There
are a handful of reasons you might want to hire a personal trainer,
all of which have to do with life changes. Is there a wedding
in your future? A class reunion?
Do you have a new crush? Any of these reasons will drive people
to "hurry up" and change.
Are you the one that's getting married? Or are you just going
to be part of the wedding party? Either way, you are probably
going to want to look your best. Photos from events like a wedding
can last a lifetime. If you are a family member, close personal
friend, or one of the happy couple who are getting married, you
are going to be in a lot of the pictures. Now is a good time to
lose the extra weight, lean up, tone up, and just get fit in general.
Not only will you look better, but you'll feel better.
One thing to take into account: you
didn't gain weight overnight; you're not going to lose it overnight
either. Depending on how much you are wanting
to lose, you may need to plan a significant amount of time in
advance so that a personal trainer can help you set realistic
goals. Generally, it's safe to lose up to 2 pounds a week, but
most people can't commit the amount of time or intensity involved
in losing fat that fast. It's better to plan a gradual weight
lose plan consisting of increased, varied intensity and to reduce
your calories to a safe level. One way of doing that is to find
how many calories your body will burn at your (ideal or desired)
body weight and your normal activity level. These are the amount
of calories your body needs in order to function properly at that
weight. The pounds—and inches—will come off as your
body uses that stored energy to fuel the EXTRA activity (exercise).
Diet,
is a terrible word. A diet is an abnormal eating
pattern—usually involving calorie restriction—that
can have an effect exactly opposite of what you are desiring.
The first weight to come off with almost any diet, is going to
be water weight. Weight that is easily lost from a workout. Then,
because the body is not getting enough calories and has entered
starvation mode, muscle will start to disappear. This is a terrible
catch-22 because muscle weighs more than fat and actually takes
up less room. So while the scale is saying you are "losing
weight", the tale of the tape is that you might not fit into
that dress after all. Another thing to consider is, when that
dress comes off, is that body going to be toned, trim, and lean?
Or is it still going to be fluffy with a bit of jiggle?
A
personal trainer can help steer you in the right direction when
it comes to finding information on nutrition. There are a wealth
of resources online (check my resources
in particular), at a bookstore, or even the public library. Most
of the information can be attained for free, and a personal trainer
can help you make sense of it. You may even want to enlist the
aid of a dietician who can help you plan diets and ease you into
a new healthy eating lifestyle.
Class
reunions are tough. Everyone looks good after
the first couple, then middle age catches up and time slips away
from us as work and home life both put new demands on our time.
We sleep less while we eat and sit more. Entertainment is no longer
an activity, it's become an observation. We need to get back into
the mindset of losing the extra weight, getting active, toning
up and creating a healthy body image. The rewards pay off tremendously
in the long run. Not only do you look better and feel better,
but other people will notice. Exercise will change your attitude.
There
are several resources here in the Hampton Roads area. Virginia
Beach has great Recreation Centers and city parks, Norfolk is
revitalizing their downtown, and Chesapeake is on the up and up
with their activities and parks as well. In any of our local cities
you can find a number of local gyms. You also don't have to go
very far to find a YMCA. All of our local cities have one, if
not more. And most have personal trainers for you can hire as
well. But none that I know of will send a trainer to your house
for one-on-one training sessions. StepOne Fitness makes it easy
to lose weight in the privacy of your own home.
