That's Fit

On a regular basis, I make a habit of informing both my personal training clients and lecture guests of exactly when calories count. For some reason, this topic often seems more complicated than it is, so let me lay it out for you clearly.

When Calories Count:

• They count on Friday night.
• They count on your birthday.
• They count when you are out drinking.
• They count on Thanksgiving.

Hooray! Fellow blogger,Jacki Donaldson just brought up a great subject. Using your phone to help you stay motivated works! I use text messages to harass my personal training clients, and I always receive feedback that they've inspired and kept the recipients in line when tempted to go to the dark (not-so-healthy) side.

Having said that, my brilliant colleague, Tracy Benham, is the mastermind behind TxtVox's Get Fit text messages. The girl is a sharp exercise physiologist and fitness trainer (we met getting our Master's Degrees in Exercise and Sports Sciences). Let her in your mind a couple of times a week ... and sooner rather than later ... your body will rockin'! The texts come twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, and are really just there to motivate, educate, and harass you like a personal trainer would.

Go to TxtVox.com. Find the All About Me section, and then check off the box Get Fit! And did I mention that it's free? Oh yes! It is. If you're someone who could use a bit of consistent motivation from a REAL-DEAL professional ... TxtVox.com Get Fit messages are the way to go.

Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Want to know the secrets of the stars? Bi-weekly our That's Fit fitness expert Fitz sits down with the celebs we want to know more about, and digs out their great and not-so-great methods to staying healthy.

This week I got to sit down on a beautiful sunny day, in The Swamp with the very sweet, smart and athletic ESPN College GameDay Analyst Mr. Kirk Herbstreit. No, we weren't knee deep in mucky water. We were in the heart of Gator Country enjoying the breeze after Kirk completed his workout, running zillions of steps at the University of Florida football stadium, The Swamp. Kirk retired from playing football more than 15 years ago, after four years at quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes. But now, he's one of the major faces of college football. Pandemonium strikes college campuses across the country when he -- along with host Chris Fowler and analyst Lee Corso -- set up shop outside the biggest games of each week.

Kirk brings something unique to the team. Every time the GameDay crew heads to the University of Florida, I find more than just the expected crowd of rowdy football fans swarming their booth. There is always an unusual amount of females in a frenzy to get as close a look as possible into Kirk's pretty blue eyes. He's definitely worthy of the attention. From my interaction with Kirk, I think he's a genuinely nice and genuinely thoughtful person. Before we started talking fitness, Kirk shared concerns over all the violence taking place on college campuses. He's a protective father and husband who tries to excel in his career while taking care of his family. He is just plain old sweet! And even though his professional life has been built around sports, he works hard to squeeze in fitness and manage nutritious eating just like the rest of us. Kirk seems to be an expert juggler of life and shares some great tricks for staying fit on the go. He also dishes a few doozies on football.

Fitz: What types of things do you do to stay in shape?

Kirk: It's kind of a lifestyle really. As an athlete I worked out so hard, I could eat anything without paying the price for it. As I got older, I still had that appetite and I was not able to work out as hard as I did when I was playing football. What I really try to do is control my portions, and mix in cardio and strength training workouts four to five days a week. If I can do that, I feel like I'm in a pretty good place. It's just about doing it though!

Fitz: What do you do while you're on the road?

There's really no big secret to losing weight and keeping it off. Burn more calories than you consume and you'll see what I mean. Eating a healthy diet, exercising well, minimizing stress, and getting enough sleep will help your cause. So will another factor, according to this LA Times article.

The Internet may help you lose weight -- you're using the Internet right now, after all, and look at the wealth of diet and weight loss information That's Fit has to offer. But communicating with real people is just as important.

According to a 30-month multi-center study conducted at Duke University Medical Center and three other research institutions, participants in a personal-contact support group gained back 8.8 pounds of the 18.7 they lost. Those in an Internet support group and control group regained 11.4 and 12.1 pounds.

These maintenance results might be modest. But the research supports what has been previously established -- that continued support from people who help with the weight loss process is associated with keeping weight off.

Let us not forget that in order to actually achieve overall health, we must stay alive. Yep, we can't embrace good nutrition, good fitness, and good emotional balance if we don't first survive in this modern world. In the spirit of handy, dandy checklists, here's a rundown of a few tips for ensuring your personal safety while exercising outdoors.

• Travel in high traffic areas. Bad guys don't want witnesses. So stay in well-viewed vehicle areas or stick to well-populated paths.
  
  

• Try for open areas, free of bushes and trees and other hiding places.
  
  

• Make yourself a non-target. Look like someone on a mission, someone who would be too much trouble to mess with. Keep your head up and stride purposefully. Be aware of your surroundings, even it means turning off the headphones.
  
  

• Take a buddy along. It will reduce your chances of attack significantly. Make your buddy a dog if you wish -- just obey all licensing, leash, and poo-poo ordinances.
  
  

• Carry a hiking stick. No explanation necessary.
  
  

• Pack a body alarm. Display it visibly and it might be a deterrent. Or carry a whistle for signaling should you need it. Check out legal restrictions and see if pepper spray is permitted in your area.
  
  

• Invest in a Road ID for identification purposes.
  

I want a personal chef, someone to manage all my nutritional needs and prepare for me all sorts of hearty, healthy, delicious meals. Sadly, I don't have the income to support such a perk in my life. On second thought, maybe I do.

Hiring a professional to cook for you isn't a whole lot different than hiring someone to clean your house or walk the dog, says John Moore, executive director of the United States Personal Chef Association. Contrary to popular belief, personal chefs are not just for the wealthy.

"People don't have personal chefs because they have tons of money," declares Moore. "They have them because it solves a problem: It puts dinner on the table."

I've got these three amazing men whom I train: Jody, Jeff and Steve (shown in order at right.) All three men are around 60. All three men have been kickboxing with me (real kickboxing) for months. And all three are excellent at it! Who would ever imagine these three highly esteemed business men to show up at my door looking to get in shape, and becoming skilled fighters? Not only do they kickbox, they BOSU, jump rope, run, Rebound, use Gliding Disks, Ballast Balls and more.

The point I'm trying to relay to you is that when it comes to your fitness activities.....there are no rules! Don't pigeon-hole yourself. Ever think the tango was cool? Go take some lessons. Beach volleyball sound fun? Find some sand and give it a go. Age shouldn't hold you back from training out side the box. Physical limitations may, but age should not.

If something looks fun, sounds fun, sounds silly, whatever! Give something new a try. As for my crazy men....they literally brighten up may days. I couldn't think of a more fun way to start my mornings, than training these brilliant, energetic, bright, ridiculous men. They give me a hard time, but they're truly this fitness trainers dream come true.

Apparently over 80% of young women are interested in losing weight (I believe it) but aren't sure how to go about it. And when it comes to their preferred way of getting information personalized and individually tailored advice is on top. The studies were done in Australia and found that women in general are moving away from classes and group setups, instead favoring one-on-one sessions with face-to-face interactions with health professionals.

Do you think this rings true over here in the U.S. also? I thought the online weight-loss programs were dong well as far as growth, but maybe not so much. What kind of weight loss advice to you prefer?

While the majority of cities in North America have butted out over the past few years, many places in the world are currently counting down the days until smoking is no longer allowed in any public spaces. England is one of the next places on the list and, knowing how many smokers there are over the pond, I think it will be interesting to see how things go down on July 1, the day the ban comes into effect.

I have somehow ended up visiting a number of cities in the days leading up to their own imminent smoking bans, and in each one, the major concerns were expressed by pub and bar owners. Many seemed to think that smoking customers would choose to stay at home rather than smoke outside on a night out and business would sink like a cancerous lung. However, I think that in most cases, the draw of going out and socializing has far outweighed the inconvenience of having to move outside for five minutes to go for a quick ciggy. No matter how much fuss both smokers and bar owners made, in every place I've been in the aftermath of a smoking ban, the pubs are still full and there are still lines out the door at the nightclubs. Even in tiny, rural prairie villages, all of the local farmers and oilfield workers head outside for their nicotine fix.

So what is the plan in England, where there are approximately 60,000 pubs and even more bars and nightclubs? Having worked in a pub in London where customers were notorious for trying to "wind up" -- aka tease -- the staff about everything, I really don't see things going as smoothly as they have in other places. According to this, at least 200 publicans (owners and managers of pubs) are planning on flouting the ban on the first day, and continuing to do so as long as patrons still want light up. Some are claiming that it's not about health issues but rather about personal freedom issues. They say that smokers should have the right to smoke wherever they'd like without having Big Brother telling them to butt out. But what about all of the non-smokers out there who would like to enjoy a night out without breathing in toxins from cigarettes?

Where do the rights of one group begin and the other end? I think that as a bartender in a London pub, I had the right to not have customers lean over the bar and blow smoke in my face (which happened constantly) and I think the owners of the 19th-century pub I worked at had the right to not have cigarettes put out on the pub carpets and upholstered furniture. I suppose in the end it doesn't matter which side you're on if the British Government is serious about enforcing the new law, as other governments have been. No matter how big a fuss the public has kicked up in other cities and countries, the smoking bans have held. So what do you think? Is this simply a healthy issue or is it a matter of personal freedoms at risk?

If the gym isn't for you then you may have automatically ruled out the option of hiring a personal trainer, but you really don't have to. A study shows that people who work with a personal trainer in their home get just as much benefit in the way of physical results and mental motivation as those who work with their trainer in a gym setting.

One down side of having a personal trainer come to your home is cost, however. It may not be true in every case, but generally speaking I would guess having them travel to you (as opposed to you traveling to them at the gym) has got to cost at least a little extra (if not a lot) -- but maybe it's worth it?

I try not to be alarmist when it comes to personal safety. I don't think, for example, that worrying about being attacked by a stranger should keep a girl from enjoying a night out with friends. However, it is a sad fact that women are much more likely to be randomly assaulted or harmed in some way than men. For example, I've talked to a number of male friends who never even think about their personal safety when walking alone at night while I know very few females who can say the same.

For this reason, it is essential for women to be aware of their surroundings and prepared to react if threatened. One of the most important things to remember is to trust your instincts. Always. Many women are raised to be polite and, as a result, don't want to make a fuss unnecessarily. However, if you've got a gut feeling that a situation is unsafe, you need to trust your gut and remove yourself from that situation even if it means making a commotion.

Here is a list of 10 safety tips for women, as well as a range of ways to protect yourself in certain situations such as when on the phone, while walking home and while parking a car. One important tip that I've heard a number of times is to always yell "fire" rather than "help" if you're in trouble. For whatever reason, people are less likely to aid someone who shouts out for help than they are to react to a potential fire. And remember, while it's not healthy to obsess over personal safety and allow fear to keep you from having a life, it is important to be prepared.

I have a magnificent personal training client, Jody. He recently turned 60 and has been training with me since Christmas Eve. He arrived at 320 pounds and has lost an amazing 40 already. He trains most days of the week and does a variety of exercises including: kickboxing on the heavy bag, treadmill walking, rebounding, weights, dancing and more.

He took off with a bang, but his progress has stalled over the past month. He's not on any particular diet, I've just given him the tools to make healthy eating choices throughout his day. He has the ability to be incredibly strong, and also the ability to say "screw it" and eat poorly too frequently lately (he's regained four pounds). He's tried to lose weight and failed too many times before, and I'm not going to allow him to fail this time. His goal is to lose at least 100 pounds which is completely reasonable and attainable.

Jody thrives on love and positive feedback, so since I am the fortunate trainer with access to the world via That's Fit .... I thought I'd ask you for your help. Have personal stories of success or words of encouragement to help get Jody moving again? Put em' in the comments section. I'll make sure Jody checks in to read them. Maybe your words will encourage the millions of other folks out there in his same situation as well. In return, I'll keep you posted on his progress and let you know how you're helping! Thanks in advance! Fitz

Jody's weight today May 16, 2007: 284

Let's see where he is next week!

To read more about Jody, visit past blogs Jody Flies Free and It's never to late to change your life.

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Dear Fitz, Ack! Swimsuit season is just around the corner. I'm obviously not going to lose a bunch of weight or get buff in only a couple of months, but what are some simple things I can do to feel better about myself when I'm on the beach? Thanks, Meghan

A. No worries Meghan. There is a ton you can accomplish in a few months. In fact, if you get serious today...you'll see results in just a couple of weeks. I'm not sure how much weight you'd like to lose, but better is better and you can definitely feel better then than you do now. For one, up the ante on your fitness routine. Find a way to exercise most days of the week. When you do exercise, here are my rules of thumb. Huff & puff when doing cardio. Grunt while strength training. And wince.....juuuuuuuuust a little bit while stretching.

If you are compelled to huff, puff, grunt, and wince, you're definitely challenging yourself and making progress. Being challenged is vital to the progress of folks at all fitness levels. Of course, don't try a marathon tomorrow. The whole weekend warrior thing leads to pain and a feeling of failure. Just get up each day and go sweat. Show your body what it's capable of and it will start to change.

Start paying attention to what you eat too. Diets are stupid. They're temporary behavioral changes that only lead to temporary results. Just be particular about what you put in your mouth. Seek out highly nutritious, low calorie foods to enjoy. Not everyone is capable of looking like they belong on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition by this summer, but EVERYONE is capable of looking and feeling better! Good luck Meghan. See you at the beach.

Q. Hi Fitz, I would really like to hire a personal trainer to help me get over some obstacles in my weight loss and exercise programs but I don't want to get yelled at. Do all personal trainers get boot camp tough with their clients? LaShaun

Elastic waist pants are the enemy to everyone trying to stay fit. Isn't it amazing how they allow people to gain tons of weight without having to acknowledge it? Are you one of those people in the stretchy pants? If so......go jean shopping. Jeans rarely lie. Neither does the scale.

I've had several new clients come in lately who underestimated their weight by well over ten pounds. How does that happen? Elastic waists. No.......I'm not writing this to pick on pants. I'm writing this, because lately I've experienced an influx of people who just have no clue where they are at physically. When they tell me they 'think' they weigh 146, but then find out they weigh159 when they land on my scale...alarms go off in my head.

Thirteen pounds isn't an enormous amount of weight to gain, but it's not irrelevant either. Do you think if they had weighed themselves weekly or even biweekly they would have put the breaks on before they gained that much? Yeah. I think so. I'm not a proponent of obsessing about weight. If you've read my blogs in the past you'll know that I NEVER concern over a clients appearance. That is their issue to deal with...

Although losing weight is one of the most difficult things for a person to do, I doubt many people would argue with the fact that keeping it off might be just as hard, if not harder. The maintenance is in part so darn difficult because it doesn't just require willpower for a specific period of time while you're focused and seeing results, it requires diligence to create permanent lifestyle and habit changes, even when you've met your goal and the satisfaction of seeing the effects is over. Fighting to stay the same is a completely different game than fighting for change.