Something came up this weekend in a discussion with my wife. We were doing our food planning for the week and trying to create menus that were healthy, delicious and most of all, convenient. This got us to thinking: how many times have we sacrificed nutrition for convenience?

I thought about the times that we got home just too late and tired to bother crafting a nutritious meal. It was much easier to hit the local eatery and grab some "food." I thought about the times that we were just plain out of anything to cook at home because we slacked on going to the grocery and getting what needed. I thought about how we really shouldn't be eating at 9:00 pm anyway. Then I really got to thinking.

How many of those times that we didn't eat properly could have been averted had we planned in advance?

And you know what? It’s really not that difficult. I used to do it religiously. And it made a real difference. It’s a matter of planning the week’s menu and getting everything prepared in advance. Maybe this means making sure you have the items you need to prepare a good lunch at work. Even if you have to pack a cooler each day, you can have everything ready to go beforehand and just drop it all in the cooler each morning.

Perhaps being prepared means having all your veggies chopped and cleaned and ready to drop in the steamer. Big zip loc bags full of a day’s worth of lettuce are really handy. Or maybe you need to grill a week’s worth of chicken or fish or whatever and have it in baggies ready to be warmed-up again.Maybe being prepared means getting yourself to the grocery store and stocking up on what you need before you launch into the week and don’t have the time to do it.

What’s important here is that you make it as easy and convenient on yourself to get a meal prepared as possible. This way, you will be less inclined to wimp out and hit the fast food. And, just as importantly, you will be able to have your meals at the proper times. I hope you don’t think I’m being too anal here. But it really does make a difference in your weight management if you seriously plan ahead.

I've got a little bit of a news flash for you. I'm not perfect. Neither me, nor any of the instructors or trainers at Rhino Fitness are perfect. In fact, we're all human, very human. We make mistakes, we injure ourselves by forgetting to stretch enough, we sometimes eat cake and ice cream, we miss workouts and guess what? We get sore. Sometimes REALLY, REALLY sore! And it's not necessarily because we push ourselves harder than most people, it's really because we are human and we get sore just like everyone else.

I'm telling you this because I want you to know that everything that you may be going through in your journey to better health and fitness, one of us or all of us have gone through the very same thing at one time or another. Maybe we are going through it right now. Did you slip up and overeat last weekend? It's happened to me. Did you miss two workouts in a row because life got in the way? Been there. How about just losing your motivation to get yourself out of bed early enough to drag yourself to the gym? Oh boy, I wish I had a dollar for each time that's happened to me.

If I have learned anything in the 30-plus years I have been in this game, I have learned that fitness truly is a journey. There is no end destination. You don't get to say, "Ok, I'm there, now I can stop." It's a non-stop drive, a never-ending expedition, constantly striving to improve oneself. And if you fall off the horse, you dust yourself off and get back on. Beating yourself up because you blew it at the buffet will accomplish nothing. You just have to commit to getting back to it.

You are human. You will make mistakes. You will slip up. You will get lazy and unmotivated. It's gonna happen (if it hasn't already). But know these things: We have all been there and we are here for you. Don't ever think that you can't talk to us about what you are going through because you think we wouldn't understand. Trust me, we do. Slipping up every once in awhile does not make you a "screw-up." Backsliding a little does not make you a failure. However, quitting does.

So, don't give up, don't stop what you're doing and most of all, if you need someone to talk to, don't forget we're here.

So, you've gained a few pounds, maybe more than a few. You decided that it is finally time to get rid of the extra weight. You decided that it is finally time to get back to your old healthy self. So you went on a diet. The checkout counter magazines, the daytime TV shows, even your friends tell you that you need to diet to get back into shape. I’m talking about the commercial diet plans such as Atkins for Life, The South Beach Diet, The DASH Diet, The Best Life Diet and others that are similar. Are you on one of these diets?

Well, if you are, I may have some bad news for you.

Diets don’t work. Plain and simple. But beyond that, they may be killing you. And I’m not joking.

Diets don’t work because they rely on restricted calories and reduced macronutrients (carbs, protein and fat). Simply put, the human body does not understand the concept of dieting. When a person restricts her calories, her body perceives this as starvation. When the body perceives starvation, it does what it’s supposed to do, and holds onto the fat. This is survival. So instead of getting leaner, the person who severely restricts her caloric intake will get fatter, or at the very least, stay fat.

Furthermore, current evidence suggests that these diets and similar plans, are severely lacking in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (“Prevalence of micronutrient deficiency in popular diet plans,” Jayson B. Calton, June 10, 2010) found that, “Six micronutrients (vitamin B7, vitamin D, vitamin E, chromium, iodine and molybdenum) were identified as consistently low or nonexistent in all four diet plans.” and, “These findings are significant and indicate that an individual following a popular diet plan as suggested, with food alone, has a high likelihood of becoming micronutrient deficient; a state shown to be scientifically linked to an increased risk for many dangerous and debilitating health conditions and diseases.”

So, while in the pursuit of better health, you may be putting your health at risk. Deficiencies in macro- and micronutrients are dangerous. Have you ever noticed when a person is on a diet, they are not the most pleasant person to be around? This is not just because they are miserable because they didn’t get to have that piece of cheesecake that they wanted. This is because their body is experiencing a shortage in the nutrients that it requires to remain healthy. These shortages can result in everything from mood swings to lack of energy and in some cases, severe lethargy and death. And all in the name of losing weight.

Do me and yourself and those around you a big favor. Don’t diet. There are much more intelligent and permanent ways to lose weight. Keeping the body in balance is the key to getting and staying healthy and fit. If you would like to know how, visit our website at www.MeetTheRhino.com or give us a call at 951-283-9473.

You're going to a Memorial Day Barbecue. And you're dreading the pain of having to deal with all of those tempting, fattening foods. Well, you can survive. In addition to the obvious things, (like avoiding too much beer) these tips can keep you from sabotaging your fitness success.

1.    Have a healthy meal prior. If you are satisfied, you are less likely to overindulge. Even if you just have a good old fashioned protein shake before you leave, you will feel more full and not be inclined to eat more than you should.

2.    Bring your own healthy dish, vegetables with low fat dip. Hosts won’t usually turn their noses up when a guest brings a nice plate of food. It is almost always welcome. So you get to have something nutritious to munch on AND you get to look like a gracious guest. It’s a win-win.

3.    Tortilla chips and salsa not potato chips and onion dip. There’s just way too much fat in potato chips. No one should be eating them. And then load them up with sour cream? That’s thunder thighs just waiting to happen. Opt for the lesser-of-two-evils corn chips and salsa. You’ll thank me later.

4.    Use small plates – practice portion control. Smaller plates get full faster, giving you the mental picture that you are eating more. Let’s face it, if the food is there on your plate, you are more likely to want to eat it. ALL. Less on your plate, means you’ll eat less.

5.    Don’t limit yourself – have fun, just make the right choices. Be smart, think about what you are putting on your plate and in your mouth. But enjoy yourself. Eating well is not a death sentence, if you make the right choices, you can still have fun.

Most importantly, remember the next day is Tuesday. Get back to the gym and get your normal routine exercising done. You’ll beat yourself up a lot less for a little overindulgence on Monday, if you make a point to try to burn it all off on Tuesday.

So you’re at work and the meeting ran longer than you expected. It’s way past lunchtime, you’ve got two more meetings in the cue, so you’ve only got about ½ hour to grab something to eat and you forgot to pack anything.

Or, everyone in the office wants to go grab some lunch at the local eatery and you sure don’t want to look like party pooper, so you agree to go. Problem is, it’s junk food. And it’s definitely not on your food plan.

How about this: After work, you head home and the hubby says, “I know I got home before you, but I forgot to take something out of the freezer for dinner. Can you just grab something on the way home?”

What do you do? Oh, what do you do?

I’ll tell you what you’re NOT going to do: you’re not going to use this as an excuse to blow it. Things like this are going to come along all the time, and if you give in every time they do, you are backsliding. We definitely don’t want that.

So, what do you do?

You get smart, that’s what. When you are faced with the drive thru speaker and menu, take a moment to really think about it. And I mean REALLY think about it. Forget the guy behind you who is wishing you would hurry up, or the kid behind the speaker who really wants to get to his break. You have an important choice to make. Take your time and make it wisely.

Let’s take a look at the average burger joint hamburger meal. Everyone knows you should probably leave off the bun. That’s a good start. But how about some of the less obvious things? For instance, do you really need the cheese? There’s a ton of calories right there, not to mention a truck load of fat. Leave off the cheese. Dressing? No, thanks. Most dressings are started with mayonnaise or some similar substance. Ketchup and mustard only please. Bacon? Come on! You know better than that! Are fries ok? Hmm…let’s see. Fries are made of potatoes, a white starchy carb. If I’ve taught you nothing, I have taught you to keep the white starchy carbs to a minimum. Plus, they are fried, yes that’s right, FRIED. Hence the name French FRIES. Get it? Do us both a favor and leave the fries for someone else. What else comes in these meals? Oh, yeah, a drink. You already know, soda is a big no-no. Opt for a water with lemon or unsweetened ice tea instead. You’ll be fine.

Well, that’s great, you say, but I’m going to a chicken place. Well, let’s hope it’s not one of the FRIED chicken places. However, most of the fried chicken places are now offering grilled chicken sandwiches. While they may not be truly grilled, they’re better than fried. And, no bun, no dressing, etc.

If you happen to go to one of the healthier chicken places, good for you! But watch for hidden surprises. Opt for chicken salads,  tostada bowls, etc. But don’t you dare eat the fried tortilla shell! (Sensing a theme here?) Again, stay away from buns and dressings, including dipping sauces.

Did you say Mexican? Oh boy, this is going to take some work. Same rules as above apply: no buns (or tortillas), no fried ANYTHING, and leave off the dressings. And yes, sour cream and guacamole are dressings. Salsa is ok, as long as it’s made of fresh veggies, not tons of ketchup and BBQ sauce. Salads and tostadas are good (again, no tortillas). Look really hard, I’m sure you can find SOMETHING to order.

Oh, Italian. That’s almost as tough as Mexican. However, there are plenty of Italian dishes you can eat without destroying your food plan. Try chicken and veggie dishes. I have seen a grilled chicken and veggie plate at some Italian places. Again, watch out for the hidden dressings, sauces or cooking oils. Oh, and by the way, stay away from the breadsticks and dipping bread with olive oil. No, no, no, no, no!

So, what I am telling you is this: be smart about what you order. Anywhere you go, you can find something to eat that is satisfying and won’t make you feel guilty. Just give it some thought. You’re smart, apply it!