According to the Trust for Healthy Americans, obesity levels in the United States have doubled since 1980. At last check, 30% of Americans are considered to be obese. Thanks to a sedentary lifestyle and the allure of readily available, easy to eat food that adds on the pounds with the flavor, we’re more unhealthy than we’ve ever been.
Of course, not everyone is content to live an unhealthy lifestyle. Many Americans have taken the all important first step to a happier, healthier lifestyle by hiring sports nutritionists and personal trainers. Even so, many remain unhappy with the speed of their transformation. If this sounds like you, follow these tips from expert personal fitness trainers to start seeing better results.
Four Important Tips from Personal Fitness Trainers
- Good Nutrition is Crucial to Weight Loss
- Consistency is the Key to Success
- Zero Carbs is Just Plain Stupid
- Likewise, Fat isn’t Your Enemy
As the personal fitness trainers and health experts at Men’s Fitness write, it doesn’t matter how hard you pump the iron or how far you run. If you don’t place an emphasis on the type of fuel you’re putting into your body, losing weight and getting the performance you want, both in the gym and out, isn’t going to happen like you want it to. Ask yourself: does pizza taste better than being fit feels?
For WebMD, nothing leads to a flat stomach, sculpted glutes, and a feeling of achievement like being consistent with both your workout and nutrition regimes. The only way to improve is to stick with the plan your personal fitness trainers lay out each and every day. And yes, we do know how hard it is to get up on Saturday to go for that 20 minute run, and we further know what a challenge it is to eat your oatmeal and eggs when you’d rather have pancakes slathered in syrup. If you want to change your life, you need to suck it up and stick with it.
In her piece for The Huffington Post, personal trainer Terry O’Hara explains that zero carb diets have been one of the worst fads for overall improvement of human health. Why? Quite simply, cutting out carbs means cutting out one of your most important sources of energy and nutrients. Fiber and Vitamin B become hard to find on a zero carb diet, too. That being said, don’t delude yourself into thinking you’re chomping down those cookies for their vitamins.
Just as carbohydrates have been vilified for their potential role in weight gain, so, too, have fats been arbitrarily linked to bad health. As Fitness Magazine points out, there are good and bad fats in food. Heart-healthy fats, like the Omega-3s found in avocados, should be sought out, while saturated fats in beef products should be approached with caution. It’s all about moderation and smart eating here.
Remember, you aren’t going to see results happen overnight. Transitioning from the couch potato lifestyle to one of activity and healthy eating takes time. Follow these tips, be patient with yourself, and rest assured that you’re on the road to a better you. More information like this.