LOOK, FEEL, AND BE YOUR BEST
You have a B.A. in Integrative Physiology — how did you get into being a trainer?
I played competitive sports throughout my childhood which led me into college being extremely interested in the body and how it works. I was pre-medicine my entire undergrad and spent the majority of my time working in hospitals. This is when I realized the current health care system lacked the basic fundamentals of what it means to be “healthy”.
You train clients at Performix House in New York City and also offer online coaching — can you tell us what potential clients should expect when using your services?
My biggest focus as a coach is to not only lead and direct my clients towards their goals but teach them how to do it on their own. I combine programs based on nutrition, movement and recovery protocols specific to each and every client.
What are the biggest myths about weight loss? Can you share any helpful tips that are not widely known?
Real weight loss, I’m talking about the kind that stays off and stays maintained for years not just weeks, is mastered in the kitchen. The first thing I do with every client is teach them how to dissociate diet from exercise. Yes, diet and exercise work best together but they are two different strategies used to live a healthy lifestyle. Your diet should be the number one way you manage your weight, exercise is just a tool to make us feel strong and empowered.
What are three lifestyle changes you would recommend to a person who is looking to slim down for summer?
1) Stop focusing on the quality of foods and start monitoring the quantity you consume. 2) Don’t be so ‘all in or all out’ with workouts—just move more! Always take the stairs, park your car as far away from the grocery as possible, walk to get lunch, hit the playground with your kids and take their iPad away. 3) Don’t allow yourself make excuses!
When it comes to dieting, which foods do you avoid — and which do you increase?
Whole, real, nutrient-rich foods make me feel my absolute best—in-season veggies, organic fruits, hormone-free proteins, minimally processed grains. I eat a lot of lean or plant-based protein, it keeps me full, energized and helps me control my cravings.