BE PART OF THE 9%

Gingerbread houses. Watching It's A Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve. Eggnog. Kissing under the mistletoe. The holidays are a time of traditions. And as the calendar rapidly closes in on 2015, another tradition creeps into out minds...the New Year's Resolution. It's the time of the year to assess how well we did in keeping those promises we made to ourselves last January 1st, and to look forward to the lifestyle improvements we desire for the upcoming 12 months.

 

 

 



 

With an all-or-nothing mentality, more than half of the people in the U.S. vow to lose weight, stop smoking, spend more time with their family, and so on. Virtually every bad habit we presently have is fair game to be replaced by something better. I am always somewhat cautiously optimistic when people tell me of their desires to finally get in shape. My reserved nature is with good reason: almost 1 in every 4 people who made a New Year's resolution reverted back to their old habits within a week. And only slightly more than half of resolutionists were able to maintain their pledge until January 31st.

 

In fact, only about 9% of the people making a New Year's resolution see their goal through to completion. Why do so many people fall short in their attempts for self-improvement? I believe there are 3 key reasons:

 

1. Most people know the general outcome they want (to lose weight, for example), but they don't have a systematic plan in place to execute their goal. What do those successful 9% do? They learn the necessary steps that need to be followed from someone who has a proven track record of accomplishment. In other words, they seek the advice of experts--those people who have "been there, done that, and are still doing it!" If you truly want to improve yourself, find the most qualified professional you can. Just because your boyfriend's best friends' nephew likes to lift weights does not mean he is the best person to assess your abilities and build a plan to fit your unique lifestyle.

 

2. Not having a support system in place to help you when the going gets tough (and there will be tough times). Start by recognizing that your plan will not go as smoothly as you like. Life happens. Kids get sick. Your boss needs you to work late tonight. Friends plead with you to go out with them on Friday evening. Once you accept that you will occasionally miss a workout or have to alter your carefully-designed meal plan, you can have contingency plans in place to help keep you from straying too far off course.

 

3. Their reasons for achieving their objective are vague and not rooted in what's truly important to them. Knowing WHY your goal is meaningful to you is crucial to succeed. If your "why" gets you emotional, enough to move you to tears, your chances for success are increased exponentially. If you're exercising simply because your best friend wants a gym partner, you're heading for disappointment again.

 

Once you have addressed these 3 issues, TAKE ACTION! Don't wait for Monday or January 1st. Great achievers like Sir Richard Branson, Maria Shriver or Donald Trump strike when the time is right. And the time to start your next resolution, to make that phone call to a fitness coach, to seek a qualified nutritionist, to be in the top 9%, is today.

 

If you want to get a jump on your 2015 fat loss goal, sign up for our 8-week NEW YEAR, NEW YOU event. This is not the typical Eat-500-Calories-A-Day diet plan promoted by most gyms, infomercials, and diet books. For only $149, you'll receive a complete, safe experience that includes all of the following:

• 16 sessions with a certified nutrition and fitness coach
• a full medical, lifestyle and movement assessment
• soft tissue work
• core stabilization programming
• sound resistance training to increase lean muscle
• energetic cardio routines
• a guarantee you'll lose 2 jean sizes or your money back!
  

To register for this event, or if you have any questions, call us today at 775.432.1356. Don't procrastinate...you must sign up by January 25th as this event begins on February 2nd, and we only have room for 40 life-changing individuals.

Move Better. Eat Better. LIVE BETTER IN 2015!

ESCAPING THE CRAB MINDSET

I have heard the following story a few times in the past 30 or so years, but it has come my way twice within recent weeks, so I thought I would share it with you.

 

If you've ever been crab fishing, you'll witness a phenomenon known as the crab mentality. This also goes by the "If I can't have it, neither can you" attitude that is so pervasive in today's jealous and selfish (I was tempted to write "shellfish") society. When crabbing, fishermen will lower a huge cage containing crab food into the ocean. Dozens of crabs will scramble into the open-top crate to feast on the cuisine at the bottom.

 

Frequently, one or two crabs, when finished chowing down, will begin to climb out of the barred enclosure so they can swim around or just lay on the beach for a few hours. But the rest of the group are content being fat and lazy, and watching life swim by. And they also think that their way of "life" should be observed by everyone else. With this way of thinking, the gang of crabs engage in a sort of pointless "king-of-the-hill" competition to pull those two back in so all of them will experience the same fateful demise.

 

The content, unmotivated crabs will actually jump on those climbing the walls in an effort to pull them back down. If the freedom-seeking crabs persist in achieving their goal, the others will start tearing off their legs so they can no longer ascend to the top. And if the independent crabs continue to exert their will, the group will actually kill them, along with their hopes of reaching their dreams.

 

I see this short-sighted, destructive behavior frequently when helping clients with their health and fitness goals. Friends and family members, satisfied with their own status quo, will sabotage their colleague or loved one. Sometimes it's done intentionally. I've had numerous females come to me seeking assistance, only to have their overweight, directionless husbands, boyfriends or significant others disallow them to work out. Sometimes it's done more covertly. Friends will constantly badger others to "go out for a few drinks", or will bring home fast food under the guise of "do it for me". But the underlying objective is still the same: to keep them from achieving a better life.

 

If you're in a relationship, be it personal or professional, where somebody is constantly attempting to derail your hopes and aspirations, GET OUT...NOW! Be relentless in your climb to the top, and don't allow anyone to pull you back down into their cage of complacency and inferiority.

 

Move Better. Eat Better. Live Better!

RELIEVING HOLIDAY STRESS WITH EXERCISE

As I am writing this blog, it's 7 AM on Black Friday 2014. Yesterday, millions of Americans gave thanks for what they have. Today, many of those same people will trample their fellow man to save 30% on a 50-inch TV. Yes, the next 4 weeks are known as the most stressful time of the year. It's a time when far too many people simply give in to holiday traditions--eating and drinking an extra 1,000 calories a day, spending absurd amounts of money on material things, and completely ignoring their personal health.

 

Everybody's stressed out! Even everyday issues seem insurmountable. And when all of these internal and external stimuli are magnified for the next 28 days, it results in emotional, mental, and physical strains on our body. These chronic strains often lead to anxiety and depression, high blood pressure, heart problems, cancer, and can even change the architecture of our brain.

                        
 

 

Stress is simply our body's response to all of these challenging factors. Stress activates our body's sympathetic nervous system--our "fight or flight" response. And during those infrequent times when you're being chased by a Doberman, stress is good. Chronic stress, however, causes our adrenal glands to pump more cortisol and adrenaline into our bloodstream. The excessive amounts of these hormones can inhibit digestion, slow liver metabolism, decrease cellular repair, increase memory loss and lower immune functions.

 

Excess cortisol also results in additional belly fat and can zap our energy levels. This is why we often crave comfort foods, usually sweets that contain high amounts of simple sugars (donuts, cinnamon rolls, pie and cake). Our body also seeks out foods higher in fats, and alcohol for a quick, but short-lived boost of energy.
 

THERE IS A CURE!!                                  

 

The proper amounts and types of exercise can help us control the emotional, mental and physical feelings and changes that accompany chronic stress. Exercise increases the ability of our body and brain to recover from all those stimuli that are constantly bombarding us. In 35 separate studies of women, 66% showed an increased risk of breast cancer in women who do not exercise regularly. Another study also showed that 70% of men over the age of 65 who exercised regularly have a decreased chance of fatal prostate cancer.

 

Exercise also:

• Increases the efficiency of energy production without elevating toxic oxidative stress
• Increases insulin receptors to better utilize blood glucose
• Keeps cortisol levels in check
• Helps the brain relax during stressful situations
• Reverses the effects that stress has on the hippocampus

 

When exercising to reduce stress, remember to keep your intensity levels fairly high (a 7-8 out of 10 on your personal rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale) and the duration fairly short--30 minutes is a good amount of time. And three 30-minute workouts a week is manageable for everyone, it's less than 1% of our weekly hours. Incorporate a mixture of resistance training and conditioning work to strengthen the muscles, heart and brain.

                                                        



 

Also insert 30-45 minutes of parasympathetic activities daily to aid in recovery. This can include meditation, yoga, massage or foam rolling, taking a warm bath and reading. It doesn't include technology, so turn off the TV, put the smart phone away, and stay off the internet (although shopping on the internet may keep you from stomping your neighbor at Wal-Mart!).

Happy Holidays!

Move Better. Eat Better. Live Better!!

 

 

 

 

 

5 HEALTHY HOLIDAY EATING TIPS

I often miss the holiday seasons of the 1970's. A group of friends would get together on Thanksgiving morning and play football or basketball for a few hours, then spend the afternoon with our respective families enjoying a nice holiday meal. It was a time when the spotlight of the day was on having quality time with others.

 

But these days, the focus has shifted to quantity instead of quality. It's all about eating as much as we can. Hours on end are exhausted planning an extravagant menu. Cooking and baking begins the day before. Appetizers that will make your arteries look like the I-405 on a Monday morning are on the table 4 hours before the main meal is scheduled to be served, so we have something to constantly munch on while we sit on the couch mindlessly watching the first of a half-dozen televised sporting events.

 

This tradition begins on the last Thursday of November and runs non-stop through New Year's Eve. It's become a 34-day party where millions of Americans give themselves permission to gain another 7-10 pounds.

 

But it is possible to enjoy the holidays without plumping up like a Butterball turkey. Here are 5 easy tips to help you maintain your body weight, and your sanity, during this jolly-filled time of year:

 

1. Don't arrive hungry. Not eating all day so you have plenty of room to feed your face will cause your metabolism to slow and your body to hold on to fat. Instead, plan your meals so that you are not starving when sitting down for that feast. Eat a healthy breakfast, and then a small snack about 2 hours before the main event. 
2. Bring something healthy. Not only will your hostess appreciate your thoughtfulness, but you will now have at least one nutrient-rich food to eat. And this dish doesn't have to be expensive or time-consuming to make. Just see below for a simple, healthy alternative to calorie-laden mashed potatoes.
3. Don't load your plate with some of everything. You'll be tempted to eat everything on your plate, and then go back for more (because everyone has to have seconds, right?). Instead, take smaller portions of 2-3 items at a time, and feel free to have more when your plate is empty.
4. Eat only until you're 80% full. The turkey should be the only thing stuffed at the table. And unless your name is Frank Barone, leave the stretchy pants at home.
   
5. Don't hang around the table/dining room /kitchen after eating. Go into a separate room where there is no food and enjoy the company of others. Have a meaningful conversation, play board games, or better yet, go for a walk. Just leave the boob-tube off.

There you have it...5 simple tips for making your holiday meals more enjoyable while you make your waistline less noticeable.

 

• Coconut Cauliflower Mash: Place 3 cups of roughly-chopped cauliflower, 1/4 cup of crushed cashews, 1/4 cup of coconut milk, and a pinch each of salt, pepper, and cinnamon in a pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Place mixture in a blender or food processor and puree until almost smooth, adding a tablespoon of water if mixture is too thick for the blender to get moving. This side dish serves 2 people, and has only 205 calories, 14g of carbs, 4.3g of fiber, 13.6g of fats, and 6.6g of protein. (Courtesy of Precision Nutrition)

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

 

Move Better. Eat Better. Live Better!

       

 

 

STICKS AND STONES...

 

While sticks and stones can break our bones, eating poorly and not incorporating strength training into a regular exercise routine can be even more debilitating in the long run.

 

You see, when we reach the ripe old age of 30, our body stops building bone mass. And by the time we turn 40, we begin losing about 0.5% of our bone mass every year. That may not sound like much, but at that rate we'll lose one-tenth of our bone mass by age 50! And this loss increases substantially more for women during menopause. It's no wonder that 33% of all women and nearly 20% of men will suffer an osteoporotic bone fracture at some point in their lifetime. But hope is not lost. There are things we can do to slow the rate of bone loss, and even increase our bone density well into our 50's and 60's.

 

 

Eating a balanced diet is essential to decreasing the risk of bone loss. I've written about this before (see our June post titled Balance), but ensuring we eat enough vegetables and fruits to offset our commonly high-acidic diets will prevent the body from robbing vital calcium from our bones to keep us in a necessary neutral pH. Our bones contain nearly 99% of our body's calcium, so they're an easy place to pull acid-neutralizing minerals.

 

Unfortunately, pharmaceutical and supplement companies have convinced us that all we need to do to increase our calcium levels is take a few pills every day. But research has shown that taking more than 1,000 milligrams of a calcium supplement can be harmful. It can lead to increased risks of breast cancer and heart attacks. In addition to this, excess alcohol and/or caffeine (coffee and energy drinks), as well as too much sodium, will impede healthy bones. And many medications for depression, cancer, diabetes and even heartburn can reduce mineral absorption.

 

To maintain bone integrity, we should be getting between 600 and 1,200mg of calcium every day, mainly from food sources such as dairy products, cheddar cheese, leafy green veggies, broccoli, tofu, turnips and almonds. We also need to ensure we are getting plenty of vitamin D from high-protein foods like salmon, sardines and whole eggs, and just getting out in the sun. Vitamin D increases calcium uptake.

 

Strength training is also crucial for keeping brittle bones at bay. I have read of cases where women in their 40's and 50's have increased their bone density by as much as 13% in just one year by lifting weights 2-3 times a week and eating properly. And while I don't recommend people use dysfunction-promoting machines to exercise, our body can't differentiate the source of resistance training. Simply placing physical demands on our skeletal and muscular systems will lead to increased bone formation.

 

So heed these words, and you too can avoid the hurt caused by broken bones.

 

 

 

Move Better. Eat Better. Live Better!

GIVE A MAN A FISH OIL SUPPLEMENT

Give a man a fish and you'll give him the gift of better health for the day. The benefits of marine foods and their high content of Omega-3 fatty acids have been well-documented the past few decades, although its reputation has been unfoundedly tarnished lately due to one publication. But after some further reading, I've found that the contents of this "study", as well as the author's credibility, are highly questionable.

 

Let's look at why Omega-3s are ESSENTIAL for our body to thrive. When talking Omega-3s, we're looking at:

• Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA) which is derived from plant-based sources such as hemp, flax, and chia seeds, as well as walnuts
• Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) which comes from fish and algae
• Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) which also comes from fish and algae

These Omega-3s are classified as essential because our body cannot manufacture them. We must get them from food sources. Research has shown that DHA and EPA are the most beneficial for us. ALA can be converted to EPA by our body, but in such a small percentage that we would have to overeat these foods to see any significant benefits.

 

Further, our typical Western diet is generally high in Omega-6 fatty acids. These come from poultry and other factory-farmed meats, cereals and wheat, most vegetable and seed oils including corn and safflower oils, nuts and a dozen other foods. Studies show that just a few generations ago, the ratio of Omega-6s to Omega-3s we consumed was close to 1:1. With the "advances" in food processing and refinement, increases in genetically modified foods, and our overall poor dietary habits, that ratio is now closer to 16:1.We need to start tipping the scale back to how our great-grandparents ate.

 

 

 

The benefits of Omega-3s include:

• a decreased danger of chronic diseases, including some forms of cancer
• an increase in immune and nervous system functions, as well as improved brain development and cognitive performance
• a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia
• better cell membrane permeability
• a reduced threat of sudden cardiac death
• strong evidence of improving body composition and alleviating depression

Additionally, one study showed that taking 1 multi-vitamin and 1 fish oil capsule daily lowered the incidence of aggressive behaviors in elementary school-aged children and in prison inmates (I don't know if there's a connection between these two groups or not).

 

Unfortunately, much of the available whole-food fish supply today contains environmental pollutants. Added to that is the prevalence of farm-raised fish that also decreases the amounts of natural fatty acids they provide. As a result, A fish oil supplement should probably be taken every day, while we scale back our fish intake to occasionally. Fish oil supplements should contain at least 30% EPA and DHA, and a combined minimum of 330 milligrams of the two. Take 2-3 grams daily with meals. If you're a vegetarian or prefer algae oil, lower the dose to 1-2 grams / day.

 

Lastly, fish oil may not be suitable for everyone. Those people who are taking blood thinning medication, those who have an upcoming surgery, have an abnormal heart rhythm, or bleeding disorders should consult their physician prior to taking an Omega-3 supplement.

 

Teach a man to take a fish oil supplement every day and you will very likely improve the length and quality of his life!

 

Move Better. Eat Better. Live Better!

6 MOVEMENTS THAT YOU SHOULD INCLUDE IN YOUR WORKOUTS

Like the majority of people who begin a weight lifting program, I built my workouts around a typical body part routine. Monday I would focus on my chest, shoulders and triceps, Tuesday was legs, calves and abs, and Wednesday's workout included my back, biceps, and forearms. This is all I knew, which was gleaned from the various bodybuilding magazines in the 1980's. It is a very effective program for those whose primary goal is to compete in a physique contest where the body is judged while standing still. Today, this "split" routine is how most people, regardless of their goals, continue to train. And how most trainers still train their clients.

When I first started studying for my National Academy of Sports Medicine Personal Trainer certification, I became fascinated with the structure if the human body. Everything in our body is connected, with muscles running vertically, horizontally, and diagonally to ensure proper movement. Just pick up any anatomy book, or better yet read Thomas Myers' Anatomy Trains, and you'll see what I mean. 

As an example, let's look at the latissimus dorsi, commonly known as your "lats". This large back muscle on each side of your spine originates as far down as your last lumbar vertebra, and on its way up to its insertion on your opposite side upper arm bone, it attaches to your thoracic spine and ribs. Now picture pitching a baseball or shooting a layup in basketball. When you release the ball from your right hand, your left leg is planted on the ground. Power is transferred from your left foot to your right arm, with that lat muscle being the conduit from the left hip/glute to the right shoulder.

So what's my point? Unless you're working out solely to look better standing still, there is no reason to ever train your body by isolating your muscles. It simply doesn't make sense. Our body is designed to move as one unit, not a bunch of separate muscles working independently.

With that being said, a complete workout program MUST include these six basic movement patterns, provided you can perform them without pain. These movements all utilize multiple muscles and multiple joints. They will challenge your body in a way you are designed to function, and will burn more body fat than single muscle group exercises. Here are photos of my daughter Emily performing these 6 essential moves:

1. SQUAT (a kettlebell goblet squat)

2. UPPER BODY PUSH (a basic push-up)

   

3. UPPER BODY PULL (a band-assisted chin-up)

  

4. HINGE (a kettlebell deadlift)

  

5. LUNGE (alternating leg lunge)

6. TWIST (TRX Rip Trainer Lacrosse shot)

  

Move Better. Eat Better. Live Better!

PLEASE LEAVE A REPLY OR COMMENT!

ACL TEARS: A TWIST OF FATE?

Ahh. 'Tis the season. And while the local departments stores already have their stockings hung by the cash registers with care, I'm referring to the fall/winter sports season. Yes, football and indoor volleyball are already upon us, while basketball and skiing are right around the corner. Unfortunately, with these sports come a huge increase in knee injuries.

Every year there are over 100,000 reconstructive ACL surgeries in the United States. That's an average of 2,000 repaired knees in each state. And about 1/3 of these involve high school-aged female athletes. If you didn't already know, females are 4-10 times more susceptible to knee ligament tears than men. We can get into a discussion on the reasons why this is, but who cares? What we need to do is twist the arms of physical education teachers, strength and conditioning coaches, and athletic directors to prioritize reducing the risks associated with these traumas.

Let's start with a little simple anatomy and physiology. The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL and the medial collateral ligament (MCL) are both attached to the femur, or thigh bone, and to the tibia in your lower leg. They work together to keep the tibia from moving forward and inward. These two ligaments are the most prone to tears when discussing knee injuries. When torn, the knee joint loses stability, especially during rotational activities and when participating in almost every sport. Recovery from these tears are a fate worse than death--they are expensive, lengthy, and physically challenging. And once you suffer this type of damage, your chances of a future injury are significantly more likely. Just look at Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose for recent examples.

These ligamentous injuries rarely occur when we're standing on both legs. Usually the damage is done when we are running and try to decelerate, stop, and or change directions too quickly. They are also caused by landing awkwardly after a jump, causing the knee to twist and/or hyperextend. Weak glutes and hamstrings, and a lack of ankle dorsiflexion also contribute to the likelihood of knee issues.

To stop tempting fate, athletes and exercisers need a thorough strength and conditioning program that begins with a complete warm-up. This warm-up must include exercises that take all joints through their full ranges of motion, as well as incorporating movements in all three planes of motion. The attention here is on stabilizing and mobilizing the proper joints.

There also has to be a strength component in your plan. This doesn't just mean lifting weights. It means learning how to control movement while under a load, known as eccentric strength. An example of this is being able to "stick the landing" when jumping or hopping. This is functional eccentric strength. Remember, these injuries almost never happen when on both feet, and they never occur when seated or laying down. Therefore, machines such as the leg press, leg extension, and leg curl should never be part of your arsenal for combating knee problems.

Add a progressive inventory of single leg movements such as squats, dead lifts, hops and bounds into your routine. These will enhance your body's ability to stabilize itself while you're playing your sport. Once your body can demonstrate the ability to reactively stabilize, you should insert some power exercises to your program. This means adding exercises that generate as much force as fast as possible, while controlling the movement. Power training is necessary to excel at all sports, as well as to keep from getting hurt in everyday life.

There you have it--a guide to keeping you from twisting in the wind because you weren't properly prepared for the unforeseen demands of your sport. Follow these recommendations and your Christmas list won't include a new knee brace, titanium crutches, or a gift certificate booklet to Physical Therapists R Us!

 

If you have questions on specific exercises that should be incorporated into your training program, give us a call at 775.432.1356.

Move Better. Eat Better. Live Better!

Please feel free to leave a comment in the space below. Thanks!

 





CONTROL PAIN AND GET YOUR LIFE BACK

Did you know that tightness in your calf muscle can be a cause of TMJ? Or that shoulder pain can be a result of tension in a thigh muscle? If not, you are about to discover some powerful information that truly can change the way you live your life. I'm going to give you some strategies to help alleviate, and very possibly eliminate, the pain you're now suffering.

 

I want to discuss trigger points. I covered this topic a couple of months back, but it is so prevalent among almost every client I've ever worked with that I feel it bears more attention.

 

What are trigger points? Basically, they are knots or adhesions in our muscles and fascia (picture cellophane wrapping all of our muscles, bones, joints, and everything else inside us) that occur as a result of stresses we've placed on our body. These stresses can be chemical, nutritional, emotional, and/or mechanical. These knots release a chemical called hydroxyproline that causes irritation, sometimes almost paralyzing-like, to our nerves.

We need to reduce or get rid of these trigger points and the pain associated with them. This is done by putting pressure on our muscles. Look back to our first two sentences and note that trigger points in one area can refer pain in another, seemingly unrelated, part of our body. If you have shoulder pain for example, you may have adhesions in your glute (butt) muscles or even just above the knee. Therefore, it may take a little experimenting to find the origin of the pain.

 

Back to applying pressure--you must apply enough pressure to begin to flatten out that knot. If what you're doing looks more like rolling out a pie crust, you won't be very effective. The pressure has to create a level of discomfort, but not to the point where it's so painful that your body tenses up.

 

The tools you need are fairly inexpensive--less than the cost of one visit to a quality massage therapist. We use high-quality foam rollers (about $25), tennis balls ($.75), Lacrosse balls ($2.50), and massage sticks (around $30). You don't need more than this.

To get started, take your device, find a painful spot in a muscle, and apply pressure on that knot from 30 seconds to 2 minutes, then move on to the next one. The crucial take-away here is that frequency trumps duration. You can do your soft tissue work several times a day (start with once or twice and slowly work up to 5-6) if necessary, but don't focus on an area longer than a couple of minutes at a time.

 

And I'll be very honest here--the first time you get into a nasty trigger point, it can be excruciatingly painful. So much so that you may ask yourself whether or not it's worth it. Trust me--it is. That pain means you have an issue that will only get worse, and can easily lead to a serious injury. Don't give up!

 

Once you get rid of a trigger point, it's a good idea to go back to that spot every couple of weeks to see if it's returned. Very often, repetitive movements, lengthy sitting, and the like can cause trigger points to return. This may create compensation movements elsewhere in the body that will result in more pain.

 

I'll leave you with a few final notes:

• If you have pain anywhere in your body, you have a trigger point issue. You have a muscle problem. You have a fascia concern. If you don't address them, your pain will get worse;
• Drink plenty of water after soft tissue work. You are releasing toxins and other gunk back into your body, and they need to be flushed out. Try to drink 3-4 glasses of water within an hour of finishing your therapy;
• If you have more than one trigger point in a muscle, work on the most painful one first. Then move to the next most painful, and so on;
• Stretch the muscle slowly after you work on the knots. Never stretch first as you can make that trigger point even tighter;
• Finally, seek medical advice if your pain doesn't improve, or you feel things are getting worse. You may have a more serious issue at hand.

I can tell you in complete honesty that doing soft tissue work has helped me immensely with how well I move, and the same is true for dozens and dozens of clients I've coached. Don't put this off any longer. Now is the time to take back control of your body and your LIFE!

Move Better. Eat Better. Live Better!


If you liked this post, or have any questions or concerns, please comment below and we will address your issues. Thank You!

THE TRUE MAGIC OF HEALTH & FITNESS

Getting out of shape is not something that occurs overnight. Nobody goes to bed, waking up 8 hours later having gained 40 pounds. Gaining weight to the point of being displeased, even disgusted with how you look and feel, and lacking the self-confidence and energy to do anything about it, takes months or years of poor lifestyle habits. It is when we are feeling this depressed and desperate that we fall prey to any and all get-fit-quick workouts and pills out there. Sadly, there is NO magic workout or infomercial diet when it comes to getting into shape.

When you reach the point that you are truly ready to change how you look and feel, it has to start within you. You have to pull up the reason from deep down inside--the reason that is so intense and personal that it makes your eyes tear up. For me, it was being fed up with getting picked on and laughed at for how I looked. Once you have your "why", you now have the real magic. Armed with your emotional why, you can make anything happen.

Next, you must take action. And you must do it NOW, while you are fired up. For many people, this means joining a gym. And frequently the determining factor is price. For just $19 a month, you get access to 10,000 square feet of equipment. Plus you get everything else that comes with it: little, if any, professional assistance, screaming meatheads dropping 300 pound barbells, and figure-it-out-for-yourself exercises on machines that were probably invented before you were born. Take a look at the design of those machines--95% of them have you sitting or lying down, which is probably what got you out-of-shape in the first place!

Your intentions are good. You're at the gym. You have a plan: forty-five minutes a day, four times a week on the treadmill. And although you may feel better for a week or two, rarely will you see changes that last. And so the frustration creeps in...again. You're looking at yourself in the mirror ready to throw in the towel. Don't do it!!

Do whatever it takes to keep moving forward. Getting back in shape, just like getting out of it, takes months and years. There are going to be difficult days, lots of them, especially in the beginning. But you don't have to do it alone. I had someone guide me early on. I owe a lot to Ron C. His pushing me in the gym allowed me to succeed in all areas of my life...physically, mentally, emotionally and even financially. Fitness literally changed my life.

If you are serious about finally wanting to change your body and your life, get professional guidance. Don't walk on the treadmill. Walk out your door and find a fitness center, a community of like-minded people who are doing what you want to do. Find a place with highly credentialed fitness professionals who are dedicating their lives and careers to continually learning how to help you, not just someone who adjusts your seat height and puts the pin into the weight stack.

There are no magical workouts or pills. But there is a place dedicated to make you look, feel, and move so much better, it will seem like magic.

BEING AHEAD OF THE PACK

A couple weeks ago I was sent an email from our nutrition mentor, Dr. John Berardi, PhD, founder of Precision Nutrition. The email included a video presentation he did several weeks prior titled The Future of Fitness and Nutrition. In that video, JB noted several paradigm shifts that will affect the manner in which fitness professionals train their clients. I want to share a few of them with you.

> "Personal Trainers" will have to move from simply instructing exercises to helping their clients manage their lifestyles. This means helping people move better before they move more, make better food choices AND help with their eating behaviors. It also entails helping their clients manage their lives and caring for themselves in a more holistic way. 

This sounds a lot like what we are already doing. Success Health & Fitness does not employ
personal trainers--we are Professional Health & Fitness Coaches. In other words, we have the
credentialed knowledge and experience to do more than just carry a clipboard and watch you
exercise. We are movement, exercise, and nutrition certified to help you manage your health   
and fitness lifestyle.

> Trainers will need to move from studying solely exercise science to understanding how to help their clients make lasting changes. Many trainers don't realize that their methods of training may actually hinder their clients' progress. Most adults won't respond well to the in-your-face, Biggest Loser trainer.

The fitness professional of the future will need to meet their clients where they are physically,
emotionally, socially, and financially. The present "one-workout-fits-all" (ie: Crossfit or big-box 
gym) mentality will not fly as people become more demanding for professionals that will tailor
health and fitness programs that work for them specifically.

> The move from telling clients what to do and eat to helping clients understand what's presently holding them back and working with them to find solutions. Trainers, especially those new to the business, are more concerned about telling and showing their clients what they know, and what they think the client should do rather than taking the time to listen to their clients' needs and reasons.

> Stop giving your clients too many things to work on at once. If you've ever had a personal        trainer, this scenario may sound familiar: "I want you to eat breakfast every day within 1 hour   of waking up, followed by 5 more 300 calorie meals. And drink 96 ounces of water today. And come to the gym at 5PM to blast your chest and back. And take 10 grams of creatine. And..."      

Fitness trainers will need to give their clients the one strategic, clear practice that will make the
biggest difference for them at that time. As we tell our members here, it's baby steps...We have to
move better before we move more; we have to eat clean before we think about counting calories; we
need to do some soft tissue work before we stretch.

Thanks again to JB for putting out more good information, and affirming that we are in the top 10% of fitness professionals who are leading health and fitness into the future. Thanks also to all of you reading this post. We truly appreciate you taking the time to follow us.

STAYING WITHIN YOUR PLAN WHEN DINING OUT

WOO-HOOOOO! It's Friday! Just 8 more hours left in the work week and then it's 60 hours of getting outdoors, watching the Reno Air Races or the NFL games of the week, and...dining out with friends and family. Over the next 2 1/2 days Americans will typically about 150% more calories than they do during the average weekday. Much of that effort spent on the treadmill or in those spinning classes will be in vain as we gorge at our favorite large chain or fast food restaurants 2-5 times between Friday and Sunday evenings. But there are things you can do to make the experience a little healthier.

1. Plan. Have an active say in where you want to go. There are better choices out there such as a locally-owned restaurant where they serve, or better yet grow their own, organic vegetables and offer local lean meats. And while you may not get your way every time, any opportunity to eat at Great Full Gardens instead of the Cheesecake Factory is a step toward better health.

2. Research. Ok, you lost. It's The Cheesecake Factory tonight. Most national chain restaurants post their menu online, so take 10-15 minutes to do a little investigating. You're in the mood for some pasta? TCF's Shrimp and Angel Hair Pasta has 850 calories, whereas the Bistro Shrimp Pasta dish is a whopping 2290 calories. Apparently Bistro is the French word for butt-load of fat! And then there's the cheesecake for dessert, with an average calorie count of 927. Not too surprisingly, there are NO fat calories listed online for any of their menu items. My guess is the calculators couldn't add that high.

3. Remember Your Protein and Veggies. Make sure you start with your lean protein--chicken or fish are usually available and are generally a healthier alternative to beef. Then add your vegetables. If you want an appetizer, order a salad with oil and vinegar dressing on the side. Pass on the ranch, which has become the country's 2nd leading condiment after ketchup. A 1-ounce serving is 145 calories (and almost nobody uses only 1 ounce of ranch dressing). Avoid everything that's deep-fried.

4. Have It Your Way. It's your meal, so don't be afraid to order the food the way you want it. This means having your chicken grilled or your salmon steamed, without any butter or extra oils. Same goes for the veggies--steamed without anything added. Your food server works for tips, so he or she should do whatever it takes to ensure you are satisfied. Don't be afraid to ask.

5. Get a To-Go Box. Over-sized portions are way too common these days. Before your food is brought out, ask your server for a to-go box. When your meal arrives, place any amounts that are above your recommended portions in the box and ask your server to keep it for you until you're ready to leave. This way you won't be tempted to overeat.

6. Go Easy on the Spirits. Alcohol has about 7 calories per gram. And while that glass of house wine is only about 12% alcohol, it can easily add 225 calories onto your meal. And one 6-ounce  margarita is about 300 calories. Ay Carumba!

7. Stick to Your Habits. Lastly, you're with family or friends, so slow down and take time to talk. Remember that it takes roughly 20 minutes for your brain to get the signals from the stomach that you're getting full. Maybe longer if you're drinking. So take at least that long to eat your meal, and stop eating when you're 80% full or are no longer hungry.

Have a great weekend! Move Better. EAT BETTER. Live Better!

EMBRACE CHANGE: VALIDATION FOR SUCCESS HEALTH & FITNESS PRACTICES

About 2 weeks ago I received an email from Jessica (if you don't know Jessica yet, click on our TEAM tab here: www.successfitnessreno.com . It was an interview with Dr. Doug McGuff, a long-time exerciser and present emergency room physician in South Carolina. During this interview, Dr. McGuff discussed the benefits of high intensity training, a method of exercise he believes is practiced by fewer than 2% of the people working out in gyms. And in my 3-4 decades of experience, I think his estimate is spot on.

You see, most people exercising today fall into 1 of 2 categories. The first are those people doing a traditional bodybuilder-format workout, focusing on isolating individual muscles. I call this a "body for show" workout--it's all about the outward appearance. And that's a great way to train if looking fit is your goal. Unfortunately, there are way too many sports coaches and personal trainers still using this approach to train team sports athletes, as well as those people who simply want to improve their overall health. These people, which honestly is everybody, need a "body for go".

The second category is the cardio crowd. This includes those exercisers who are just taking classes like Zumba or spinning, as well as the masses of people jogging on the treadmill or going nowhere fast on the elliptical machine. Dr. McGuff notes in his interview that the majority of people focusing on cardio are in pretty poor shape, and are not getting any better.

Dr. McGuff also makes a comparison between doing High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), and what he terms High Intensity Strength Training (HIST), which he strongly advocates (hey, a pun!). HIIT is a form of cardiovascular exercise where a person alternates between short bursts of hard work, like all-out sprinting for 20 seconds, followed by a recovery period. He lists the following benefits of HIIT:

• Releases the fight-or-flight hormone epinephrine, aka adrenaline
• Releases glucose from the muscles to be used as energy
• Brings fat to the muscles, where it is also used as a fuel source
• Increases insulin sensitivity that helps reverse the effects of metabolic syndrome (a combination of abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high blood glucose, and elevated triglyceride levels)

Then he lists the benefits of his HIST:

• All the benefits of HIIT, plus
• Increased muscular fatigue, and therefore growth
• Triggers the production of more contractile tissue and all of the metabolic components to support it
• Increased glycogen storage and utilization (more fat burning)
• Triggers the release of myokines, a protein produced and released in muscle fibers that have specific positive effects on body composition, decreases systemic inflammation, and lowers the risk for chronic disease and possibly some forms of cancer
• Better cardiovascular results than HIIT

At our facility, Success Health & Fitness (www.successfitnessreno.com), once our members have completed their base phase training, we slowly introduce them to our form of HIST, which we call MART, or Metabolically Accelerated Resistance Training. We utilize several different exercise methods in our MART programs, including complexes, escalating density, and Tabatas. In addition to burning a bunch of body fat, our MART sessions also increase cardiac output, which is the amount of blood volume circulating through the heart every minute. Look at it this way: MART workouts eject more blood from the heart, known as stroke volume, with each beat, and increases the blood supply to the heart via your veins. You're improving your coronary artery blood flow, making your heart stronger.

With HIIT, a person's heart rate (beats per minute) will usually be somewhat higher compared to a MART session, but the utilization will be lower. This is because, with HIIT, the heart is beating too fast to take in maximum amounts of blood with each beat, and therefore releases a lower amount into the arteries for circulation throughout the body.

So if you are presently your gym's cardio king or queen, or you're still using traditional pumping iron methods from the 70's and 80's to improve your overall health and fitness, don't you think it's time to embrace change? And stop thinking that all you have to do to get healthier and fitter is walk around the Marina 2-3 times a week. It's not going to happen!! And in another 7 weeks or so, it's going to be dark before and after work, so what are you going to do then? Wait, I know...elliptical machines: get ready!

If you want to read the full article or watch the interview, just go to this link:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/08/10/high-intensity-strength-training.aspx


Move better. Eat better. Live better!

THE TRUTH ABOUT FAT LOSS: SLEEP AND RECOVERY

Ok, here we are at our final topic in our Truth About Fat Loss series. Let's first recap what we've covered so far.

Set realistic goals. You must know where you are and where, specifically, you want to end up. Have a strong "why" that is deeply and personally meaningful to you.
Understand that your metabolism affects your body composition. Your resting metabolic rate is the minimum number of calories you need to maintain vital functions while at rest. Movement requires additional energy.
Clean eating is 80% of your fat loss solution. Eat lean proteins, vegetables, and healthy fats. Limit starchy carbohydrates and processed foods that are calorie-dense rather than nutrient dense.
Conditioning for fat loss consists of shorter bouts of higher intensity exercise using little more than your bodyweight for maximum results.
Elasticity and flexibility keep your muscles moving through their optimum ranges of motion. Start with soft tissue work, then do some static stretching.
Strength training is the cornerstone of your workout routine. Do several sets of compound exercises (NOT on machines) with a resistance that is challenging, to create that metabolic disturbance.

Sleep and recovery. Just because we're discussing this last does not undermine its importance. When working out, we are creating a stimulus for muscle growth by breaking down muscle tissue and placing our body under stress. This new growth only occurs if we properly recover between exercise sessions. Do some activities that are relaxing and re-energizing. These can include additional foam rolling to untie any post-workout trigger points, or yoga to help improve breathing patterns. Quiet meditation, Pilates, and tai chi can enhance total-body oxygenation. Recovery can also be very simple: soaking in a hot bath, enjoying a little aromatherapy, or drinking warm tea and reading a book. Aim for 30 minutes daily.

Your nutrition also plays a role in your recovery. After an intense training session, your body needs some easily digestible protein and simple carbohydrates to feed the muscle tissue and elevate your energy levels. Your post-workout nutrition should ideally be in the form of a shake or smoothie for faster usability, and drank within 15-30 minutes after your session.

Finally there's sleep. Studies have shown that people who typically get fewer than 6 hours of sleep each night gain almost twice as much weight as those who get 7-8 hours. As with exercise, more is not always better. Research has also shown that people who consistently sleep more than 9 hours nightly have similar fat levels as those who sleep too few hours.

There you have it--7 keys for torching body fat. Throughout this series, I've received comments from readers saying they like what we're teaching them, but still don't feel comfortable implementing these strategies on their own.

I've also had people tell me, "I know you're thinking specifically of me when you're writing these articles, aren't you? The truth is: NO. But if you're thinking, even somewhat jokingly, that these articles are directed at you, maybe you realize you are not where you should be in regards to your health and fitness. Maybe you're fed up with how you look, how you feel, and how you move. If you're not taking action with this knowledge, you don't have a fat-loss goal, you have a dream. Successful people, people of significance, have goals they act on. NOW is YOUR time to act!

Starting the week of September 29th, we are offering 20 people the opportunity to put these principles into action. Members of this 8-week program will meet twice weekly at Success Health & Fitness. Each one will receive a customized exercise and nutrition plan designed specifically for him/her that will include everything we've covered in the Truth About Fat Loss series. The timing for this program is purposeful--it will end a week before Thanksgiving. Our goal is to ensure each participant torches at least 13 pounds of body fat. Picture yourself turning heads and getting compliments on the "new you" at all those parties you'll be attending. And while others are dreaming of their 2015 weight loss resolutions, you can smile knowing you're already there.

So I've done my own research and found that some places running their own weight loss programs charge over $700 for 16 training sessions. Going to a big-box gym? Expect to pay over $1100 for 15 sessions. And most places do not include any qualified nutritional guidance. But YOU get the COMPLETE program:

• Goal setting
• Nutrition
• Soft tissue and flexibility work
• Strength training
• Conditioning
• Recovery strategies
• Professional coaching 

All of the above for only $299! What's more, we'll remove the risk. If you don't lose at least 13 pounds of body-bulging fat while following our program, we'll refund your money. Period. No questions. No Hassles.

So there you have it. No more excuses. To get started, just give us a call at 775.432.1356, or shoot us an email at info@shfreno.com telling us you're ready to look, feel, and move better than you have in years. And feel free to ask a friend to sign up with you. Everything is more fun when you're doing it with someone you care about. Registration for this life-changing program ends at midnight on Saturday, September 20th. ACT SOON as we expect this program to quickly sell out.

Move Better. Eat Better. Live Better!

DON

THE TRUTH ABOUT FAT LOSS: STRENGTH AND RESISTANCE TRAINING

As I've mentioned before, the strength training part of our fat loss program is the most important for you after eating clean foods. It is the cornerstone of your programming. Your goal is to work every major muscle group and movement pattern frequently, and with enough intensity to add lean muscle to your body, and create a disturbance that increases your metabolism and keeps it elevated for several hours after you've finished working out.

As we did with the conditioning post last week, let's look at some research that will help drive this point home. A 1999 study compared the effects of aerobic exercise versus strength training on lean muscle mass (LMM) and resting metabolic rate (RMR). The aerobic group did (4) 1-hour sessions a week. The resistance training group did 2-4 sets of 8-15 repetitions (very light to moderately heavy weights) of 10 exercises 3 times a week. Both groups drank an 800-calorie liquid diet during the study to take any dietary variables out of the equation. The strength training group lost significantly more fat and did not lose any LMM, while increasing their metabolism. The aerobics group actually saw a decline in their metabolic rate.

Another 1999 study assigned test subjects to 3 groups: a "diet only" group, a "diet plus aerobics group", and a "diet, aerobics and weight training group."  The "diet + aerobics group" exercised 3 times a week starting at 30 minutes per session and progressing to 50 minutes. At the end of 12 weeks, the results were:
   > The "diet only group" lost 14.6 pounds of fat
   > The "diet plus aerobics group" lost 15.6 pounds of fat (only 1 additional pound)
   > The "diet, aerobics, and weight training group" lost 21.1 pounds of fat

This study alone should tell you the importance of resistance training and fat loss.

So what should your strength training consist of and how long should it take? After our clients finish their "base phase", which is usually between 3 and 6 weeks depending on the their conditioning, we focus primarily on compound movements (those exercises that target more than one muscle group such as a back row that works your back, shoulders, and biceps), and have them work the complete body every session. Do NOT use machines for the majority of your workout. Machines have been shown to promote dysfunction in the body by locking you in to possibly unnatural movement patterns. We program our strength training sessions for about 25-30 minutes. When you're training at a fairly high intensity, you can't effectively go much longer than this. Remember from our conditioning segment that intensity and time are inversely related. The longer you exercise, the lower your intensity has to be.

And to maximize our clients' use of time as well as their recovery between sets, we have them do alternating sets or supersets, where they work different muscle groups (for example their back and their front thighs) in combination with little or no rest between sets. This helps amplify that metabolic disturbance. Then, after their base phase, we have our clients work out at least 3 times a week to see jaw-dropping, head-turning results. That's less than 2% of your total weekly hours!

So now you have 6 of the 7 keys to health and fitness success. Your action item for today is to add some bodyweight or free weight compound exercises to your routine. These can include squats, push-ups, lunges, and overhead presses. Our last discussion will be about something we don't usually think of when it comes to fat loss and our overall health--recovery. See you in a few days.

Move Better. Eat Better. Live Better!

DON

THE TRUTH ABOUT FAT LOSS: ELASTICITY AND FLEXIBILITY

Does this scenario sound familiar? You walk into the gym, show the front desk clerk your membership card, throw your gym bag in a locker, jump on the stationary bike for 5 minutes keeping your heart rate in that "fat burning" zone, and then hit the machines for your workout. I've worked out consistently for the past 38 years, and yes, this is how the overwhelming majority of people begin their workouts. Little, if any, thought is given to the importance of flexibility work. Yet a proper warm-up before engaging in an intense training routine is crucial for decreasing your risk of sustaining an acute injury that can sideline you for months.

Every session should begin with some soft tissue therapy. For a more in-depth explanation about soft tissue work, please read our July post on this subject. Here, I'll just mention that taking 10 minutes or so with a foam roller, massage stick and/or tennis ball is imperative to decrease the density of your muscle tissues. You see, our muscles respond to injuries, as well as to intense training, by increasing their thickness. Visualize tying a few small knots in a flat shoelace and you'll get the picture of how your muscles look. Think of the foam roller, massage stick and tennis ball as tools to untie these knots.

Once you've finished your soft tissue work, you're now ready for a little elasticity training. Here it's best to start with some static stretching. Static: slow, non-bouncy movements. Your goal is to take these slightly warmed-up muscles through a progressively fuller range of motion. Doing your stretches when the muscles are more thoroughly warmed up may not change the actual length of the tissue and increase joint flexibility. This time think of a cold rubber band. If you knead the rubber band in your hand for a few minutes (the soft tissue part) and then slowly stretch it, you can permanently change its length. If the band is already very pliable (warmed -up), you can stretch it, but it will return to its previous length.

Take this part of your workout very seriously--don't just go through the motions (guys, I'm talking mainly to you here). Your foam rolling and stretching should both be somewhat uncomfortable; not painful, just uncomfortable. If it's not a little bothersome, slow down, apply a little more pressure, and do it again. Once you get this part of your warm-up routine down, it should take only about 10-12 minutes. Now is the time for that 5 minute stationary bike ride. Or, much better yet, do 3-4 minutes of bodyweight exercises like we did in P.E. Jumping jacks, prisoner squats, lunges, and toes touches come to mind.

So does all this really relate to fat loss. Definitely! The overall goal of your exercise routine is to improve movement quality while reducing your risk of injury. If you do this, you'll move more efficiently and effortlessly, allowing you to work out longer and with increasingly greater intensity. Moving better and moving longer will allow you to incinerate body fat.

Today's action item: Purchase a good foam roller. The molded ones sold by www.performbetter.com are about $20-$25, and will last for several years with normal use. They also come with an instructional DVD. If you purchase one locally, you can call us here at Success Health & Fitness and we'll run you through a 15-minute full body soft tissue routine. Then you'll know where you have tissue restrictions that can hinder your progress, and start ironing them out.

Next Wednesday, we're on to topic 6: strength training. After eating clean, this is the part of the program you MUST do for sustained fat loss. We'll talk with you in a few days!

Move Better. Eat Better. Live Better!

DON

THE TRUTH ABOUT FAT LOSS: CARDIO AND CONDITIONING

The early 1970's were a pretty awesome time to be growing up. Television brought us shows like All In The Family, M*A*S*H, and The Rookies. It also gave us the Atari video game Pong, the controversial abortion decision in Roe vs. Wade, and the end of the Vietnam War. Also at that time, we witnessed the start of the jogging craze and the invention of the modern-day running shoe. Coincidentally (?), two years later came a surge in physical therapists specializing in orthopedic surgeries.

For the past 40 years, Americans in all shapes and sizes have been lacing up their tennies several times a week to go out for a long, agonizingly slow run in hopes of losing body fat. But does this really work? Are people losing fat from 60 minutes of jogging 3-4 times a week?

Let's look at some research. I'm going to begin by apologizing to my present and previous clients who are reading this post. They have probably heard me cite these studies ad infinitum and ad nauseum. This first is one of my favorites because it brings home the truth about long, slow running. Pay attention marathoners. In 2009 a team studied the changes in body composition of elite marathon runners in the Sahara Desert. Measurements were taken before and after this week-long event where athletes ran 6 marathons in 7 days. At the end of the race, it was found that the average amount of weight loss was 6.1%. So if you began the week weighing 165 pounds, the scale read 155 at the end of the week. Sounds like a great fat-loss program so far, right? But of this 10-pound loss, only 1.1%, or 1.8 pounds, was body fat. The rest was primarily muscle loss! Remember our previous discussion on metabolism and the role muscle tissue plays in burning fat.

Here's another: In a 12-month study published in 2007, subjects did 6 hours of aerobic training weekly for a year (1 hour, 6 times a week). The average weight loss 12 months later was 3.5 pounds. That's less than 1/3 of a pound a month. And one final study also published in 2007 showed that adding 50 minutes of aerobic exercise 5 days a week while following a diet had "no additional effect on body composition."

So if your goal is fat loss, don't you think it's time to stop the ineffective torture of aerobic exercise? Aerobic exercise, such as jogging, uses our oxidative phosphorylative energy system. This system kicks in after about 1.5-2 minutes of continuous exercise. The downside is that as our exercise time increases, our intensity has to decrease. And intensity appears to be the key to maximizing fat loss.

A study conducted in 2005 compared the effects of 3.5 minutes of aerobic activity (ie: jogging) to (3) 15-second sprints. When calculating the number of Calories burned using aerobic and anaerobic (the energy systems used for short bursts of high intensity exercise lasting up to about 20 seconds) measures, the aerobic group burned a total of 39 calories during 210 seconds of exercise. The sprinters burned 65 calories--an increase of 67% more calories in less than 25% of the total time exercised!

Hopefully this produces a "duh" moment for those of you wishing to speed up fat loss. Your action plan for today is easy. Simply evaluate what you're presently doing for your "conditioning" exercise. The term "cardio" brings back too many visualizations of Richard Simmons sweatin' to the oldies. If you're out shuffling your feet on the pavement, or worse yet, going (literally) nowhere on the elliptical machine, try some interval training. Start slowly and gradually build up. You'll see those fat pounds and inches start to melt away.

On Saturday, we'll take a look at how stretching and flexibility can enhance fat loss. Have a great rest of the week.

Move Better. Eat Better. Live Better!

Don

THE TRUTH ABOUT FAT LOSS: CLEAN EATING

Welcome back!! Today's post is going to look at what, when, and how much we should be eating for optimum fat loss. If you were to do a search on Amazon.com for diet books, you will get 100,186 results. And there's seemingly a diet for everyone: If you want fast results, try The 4-Day Diet. If you're in it for the long run, then maybe The Lifetime Diet is for you. There's a diet plan for Killing The Fat Guy, and one if you're a Skinny Bitch. You can Eat Like Jesus, or if you're not religiously inclined, see why The Devil Served Tortellini. Lazy people may do well on The Couch Potato Diet, and those of you who are more active may relate to The No-Meat Athlete. With another 100,178 to go, it's no wonder people are confused and frustrated when trying to shed unwanted pounds.

Let's first look at food quality. As much as possible, we should be eating unprocessed foods that are served closely to their natural state. Our proteins should be comprised of lean red meats (these usually contain the word "round" or "loin"), as well as wild sources such as elk and bison. Poultry, fish, eggs, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, beans, legumes, tofu and tempeh are other great sources.

Our carbohydrates might include fiber-rich vegetables like spinach, kale, carrots, and broccoli, as well as fruits like berries, oranges, and melons. Whole-grain, unrefined starches (breads, rices, pastas), and simple sugars like fruit juices, bagels, muffins, and breakfast cereals should be eaten in limited quantities, and only at certain times.

And we should be eating some healthy fats daily. Dietary fats fall into 1 of 3 categories: saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Saturated fats are those found in meats, eggs, dairy, butter, and cheeses. Monounsaturated fats include cashews, olives, olive oil, and avocados. The polyunsaturateds are in fish oil, sunflower seeds, walnuts and flax seeds among other foods.

Now let's turn to the amount of food we should be eating to promote fat loss. And we're going to make this simple: no weighing your food or using cumbersome measuring cups. Fortunately, the good Lord blessed us with a great pair of measuring devices: our hands. They're portable, so you can used them as a guide when dining out. With our goal of fat loss, and general health, we should be eating 4-5 smaller meals/snacks a day. For our protein, a woman's-sized portion is the size (length, width, and thickness) of the palm of your hand. Men, your portion size is 2 palms.

A serving of carbohydrates is 1 medium piece of fruit for men and women. For vegetables, a serving size is equal to 1 fist for women, 2 for men. And when we're talking about the starchy carbs, a serving equals 1 cupped handful for women, double that for the guys.

Our healthy fats should be fairly equally divided (1/3 of each) among saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats. Here a portion is equal to the size of your thumb...1 thumb for women, 2 for men. Since most Americans eat plenty of saturated fats, our focus should be on adding in the mono and polyunsaturated foods.

Let's finish today's post with a few healthy habits:
   1. Eat slowly and stop eating when you're 80% full (or no longer hungry). It takes about 20 minutes
       for our brain to receive the signal from our stomach that we're full, so slow down and take at
       least 20 minutes to eat your meal;
   2. Eat fruits and vegetables in a 1:5 ratio for fat loss--5 servings of veggies for every 1 portion of
       fruit. Women, strive for 5 servings of veggies; men, go for 8-10;
   3. Eat starchy carbs ONLY within 90 minutes after a fairly vigorous exercise session. This is when
       our body best processes these foods;
   4. Eat those simple sugars rarely (if ever). Ideally, 2-3 servings a week is plenty.
   5. Drink plenty of water and other zero-Calorie beverages--about 1/2 your body weight in ounces
       of water (a 200 pound man should drink around 100 ounces of water daily, more if outdoors in
       the heat or exercising intensely).

Remember, these are general guidelines that may not produce the same results for everyone. But these guidelines are a good starting point for those of you who are new to implementing a healthy nutrition program. Your call for action TODAY is to go through your refrigerator and kitchen cupboards and start getting rid of the processed (boxed, bagged, etc.) foods. Replace these with the items we've mentioned in this article.

On Wednesday, we'll look into the best forms of cardio exercise for burning fat, and debunk some long-standing myths.

Move Better. Eat Better. Live Better!

THE TRUTH ABOUT FAT LOSS: UNDERSTANDING OUR METABOLISM

The average 150-pound adult body has approximately 100 trillion cells that must function together properly for optimum health, body composition, and performance. Nutrient excesses or deficiencies can disrupt this delicate balance. The sum of all these cellular and sub-cellular reactions that build up and break down our body is known as our metabolism.

When we take in nutrients through our food and drink, our metabolism transfers the energy stored in the macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats) into the formation of a compound called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. ATP is required for almost every action in our body. For the sake of our discussion, think of ATP as the chemical that allows us to exercise. ATP is also necessary to make more ATP as our body's stores become depleted.

The macronutrients we eat are measured in Calories. A Calorie is the amount of energy or heat needed to raise 1 gram of water by 1 degree centigrade. Each macronutrient contains a certain number of Calories: proteins and carbohydrates have approximately 4 Calories per gram, while fats contain about 9 Calories per gram. And if you're curious, alcohol has around 7 Calories per gram.

So let's take a brief look at how our body uses the Calories we consume. Far and away, the majority of Calories we eat goes toward keeping us alive. Think of what's known as our Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) as the number of Calories we need to wake up in the morning, lay in bed all day, and then fall asleep at night. NO movement at all--just maintaining vital functions such as breathing, keeping our heart beating, hair growing, swallowing, etc. And our RMR accounts for almost 70% of our total energy needs.

Approximately 20% of the Calories we take in are used for moving: walking, working, playing, and exercising. If you are a very sedentary person, this percentage can be closer to 10%, and up to 30% for highly active individuals. We'll round it off to 20%.

And the remaining 10%ish is used to digest the food we eat. This is known as the Thermic Effect of Feeding, or TEF. That's right' of all the Calories we eat, about 1/10 is used in the digestion process. Fats have the lowest TEF at around 3-5%. So if you ate 100 grams of dietary fats, your body would use about 4 Calories to digest them. Carbs have a little higher TEF at approximately 12-15%, while proteins require the most energy at roughly 25-28%. When our goal is fat loss, every bit (or bite) counts. Hopefully you can see where a diet that's higher in protein can give you a fat-torching edge.

Your action item for today is to calculate your RMR. Here are the formulas:

For Men: [10 x your weight in kilograms (pounds divided by 2.2)] + [6.25 x your height in centimeters (inches multiplied by 2.55)] - [5 x your age in years] + 5

For Women: [10 x your weight in kilograms] + [6.25 x your height in centimeters] - [5 x your age in years] - 161

Here are a couple of sample calculations:

   For a 40 year-old male who weighs 170 pounds and is 5'10" tall:

     [10 x (170/2.2)] + [6.25 x (70 x 2.55)] - [5 x 40] + 5
     [10 x 77] + [6.25 x 179] - 200 + 5
     770 + 1,119 - 200 + 5 = 1,694 Calories per day

   And for a 50 year old female who weighs 145 pounds at 5'6":

     [10 x (145/2.2)] + [6.25 x (66 x 2.55)] - [5 x 50] - 161
     [10 x 66] + [6.25 x 168] - 250 - 161
     660 + 1,050 - 250 -161 = 1,299 Calories per day

Now this exercise is just to give you a basic idea of the amount of energy your body needs to sustain itself at rest. Obviously any movement at all requires more energy. At this point I don't want you to focus on counting Calories just yet. Quality before Quantity. On Saturday we will look at the importance of clean eating, and how the macronutrients we eat affect our weight and body composition. See you then!