regarding Fitness training, a counter-argument exists. Instead of focusing on what other people are doing, decide for yourself what the best option is.

Also, don’t be afraid to try out different programs. If you’ve never tried a cross-training class, sign up for one (we offer a 1 month trial for Fit Body Boot Camp). If you’re curious about Bodybuilding, find a Bodybuilder (they almost always work as Personal Trainers) to train with. Want a military-style program? Find a Personal Trainer who’s ex-military—the options are endless.

So the next time someone says, “Why do you have a Personal Trainer?” You can say, “I’m paying for their expertise. I know what my fitness goals are and they are helping me achieve those goals by designing a program for my specific needs. The same way I trust my Dentist and Hairdresser, I trust my Personal Trainer.”

Gyms can be very intimidating places—and they can be filled with very intimidating people. It’s important to recognize that not only are gym patrons different, gyms themselves are very different.

One of the most common misconceptions first time gym-goers will have is that every gym is filled with giant, muscle-bound men throwing hundreds of pounds over their head, bending bars of iron in between sets and flexing their muscles for everyone else to admire. While these types of gyms exist, they certainly aren’t common. This type of gym is often referred to as an “old school” gym (you likely won’t see them bend iron bars, however). Old school gyms hearken back to the 1960’s & 70’s when physical fitness was typically the realm of athletes and bodybuilders, not the average consumer.

During the 1980’s & 90’s, the popularity of both at-home gyms and gym facilities skyrocketed, paving the way for the more personable, friendly gym to open.

Nowadays, there’s a gym for everyone—including you. Want a 30 minute, women’s only circuit? There’s a gym for that. Bright, spacious facility with racquetball courts, pool & sauna? Sure. A young, hip place with banging beats & catwalk-ready staff that feels more like a nightclub than a gym? You bet. There are a multitude of gyms that exist; even in Saskatoon all of these gyms are available.

So the first question you have to ask yourself is: Do I even like my gym?
If the answer is “No” then you need to find a new gym. Period. Think of your gym membership as a “gym relationship.” Would you want to stay in a relationship with someone that makes you feel bad and always leaves you doubting yourself? Then why stay at a gym where you’re paying money to feel the same way?

If you answered “Yes, I like my gym” then you should explore why you like your gym:

Are the staff friendly? Do they know you by name? If you belong to a gym with dedicated sales staff, does the salesperson that signed you up still say hello to you? What about the management? Has anyone ever asked if you’re meeting your fitness goals or offered you some free training advice?
If you belong to a much smaller or a private one-on-one gym, do the other trainers say hello to you? What about the owner? Chances are, the owners of the smaller gyms are also the trainers. If you feel anxious or even unwelcome in a small atmosphere, how are you expected to enjoy yourself and the time you spend with your own trainer?

What about the equipment, is it in good shape? Is it repaired promptly? Large, multi-facility gyms often have dedicated repair staff as well as multiple sets of the same equipment. Smaller gyms may only have one, multi-purpose machine. If part of that machine breaks, do they mark the entire machine as out of order, or are you still allowed to use it? Not only is the chance of injury higher, their insurance may not cover you if you’re injured!

How are the change rooms and washrooms? If the washrooms and showers aren’t being cleaned regularly, you’re standing a greater chance of catching athlete’s foot, H1N1 or any other communicable disease.

Do they have ample change rooms? Are they separate from the washrooms, or do you change in the washroom? Is there a Men’s and Women’s washroom, or is there only one? Remember some smaller gyms have very limited space, so if the option is between separate washrooms or space for equipment, the equipment will always win.

Is the gym itself clean? Does it smell like a wet towel? Sometimes something as simple as walking into a wall of odor is enough to send you the other way. Understand that there’s a difference between the smell of the guy beside you sweating and mildew forming on the windows.

Perhaps one of the most important details is your contract with the gym. Are the cancellation terms clearly laid out? Is the monthly fee reasonable? How do you know? Did you shop around? While Personal Trainers will vary more largely, most gyms will charge between $35-$50/month. If you’re paying on the higher end of that scale, are amenities like towel service, sauna/steam room, free parking, child minding, guest passes etc. included?

Don’t be afraid to shop around. Getting in shape is one of the biggest commitments you’ll ever make. Every major gym will offer you a free week-long pass to try out their facility—take advantage of it. If you work out 3 days/week, go to 3 gyms in your area and try one out each day. Make notes about your likes & dislikes for each facility; treat it like you’re buying a car or even a home. The next week, try out another 3 gyms. See who calls to follow-up on the sales pitch; how aggressive are they? Are they offering you anything extra? Read back on your notes, don’t be afraid to mention what you didn’t like.

Don’t forget the cancellation policy. Make sure the terms are clear and you understand them. If the gym requires written notice that you are cancelling your membership, be prepared to physically mail them a letter stating your cancellation. Make sure that the letter requires a signature upon delivery, that way you have proof of receipt. Gym membership disputes do go to small claims court and you can lose out quite easily if you’re not prepared. If no cancellation policy exists in the contract, don’t sign it based on the salesperson’s word that “we’ll work something out for you.”

If the length of the contract doesn’t suit you, say so. Why sign a 3 year contract if you only want 6 months? If the gym is unwilling to budge, go elsewhere. If you don’t, then you’ve already compromised and will be kicking yourself as soon as you get home. Remember: There’s a gym out there for everyone.

If you follow these simple pointers, you’ll not only find the perfect gym for you but you’ll want to go back until you’re in the best shape of your life.

Wait, you don’t have 21” biceps and six-pack abs? You haven’t gone from a size 12 to a size 2 already? This can’t be right, you should be in amazing shape—it’s been a month!

The myth of overnight weight loss has been promoted and perpetuated by both the mainstream media and the supplement industry for decades. Ever since the first fitness magazine was printed, weight loss pill was manufactured and shows like The Biggest Loser aired on TV, the average person has been more and more convinced that weight loss should be as easy as weight gain. This could not be further from the truth!

Consider for a second how you got into this situation. Let’s say you’re trying to lose 30lbs. In order to burn off 1lbs, you need to use 3,500 calories (that’s not including your daily intake of food etc.).

30lbs x 3,500 calories = 105,000 calories

Let’s also say that you’re sticking to a diet of 1,800 calories/day and your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR, the amount of calories you burn at complete rest) is 1,200 calories/day. With your daily activities you’ll probably burn close to 1,700 calories/day. For every day you’re exercising, you’re burning around 2,300-2,500 calories/day, depending on the intensity of the workout.

1,800 calories consumed – 2,300 calories burned = 500 calories lost/day

3,500 calories/lbs / 500 calories lost/day = 7 days to lose 1 lbs of weight

7 days * 30lbs = 210 days

210 / 30 = 7 months

So according to our math, if you trained everyday and ate a strict diet of only 1,800 calories/day, you could lose 30lbs in 7 months.

I bet you saw “7 months” and were ready to give up.

There are some other things to consider, however. As you train your body requires more calories, so your BMR will actually increase. Your ability to train in the gym will also improve, potentially shifting your workouts from 600cal/hr to 800 or even 1,000cal/hr! You may also find yourself leading a more active lifestyle outside of the gym. Even the little things add up: If you climb one flight of stairs, 3 times a day, you’ll burn an extra 15 calories/day. Going for a 30 minute walk outside after dinner can easily burn another 100 calories.

“But it still says 7 months to lose 30lbs.”

How long did it take you to put that 30lbs on? It didn’t happen overnight, did it? It probably took months—maybe even years to put all that weight on. What makes you think it’s going to come off that much faster than it took to put on? How long does it take to consume 1,300 calories? A McDonald’s Big Mac, large Coca-Cola and large fries are 1,310 calories (source: McDonalds.ca Nutrition Calculator). You can probably finish that entire meal in 15-20 minutes. We just finished showing that your initial exercise routine would burn around 600 calories/hr.

1,310 calories / 600 calories/hr = 2.18 hours of exercise for 20 minutes of eating

Is this starting to make sense? Just because it went on easy…

Getting in shape and losing weight is also about making a lifestyle change; these changes won’t happen overnight and they won’t stick if you’re not as committed as your Personal Trainer is to you. Remember Erik Chopin from Season 3 of The Biggest Loser? He went from 407lbs to 193lbs in a matter of months with the assistance of the Personal Trainers, Doctors, Nutritionists etc. After the show ended (and all the support went away), he went back to his normal life and slowly ballooned back up to 368lbs.

Imagine losing exactly the amount of weight you wanted to with a Personal Trainer in 2 weeks. Now imagine being left alone and after another 2 weeks you started to put the weight back on… and after another 8 weeks you were back up to you original weight. Would you remember how you lost that weight? Could you go back into the gym and motivate yourself to lose all the weight again? How long would it take you this time?

Fitness & weight loss are about making life-altering decisions. You’re not going to alter your life permanently in 2 weeks, just as you’re not going to lose 30lbs in that same amount of time. By working with your Personal Trainer, you’ll be able to take the weight off and make those lifestyle changes stick instead.

Fitness is a lifelong journey; it’s not simply a stop in-between trips back to the buffet line.

Humans are highly social animals, we’re also highly influenced by the cues of those around us, whether it be fashion, music, TV– or food– we often want what we see someone else enjoying.

So what happens when you let someone else’s food decisions influence yours? If that person is in great physical shape and eats a clean diet rich in vitamins & nutrients, then you’re in luck! But it’s far more likely that you’re surrounded by people who eat too much fast-food, supersize everything and still make room for dessert. This type of eating will lead you down the path to obesity and adverse health conditions– even an early death.

So how do you help curb this potentially fatal habit of “monkey-see-monkey-do”? Simple: Become the Influencer. Instead of following what your friends, family and co-workers are consuming, set the tone yourself. By showing restraint you’re not only exercising self-discipline, you’re conveying the message to others that you control your hunger, not vice versa.

Restaurants:

Instead of going out for dinner with your friend and ordering 2 appetizers, 2 entrees and 2 desserts, why not order 2 appetizers (preferably the healthy options), share an entree and a dessert. Not only are you eating less, you also have more time in between courses to actually talk! The other added benefit is you’re saving money (which you can spend on those skinny jeans you’ll be fitting into). All you have to say to your server is, “we’re going to share the…” and the kitchen will split the meal for you. If that’s not an option, still order the single item and ask for a share plate; you can split the meal at the table yourself.

Clubs/Bars:

Chances are you’ve already decided that you want to drink– but remember, Alcohol is empty calories. You may not think that drinking can be nearly the same as eating out, but here are some figures to consider:

• 1oz of 80 proof (40% alcohol) gin, rum, vodka or whiskey is 64 calories
• 3.5oz glass of wine is 85 calories
• 12oz bottle of beer is 153 calories

If you prefer mixed drinks, you might be in for a shock:

• 6.8oz Pina Colada is 526 calories, 3.9g of sugar AND 16.9g of fat!
• 3.5oz Whiskey Sour (1.5oz of liquor) is 162 calories and 13.6g of sugar

Maybe you’ll just have a Red Bull & vodka? A can of Red Bull contains 110 calories and 27g of sugar(!!!), PLUS the 64 calories from the 1oz of vodka.

So instead of going out and drinking till you’re cross-eyed, you have a couple and then switch to water, pellegrino or un-sweetened iced tea. There’s nothing wrong with actually remembering what you did last night. Don’t want to be labelled as the party-pooper? Offer to be the designated driver, or simply say “I’d rather be enjoying a drink poolside on vacation looking fabulous in my swimsuit.” Remember, it’s called a Beer Belly for a reason.

At Home/With Family:

We already know that child obesity is an epidemic sweeping across the planet. Why not be the positive change in your family’s life by showing them you can eat less and still enjoy your meal. Not only should you try and prepare all your meals yourself (so you know what’s going into them), but take the time to enjoy what you’re eating. It’s not a race to see who can finish the fastest and almost everyone has a PVR, so it’s not like you’ll miss your favourite show. Instead of racing for seconds– or dishing out more food on your kid’s plate– wait 10 minutes and see if you’re still hungry. It’s takes the body time to send the signal to your brain that you’re full. You can always pack up what’s left and take it for lunch the next day– another easy way to avoid eating out!
Taking control of what you put in your body is the first step to nutritional wellness and weight management. Avoid the peer-pressure and social cues to eat unhealthy or to excess by visualizing your end goal. Imagine how much better you’ll look in 6 months by breaking these habits now– don’t be afraid to share your goals with others, help them make goals for themselves too.

Remember, YOU want to be the Influencer.