Anti Aging

Weight Loss That Works: Habit Change

After working as a trainer for about one month (I started way back in 2011) I realized that losing body fat was tough for most people. Simply telling clients to calculate their maro-nutrient needs (protein, carbs, and fat) and coming up with a number to stay under didn't work very well....it hardly ever worked.

Weight loss is not simply a calculation in the real world! Nor is weight loss mostly about getting on a new diet or reading the latest diet book.

If these tactics worked, the USA would be trending out of the obesity epidemic, but we are actually heading towards a WORSE national health status.

It turns out that mindset work and behavior change is how people can actually lose weight and keep it off. Habit change is the key!

Like boxing, habit change is a SKILL-BASED undertaking. People need to learn how to change habits. Otherwise, willpower alone is used, which does not work long term for most people.

Ready to lose weight a different way?

Step One:

Mindfulness Training:

The first step to changing habits in how you eat is gaining "mindfulness muscles". Through some very brief education and practice you can start to gain more control over food habits instead of being beaten again and again by typical patterns and food addictions. (Is food really addictive and habit forming?....YES!)

Studies show that only 12 minutes a day of this practice yields substantial benefits!

Step Two:

Goal Setting and Habit Change:

This step is simple to start and yields the best results with follow through. Write out your goals for weight loss and habit change. To do this, get out a piece of paper and write down your specific goals that you have (example: I want to lose weight). Next make it specific and time bound...(example: Ok getting real...I will lose 2 pounds in the next 7 days). Lastly, write down how you plan on doing this and what habits must be changed (example: I need to forgo buying packaged carbohydrates. No more cookies, chips, and crackers. I also need to donate or toss my stockpile of cookies). Want to make this step even more effective? Tell others, post it up on the fridge, or have an accountability partner (or coach).

Step Three:

Get on a Real Food Diet

Notice that this is step three, not step one. You have to get your habits and mindfulness training going before you change your shopping list. With any diet, you have to find a diet that gives you results, keeps you happy, and is full of real food. This can be low, medium, or high carb. Everyone is different. If you stick with real food your chances for success are high.

Step Four:

Eliminate the Two Great Killers

Yikes, death and diabetes…curtesy of food chemistry and big food USA

Out of all the various foods available 24/7, 365 days a year there are two that remain the most deadly and addictive:

1. Processed Carbohydrates

2. Liquid Calories (Especially Sugar)

If you want to live long and prosper (and actually make your weight loss goals) these two items have to be greatly reduced and reworked on your menu.

Step Five:

Exercise High and Low

What is the best kind of exercise to lose weight?

Move often, in many different ways, and for as long as possible. What I mean by this for most people is walk more. Low level cardio and movement is what I call "exercising low" or in low mode. The human body was made to walk miles everyday. Walking is required in order to stay healthy for any able body. When people do not live out this biological necessity in some way, weight gain is a natural result. If you are struggling to lose weight and are not walking daily start by adding a 10-15 minute daily walk. Also, remember to add distance in your weekly routines, like parking near away from the entrances of stores.

On the flip side, "exercising high" is when people go to a place like a gym. In order to flip the switch and work “high mode” people need to sprint (or do interval training), lift heavy weights, and train power (think medicine ball slams). This form of exercise is much different than the “low mode” mentioned above. Exercising in high mode works different parts of a person’s cellular machinery. This mode is great to keep your body biologically young and metabolism high.

If you lack one or both of these modes, add them in and weight loss will likely follow.

Step Six (Bonus Step)

Brain Retraining

Above is a picture of the BrainTap headset in play. It uses unique blue lights, sound, and several different audio/ visual modalities to retrain the brain.

If weight loss is really about habit change, it would be prudent to think about where habits are formed and maintained. The answer? The brain. Our brains are the formers and propagators of our ideas and habits, for better or worse. Therefore, if one changes both their ideas and way of doing things the brain will change. Due to the science of neuroplasticity it is now known that any brain (regardless of how young or old) can change if properly stimulated.

In order to help facilitate better brain health and increase the ease of habit change people can use various brain training methods. One of my favorite methods is an audio program called BrainTap. I won’t go into all the details on how it works (feel free to ask me or go to their website). The short story is this: through the power of beats, music, emotion, and guided visualization your thoughts and literal brain structures can change for the better. BrainTap has over 100 different programs designed to help people lose weight all through the power of neuroplasticity.

Here is their website if you want to learn more:

https://braintap.com/


Ready to change your food choices and lose weight?  Contact Jason Cornish, Medical Fitness Specialist, Personal Trainer, and Health Coach in Auburn, AL today at 402-521-0314 or email at jason.a.cornish@gmail.com.

Disclaimer: Please consult your doctor before you begin any exercise program. The content of this blog is for educational purposes only. You are responsible for the outcomes for the use, misuse, or lack of use of the information presented in this blog.

 

Varicose Veins: How They Form

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Here is a picture of some varicose veins that have formed.

Client Question: I developed varicose veins in my 30s and they have gotten worse in my 40s and 50s. Why did they develop and what caused them to get worse?

Answer: Varicose veins develop because of the misuse or lack of use of the legs. (BTW= most problems in the body develop because of lack of use or misuse of the body). Let me explain. In order to survive from one moment to the next the body needs to pump blood through the body. What organs and systems pump blood through the body? The most well known is the heart. However, did you know that the heart is not a strong enough pump to get the blood to the toes and back again? The heart needs help! The secondary system that keeps blood pumping is contracting skeletal muscles. (Some have recently made a good case that the skeletal muscles are supposed to be the primary pump of the body!) Third in line is the venous system. The veins have a series of valves that open and close that push blood through. Valves and pressure allow blood to win over gravity to circulate through the body.

Why do varicose veins develop? They are actually a needed adaptation of the body due to a lack of skeletal muscle contractions and too much pressure. What causes “lack of skeletal muscle contraction”? A sedentary life style. No movement = no muscular contractions. What causes “too much pressure”? Tight muscles cause too much pressure.

Therefore, if a person does not move enough and/ or they have tight muscles they will likely develop varicose veins. In addition, (and this is a deeper subject matter) if a person moves around in life using their fascial and muscular tightness or tight ligaments they will have a diminished muscular pump action when they do move and exercise. This situation can also cause varicose veins. Did you know that people can move around using more joints and ligaments than muscles? Gait experts describe this type of walking pattern as “controlled falling”. The most visible form of this might be seen in an elderly person that shuffles side to side or forward to move around. Proper walking requires activation of the posterior (back side) muscles to propel the body forward. This is a fascinating story but it will have to wait for another day.

As to why varicose veins get worse over time, look at this simple equation:

Sedentary Life Style + Tight Muscles + Poor Movement Patterns + Number of Birthdays

Picture from wiki commons; author jmarchn

Picture from wiki commons; author jmarchn

Question: I heard that varicose veins are genetically inherited. Is that true?

Answer: Genetics are complicated. The short answer is NO, people are not born destined to get varicose veins. However, the longer answer might be yes. If a person inherits tight muscles, poor movement patterns (which can be adopted by observation of parents), a sedentary lifestyle, and poor nutrition they will likely manifest the same or similar diseases as their parents. Please note that children often inherit non-genetic behavior and patterns from their parents. The two biggest factors that contribute to varicose veins that are genetically passed down would probably be muscle and ligament stiffness as well as vein cell wall durability.

Question: Is it true that surgery is the only way to treat varicose veins?

Answer: Not at all. Effort placed in lifestyle modification is the best way to “fix” varicose veins. I will concede that SEVERE varicose veins probably require surgery. However, if anyone undergoes surgery to remove their varicose veins they will likely return if a person’s lifestyle is not modified. Isn’t that always the case? Surgery does not magically change the root cause of varicose veins (which might be much more biomechanical than people may think).

After reading this blog, I hope that the biomechanical causes of varicose veins has been highlighted. Look for a blog soon about how to “repair” or “fix” varicose veins soon.

Want some help with your mechanics and health?  Contact Jason Cornish, Medical Fitness Specialist, Personal Trainer, and Health Coach in Auburn, AL today at 402-521-0314 or email at jason.a.cornish@gmail.com.

Disclaimer: Please consult your doctor before you begin any exercise program. The content of this blog is for educational purposes only. You are responsible for the outcomes for the use, misuse, or lack of use of the information presented in this blog.

Low Back Care Basics

70-80% of Adults in modern countries experience low back pain at some point in their lives.

70-80% of Adults in modern countries experience low back pain at some point in their lives.

Here is a short video explaining how most sore backs do NOT want to be stretched out. Yes I know it feels good in the moment.

Check it out:

Are you ready to get your back in shape?  Contact Jason Cornish, Medical Fitness Specialist, Personal Trainer, and Health Coach in Auburn, AL today at 402-521-0314 or email at jason.a.cornish@gmail.com.

Disclaimer: Please consult your doctor before you begin any exercise program. The content of this blog is for educational purposes only. You are responsible for the outcomes for the use, misuse, or lack of use of the information presented in this blog.

Strength Training for Bone Density and Freedom to Enjoy Life: REQUIRED FOR ALL

Mary Cho Lift.JPG

No person wants to lose their health and independence. One of the saddest chapters of a life is when a person becomes bound to chairs, beds, and the care of others. Luckily, there are ways (scientifically valid ones!) to prevent lose of bone density and muscle mass (sarcopenia). Physical strength is necessary to have freedom. Freedom makes it possible to live your life’s purpose. I often tell many of my clients, “you are not just a brain! You have to live in and take care of your body.”

In the Auburn, AL community many people older than 50 think that walking is enough to maintain the human body. This is a common false belief for non-gym goers. In addition, many gym goers (sometimes even daily exercisers) older than 50 (especially women) believe that lifting small weights (think senior or common group classes at gyms) and activities like yoga and Pilates will maintain their health. No doubt, people who do any exercise will almost always do better than sedentary people and people who only walk, but exercise modalities that use body weight only or light weights are rarely enough to challenge bones and muscles enough to stay optimal going into the 7th, 8th and 9th decades of life.

The solution: Train smarter and lift heavy.

As a medical fitness specialist and personal trainer, I tend to work with people who have pre-existing conditions. Many clients I work with need to build basic fitness before lifting heavier weights. If orthopedic issues are present (like a bad knee) those conditions need to be managed well or resolved through corrective exercise. When clients are ready I quickly transition them to advanced weight lifting and power training.

The results? My clients in their 60s, 70s, and 80s build muscle, get better bone density scores, can go on vacations, and much more (they can enjoy their retirement!). They get to play golf again, help out at church more, play with grand kids, and garden “much more than they did last year”. It feels good to have a strong body.

Are you getting what you need from your fitness program? If you are not or are not sure contact Jason Cornish, Medical Fitness Specialist, Personal Trainer, and Health Coach in Auburn, AL today at 402-521-0314 or email at jason.a.cornish@gmail.com.

Remember that strength is part of the equation for a happy life.