David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding sure think so. But then they did write the book on it: Drink This Not That. They’ve even gone so far as to claim that you could lose up to 32 pounds in a year just by changing what you drink.

What most people don’t know is that it’s a lot easier to drink extra calories than to eat it. So you really need to pay attention to what you’re sipping on.

Here is a sampling of what their book has to offer. The following are 5 of the worst things to drink, followed by 5 slimming alternatives.

Breakfast
While a cup of hot coffee or a glass of lowfat milk are both great ways to start your day, beware of the smoothie trap. More often than not smoothies are closer to milkshakes than protein shakes.

Worst beverage: Smoothie King Peanut Power Plus Grape (40oz)

• 1,498 calories / 44g fat / 214g sugar

Drink This Instead: Smoothie King High Protein Banana (20oz)

• 322 calories / 9g fat / 23g sugar

Lunch
A study done at Virginia Polytechnic Institute showed that people who drink 17oz of water before sitting down for a meal ended up eating 9 percent fewer calories. Those calories can really add up over time.

Worst beverage:

SoBe Green Tea (20oz)

• 240 calories / 0g fat / 61g sugar

Drink This Instead: Honest Tea Organic Honey Green Tea (16oz)

• 74 calories / 0g fat / 18g sugar

Afternoon
When the afternoon rolls around most of us are ready for a pick-me-up. Too often these caffeinated drinks are loaded with waist-expanding calories.

Worst beverage: Starbucks Venti Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with whipped cream

• 660 calories / 22g fat / 95g sugar

Drink This Instead: Starbucks Venti Caramel Cappuccino

• 170 calories / 6g fat / 18g sugar

Postworkout
There’s no good reason to follow up a great workout with a sugar-filled beverage, even if it makes claims for quick recovery and muscle growth. After exercise your body is in need of protein, carbohydrates and potassium, so choose a beverage filled with these three.

Worst beverage: Naked Protein Juice Smoothie (15.2oz)

• 418 calories / 4g fat / 53g sugar

Drink This Instead: Horizon Organic Chocolate Reduced Fat Milk (8oz)

• 180 calories / 5g fat / 27g sugar

Alcoholic beverages
There are known benefits to drinking alcohol in moderation (one or two drinks per day) such as raised HDL (good) cholesterol, boost in bloodflow, and improved sugar metabolism. A recent study in the journal BMC Public Health reported that people who have a daily drink were 54 percent less likely to be obese. However, it’s called a beer belly for good reason, since many alcoholic beverages are loaded with calories.

Worst beverage: Red Lobster Traditional Lobsterita

• 890 calories / 183g carbohydrates

Drink This Instead: Red Lobster Classic Martini with Gin

• 140 calories / 0g carbohydrates

Recent studies are reporting that most of us drink 21 percent of our daily calories. That adds up to an average of 460 calories each day. It’s easy to see how these calories quickly add up into unwanted pounds.

Pay extra attention to what you drink throughout each day. Make it a habit to pass on the calorie-packed drinks and to focus on drinking lots of water.

Remember that small changes to your lifestyle over time will make the difference.

I’m always available to help – call or reply to this email to set up your free consultation.

So you have a weight problem.

Pounds have added up over the years, slowly accumulating on your hips, thighs and belly.

When you look in the mirror you don’t like what you see. Yet you feel stuck.

You’re stuck because…

• You’ve gained too much weight to ever lose it all.
• You’re too old to make a change.
• You’d be lost in a gym.
• You simply don’t know where to start.

And so, if you are like most people, you give up on yourself before you ever shed a pound. The enormity of your goal paralyzes your ability to even begin.

I believe you can end this cycle of self destruction by simply focusing on the mole hills that make up the mountain – rather than focusing in on the mountain itself.

Don’t get me wrong, I know that weight loss can seem like an enormous task – especially when you have 20, 50 or even 100 pounds to lose.

However, rather than being discouraged by the mountain of fat you need to lose, conquer the mole hill of losing one single pound each week.

In fact, make it your weekly mole hill to drop one pound a week.

Doesn’t that sound easy? If you did this consistently for one year you would lose 50 pounds.

So how do you shed a pound a week? Simple. Just burn 3500 extra calories.

Create a 3500 calorie deficit each week by a combination of increased calorie exertion (exercise) and a decrease in calories consumed (eating less).

Take every opportunity to exert more calories by increasing your physical activity and to decrease your calorie consumption by eating fewer calories and by making healthier choices.

It helps to record your progress in a notebook and refer back to it. You will be surprised how encouraging it is to see your weekly progress written down on paper.

Remember, if you lose 500 calories a day you will drop a pound in a week.

Here are some practical ways to lose calories:

Weight loss doesn’t have to be a mountain. Each molehill you conquer will take you one step closer to a healthier, fitter you.

Small changes to your lifestyle over time will make the difference.

I’m always available to help – call or reply to this email to set up your free consultation.

Corrective Knee & Shin Self Massage Exercises

Healthy, delicious food doesn’t have to take forever to prepare and you don’t have to be a chef to prepare it.  Try these scrumptous recipes for busy weeknight cooking (my personal favorites are the Veggie Fried Rice – who knew vegetarian could taste so good – I like it with chicken too)..  Christina provides invaluable cooking hints and tips to make cook time even faster in the video.  Enjoy!!  Who thought cooking healthy could be so easy?

Let’s face it, you simply can’t lose weight eating out all the time (it’s just not possible).  You have to learn how to be proficient in the kitchen.  You don’t have to become a chef you just need to know the basics.  Chef  Christina takes out all the guesswork she provides private and group cooking lessons and if you’re just too busy to cook she’ll even custom create a menu just for you and prepare the meals for you at your home.  Check out all the details on her website at www.cyplate.com .

Check out all the recipes and directions by clicking here

Simple Braised Bok Choy

Marinated Balsamic Strawberries

Healthy Take Out – Veggie Fried Rice

Dan getting revenge on Matt

In a little over 3 months, Dan Frischberg has lost 43 lbs, over 8% bodyfat, and 33 inches (10 inches off his waist).  Dan has been kicking some serious butt!!  To be perfectly honest I wasn’t so sure he’d be so successful when he started.  He had 0 motivation and no real confidence that he’d succeed.  Finances were a little tight so we had to figure out a payment plan.

      Dan has really flat feet and his hip was a real mess so we had to take care of few muscular imbalances first.  Now Dan is a complete cardio madman.  He workouts with us 3 times per week and now comes in on his off days to come and do the elliptical stepper another 2-3 days per week.  He’d struggled to do 3-4 minutes on the elliptical when he started, now he’s cranking out 20 minutes.  He stopped skipping meals and always eats breakfast.  “I’m actually losing weight and eating more.  Best of all I’m not even hungry,” Dan says. 

Listen to Dan’s secrets to success in his own words.  Watch out Dan Dychtwald, Fit-4-Life’s current biggest loser 115 lbs – Dan F is going to give you a run for your money!!

 You could be our next success story.  Call today 856-751-0033 or click on the link below to schedule your FREE Fitness Consultation

Haddonfield Personal Training Studio Located in Cherry Hill, NJ.  Just minutes from Haddonfield.

Is This You At Night?

Late night eating is the kiss of death to any weight loss program.  Many people maintain good diets during the day only to blow it late at night out of boredom or insatiable cravings. Below are 10 tips to curb late night eating.  Click here for the quickest way to stop late night eating.

1. Skipping meals and snacks is one of the single biggest reasons for late night binging.  Be sure to eat 3 good meals during the day with 2 between meal snacks. Most people try to eat too few calories during the day only to binge late at night. If you skip your late afternoon snack 2PM – 4PM you’ll get home totally starved, then you’ll binge for dinner.  A few hours later when your sugar levels crash at around 8PM-9PM you’ll get crazy sugar cravings which is only going to lead to binging on evil processed carbs and sugar.  Don’t skip your snacks especially your late afternoon snack (Aim for a 150-250 calorie snack with 10+grams of protein eg. apple and 20 raw almonds or 1 cup of greek yogurt and blueberries!!) Click here for must have pantry list.
2. When you feel the urge to eat late at night, try drinking 2 or more cups of water. You can also make a cup of herbal tea sweetened with honey or agave nectar (natural sweetener – low on the glycemic index). Hot liquids have a soothing effect on emotions and appetite.
    
3. Remind yourself that it’s normal to feel hungry late at night due to habitually eating late. Breaking this habit is like learning to quit smoking.   Remind yourself of your goal to lose 20 or 30 pounds and the key to losing this weight is to STOP late night eating.  Write your fitness goals for the month on an index card and attach it to your refrigerator.  It’s a constant reminder that you are sabotaging yourself - believe me it works!!
    
4. Much of late night eating after dinner can be avoided by hiding the junk food. Put foods that you’re prone to eat late at night out of sight. Better yet, don’t buy junk food at all, though this may not be possible if you have kids.  If you need a snack, don’t eat out of the bag or container.  You are 80% more likely to overeat if you eat out of the food container.  Put a single serving in a bowl or small plate (small plates make your portions look bigger – believe me these mind games work) then put the rest of it away out of sight (Make it annoying to get another serving – store it in a high cupboard or behind healthier options in the pantry). 
    
5. Suck on hard candy – I recommend Ricola sugar free the menthol makes everything you eat afterwards taste really funky. Most hard candy have only a few calories and they give you the satisfaction of snacking.  You can also chew on gum which will satisfy your oral craving for a few hours- try sugar free gum.
    
6. Keep a written copy of your diet plan and food journal in view, which will keep your goal of losing weight firmly fixed in your mind. The temptation to snack late at night will not be as great if you don’t give into the urge for several weeks.  Keep your food journal on the kitchen table or close to your pantry.
    
7. Some people have great success by simply brushing their teeth late at night when you know your snacking is going to go to the bad place. This method has been known to curb late night eating for many people.
    
8. The most vulnerable time for eating late is 1 hour after dinner right up to bedtime. Keep your life interesting by working on a favorite hobby and NOT watching TV. The ads on TV can subconsciously trigger the impulse to eat. Boredom is your biggest danger to late night eating.  Read a book or read all of my emails – I’m sure you have enough of them to create a novel.  Here are some great books to really curb your late night eating “Eat This Not That” series, ”Omnivore’s Dilema”, ”Eat Smart, Play Hard”, or watch “Fast Food Nation” or “Food Inc” – you won’t want to eat for awhile after these.
    
9. Psyche yourself for the battle. You know that you will feel tempted to snack late at night. It’s an artificial feeling that will go away when you go to bed. The next morning, you probably won’t be hungry …. eat breakfast anyway within the first hour of waking up…. it’s the most important meal of the day.
10. Have dessert.  Late night carbs do have a sedative effect – so give in and treat yourself.  Here are some great ideas that are extremely tasty and low in calorie.  I totally love the Skinny Cow Ice Cream Desserts -they’re only 140 calories.  JUST EAT ONE!!  I prefer to make a protein smoothie.  Make it taste like a chocolate milkshake.  I love Chocolate Shaklee Cinch Meal Replacement Powder 1 scoop with 1 cup of skim milk (soy milk),  1/4 cup of plain greek yogurt (adds a great amount of extra protein and it really gives it a great milkshake consistency), and to make it extra frothy add 4-5 ice cubes.  I also add a tablespoon of all natural peanut butter (Crazy Richards is my favorite) for an extra treat to make it taste like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.  It packs about 30 grams of protein and it really does taste like a milkshake.  The fiber and protein will really fill you up.

Changing your eating habits is extremely difficult.  The best cure for late night eating is stabilizing your blood sugar levels.  Stable blood sugar levels curb hunger and cravings.  Click here to find out how you can stabilize your blood sugar levels and get rid of your late night cravings in just 7 days.  Click here

Yield: 2 servings

Here’s what you need…

• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 small carrot, peeled and shredded
• 5oz can white albacore tuna, in water
• 1 cup mixed lettuce
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• Dash of pepper
• 2 whole wheat tortillas

1. In a medium bowl mix together the tomato, carrot and tuna. Add the lettuce and drizzle with vinegar. Mix well and add dash of pepper.
2. Serve half of the tuna mixture in each tortilla.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 188 calories, 3g fat, 16g carbohydrate, 9 g fiber, and 23g protein.

Premier Haddonfield Personal Trainer

By avoiding these common blunders, you’ll put yourself on the fast track to results. Check out the following 5 fitness mistakes and the solutions you need to avoid danger and to get fit fast.

Mistake 1: You use the wrong weight

The goal is to challenge your muscles, not to simply go through the motions. If you are able to complete 15 repetitions easily, then the weight is too light. On the flip side, if you aren’t able to perform an exercise through its full range of motion, and find yourself cheating on form, then the weight is too heavy.

The correct weights will feel challenging by your last few repetitions, but won’t force you to sacrifice form.

Mistake 2: You do the same routine

You may have noticed that most people do the same exercises each time they visit the gym. Maybe you’ve been doing the same exercise routine as long as you can remember – if it isn’t broken then don’t fix it, right?

The truth is that exercise routines have expiration dates, and that is the date that they begin to lose their effectiveness. As a rule of thumb never use the same routine for more than 4 weeks.

Mistake 3: You don’t warm up

Most people consider warm up time to be wasted time – they’d rather jump right into the heart of the routine. What they don’t realize is that a good warm up will allow you to perform at a higher intensity, which means greater results.

The point of a warm up is to increase your muscle temperature. This increases blood flow, muscle contraction and reduces muscle resistance. Your warm up should last 5-10 minutes.

Mistake 4: You use bad form

Gyms are filled with people performing exercises with bad form. The two biggest reasons are that you aren’t concentrating on the exercise, or you’re trying to lift weight that is too heavy. Lifting with improper form almost always results in injury.

Take the time to achieve proper form, by doing so you’ll avoid injury and will reap the full benefit from each exercise.

Mistake 5: You workout alone

People who exercise alone are less challenged, less accountable and typically see fewer results. It makes sense, doesn’t it? Why rush to the gym if no one is there waiting for you? Why push yourself if no one is watching? Exercising alone is a recipe for disaster.

The best way to avoid injury and to see results is to work with me, your trusted source on fitness. I am passionate about seeing my clients achieve results – without wasting time, energy and effort on mistakes.

Complete the form below to schedule your first workout.

Must Have Pantry Items:

Cereals: Kashi Go Lean (My favorite), Kashi Go Lean Crunch, Barbara’s Bakery Shredded Oats, Barbara’s Bakery Cinnamon Puff Ins, Kashi Autumn Wheat (feel free to mix cereals for better taste and variety – Kashi cereals have awesome protein and fiber)

Breads: Ezekiel 4:9 / Ezekiel Sesame (My favorites – might want to freeze gets moldy fast), Trader Joes Whole Wheat Tuscan Bread, Peperidge Farm 9 Grain Whole Wheat. Ezekiel Muffins, Kashi Go Lean Waffles (Blueberry my favorite)

Crackers: Dare Whole Wheat Grains First, Trader Joe’s Bite Size Everything Crackers, Stacy’s Whole Grain Pita Chips, Kashi TLC Crackers, Raincoast Crisps (Whole Foods)

Steel cut oatmeal (not instant, rolled oats OK – brand not important) Trader Joe’s actually has pre-cooked frozen steel cut oatmeal. Very tasty and super fast!

Grains/Pastas: Barilla Plus Pastas (awesome protein, very tasty), Quinoa (Brand not important), Bulgur wheat (Brand not important), Long Grain Brown rice (long grain – fluffier and lighter – brand not important)

Beans: Garbanzo beans/chick peas, kidney beans red/white (no sodium – canned beans are faster to quick), edamame (probably in frozen section)

Solid White Tuna (packed in water not oil)

Nuts: Raw, unsalted nuts (Almonds/walnuts- brand not important) roasted nuts taste better but unfortunately also destroy all the healthy omega 3 fatty acids in the nut

Crazy Richards Peanut Butter or Traders Joes Unsalted Peanut Butter (TJs mixes really well – to mix the oil store the peanut butter upside down in your pantry). Almond Butter is also another great alternative

Cooking Must Have Pantry Items: Chicken/vegetable broth – organic (less sodium), Muirglen Canned Tomatoes, Vinegar, Lemon juice

Popcorn (No butter, lo sodium) – my favorites Naked Popcorn, 365 Popcorn (Whole Foods)

If you are just too busy to cook, Personal Chef Christina Dimacali will also come to your home and prepare meals for you visit her website www.cyplate.com .

In a nutshell. During the corrective stretch phase perform each stretch 30-60 seconds, 1-2 times daily, 4-6 days per week for 2-4 weeks. Each muscle and person will progress at a different rate. After the initial 2-4 weeks you can transition into a maintenance stretching phase of 3-4 days per week holding each stretch 10-30 seconds. The following sections will answer the rest of your questions in more detail.

When should I stretch? The best time to stretch is when you can actually fit it into your daily schedule 4-6 days per week. The following are the best case scenarios. If you wake up with muscle tightness and soreness, then stretch in the morning preferably after a hot shower or bath. For optimal flexibility gains stretch 1-2 hours before going to bed. When we sleep, our muscles repair themselves from the days activities. When a muscle repairs itself in a lengthened, relaxed state instead of a shortened, tight state it provides optimal flexibility the whole next day. Stretch after a workout or physical activity because a warm muscle can stretch further than a cold one and it also helps prevent muscle soreness. Try not to stretch a cold muscle, always warm up with a 5-10 minute light warm-up of walking or biking to increase muscle temperature and muscle flexibility. “When” is not the most important factor with this phase of stretching, just doing it is the most important. When pinched for time, just do the tightest areas in a shortened format.

How Much Is Too Much? The stretch position should have a tight feeling, never pain. Achieve the stretch position slowly and gently, with no jerking or bouncing. It is very easy to overstretch a muscle and cause more harm than good. It is a fine line between pain and tightness so always ease into each stretch a little longer with less intense effort, never pain.

How long should I hold each stretch? Hold each stretch a minimum of 30 seconds. An area that feels exceptionally tight you might want to hold for 60 seconds time permitting. The problem is not holding the stretch too long, but not holding the stretch long enough especially when just starting because it will take longer for the muscle to relax. Keep track of the imbalances between your right and left, because not every muscle in your body is going to have the same flexibility on both sides of your body. If you notice a discrepancy, stretch the tighter side an extra 20-30 seconds. Stretching each side the same amount of time will maintain the imbalance. The greatest benefit of corrective stretching is creating muscular balance on both sides of your body.

Just breathe, you must chill. The cornerstone of stretching is relaxation. The cornerstone of relaxation is breathing. Holding your breath or moving too quickly during each stretch will instinctively tighten up your whole body to protect itself. Take deep inhalations and slowly count to four on each exhalation. Focus on relaxing the muscle you are stretching. With each exhalation, gently deepen the stretch but never to pain until you can go no further. When we exhale our body naturally relaxes and that is the best time to try to increase range of motion. Never hold your breath.

When do I progress to the maintenance phase? This will be different for each individual and each muscle. How quickly your body adapts will depend upon the following: how many days a week you are stretching (Six days/week will yield quicker results than four), how long you are able to hold each stretch (60 seconds yields quicker results than 30 seconds), how many times a day you are stretching (twice daily is quicker than once), genetic and structural limitations, and injuries. Some muscles will progress so quickly that you can move into the maintenance phase within only a few weeks. Other areas will progress much more slowly and might need to stay in the corrective phase for several weeks. When the muscle no longer feels discomfort, tightness, restriction, and doesn’t meet the other criteria listed then it is time for the maintenance phase which will vary with each different body part. Expect to have some body parts in the corrective phase and others in the maintenance phase.

What is the maintenance phase again? When the muscle no longer feels discomfort, tightness, restriction, and doesn’t meet the other criteria listed then it is time for the maintenance phase which will vary with each different body part. The stretches remain the same but hold the stretch 10-30 seconds, once daily, 3-4 times per week. It is that easy. If increased ranges of motion are still required more advanced stretching techniques should be utilized under the guidance of a qualified physical therapist, chiropractor, or fitness professional.

When can I stop? Never! Not the answer you were probably looking for, but it is the unfortunate truth. Your muscles have a very bad short term memory. If you stop stretching, all of your original short, tight muscles will slowly creep back. Since you are not getting rid of the reasons why your body got the imbalances in the first place, they will always try to come back. The good news is that you can very easily maintain your new found range of motion by continuing with the maintenance phase. Just a little bit goes a long way, but stopping all at once will drastically reverse all of your progress in a few short weeks.

Oh God, there’s more? As previously mentioned when certain muscles get short and tight, other muscles get lengthened and weak. These stretches are a great way to lengthen those short and tight muscles. But we also need to strengthen those weak areas in order to maintain our new found flexibility. Regular strength workouts 2-3 times per week reduce the likelihood that you’ll get a muscle imbalance that could cause pain. Incorporate strengthening exercises to target these weak areas to maximize your performance. For example when you sit a desk all day your chest and upper neck muscles get very short and tight. You need to stretch those areas and strengthen the muscles that help pinch your shoulder blades together called your posterior deltoid, rhomboids, and mid/lower-trapezius. Don’t worry it’s not as technical as it sounds, just pinch your shoulder blades back and down.

More ways to ease the pain. If a day or two of stretching does not help your sore muscles, try these common remedies.

• Topical treatments like Bengay or Capsaicin excite sensory nerve endings in the skin, and the resulting tingly sensation overrides your ability to feel as much pain.

• Over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (nsaids), such as ibuprofen, may alleviate some discomfort.

• Heating pads and heat wraps help relax muscle tissue and increase blood flow to the area. Hot tubs are saunas are great post workout.

• Massage promotes blood flow to sore areas and relaxes muscle tissue. Deep tissue, accupressure, and trigger point massage modalities are best when you have tight, knotted muscles.

• Acupuncture has been show to help certain types of pain. It’s not known exactly how it works, some believe the needles stimulate pain-suppressing neurotransmitters..

• Physical therapy can help rehabilitate specific injuries. Therapists can also teach you exercises to relieve and prevent everyday aches.

http://www.personaltrainerincherryhill.com Kevin Hensel is Haddonfield’s Leading Fitness Expert. He has helped over 768 Haddonfield, NJ residents achieve their health and fitness goals since 1996. You could be our next success story. For other related articles and videos visit http://personaltrainerincherryhill.com/category/video-gallery/fix-me-im-broken-videos/