Let's be honest...we've all been there. Stuck in the "I've been so good, let me just treat myself" cycle. One day turns into two -- two turns into three, etc etc. You beat yourself up about not staying on track so much that you resent any form of proper nutrition and routine. Your whole life becomes a "it's just one more dinner out" mentality. Well guess what? You're not alone. And guess what else? There IS a better way.

Let's talk 80/20. The concept of 80/20 is essentially a simplified way of talking about balance and moderation. It's an extremely important part of health (and kind of everything else in life, too), and without learning to flex your moderation muscle... you simply won't succeed in a long-term health journey. When we preach 80/20 though, it also leaves you that 20% to be flexible and enjoy your life. Where we often go wrong has a lot to do with taking that 20% and turning it into 40-50% of our time and then getting angry with ourselves for the lack of progress/results. Setting realistic expectations is SO important-- it's okay to enjoy yourself, but don't hop on the scale the day after a lavish dinner and expect to see weight lost. That, my friend, is setting yourself up for failure and a perfect example of negative reinforcement.

So how do we change it? First things first, we aim to change our mindset on health and fitness. These things aren't a punishment, they are a GIFT. We are lucky to be able to work on them. The healthier you are the better you feel and the more you can experience-- and isn't the whole goal to truly LIVE? Health gives that to you. So why do we look at it as a punishment? As something negative? Let's change that.

Second- get brutally honest with yourself. This step is really important. Sit down with your calendar and be pickier about when you do decide to go out to eat. Every birthday, holiday, event, or Friday night doesn't qualify as a special occasion! And remember; you can go out and make healthy choices. That doesn't have to equal deprivation. Going out to eat once a week and over-eating by thousands of calories can offset a nearly perfect week! And while balance is definitely important, there is really never a reason to forget about your health completely-- even when you are out to eat.

Here are some of our "health hacks" for your next social event or holiday:

• Out to eat? Prioritize dishes with protein, drink water instead of soda, ask for your food to be prepared without salt or oils (you can season yourself).
• Drinking? Moderation is key here. Alcohol can KILL a nutrition plan, so next time try alternating every 1 glass of alcohol with 1 glass of water. Not only will it slow you down but it gives you something to hold while socializing!
• Tailgating/Car Trip? Packing snacks sounds like a childish thing but it really comes in handy in these types of situations. Pre-made protein shakes, bars, wraps, or anything that is easy to eat and high in protein will keep you on track!
• Overdid it? No beating yourself up. Instead, go for a nice walk to help with digestion and drink some extra water. Hit a strength workout the next day and put those extra calories to good use!

           Now I know what you are all probably thinking... I'm kind of biased. Being that I AM a personal trainer, I know you think I'm going in a certain direction with this blog. But I think you're going to be surprised at my opinion here, so just give it a chance before you jump to conclusions! 
           Before I ever became a Personal Trainer, I was a long-time gym customer and always utilized Personal Training. Honestly I didn't know much about it (in terms of the whole science aspect behind it) but I liked the idea of having someone to push me through my workouts instead of doing them alone. I can tell you from experience, the trainers I connected the most with REALLY KNEW THEIR STUFF. I may not have been certified or as knowledgable back then, but I could always tell when the trainer I was working with was experienced or just trying to make some money off of me. I have honestly been working with a coach and/or personal trainer for 8 years now, despite the fact that i do have the knowledge to do it on my own. So from a general consumer's standpoint, I want to tell you about the pros & cons:
PROS: A trainer will provide you with accountability, motivation, encouragement, guidance, and make you feel more comfortable in the gym setting. It will also ensure that you have a good workout for the hour that you are at the gym, and you have much less risk of "slacking off".
CONS: Can be "expensive" (I will go into the pricing next), can be intimidating at first or at times, or you could get an inexperienced trainer or one that does not mesh with you and your needs.

Okay, so so those are the PROS & CONS I could think of as someone who has purchased PT before, or is in the market for a trainer. Now let's get into my opinion on IF PERSONAL TRAINING IS OVERPRICED - from a trainer's standpoint. This answer will probably shock you; but the majority of trainers I see training in corporate or box gyms are actually not worth your money. Most of them have gotten some type of certification off the internet and have no real clue how to train someone using science based knowledge. (I SAID MOST) Then there's the trainers that think they can train people just because they know how to work out themselves, so they put their customers through the exact same workouts and movements that they do. Lastly, theres the super "motivational" gym-coach style trainers that shuffle all of their clients through the same drills (jumping jacks, burpees, ONE MORE SQUAT!) day after day and just have a way of talking that makes them seem like they know what they are talking about. Every single trainer listed above is NOT WORTH THE PRICE OF PERSONAL TRAINING. Please don't take this as me putting down everyone that works in my industry- I am not. Instead, I am trying to define and STRESS the difference between simply training and PERSONALIZED training. 

Why does it matter and WHAT is the difference?
It matters because these simple differences make training an invaluable resource that I would pay an insane amount of money for and never regret it. When it comes to your health and quality of life, i think anything that can actually IMPROVE that is 100% worth investing in... don't you?
What's the difference? Okay, here's what a PERSONAL TRAINER should do for you... ready to be floored? The trainer should meet you and talk to you for a looming time to learn all about your past, medical history, goals, exercise history, injuries, ETC. (This should honestly take up the majority of your first session together, because if a trainer doesn't KNOW you... how is it PERSONAL?) Then the trainer should take measurements for you (body fat, BMI, weight, tape measurements) so that they have a way of tracking your progress- obviously this is somewhat dependent on your goals but part of our job IS to track progress and numbers. Next comes the assessment, perhaps the MOST important and yet most neglected part of proper training. The trainer should take you through a movement assessment of their choice to find out what imbalances, weaknesses, and movement patterns you have so they can then take that information and design a program. You see, chances are if you haven't been to the gym in awhile or sit all day for work, you have a lot of issues happening that you aren't even aware of. Maybe your lower back hurts, maybe your knees.. either way; these issues can actually be FIXED through a proper corrective program, not just "worked around". This assessment and the goal-setting/talking should be all that really happens during your first session or fitness orientation. Taking you right into a workout with movements that could worsen any of your imbalances will only lead to injury. (This is unfortunately what I see the majority of the time at health clubs.) Finally, the trainer should go home and design a corrective and progressive program just for YOU that will not only help you meet your personal fitness goals, but help you move better on a daily basis and function better on a mechanical level. This is the kind of training we need to DEMAND from anyone becoming a Personal Trainer. This is a safe, effective, and an incredibly personal level of care. AND YES, THIS TYPE OF TRAINING IS SO WORTH YOUR MONEY!!!!!!! 

So what is the take-away from this long winded post?
As a consumer, be educated when shopping for or choosing a Personal Trainer.
Find someone who will talk to you, take the time to learn about YOU and YOUR GOALS, and make the experience amazing for you. I can promise you will never regret investing in a GREAT PT. Please ask questions and be aware of the types of trainers I mentioned above. Test the trainer before buying with them. Ask them what their certifications they have or what experience they have working with clients- don't be shy, you are a potential client ! You are valuable!

If you need ANY help with anything health or fitness related, or have any questions please leave me a comment below or email me - MICHELLEMELZL@YAHOO.COM
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