inerTRAIN Blog
December 4, 2013
“I Feel (Skinny) Fat.”
 Don't you hate hearing someone say, "I feel fat," only to look up and see that it's a person who looks really skinny? Before you roll your eyes in disgust or make a snarky comment the next time this happens, let me give you something to think about.
Over the past few months, I have struggled to keep weight on (yes, I said "on"). I've chalked it up to unprecedented stress, constant travel, and a number of other factors, all of which have contributed to me dropping about 10 pounds. I actually had to punch an extra hole in my belt so my pants don't fall off (true story!). For many people, this would be seen as a victory. But, for me, I have to work really hard to keep my weight up at a healthy level (it’s important that I look "fit," since I run a fitness company!).
Because I did not want to burn any more calories than I was already losing, I even slowed down my workout regimen to a minimal level. I did not want to lose another pound and, as a result, I started to feel the effects of dropping my normal exercise routine—not sleeping as well, feeling the effects of the stress more, being stiffer, losing flexibility, not focusing as well, etc. (In the spirit of full disclosure, I did continue with physical activity, but eliminated a lot of the high-intensity workouts I had been doing).
"Skinny fat" is a real term and is defined as someone "who is under lean but over fat," but here's how I look at it. Imagine you have a beautiful car...its exterior is washed and polished every day, the leather seats are conditioned, not a ding or dent to be seen. It looks amazing from the outside. Now, imagine you turn the ignition to turn it on, and it whirs and whirs and whirs, finally turning over. When you open the hood of the car, it's dirty, with fluids leaking and grease everywhere. It's never been taken for a tune-up—let alone an oil change—given new brake pads, or had the system flushed out. It's only a matter of time before something major breaks and the car just poops out. But, you'd never know it from looking at the exterior of the car.
This same deceiving thing can happen with our bodies. Appearing skinny does not mean that someone is “healthy.”
This is what I was trying to express when I said "I feel fat." I did not mean "I feel overweight" or "I feel obese," but rather expressed the sentiment that I think many people feel when they fall out of a fitness routine and stop eating the healthiest foods. I felt unhealthy, sluggish, and not my usual self.
So whether you are the weight you want to be, or if you are higher or lower than you want, the important measure is this: how healthy are you? Are you eating right? Are you getting the exercise that your body needs at the intensity that makes you feel better?
And the next time a "skinny" person says "I feel fat," maybe he or she does and needs some help and support.
In Health,
November 13, 2013
A Dozen Healthy Habits
 Making healthy choices is sometimes difficult because it may cause significant shifts in our typical behavioral routines and it requires consistent commitment. Consciously deciding to make these healthier choices is one thing—sticking to the behaviors is quite another.
We have to develop new habits, which require a certain amount of ritual. A fully formed habit means that the new behavior you have introduced becomes automatic, which takes time. Experts have argued that it takes nearly 90 days to integrate and automate a new habit.
Here are a dozen ways to introduce healthy habits by making small, but significant changes. Why not pick one of these behaviors, give yourself 90 days to really commit to it, and try to turn it into a habit? Then reflect on how it has impacted your lifestyle and overall feeling of wellness and you’ll be ready to tackle the next one!
1. Eat five to six times a day with breakfast being the biggest meal of the day and dinner the smallest. Breakfast should consist largely of just protein and good carbohydrates; lunch a balance of protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates; and dinner being almost all protein and healthy fats.
2. Effective “diets” are based on fairly boring concepts. You probably already know what to do. The challenge lies in the counseling and subsequent behavior change. In other words, the theory isn't the problem, it's the practice. Understand what to look for in applying a “diet” to you. Starting immediately you should think like a fit person and start eating and acting like a fit person. The results will follow.
3. Practice portion control. It is the key to losing weight. Eat off of 9” plates only.
4. Get moving! Take a 30-minute walk every day!
5. Avoid trans fats like the plague.
6. Snack on an ounce of raw nuts a day.
7. Avoid simple carbohydrates and simple sugars.
8. Eat more fiber (vegetables).
9. Take the right amount of vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients twice a day and avoid the wrong ones.
10. Eat non-fried fish three times a week.
11. Become a label reader.
12. Eat five fistfuls of vegetables a day and four fistfuls of fruit.
In Health,
July 2, 2013
Getting to the core of the matter
 “Sit Up Straight, Young Man!”
I teach Pilates, and I emphasize core training in every workout I assign to my clients. In fact, I believe building a strong and flexible core to be of utmost importance—more important than cardio, more important than high-intensity exercise, and more important than strength training. Some may disagree, but I firmly believe that just as a tree’s branches are only as strong as its trunk, so are your limbs only as strong as your core can support.
I’ve gathered dozens of testimonials that support this. One client, who would suffer every spring for days after weeding and planting his gardens, had no difficulties at all after a year of Pilates.
Another client, who walked in with a cane to our first training session, progressed to walking with no cane but falling frequently, to no cane but rarely falling, to eventually running (yes, running!) races up to 10k. She credits much of it to grit and determination, and also to our commitment to building her functional core strength. She has MS and has nearly reversed most of her symptoms.
A friend who had competed in over a dozen triathlons, improving a bit each time but never showing monumental progress, smashed his best time after redesigning his training regimen to include a focus on core strength.
I just laugh when I read articles from fitness ego-maniacs that ridicule Pilates. This stuff works, y’all!
When my son ran for a competitive track club, the coaches asked me to lead the team in some core strengthening sessions. I did, and it shocked me to find that these athletes, who were breaking records and earning full-ride scholarships for their abilities, could barely do some of the exercises. The coaches and I got excited, knowing how much stronger they’d be after adding core work to their training.
At one track meet, as I sat in the bleachers for hours and hours, the club’s star sprinter, Patrice, looked at me and gasped, “Look at you! Look at you sitting up so straight! You’ve been sitting like that all day! How do you do that?! No one else is sitting up like that!”
It was quite the entertaining exchange, as I laughed and explained that, because I have a strong core, it’s easier and less painful for me to sit up straight than it is for me to slouch. She was sold. “I’m going to do those exercises every day,” she said, as she shook her head and walked away.
If you add one thing to your fitness regimen, let it be building your core strength and improving your posture. How?
Proper posture requires the attention to:
- flexibility—slouching means some muscles are short and tight while others are too long and stretched
- strengthening—focus on flexion (forward bending), extension (arching the back), and rotation (twisting for oblique work)
- standing and sitting positions—from the side, the ear, shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle bone should align vertically
Be aware of your posture throughout the day. Notice when and how you tend to slouch and take steps to improve. Think of keeping your core muscles engaged slightly—perhaps 15-20%— while sitting and standing. Keep your upper back and neck comfortably straight, your shoulders relaxed and pulled gently down and back, and your pelvis in a neutral position.
Ask your trainer for help if you’re unsure how to do these things and ask him or her to incorporate exercises and stretches that will help you build your core strength and correct your posture. Do this, and then everything you do—from exercise to gardening to cleaning your house—will be easier.
So for crying out loud, listen to your mother and sit up straight!
January 23, 2013
Goal Setting: A How-to Guide
 January is a time for reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the next. Now is the time of year when we tend to set goals for ourselves, calling them “New Year’s Resolutions.” We proclaim things like, “I will quit smoking this year,” or “I will save more money,” or “I will lose those ten pounds.” We don’t always stop and think about these resolutions as goals. We say these things, but we don’t always stick to them because they aren’t measurable and they aren’t meaningful enough for us to hold ourselves accountable.
Setting goals for ourselves is difficult because it requires genuine self-reflection. The most important thing is that we are realistic about our goals and that we think about them in the long-term. Resolutions are things that you hope to change that year. Goals are often major lifestyle changes. Try the following sequence of steps for goal-setting.
Step 1: Start by focusing on something you really want to achieve. In other words, how do you envision yourself in the future? This is the result, not the goal. This achievement MUST be something you’re passionate about. Without passion, there is no motivation. Really think about why you are doing this…you need to have a WHY.
Step 2: Take the result you envision and define the big goal you want to achieve. It has to be something you can measure and track. Put words to it. Write it down.
Step 3: Set smaller intermediate goals that will move you toward your larger goal. If you create milestones for yourself, the big goal doesn’t seem insurmountable. Congratulate yourself when you reach these milestones and use that as further motivation.
Step 4: Once you reach your first larger goal, always set another. Goal-setting is more effective if you make it a habit. If you’re not constantly working toward something, there is a risk of slipping back into your old ways. Remember, the goal can be something new or even to continue to maintain the progress you have made at the level you achieved.
Now let’s take a real-life example to demonstrate how it works:
Suppose you think to yourself, “I want to have enough energy to play with my grandchildren.” This is something you could easily be passionate about, but it is a RESULT, not a goal. The goal has to be measurable.
To define the goal, change the words to “I want to increase my energy level.” You can measure that in a number of ways, such as how many flights of stairs you can go up without getting out of breath, or how long you can do a particular activity (i.e. play tennis, ride a bike, etc.).
From there, you could perhaps set an intermediate goal of adding ten minutes the first month and twenty minutes the second month to the amount of time you are able to walk at a brisk pace.
Once you are able to increase your energy to the level you set (your larger goal), set another goal for yourself, even if it is just to continue operating at the new energy level for the next six months. Continue repeating the cycle.
Finally, if you need help defining and refining your goals, you could benefit from working with a personal trainer. When you have a person there to help set reasonable and achievable milestones as well as keep you on track and remind you of your “why” (that motivation and passion that got you started in the first place), the process will go much more smoothly. A trainer can map out a path to success and guide you as you work to achieve it.
Wishing you drive and perseverance to achieve all your goals in 2013!
In Health,
November 20, 2012
Travel Essentials
 Whether it’s for business or pleasure (or both), many of us are regular travelers. While we’re on the road, we may not always take the time to incorporate our normal healthy habits into our daily routine.
Let’s get real here; it’s easy to make a lot of excuses for ourselves to avoid working out while traveling. We’re away from the gym, our sleep schedule is often irregular, and we’re “too busy” because we’re working…or sightseeing…or partying. We have some suggestions for incorporating fitness into your travel plans even if you’re nowhere near a gym.
First of all, our travel workout can be done anywhere, including in the comfort of your hotel room. It is a challenging but effective workout. (You can have it emailed to you right from our homepage.)
If you prefer to exercise in the great outdoors, there are plenty of ways to do it. One of the best things you can do if you have the time while traveling to other cities is to check out some walking or bike tours. Not only do you get some exercise, but you also get to explore the city. Check with the front desk or guest services, as they can be very helpful in finding different options for you to explore.
Some of the walking paths have exercise stations set up every 100 yards or so, like chin-up bars or dip and push-ups stations. Take advantage of these if they’re available and do some of the stations in between your walk or run. If there aren’t stations set up along the walking path, make up your own! Every time you stop along the way to savor the view, do a set of bodyweight squats, push-ups, or jumping jacks to engage your muscles and get your heart rate up a bit more.
As we all know, sticking to your healthy eating plan is extremely difficult while traveling. Plan ahead—be prepared with healthy snacks for when you are on the go. Inevitably, most of us will overdo it during a dinner meal or two, especially when trying new restaurants. To counteract some of the damage, drink extra water before, during, and after your big meal. Follow that meal with a walk to help the digestion process.
When you overeat, your body starts sending you signals that it wants you to go relax so it can digest and store all those calories. So, instead of returning to your hotel room and crashing in front of the TV, go for a walk and you change the signals you are sending your body. Now, instead of storing the calories, you are telling your body to burn them up. In addition, you will feel much better afterwards and, most importantly, you will sleep better.
Finding ways to incorporate some exercise into your travel plans is important because it can help you feel energized before a big business meeting or conference. It can help you unwind after a long day of attending a training seminar or talking with clients. Or maybe you just want to feel less guilty as you eat that decadent dessert or tropical drink while vacationing with your friends or family.
In Health,
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