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In case you wondered, this is me.

You have finally concluded that you won't reach your fitness goals on your own, so you have decided to hire a trainer. Congratulations! Investing money in your health means that you take yourself and your quality of life seriously. But in order to get the most out of your investment, it is important that you find a trainer who is not only good but someone who is right for you. Here are eight tips how to find the right trainer:

1. Make sure the trainer is certified by a nationally recognized fitness organization. Some of the most respected organizations are A.C.E. (American Council of Exercise), N.A.S.M. (National Association of Sports Medicine), and A.C.S.M. (American College of Sports Medicine), but there are others that are OK too. A good rule of thumb is if no one has ever heard of the organization anywhere, it is probably not very good. If you feel embarrassed to ask the trainer for his or her certification, you can always call up the organization and verify that the trainer is certified by them.

Your idea of a great trainer?

2. In addition to being certified, you want to look for a trainer with some experience under his or her belt. The more experience, the better. Sometimes, however, rookie trainers can turn out to be OK because of their dedication and eagerness to please you. They are so happy to have a client that often they are likely to treat you like a star and pay attention to every little detail. Also, they are generally more affordable. But keep in mind that there is a reason senior trainers charge more - experience does count for a lot in the world of training.

3. Ask around among friends if they know a good trainer. This way you know for sure that the trainer has some experience and doesn't just say so. Or you can approach one of the trainers at the health club you go to. If you don't want to train with the trainer at the club, ask him if he or she "trains outside". Most trainers do have clients outside of the club, so the question won't come as a shock.

4. Do you like this person? Even if the trainer in question has the best credentials in the world, comes highly recommended, and has three decades of experience, none of this matter if you can't stand the person. Your trainer and you are going to spend a lot of time together, so if you find this person too talkative (or too quiet!) his or her frequent guffaws to be annoying, or the way he or she keeps invading your personal space, it is not going to work out. Or at least you won't feel particularly motivated to attend your sessions. It is crucial for your success that you enjoy your time together!

5. Make sure the trainer listens and is genuine. The reason you sought out this person is to reach your specific goals. If the trainer doesn't pay attention to what you are telling him you won't. A trainer may point out, however, that your goal is unrealistic. For example, if your goal is to lose fat on your thighs and butt and no where else, you are being unrealistic. As of today, the only person who can help you with that is a plastic surgeon. You can only firm up selected areas, not burn off fat there. So if a trainer promises you he or she can do this, he or she isn't being truthful.

6. Ask about scheduling, prices, and cancellation policies. Make sure your trainer doesn't have another job or travel schedule that interferes with scheduling. As for cost, rates can range from $50 to $150 per hour depending on your part of the country, the experience of the trainer, and whether the trainer comes to your home or you meet at a gym. Usually, home visits are more expensive. Ask about cancellation policies. A 24-hour cancellation policy is reasonable. Make sure to work this out before you get started.

7. Find a trainer who specializes or at least has some experience with and is certified in your particular situation. For example, if you are pregnant, find a trainer who is certified in pre/post natal training. If you have a disability, injury, or other medical problem that affects your ability to exercise, then ask the trainer if he or she has experience with the problem. A trainer who asks to speak to your doctor is a good sign.

8. Trust your gut feeling. More often than not your instincts are right. If it doesn't seem as if it is going to work, it probably won't. There are many trainers out there. Find another one you feel better about.

Talk about losing weight... L.P, this guy from my gym, lost 240 pounds! If you were to see him, it is hard to believe that he once weighed 445 pounds. He is one of the fittest guys I have ever seen. My friend Martha the nutritionist had noticed him a few months ago because of his intense workout sessions on the eliptical trainer. She found out the inspirational story behind L.P's amazing weightloss. (Pic on the right is L.P when he weighed 450 pounds)

Martha: What is your current age, height and weight?
L.P: I am 46 years old, 5'9 and weigh 205 pounds. (Martha's comment - while 205 pounds may sound a lot for someone who is 5'9 - L.P. does not appear to have an ounce of fat on him. I bet his body fat is 6% or less.)

Martha: How much weight have you lost?
L.P: 240 pounds. (Pic on the right is L.P's "after" pic.)

Martha: How long did it take you to lose this weight?
L.P: 18 months.

Martha: How did you lose the weight - did you count calories, follow any special diet, enlist support from anyone such as Weight Watchers, a nutritionist, doctor, etc.?
L.P: I changed my eating habits and started paying close attention to sugars, carbs, fats as well as calories. I also did 2 hours of intense cardio a day.

Martha: Did you have a weight problem for most of your life?
L.P: No, I didn't always have a weight problem. However, as I got older, I was exposed more to "bad" food including fried foods, high sugar desserts and eating late at night.

Martha: What were your major problem areas when you were overweight?
L.P: I love desserts, used to eat late at night, ate really large portions and got no exercise.

Martha: I am very curious to know what triggered you to lose weight and how you stayed so motivated...
L.P: I was losing close relatives to high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. I also had low self esteem, was self-conscious and was afraid of dying young.

Martha: When did you first start to exercise (how long ago) and what did you first start to do for exercise?
L.P: I started to exercise about 11 years ago at a fitness center that was free to employees of my workplace. I started doing the treadmill for about 30 minutes.

Martha: You appear in great shape. What do you do for your current exercise program: (how many times a week, how many times do you weight train and perform cardio)?
L.P: My exercise regimen is 4-5 days a week of weight training and 7 days of cardio (winter time on the eliptical machine and summer time running outdoors). 5 of the 7 days, I do cardio in the morning and evening (for a total of 2 hours of cardio)

Martha: Can you tell us what you eat on a typical day for breakfast, lunch and dinner and snacks?
L.P: Breakfast: oatmeal with banana and a protein drink (low carb, low sugar and high protein).
Lunch: 2 all-natural peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Dinner: salmon or chicken and a sweet potato.
Snacks throughout the day: rice cakes, oranges, protein bar, sugar-free pudding, yogurt with fruit. I also drink a gallon of water during the day.

Martha: Do you ever go off your "diet"?
L.P: Yes ...without any guilt because I work out religiously on a regular basis.

Martha: How do you stay so motivated??????
L.P: It helps me to stay motivated when other members of the gym come approach me and comment on my progress and body structure. I also like to help motivate other people and to see their progress.

Martha: Well, there you have it! For those city girls and guys who think losing 10 pounds is hard work, imagine what it would be like to lose 240 pounds! BTW - L.P has been approached to appear on various televsion talk shows to discuss his amazing feat. He declined all interviews. I would like to thank him very much for allowing me to interview him. I think he will be very inspirational to readers of citygirlbites who are trying to lose weight. It goes to show that you can lose weight and keep it off ...with hard work! It also goes to show the importance of exercise when it comes to maintaining weight loss. Not only does exercise burn calories, it also will build/preserve muscle mass which will help to speed your metabolism. I am certainly not saying that everyone has to exercise 7 days a week for 2 hours per session. But somehow you will need to make exercise a priority if you want to lose weight and keep it off!

Ask Julia - Can I work Out When I Am Sore? Q: I'm a 33-year-old male who works on Wall Street. I like to work out, but sometimes I'm so busy days, a week even, go by before I get a chance to get to the gym. Since I want to be in shape I often work out really hard when I finally get there. This results in me getting sore from time to time and that soreness can last for a while. My question is, is it bad to be sore and is it dangerous to work out when you are sore?

While it is not very harmful for your muscles you are better off if you avoid working out so hard that you get sore for days after. Not only is it uncomfortable to have aching muscles but being sore is also your body's way of telling you that you pushed it too hard and now it needs a few days extra rest. To build muscle, it is as important to give your body a chance to recover as it is to work it out. If you keep working out while being sore your muscles will break down instead of getting stronger.

It could be potentially dangerous to work out when you are very sore as soreness impacts your co-ordination and make the affected area weaker. In other words, if your quads and glutes are still sore two days after you did lunges holding dumbbells in your hands, it is not a good idea to do unsupported squats with a heavy barbell on your shoulders.

For people with time constraints, I recommend lift weights with less intensity the times you do get to the gym as your being sore doesn't mean you are doing yourself and your muscles a favor. Also, add medium intensity cardio afterwards. Some studies have shown that light cardio after weight training help get rid of lactic acid build up in your muscles, which may lead to soreness later. Try working out for a few minutes at home on the days you don't have time to go to the gym. Get rubber tubing, hook it around something and do three sets of rows, then three sets of push ups and three sets of one-legged lunges or squats. Finally, you don't seem to workout sporadically enough in order to warrant such soreness. It may have something to do with your lifestyle. Malnutrition (i.e. poor nutritional habits), extreme stress and poor sleeping habits are common, and can and most certainly will prolong recovery between workouts.

At the summer Olympics in Beijing, world records likely will be broken, inevitably leading to much speculation about the limits on athletic achievement. Just how much farther can the human body go without steroids or other performance-enhancing substances? And will women ever be able to perform at the level of men - or beyond?

Beating the odds with steroids...

While women have made tremendous gains in athletic performance, experts generally agree that the world's top female athletes will probably never outperform their male counterparts. Men are bigger and have more muscle and higher levels of that powerhouse hormone testosterone than women. "I don't think they really are ever going to catch up," says Danielle Day, an assistant professor of exercise and sport performance at the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine, who follows the topic.

But as researchers have begun to unravel the differences between the sexes with regard to physical activity, they're learning that there's more to the story. Men and women also differ in energy metabolism, lung function and other factors during exercise.

And one day, researchers say, their findings may pave the way to sex-specific training regimens for athletes and recreational exercisers as well.

"We're not the same. Our physiological systems are not identical," says Earl Noble, director of the school of kinesiology at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. He likens exercise to a drug "that needs to be given in the appropriate dose and intensity and should be varied for sex differences."

Researchers are just beginning to sort out these differences. Until about 15 years ago, most exercise studies involved men, and researchers assumed that what happened in men happened in women, too, says Day, who along with Noble and other researchers authored a series of articles on the subject in the April issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, a journal published by the American College of Sports Medicine.

Since then, many more studies have focused on sex differences in exercise, says Day, and the research has turned up some surprising results with potentially important implications.

'Tough pill to swallow'

One real-world application of such research may be the development of workouts that optimize weight-loss for women and men.

Research confirms what frustrated women have long known to be true - that females have a harder time losing weight through exercise than men, says Day. Men's bodies respond more favorably to exercise, whereas women's bodies go into survival mode, slowing metabolism and hanging onto fat. She and other experts say that's an evolutionary response intended to keep a woman healthy for child-bearing.

"Exercise is similar to short-term starvation," says Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky, a professor of medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. From an evolutionary perspective, he says, women need to withstand starvation to survive and have babies.

INTERACTIVE

Interestingly, women, who naturally have higher body fat, actually burn more fat during longer periods of exercise than men, says Tarnopolsky. "We think that the female hormone estrogen is a major player here in determining what fuels the body uses during exercise," he says. When researchers have given estrogen to men, they've found that men burn more fat during exercise, too.

The research counters historical beliefs that exercise, particularly endurance exercise, is bad for women, says Tarnopolsky, noting that it wasn't until 1984 that women were allowed to compete in the Olympic marathon. Women actually seem well-suited to it because they burn more fat, which is a longer-lasting fuel source than carbohydrates, he says.

The findings also indicate that "carbo-loading," the practice of consuming more carbohydrates in preparation for a race, may not be as important for women, since they rely less on carbs than men, he says.

But unfortunately for women wanting to slim down, the findings do not mean that women lose more weight than men just because they burn proportionately more fat, he says. "It's not so much what you're burning acutely; it's what's the balance [of calories in versus calories out] over 24 hours. It's a tough pill to swallow."

Women may actually need to do more exercise than men to lose weight, says Day. "Women are probably going to have to work a lot harder and incorporate interval training to challenge them more." Another way to kick things into high gear is to cross-train, meaning incorporating a variety of activities - such as hiking, swimming, spinning, hip-hop dancing and a high-impact aerobics class - into the mix to keep the body challenged.

Men, on the other hand, may find weight-loss success with a simpler and even a less-intense approach.

Matters of the heart

When it comes to matters of the heart, women have the smaller organ, which can lead to less cardiac output during exercise. But there are other factors at play.

Estrogen in women helps protect against heart attacks before menopause. However, when women have heart attacks, the events are generally more severe than in men, causing more tissue damage to the heart, says Noble.

Animal research by Noble and others may help explain why. Studies show that estrogen can counteract the effects of a protein called Hsp70 that is produced in response to fairly intense exercise (such as jogging or playing squash) and helps protect the heart against tissue damage. But the protein does not have its effect in the presence of high levels of estrogen.

"Males who exercise have a significant protection against cardiovascular-related issues," says Noble.

Because a premenopausal woman's estrogen levels fluctuate during the month, she may derive the most benefit from this protein if she exercises when her estrogen levels dip, explains Noble. The protein's protection appears to last about three to four days. Getting regular exercise on all or most days of the week may help ensure a woman harnesses the protection.

Another sex difference is lung capacity. It's long been known that women have smaller lungs than men, but researchers have only recently discovered that this can limit exercise tolerance in women, says Craig Harms, an associate professor of kinesiology at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan.

In other words, he says, "they're going to notice they're breathing a whole lot more" than men for a comparable amount of activity. So a woman may be working just as hard as a man, but based on how hard she's panting, it's going to feel harder to her. This could make exercising in the heat or humidity, for instance, or at high altitudes more tolerable for men than women.

As researchers learn more, they envision a day when people will be given an "exercise prescription" based on their age, sex, overall health and fitness level.

But for now, the main thing is for both sexes to keep moving.

"Any kind of exercise is beneficial," says Noble, "and inactivity is a risk."

You spend hours in the gym pumping iron and eat a healthy diet... yet you aren't getting the results you want. Building muscle mass involves a lot more than downing a protein shake or loading up on protein at meals. Assuming you are on track with your workout regimen, your lack of progress likely has something to do with your diet. New research has shown that what you eat and when you eat plays a major role in the development of muscle mass.

A little info about our muscles
Our bodies tend to be in a state of "negative protein balance". This means that we are breaking down more protein than what we are building. This occurs while we are at rest and even after weight training. In order to build muscle mass, we need to be in positive protein balance. Our bodies need nutrients in order to become in "positive balance". So what nutrients do we need?

Nutrients needed to build muscle mass
Protein is the major nutrient that builds muscle mass. Strength training increases your protein needs. Check out my previous post on the amount of protein you need a day in order to build muscle mass. This post also contains a chart that lists the protein content of foods. The average active person can easily meet their protein needs, assuming they are taking in an adequate amount of calories. However, they may not be consuming their protein at the right times (more on this later!).

In addition to protein, you'll also need to consume an adequate amount of calories. If you aren't consuming adequate calories, your body will use the protein for energy, instead of using it to build muscle mass.

Last, but not least, your body needs an adequate amount of carbohydrate. Not only is carbohydrate needed for energy, it also promotes the secretion of insulin. Elevated levels of insulin stimulate the growth of muscle as well as decrease the breakdown of muscle tissue following a workout.

Problems with the typical diet
Most of us have busy schedules and may not consume the optimal diet. Spending a good part of my day listening to what people eat, I have come across four common problem areas that can interfere with optimal development of muscle mass:

1. Going too long without eating. Do you grab a bagel at 9 am, a sandwich at noon, an apple at 5 pm, hit the gym at 6 pm and then grab dinner at 9 pm? Not good. Your body is going too long without nutrients. The longer you go without eating, the greater the chances are that you'll be in negative protein balance.

2. Not eating the right kind of foods before or after a workout. Do you eat just a piece of fruit or just a protein shake (without any carbs) or just a bag of nuts? Not the right kind of snack for muscle growth.

3. Following a really low carb diet. Again, not good! While I recommend limiting "bad" carbs, limiting all carbs can hinder your muscle growth as well as decrease your energy levels. Focus on eating moderate amounts of healthy carbs including fruit, whole grains, legumes and vegetables.

4. Not consuming adequate amounts of protein on a daily basis. I find this is more common in my female clients as compared to my male clients. Check out the chart in my previous protein post to see if you are meeting your protein needs.

Recommendations to maximize muscle growth
1. Eat more "mini-meals" containing carbs and protein versus 1-2 larger meals. Consumption of smaller meals containing protein seems to be superior over consuming the same amount of protein at one time. The ideal pattern would be breakfast, a small mid morning snack(if desired), lunch, a pre-workout snack, and a small post workout out snack if dinner will be more than 1-2 hours after your workout, then dinner. You can skip the post-workout out snack if you will be eating dinner soon after your workout. Of course, you may need to decrease the size of your meals if you are adding in more snacks. If you consume too many calories, you'll gain weight!

2. Consuming a mixed snack containing carbs and protein immediately after exercise can facilitate the replenishment of energy stores as well as promote muscle development.

3. New research has shown that the pre workout meal/snack is even more important than the post workout meal when it comes to building muscle mass. This was news to me as I always focused more on the post workout meal with my clients looking to build muscle mass.

4. While the exact size and protein and calorie content of these pre and post workout "feedings" will vary depending upon the individual, it has been suggested that 15 grams of protein would be adequate. I would also suggest approximately 150 calories of a carb. Again, this is an estimation as the exact amounts will depend upon the individual persons needs.

Examples of pre / post workout snacks and meals
Protein shake with a cup of berries or a banana
Cottage cheese and fruit
Yogurt (try the higher protein yogurts such as Greek Fage - also called Total) and fruit
2 eggs (or several egg whites) and 1-2 slices of whole grain toast
Glass of low fat chocolate milk
Energy bar containing at least 10 grams of protein and 20 grams of carbs (check out my post on energy bars)
Grilled chicken, fish or lean meat, about one cup of a whole grain and veggies
Turkey or grilled chicken sandwich on whole grain bread Check out Martha's useful nutrition blog at CityGirlBites

Are you often stressed out? Do you feel as though you never have enough time for all the things you need to do? Are people driving you crazy on a regular basis?

If this sounds like you, you should consider starting meditation. What, you may think now. How on earth would you have time do that? You barely have time to go to the gym most nights of the week, your significant other keeps complaining you need to spend more quality time together, and you can't remember the last time you had a hair cut! Well, this is exactly why you need to make time for mediation - so that you can get order in a chaotic life. Also, it doesn't take long to meditate. I promise that if you spend ten minutes meditating every day, not only are you likely to find that all of a sudden you have more time in your life but you will also feel better and look younger.

Here are some benefits derived from the art of meditation:

Physiological:

• helps lower blood pressure

• prevented, slowed or controlled pain of chronic diseases

• boosted immune system

• lowered cholesterol levels

• improved airflow, especially in those with asthma

• younger biological age

• improved insomnia and head aches

Psychological

• reduced stress and anxiety

• increased creativity and intelligence

• reduced depression

• increased learning ability, moral reasoning and memory

• reduced irritability and moodiness

• feelings of vitality and rejuvenation

• increased emotional control

• increased self-esteem

• increased alertness

• improved relationships

• improved concentration

Through experiments and tests using practiced meditators, Herbert Benson, M.D., a professor at Harvard Medical School, discovered that meditation counteracts the effects of the sympathetic nervous system - the one that gives humans the desire to fight or flee in any conflict situation. While primitive people needed this response in hunting situations, today it is the reason for many of our everyday stresses. During meditation, blood flow is directed to the parasympathetic nervous system instead. This is the part of the brain that triggers relaxation, a slower pulse and energy conservation - the opposite of the sympathetic nervous system.

Recently, there is an incredible amount of science tied into the benefits of meditation. Mindfulness meditation, which asks us to focus on our breath to facilitate awareness of the present moment, is widely studied meditation technique. After studying the effects of eight weeks of mindfulness meditation on participants, a 2003 report in the Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine concluded: "A short program in mindfulness meditation produces demonstrable effects on brain and immune function." In 2002 the Taiwanese journal Chang Gung Medicine reported that "training in MM may be a medically superior and cost-effective alternative to pain medication for the control of headaches with no underlying organic causes in highly motivated patients."

A study in the Japanese Journal of Public Health found that through Transcendental Meditation, mantra repetition, industrial workers sleep improved and their smoking decreased. Another study conducted at the MERU Research Institute, in Buckinghamshire, England found that the length of time practicing the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program correlated with younger biological age and younger functional age.

Researchers at the Maharishi School of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, found that meditation has an enormous impact on stress reduction. When they examined a group who had meditated for four months they saw that they produced less of the stress hormone cortisol. They were therefore better able to adapt to stress in their lives, no matter what their circumstances were.

In addition to all the physiological and psychological benefits of meditation, there are spiritual ones such as happiness, peace of mind and the purpose of life. Meditation takes us to the source of happiness, which is to be found in our own peace of mind. If we have no peace of mind and are constantly attacked by negative thoughts, happiness will remain elusive, no matter how successful we are on an outer plane. Nor will we find the purpose of life by looking to external events and other people. Purpose of life and true happiness can only be found within our own selves.

How to Meditate (Buddhist meditation):

1. Sit or kneel comfortably.

2. The hands are loose and open with the palms up, one atop the other and thumbs lightly touching.

3. Head is upright. Eyes may be closed or open. If open they should focus on your hands or a spot nearby.

4. Beginning meditators should count upwards to ten on each exhale. Breathe in a relaxed and natural way. Then begin again at one and repeat. Continue to breathe naturally.

5. Continue for as long as you want, but for a minimum of 10 minutes. Focus on your breath and allow mental chatter to float by without regard. Thoughts, emotions and sensations will come, but don't be influenced by them. Keep focused on your breath. If you are getting involved with your thoughts don't worry - your efforts aren't destroyed. The key thing is to bring your attention back to breathing and continue.

It is much more important that you meditate on a consistent basis - daily - than that you do it for long periods of time. If you don't like this method, try Mindfulness Meditation or Transcendental Meditation.

Mindfulness Meditation: Mindfulness in our daily life can be practiced by slowing down and attending to our surroundings. What are our five senses telling us? We can use mindfulness in the middle of a hectic day, such as paying attention to our breathing when stopped at a traffic light. We can also use other everyday events as triggers for mindfulness. Buckling your seatbelt? Make this a reminder to return to the present. Really think about what you're doing and the details of the experience.

Transcendental Meditation: Generally, this type is practiced twice daily for a period of 15-20 minutes. Again, this technique involves sitting comfortably yet, in contrast to basic Buddhist, the eyes stay closed. Each student is given a mantra such as the word OM and is instructed to induce relaxation through use of this mantra.

Final Word

The benefits of meditation are real, but, it also requires perseverance. It is mistake to expect all these benefits in the first few attempts; the mind takes time to tame.

Want something healthy yet tasty that you can throw together for dinner when you get home tired after work? Then you should try my five-minute salmon and veggie dish! Make sure that the ingredients below are all organic and fresh. Organic, fresh food really is much better for you - and the environment!

(Per Person)
Ingredients:
1/2 pound of salmon
One medium sized tomato
Three cups of chopped spinach
One and half cup of chopped mushrooms
Sea salt
Black pepper
Extra Virgin olive oil

Heat the frying pan on a low temperature and pour slightly less than a tablespoon of olive oil into it while you wash and chop up all the vegetables. When the oil has reached adequate temperature, put the salmon there. Lightly broil it on both sides before you add all the veggies. Hold off on salting and peppering. Do this after the food is cooked instead. Salt helps leach nutrients out of the food. Move the veggies around for a minute or two while you let the salmon finish broiling. Be sure not to overcook the food as not only will it be dry and unsavory but it will also result in a loss of vital enzymes and nutrients. (A good way to know the veggies aren't overcooked is if they retain their bright color.)

And now all you need to do is put all of it on a plate and eat. If you'd like, you can eat it together with a piece of whole grain bread - organic, of course...

Bon appetite!