Whether our clients are just trying to tone up or on a weight loss journey, they often ask us if there are any tricks to boosting their metabolism. Metabolism is the way your body converts food into energy. The faster your metabolism, the more effectively you burn your calories and the less fat you store. Everyone’s metabolism is different, some people have a naturally fast metabolism, while others have a naturally slow metabolism. However, no matter what your rate, you can boost your metabolism with a few tricks.

Hit The Weight Room

It’s pretty simple, muscle burns more calories than stored fat. Muscles burn about 6 calories per day per pound, while fat only burns 2 calories per day per pound. So the more muscle tone you have, the faster your metabolism. The best way to build muscle tone is with strength training. If you’ve never strength trained before, our personal trainers can put together a metabolism boosting program that is right for your level of fitness.

Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!

More than 3/4s of American adults are dehydrated. Dehydration slows your metabolism way down. The best way to fix this problem is to grab a portable water bottle and sip on water all day long. If water is boring for you, go ahead and add a few slices of cucumber, mint leaves, or your favorite citrus fruits like lemon, pineapple, or oranges.

Add More Protein To Your Plate

Most foods can be broken down into three categories: Protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Protein takes longer to digest than both carbohydrates and fats and burns more calories. Increasing your protein portions while decreasing your carbohydrate and fat portions can help your metabolism the boost it needs. The best metabolism boosting balance is lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and unsaturated fats.

The best part about all of these metabolism boosting tricks is that they all come with living a healthy lifestyle. Our personal trainers can help you achieve a lifestyle that not only helps you reach your fitness goals, but boost your metabolism naturally.

Call us for 3 risk-free complimentary sessions. We include a 30 day guarantee on all of our packages.

If you haven’t hit the gym in awhile or have had a rough day of training, you may experience post-workout muscle soreness. Post workout muscle soreness or the technical term delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), can be pretty painful sometimes. Plus, it can be really demotivating because no one enjoys being stiff and sore. The best cure for DOMS is time, but there are some things you can do to relieve the pain.

Workout With A Personal Trainer

It almost goes without saying, but the best way to deal with DOMS is not to develop the soreness in the first place. It’s natural to felt a little tight after a hard workout, but you aren’t supposed to be in serious pain. Working out with a personal trainer can help ensure you don’t hurt yourself when you workout. They will work with you on form and push you only to a point where it is healthy. Plus, they advise you on what to eat before and after workout so your body has the nutrients it needs for recovery.

Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!

The most important thing to do when you do have DOMS is to hydrate. Hydration helps reduce muscle pain because it helps flush out the toxins released by overworked muscles. It also helps reduce strains and pain in the first place, because hydration means your body is lubricated. So you’ll have a greater range of motion and won’t hurt yourself. It’s also a good idea to add some electrolytes to add in faster muscle recovery.

Do Some Light Stretching

Now the last thing you probably feel like doing is moving. However, some movement can help because overtime it will help reduce the build up of toxins and lactic acid in your body. Stretching is a great way to help relieve the soreness and stiffness as well. The key is to keep it light so that you don’t overextend your body. Some really basic yoga poses like the extended mountain, child’s pose, or seated forward bend can help.

If you’re experiencing DOMS, it’s probably time to consider working with a personal trainer. Our certified personal trainer at Everlasting Changes will help ensure that when you workout you feel great afterwards. We offer one on one and group fitness training sessions to meet your personal needs.

Call us for 3 risk-free complimentary sessions. We include a 30 day guarantee on all of our packages.

…is that you cannot control it.

Do you disagree?

Go stand on a scale and decide to lose 5 pounds.

How’d that work out for you? Did the number drop on command, or did it not budge? Of course it didn’t budge.

And yet you spend your precious time obsessing about your weight as if you could magically control it.

The good news is that you do have complete control over a couple of important things that influence your weight.These are your choices about diet & exercise.

Think about this…your current weight is the sum result of your choices in eating and exercise.

Take a minute to think back over the last three years of your life. What kinds of foods did you eat most often? How intensely did you exercise, for how long, and how often?

Now look at yourself in a full-length mirror. You are looking directly at the result of your past choices.

If you are pleased with what you see then keep on eating and exercising the way you have been. It’s working for you!

If you’re not satisfied with what you see, then it’s time to start making different choices about food and exercise. Here are some suggestions:

Healthy food choices:

Choose to eat wholesome foods that nourish your body.
Choose to only eat when you’re hungry and to stop eating when full.
Choose to not eat junk food, sugary drinks or sweets.
Choose to eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables every day.

Healthy exercise choices…

Choose to get up early in the morning, when you could be sleeping, to invest an hour of your time in exercise.


Choose to be consistent with your workout schedule, giving exercise the same importance as a doctor’s appointment.

Choose to change your workout routine often, to always keep your muscles guessing.
Choose to push yourself to new levels of intensity, in order to strengthen and tone your muscles.

Don’t spend another minute obsessing about the number on your scale. You are way smarter than that.

Focus your energy on the choices you make regarding what you eat and how you exercise. If you don’t know where to begin then please reach out to me, I’m here for you.

Call or email me today and we will get you started on an effective exercise program today!

The Ugly Truth About Emotional Eating

It happens with most of us.

You have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day… and at the end of it you turn to food.

There’s a reason that it’s called comfort food. While you’re eating it you feel better.

And when you’re done eating it you feel worse.

Keep this in mind next time you are tempted to turn to food for comfort:

Emotional eating temporarily relieves distress and then makes it impossible to attain what you really want.

20 Minute Creamy Chicken Soup

I know it can be difficult to get a healthy, homemade dinner on the table after a long, busy day of work. That’s why recipes like this one are so wonderful to have on hand – it only takes a few minutes and tastes fantastic.

By using flavorful ingredients, like roasted red bell peppers and white bean hummus, this soup tastes like you slaved over it all afternoon– but really takes less than 20 minutes to throw together. This recipe is a great way to fit some quinoa into your diet. Quinoa is a protein-packed seed that is considered a “super food”. It’s s a complete protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids, and is gluten free.

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

What you need

Serves 5

1 cup roasted red bell peppers
3/4 cup white bean hummus
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
dash salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Take 1/4 cup of the roasted red peppers, slice into strips and set aside.

2. Place the remaining red peppers in a blender along with the hummus and chicken stock. Blend until smooth.

3. Transfer to a medium saucepan. Add the quinoa and chicken. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Bring to a boil.

5. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the slices of red pepper and chopped parsley.

Nutrition

One serving equals 248 calories, 11g fat, 644mg sodium, 14g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, and 20g protein

Call us now for 3 risk-free, complimentary sessions. We include a 30-day guarantee on all of our packages.

There’s no big secret to weight loss. No matter how many trendy diets or quick “cures” people invent, it’s simple. To lose weight and keep it off, you need to eat a healthy diet and get regular exercise. So why is it so hard for some of us? We know what we need to do but we just can’t get there for some reason. If there was a secret to weight loss, we would say that it’s friendship. Friendship is the ultimate lifestyle motivator and a good friend can help you lose weight. Here’s how:

You’ll Have A Partner In Crime

Making a kale smoothie and running on a treadmill for a half hour doesn’t sound very fun for most of us. However, trying out smoothie recipes with a friend and then going for a run together where you can catch up sounds like a fun afternoon. That’s because when you share your fitness goals with a friend, eating right and working out isn’t a chore anymore. It becomes a social activity where you’ll have a ton of fun.

Temptations Will Be Reduced

When we hang out with our friends we often go out to eat together or hit the bars. These two activities are full of unhealthy temptations. However, if you have a fitness friend, you can skip these activities while still getting social time. Instead of grabbing a calorie-loaded cocktail, you can go for a hike or try a new sport together. You’ll also have someone to call for backup when you are feeling tempted by a sweet treat or a cold beer.

You’ll Hold Each Other Accountable

Being accountable to only yourself is tough. Sure, a lot of us are self-motivated, but even then it can be a bummer to celebrate your victories alone. Friendship can help you stay accountable. Friends always want the best for you, so they’ll encourage you to stay on track. They’ll also be there to help you reach your goals. Finally, when you do hit that landmark, you’ll have someone cheering you on to the next phase.

Friendship can help you lose weight. However, it can be hard to make fitness friends sometimes, especially if you are a busy professional or new to the Charlotte area. If you are looking to make a fitness friend to support your weight loss goals, we recommend taking a small group fitness class. Our small group fitness classes at Everlasting Changes are the perfect place to make friends. They are small enough that you can really get to know people, but large enough you may make an entire group of fitness friends who can help you achieve your goals.

Call us for 3 risk-free complimentary sessions. We include a 30 day guarantee on all of our packages.

Sleep is really important for a healthy lifestyle. However, sometimes, especially during stressful periods, we can end up battling insomnia. One of the best ways to overcome insomnia is to workout. Working out helps you battle insomnia in a number of ways. First, physical exercise can tire out your body, helping you fall asleep faster. It also releases endorphins which can reduce the stress that may be causing your insomnia. Finally, exercise raises your core temperature. When your temperature drops back to normal, it triggers your sleep cycle.

Even though regular exercise is a great way to battle insomnia, there are some rules our personal trainers recommend following to make sure it really helps:

1. Follow A Regular Schedule: When you plan your workouts, it’s important to workout around the same time every day. Putting yourself on this schedule helps you set your biological clock. If you workout every day after work at 5pm, then go to bed at 10pm, you’ll train your body to recognize when it is time do physical activity and when it is time to sleep.

2. Workout At The Right Time: If you workout right before bed, your core body temperature will still be high. So it will be difficult to fall asleep. The ideal time frame to workout when you are battling insomnia is between 4-8 hours. This will give your body time for your core temperature to start dropping and help you fall asleep.

3. Incorporate A Quick Morning Workout: Morning workouts have a tone of benefits. They can help get your blood flowing and release endorphins so you start your day off right. Morning workouts can also help support your sleep cycle. As soon as we wake up, our bodies begin preparing for the next sleep cycle. When you get up in the morning and do a quick workout, you are signaling to your body your day has begun and in 16 hours, you’ll be ready to rest again.

4. Do Iso-Lateral Exercises: If you’ve ever noticed that exercise only helps you battle insomnia sometimes, there’s a reason. The workouts that best help battle insomnia cause nervous system fatigue. One workout technique that is good for helping wear you out is iso-lateral exercise. Iso-lateral exercise only works one side of the body at a time. These exercises force your body to balance the weight by overcompensating. The overcompensation leads to fatigue.

If you follow these tips, then you’ll find a marked difference in your sleep patterns. Our Charlotte personal trainers understand that fitness isn’t just about losing weight or gaining muscle tone. Fitness is about living the healthiest life possible. When you work with us, you won’t just experience a body transformation. You’ll also get a full lifestyle overhaul. Whether you are fighting insomnia or simply looking to drop a few pounds, we’ll help.

Call us for 3 risk-free complimentary sessions. We include a 30 day guarantee on all of our packages.

This question might make you squirm, but let’s ask it anyway…

Are you wasting time in the gym?

Do you regularly push yourself to the limit? Do you feel the burn with each rep? Do you have nothing left to give when it’s over?

Or would you describe your routine more like a comfortable trot? Do you coast along, breaking a respectable sweat while doing the same old thing?

Since you are spending a portion of your valuable time exercising, I assume that you have goals and aspirations for your body. And I also assume that if you had the option to achieve that leaner, more toned body even faster you’d jump at it!

The following tips are going to show you how to spend less time exercising, while achieving quicker, more noticeable results. Sound good?

Be Focused. It sounds obvious, but this crucial requirement for an effective workout is often overlooked. Don’t be one of those people who exercise their jaw muscles (from chit chatting) more than any other muscles. When you’re lifting weights, focus on that specific muscle group. Researchers have proven significant increase in muscle activity when people focused on what they were doing, compared to thinking about unrelated topics.

Be Confused. Err, more specifically your muscles should be confused. Do this by changing up your routine often. This helps to avoid plateaus and to continuously challenge your body. Try new exercises at new intensities and new weights.

Be Nourished and Hydrated. Stay on top of your food and your hydration levels. The best results are achieved when you’re drinking enough water and eating real, wholesome foods.

Be Strategic. The time of day that you exercise makes a huge difference in your results. And no, I’m not going to say that there’s a universal ‘right time’ to work out. Your job is to figure out when your body is at its best and to make that the time that you consistently exercise. If you’re not a morning person, then don’t force yourself to wake up at 5am, try working out after work instead.

Be Watched. There’s a benefit to working out in a group setting. Researchers saw a significant increase in strength and endurance in the people who had an audience versus those training on their own.

Be Caffeinated. Caffeine has been shown to help burn fat and to increase endurance. If you don’t have any medical conditions that would otherwise make moderate caffeine intake unsafe, then drink a caffeinated beverage one hour prior to working out.

Be Pumped Up. Check this out: researchers found that music motivated weightlifters to complete two more repetitions on average than those who were not listening to music. That’s a great reason to listen to upbeat music while you exercise.

Be Comfortable. Not only will you be happy to put comfortable workout clothes on, but you will also be able to focus better on your workout, rather than wondering if your pants will split when you squat.

Be Smart. If you’re not already one of my valued clients, then now is the time to become one. Working with a professional ensures that you’re being challenged and are seeing results. And that’s just smart, right?

If you don’t know where to start when it comes to exercise, I’m here to help.

It’s my passion to make exercise a part of your life that you look forward to and are rewarded by.

Call or email me today and we will get you started on the exercise program that completely transforms your body.

I Exercise Because…

Do you have a goal for each of your workouts? Having a goal is more important than you may think.

When each session is goal-oriented, you’ll get the most out of your exercise time.

Decide how long you’ll go for, how many reps you’ll do and at what intensity before your workout begins. Then go for it.

To take it a step further, set clear goals, write them down, and keep a record of your workouts. There’s nothing quite like knowing exactly where you want to be, where you currently are, and what you’ve achieved.

Roasted Cauliflower Steak

This is such a simple recipe and yet it yields so much satisfaction! If you love salty foods like chips or crackers, then this Cauliflower recipe may be the guilt-free snack that you’ve been searching for.

I like to slice the cauliflower into large slabs, like steaks, however be aware that not all of the pieces will stick together. That’s perfectly fine! Smaller pieces of roasted, seasoned cauliflower taste just as delicious as the larger pieces.

Enjoy these Roasted Cauliflower Steaks as a side dish for your next meal or eat it as a delicious and guilt-free snack!

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

What you need

Serves 4

1 head cauliflower, cut into ¼ inch thick slices
olive oil spray
salt and pepper
All-Purpose Seasoning

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.

2. Slice the cauliflower into ¼ inch slices. Lightly spray each side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and all-purpose seasoning. Lay the pieces out on the prepared baking sheet.

3. Bake in the preheated oven, flipping the pieces after 15 minutes, for a total of 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Nutrition

One serving equals 18 calories, 0g fat, 3g carbohydrate, 1g sugar, 128mg sodium, 2g fiber, and 1g protein.

Call us for 3 risk-free complimentary sessions. We include a 30 day guarantee on all of our packages.