Why do you overeat? Here are a few likely reasons:

1. Habit: Whether you realize it or not, you eat in a learned pattern, rather than out of need. You clean your plate because that’s what your mother taught. You eat what is served without stopping to check if you are full. You butter two pieces of toast for breakfast rather than questioning if one piece would do the job.
2. Absentminded: You forget to pay attention when you eat. Mindless munching while watching a movie, snacking while driving, or picking at food while cooking – these absentminded calories really add up.
3. Something Deeper: Sometimes you use food for recreation or to change your mood. These calories may lend you a temporary sense of comfort or pleasure, but ultimately your body suffers from the indulgence.

Here are 3 Steps To Overcome Overeating – read these, and apply them to your life.

Step #1: Pay Attention

Be aware of what and how much you eat. This simple concept will save you from hundreds upon hundreds of calories each week.

To apply this rule, don’t eat while your attention is distracted by another activity. Only put food in your mouth when you are hungry and conscious of it. This means turn off the T.V., get out of your car, and no matter what you do, don’t graze in the kitchen while cooking.

Step #2: Practice Balance

Be aware of the types of food that you eat during each meal, and make sure that it’s balanced. When you eat a balanced diet filled with lean protein, whole grains, lots of veggies, a few daily servings of fruit and limited fat and sweets, your body will be satisfied and you’ll lose the urge to overeat.

This means you shouldn’t always eat carb-based meals, and you also shouldn’t always eat high-fat meals. Make a mental checklist of the food groups that you’ve eaten each day. Did you eat lean protein? Did you have plenty of vegetables? Did you refrain from eating more than one or two primarily carb-based meals? This mental checklist will save you from making food decisions that you’d later regret.

Step #3: Be Tuned In

Your body will always tell you when its hunger has been satisfied – you’ve just gotten so good at ignoring the signs that you barrel through your meal only to feel like you’ve been hit by a ton of bricks once all that food hits your stomach. It’s time to take a deep breath and listen to your body.

An important part of being tuned in is to eat slowly. Once you start to pay attention you’ll notice a point when each bite becomes less and less satisfying. That is your body’s way of letting you know that you’ve had enough and that each continued bite is simply overkill (yes, even if you’re only halfway through that plate of pasta).

By learning how to control your eating habits, you’ll find weight loss to come simply and naturally.

Want to speed up your weight loss, make it permanent, and shape your body at the same time? I’ve got what it takes to get you there! No guess work, no fad diets, and no super long workouts.

Call or email today to learn more about my fitness and fat loss programs that will quickly change your life.

Cherry Hill Personal Trainer Client of the Month Joann Nawrocki

Joann Nawrocki is our Cherry Hill Pesonal Trainer July Client of the Month.  I met Joann at a charity fund-raising event I held back in February (see page 1 for details).  She was struggling with her weight and was under the care of a physician for insulin resistance.  She was on a fasttrack to diabetes.   In 3 months, Joann lost 17 lbs and over 14 inches off her body.

She has 2 young children, runs a charity, and her husband works in the automobile industry (needless to say finances are a little tight).  We set her up on a routine that she could do at home with minimal equipment and limited time.  Joann only comes to see us 1-2 times/month to track her progress and update her exercise routine. 

We evaluated her metabolism with our Korr Metabolic Analyzer (it wasn’t as slow as she thought) then we designed a meal plan that could fit her busy lifestyle.  She’s been doing awesome.  Each month when she comes in we take her measurements and take her through her next exercise routine. 

You could be our next Client of the Month and WIN a FREE dinner for two at Season’s 52.  Fill out form below to get started ASAP.

Cherry Hill Personal Trainer LandmarkStudy_Summary

“The study results were very impressive and support the potential benefits of long term use of dietary supplements” Gladys Block renowned nutrition researcher and Professor of Epidemiology & Public Health Nutrition”

When I was in high school a good friend of mine passed away due to complications from a kidney transplant.  He fought Leukemia all of his teenage years, which led to his kidney transplant.  His death still inspires me to just throw out my headtrash and just do it.   As a teenager I wasn’t able to help my friends family very much, and it’s always been a goal of mine to be able to give back if I had chance. 

Back in April we held a 30 Day Challenge.  We raised $250 for a local charitable organization, The Alexa Nawrocki Pediatric Cancer Foundation.  Joann Nawrocki the president of the foundation is our July Client of the Month (Details coming shortly).

The Alexa Foundation helps make ends meet for families struggling with children who have cancer.  They can provide gas money to make it possible for a child to attend treatments or it can just be paying the heating bill (whatever helps the family the most).

Now Joann told me to get a $250 giftcard to ShopRite because there was a family that really needed a little help because their 3 yr old son Nicholas was struggling with a very agressive form of cancer.  I gladly did and
yesterday I received this very moving letter.  Find out more about Nicholas by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.

July 2, 2009

Dear Mr. Hensel:

We don’t have words to express our thanks from the bottom of our hearts when we thought all doors were closed for help. Your foundation opened up our hearts. We’re writing this letter to personally to thank you for the blessing and donation of helping us to food shop at ShopRite with your gift card. We want to express our sincere appreciation to everybody at Fit-4-Life for there support and kindness. Your generous gift took some weight off our shoulders. You will forever be in our hearts and prayers for the help you’re giving us. The greatest benefit of all, I hope, is the feeling you get knowing that your foundation helped Nicholas Modestin & his family during these difficult times as Nicholas battles to conquer ALL cancer. If we could sit across the porch from God, We will thank you and Fit-4-Life for lending me you. Thank you for your time and consideration and for being there in time of our needs.. 

THANK YOU & GOD BLESS YOU

Nicholas, Adriana & Felix Modestin Jr.

To find out more about Nicholas and how you too can make a difference in his life please click here . 

Yeah it choked me up too.  Sometimes it’s all worth it for a letter like this.

If you are like most people then that realization will 1) bring a grimace to your face and 2) will motivate you to lose some weight.

While I commend your desire to slim down before baring it all, I’m here to warn you of the 5 myths that most people fall for. Don’t waste your time on these:

Myth #1: Starve the pounds away.

Attempting to lose weight by starving yourself is not only ineffective, it’s also dangerous. It may seem that severe calorie restriction would deliver the quickest weight loss, but your body is complex and by doing so you’ll disrupt your metabolism and slow your results.

Tip: Don’t starve yourself – instead eat healthy small meals throughout the day.

Myth #2: Take diet pills to boost your effort.

It’s so tempting! The commercials make compelling claims about the power of diet pills, but don’t fall for it. The ‘magic pill’ has yet to be discovered (it has been discovered – exercise. It’s just not in pill form…). Diet pills are more likely to damage your health and burn your pocketbook than to slim you down.

Tip: Don’t pop a pill – instead burn calories with exercise.

Myth #3: Do extra crunches to flatten your abs.

We all want our midsection to look toned as we stroll down the beach, but excessive crunches aren’t the answer for tight abs. In order to achieve a lean look you’ll have to focus on burning off the layer of fat that is covering up your abs.

Tip: Don’t obsess about crunches – instead focus on fat burning.

Myth #4: Eat packaged diet foods for speedy results.

It is amazing to see the kinds of foods that are packaged as ‘diet’ or ‘weight loss’ aids. More often than not these products are packed with refined sugar and other artificial ingredients that your body doesn’t need.

Tip: Don’t eat packaged diet foods – instead stick with nutritious whole foods.

Myth #5: Avoid all carbohydrates in order to slim down.

Carbohydrates have been given a bad rap, which is unfortunate because you can (and should) eat carbs while losing weight. The key is to stick with whole grains, oatmeal and brown rice while avoiding processed and refined flours and sugars.

Tip: Don’t swear off all carbohydrates – instead stick with wholesome carbs.

Now that you know what not to do in order to look great this summer, it’s time to go over your beach ready game plan. Here’s what you need to know in 3 simple steps:

• Step One: Cut out the junk.

  The best way to do this is to start by purging your kitchen. Get rid of sugary, processed and fat-filled foods. Once the junk has been cleared out don’t buy any more of it. Remember that your beach ready abs depend on what you eat – don’t eat junk!

• Step Two: Focus on whole foods.

  Replace the junk food in your life with plenty of the following: cooked and raw vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, moderate amounts of seeds and nuts, lean meats and low fat dairy. Clean eating really is that simple.

• Step Three: Come train with me.

  This is the most obvious step. You’re ready to get into great shape and I’m in a unique position to make that happen for you. Call or reply to this email to get started on an exercise plan that will make you look great on the beach, and all year round.

Check out his photos and video testimonial by clicking here

Dan started with us May 2008, he struggled with his weight his whole life, his health was suffering, and he didn’t want to celebrate his 40th B-day overweight.  He interrogated several other personal training studios.  I think we were number seven on his list, and I’m not kidding when I say interrogation.  He did his homework and grilled me for over an hour.  I loved it because I knew he was really serious about dropping his 100 lbs.  His eating habits were a mess and his exercise routine was non-existent.  

For the past year Dan has actually shrank before our eyes.  His first month he lost over 30 lbs.  His diet has totally transformed and he still workouts like a complete madman with us 2x/week.  He’s our only client that has asked for another food journal because he has religiously filled his out for the past year. 

On Friday I asked Dan, what was the key to his success.  His answer was short and sweet.  He said it was us and because he was mentally in the right place to make a change.  He had even tried another local studio (no, I won’t name names) but it just wasn’t giving him the one-on-one attention he needed and he didn’t get any results.  He also mentioned we were the only facility that had emphasized exercise and nutriton right from the beginning.  Sidenote:  Personal trainers are a complete weenies make sure you interrogate your potential trainer before you fork out some cash.  Check out this article I wrote on How To Choose A Qualtiy Trainer 

http://personaltrainerincherryhill.com/2009/06/quality-trainer/

Dan has totally changed his life and his career.  He’s actually studying to become a personal trainer and registered dietitian.  He’ll be a NASM certified personal trainer by the fall and he’s taking several college courses.  And if that’s enough he’s fallen in love with nutritional science so he’s also on the registered dietitian track at school as well as personal training. 

He wants to use his inspiring story to help others lead a healthier life.  He’s especially excited to work with kids, so they don’t have to wait so long to get in shape. Starting next week, Dan will be our intern for the summer.  I can’t wait to get my hands on him.   

Make the change in your life, by calling or emailing me today for your free consultation to find out if we are a good fit for you.   You  can also just fill out the form below.

Studies show that a journal doesn’t just aid weight loss – it turbo-charges it. When researchers from Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research followed more than 2,000 dieters who were encouraged to record meals and snacks, they found that the single best predictor of whether a participant would drop weight was whether the person kept a food diary. It trumped exercise habits, age, and body mass index. The number of pounds people lost was directly related to the number of days they wrote in their log.  I have attached a blank food journal entry

How your food journal is an essential tool to achieving your fitness goals: 

1.  Awareness:  Instead of mindlessly consuming meals, your diet journal will help you become conscious of what you are eating, how much, and how often

2.  Reality: Once you realize where the majority of calories are coming from, you can make healthier, low calorie changes and eliminate excess foods with little nutritional value.

3.  Accountability: By writing down all of the foods you eat and calculating the daily calorie and nutritional value for all your meals, you are forced to consider how an extra serving of pasta or a dessert will factor into
your diet.

4.   Routine: When you start a diet journal, you establish a routine.  This routine helps you to maintain a stable, steady progression  towards your goals even if you have a bad day.

How to use your food journal:

Begin by writing down all of the foods and beverages you eat on a daily basis broken down in to Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, & Snacks.  It might be a little annoying as you measure out your food for the first few days, but make sure you are paying close attention to portion size (Click here to measure proper portions portion_distortion1 ). Record the time you eat each meal as well as all the items in your meal, including dressing, condiments, and beverages. 

Calculate your nutritional totals for calories, fat , carbohydrates, protein, and fiber (calories are the most important).  You can find the values for the most popular food items located online (www.calorieking.com), nutrition facts label on the container, or a calorie counting book.  To find out exactly how many calories you need to eat visit www.CherryHillBodyIQ.com to find out more info.    If weight loss is your primary goal, deduct 300-400 calories per day for 3-4 weeks.  Deduct another 300-400 calories the following month if further weight loss is desired.  Never go below 1200-1300 calories per day.

Be as accurate as possible and try not to miss a day for the first 3-4 weeks, but don’t beat yourself up over it if you forget a day or two.  The more accurate your food journal the better your results will be it’s that simple.   You need to see the good and the bad, everything in moderation.  You will not need to keep a food journal indefinitely , but it is an invaluable tool to reaching your initial goals.

Committed to your success,

Kevin Hensel

Cherry Hill Personal Training Trainer, Just Minutes from Voorhees, NJ

Directions
Place the edamame, onion, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, miso, salt, chili paste and pepper into the bowl of a food processor and process for 15 seconds. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl and process for another 15 to 20 seconds. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Once all of the oil has been added, stop, scrape down the bowl and then process another 5 to 10 seconds. Taste and adjust seasoning, as desired. Serve with chips or crackers. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Basic Edamame:
1 pound edamame, fresh or frozen, in or out of shell
1/4 cup water
Kosher salt, optional
Place the edamame and water into a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 4 to 6 minutes. Drain any excess water and serve as is or salted.

Yield: 4 servings

Kevin Hensel
Owner, Fit-4-Life
Cherry Hill Personal Training Studio