How to get better sleep? Shared by Cameron Sutter

Approximately 100 million Americans struggle with difficulty sleeping. If you have trouble falling asleep, or staying asleep, there are some “tricks” to improve the situation. To some extent, insomnia can be like the old expression about fear: there is nothing to fear but fear itself. Sometimes, just the fear of not being able to sleep causes enough stress to keep us awake. Don’t worry, these guidelines should help.

1. Sleep is like a good meal. It must be at the correct time and well anticipated; it helps to be hungry, the food should look, taste and smell good; your surroundings should be pleasing; and you should have plenty of stress free time to enjoy it. Make your bedroom as inviting as that meal and you will sleep better.
2. Don’t look at the clock. Studies have shown that looking at the clock during the night increases insomnia. You will sleep more if you ignore the clock when you wake up during the night.
3. Leave work at the office and don’t take it to bed with you. If you wake during the night – do not think! Mental distraction is the name of the game. Try counting backwards from 100. The first times that you try this technique you might count from 100 two or more times. It’s OK. Eventually you will fall to sleep at about 95. You are training yourself to stop thinking about problems and to fall to sleep instead. It will take time to learn this good habit.
4. No caffeine after dinner. The half life of caffeine is about four hours.
5. Alcohol makes you doze off quickly, but after it metabolizes it will interrupt sleep later in the night.
   

One of my clients and good friends wants to go through a fitness transformation and she is kind enough to share her journey on my blog. Her name is Shana and she just moved from Missouri. She will be posting her workouts, challenges, obstacles, and successes. Please welcome her and give her tons of feedback. Maybe her story might inspire you.

"Hi, I'm Shana, and today I am entering into a journey of fitness transformation. I have currently relocated back to San Diego, CA with my 3 young daughters to start a high demand career in the medical field. During this trek across country, I managed to fall off the wagon of my current health and wellness journey. The change in my diet and lack of exercise literally caused me to gain 15 extra pounds, increased body fat, and a change in my overall appearance.

The above changes have caused me to experience a drop in energy, strength, confidence and balance. I have gone from feeling energetic, strong, happy and healthy to a state of lethargy and negative self esteem. For some reason, I just seem to have lacked the motivation to get back into a healthy routine.

I decided that I need help on my journey from someone with experience in helping others to get back on track and into better shape. Kevin Moses has been a trusted friend, mentor and source of inspiration through out the years and I have complete confidence in his ability and expertise to lead the way and guide me through my transformation. He has inspired me to dig deep into my intestinal fortitude and find something to motivate me. It is extremely important to find a trainer that you can trust and have confidence in and I know that with Kevin's help and professionalism I can achieve my goals.

My goals are to reduce body fat, increase strength, energy and muscle tone, as well as lose the extra weight I am carrying around. My motivation comes from the energy it takes to keep up with 3 little girls, a somewhat stressful full time job, and just over all feeling good about myself.

I invite you to join me on my journey of fitness transformation with Kevin. Hopefully it will not only help me to achieve my goals, but also inspire you to reach for your own personal goals of health and wellness. There is no greater joy than feeling great about who you are and sharing that with other people. Let's get started.... "

Being a personal trainer, I get asked many questions. One of the most popular questions is, "what time of day is best to workout"? Me personally, I love working out in the morning. It gives me the energy I need to have a productive day. It sets my mood on a positive note. The morning is when I have the most energy and feel like my workouts are most productive.

So is one better than the other, working out in the morning vs working out at night. I tell people, working out period is the best thing you can do for yourself and your body. So what works for one will not work for others. I have a client who works out at 4am every morning. This may not work for most, but for her its the only time she can get in. She has 3 daughters and has a full work load.

There are so many positive benefits of exercise, so just get off your butt and start. Your body will thank you for it. Stop making those stupid excuses, like I don't have time. I have shown people how to workout in there home, with a few simple tools. All you really need is resistance bands and a stability ball to start your exercise program.

Let me know what time you workout and what benefits you see from exercising. Thanks for visiting.

What can help you get self confidence? From my experience and what I see on a daily basis, more people than ever need to find a way yo feel good about themselves. There so many negative factors that are going on, and most of the time they become overwhelming and make us feel like there is no way out. How many of you feel that way?

It's those stories in your heads that we need to control. So many of us, listen to those stories. For example, Here's a common statement from someone trying to lose weight. "I tried losing weight before, but it just didn't work, why should I even try?" Those statements hurt us and keep us exactly where we are, in the dumps. When you feel hopeless and think theres no way out, what do you thinks going to happen. Yes, nothing except more gloom.

One of the best ways to improve the way you feel about yourself is start exercising. Even if you feel bad in the beginning of your routine, push through this feeling, I guarantee after you'll feel like million bucks. People think that because I'm a fitness coach and I know all these tools, I'm always happy and content. The truth, I need to work at these just as much as you. I do know, I have never felt bad after a workout, it always clears my mind and makes me realize how lucky I am to be able to workout, run, lift weights, etc. I feel my body thanks me after a workout.

Gratitude is very important. Like the Secret says, the things you're grateful for will attract into your life. It's proven science, so why do so many of us push these tools to the side and ignore the facts. Ok here it is, do this routine for 1 month and let me know how you feel. Exercise three times a week for at least 30 minutes. As your working out, think about all the grateful things in your life. For me, its my condo, living here in San Diego, the health of my family and friends to name a few. I know you have it in you, its your time. Go For It!

Please tell me what you think of my new idea. How would you feel about a daily video on some sort of health topic? Here are a few of the possible topics; nutrition, exercise, sports conditioning, fitness coaching, etc

I'm serious about the feedback. I need to know what everyone subscribing to my blog would like to see more of. I have a vast knowledge of health and fitness and love sharing my passion. It feels kind of good, to be good at something:)

Coalition on Children and Weight San Diego has been an organization here in San Diego that has taken a stand on the recent childhood obesity epidemic. I have been in the process of involving my company, Mozis Wear, to donate funds to this organization. There have been some good ideas for this process. One idea I do like, was taking one of shirts and donating a % of those proceeds. My ultimate goal would be to eventually have my own foundation that teaches, helps, and educates families to live a healthy life.

Here's some information I pulled off the Coalition on Children and Weight San Diego's Newsletter this past month that I thought I would share. "Menu Labeling as a Potential Strategy for Combating the Obesity Epidemic The County of Los Angeles Public Health Department released a study on the impact of menu labeling on L.A.'s current obesity rates. The report estimates that menu labeling would avert 38.9 percent of the 6.75 million pound average weight gain in the county population aged 5 years and older." Check out this link for more information.

Getting out of rut can be a challenge. We all go through them, its just how do we get over them and start back on the right path. It's funny because most of my clients think that I'm always happy and everything is great. I take that as a compliment, but to tell the truth I go through those frustrating times like everyone else.

Right now is a weird time in the world. There seems to be so much negative things happening in the world, I think its taking a toll on peoples mind sets. There seems to be disasters every week. The economy is bad. People are losing their jobs. Gas is at a all time high. Where does it end? Well one good thing, we don't have control over most of these things, so why dwell on them?

I'm not saying don't think about them, but dwelling on these types of things will drain your energy and everyone around you. I found out for myself that momentum is huge. Do something positive, anything. Working out, taking a walk, or maybe even calling an old friend that makes you feel good. I like to do something that I wouldn't normal do. It makes me feel good to get out there and start doing, whatever that is. Keep moving-Physically and mentally.

Free printable exercise log now available on my website at Moses In Home Fitness. Many of you have asked for some sort of workout plan. Hope you don't mind me sharing my personal preference, which is 2 days splits. One day Ill do chest, shoulders, and triceps. The next day I'll do back and biceps. Always doing some sort of core work on each work out and stretching exercises.

The reason I train that way is because of what I have learned over the years. That is to workout hard, but to also recover just as hard. That's the only way you'll grow(see results) without getting injured. I seen it all to often before. The times when I pushed myself too hard were the times injuries were more frequent. Injuries are no fun and can set you back 8 to 10 months, maybe more.

Getting back to my point. Why do I workout like this? Training the chest, shoulders and triceps on one day makes perfect sense. All these muscles groups mainly work together, so they should all rest together. Example: Say I'm doing a push up for my chest. This exercise also works the shoulders and triceps. If you trained this way, your workout schedule would look like this. Monday, Thursday-Chest, shoulders, triceps Tuesday,Friday-Back, biceps. That's 72 hours rest per body part. That's an awesome recover time frame. You will have healed and be ready for your next workout. This exercise plan is injury preventive. Let me know how your workouts are going.

Check out my Free Printable Exercise Log at Moses In Home Fitness.

How to avoid gaining weight on a holiday weekend can be a challenge. All the parties and family time can be overwhelming. What can I eat? What should I avoid eating? Can I just splurge this weekend and then start my diet? These are all questions my clients have been asking me for the past week.

What can you eat? Great question. You can eat grilled chicken, lean meats, any type of fish(no deep fried), and eat all the fruit and veggies you want. I tell all my clients what the goal for the weekend should be is limit those high calorie meals. The ones where you eat everything under the sun. Brats, hotdogs, cake, chips with dip, and those soda drinks will sure add those calories up. One meal could add 1500+ calories. These types of splurge meals can set you back weeks with your weight loss goals.

What should you avoid? These are the top 3 things to avoid.

• #1 Alcohol
• #2 Soda & fruit-sugar drinks
• #3 Sweets, cake, ice cream, chips with dip

Set yourself up for success. Change your mind set that its OK if you eat bad this whole weekend. I think many of us make tons of excuses to eat and treat our bodies like we don't care. We say things like, "This only happens once a year", "Its been awhile since you've seen someone(friend or family member) and tell yourself its OK to eat and drink like its the last supper." Yes a few cheat meals will happen, but we can put a limit on those and the calories consumed during the day. Take care of your health, It's your responsibility.

This past Wednesday on May 21th I did an event with Dr Nick here in San Diego. We demonstrated how to use the resistance bands to his Health Stewards group. This is my 3rd time presenting with Dr Nick and I have to say he one of the most genuine guys I know. We have become friends over the past year and it's always a pleasure to spend time with him.

Around a year ago I came across his story on TV and was inspired to call him. For those of you who don't know about Dr Nick and his story, I recommend you visiting his CHANGE and reading his story. Back in 2001 he was weighing 467 lbs, within 1 year he had lost close to 280 lbs.

Check out our audio clip from last year. This was the first time we spoke together on a conference call.

Craigs List San Diego is a great place to find clients, customers, and great products. I have been promoting my personal training business on Craigs list for the past 2 years and I would say since I've started, I have received 7 new clients and 5 amazing contacts that have helped me with my business.

I've met a web developer, massage therapist, nutritionist, photographer, and fitness models. As you can see for the price of advertising(which is FREE) Craigs List San Diego has been good to me. I know many of you don't live in San Diego, but Craigs List is now world wide. I recommend giving it a try and see if you can find what you're looking for, I know it has helped me. Thanks for all your positive feedback.

Fitness trainer in San Diego has been a fun and rewarding career. I just received a question from one of my subscribers that I thought I would share.

"I'm currently 24 years old.. actually i feel that I'm quite fat even though I'm already the thinnest in the family.. I'm 5'10 and 80kg.. that's why i always couple cardio with resistance training.. however.. lately i realized that my muscle mass is actually getting smaller.. wonder what's wrong..??"

My first thought I had, what is your specific goal? His was to gain muscle size. Even though I like and recommend cardio for most clients, I think this may have stopped him from seeing muscle gains. He was burning too many calories for his goal. From asking more questions he was also not eating right. He needs to eat around 80-100 grams of protein per day, he was consuming around 40-50g. In order for muscle to grow you must tear that muscle down and recover it as fast as you can. Eating protein will help build and repair the muscle after exercise.
Drinking water is also essential is muscle growth. Think about it 80% of you muscle is water. Water helps bring in nutrients to help repair your muscles. That should be your number 1 goal.

I'm realizing that being a fitness trainer in San Diego does not limit myself to just San Diego. I'm looking forward to offering online personal training to all my out of town clients within the next few months.

Thanks for your question. Please keep them coming.

I have seen it all too often. People think that because they are drinking diet soda, its OK and there will be NO consequences. Guess what? There are big consequences, like your weight and your health. Soda, diet soda, & all these other sugar/artificial sweeteners drinks are one of the most unhealthy things you can consume. Check out this recent study on drinking diet soda.

I'm a firm believer in water and its great benefits. I had an overweight client, who stopped drinking soda and starting drinking water, he lost 13 lbs in 1 week. No lie, true story. He was obese at 320 at the age of 33. It sure was great to see him change his lifestyle and get the best results.

Please take care of your health. "We only appreciate our health when its gone." KM

Since I work for myself, I need to find new business on a continued basis. People often ask me what do I do to find new clients. Something that has helped me double my business in the past year has been BNI, which is a networking group. We meet once a week at 7am. We network and exchange leads during our meetings. We also learn about each other businesses, so we have a better idea of what their looking for. We have around 35 different professions and growing. I feel BNI is a great way to expand your business. Not only have I received good leads for potential clients, I have also met great power team associates. Nutritionist, massage therapist, and even Doctors. I suggest giving it try, but only if your looking to really grow your business. Good Luck.

The Biggest Loser TV show is an inspiration for people that are overweight and obese. Seeing someone else transform their bodies and lose large amounts of weight gives others hope. Being a personal trainer, I'm always thinking of how to improve. What works for one client may not work for another and I always need to be on my toes. I like watching The Biggest Loser, it gives me ideas for my clients. I'm always thinking of new and creative ways to workout and motivate.

I think I had a good idea last night. I'm thinking of offering all my clients incentives for reaching their goals. Example: Male weighs 245 lbs. Overall goal is lose 4o lbs in the next 6 months. In the first month he has to lose 7 lbs. If he reaches this goal he will receive 2 free personal training sessions and every month after that for a weight loss of 7 lbs. He will have to meet me at least twice a week. When he reaches his overall weight loss goal of 40lbs, he will receive (Fill in Blank) the BEST IDEA will receive a personal exercise video from me-Kevin Moses.

The top 5 things you can do to avoiding holiday weight gain.

1. Avoid over eating and consuming big meals.
Eating in excess will only help gain weight. Once you body is full, most of the extra calories will be stored for later use and that's the last thing you want. Just think one of those high calorie meals, which can be in the 2000-3000 calorie range, would take 5 hrs to burn off you walked at a fast paced walk. Its just not worth it.

2. Avoiding drinking high calorie alcohol drinks.
Drinking alcohol not only adds unwanted calories, but slows your metabolism down. This the last thing you want to do if your trying to lose weight. Also alcohol raises the blood sugar, which causes weight gain.

3. Walk after your meals at least 10-15 minutes.
10-15 minutes can make all the difference in your weight loss goals. Most people feel like taking a nap after those big meals. A walk would not only help burn calories, but increase your energy throughout the day.

4. Try to eat 5 small meals on those party days.
With each meal please, please try to consume a high protein source. (turkey, chicken, low fat cheese, almonds, and/or fish) This will help stabilize blood sugar, which will help your energy levels and weight loss goals.

5. Avoid sweets as much as possible.
Consuming sweets not only adds unwanted calories, but raises your blood sugar levels fast. This causes your body to go into fat storing mode. No pies, cakes, or cookies. Ok a few:)

Because of the huge request for resistance bands I now sell them on my website at a discount to all subscribers. Your own home gym for under $50.00, how can you beat that. Plus my videos to help with your exercise instruction

Everyone have a great holiday and I wish you all a Happy New Year!

What's a personal self-confidence coach? That's just one aspect of coaching, self-confidence. I have coached hundreds of clients with simple everyday problems and most issues come from low self-confidence or low self-esteem.

We all at one time or another haven't had the confidence that we would of liked in a certain situation. Why is it so hard to find the self-confidence? Its amazing the stories we tell ourselves day in and day out and these stories usually aren't the good ones.

I think talking with a personal self-confidence coach is one of the best ways to set yourself up for success. Some people may mention talking with a good friend might also do the trick. I agree talking about your issues is the only way you'll learn to resolve them in a timely manner, but having an objective opinion will benefit you more than ever.

Are you interested in having a break through? Whats a break through? Its when you realize something about yourself that you've never seen before. Its the light bulb that goes off in your head with a new idea. It might even change everything you believed your whole life.

Tell me what break through you've had recently......