People often state that the reason they don’t eat better is that they don’t have time to cook every day. So the 3-in-1 meal planning system may just be the trick!

The basic idea is that you cook once, then use whatever you made for two more (different) quick meals.

For example, on day one, you roast a chicken (rosemary with vegetables is my personal favorite).
On day two, you use the leftover chicken to make a Mexican enchilada by wrapping it up with some sauteed onions, melted cheese, sour cream, and lettuce/tomato. Takes less than 5 minutes to make.
Day three, pull the remaining chicken off the bones and sprinkle it in a mixed green salad. Don’t forget the kalamata olives

3-in-1 Salmon:
Day one: Bake a big piece of wild-caught salmon in salt, lemon pepper, and olive oil.
Day two: Salmon cakes! (one gazillion recipes available throughout the internet)
Day three: Salmon stir-fry. Add remaining salmon to fresh veggies and wild rice in your favorite sauce. Wok on! Veggie chopping time = 1-2 minutes. Cooking time = 6 minutes.

A third idea:  Grass-fed beef tenderloin cooked one night, then used for sandwiches and soup on subsequent days.

Any serious fitness program needs to address these four components:

1)  NUTRITION

Nutrition is the foundation of health. We can’t make our own food like plants can, so the old adage of “you are what you eat” is exactly right. Any exercise or diet program is only as good as the nutrients you put into your body. A coffee-and-fast-food diet builds a coffee-and-fast-food body.
You will never be healthy with a bad diet.

2)  CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS

This is the ability of your heart and lungs to supply working muscles with sufficient oxygen.
Cardiorespiratory exercise (a.k.a. “aerobic exercise” or “cardio”) is defined as a sustained, repetitive physical activity that requires the heart and lungs to work harder than they do at rest in order to meet the body’s increased oxygen demand. Aerobic exercise uses primarily stored carbohydrate and stored body fat for fuel. Examples include hiking, jogging, swimming laps, jumping rope, cycling, treadmill or elliptical workouts, etc.

Aerobic activity trains the cardiorespiratory system, and it is the primary way to burn extra calories and prevent vascular disease.

3)  MUSCULAR SYSTEM

We combine muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, balance, stability, and posture into this single category. All those terms are really ways of measuring your muscular system’s ability to do what you need it to do.

This is generally where people require the most professional help. There are many, many ways to go about structuring a safe and effective strength training program, and everyone’s individual needs and problems are different. So get some help with this one.

If you live in the greater Nashville area, call us at 615-442-7700 to arrange a few lessons — you will be glad you did!

4)  ATTITUDE AND PERCEPTION

If you keep telling yourself that your life and circumstances are difficult, oppressive, or hopeless, that is exactly what you will get. Positive energy breeds positive results. Negativity brings more negativity and frustration. Constant stress wreaks havoc on your system and stalls your progress. Work with your trainer to set some realistic and attainable goals, and be sure to discuss how you define success. No one can solve your problems except you. Things can only be as good as you will allow them to be!

With all of the advances in exercise technology (smart phone apps, online videos, console games like Wii Fit, etc.), for many people there is nothing that can compare with the insight, accountability, and motivation of working with a real person. People who are serious about a true learning experience, and who are ready to finally seize control of their health and lifestyle, employ personal trainers to maximize their success.

Happy New Year from our personal trainers in Nashville and Franklin!

We are looking forward to a healthy and fit 2012, and hope you will join us for exercise, nutritionist, boot camp classes, or physical therapy at one of 8 locations in Nashville or Franklin, Tennessee.