Fitness coach tweaks diet to boost energy
Being a fitness instructor is one of the most rewarding jobs you could ask for. There’s nothing better than helping people improve their health, fitness and quality of life. It’s thrilling to be part of someone’s journey towards being the very best that they can be and seeing them gain more confidence with each step.
An important part of being an instructor is setting a positive example. In other words, we can’t just talk the talk; we have to walk the walk.
One of the key motivating factors for participants attending fitness classes is the instructor. A study by the Journal of Consulting and Physical Psychology showed that the influence of a trainer motivated one group of people to work out two times more often over an 18-month period than another group without a trainer.
Most participants are inspired and motivated by instructors that are strong, fit and enthusiastic. As an instructor, I am motivated to keep myself on track with proper nutrition and exercise because I know that in order to help people be the best that they can be, I have to be the best that I can be. I find that when I have proper balance in my life, I feel good about myself and am able to be a better instructor.
Studies from the Journal of Sports and Exercise Physiology showed that participants who had supportive instructors had greater self-esteem, more energy, more confidence and a greater desire to keep coming back to class.
Carol Kennedy, director of fitness and wellness from Indiana University also studied the effects of instructors on participants and found that “what instructors do, what they eat and how they look have an impact on participants. Participants observe and imitate their instructors.” At the end of the day, instructors are role models and participants look up to them for guidance and motivation.
Leigh Chmilar is a recent Get RIPPED! Instructor Certification graduate and has been actively teaching boot camp classes since the beginning of 2012. Leigh has always been very physically active, participating in running, cycling, downhill skiing and women’s competitive basketball.
Leigh has always been confident in herself and her body but wanted to take things to the next level, especially now that she has started teaching fitness. For Leigh, she was putting in the time with her workouts, but she felt like she could never really achieve that trim and toned look she desired. It didn’t make any sense. She was working out six days per week, just as the experts say, yet nothing was changing. How could she be working so hard and not lose any weight or achieve her goal of sixpack abs?
As I’ve said before, the key is diet and proper nutrition. Knowing this, Leigh came to me for help and explained that she was working out like crazy but wasn’t seeing results in the mirror.
Leigh’s fitness idol was Kirsten Lojek, the super ripped girl that’s been in my last eight fitness DVDS. What motivated Leigh about Kirsten’s physique was that “she looks very strong and healthy, without looking artificial or too extreme like many fitness models that are in magazines.”
The following are the tips that Leigh took away from our meeting and implemented in her life to help her shed over 10 pounds in a matter of weeks:
• Cut out alcohol almost completely.
• Cut out all added sugars, which is any food that doesn’t naturally contain sugars already. This includes all junk food, sugary drinks (including juice), sauces and dips. • Limit foods that are naturally high in sugars including bananas, mangoes, pineapples and grapes. Leigh ate mostly berries because they are high in fibre.
• Cut out high-fat foods, such as oils, cheese (unless low-fat), red/ dark meat and butter/margarine.
• Eliminate all sweets — they are just empty calories.
• Limit high-fat “healthy oils” to only one to two servings per day. This includes nuts, flaxseed, avocado and egg yolks.
• Start eating only lean meats such as chicken breast, shrimp, and fish.
• Start eating higher-fibre foods to increase fibre intake from 15 g/ day to 33 g/day.
• Limit starchy foods only once to two times per day and usually not at dinner time.
• Weigh and measure everything — the portions were too high.
• Keep daily calorie intake to 1,300-1,500 calories per day.
As with any change, the first few weeks were a challenge. But Leigh soon found that she craved her old favourites less and less. In a matter of weeks, she has dropped down to a size four and has more energy than ever. She could teach her fitness classes without being feeling out of breath.
If you feel like you are stuck in a rut or just aren’t seeing the results you are looking for, it might be time to take a good look at what you are eating. Leigh’s story just goes to show that nutrition is paramount in our health and well-being. Check out www. getrippedbootcamp.com or e-mail inquiries@jarilove.com to find out more on all of our programs and services.