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This is a popular myth in the health and wellness industry. Mainly driven by the thought that it will make your muscles grow past what you’d be comfortable with and be considered “bulky”.

This is FALSE.

It’s actually the opposite, believe it or not.

I have worked with a lot of clients who consume 100g(or more) of protein each day and successfully lose weight whereas before working with me, they would try diet apps, fad diets, etc and wouldn’t be successful at losing weight.

Why is a high protein diet so effective for weight loss?

For three reasons honestly.

1) It requires DOUBLE the amount of energy to digest vs carbohydrates

This means your overall metabolic output increases just by consuming it which makes it easier to reach the calorie deficit necessary to lose weight

2)It suppresses appetite

It does this by decreasing circulating levels of ghrelin(hunger hormone) while increasing peptide YY,cholecystokinin, and GLP-1 hormones that signal to your brain that you are full. This makes a high protein diet great for reducing cravings that most people struggle with!!

3)It helps maintain muscle mass

When you are in a caloric deficit, you’re not giving the amount of calories you need in order to maintain your body weight. If you don’t eat enough protein, your body will break down both fat mass AND muscle mass(which isn’t good). Eating adequate amounts of protein minimizes muscle loss to ensure all the weight you lose is body fat!

So if you are a person who struggles with overeating and cravings, add protein to every meal you have during the day(20g at least). You will notice an immediate difference in feeling fuller for longer and you will see the weight scale go down as well!

As always, I’m here as a resource to help the community to become a healthier place so don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.

Most of you reading this made a New Years resolution of some sort. Usually its something to do with your fitness whether its trying to lose weight, get more toned, having more energy, and or just feeling better for the New Year!

I’m sorry to say this but only 8% of New Years resolutions get accomplished!

So statistics are not on your side unfortunately.

People have great intentions of bettering themselves but why do so many people fail them??

For 3 reasons…

1) They make a behavior change before changing their consciousness

-People have internal beliefs and values for everything in their lives. Let’s say someone who doesn’t truly believe being healthy is a priority but decides to start exercising is a recipe for disaster. In this case, they would truly need to believe that their health is important before they start exercising. It helps create the “why” which is simply understanding the reason for the behavior in the first place because without a “why”, it makes it easy to quit since humans need to have a reason behind every behavior or else that behavior will stop.

2) Setting unrealistic goals

-I’m all for thinking big when it comes to goal setting. At the same time though, we need to look at what we have going on in our lives with our career, family, and other activities to think about what goals are actually achievable with what you have going with their life. If the goal is unrealistic often it will lead to frustration and failure. This is why when we are trying to set goals we should have smaller goals that will lead up to what we want to achieve with everything in consideration. The small wins will help keep you motivated!

3) Goals aren’t specific

-When you make goals, you need to be very specific with what you want. Without being specific not only is it hard to stay motivated but also holding yourself accountable. Being specific is key!

So if you’re having trouble with your New Year’s resolutions up to this point take these reasons into consideration when you’re re-evaluating your fitness goals. If you still need help, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’m glad to help in any way.

 

Dedicated To Your Success,

Coach Evan

1) Eat at least 20g of protein with every meal

-people think that protein is just for building muscle but it does so much more than that and fat loss is one of the things it helps. Protein has a thermic effect when digested which makes it require more energy to be absorbed which does two things:

1) Suppresses appetite- to eat less calories

2) Boosts metabolism- to help you burn more calories

both of which help with fat loss!!

2) Sleep 7-9 Hours Every Night

-Some people take this for granted but I can’t stress the importance of this enough. When you’re sleep deprived, your body starts to release extra cortisol which is a wake up/stress hormone which in moderate doses is a good thing BUT not too much of it. Cortisol is a fat inhibitor which means that it slows down the body’s ability to metabolize body fat. Get your 7-9 hours of sleep!!

3) Strength Train 2-3x/Week

-Incorporating strength training will help you build and or maintain muscle along with helping you burn more calories. Both of which are important for burning fat. The more muscle you have, the easier it is to burn fat since having more active tissue(muscle) increases your metabolism. Also after a strength training session a process called “EPOC” which stands for Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption occurs which is caused by metabolic stress your body goes through during a training session. EPOC is your body’s way of replenishing glycogen stores, repairing cellular tissues, balancing hormones, and bringing your body back to a state of homeostasis after you get done exercising! This process requires extra energy which is why you continue to burn calories even after your done training!

These three tips will help you get started in your fat loss journey! Remember like everything else in life, it will only work if you are CONSISTENT. Try these three and if you want further guidance. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

 

Dedicated To Your Success,

Coach Evan

I get told by some people that say “I’m too old to exercise or “its too late for me” and what I say to them is that they are wrong. You are never too old to strength train and in fact its quite the opposite. It becomes even more important to incorporate strength training as you get older because your body starts to metabolically slow down and below are some potential consequences for being inactive:

-lower bone density

-loss of balance and coordination

-increase risk of injuries associated with falls

-loss of muscle

-increase amount of body fat

and many more but you get the idea right?

 

I’ve got great news for you though. By strength training you can help prevent everything you just read above!!! Seriously!

 

Studies have shown from time to time that there is a strong association with longevity and those who do or do not strength train.

 

My general recommendation is for people to strength train at least 2-3x/week for any fitness goal no matter how old you are. I’ve trained people that are as old as 90 years of age and the results they get are astonishing. They are able to do physical activities that they once struggled with or couldn’t even do. They are able to continue to live independently for the years to come. Most importantly, strength training helped them feel confident in their body.

 

I cannot stress enough the importance of strength training especially for older individuals. If you don’t know where to start, feel free to reach out to me and I’ll gladly assist you.

 

Dedicated To Your Success,

Coach Evan

I get asked about my view on supplements all the time

 

My response is different for every person depending on what their lifestyles are like. For the most part, I think they can be beneficial especially to fill the nutritional gaps that you may have with your daily food intake. However, its important to know the following:

 

1)Supplements are not a substitute for the diet. Food is king when it comes to getting vital nutrients

2)Supplements are not regulated by the FDA so the potential bad side effects are unclear.

3)Supplement companies can claim just about anything because of a lack of regulation even if the actual supplement has a minimal to no effect

 

On top of that, it’s a good idea to consult with your doctor especially if you have medications since some supplements can interfere with certain drugs that you may be taking.

 

With all these being said, the below are my favorite supplements:

 

1) Omega-3 – this has been shown to help with building cell membranes throughout the body, reduce risk of heart disease, and help reduce inflammation in the body

2) Vitamin D3- this helps your body absorb more calcium and phosphorus that can be utilized to help strengthen bones. Vitamin D production goes down as we get older so this benefits the older population even more!

3) Chlorophyll- you probably haven’t heard of this one. However, it has tons of health benefits that include production of red/white blood cells, has antioxidant properties, and helps reduce inflammation in the body

 

So the main message here is, don’t just pop a pill or try something without doing your research and or consulting a doctor because there is a lot of junk out there that wants you to think that they have the “Magic Pill” that will claim to be the next best thing. Don’t fall for it. Educate yourself and see if it makes sense for you to add supplements to your diet.

 

As always, reach out if you have any questions about anything. I’m here for you.

 

Dedicated To Your Success,

This may seem pretty straight forward but it’s something that’s really not negotiable. Your body and your overall health go everywhere where you go. Whether you treat it right or not is up to you but eventually it will catch up to you if you don’t take care of your body. Some people don’t realize the importance of their health until things like playing with their kids/grandchildrens get more difficult. Until they feel so physically limited that they can not do the things they love to do. Until a pandemic and become fearful since they are in a high risk category because of their bad health. Until their doctor tells them they will likely need annual medications or surgery if they don’t take action on their overall health.

 

You get the idea right? So many people put off their health until they are at the point where they become so limited in what they can do because of their bad health that they have no choice basically or else they will suffer major consequences.

 

Be proactive now so you can live life to the fullest without having to worry about your body holding you back.

 

If you are struggling to find a fitness routine that works for you. You know where to reach me.

 

Dedicated To Your Success,

Coach Evan

Strength Training has gained some popularity over the years because science has kept evolving and continues to show us the importance for optimal health especially for those not in their “prime” years!

 

I’ve heard everything from “I’m too old to workout” or “It’s not meant for me”

 

When in fact those are both FALSE.

 

It’s actually even more important to strength train as you get older since our bodies start to metabolically slow down after the age of 30 and progressively declines after each decade. Strength training can actually reverse a lot of the issues that come on later in life and the benefits include:

 

1) Balance and Coordination

-You work on training the type II fast twitch muscle fibers that are responsible for powerful and quick muscle contractions!

2) Strengthen Bones

-When you’re strength training, it stimulates bone formation, because bone put under moderate compressive stress responds by building bone density as a result of adapting to consistent moderate stress.

3) Strengthen and Build Muscle

-Muscle is built based on consistent stress to the muscle!

4) Injury Prevention

-Being stronger and knowing how to perform certain movements as simple as bending over to pick something up off the floor will significantly reduce the risk of injury with daily activities!

and many more!

 

So now lets look at some statistics.

-On average, after the age of 30 people lose 3-8% of their muscle with each decade

-Falls account for 3 million hospital visits that usually end with broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, joint trauma, and other kinds of injuries!

-A study showed that older adults who strength trained at least 2x/week have 45% of all cause mortality. 45%!!!!!

 

As you can see now with the benefits and the statistics I just gave you, strength training is a necessity if your goal is to be healthy which most people want to be. If you haven’t strength trained before or don’t know where to start. We can help you here at EA Fitness and Performance.

 

Dedicated To Your Success,

 

Coach Evan

Shocking that I said this right??

 

But its true.

 

Too many people and some health professionals swear by doing extreme diet restriction when it comes to losing weight and usually carbs are the first thing they get rid of for a lot of them which does have health benefits. However, by bringing balance to someone’s diet with the right amount of portioning every meal then you can lose weight without completely giving up carbs.

 

One of my clients saw another personal trainer and didn’t lose a single pound in one year of working with them. With the meal plan I came up with for him, he lost 23lbs in the first 6 weeks of working with me(he also went on vacation during this 6 week time frame!!).

 

And guess what??

 

He didn’t give up carbs!!

 

How’d he do it?

 

He strength trained 3x/week with some light cardio on other days, portioned his meals according to the plan I had for him(which I would adjust if necessary), had a 200-300 calorie deficit each day, and got 7-9 hours of sleep each night.

 

That’s it.

 

So if you are a person trying to lose weight, don’t think you’ll need to scratch out all carbs to lose weight because it’s simply not true.

 

If you feel that you are at a sticking point and want to lose weight, reach out to me and I’d be happy to help!

 

Dedicated To Your Success,

Coach Evan

In today’s society, we have created work environments where we are constantly sitting with poor posture which leads to dysfunctions in a lot of areas but especially with shoulder positioning. When you are sitting at a desk, it’s natural to round your shoulders forward and be in a prolonged kyphotic posture which isn’t conducive for shoulder health. It weakens the muscles in your upper back, shoulders, and causes your pectoral muscles to get tight. This can limit your range of motion in the shoulder joint especially in shoulder flexion(when you bring your arms above your head).

 

So what exercise should you do to help improve your posture? Face Pulls!!

 

Face pulls naturally put your shoulders in the proper position since it forces you to externally rotate the shoulder as well as strengthen the muscles in the upper back and posterior deltoids. This is one of my favorite exercises that I use that has helped a lot of my clients get rid of shoulder pain along with improving their posture! Do this exercise consistently and you’ll notice a difference!

 

Dedicated To Your Success,

Coach Evan

I mean this literally.

You can’t fall….

As simple as it sounds, it’s serious and is very common. I’m sure you know of someone who’s older who has taken a fall and hurt themselves. Around 3 million hospital visits are what falls are responsible that usually result in traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, and other various physical injuries.

Some signs that you are at more of a risk to falling include:

-You take short steps while walking

-You have to hold onto railings or other objects to help keep you stable

-You can’t get up and down off the floor comfortably

-You are slow to go up and down the stairs

-You have vision issues

-You have trouble walking and carrying things at the same time

-You can’t stay stable on one leg

These aren’t all of them but enough for you to get the point. There are a lot of factors that can increase your risk of falling and result in serious complications.

The good thing about it is that you can do something that will lower your risk of falling.

Implement strength training into your routine!!

I had a client who was 74 at the time and I had worked with them for 4 months and they took a fall in the shower. HOWEVER, because they had been working with me and got stronger they were able to brace the fall and get up on their own without any serious injuries. They said to me in the next session that “if I hadn’t been working with you before that happened, I’m not sure what would’ve happened”.

The strength they gained is what led his body to be more resilient even at age 74!

So long story short, you have time to prepare yourself and get stronger so you don’t become one of the 3 million that goes to the hospital for a fall. Strength training is your way out.

As always, reach out to me if you need any help or support.

Dedicated To Your Success,

 

Coach Evan