Courtesy of eatright.org.
March is National Nutrition Month, and this year, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is urging Americans to “Get Your Plate In Shape.” With the help of the “My Plate” model, which replaced the Food Pyramid in June 2011, the experts are giving us a reminder of the healthy nutrition goals we have heard before:
The popular saying, “Good things come in small packages,” describes Midtown Personal Trainer Megan Meurer perfectly.
She recently took some time out of her busy personal training, thesis-writing, and puppy-training schedule to answer some member questions.
What made you want to get into fitness?
Megan: I’ve always been in it. I grew up exercising outdoors with my parents, sisters, and friends. I didn’t actually work out in a gym until high school and even then I preferred being outside. It’s a passion for me and I love it!
Do diets such as South Beach, No Carb, Raw, and others really work?
Megan: The key to a great diet is everything in moderation, except fruits and veggies (eat lots of those). I find the better I eat, the better I feel and the more I want to work out, and also the less I want to eat unhealthy things. Life is too short to deprive yourself, but having enough self control to not let the sweets/salts/or whatever your weakness is, get out of hand, is hugely important.
As far as the whole No Carbs diet – which is the most popular-well, there are carbs in everything so not eating them would mean not eating. Its the type of carb that’s important.
You want to eat the carbs that will make you feel fuller longer; for example, whole grains, pasta, granola, and brown rice will satisfy you longer than white bread, candy, and chips. Without going into the science of it, the more unprocessed the food the better it is for you. Also, your brain is fueled by carbs, severely restricting them can can cause headaches and irritability.
Whats the best cardio workout and how long is good enough?
Megan: This totally depends on the person. Keep in mind that what’s appropriate for a college-aged athlete is not going to work for an elderly person with a hip replacement. You have to be honest with yourself and listen to your body.
People generally know when they aren’t doing something correctly, whether it be diet or an exercise program, but some are in denial. The best cardio is something you enjoy doing. It’s much easier getting motivated to do and to continue doing it when you actually like it.
How long also depends, but listen to your body; you want to feel good when you’re done. To burn maximum calories, get on machines that are more vertical; so at the club: the stair climber, the rock wall, and the treadmill on an incline.
For more on the best cardio workouts, check out this post.
Why are my clothes fitting better, but I’m not losing weight?
Megan: You are undergoing a body composition transformation. As you begin to exercise, you tend to build muscle in addition to losing fat. Because muscle is more dense than fat it takes up less space in the body. Therefore, you can weigh the same but be taking up less space.
What are the best ab exercises?
Megan: Pilates!
Tell me your dream workout.
Megan: Take some of the World’s Strongest Man Competition trials and downsize them significantly. Flipping tires, wading through water, carrying a large weight while walking, throwing things, etc. These are obviously exercises and equipment not found in a traditional gym.
Do you have a question for Megan or one of our other trainers? Post your question as a comment to this post, or email it to me at allison.ford@midtown.com. If you email the question, I will ask it anonymously on your behalf, and post the question and answer (but not your name) on the next “Ask the Trainer” post. You do not need to be a member to ask a question.
