Previously, I discussed the common term “moderation” in relation to food and health.  A tremendous deterrent with people wanting to lose weight is the common and dysfunctional attitude of dichotomous thinking.  Also known as “all-or-nothing” and “black or white” thinking, this is when someone is only able to see the extremes of a situation, and is unable to see the “gray areas” or complexities of the situation.  For example, a person who engages in dichotomous thinking may believe that if they don’t stay on their rigid diet then they have failed and are off the diet.  You believe a piece of bread is bad and once you have that bread, even a little, you believe that you are therefore bad.

If you put food in groups like good and bad you are setting yourself up for the guilty feeling afterwards.  You are striving to be “good” by eating the “good” foods and avoiding the “bad.”  Since no one can be perfect, you will eventually slip up, feel bad and you’ll want to punish youself.  It becomeas a vicious cyle.  Instead, focus on any food in moderation.  By doing so you can avoid the ups and downs or guilt when you want to eat, and you can banish negative views of certain foods.  Can you imagine how liberating it would be to no longer feel the unnecessary guilt and to finally accept living in a healthy, moderate way?  (And lose a few pounds, too!)
P.S.  Whenever I see those black and white cookies, I think of this topic and the importance of how things should NOT be black or white, all or nothing, on a diet or off a diet.  Every aspect of your life should be seen more like a spectrum.  The next time you see these let it remind you, too…even if you take a few bites!

Erica Mehler

Your Fitness Specialist

You’ve seen the commercials with famous athletes touting fancy sports drinks aimed at keeping you hydrated for optimal performance. Are those drinks really better than water? Sports drinks can be separated into three different categories: Isotonic, which contain similar concentrations of salt and sugar to the the human body, Hypertonic, which contain higher concentrations of salt and sugar than the human body and Hypotonic drinks, which contain lower amounts of salt and sugar than the body. Most of the drinks on the market are isotonic in nature. However, quite a few contain sugar, so reading the nutrition label is important before purchasing. You can get a boost of carbohydrates and electrolytes from these drinks. The sweet taste leads to more consumption than water, which can lead to better hydration. While water has no taste, it also has no calories. Overall drinking sports drinks every now and again is fine, but given the choice water is the best choice for staying hydrated.

The lesser of evils is an important concept that I find myself discussing with clients, and family and friends (and also others that may not even be asking for my input!)  I am one that strongly believes in moderation.  A key to long-lasting healthy weight-loss and weight-management is simply coming to terms with the notion that nothing is totally off-limits.  Well, maybe with a few exceptions (i.e. soda, and other products with lots of unpronouncable ingredients).  The truth is I don’t think any food is evil, but the term “lesser of evil” refers to making the best choice when none of the choices are ideal.  It’s not about being “good” or “bad” (because that’s dichotomous, black and white thinking, which is unhealthy and I will discuss that next month!).  Instead, think about it as a spectrum, perhaps 1 being the worst thing ever for you with no nutritional benefits and 10 being the best, providing antioxidants, vitamins, etc.  Instead of declaring a food as being “bad” lets think more like if it’s better or worse than another option.  Sometimes we want to indulge in something that we really wish we could abstain from.  I always say to be prepared, but we are only human, we have active, busy lifestyles and from time to time we will find ourselves in a situation where healthy food isn’t exactly a priority.  This also happens in our own homes and at work.  What to do?  Choose the best of the worst.  Besides, it’s not like foods should be totally demonized as “evil food.”  It’s important that we don’t create an unhealthy mindset where kids have the bejeezus scared out of them in this “all or nothing” polarized thinking.  (see next month’s topic!)

By Jeff Bayer

While you may have incredible internal motivation when it comes to sticking with your workout program, there are going to be some times when you have no choice but to take time away from your workout regime.

Whether it’s because work demands are increasing, you’re injured or you’re just too focused on other aspects of your life, time away from the gym can actually work to your advantage if you’re smart about it and know how to get back into your fitness routine once you’re ready.

If you walk into a gym anywhere in America, you’ll see rows of women sweating it out on treadmills. Stop in again months later, and many of those same women won’t look that much slimmer, despite the countless hours they’ve spent pounding away on that moving belt.

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Pop quiz: What piece of fitness equipment can you throw, catch, hold, and lift? The correct answer: a medicine ball. (If you answered “a dumbbell,” please don’t work out near us.)

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• Functional Training Works! When you come into our Wilmington, NC personal training studio, our personal trainers will give you back to back exercises producing maximum results in less time.