Friday, September 30, 2011

Twitter topic of the day: Twitter Q&A

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

Today is Q&A Friday so hit me up with your #diet & #exercise questions!

Q: What is the best time to workout? A. Anytime is the best time as long as you do it! The ideal time is in the morning on an empty stomach.

Q: My 10 year old son is overweight, can you train him? A: Sure can! I train all ages. :)

Q: I do ballet but hurt my knee bad. I miss it, what can I do to get it stronger? A: Give it time to properly heal & then do range of motion exercises to strengthen it and get the muscles/tendons/etc. used to movement again. Water exercises are good if you have access.

Q: How long have you been training? A: Most of my life! I've been training with weights and martial arts since I was a teen. Also do #P90X.

Q: Does P90X work? A: Yes, the results of people that do P90X speak for themselves. It's hard but effective!

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Twitter topic of the day: Getting rid of tiredness, hurting knees, shortness of breath, etc.

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

My #questionoftheday is do you know what to do to get rid of tiredness, hurting knees, feeling short of breath, etc.?

What is the answer to lethargy & tiredness? Getting active!! Losing weight and getting your metabolism going will help you have more energy. What is the answer to helping hurting knees? Losing weight! Losing 1 lb of weight = 4 lb less pressure on the knees according to studies! What is the answer to helping your short of breath feelings? Losing weight! Losing weight reduces internal pressure on your organs. So you see, losing weight is key to feeling and looking better. There are so many health & physical issues that are within your control. Unfortunately as you get older it will only get worse if you don't take action now! Why leave your health to chance? Why wait till tomorrow? Your metabolism slows down starting at around the age of 28 so at that point you have to work harder. If you're not in the habit of working hard & being strict with your diet at that point then you will slowly see your weight creep up. You have to go get it! Your health is too important to make excuses over. Once you begin having health issues, it becomes harder. Help yourself, practice your own version of preventative medicine by eating right & daily exercise! You can prevent so much!

#Diet tip of the day: Greatly restrict carbs & sugars after 7pm. People generally relax after that time & the unburned calories = fat stored.

#Exercise tip of the day: Do cardio from 20 - 45 minutes to burn fat. Anything less is not productive, anything more is counter-productive.

#Quote of the day: Every patient carries her or his own doctor inside. - Albert Schweitzer

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Twitter topic of the day: Why are personal trainers so tough on their clients?

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

My #questionoftheday is do you know why personal trainers are so tough on their clients?

Good personal trainers aren't tough on their clients because we want to humiliate or treat anyone badly. Quite the opposite! It's all about #toughlove ! Unfortunately, a gentle push won't work with most people, that kind of push will not help them. You have to push yourself past your comfort zone. Working in your comfort zone only gives you more of the same. You have to give yourself #toughlove and push yourself out of your comfort zone with your diet & exercise. It's all for the greater good. Stop making excuses for yourself! Don't allow the complacent mindset to set in. Stop being content with no results! That's why you see personal trainers being tough with their clients. We have to get you motivated and it takes #realtalk to get real results. There's no use in sugarcoating what you are doing to your health & body with your paralyzing & stubborn attitude. It has to change! If you saw The Biggest Loser last night, you saw how a young obese person's inner health age was almost twice his age. Don't let that be you. If you cannot motivate yourself or push yourself then find someone who can help you. Someone who can push you & hold you accountable. Personal trainers know the diet & exercise tricks that continue results past plateaus but you have to be all in & be ready to listen & WORK! A friend or family member can help keep you accountable but you'll have better results with someone who knows what they are doing. As a trainer, I may be biased but I know the value in what we try to do. We're here to help you reach your goals. That is OUR goal. Whether with me or someone close to you, find yourself that person that will be your support system, your coach & cheerleader. #toptip. Stop coddling yourself, stop making excuses for yourself, stop kidding yourself- you KNOW what you NEED to do for your health & body. Do it! If you can be honest with yourself and show yourself #toughlove then you will make a breakthrough that can take you where you want to be. Don't fight it, stop the stubbornness - allow yourself to go where you need to go for your health's sake. Take that step now.

#Quote of the day: Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared. - Edward Vernon Rickenbacker

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Twitter topic of the day: Is it easier to complain than dieting & exercising?

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

My #questionoftheday is - Is it easier for you to complain about what's wrong than dieting/exercising and making yourself happy?

Unfortunately nowadays I hear more people complain about how they look & how they feel yet they are doing nothing to change that. DOH! What is wrong with this picture? The solution isn't going to come from complaining! It's only going to come from your actions! The energy you waste complaining & procrastinating is energy that would be better spent doing something to help yourself. #realtalk Imagine the reality you could create for yourself if you took all that energy you use to complain and put it to a greater purpose? It's all about mindset. If you keep yourself in the complaining/this is too hard mindset then you will go nowhere. Dieting and exercise is a mindgame and a mindset, especially at the start. You have to be all in or you will not succeed. Believe you can. If you go into diet & exercise with doubts or skepticism, then you will fail the minute you hit a wall or reach a plateau. Go all in! Get off the complaining treadmill that will take you nowhere and get on a real treadmill and go get the body you want! Be the tough boss of your body. Drop the complaining and get to work! ;) You CAN achieve your health & fitness goals, now will you get out of your own way and let yourself do it? That is the question.

#Quote of the day: To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. - Anatole France

Monday, September 26, 2011

Twitter topic of the day: What are you going to do with this week?

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

My #questionoftheday is are you going to make the best of this week or will you let it be another wasted week where you could've progressed?

#Diet & #exercise is all about consistency and progressing. Just like a lottery, you have to be in it to win it! You can't claim that a #diet or #workout program failed you if you don't give it your 100% day in and day out. You will get what you put in. I'll repeat and excuse me for being blunt but if you give it a half-assed attempt then expect half-assed results. Your body is very willing to take it easy and stay where it's at, it prefers it! BUT your mind is stronger and can make your body change. You have to get mentally stronger to get physically stronger! You will need it to attack your diet and exercise the way you need to. Don't let another week or even another day go by where you do nothing and then complain about the lack of change or progress. YOU have to want to see your body, health, fitness and self-image/confidence change! You have to step up to the challenge. Stop with the excuses and reasons to justify your lack of effort. It's useless and a waste of energy. Just do it! Time is ticking.... Stop building all this drama in your head about #diet & #exercise and get to doing what you know you need to do. Change your mindset. Change your mindset into one of action and not one of excuses & complaining and you'll change your world! GO GET IT!!

#Diet tip: Never skip a meal, especially breakfast. Instead of skipping a meal, at least have a protein shake.

#Quote of the day: If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it. - Mary Engelbreit

Friday, September 23, 2011

Twitter Q&A

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

Today is #Q&A Friday (woohoo!!) so ask me your #diet & #exercise questions! :)

Q: Is it ok to miss a workout? A: It's not ideal but if your body needs a rest or if oyu feel sick then it's ok.

Q: What can a trainer do for me? A: Lots! Keep you motivated, teach you & hold you accountable to your goals/diet/workouts, give you results.

Q: I play basketball, what can help me with my jump height? A: Plyometrics! It will help u with all aspects of your game except shooting ;)

Q: I used to jog but my knees hurt, what can I do instead? A: Try lo-impact cardio such as on a stationary bike or elliptical.

Q: it's hard to stay on a diet when everyone in my house isn't on it. What can I do? A: Ask them to help u stay focused on your diet & goal.

#Quote of the day: The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for. - Maureen Dowd

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Twitter topic of the day: What is the difference between you and an athlete?

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

My #questionoftheday is besides the obvious, what do you think are the differences between you and an athlete?

Besides the obvious body differences, the biggest difference between the average person and an athlete is the mindset the athlete has. An athlete has a certain drive to be better or try to be the best and that drive pushes them to constantly challenge themselves. An athlete will do what they need to do in the gym and also with their diet to improve their performance & take it to the next level. An athlete has tunnel vision that allows them to stay focused on their performance goals. Even when hurt, they will push to recover faster. So why am I saying this about athletes? Not to depress you or tell you they are better than you. Quite the opposite! Athletes work hard for something important like a scholarship, professional contract, awards, etc. You should be working just as hard as an athlete for something that is more important than the athlete's athletic goals. Your health!! We all have that competitive switch in us, it's just a matter of finding your goal and using it to your advantage. YOU can have the same tunnel vision as an athlete, IF you allow yourself. You can reach your goals IF you are willing to push yourself. Day in and day out you must step up to the challenge of improving your health, fitness and self-image. Be the athlete you admire. Don't let exercise or diet defeat you. Find your inner athlete that says "I can do this" and then go do it! You can have the same fire and desire that an athlete does. Time to reset your mindset and think like an athlete. Go after your goals. If you are out of shape, then go slow but keep your tunnel vision on becoming better every day. Keep your eye on the end goal! Little by little 6 reps will become 8 become 10 will become 2 sets, 3 sets and so on. Strive to improve yourself every day! You can do it.

#Quote of the day: What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Twitter topic of the day: Reality TV & keeping realistic expectations

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

My #questionoftheday is do you watch a TV show and get frustrated because you can't achieve the same results as what you see on TV?

I find that weight loss shows are very motivational IF you keep them in the right context. You have to always remember that its a TV show. For a TV show, there is no entertainment value in losing a lb or 2 but there is in 10 lbs even though that is not realistic of how it works. On a TV show, they are at a camp working 6-8 hours a day like a job and being pushed by trainers and have nutrition plans by trainers. But in reality, most people work, have other responsibilities and are lucky to get in a 1/2 hour of working out & slap together a diet. The reality is that a 1-2 lb loss in a week is a safe & realistic way to lose weight. This allows you to keep muscle which helps to burn fat. The TV shows are good in the attitude they try to foster and the motivation they try to give. If an obese person can lose weight, so can you. That is what you have to take away from a TV show. Remember that it's there for entertainment first. BUT the advice they give is very good. When they talk about not giving up, digging deep, etc. - well, its what you hear me say as a trainer as well with my daily tips. I don't necessarily agree with the tasks or workouts they show on these shows. They are over the top but they also have medical staff there. Some of these workouts you see on TV are over the top for entertainment purposes & to motivate you. The people signed up for that. In reality, you should give your workouts everything you got but you also have to not overtrain because that will stop your desire to wrkout. There is just no reason to try to imitate what u see on TV while you also try to work, go to school, etc. An hour workout max is good enough. Be realistic with your goals and expectations. Don't let a "TV show" make you think different. Apply common sense to your training & diet. A 1-2 lb loss a week may not seem glamorous but that's 4-8 lbs in a month and that will show in your clothes & how they fit. 1-2 lbs loss a week = 4-8 lbs a month = 12-24 lbs in 3 months. See how slow and steady will get you there? Just be consistent & realistic. What I will applaud of these TV shows is the trainers real desire to help & the contestants real desire to help themselves. 100% real! Take the advice, take the heart shown and motivate yourself to do your best. You can achieve your own big results if you just do it!

#Quote of the day: When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place. - unknown

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Twitter topic of the day: Do you blame others for not getting your diet & exercise done?

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

My #questionoftheday is do you use others as your scapegoats & excuses for not getting your diet & exercise done?

You have to learn to hold yourself accountable to whether you succeed or fail with your diet & exercise program. Stop blaming others! Too many people look for scapegoats to blame for their not dieting properly or going off their diet & also for not exercising. There are exceptions but the exceptions are far & few between. If the will is there then so will be the progress. Time is certainly a factor, so is your job, your responsibilities too but it still all is up to YOU and only YOU whether you succeed or not. Diet & exercise for a lot of people is something totally new so you have to change past behaviors that only got you into your current state. Instead of blaming people for your failures, try including them on your new diet & exercise program. Your scapegoats can become your greatest allies in your diet & execise journey. If they can't or won't help, look for someone who will help! You have to make that choice to look for help instead of excuses! Excuses will get you nowhere. You have to change that mindset. That excuse making mindset has gotten you to this place in your life. It did nothing for you. Time to trash it and begin anew. Just as you look to change your body & health with a new diet & exercise program, so you must look to change your past mindset & behaviors. I know this is easier said than done. Old habits die hard but you created them, you can create new better ones in their place! The question is will you? How badly do you want to change yourself? It's all within you to do. You can do it. Make up your mind that u will.

#Quote of the day: We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. - Aristotle

Monday, September 19, 2011

Twitter topic of the day: Do you get down on yourself over your weight?

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

My #questionoftheday is do you get down on yourself over your weight? Does it affect your self-esteem? Does it affect your confidence?

The good news is that you absolutely have complete control over your weight and how it affects your self-esteem and confidence. Take control of your diet & exercise and jump in & do it. Nothing will change with your weight unless you take action. You may not have control over your job, your commute, your bills and so many other responsibilities but you do have control over your weight. While you have responsibilities to your home, family, job, etc. there is no greater responsibility than taking care of yourself. This is the beginning of a new week, make today the day you begin to get your weight, your self-esteem & confidence back! You owe it to you!

#Quote of the day: You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind. - unknown

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Twitter topic of the day: How much time do you put into your diet/exercise program?

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

My #questionoftheday is how much time do you put into your #diet & #exercise program? Hint: Zero is the wrong answer! ;)

We live busy lives. Work, school, kids, family responsibilities-there's only so many hours in a day that its hard to fit it all in sometimes. BUT there is always time for #diet & #exercise. It might be the most important thing you can do for yourself, even with limited time. We go to work and make money for someone else, if you're lucky u are in business for yourself which is great. Invest in yourself health-wise. Without health what will you have at the end of the day? It's time to learn how to manage your time to improve your health. If you have time to eat, you have time to diet so let's get rid of that excuse right there. Make wise choices with your diet. No fast food. Take the time to prepare your food and take it with you to work/school to eliminate the desire of getting fast food. If it means getting up a little earlier or just moving your morning routine around a little, it's worth it for your diet's sake. As for exercise, there is always time! I'll give you a few examples. Do half your workout in the morning, the other half after school/work. Another example: Exercise on your way to work/school. Park farther and walk the rest. Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Another example: While sitting at work, do isometric exercises. Use office items as weights to do some arm/shoulder exercises. Another example: While watching TV, do your exercise routine. The TV will keep you from being bored & you'll get your exercise in. Another example: Stop using the remote and walk to your TV to change the channel. Lots of options & opportunities to exercise if u look! The point is that there is plenty of time that can be used differently to get some diet & exercise in! Change your routine, change yourself! Stop making excuses and invest time in yourself to improve your health, fitness, your body, your self-image and your self-esteem. You do enough for other people, don't you? Time to invest time in yourself. Invest the time to make you a better you. You deserve it, right?

#Quote of the day; Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself. - Richard Bach

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Twitter topic of the day: Do you shy away from diet/exercise because it's hard?

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

My #questionoftheday is do you shy away from diet & exercise because it's hard?

No one said diet & exercise would be easy! Do you think that you are going to lose what you have built up over months & years without work? No one said diet & exercise would be easy! Do you think that you are going to lose what you have built up over months & years without work? Is it going to be hard to do your diet & workout? Yes, no doubt it will be. But it also isn't going to be as hard as you think it will be. You will get out of your diet & exercise exactly what you put into it. You will get out of it exactly what you make up your mind about it. If you tell yourself you hate to diet & exercise, you have already defeated yourself & psyched yourself out. You are destined to fail. If you tell yourself diet & exercise is going to be hard but you have to do what you have to do then you have a realistic outlook. A realistic outlook and attitude towards diet & exercise will serve you well when the inevitable plateaus occur. Dieting & exercising is going to be hard but you have the ability to make it easier by making up your mind that it will be so. Your body will fight to hold onto the mean weight and fat stores it has. You will have to work hard to establish a new mean weight. Dieting is more a mental thing than it is hard so making up your mind to change your past diet behaviors is key to succeeding. As for workouts, the word itself should give you a clue - you have to WORK to get the body you want! Work it out! ;) While it may be hard to start, once u have done it for at least 2 weeks you will notice it getting easier as yourbody & mind get used to it. That initial adjustment period is the hardest hurdle to overcome. The next big hurdle will be when you plateau. It will get easier if you honestly give it the effort. You will find that after a while you will find yourself wanting to challenge yourself. As you see results, u will push your workouts harder, etc. Then it is an issue of not overtraining & doing too much but that's another topic. So stop the excuses and get yourself moving today towards the body you wish to have. It's going to be tough but you're tougher! Go for it!

#Quote of the day: When it comes to eating right and exercising, there is no "I'll start tomorrow." Tomorrow is disease. - V.L. Allineare

Monday, September 12, 2011

Twitter topic of the day: Stress management

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

My #questionoftheday is what do you do to relieve stress? I'll retweet the best answers!

Stress can wreak havoc on your body - not only mentally but physically as well. Stress can undo your diet too! Stress taxes the body's recuperation ability, as well as other internal issues such as high blood pressure, upset stomach, fatigue, etc. Exercise helps relieve stress physically and mentally it helps too as exercise releases feel-good endorphins. Feel stressed, exercise! Stress wreaks havoc on your sleep patterns and how deep you sleep. You can get a full night's sleep and still wake up feeling fatigued. Stress also wreaks havoc on your diet as you turn to comfort foods to help you through the stressful time. Worse yet, smokers begin smoking more when stressed and that's a huge double whammy to the body's recuperation system. Same for alcohol. Another thing about stress is that it wears you down mentally and makes you even less motivated to diet & exercise (which would help!) Unfortunately, I know about stress & its effects all too well as I went through a very rough time with my mother's year-long health battle. She battled for a year with various physical problems & sadly lost the battle. I was there for the family & it all took its toll on me after. My fatigue was coupled with anxiety (which I never had) & it really took me out of my game for a long time so I am speaking from experience. I began my road back by eating better & then getting back to exercise. I knew exercise was the key. Doing weights was too much for my system at that point so I looked to my martial arts background & began doing Qi-gong which is like Tai Chi. Within a week, I began feeling the stress cloud on my body lift and that gave me new energy to do more. I exercised my way out of it. You can too! Find what works for u & will de-stress u- take time for yourself, LAUGH, eliminate stressful things, stay away from negativity. Above all exercise! Exercise is the key to beating stress. Yoga, dance, martial arts, cardio, weights, etc. Do what makes u feel better. Don't let stress beat you and don't let the stress also become a stressor upon you. Take control as soon as you can & get yourself back!

#Quote of the day: The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning. - Ivy Baker Priest

Friday, September 9, 2011

Twitter topic of the day: Don't psyche yourself out of dieting & exercising

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

My #questionfortheday is do you psych yourself out of dieting and exercising?

Get out of your own way! Dieting and exercising is hard. It's not easy or fun to lose weight. It's true but you knew that already so now go from there. Don't make excuses to slack off on your diet or not do it all, same for exercise. One day off will become two, etc. Stop the cycle! You know it's going to be work to diet and work off the pounds that took you months & even years to pack on. So dig down deep & attack it. Find motivation in the mirror, your clothes, whatever it takes to get the job done day after day. Eventually the motivation will come! You have to allow yourself the time to get to that point where you can start results that will feed your motivation! Be patient. Unrealistic expectations are the detours to your success. You are getting fitter & healthier just by dieting & exercising. Don't psych yourself out from dieting & exercising, psych yourself up instead to get it done. You can do it! if you can't do it on your own, then do what you need to do to find someone who can psych you up and motivate you from day to day! Finding someone to help hold you accountable to your dieting & working out can sometimes be the difference between success or failure. Just make sure you find someone who is not going to derail your diet and exercise program and that will always push you forward. Go for it! No excuses. Excuses when it comes to #diet & #exercise will just keep you in the same present you are now. Embrace your future!

#Quote of the day: Self-trust is the first secret of success. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Twitter topic of the day: Girly & manly exercise stereotyping

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

My #questionoftheday is do you disregard exercises because they are too feminine or too masculine for you to do or try?

Many people tend to disregard very effective forms of exercise because they consider these exercises as just for women or just for men. The truth is your body can't tell the difference if it's a feminine or masculine exercise. All your body knows is if it works or not. Many men shy away from yoga or stability ball training because they think these exercises are too girly but they are the ones missing out! On the flip side, many women shy away from weights & resistance training because that's a man thing to build muscle. Open your mind to ALL the exercise possibilities and see for yourself just how effective these exercises are for men & women. Incorporate all different types of exercises into your training to get a complete workout program. See what works & what doesn't. Incorporate all different types of exercises into your training to get a complete workout program. See what works & what doesn't. Different exercises work out different bodyparts and different muscle combinations so you can easily see the value in exercise variety. You have to keep the exercises interesting to keep you motivated and fresh from month to month. Change your workouts each month.

#Quote of the day: Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true. - Leon J. Suenes

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Twitter topic of the day: Exercise "gadgets" and you

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

My #questionoftheday is how many of you have bought an exercise gadget that u used just once & didn't like or didn't find it as advertised?

The truth is that 95% of the exercise gadgets that you see on TV that are supposed to make exercising easier don't work & can hurt you. Feedback after feedback from people who get caught into buying the equipment find that the equipment doesn't make the exercise easier. In some cases, the equipment has actually caused the opposite effect of what it's supposed to make easier like strained necks, backs, etc. Now I'm not talking about some of the higher end products but moreso of the "gadgets", especially ones for the abs. These companies know that everyone is looking for that magic item that will "melt away" the pounds and "eliminate" inches, etc. These companies know that even if they offer a money back guarantee that people are too lazy to follow through with the refund requirements. So they make money off people's naivete and desepration to find that simple solution to lose weight, inches and get a great body. Very few of these things work as advertised. Save your money for what really works. Do you want to know what works? The same thing that has worked for years, decades even. Dumbbells, barbells, resistance bands, your bodyweight, cardio and lots of HARD work and SWEAT! No magic solution! You are the solution!

#Quote of the day: The only limitations you will ever face will be those you place upon yourself. - Keith DeGreen

Friday, September 2, 2011

Twitter Q&A Friday!

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

No tips today because today is "Q&A Friday"!! Cue the applause! Got a diet or exercise question, send it now as an @mention! Go! ;)

Q. What's the best "healthy" substitute for a sandwich? A. A wrap will have slightly less calories. Even a sandwich is ok, watch the extras

Q: I hurt my knee, how long should I wait before working out again? A: Depending on the injury, a few days rest then ease back into it

Q: What's better situps or crunches? A. Crunches are great upper ab builders but situps work out the abs better overall.

Q: Do I have to take vitamins? A. You should! A daily multi-vitamin & mineral supplement is vital to make sure you get all your body needs.

You can't count on that you will get all your vitamins from your diet, especially if you are working out hard. Supplement!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Twitter topic of the day - how to eat right

This post is my twitter daily tips / topic of the day. Follow me on Twitter @ezhomefitness

My #questionoftheday is how often do you eat? Just 3 meals a day? 2 meals a day? Snack throughout the day?

So... how often should you eat? How often you eat is just as important to your diet as what you eat.The average person skips breakfast, has a bad lunch and then eats dinner and flops on the couch. Does that sound healthy to you? Then of course there are all the bad snacks in between that they are noshing on all day long. Bad, bad, BAD!Eating bad like that, there is little surpise as to how their bodies look and feel. So, how often should you eat? Let's start with breakfast - MOST important meal of the day!! Let me repeat - MOST important meal of the day!! Breakdown the word "breakfast", what do u have? Break & fast. Breakfast is the meal that is breaking the fast of not eating all night. Your body is starving for nutrition after having fasted for however long you slept - that's a fast of 6, 7, 8 hours. This is why you must eat breakfast, especially when you are training hard. A healthy body requires the proper nutrition to operate at peak so I've shown you why breakfast is so important. When to eat next? 2 hours later! Yes, that's right. Eat a small snack 2 hrs later. Then eat every 2 hours for a total of 5-6 meals throughout the day. Eat protein at every meal and snack. So your food schedule should be breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack (optional) for the day. Sounds like a lot of eating doesn't it? It is! It will take some getting used to because most people under-eat! But there are many benefits The big benefits of eating this way is that u will raise your metabolism and keep it stoked throughout the day. Exercise will stoke it more! Think of it like a steam engine that keeps getting coal (fuel) to keep the engine going. That is how your metabolism is & needs to be fed. The other big benefit is that eating all these small meals & snacks will keep your blood sugar & insulin response stable = less fat storage! Just keep the meals small! You are taking in a lot more calories than you'll be used to so portion control will be vital. So there you have it - one of the biggest dieting tips you can have. Now it's up to you to put it into effect. ;)

#Quote of the day: Courage is never to let your actions be influenced by your fears. - Arthur Koestler