Don't be Fooled into Starving Yourself

I've recently been realizing just how little most people know about calories, food, energy, proteins, carbohydrates & fats.  I like to think that I educate my clients, introduce them to new ways of looking at food, and help guide them to healthy eating that not only increases their metabolism but that can help reduce risks of heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and even cancer!  Teaching exercise for me is easy, but teaching people how to change their diet is really the big challenge.

Today, I happened upon a website of a local gym not too far from my own.  I hadn't heard of this gym before so I wanted to check them out.  I went to their website and saw on the home page an Ad for a "7 Day Diet Plan".  Of course, I clicked on it and my jaw dropped!  I couldn't believe what this guy is selling to his clients as a healthy weight loss program.  Not only is it NOT healthy, it actually could cause you to GAIN WEIGHT!  His "7 day diet plan" allows for a maximum of approximately 750 calories a day!!

	Here's an excerpt from his "Plan": Day 1 Breakfast 1 slice of wheat toast 1 cup of coffee or tea (no sugar) Lunch 2 hard boiled eggs Dinner Green salad w/ lemon juice 1 cup plain yogurt Day 2 Breakfast 1 slice of wheat toast 1 cup of coffee or tea (no sugar) Lunch 2 hard boiled eggs Dinner Green salad w/ lemon juice 1 cup plain yogurt Day 3 Breakfast 1 slice of wheat toast 1 cup of coffee or tea (no sugar) Lunch 2 hard boiled eggs 1 cup of fruit 1 cup of vegetables Dinner Green salad w/ lemon juice 1 cup plain yogurt And so on, but you get the idea...

Anything under 1,200 calories a day (women) or 1,800 calories (men) will slow your metabolism down to a screeching halt!  Your body NEEDS calories to get through the day and sustain your daily activities, body and brain function.  Without them, your body simply goes into starvation mode, which you cannot maintain.  On day 8 you will go back to your old eating habits and probably eat more because you've been starving yourself.  Additionally, the food you used to eat and burn effectively will no longer get burned off at the same rate because you have slowed down your metabolism!  His diet should be called the "How I can GAIN weight in 10 days" diet.

The lesson here?  Do your homework and if something sounds too good to be true...well, you know the story.  If you'd like to know more about how many calories YOU should be eating in order to lose weight, please feel free to contact me via e-mail anytime!

Backyard Bootcamp and Topham Street Gym have classes, private training, semi-private training and weight loss programs that suit the individual, not the masses.  Feel free to stop in, drop us a note or give us a call to set up an appointment to come in and get your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), your BMI (Body Mass Index), your Body Fat Percentage tested.  We're here to serve you!

Leslie Maltz, Owner
Topham Street Gym
Backyard Bootcamp

The "Magic Pill" Syndrome

As a trainer for over 15 years, I've heard it all.  In fact, this video pretty much sums up everything I've heard over the years.  I'm sure if you've ever worked out with a trainer, you've even heard yourself say one or two of those things.  'Why does it have to hurt?'  'Why can't the foam roller just roll the fat away?'  'Why are my arms so jiggly?'  'I heard that Jillian Michael's pills really work!'  'I can't get rid of my stomach - it's hereditary.'  Seriously, the bottom line is people would much rather have a "magic pill" than actually do the work necessary to get in shape, be healthy and start living life the way they want to live.

It's no wonder, with all of the celebrity endorsed products on the market strategically placed at the check out line at the pharmacy, why it's hard NOT to want to grab Jillian Michael's latest FAT BURNING pills.  Even I was intrigued at the variety of brands claiming to guarantee fat loss in just 3 days!  Heck, I could use to drop a few myself and it would be a lot easier to pop a few pills than to go for a run or cut back on my favorite dessert.

But the bottom line is...there is no "magic pill".   If there were, I'd be out of business and there'd be a line out the door at CVS.  So what can I offer to my clients in lieu of the magic pill?  How about a Magic Formula!  Okay, it's not magic, but it works and it's effective and most of all, it's SAFE for you to follow. 

Dropping 10 pounds or more takes work and a change in diet.   Burning and reducing calories (yes, that's the magic formula) isn't that complicated and it doesn't have to feel like "work". 

If you'd like information on how I can make the Magic Formula work for you, please contact me.  I am taking on new clients who are motivated and ready to start living a healthy active life.

Leslie Maltz, CPT
NASM & NFPT
Owner, Topham Street Gym & Backyard Bootcamp
(818)633-5180
leslie@backyardbootcamp.org