WHY DIETS FAIL on Netflix

 

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WATCH THIS ON NETFLIX. There is a lot of confusion surrounding the facts of fat-loss, nutrition, calories, diets, exercise, etc. The photo above is of a 14-minute episode on Netflix. The show is called Explained and this particular episode is from the first season. I think it does a pretty good job of establishing some worthwhile facts. I recommend watching it twice. Here are some highlights. ~There is no perfect diet for everyone. ~Most diets are 1 of 2 categories, Low-fat or Low-Carb. ~All diets work when followed. ~All diets stop working once once not followed. ~The only way to see consistent results is to find a diet and lifestyle that can be maintained until you die. ~Failing to be successful on any diet causes unwanted guilt and shame which can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food. ~Guilt and shame are extremely profitable and will certainly be exploited by many powerful, manipulative industries. ~In 1863 a British author wrote the first ever low-carb Diet Book that became a best seller. ~Food changed drastically after WWII, which led to the Industrial Food Complex and a plethora of unhealthy processed food. ~By the 1980’s, obesity was on the rise, food was more unhealthy and cheaper than ever and we ate/drank more than ever, especially snacks, by about 500+ calories more a day, which has continued until till the present. ~1980-2000 saw a HUGE increase in obesity. It has continues to climb until the present. ~Exercise is great for health but not very good for burning enough calories to lose weight in a healthy way without improvements in the diet. ~Losing weight too fast, doing too much intense exercise and going too low on calories can cause a serious hormonal disruption that may make things much worse in the future. ~Genetics may make it more difficult for some to lose fat but it is by no means an absolute limitation. ~Achieving a consistent caloric deficit is still the most important factor for fat-loss. ~Eat more vegetables & fruits (plants) and less of everything else. ~ ~Consume less calories on days you move less. #whydietsfail #nutrition #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Nov 21, 2019 at 10:33am PST

My Attempts to Make Nutrition Simpler

 

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Nutrition should be Simple. Of course, this is seldom the case. Not knowing what to eat or worse, being scared to eat food, can be a serious problem. Nutrition is about balance NOT imbalance. When someone asks me about anything nutrition related I do everything I can to give very simple advice. Everyone’s in a different place. It’s important to start where you’re at. You may have a health, fitness or cosmetic goal. It may be all three. It’s very important to identify what it is you want and need. Personally, learning to understand the difference between Whole Food and Processed Food is a great place to start. Remember that “Food” is not only limited to what we eat but also anything we drink. We all know what Junk Food is but it doesn’t hurt to refresh. Learn to read Food Labels, not just count calories. Have a working knowledge of all 3 major Macro-Nutrients: Protein, Fat and Carbs. Understand that certain food is more like Medicine and some food is more like Poison. All Diets work because they require paying closer attention to what we consume. Any Diet will fail if we stop doing it. There is no perfect Diet for everyone. We each must find our own way live. Sleep, Stress Reduction and Exercise are important concepts that help with everything when applied appropriately. Don’t be scared to take a small step in a healthier direction. Work on educating yourself. Work to improve one main area at a time. In fact, with regards to Diet, try improving only one meal at a time (ex: breakfast, lunch or dinner). It’s ok if it’s not always perfect. No one is ever perfect all the time. Here’s a short list of my preferred references. 1) Dr Greger’s Daily Dozen list-and phone app 2) Dr Greger’s book, How Not to Die-and NutritionFacts website 3) Michael Pollan’s book, Food Rules 4) Netflix Explained series entitled, “Why Diet’s Fail” 5) Precision Nutrition website. I would highly suggest watching the 14 minute Netflix episode first. It’s a great summary of important information that is often misinterpreted in the media and pop-culture. #bssbbooks #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #drgregor #drgregordailydozen #michaelpollanfoodrules #whydietsfail #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Nov 14, 2019 at 10:15am PST

Fitness Equipment Minimalism

 

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STRENGTH TRAINING WORKOUTS NEED NOT BE LONG OR REQUIRE MUCH EQUIPMENT. Whether you exercise at home, at work or on-the-go, short workouts with minimal equipment are your best friend. No more excuses. In the next few weeks i plan to demonstrate a few simple routines. It’s important to note that equipment is not actually necessary for resistance training. It is 💯 % possible to work the entire body using only your body weight, for FREE. With that said, equipment can be very useful and help make things more interesting. My top 3 equipment recommendations are: 1) Resistance Bands 2) a single Kettlebell 3) a single Dumbbell. Resistance Bands are typically inexpensive and kettlebells or dumbbells can often be found used (and you really only need ONE of either). Last week I talked about the essential exercises for a short total body workout. Next week I will demonstrate an example. #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #resistancetraining #strengthtrainingathome #dumbbellworkout #kettlebellworkout #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Oct 15, 2019 at 7:28am PDT

Time Management & The Waking-Up Routine

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TIME MANAGEMENT & THE WAKING-UP ROUTINE: (Sounds almost like a band name. Lol.) It is essential that we are active participants in our waking-up routine. Every day has an awakening. Don’t let it be by accident. I can’t stress this enough: how we wake up sets the pace for our entire life. Wanna get more sh*t done? Wanna be happier? Healthier? Train yourself to wake up better. Try much harder to not push snooze. Instead, go to bed 8-24 min earlier (I’m hoping you’ll see the ridiculousness of such as both pushing snooze for 8-24 min is just as silly as thinking going to bed 8-24 min earlier the night before will do the trick…it’s more likely that at least an hour more of sleep is needed. I recommend going to bed earlier. No one sleeps better by pushing snooze, it’s only delaying the inevitable). Try not to look at things like social media, the news, etc until you’ve at least stood up out of bed and drank some water. I recommend a full glass of water, even before coffee. I also highly recommend stretching for 2-5 minutes. I promise you’ll feel better if done regularly. The point is to prioritize your health. Don’t waste precious time upon waking. You don’t get any of this time back. Once it’s gone, it is gone forever. If you have kids, pets or other responsibilities, get up a few minutes earlier. Otherwise, you will just be reacting to everything that comes at you, which is almost impossible for any human to effectively manage day-in and day-out. Instead, be proactive. Prioritize YOU. Much can be accomplished within that first hour upon waking. It’s a habit, a routine, that can be improved just like anything else. Optimize! Maximize! #bssbbooks #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #morningroutine #morningritual #morningroutines #timemanagement #morningflow #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 23, 2019 at 7:39am PDT

A LEGIT CONCERN WITH AN “ALL or NOTHING” LIFESTYLE.

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A LEGIT CONCERN WITH AN “ALL or NOTHING” LIFESTYLE. This is especially true with regards to Fitness & Health. I also call this “Feast or Famine”. High Intensity exercise is very popular but not necessarily a great fit for the average American. The average fitness enthusiast in the USA exercises primarily to lose body fat. High Intensity would surely seem like the best choice since it burns the most calories right? Yes & No. A lesser talked about issue is this: The average American is EXTREMELY Sedentary. This may invite injury if not careful. Even if someone exercises 2 hours each day but sits most of the rest, they are still considered Sedentary. Contrast the all-day sitting with intense exercise and hopefully you’ll see where I’m going with all this. I love high intensity. I also love heavy weights. These things have their place when programmed appropriately. And Yes, some people do tolerate them well (however, I would argue that most do not). My key point is this: It is important to move and expand your body’s range of motion throughout the entire day, every day. Don’t just do nothing all day then go completely crazy if/when you exercise. Realize the body benefits from frequent movement and a wide variety of motion. Not all exercise needs to be High Intensity. Learn to move more OFTEN throughout each day and not just when or while exercising. Make sure to properly warm-up before exercise as well, especially High Intensity Exercise. Prevent injury by not inviting it. Injuries stall progress. So yes, we may burn a lot of calories with some intense exercise but it might all come to a screeching halt if we are forced to stop exercising altogether because of some avoidable injury. Use that beautiful brain! I highly recommend learning to create a personalized 5min daily “Yoga” Flow for yourself to help with body maintenance, overall health, flexibility and mental focus. More on that later… #blueskystrongbox #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #highintensityworkout #injuryprevention

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 9, 2019 at 11:27am PDT

Part 2: Injuries, Pain, Soreness

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PART 2 : INJURIES-PAIN-SORENESS. Just because a medical professional “cleared” you does not mean all problems are over. At some point, all medical/therapy roads come to an end. When they do, then what? Ask a lot of questions. Anything you can think of. Most importantly, find out what things you should probably limit, avoid or NOT DO in the future. But after that, most likely, you’ll be on your own. Discomfort, pain and things-in-general “not feeling the same” might be a reality. Do everything you can not to take pain killers unless you really need them or your doctor has had a long conversation with you about the option. The most important thing now is to get back to as normal of a life as possible. With regards to movement and exercise, you will need to start VERY slow and experiment with everything. You may be surprised at what you CAN do but also what you CAN’T do, at least not yet. Remember, first make sure there aren’t things you shouldn’t be doing. Besides that, always listen to your body. Start LIGHT, SIMPLE AND SLOW. Learn to move well using only your bodyweight. If using some form of external/manual resistance, start with very light weights, simple movements (that you understand), and can perform near-perfect form. Lastly, make sure to start by moving SLOW. If something hurts, see if you can safely modify or maybe try doing something different. There might very well be some things that you won’t be able to do. It’s ok. Learn to work around them. There are many options. Research. Explore. Don’t be too cautious but also don’t be reckless. Use that beautiful brain! #blueskystrongbox #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Sep 2, 2019 at 8:46am PDT

Counting Calories TIP

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IMPORTANT TIP: When it comes to counting calories, round UP when estimating food (and drinks)…but also round DOWN when estimating calories burned during exercise or daily movement. Rarely is there such a thing as an exact measurement. Even the “calorie” itself varies in measurement. For this reason, numbers are often NOT exact. Even in the wonderful age of digital technology, fancy phone apps, watches and other high tech wearables, etc can only “ESTIMATE” how many steps you walked, heart rate, calories from food, calories burned, etc. Truth is, most of us think we eat (and drink) LESS than we do. We also think we move MORE than we do. Today I rode an exercise bike for 30 minutes at a medium pace. The computer “estimated” that I burned 276 calories. If I were counting calories, I’d round that DOWN to 200 calories, which is only about a can of Coke. A pound of fat is said to be roughly 3,500 calories. Again, this is all an estimation. It should be obvious that using only exercise to lose body fat might not be the best strategy. It must be combined with improvements in nutrition and lifestyle as well! The math can become discouraging quickly. That’s why I don’t typically recommend counting calories and if I do, not for long. But don’t let this get you down. It’s about healthy habits, discipline and consistency. Start slow, build strong. Never stop learning. Never stop improving. Expect delays and obstacles but always keep your head up. Remember that the changes you make only stay that way if you continue to do what is working. In the end, it’s ultimately not about calories and measurements, it’s about health, happiness and quality of life. You want to lose body fat in a healthy way? Eat more vegetables & fruit. Walk a lot more each day. Regularly pick up heavy things (safely) and move really fast (safely). Get proper rest. Drink mostly water. Laugh and smile. Open your heart. Help others. (PS. Don’t let calories rule your life.) #bssbbooks #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #countingcalories #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Aug 29, 2019 at 8:43am PDT

Inspiration from Centenarians

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This inspires. 100+ years young. Look at them go. #seniorsprinters #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Aug 22, 2019 at 7:59am PDT

Resting Heart Rate is important…

 

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RESTING HEART RATE. This number can say quite a bit about health and fitness. Keep in mind, it doesn’t say everything. It is pretty easy to check. You can download a free app and check it using your phone. The best time to check it is obviously while RESTING. Lol. So first thing in the morning is best (before sitting up) or lie down for 2-5 minutes then check it. Check it for a few days, or even a week. Just get an average. Don’t overthink it. The goal is to get this number under 60. It’s ok if it’s not. The average person is in the 70’s. You could be higher. How do you get this number down? Get better rest. Exercise regularly but not too hard or too long. For most folks, I recommend daily walks for 30minutes. 1-2 weekly resistance training sessions (45min max). Get a minimum of 7 hours each night of quality rest. Avoid unnecessary stress whenever possible (this one may be the most challenging but worth the effort.) PS if you want to do intense HIIT exercise, i highly recommend getting that number down as quickly as possible by doing lower intensity work for a while. #bssbbooks #restingheartrate #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Aug 5, 2019 at 7:25am PDT

Fat Loss & Meal Frequency

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We have an obesity epidemic in America. It’s not talked about enough and sadly, very little is being done about it. The issues are obviously many and complex. Ultimately, each of has to take ownership of every decision we make. With that said, most of us are fully aware that as a nation we eat and drink more than we should. Our culture is built around over-indulgence. Add to that the fact that do much of our food is lacking in quality nutrition. I truly believe a major issue lies in how often we eat and drink each day. The body adapts to our habits, especially habits practiced daily, both good and bad. Eating too often may teach the body to crave food more often, much like a stray animal. Some may only eat 1 meal a day while others might feed as many as 6+ times. Neither scenario is wrong. Many options lie between the two. Any arrangement could prove successful but let’s be clear, eating and drinking too frequently begs for problems. Anytime we consume anything (that’s not plain water) we initiate our digestive process. The body responds to every little bite of food and every tiny sip from a drink. We worry so much about calories but a bigger issue might actually be the frequent hormonal response to our constant feeding. It makes sense to me that the more times we feed, the more we teach our bodies to crave food. For fat loss, this can be problematic. In the early 2ooo’s, it was common to recommend 5+ feedings a day. Some had success. Most of us didn’t. I think it was a bad recommendation. I still do. I think it leads to the development of food addiction and false hunger. I firmly believe most of us do better when we limit our meals (“feedings”) to 2-3 a day, avoid snacking altogether most days. It can take time to retrain the body and he mind (so think weeks and months, not hours or days). This is all my opinion and something I think worth considering. Obviously, this might not apply to anyone with serious medical issues. For that, consult with a qualified professional. #nutrition #personaltrainer #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #fatloss #fatlosstips #bssbbooks #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Jul 1, 2019 at 2:43pm PDT