NEXT Total Fitness Nutrition Philosophy:

Avoid "dieting" Eat whole, natural foods Maintain proper hydration Use food as fuel Engage in mindful/sensible eating Be aware of your body Practice personal responsibility

Understanding calorie needs

The total number of calories a person needs each day varies depending on a number of factors, including the person’s age, gender, height, weight, and level of physical activity. In addition, a desire to lose, maintain, or gain weight affects how many calories should be consumed.

Our personal trainers will spend time with each member discussing general food recommendations, and will work with you individually to set realistic goals and encourage you along the way.

1. Eat 6 times per day. This will help boost your metabolism so you will be burning calories and melting fat all day long. This will also help keep your blood sugar stable all day so you will maximize your levels. So make sure you're eating within one hour after you get up and every 2 1/2 to 3 hours after that.

2. Combine Carbohydrates and Protein with every meal. Every meal you consume should include proteins and carbohydrates. This combination is easier for your body to break down, and won't be stored as fat. This will also help boost your metabolism and energy level.

3. Combine fats with protein and vegetables. Consuming a combination of fats and carbohydrates together, tends to make it extremely difficult for the body to brake them down. With that in mind, for optimum fat loss, it may be best to consume your good fats with carbohydrates in the form of vegetables with some proteins.

4. Appropriate portion size. Do not overfeed yourself. Use the palm of your hand for correct portion size.

5. Water intake. It's extremely important to stay well hydrated to help built muscle and melt body fat. A good rule of thumb is to drink about 1 gallon to 1-1 1/2 gallons per day. You may need to drink more if you also consume any caffeine products or diuretics.

6. Staying focused. This is very important in conjunction with getting the results we talked about, and to remind you again that this is 70%-80% of our results. Every time you think about cheating on your food regimen and/or missing a day of working out, just think for a minute about how you feel about yourself and how you look right now. Are you happy with the way you look and feel/ If not, then simply don't do it! Then, think about the goals we set and how great you are going to look and feel once we get there. Then, make the Best Decision.