Health

How Sleep Deprivation Effects The Waistline

Since when did not getting enough sleep become a bragging right? "Dude, I only sleep 4 hours a night!" Congratulations. While it may be needed to skimp out on sleep from time to time because of your lifestyle. Let's not make it a habit of choice.

Inadequate sleep doesn't make you tough, but it certainly affects your efforts in the gym. While you may be able to "function just fine" on a few hours of sleep, doing so still short changes your body composition goals.

It is easy to overlook sleep as being important for you reaching your health and fitness goals. When you have a tough work schedule, children at home, or school deadlines to meet, sleep is put on the back burner. Did you know that not getting enough sleep might affect your waistline?

Current research suggest that on average, those who are sleep deprived consume about 385 calories more than they normally would per day.

The researchers found that not only did subjects consume more calories the next day after being sleep deprived, but they also found that the majority of those calories came from foods that were proportionally higher in fat and lower in protein.

The extra calories a day is equivalent to topping off your normal daily nutrition with four and a half slices of bread. Or eating a slice and a half of pizza, two servings of ice cream, or a few candy bars. With no offset from physical activity you can guarantee that the added scale weight is coming.

Research also suggest that chronic sleep loss could be a driving force of obesity across the country.

A lack of high quality sleep appears to impact on physiological drivers of energy balance. Specifically appetite, hunger and energy expenditure. Along with this, sleep deprivation adversely affects the body’s ability to handle glucose and may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.

So what is considered sleep deprivation?

Sleep deprivation defined in most studies is getting only three and a half to five hours of sleep per night.

Seven to nine hours of sleep is the optimal amount one should get each night. If you have trouble sleeping you may need a little help by making better sleep habits and maybe taking quality supplements like melatonin every night.

Why You Need A Coach

The word “coach” is an old French word meaning, a vehicle to transport people from one place to another. In some cultures the word is even used to describe a type of carriage that conveys a valued person from where he or she was to where he or she wanted to be.

Imagine trying to get someplace you have never been without the help of a map, GPS or someone to show you the way. You would be driving around aimlessly and likely never reach your destination.

When it comes getting healthy or more physically fit most people have no clue where to turn. They have little, if any, knowledge of how to program their training or plan their meals to reach their goals.

When I first began working out I didn’t know how to use the equipment or perform the exercises properly. I often eavesdropped in on other people’s training sessions and watched their trainer demonstrate exercises, asked questions, watched YouTube videos, and joined every class I could to get a wide range of experiences.

Even today, as I am make a living training people I am continuously asking questions, learning more, and surrounding myself with people who have valuable knowledge to share. There is so much information out there it’s impossible to be an expert on it all.

The best athletes in the world, CEO’s of fortune 500 companies, lawyers, doctors, ect. All hire other people to help them improve their skills. Often times we’re too close to the situation to see objectively what the issue is and how we can fix it. Don’t be too proud to ask for help. I ask other people for guidance and help all the time. I know I don’t have all the answers.

If you are ready to get your health back by improving both your physical fitness and nutrition I highly recommend you hire someone to pick you up from where you are and take you to your destination. The likelihood of you reaching your goals will increase tenfold.

If you don’t know where you’re going, you’re not alone.

Know that there will still be a lot of hard work and dedication to earn that better body or healthier state of being. But with having a coach your setbacks will be few and far between, you will have a friend and a confidant to lead the way, and the sense of direction will get you to your destination much more efficiently.

If you’re someone searching for answers to get a better body, improve your health, or optimize your results we would love to be the person who picks you up and takes you there.

Why Variety Is The Perfect Plan

In today's society driven by social media, filtered selfies, never ending marketing, and contradicting dogmatic beliefs it's no wonder people get lost in the world of nutrition in hope to look like the model from [fill in the blank with your favorite instagram account].

People everywhere are telling you they have found the perfect plan or cure all to get rid of stubborn belly fat. Paleo, vegan, ketogenic, as well as all the pharmaceuticals you're being advertised to buy... The list goes on and on.

I don't like to speak in absolutes. There are many factors, variables and exceptions to every rule. The fact of the matter is there is no plan or quick fix that works the the entire human population. Period. If someone is telling you this they're likely are trying to sell you something.

All this chaos started about half a century ago with the low or no fat diets based off anecdotal evidence. We've since come to realize these claims hold little merit. There is little evidence actually proving fats or cholesterol derived from our diets translate to body fat or cholesterol levels in our blood. In fact, we need fats for a ton of daily functions such as fuel our brain, create cell membranes, sex hormones, and more.

Then we came to the conclusion carbohydrates were the root of all evil. And though you may lose weight for a few weeks or months by cutting back, it can actually cause a ton of long term damage, especially for women.

This is when many people simply say the hell with it. I'll just eat as little calories as I can stand and I will lose weight and be healthier. Right? Not so fast, that causes a whole other host of problems.

The fact of the matter is the human body is very adaptive and can survive in some of the most extreme conditions but doesn't mean your body is healthy. Not sick and healthy are not interchangeable terms. Fitness and health is not black and white, it's a spectrum.

Do not risk your health in pursuit of the abs seen on the cover of the magazines. A lot of the times the models you see do a ton of harm to their bodies to reach that point and only look that way for a few days a year.

Next time you find yourself reaching for magic pills, powders, or potentially poisonous potions. Ask yourself a simple question, " will this make me healthier?" If you're even considering it, the answer is likely no. Aim for longevity by eating real, earth grown nutrient dense whole foods.

Having well balanced nutrition includes eating lean meats, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, and fruit. Highly refined foods aren't bad but should be consumed in moderation.

Be careful with all the extremes you see today. Always air on the side of BALANCE.

What is the perfect plan? Variety.

Grandma's Cooking Can Get You In Trouble

When I was growing up I remember going to my grandmother's house and salivating over the food she made me. I'm sure that everyone will agree with me when I say, "There is no cooking like Grandma's." Right?

One reason Grandma's cooking tastes so good is that she isn't afraid to use oil and butter. She coats the pan with it. She adds it to the recipe. She even adds it as a topping sometimes. 

I always wondered how the vegetables tasted like pie. Ha! Those "healthy" green beans added up to hundreds of extra calories to the meal for sure!

The unsaturated, "healthy" fats in oils such as olive, canola, and avocado oil and the saturated fats in butter and coconut oil have their place in your diet. I'm not saying that you shouldn't have them. They play an important role in your physique and performance goals. But those fats are very calorie dense and you shouldn't throw them in dishes without accounting for them. They can raise your daily caloric intake by 300 calories really fast. 

Let's say you are cooking lean ground turkey for lunch. It may have a 90/10 ratio and it will typically lose some fat when cooked. But when you add in all the oils and butter then it is possible that you are you're adding hundreds of additional calories to your day.

Rather than adding oil or butter throughout the cooking process, use a nonfat cooking spray. Another great idea is to flavor your dish with your favorite herbs or spices instead of butter. There are tons of great seasonings out there that can help you in this endeavor. 

I love to cook and try different seasonings. The key to this process is finding seasonings that you like and work with your taste buds. 

Here are my top 3 favorite seasonings to use on protein sources like chicken, turkey, beef or pork. These brands have worked for me over the past 10 years. They have many different options but I felt the need to share. Hopefully it can help you in your journey. 

Join WebFit Bingo

WebFit has an important New Year’s Resolution and needs YOUR HELP to make it happen. Our resolution is to grow the WebFit Nation community, connecting you with other WebFit trainers and clients. One thing I love about health and fitness is the community aspect it brings. We may all have different goals but we have to face some of the same hurdles. I think it will be fun to share some of the fun times, interesting moments, and vulnerable stories so we can each learn a little bit more about one another. 

To kick off 2017, we’re rolling out a WebFit Bingo! Here are the different ways you can earn a Bingo:

  1. The classic way (5 in a row – horizontal, vertical, diagonal)
  2. The innovative way (complete square of each color – 1 green, 1 blue, 1 orange, 1 red, 1 gray)
  3. The shortcut way (refer a new client to WebFit)

For each Bingo you complete, your name will be entered into a drawing for the following prizes:

  • $100 Visa Gift Card (1)
  • $50 Visa Gift Card (1)
  • $25 Visa Gift Card (2)

First five people to get a Bingo earn an additional 2 entries into the drawing.

Rules:

  1. You must make posts on the WebFit Nation Facebook page (but you’re welcome to throw them on SnapChat, Instagram, or Twitter as well).
  2. Once you’ve got your Bingo, email your trainer and let them know what 5 squares you completed so they can verify you have earned your Bingo.
  3. Only current WebFit clients are eligible to win.
  4. There is no limit to the number of Bingos you can earn.
  5. Deadline to earn all Bingos is 11:59 PM - January 31, 2017. Live drawing on Facebook scheduled for Friday, February 6, 2017. 

To make it more interesting I am committing myself to completing the entire board. I will also challenge the other WebFit trainers to do the same. Even though we are more like the tour guides we are still human and have our own ups and downs. This game will allow us to showcase those and I have always believed in leading by example. 

On your mark.

Get set. 

Go!