Author: Traci Breazeale

Well it’s happened again! The rules have changed or so it seems, but have they really changed? March 2010 HOT BREAKING NEWS STORY from The Journal of the American Medical association! Women now need 60 minutes of cardio to maintain weight! The fitness boards went crazy! The debates began and my clients were so depressed! Let’s break this down a bit. The rule of caloric deficit AKA: Calories In vs. Calories Out, will always apply as the most basic “lose weight” strategy. Aside from the very important fact that cardiovascular exercise is good for your heart, in terms of weight loss…

Albert Einstein supposedly said that compound interest was the greatest wonder of the universe. I think he may be right (no surprise there!) and I believe that the exact same principle should be applied to nutrition and fitness. If you could ask Mr. Einstein to explain compound interest, he might have said something like this: Let’s say there are two twins, each has $1,000 to invest, Twin #1, who doesn’t understand compound interest chooses an account with simple interest at 5 percent. This means that each year her money is increased by 5 percent of the original $1,000. After year…

As a private personal trainer I hear a lot of things from my clients (ex-gym goers) that make me wonder how things can get so messed up in translation. They have heard things like, “You have to add jumping and plyometrics into your workout to make them intense enough to burn large amounts of calories.” Or how about this one, “If you have knee/hip/joint problems you’ll never be able to lose body fat as easily as those with no joint issues.” I find these myths do nothing but de-motivate a person and can even make a person say, “Why bother?”…

Where Does Motivation Come From?  All too often, daily life seems to get in the way of our goals and our overall dreams. Even the most motivated of people seem to go through a natural ebb and flow from time to time. So what’s the secret to maintaining our motivation? Fear is a very bad long-term motivator. Think about it this way. If fear truly did motivate us to make changes, then people wouldn’t smoke cigarettes, right? What’s more frightening than watching a loved one suffer from lung cancer caused by smoking? What’s even more frightening is the thought of having…

This may sound a little strange, but I have always tried to look at my life as a big garden. Life is all-encompassing for me. It’s the people, places, situations, thoughts, words and feelings. The people in my life are very important to me along with my overall attitude and the way I approach different situations. All of these things are what life is all about. When my life seems to be running on all cylinders and in perfect harmony, I stand back and admire the beautiful garden I have created. I see the array of colors and people, the…

N.E.A.T. stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. Dr. James Levine is credited for his research and findings on NEAT. According to Dr. Levine, “You can expend calories in one two ways. One is to go to the gym and the other is through all the activities of daily living called NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis). It appears that NEAT is far more important for calorie-burning than exercise in nearly everyone.” Is it possible that in today’s high-tech, information overloaded society we have completely passed over this simplified concept in search of The Holy Grail? Are all the toys, bells and whistles really…

If you are a person that has never really worked out on a regular basis then hearing GET FIT- IMPROVE HEALTH- EXERCISE just seems overwhelming. As a 20+ year fitness buff, even I have had long periods of time where I just didn’t workout at all. It IS overwhelming – it DOES take time. Who needs that? Whether you consider exercise for overall fitness & health or you want to shed some weight or you want to sculpt beautiful muscles and tone, exercise in some shape or form simply has to happen. Here’s My Beginners Guide To Ease Into The…

Hydration seems to be a never-ending topic for those involved in health and fitness as professionals or as participants. The one thing we know without debate is that water is the life force of our bodies. Water makes up a part of every single cell, every organ and tissue in our bodies. We all know that on the inside we are 60% water! What many people don’t realize is that even the “dry” parts of us such as bones, muscle and teeth have water as part of their makeup! Water inside our body is a busy nutrient! It transports nutrients…

I’m sure most of you have heard of this concept before, free food days. It’s a dieting or lifestyle concept that some people find very helpful in maintaining or losing weight. You eat a strict diet and macronutrient ratio that is planned all week long and insert a free food day once every 7-10 days. This allows some people to never feel deprived and thus stay on track all week long with their food intake. It’s a good plan for some people. I say its “good” because there are people who have lost tons of weight or who maintain their…

We are constantly bombarded with the latest and greatest nutrition and diet plans, the latest books, the latest scientific information; all of which claim to be the one perfect program for every person on the planet. . One thing I know for sure is that it’s all too much information for the average person who is looking to be healthy, live at a happy weight, and have a fit lifestyle without 24/7 focus! I believe we are making it all too complicated! Eating for health & vitality, to lose body fat, to become energized, to overcome cravings and such looks…