By Raymond Elliott
Lead Trainer, Personal Trainer School Director, ACE & NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Go-Time Training. If you live or work in Wichita and want one-to-one or small-group fitness instruction, give Raymond a call at (316) 833-0999.
“When I was an adolescent my mother passed away from cancer. I did not realize it at the time, but that experience would actually fuel me toward my life’s work in health and fitness.
I started off just not wanting to be the ‘skinny kid.’ As with many teenage boys, I wanted muscles! I found that working out also relieved my depression and gave me a purpose. I started reading muscle magazines, researching the internet and living at the gym. It took some trial and error, but by educating myself, with the help of others, and staying consistent, I started seeing improvement.
As I improved, others started looking to me for guidance. I saw that I could help people experience all the amazing benefits of good nutrition and the correct kind of fitness. That’s when I knew that I wanted to be a Personal Trainer! I have been a Certified Personal Trainer for more than 12 years now, and I’ve learned, if I can do it, you can too!”
Here are Raymond’s lesson’s he’s learned for long-time success:
- Moderate
Choose lower portions of foods or beverages to fit your overall nutritional goals.
Example: Grande Starbucks vs Venti, 1 slice of pizza vs 3 slices
Moderation is key. You’ve heard this saying and it’s true from my experience. It is a simple concept, but not always easy to implement. Learning how to moderate and fit a variety of foods into your diet will take patience and practice, but when you conquer this principle, you will enjoy more foods, still find yourself being social and active, yet having sustainable success.
- Alternate
Choose lower-calorie options that closely mimic the taste of higher-calorie foods.
Example: Regular-crust pizza vs cauliflower-crust pizza, low-calorie, non-dairy ice cream vs Ben and Jerry’s
Dieting is sometimes about trade-offs, and if you can lower calorie intake to include more volume while staying sane and diminishing cravings you’re doing a great job!
Be open minded. I have found these healthier versions can actually taste great. They say diets make chefs. Being on a food regimen can definitely force you to get creative in finding or making lower-calorie options without eliminating “fun foods” all together.
- Eliminate
Sometimes it’s best to avoid certain foods, because they trigger cravings or because they simply don’t align with your goals and/or you’re not able to moderate or alternate.
Example: For me it’s Cheez-Its. I can’t moderate them (I’ve tried, lol) and I haven’t found an alternate I like. I have chosen instead to eliminate them, at least while they don’t fit my current nutritional goals. Remember it’s your personal goals that dictate what you eat.
Example: Drinking: If I’m prepping for a fitness contest, I cut out all alcohol. If I want to consistently stay in shape, I moderate and restrict drinking to only one day a week or only during a weekend.
I prefer not to eliminate, but I have to consider: Some foods are useless junk foods I don’t need. I’ve learned from experience they can trigger cravings that lead to binging. Discovering these lessons are a huge part of empowering yourself to make choices and being successful. Dieting is about finding balance.
If you’re struggling with changing your habits to lose weight, gain energy, and feel more confident every day, I highly recommend considering a coach. Successful athletes have coaches; successful business people have mentors; Successful clients have me! Give me a call. I’m here for you.