One of the biggest questions we get from confused clients is “Wait if I’m meeting with my personal trainer, why am I gaining weight?” Whether you’re going one-on-one, or participating in small group fitness classes, you’re working hard, so you should be losing, right? Well, not necessarily. When you first start out in your fitness journey, your body does a couple of strange things, and these strange things may cause you to see changes on the opposite end of the scale than those you’re looking for.

Muscle Fiber Repairs

The first reason why you might be seeing weight gain at first, rather than weight loss, is due to muscle fiber repairs. If you’re not used to working out, the stress that your new fitness regimen places on your muscles may cause small tears in the fibers. It’s these same small tears that leave you feeling pretty sore after a getting a good workout in. These micro-tears and small bits of inflammation aren’t really a big deal and will heal on their own, but part of that healing process is retaining fluid in those areas to prompt proper healing and muscle restoration. That slightly higher number you might see on the scale could be due to that temporary fluid retention.

The best way to see this number go down is to eat properly and for muscle health, and to give yourself some rest so your muscles can effectively heal themselves.

Muscle Fuel Storage

Another reason you may see a slightly higher number on the scale than what you’re looking for is increased muscle fuel storage. When you begin to exercise regularly, the body will store glycogen to later be turned into glucose by your muscle cells and used as energy. In these beginning phases, your body requires more glycogen for an effective workout, so it will store more in order to have what it needs. As you get more experienced with your fitness regimen, your muscles will require and store less.

Either with your personal trainer or in your small group fitness class, you want to see the kind of result that shows the number on the scale getting lower, not higher. It pays, however, to be patient and to know just what your body is doing inside when you start getting fit, and how that slight scale fluctuation doesn’t mean your efforts aren’t being rewarded.

If you’re interested in getting fit, call today for 3 risk-free complimentary sessions that show you what we have to offer.

Sure, you do your best to eat healthy and live a fit and active lifestyle, but you’re still not satisfied with your body. Day after day of eating salads and hitting the gym and your body isn’t changing.

It’s frustrating.

And yet there are people, whom you know personally, with phenomenal bodies and very little body fat. What are they doing differently than you? You work out and eat healthy too! Why doesn’t your body look like theirs?

What’s the big secret that they know about losing fat, getting lean, and looking amazing?

The answer is as simple as it is difficult: Avoid Sugar.

While you do your best to eat healthy, do you know how much sugar you are actually consuming everyday? The answer will surprise you.

The average American consumes over 80 grams of sugar everyday, an amount that’s easily three times more than is safe and healthful. How much sugar do you eat? Write down the sugar count on everything you eat for the next few days and then find your average sugar gram intake. Now work on slashing this number.

Part of the problem is that food items are often sneaky about how much sugar is really hiding within. Deceiving messages on the packaging imply that the contents are beneficial, causing us to ignore the high sugar content. In the end whatever supposed benefits being advertised are overshadowed by the negative effect of the sugar.

What’s the big deal about taking in a lot of sugar? Well, you won’t achieve a lean body while consuming a lot of sugar. So if you choose to indulge in sugar then forget about strutting your stuff on the beach this year.

Aesthetics aside, a high sugar intake is detrimental to your health as it causes your cells and organs to become acidic and a breeding ground for disease.

Going back to that guy or gal that you know who is perpetually lean…you can bet that their diet is extremely low in sugar. A low sugar diet is the key to keeping lean and it’s not had by simply avoiding the high sugar items, like candy and cake, it’s had by avoiding items with even low amounts of added sugars.

Take the next week to cut out all added sugars from your diet. Check in with your weight and your energy levels at the end of seven days and note any difference. You’ll be pleasantly surprised how quickly you’ll see results in both your weight and energy levels by making this simple, conscious move to avoid sugar.

Diet is only half of the equation when it comes to having a sexy, fit body. Exercise is the other half of the coin, and that’s where I come in.

Call or email me today to get started on an exercise program that’s designed to transform your body once and for all!

Little Bottle of Sweet

If you normally take your coffee or tea sweetened, then give this calorie+sugar-free tip a try: Carry a bottle of liquid stevia.

Stevia comes from the stevia leaf and is a more natural alternative than artificial sweeteners. A few drops in your coffee adds the perfect amount of sweetness without any grams of sugar.

Thumbprint Cookies

Wait, an article about giving up sugar and then a recipe for cookies? Have I lost my mind? This recipe for Thumbprint Cookies is made exclusively using stevia, so you can avoid sugar and eat a cookie too!

Stevia is a natural sweetener (derived from a leaf that you can grow in your own garden) that has zero calories and zero sugar content. The benefits are huge to using stevia as a sweetener of choice.

If we can make cookies that have zero sugar content but still taste sweet and satisfying then shouldn’t we? It makes us healthier, leaner and more energetic. All without sacrificing the joy of having a delicious cookie.

Sure, if you’ve never used stevia then there will be an adjustment period. A time to get your taste buds accustomed to the absence of sugars. But once you adjust then you’ll wonder how you ever handled all that sugar in the first place. Give these low sugar cookies a try!

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

Servings: 30

Here’s what you need

• ⅔ cup blanched almond flour
• 2 Tablespoons coconut flour
• 2 teaspoons arrowroot starch
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
• 6 Tablespoons coconut oil, softened
• 2 Tablespoons coconut cream
• 2 teaspoons liquid stevia
• 1 egg yolk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• 4oz lily’s stevia sweetened chocolate (chips or bar)
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
• ⅔ cup natural peanut butter (or another nut butter or berries)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl combine the blanched almond flour, coconut flour, arrowroot starch, and sea salt. Whisk to remove any lumps.
3. In an electric mixing bowl combine the coconut oil, cream and stevia until light and fluffy – about 5 minutes. Add the egg yolk, vanilla extract and almond extract on low speed until fully incorporated.
4. Add the dry ingredients on low speed by spoonful until creamed into the coconut oil mixture.
5. Shape cookies with a heaping teaspoon of dough, making an indention with your thumb. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool for 5 minutes on the pan before removing.
6. While the cookies bake, melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler, mixing until smooth. Dip the base of the cookies and pour a little chocolate into the indentions, topping with a teaspoon of peanut butter. Transfer to a parchment paper lined pan that fits in your freezer. Place the cookies in the freezer for 5 minutes until the chocolate has set. Enjoy!

Nutritional Analysis

One serving equals: 90 calories, 7g fat, 4g carbohydrate, 10mg sodium, 1g sugar, 2g fiber, and 2g protein.

Everybody has their gift!

Mine is problem-solving and strategizing, especially when it comes to fitness or weight loss. 

Every goal that I put into place, I stomp it.

I may not hit my deadline every time. The plan may change 10 times! I sometimes even use five different tools to write it down—i.e., pen and paper, apps, desktop resources, etc.

I get frustrated, often discouraged, and sometimes I even feel like giving up! Each and every time though, I simply review my goal again to regain focus and determination.

Be Smart

It is not because I am Einstein or a rocket scientist. It is simply because I take 5-10 minutes to write down my goals and make them SMART! Now, I am sure that you have heard of the acronym SMART. If not, here is a quick illustration for you.

Be Specific

When being specific about your goal, you will need to spell out the who, what, where, when and why, as explained by Top Achievement. Focus on your goal and eliminate any distractions or feelings of being overwhelmed! Here are some other meanings of this same acronym which might help to jar your mind when finding ideas.

An example of this for me personally is to lose eight percent body fat, or 10 pounds, by spring break. I already have it placed on my calendar. This allows me to quickly assess any MAJOR obstacles standing in my way, such as business trips, kid birthday parties, family visitors, etc. Knowing that my goal time is up in 12 weeks allows me to figure my sub-goals by breaking them down. In order to accomplish my goal, I need to lose one pound each week or about .75 percent body fat.

Now, usually, when people make goals, they always implement new things. However, you also need to think about what actually needs to be eliminated. I got so relaxed over Christmas that I was literally up to about two Snickers candy bars a day—NO JOKE! I know I got a little carried away, but I would definitely do a major purge of my cabinets before getting started!

Is it Attainable, Measurable, and Realistic?

The remaining meanings are merely check-ins to determine whether it’s a goal that you want to move forward on trying to achieve right now. We’ve already determined that it’s measurable; however, is it realistic? Once you are able to survey upcoming events and your lifestyle, you are better able to determine if this particular goal is right to have at this time. An example of this is those who choose to quit drinking during tailgating season knowing that it is one of their favorite ways to watch and celebrate the games. Why would you do this to yourself, other than to set yourself immediately up for failure?

Is Now a Good Time?

Now, let’s decide if now is a good time. To do this, review your calendar and see if perhaps more time may be needed to accomplish your goal. This will allow you not to be disappointed when you don’t arrive at the end result within the original timeframe.

For instance, I am going out of town next weekend for a business conference. However, I don’t want to lose any time towards hitting my goal. So, I have planned for a fridge to be in my hotel room that weekend, as well have already packed a lunch bag for my meals and snacks.

However, if you’re the type of person that any traveling derails your diet, perhaps you should choose to start after the trip. Deciding the appropriate timeframe helps you determine how rigid or how loose you want to be with your goal at times.

Take two to five minutes to write down your goals, use these tools, and make your goal S.M.A.R.T.!

It will not only make reaching your goal that much easier, but it will allow you to have a blueprint on the plan needed to accomplish it! Routinely revisit it as the plan may need to change or when you may need to remind yourself on why or what you are really trying to accomplish! Contact Everlasting Changes today if your goals are fitness or health related, as our personal training staff would love to assist you with meeting your goals—no matter how big they may be!

Jennifer Kasmer, M.A.Ed. is a certified personal trainer and fitness nutritionist. She owns Everlasting Changes Personal Training and Nutrition. Most recently, she became a best-selling author with her book, Tick Tock Your Nutrition Clock.

She is happily married to Brent Kasmer, a medical exercise professional, Master Personal Trainer, sports and conditioning coach and sports nutritionist. He leads the personal training team at Everlasting Changes.

They have two beautiful children, ages two and five, and they work hard to play hard with them. They inspire to raise their children to be Christians, leaders, and compassionate towards others. They raise them with high expectations in hopes that, as young adults, they will be healthy, independent individuals who thrive in new environments.

You’ve got yourself a fitness and weight loss goal…

But have you defined it?

A goal is a measurable end result, having one or more objectives to be achieved within a fixed timeframe.

Yet, most people, when they first meet with us, have a goal that is clearly undefined and extremely vague. Of course, you want to lose weight, but you don’t know how much or by when? Yes, you want to build strength, but you don’t know how much, why, or how you can do it? Without a doubt, you want to train for a marathon, but you don’t know what to do, how often to do it, or when you should start?

So are those really even goals?

By definition, NO!

And the reason they aren’t is that, if they are undefined with no how, why, or when, how can you measure their progress?

This week is the first week of the New Year!

It’s exciting, refreshing, and rejuvenating!

According to the statistics, approximately 80 percent of people never set goals for themselves and of the 20 percent that do, 70 percent fail to achieve their goals.

This week, we’re going to discuss why people fail, the importance of goal setting, and then take a one to two-minute survey to define your goal. This will enable you to focus and commit to each and every step along the way to accomplish it. After all, how are you going to celebrate the New Year and accomplish your goals if you can’t celebrate each and every step towards achieving them?

For increased accountability and maximizing your efforts, Register Here & Book Your Free Session Today to Get Started! We have an amazing Buy One, Get One Month Free Unlimited Personal Training Offer that ends this Sun, Jan 8th!

Jennifer Kasmer, M.A.Ed. is a certified personal trainer and fitness nutritionist. She owns Everlasting Changes Personal Training and Nutrition. Most recently, she became best selling author with her book, Tick Tock Your Nutrition Clock.

She is happily married to Brent Kasmer, a medical exercise professional, Master Personal Trainer, sports and conditioning coach and sports nutritionist. He leads the personal training team at Everlasting Changes.

They have two beautiful children, ages two and five, and they work hard to play hard with them. They inspire to raise their children to be Christians, leaders, and compassionate towards others. They raise them with high expectations in hopes that, as young adults, they will be healthy, independent individuals who thrive in new environments.