Personal Trainer Tip

Life Transformations Personal Training in Lee’s Summit shares some fitness tips.  Read about being prepared by Personal Trainer, John Harris.
As a personal trainer I believe that it is extremely important that people understand the importance and bodily use of nutrients that we’re taking in. The biggest response I get a lot of times when I’m consulting clients about their nutrition is people in taking too little carbohydrates. The next most popular response would be people not eating after 6pm as if calories transfer to bodily fat as the clock strikes 6:01! After reading this I hope I can clarify a few reasons why eating late is okay and why it’s important to have enough carbohydrates!
First, I would like to explain what and why carbohydrates are important! When the body digests carbohydrates it breaks it down into glucose. All of the tissues and cells in our body use glucose for energy. Carbohydrates are needed for the central nervous system, the kidneys, the brain, and the muscles (including the heart) to function properly. Carbohydrates can be stored in the muscles and liver and later used for energy. So in limiting your carbs your body is being starved of healthy and much needed energy! There is the risk of the body having plenty of energy and storing the additional glucose as body fat and a good tip to eliminate that is timing carbohydrates around your most active times of the day!
Next, I would like to explain how and why consuming calories (yes, even carbohydrates) is okay even late at night! It takes about 3,200 calories in a surplus to gain a single pound. With that in mind, your body and digestive system is working around the clock – even as you’re sleeping! As long as your nutrition program is set up in a manner to be in a calorie deficit you will lose body fat as long as you’re not over consuming. I actually have my last meal at about 9:00pm every day and am currently losing body fat (y’know, for pool season ha)!
I hope this gave you a basic understanding that it’s all about your entire day’s number of calories and your current activity level! If anything, I would recommend at least one meal after 6pm to help subside wanting to snack as you’re watching television or especially to help eliminate midnight snacking! Again, not because of timing but generally snacks in the middle of the night are quick, not healthy, and not accounted for in the day’s total calories (which is what matters – I can run that into the ground)! Thanks for reading and we hope to see you in the gym soon! Only two months until Summer!!
 
Have questions, contact me at jeharrislifetrans@gmail.com.