Healthy Living in Connecticut Blog

Just a quick post on a topic so often confused by many people. I often hear....I have gained some weight since I started weight training but muscle weighs more than fat. Okay..let's get a handle on that. A pound of muscle weighs exactly the same as a pound of fat. A pound is a pound no matter what. Keep in mind that a pound of muscle is much smaller in size than a pound of fat which is very voluminous. So get out there and lift some weights and tighten up the flab. You can do it.

The strength training is going well, but I got kind of nervous when I stepped on the scale the other day. I've gained like 5 pounds, but from what I've been reading, and judging from what others have been telling me, it's supposed to go up some when lifting weights.

I think I'm not going to weight myself but maybe once a week. No need to concern myself over the numbers, as long as my clothes fit!

I just thought I would post an update on the personal training I'm doing at the local YMCA. So far, I'm liking the new workout. I do think it's going to work as I can feel the soreness in my muscles… I know I worked them hard today!

As I was discussing with the trainer, the cardio has been an important part of my workout for so long. It's really hard to make that transition to focusing more on weights. I mean, the treadmill helped me lose over 130 pounds, so it confuses my mind to know that I have to cut down my time on it. I've been advised to use the treadmill just 15 minutes on days that I don't do the strength training. On days that I do the training, I can only do the treadmill for 5 minutes. It makes me feel guilty, in a way, thinking I'm not getting enough exercise. I've been averaging 30 to 40 minutes most days of the week so it's a big change.

Lately, I've been hearing a lot of talk in the news about how people burn more calories when it's cold outside. Is it me, or is this a ridiculous thing to report when it's like 10 degrees outside?

Imagine someone going outside in this freezing cold weather, and risk getting frost bit just for the sake of burning more calories? I'd rather stay warm… this cold weather is just too much to handle. I still don't know how people jump in the water in extreme cold or how people run outside in the extreme cold. I give you a lot of credit if you're able to!

Help I’m Stuck!... Well while having people’s hands get stuck together is one of my favorite hypnosis demonstrations that would not be a practical way of writing this blog. So while I am not physically stuck right now I have been busy working with many clients on keeping them from getting stuck and abandoning their New Year’s Resolutions.

Statistically only about 45% of Americans still make a New Year’s Resolution and of those, about 29% have already abandoned the resolution all together and in 10 days that number will jump to 36%. Even more surprising is that by the end of the calendar year only 8% of people will have been successful in keeping their New Year’s Resolutions.