The SINGLE Ingredient to Omit From Your Diet from MyInstantFitness.com

So many people don't understand why they can't drop those extra pounds. I believe the number one reason they can't do so is because they are still eating lots of sugar in their diet.

Added sugars are sugars that are added to foods when they are made or processed or any sugar you add to your food yourself. Added sugars are part of your daily “discretionary calories” which are the left-over or extra calories you have left after meeting your nutrient needs and before your fill your daily requirement of calories. For example, in a 2,000 calorie diet, the discretionary calories are 267. These calories may be distributed to other parts of the diet like enjoying 2% milk instead of skim and eating pork instead of chicken. In order to maintain your weight, besides exercise, you should keep your caloric intake close to your caloric needs. In other words, don’t go overboard on your discretionary calorie allowance. A simple way to do so is get rid of the extra sugars in your life. Here are some tips to help you do so.

Ways to Decrease your Added Sugar Intake:

• Use less of all sugars: white, brown, honey, jelly, and syrups.
• Limit intake of foods high in added sugars: soft drink, candy, cookies, cake, icecream, pies, and fruit drinks
• Canned fruit packed in juice (NOT syrup) to satisfy your urge for sweets
• Check the ingredients list on nutrition labels of foods. If any of the sugars (brown sugar, confectioner’s sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, honey, malt syrup, molasses, maple and pancake syrup, powdered sugar, raw sugar, and white sugar) is listed as the first or second ingredient, choose a healthier option.
• Remember to brush your teeth not too long after consuming sweets to prevent tooth decay and cavities
• substitute fruit juices for fruit drinks, soft drinks, and punches.
• Buy unsweetened cereals
• try reducing the sugar content in your favorite recipes by half. It will probably taste the same, maybe better.
• Fruit has sugar, but naturally occurring sugars, not added sugars.
• Still like the taste of sweets? Add these spices to give the illusion of having sugar: allspice, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.

Some information included in this blog is  from Personal Nutrition by Marie A. Boyle and Sara Long

Find out what else you should omit from your diet here! Live a longer, fuller, happier life!

-Tony Tiamiyu
Instant Fitness, LLC
Atlanta's #1 Personal Trainer!
Lindbergh City Center

Motivation: Some words from Tony Tiamiyu

 Motivation is the key to being successful with any fitness goal. Many people think they are motivated, but as soon as they start spending time in the gym, they start making excuses. In order to be very successful, you must be driven from within. You must be willing to do whatever it takes to achieve your goal. You have to push yourself harder and farther than ever before. You are going to sweat. You are going to hurt. Actually, if you are sore after you work out, it means you are making changes in your body.

1. You should know that you may not be able to make permanent changes in under 3 weeks. Although, you can change your body in 3 weeks. If you have large goals to achieve, you probably will be working for a year or more. In order to get to those long-term goals, make short-term goals and checkpoints.
2. To stay motivated, tell your family and friends of your goals. Both groups will give you honest opinions and ask you questions to keep you on track.
3. Keeping a journal of your progress will help you compare the past to the present. This might also help you to see what your problem areas are and how to attack them.
4. Contact Instant Fitness for a FREE total body diagnostic to get you started on your journey. Your trainer will help you through every step of the way!

No matter what your goals are, you must have an unstoppable drive to keep you motivated throughout the process. Look deep within yourself to gain the confidence and strength it takes to make changes in your life.

-Tony T
 Instant Fitness, LLC
 Atlanta's #1 Personal Trainer
Lindbergh City Center

The Dish on Dessert: Nutrition Tips from Instant Fitness

Click here for even more FREE healthy eating tips from a professional!

So many people think that when they get on a diet, they have to skip dessert. This is not the case. With proper planning and a little compromising, you can enjoy your dessert, everyday!

A great way to cut back in the sweets department is to keep your dessert treats limited to one a day. If you have been craving a sweet treat after every meal, I encourage you to break that habit. Instead of indulging in a piece of cake or bowl of ice cream after every meal, try drinking a glass of light fruit juice or having sliced strawberries with 0% fat Greek yogurt (mix the yogurt with 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract for more flavor). Even a glass of water might suffice your craving for fulfillment.

Here are a few more suggestions for light desserts:

-Fresh berries with a dollop of light Cool Whip, topped with lemon zest

-Sugar free pudding (fold in light Cool Whip to make a mousse)

-Vanilla Roasted Pears recipe at http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/12/vanilla-roasted-pears/  (use Splenda or Truvia instead of sugar)

-You can have your ice cream, just serve yourself a small scoop of no-sugar-added ice cream in a smaller dish.

-Slice a banana in half lengthwise and sprinkle a few (no more than 10) dark chocolate chips on top. Heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds until the banana is soft and chocolate has melted.

For more advice on eating healthy, CLICK HERE!

-Tony Tiamiyu

 Instant Fitness, LLC

 Atlanta's BEST Personal Trainer

 Lindbergh City Center

What to Wear to the Gym and to Buckhead's Best Boot Camp!

Click here if you've already got what to wear, and you just need a gym!

  While you are sharing this space with others who are hopefully getting as sweaty as you, there are a few things to keep in mind and a certain etiquette to follow.

We’ll go from bottom to top:

Shoes- any good running shoe should work well for most gym activities. If you are on a basketball or tennis court often you should think about purchasing a pair of specialized shoes. DO NOT wear open toed shoes (sandals), work boots, shoes with no support, etc.

Lower body- yoga pants, exercise pants, running shorts, regular shorts, basketball shorts are all good options. DO NOT wear booty shorts, jeans, slacks, PJs, etc. You might look ridiculous or just be plain uncomfortable. And if you think your pants or shorts may be baggy in the slightest, be sure to wear something underneath!

Upper body- women, unless you want all the attention of every man (and every woman) at the gym, avoid wearing only a sports bra. Tank tops are fine just not really low cut ones, as well as T-shirts (preferably an Instant Fitness “wanna new birthday suit?” T-shirt). Men, wife beaters, sleeveless, T-shirts are all acceptable. Avoid extra baggy shirts and clothes that can get caught in machines. Everyone should leave their job interview clothes at home if attending the gym.

Head- nothing is really necessary here, unless you need to hold you hair out of your face (headband). A hat would be fine if outside but you may not want it collecting all of your sweat and stinking up the place.

All in all, just try to be comfortable, modest, and flexible.

-Tony T
  Instant Fitness, LLC

 Atlanta's BEST Personal Trainer

 Lindbergh City Center

Best Ab Workouts from Atlanta's Best Personal Trainer!

For a 2 minute FREE ab workout video, CLICK HERE! Get a six pack in 2 minutes a day!




If you want a six-pack, here are some great exercises you can do that will get you there. Be sure to use a different one every time you workout to promote muscle confusion and thus, faster results.

1. Bicycle crunches -while laying on your back, bring your legs up, knees bent, move your legs in a bicycle motion. With your hands behind your ears, bring your shoulder-blades off the mat and touch the opposite elbow to knee. Repeat on other side.
2. Jackknives- lay on the mat with arms and legs outstretched above and below you. Simultaneously bring your opposite arm and leg together in the air to touch your toes. Repeat on other side.
3. Butt lifts- lay with your back on the mat and your arms at your side, palms facing the floor. Bring your legs straight up in the air. While using your palms to push slightly against the mat, lift your butt/legs straight into the air. Try not to rock back and for (don’t use your momentum to lift you), just lift straight up and down.
4. Planks- Hold the “up” part of a push-up. Make sure your shoulders are back, your back is straight and not sagging, your head is up, you’re focusing on your abs, and that you are breathing. You can also do this on your forearms and on your side with forearm.
5. Leg raises- in the captain’s chair with back straight and hands on the handlebar, lift legs and raise them, with knees bent, to your chest. Lower them down again, keeping knees bent. Do not swing your legs.

CHECK OUT DEMONSTRATIONS OF AB EXERCISES HERE!

-Tony Tiamiyu

 Instant Fitness, LLC

 Atlanta's #1 Personal Trainer

Lindbergh City Center

Which Alcohol Should I Drink? Nutrition Tips from Instant Fitness

Need more healthy eating tips? Get some advice from a certified professional! CLICK HERE!

Of course, it is not recommended that you drink alcohol while you are starting a new fitness regimen and a new nutritious diet, but there are some times where you are certainly allowed to enjoy yourself.

Like carbs, proteins and fats, alcohol is used for energy, but it is not essential and it is not stored in the body.

Alcohol is 7 calories per gram whereas fat is 9 and carbohydrates and proteins are 4 calories per gram. That being said, not all alcohols are created equal. A serving of alcohol is defined as any drink that has .6 oz of pure alcohol. This amount is found in:

• 12 oz regular beer: 150 calories
• 12 oz of wine/malt or spirit-based cooler: 210-230 calories
• 5 oz wine: 100 calories
• 1.5 oz of 80-proof distilled spirits or liquor: 100 calories
• 3 oz sherry or port: 130 calories
• 9 3/4 oz malt liquor: 135 calories

So if you’re watching your calories, stick to wines and liquor, but be sure not to mix it with anything as that will increase calorie intake. Also, stay away from drinks that start with mixes (ie. margaritas) because they can be loaded with sugar. Also try substituting club soda for regular soda.

You may already know that women and men metabolize alcohol differently but you may not know why. Women have less water in their bodies, thus the concentration of alcohol in their bodies is higher. Also, the presence of food in the stomach allows for a slower absorption of alcohol. The time it takes for food to enter into the small intestine is the rate at which the alcohol will get into your blood stream.

So as a general health and safety rule, women can have one serving of alcohol a day and men are allowed 2. Be sure that you aren’t “saving” you servings for the weekend and then binge drinking, which is dangerous behavior.

-Tony Tiamiyu

 Instant Fitness, LLC

 Atlanta's #1 Personal Trainer

 Lindbergh City Center

Instant Fitness' Gym Jargon

Do you understand everything you hear at the gym or from your trainer? Are you sure you understand everything you've heard about fitness? Read these definitions and compare them to what you thought previously. Hopefully they will give you more insight during your workouts

Fitness-the body’s ability to meet physical demands, composed of four components; flexibility, strength, muscle endurance, and cardiovascular endurance.

BMI- Body Mass Index- an index of a person’s weight in relation to height that correlates with total body fat content. (A person may have a low percentage of body fat, but a high BMI if he is muscular)

Body fat analysis (percentage)- The percentage of fat in your body. This is difficult to attain, but can be found by hydrostatic weighing, skinfold tests, bioelectrical impedance, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, and via the BodPod. Desirable measures for body fat percentages are 12-20 for men and 20-30 for women.

Overload-extra physical demand placed on the body. A principle of training is that for a body system to improve, its workload must be increased by increments over time.

Muscle endurance- the ability of a muscle to contract repeatedly within a given time without becoming exhausted.

Cardiovascular endurance- the ability of the cardiovascular system to sustain effort over a period of time

Aerodic- requiring oxygen; an exercise you can perform while still talking

Anaerobic- not requiring oxygen; a more intense workout (almost max level) you can do but cannot talk while doing

Target heart rate- the heartbeat rate that will achieve cardiovascular endurance for a given person; fast enough to push the heart, but not so fast as to strain it.

Reps- repetition; one complete movement as in a hammer curl

Sets- a group of reps.

Super Set-Two different workouts, back to back, with little rest in between. One set on each machine, then repeat.

-Tony Tiamiyu

 Instant Fitness, LLC

 Atlanta's #1 Personal Trainer

 Lindbergh City Center