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.

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.

Ever since I lost 130 pounds, I've been trying to tighten my abs. Today, I had my first personal training session at the local YMCA. This workout routine will be completely different from what I've been used to.

As much as I have cut back on cardio, with the new training, I'll be cutting back on it even further. The focus is on strength and heavy lifting. It will take a while to get used to this routine.

Many of you might be thinking about starting an exercise program to get in shape, It can be overwhelming for a beginner and many people end up getting discouraged and quitting after the first few weeks of exercise. I would like to encourage everyone to stick with an exercise program, so I thought it would be helpful to read what a fitness expert has to say on the subject. I'd like to thank Mat Montgomery, Health & Wellness Director at the Torrington branch of the Northwest CT YMCA, for providing answers to the following questions.