The SECRET to weight loss is......

COUNTING CALORIES! YAY!

Seriously.  That is the secret.  Where you expecting a magic formula?  Some pills? Ketosis?!

Calories are the one thing that will keep you in line when you want to lose weight.

A calorie is nothing more than a unit of measurement of energy.  Our bodies need calories to keep it running and every little motion that you do will burn calories.  Anything from moving a finger to running a marathon will burn some calories.  Of course some activities burn more than others, and that is what we want to do.  By being more physically active throughout the day, you will increase your daily caloric burn.  We have all heard of these tips before, nothing new here :  Use the stairs instead of elevator, park further away from destination, get up and wall around every so often, wash your own car, walk the dog, etc, etc.

What you need to do is count your calories.  A food log is the best way you can do this.  It does not have to be fancy or special.  I find it best to actually go out and buy a small notebook, something pocket sized will work.
This way you have something tangible you can use to write down that you eat.  It does NOT have to be fancy, and I personally think that the simpler it is, the better. KISS.  It is easier to write things down as you go, as opposed to waiting to reach a computer and having to remember everything you ate.

See how simple that is?  That is very easy and very doable.  Once you have that done, you can go back at the end of the day and fill in the calories.  This will be the only thing you will have to look up online, but since you have everything written down all ready, it is SO much easier and you don't have to remember anything.

So, how many calories? That IS the question and unfortunately this will be VERY subjective. However, there are somethings you can do.

First of all, NO skipping meals.  By doing so your body will actually store more fat, as it will want to hold on to as many nutrients as possible until your next meal.  If you keep it fed, it will shed off the extra fat as your metabolism is revved up.  Shoot for about 6 meals a day.  3 full meals, and 3 snacks

B-S-L-S-D-S

You can play around with that a bit to go with your schedule, but keeping track of the calories is going to be the key.

What you want to do is create AT LEAST a 500 calorie deficit.

So, if you consume 2,000 calories in one day, you want to burn 2,500.

Keep in mind that since you are burning calories all day, the work outs will augment that caloric burn exponentially.  The general population will not know how many calories you burn.  This is where technology comes into play.  Using a tool such as the Body Bugg or something similar will allow you to know the exact calorie burn you are doing throughout the day.  If you can't afford that, seek the advice from your local fitness professional who can tell you what you should be shooting for.

Generally speaking, most females will aim to consume 1500-2000 calories per day and most males will be 2000-3000 per day.

This may seem like a high number at first, but once you start logging your food, you will see that your normal meal at the moment may contain 4-6 thousand calories a day!  So this significant reduction alone will help

Hope you have all learned something!  Good luck!

Is a protein shake really necessary?

The short answer: Yes.

A protein shake will give you a high amount of protein with only a
small amount of calories. It is essential to have
a good amount of protein intake in order to get the maximum results.
An individual should consume about 0.8 grams of protein
for every pound they weigh. However, keep in mind this is assuming
that you are working out, and the ideal time to consume
a protein shake would be post workout.

If you were to consume a chicken breast, it would have approximately
250 Calories and 14G or protein. A protein shake (depending on the
type) will have about 260 Calories and 48G or protein. A person would
have to consume 3 chicken breasts to attain a similar amount of
protein, but now they are also consuming 750 calories!

Furthermore a protein shake can provide you with essential vitamins
and minerals you may be missing as well as a load of
BCAA's.

I hope that answers that question!

I've been super busy

I guess things are going good if I am busy.  I wish that were the case.

It seems that there is never enough.  There is always something else to do or that needs to be done and it can get over whelming.  I am fine with the the training aspect, except I need to work for myself 100%

I love the fact that I have clients that want me to branch  out, but it's not enough to provide a steady income.

Thus I have created a solution for it =)

I hope and I think.

I am not going to put the details on such a public place, but I know for a fact that the masses will be happy with this, and I have the potential to create a constant client stream =)

Things at the gym are getting hectic.  It seems that the current fitness manager is not doing her job properly and that they are looking for a sub.  Hopefully, I will pick up that FM spot soon.   It would be great to have that management experience and be one step away from being the GM.

I am also studying an advanced personal training course and this should really add to my knowledge base and help me expand my workout programs.

Anyway, I will keep this update short for now.

Yes! I am still alive!

I just have a lot more on my plate than I planned for =)