Personal training and weight loss in Huntington Beach
Tank Top or Twinkies?
Come on now, this is Orange County, California. Year-round, I’m almost always dressed like I’ve just come from the beach.
I know you guys want to look good in a tank top and shorts. Sooo…
Think about it like this: Everything that you put in your mouth had to be accounted for. Whether you burn it off with exercise, or those extra calories go for a ride along in the saddle bags, everything counts.
It’s like that one guy put it, “If you eat fat, greasy food, you’re gonna be a fat, greasy dude!” You are what you eat. It’s true! Are you eating lean and clean, or are you chomping on jelly donuts? Yeah, yeah, you know that. But here’s the point.
You have to set your priorities, and the follow them.
If you want to be looking good, you can’t keep eating bad. I’m tired of all the excuses and the “I know, I know, but’s…”
Now I realize that some of you are already thinking, “This guy’s no fun!” But I assure you that it’s really not all that bad. In fact, well worth it! Trust me, I still am able enjoy all kinds of food and drink, and would you believe not all of it is healthy? Yes, every now and then I even still eat junk food!
Let me remind you, it’s not all about the “No’s.” For me it is thought process more like, “Sure, I could if I wanted to. But I don’t really want to because I would rather have great-looking abs this summer.” It’s just that I value something different than the temporary pleasure of eating some unhealthy food. Not everyone is the same way and that is fine. But in your quest to look and feel better, remember a few points.
Remind yourself of your health and fitness goals often, especially when tempted to cheat.
Plan your healthy meals, and plan your unhealthy ones too. Don’t just go to the drive-thru off of a whim because you were hungry and didn’t have your snacks.
Don’t beat yourself up when you fail. It happens, get over it, enjoy your food, learn from the experience, and try and put together a plan to do better in the next situation.
Please, just make healthy choices. No excuses.
Filed under Fat Loss/Weight Loss, Metabolism, Nutrition and Diet by on Jan 4th, 2010. Comment. 
Eating right and proper training will boost your metabolism
Many of you have been talking about your struggles with eating properly, and it sounds like most of your problems are not what you eat, but when you eat. Let’s take a look.
What do pigs and sumo wrestlers have in common? They both use the same weight gain techniques! A farmer fattens up the hogs by letting them run around the pen most of the day, and then having them “pig out” on a huge trough full of slop. Likewise, sumo wrestlers train all day, and then sit down for a 3-hour long dinner buffet right before going to sleep. Often with our busy lives, we do the same type of thing—we go and go all day without eating, and then when we finally sit down, we gorge ourselves and overeat!
Paradoxically, many weight loss problems come from not eating or restricting too many calories. You see, what happens is when you go without eating, your body goes into a protective “starvation mode” for conservation, and the metabolism begins to slow and shut down, thusly storing reserves (body fat!). Then, when you finally eat (and most likely overeat), it is with a metabolism that is already turned off.
An analogy to help you understand your metabolism is that of a campfire. Initially, you have to constantly supply small sticks to build the fire and keep it burning. But any good boy scout knows if you let the fire burn low, and then try to throw on the Yule log you may be left with unburned wood! So keep the fire blazing by continually adding small sticks.
The key to weight loss is an increased metabolism (the rate at which your body burns calories), and here is how that’s done:
• Work and build your muscles—this is the only way to boost your resting metabolic rate, which accounts for 60-70 percent of the calories you burn daily.
• Cardio or aerobic exercise—raise your heart rate and sustain aerobic activity to temporarily burn calories. Come on, you got to sweat!
• Eat more frequent and smaller meals—consume 4-6 smaller meals (healthy ones, of course!) daily and try not to go more than 4 hours between meals. Sometimes you may need to eat something even though you don’t feel hungry, and that will help you to eat sensibly at your next meal.
• The metabolism is highest in the morning so don’t skip breakfast! Also, exercise in the morning.
• The liver and kidneys play a part in your metabolism, so drink lots of pure water.
One of the best advantages of an increased metabolic rate is you can afford to eat some of your favorite foods every now and then and it won’t show up on your hips or gut. So, get your metabolism up and kicking by implementing these points into your daily routine. It is very important to establish habits, so start now and do whatever it takes. Work hard, eat right, pack snacks, and drink water.
Piece of cake 
Ask me more about tips and tricks to give your metabolism a boost next time you see me in the gym!
Filed under Fat Loss/Weight Loss, Metabolism by on Jan 2nd, 2010. Comment.
Snack Attack! Davey Anderson is a Huntington Beach personal trainer.
You may have found that since we’ve started working out together, the hunger pangs are hitting harder and earlier. You may even feel like you’ve been eating more food at meals. “What’s going on?” you might be asking. Well, that is your metabolism starting to kick it into high gear—and that is exactly what we want it to do! 
It’s pretty unrealistic to ignore hunger. And for some it’s almost impossible to overcome impulse with sheer will power. I know I’m not very disciplined and often succumb to my impulses for instant gratification. So let’s snack instead of suffer!
You may think that the old school idea of eating between meals is a no-no. But don’t think that by not eating you will help yourself lose weight. That only turns on “starvation mode” which holds on to the fat stores. Plus, we get so hungry we then devour the dinner table and overeat. Eating sensible snacks between smaller meals will stave off hunger and keep your blood sugar at a good level and prevent this type of situation. In fact, studies have shown that eating several small meals a day instead of three large ones is better for your health and helps your weight loss by keeping your metabolism revved up! To shed pounds, we have to turn up our metabolisms by burning more calories with exercise, and then refuel with clean, healthy, quality foods.
All snacking is not necessarily bad; we simply need to make sure we are snacking on healthy foods that will fuel our bodies for energy.
Here are some excellent snack choices:
• Raw veggies
• Fruit
• Raw nuts
• Dried fruit
• Low-fat dairy products
• Hardboiled eggs
• Whole-grain crackers
Try combining a couple of these, too. An apple with a small handful of nuts and a bottle of water is a great, healthy snack that will tide you over until dinner.
Tip: Keep your snack foods readily available and easily accessible because if you’re like me when you get hungry, you’ll eat the first thing you can get your hands on!
Don’t: satisfy your hunger with junk foods and empty calories that will add weight with no nutritional benefit
Do: When hungry, grab some healthy snacks that will give you the energy and nutrition you need to feel great all day
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Davey Anderson is an Orange County Personal Fitness Trainer in Huntington Beach
Filed under Fat Loss/Weight Loss, Metabolism, Nutrition and Diet, Snacking by on Jan 2nd, 2010. Comment.
Eating Clean Huntington Beach Personal Fitness Training by Davey Anderson
Clean eating is a buzz word in the health and fitness community that means consuming quality and nutritious foods. It’s all about eating food that is as close to its natural state as possible—not laboratory developed and factory produced. Raw, fresh and unaltered foods are considered clean, in contrast to processed and packaged products (90% of your local grocery store!). Eating clean is not about dieting and deprivation. In fact, you may find yourself eating more and feeling full more of the time. It’s not about giving up foods, or completely avoiding one food group or another. Eating clean is simply about giving your body what it needs to be healthy and thrive.
Your body processes everything that enters it, absorbing the nutrients it needs and eliminating what it cannot use. Imagine yourself trying to sweep the floor while the dog keeps tracking in mud. You won’t make much progress and will soon become overworked and eventually break down.
Your body is the same way. So clean up your eating habits and stop bringing in the junk! Take, for example, a Twinkie compared to an apple as a snack food. Junk food contains sugar, fat, and artificial ingredients that will clog you up, slow you down, sap your energy, tax your immune system, and make you fat! Fruit has vitamins and minerals, complex carbohydrates, and fiber to give you lasting energy, keep you clean, build you up, and slim you down.
Some benefits of eating clean are:
• Greater longevity and improved quality of life.
• More energy; feeling good all day!
• Less body fat while toning muscle. Now those hips are shrinking, and you’re looking great!
• An improved immune system; you don’t have to get sick!
• Significant decrease in the risk of cancer, heart disease, arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, depression, and other chronic illnesses.
• Improved concentration and psychological well-being.
Now that you realize how important it is to eat right, check out some simple tips for clean eating:
1. Practice clean eating by cooking from scratch. Instead of buying packaged foods, 
diet foods, and processed snack foods, spend a little more time in the kitchen preparing healthier foods with natural ingredients. This also saves money!
2. Buy locally grown, unprocessed foods. Find a farmer’s market and stock up on fresh produce. Plus, you can usually find whole grains, homemade bread, wild honey, and other whole and healthy ingredients.
3. Stop counting calories, fat grams, and carbs. Focus on consuming whole, healthy foods, and don’t worry about counting it all up. Think about it in basic terms: if you snack on 5 cookies, that’s 500 calories, while 5 celery sticks is only 15. Eating clean provides your body with a balanced diet; there really is no need to worry about the numbers.
4. If you do buy processed foods, look for all-natural, organic, non-additive, pesticide-free, whole food. Try to minimize the refined, artificial, preservative, and chemical ingredients in your foods.
5. Eat less red meat. Red meat is hard for your body to digest. Try replacing it with fish or poultry. Beans are also a great source of protein.
6. View food as fuel for your body. Premium fuel equals premium performance.
7. Flood your body with quality nutrients while minimizing toxins. Don’t depend on a vitamin tablet to make up for poor eating habits. Nutrients should come from organic sources (i.e. food that grows).
8. Here’s the idea:
• Stop eating sugar
• Cut out unhealthy fats (animal fats, fried foods)
• Avoid refined (white) foods
• Ease back on salt and watch out for additives (try seasonings like Mrs. Dash and dried herbs for a flavor kick)
• Steer clear of anything artificial
• Limit alcohol consumption
• Please don’t smoke!
• Drink lots of pure water
• Eat tons of fresh fruits and vegetables
You have one body, one life, and it’s entirely your choice to take care of it. If you aren’t yet convinced that you should be eating clean and healthy, please don’t wait to be diagnosed with a chronic illness. Start now and give it a try. The way you feel should be proof enough that clean eating is right for you!
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Davey Anderson is an Orange County Personal Fitness Trainer in Huntington Beach
Filed under Fat Loss/Weight Loss, Metabolism, Nutrition and Diet by on Jan 2nd, 2010. Comment.
