Suffering from "The Last 10 Pounds" Syndrome?

The Truth About Going From Fat To Fit... By Gavin Smith
Why is fat so stubborn?

Obesity is a modern day epidemic with many people finding it hard to lose body fat despite trying many different diets and exercise programs. This doesn't only apply to the clinically obese but also to people who just want to loose a few pounds of fat from their tummy or hips find that despite many trips to the gym their body seems to be "hanging on for dear life" to that extra layer of fat. In this article I will share with you the three biggest reasons for the body accumulating and hanging on to excess body fat.

Modern eating and 'non foods'.

Modern eating habits are without doubt the biggest problem contributing to the obesity epidemic we see happening before us all over the modern world today. Non-food is a term used to describe a food in which the nutritional value is so low that the metabolic cost of eating it out weighs the nutritional benefit of the food, leaving the consumer in a malnourished state. Most if not all obese people are actually malnourished. This can be a difficult concept to grasp - how can consuming food leave you malnourished?

Non-foods provide macronutrients/calories in the form of fat, protein and carbohydrate, but are drastically lacking in the micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals and enzymes. These micronutrients are essential for the absorption and digestion of our food and also for the running of the many metabolic processes that our bodies require to stay healthy. By consuming non-foods people become literally starved on a cellular level, although they may appear far from starving when viewed from the outside.

This lack of nutrients in the blood steam causes the body to crave more food, but with most people when that more food comes it is a non food. This is what's happening with the people who are always hungry / can't stop eating. It's not because they're greedy, it's because they are starving.

The process of detoxification also has to be considered. In non-foods you can find some or all of the following: antibiotic, pesticides and synthetic hormone residues, artificial colourings, preservatives and flavour enhances. All of these things place a stress on your metabolism and immune system and increase the toxic load in the body. Toxins are stored in our fat to keep them out of our blood stream and away from our internal organs. If your toxic load increases to a greater level than your body can handle the likely response of the body will be a shift in metabolism and appetite to increase body fat/toxic storage space.

So how do we avoid these non-foods? First of all we need to take far greater care about what foods we put in our bodies. We need to stop shopping for convenience and bargains and start shopping for health. The food you put inside your body and the bodies of your loved ones is one of the most important decisions you make, so if you're looking to save money and time I strongly suggest you do so in another area of your life, not your health!

What does it take for a food to add to rather than detract from your health? It's quite simple really, it should be minimally processed naturally occurring food. You should consider a diet of meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds, where buying organic products when possible should be a priority, and water should be the staple liquid of your diet. Foods that come in packets and have long shelf lives and unpronounceable ingredients are definitely out. An excellent rule of thumb is if it wasn't on this earth ten thousand years ago we are not designed to eat it.

Stress
Modern life is full of stress and our inability to effectively cope with it is a major contributing factor to obesity/weight gain. The stress we face today is very different from the stress we were biologically designed to face and therefore our biological coping strategy is affecting our weight. Our original biological strategy was a rapid spike in stress hormones and release of adrenalin to help us with the initial fight or flight, very rapidly followed by increased appetite to help us recover from our physical exertion. This would have been very useful for escaping a sabre-toothed tiger or fighting of a rival cave man who was trying to steel your food, or even worse your caveman or woman.

However the stresses we face today are more likely to consist of rush hour traffic, work deadlines, bills to pay, and if someone is trying to steel your partner it is no longer acceptable to beat them with a club. We therefore tend to sit and stew in our stress without any physical outlet for it; this way it accumulates over the days, weeks and months. Oh and by the way, we still often get the increased appetite to help us to recover from the physical exertion that never took place.

Another problem with modern accumulative stress rather than the short rapid bursts of stress that we were designed to deal with, is the chronic stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system (the branch of the nervous system that activates your body's stress response & the "fight or flight" mechanism) leads to decreased digestive efficiency which starts a vicious cycle that goes like this: deficient digestion leads to poor conversion of the nutrients from our food into energy; this low energy leads to cravings for sugar and caffeine; sugar and caffeine lead to further stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, and on and on it goes. It is now scientifically recognised that being in this chronically stressed state lead to increased fat storage around the abdomen not to mention all the other health risks associated with it.

Stress takes many forms other than the obvious mental and emotional, which most people think of. A full explanation of the different types of stress is way beyond the scope of this article, so we will focus briefly on the most crucial points.

The most common and well-known form of stress is the mental/ emotional kind. Although some stresses are necessary and unavoidable we can certainly improve our ability to avoid the ones we can, and cope better with the others. One of the best ways to do this is to work on developing a positive mental state where you see any problem you may encounter as a learning experience, and focus on the things that you do want rather than what you don't want. It is also useful to take time to do something for yourself each day whether it be reading, listening to music, or gentle meditative forms of exercise such as yoga, tai chi or chi gong. Nutrition and chemical stress are extremely common and very relevant to weight loss and have been dealt with in the first section of this article.

A very common and often-overlooked problem is that of circadian/sleeps stress. The optimal time for us to sleep is between 10:30pm & 6:30am, breaking this cycle leads to hormonal disturbances affecting our ability to recover from the previous days stress and cope with the coming days stress. To improve your circadian health you should get to bed on time, avoid bright lights in the evening and sleep in a pitch black room as contact of light with the skin tricks your body into thinking that its time to get up and releasing awakening hormones.

Ineffective exercise programs
Ineffective exercise programs are the extremely common, I'm sure that we can all think of that person we see at the gym, the one who is always there always doing the same exercise but their body shape has never changed.

The two most common faults are overuse of aerobic exercise and the use of relatively worthless exercises such as stomach crunches & inner/outer thigh machines in an attempt to spot reduce problem areas.

There are many problems with these types of exercise, the first and most glaring is the simple fact that spot reduction simply doesn't work, doing a hundred crunches a day or even a thousand crunches a day will not burn fat off your abdominals, it will only lead to muscular imbalances. As well as not doing what people want them to do, these types of exercise have an extremely low calorific effect due to the fact that you are using three or four muscles as opposed to doing a proper free-standing exercise such as a squat or lunge. Dax Moy uses what he calls the 600 rule: this reflects the fact that there are roughly six hundred muscles in the human body and you want as many of them as possible working on each exercise in order to maximise calorie consumption.

Now we come to another major problem that is the massive misconception that steady state aerobic work (such as long periods on the running machine) is a good way to burn fat. Some trainers will advise that your body is burning more fat when working aerobically, but the fact is that just a greater percentage of the calories burned are from fat, but it's a greater percentage of a smaller amount. The actual total amount of calories being burnt is way less than would be achieved with an anaerobic work out (such as resistance training). The body's hormonal and metabolic response to aerobic training in the long term is a greater propensity to store fat, the exact opposite is true of anaerobic training.

Charles Poliquin who is considered by many as the worlds leading expert on exercise and conditioning refers to this as C.A.I.S (chunky aerobic instructors' syndrome). If you are disbelieving of this fact then consider the example of female weight lifters vs. female aerobics instructors. In studies female aerobic instructors have been shown to have higher body fat than female weight lifters. It's also very clear to anyone who's ever watched athletics that sprinters have a far lower body fat than marathon runners. In both these cases the aerobicisers (marathon runners and aerobics instructors) actually spend more time training than the anaerobic athletes (weight lifters and sprinters) but still maintain higher body fat.

One of the most effective and time efficient method of burning body fat is through circuit training with a combination of body weight, free weight and Swiss ball exercises. These types of exercises all fit in with the six hundred rule.

Conclusion
Modern lifestyle is making us fat, it's not only a question of exercise, it takes the right type of exercise combined with nutrition and lifestyle changes to alter your body.

Yes there are some "lucky" people who can be stressed out all the time and eat junk food and still manage to stay thin but your body always has to pay the price of unhealthy living, these people need to change their habits as much as the obese person does or it will eventually catch up with them in the form of middle age spread, chronic fatigue, degenerative joint disease or any number of modern day illnesses that were unheard of a hundred years ago.

None of these things are really that hard to do, the only thing that's hard about it is changing old habits, other than that it's simply a choice.

So start making the right choices today and if you follow these principles you can and will see amazing changes not only in how you look on the outside but also in how you feel on the inside.

Gavin Smith is a level one coach and therapist at Dax Moy Personal Training Studios Potters Bar.

A specialist in holistic health, Gavin is rapidly making headway into becoming one of the most popular results coaches in the area.

Trick or Treat Fairy

Have you heard of the Trick or Treat Fairy? It's just like the Tooth Fairy! Instead of collecting teeth, though, the Trick or Treat Fairy collects candy in exchange for something else!

What a great way to get the excess candy out of your house! Let the children have all of the fun collecting candy. After you've come home from a busy night of trick or treating spread the candy out and have your child pick his or her favorite treats. When you've determined what is enough for your little goblin to have then bundle the remaining candy. Help your child determine a place where the Trick or Treat Fairy can find the bag of extra goodies. You probably know the rest but I'll keep going! After bedtime, replace the bag of candy with toys, books or money!

This is a great way to get the extra junk food out of your home this Halloween!

Happy Trick or Treating!

Marie

p.s. Are you wondering what to do with the left-over candy? If you said "hide it so the kids can't find it" you are wrong! First, they will find it. Second, and more importantly, why on earth do you need to eat it? You don't need it either. Dump it in the garbage!

p.s.s. If you have any other ideas on what to do with excess candy or any special traditions you'd like to share please post a comment.

Exercising in a group can be more effective by making things easier

The Sept 17, 2009 issue of the Economist discusses reasearch which indicates exercising in groups increases your pain threshold. That's good news if you're working out with a friend or two or even if you are taking a group class. The harder you work, the more calories you burn!

The study examined 12 collegiate rowers and measured their endorphin levels after using a rowing machine in isolation or with a group of six. The researchers showed that after rowing with buddies, tolerence for pain was much greater than when rowing alone. This was despite nearly identical power outputs in all tests (4 tests).

One more reason to join Boot Camp!

Marie

p.s. I've been working on a new website/blog and will share it very soon!

Push-Up Variations. Try Today!

Watch out Boot Campers and clients......

Although I haven't quite finished "Do More Push-Ups" series, I saw this video by Craig Ballantyne, auther of Turbulance Training. These challenging push-up varitions are fun and also put a new spin on an old theme.

Try this work out and check out the video below to see what a spider man push-up is!

A1 Spider Man Push-Up
A2 "Y"Squat
A3 Mt. Climber
A4 Bridges

Do as many as you can for one minute each. Go through the rotation 3 times.



Craig will also be a speaker at Transformation Domination! A really cool event that takes place in January in Florida...just when we all need a little sun! There will be 15 speakers all discussing techniques and stratagies that will help you Transform your body! Check it out at www.TransformationDomination.com .

WORK IT, BABY!

I watch Audrey all day to see what new thing she will do. What milestone she will reach and , of course, how fast she moves! Her crawling is not full belly off the floor on hands and knees. It's more like GI Jane, commando style where she pulls with her hands and elbows and pushes with her legs. It's really cute and you'd probably think so too if you were her mom! Audrey is practicing her standing and pulling herself up to anything she can grab hold of.

As I think about this, all I can think is "WOW!" She sure is strong. She's persistent and consistent. Think about it. All day long, if Audrey isn't eating or sleeping, she is on the move! Getting stronger and stronger. Low and behold it pays off. All of her "exercise" gets her to the next step.

Audrey doesn't give up and guess what? Her hard work and perseverance pays off. First she was able to roll over, then crawl and sit up, next pulling herself up to stand and soon enough she will be taking her first unsupported walking steps. By the way, my friend, Jen (she has twin toddlers), insists it actually gets easier when they walk and I choose to believe her.

So what's the point of this (besides showing off Audrey)? Easy...keep at it...day by day. It gets easier the more you do it and your workouts only pay off with consistency. So follow Audrey's lead and WORK IT, BABY! and have a little fun, too!

Signing off from the Radio Flyer,

Marie & Audrey!

Boot Campers

Boot Campers hard at work!

Join the new FOUNDATIONS class starting

NOV 2

9:00 a.m.

Monday/Wednesday/Friday

Fast, Fun, Results Driven Class

Takes place INDOORS for the Fall and Winter

To Register: e-mail me at Mariecscs@aol.com

Do This One Thing...

Have you tried over and over to start and exercise regimen and healthy eating plan? You're "good" for a couple days/weeks/months and then you fall off the wagon. Guilt sets in because you aren't doing what you are "suppose" to be doing. Instead of the scale going down, it's going up. Finally, you just give up completely and now you don't even feel bad about missing your morning workout!

What is ONE thing you can do to get back on track and STAY on track? It's easier than you think. If you surround yourself with people who want what you want your chance of continued success is much greater. The old saying "Birds of a Feather Flock Together" is so true in all aspects of life and this includes leading a healthy lifestyle.

Imagine how much easier it would be if someone else in your household was interested in staying fit just like you! The support is great on days when you are having second thoughts about lifting heavy weights or doing sprints when its raining outside.

When you surround yourself with others who want what you want consistency becomes more likely. Consistency with exercise and healthy eating is one key to successful fat loss.

Some of you are making excuses and saying "But no one in my family is into exercise and healthy eating." "How do I surround myself when no one in my family is into exercising like I am?"

Here are 5 ways to surround yourself with others who want what you want:

1. Go to a gym. Seeing others, even if you don't know them, is motivating. When you watch other people working hard it really can push you to do more. Get to know some of the regulars or even the staff. It's always great to see a familiar face when you walk through the door!

2. Hire a personal trainer. This person will teach you exercise and healthy habits and you will be surrounded by someone who understands the challenges and the joys of what you are trying to accomplish.

3. Get a subscription to a health and fitness magazine or e-zine (an on-line magazine) or read your local fitness expert's blog on a regular basis . Whatever it is, read something on a daily basis to keep your motivation up.

4. Join a Boot Camp Class! Maybe it's Tues/Thurs at 6:15 in the morning at Flemington Sports Plex starting Oct. 20 OR maybe it's Monday/Wednesday/Friday at 9:00 a.m. for Foundations Boot Camp at Flemington Sports Plex starting November 2. Either way you will surround yourself with people who have the same goals!

5. Join a club. Hiking, skiing, kayaking, softball,walking, etc. Whatever activity is of interest. I see these clubs listed in the local newspaper all the time.

Okay, so I gave myself a few plugs! But really, being around others who want a healthy lifestyle truly makes it easier to maintain your own exercise and healthy eating habits.

If your household isn't exactly The Brady Bunch and doing everything together with a smile, that's okay, just go out and find your own "Bunch" somewhere else and spend a couple hours a week with them!

Always strive for your Personal Best.

Marie

Do More Push-Ups Part II

So here we are back to the push-ups again. In the first Push-Up blog post I wrote about strengthening your core because the middle of your body is the start of every single movement. It has to be strong for efficient and effective movement. In this post I'll discuss increasing the strength of supportive musculature like your shoulders.


In any movement you are only as strong as the weakest muscle. Now that your core is strong and no longer the weakest link or you did the plank to push-up test and you know it's your shoulders and chest let's discuss what exercises you can do to improve the strength of your shoulder muscles.

Your shoulder muscles are more than your deltoids. It is very mobile joint i.e. you can make big circles with your arms, and it is also unstable. Small muscles are in place to help support this joint and help create a more stable shoulder joint. However, these smaller muscles need special attention to keep them strong enough to support the joint.


The small muscles are better known as your rotator cuff (RC). The RC is a group of four muscles that work together to hold the humerus (upper arm) bone in its socket. Since there is not much of a socket, it's more like a golf ball on a tee, the muscles are required to do the heavy work of holding this joint together.



It is estimated that 67% of the population will have trouble with their RC at some point during their lifetime (1) so even if you are not interested in doing push-ups, these are beneficial exercises. Here are two exercises you can do to improve the strength and endurance of your external rotators (commonly weak RC muscles) which will help you DO MORE (or one) PUSH-UPs.

External Shoulder Rotation:



Start with your elbow at 90degrees and, ideally, a towel under the arm. Hold a band and rotate the arm out. Don't allow the elbow to "wing". If you drop the towel you know you are winging rather than rotating. Go as far as your shoulder allows you to rotate without losing posture and without pain.







This is the basically the same exercise except in side lying and using a light dumbbell. Most people only need a 1-3# dumbbell. Notice the towel under the arm again. Elbow is still bent at 90 degrees and keeping the wrist rigid, rotate the arm up as shown in the picture.




These exercises should be done three times per week and do 3 x 15-20. That is 3 sets of 15 - 20 repetitions.

Good Luck with theses exercises.

Marie

p.s. The next part I'll show you variations of the push-up!

1. Implications for Specific Shoulder Positioning During External Rotator Strengthening
Kolber, Morey J; Beekhuizen, Kristina S; Santore, Todd; Fiers, Hunter
Strength & Conditioning Journal. 30(4):12-16, August 2008.
doi: 10.1519/SSC.0b013e31817764ae

Today's Fat Loss Tip

When it comes to exercise and nutrition I don't know one woman who isn't thinking about fat loss (or at least maintenance). As you probably know exercise alone won't give you the results you are looking for. Healthy eating habits and great nutrition are a must for fat loss.

Here's one tip you must follow to get maximum results!

Eat every 3 -3 1/2 hours. Taaa Daaa! Yes, I'm actually telling you to eat.

You must eat on a regular basis for several reasons.

First, eating regularly prevents you from becoming overly hungry. When you don't eat enough your next meal contains too many calories and you can blow half a days calories in one sitting and we all know you aren't pigging out on apples and broccoli!

Second, when you eat every 3 - 3 1/2 hours you maintain energy levels. Eating quality foods frequently prevents steep hills and low valleys in your blood sugar. You won't feel drained and exhausted

Third, it is needed for optimal fat loss because your body won't need to store fat when it knows there will be a steady supply of healthy food coming in a few hours. It has the freedom to RELEASE FAT!

Additionally, there is something called thermogenic response. This is the increase in metabolism (think calorie burn) when you eat. Your body must rev up to digest the food and this can account for up to 10% of your daily calorie burn!

Eat regularly and choose your foods wisely!

Marie

Practice makes Progress?

My little niece made a comment the other day. She said her 4th grade teacher told her that"practice makes progress." Since no one is perfect, practice will only get you better not perfect. At first I said "Oh, come on. I bet this teacher doesn't give any A grades either."

I began to ponder this statement and how it relates to exercise, fitness and leading a healthy lifestyle. Is this statement discouraging? After all, if you can never achieve the perfect squat why bother working at squatting at all? If you can never achieve the ultimate fitness level then should you bother working very hard? On the other hand, is this statement encouraging because if you are always making a little progress then it motivates you to continue your path and be the best YOU can be? Hmmmm.

When I was running on a regular basis (aka before Audrey!) and racing I knew I would never win a race. I'm just not that fast. This knowledge didn't stop me from running and doing special speed training runs or particular exercises and stretches that I knew would make me a hair faster than last race. For me, however, if I wasn't striving for my perfection then why train at all?

When I asked my friend, Jill Oksenhorn, a winning amateur body builder this is what she said: "The statement practice makes progress if anything unmotivates me!!!! I like practice makes perfect better!!! "Perfect" I interpret more like making your body the best it can be. After all there is only SO much you can do! It gives you something to strive for. In my training, I personally work every year on improving certain body parts that seem to be lagging. I enjoy the challenge and love to see how I can change my body. "

I agree and think PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT is a goal that we should try to achieve even though we all know perfection might just be a dream.

What do you think? How do you interpret this statement as it relates to your health and fitness goals? Post your comments.

Q & A I get stomach cramps after my long run

Q: I'm training for a marathon and I get stomach cramps a few hours after my long run. What gives?



A: My first thought is dehydration or something to do with fluid and fuel replacement. Make sure you are drinking enough water at least 2 days prior to your long run. Your urine should be pale yellow. Make sure you are carrying water with you or plant it along your route. You MUST drink and fuel up when your run lasts longer than one hour.


Also, make sure you eat something before and after your long run. Both meals should contain healthy, low fat carbohydrates and protein. The pre-run meal should be something that is easy to digest like cereal, skim milk and a banana with peanut butter. Your post-run meal should be consumed within 1 hour of getting back. Again, the post-run meal needs to contain healthy carbohydrates and protein. Don't forget the protein! Your muscles will thank you.



Here is a snip it from Runner's World with a little more detail:



Post run: You ran long and hard, and you're tired.



Eat This: When you run longer than an hour, you need to focus on refueling—and fast. "There's a 30-minute window where the body is very receptive to getting carbs back into the muscles," says Shulman. To know your carb needs, divide your weight in half. If you weigh 140 pounds, you need 70 grams (280 calories) of simple carbs within 30 minutes. Try energy bars or sports drinks because they're quickly absorbed. Getting some protein, too, will kick-start muscle repair. Within an hour of that snack, eat a full meal, ideally in a 4:1 carbs-to-protein ratio. According to a 2006 study in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, eating carbs and protein together increases glycogen levels more than eating just carbs. Try a bean burrito or pasta with meat sauce to give your body the nutrients it needs, says Shulman.



Post run: You feel queasy.



Eat This: If your stomach feels upset after a run, it's likely telling you it's been stressed out—either by dehydration, too many gels, or from working hard to get fuel into your system. Even though you might not feel like eating, doing so will help reduce that unsettled feeling and speed recovery. Skip energy gels and chews, which are digested very quickly, says Shulman, and "choose something that takes longer to break down, such as a banana or crackers and cheese—they'll stay in the stomach longer, protecting the lining from acid and helping override that queasy feeling." Other ideas? Jamieson-Petonic suggests ginger tea with sugar, while Kimball likes bland, easily digestible carbs, such as Cream of Wheat.



In Good Health,

MA

Human Again?

I feel human again! For the first time in a long time I went for a run....by myself (no baby in tow). The sky was blue, the temperature was about 65 degrees and it felt good to run. The run was slow and only about 35 -40 minutes, but it still felt great!

I know what some of you are thinking. That's not very "fat burning," Marie! I know, I know. There won't be any great after burn, my metabolism was probably back down to resting within 30 minutes. My heart rate was below 100bpm in only a couple of minutes. You know what, though? It still felt great.

I love to run just to be outside. I love to run to burn off some steam. I love to run to break a sweat. I love to run to move my legs. I love to run Because I CAN!

It makes me feel human to run.

If you run, please tell me why you run. What motivates you? Please post your comments.

In good health,
MA

p.s. For strength building/maintenance I also did 4 sets back to back:
push-ups 20x
single leg squats 10x

How To Do More Push-Ups Part I

Push-Ups are an all time favorite (or hated!) exercise. They build upper body strength and endurance and let's face it, being able to do push-ups makes you feel really cool because if you can do push-ups you can do anything!


If you can't do a proper push-up you must first decide whether it is lack of core strength or lack of shoulder and chest strength. Here is an easy test which I sometimes use as an exercise for my clients:

Begin in plank position
as shown to the right.

Lift your body up and finish in the top part of push-up position, so you will be on your hands. Go back and forth between plank and up position of push-up for one minute. The whole time keep your abs braced and in neutral position. If your low back sinks before the minute is up then you need to strengthen your core musculature. If you maintain posture throughout the entire minute then you must strengthen your shoulders/arms/chest.

One exercise to strength your core and improve shoulder endurance is a Mt. Climber.
Begin in a push up position on the hands and toes. Bring the right knee in towards the chest, resting the foot on the floor. Quickly switch feet in the air, bringing the left foot in and the right foot back. Continue alternating the feet as fast as you safely can for 30-60 seconds.

Another exercise is the plank (as shown above in the first picture) with added movement. Start in neutral (or home base ) position as shown then move the hips up, then down below neutral, then up to neutral again. Pause in neutral again before beginning the up, down, home base lifts. Work your way up to 60 seconds. Check out the video from an earlier blog showing plank variations.

A third exercise is called Wood Chop. Hold a medicine ball in your hands. Choose a weighted medicine ball that you can control. You should be able to hold the rest of your body fairly rigid when you begin the move. Slightly bend your knees. Brace your abdominal muscles and swing the ball in a diagonal pattern in front of your body from the outside of one knee/hip to above/at the opposite shoulder. Try to keep your hips from moving excessively. First level is with elbows and shorter range of motion. As you become stronger straighten your elbows to create a longer lever.

These are just a few examples of exercises to help build your core strength and improve your ability to do more (or a single) push-up. If you have unusual pain, like back pain, while doing any of these exercises, make sure your abs are engaged and check your form in a mirror or by a professional.

In the next part I will discuss other exercises to help you do MORE PUSH-UPs!

The Snatch - A Power Lift

This is me practicing the Snatch at MPower CrossFit at my friend's, Karianne Dickson, gym. It's hard to perform correctly and even harder to teach! Great to improve performance and strength.

High Fructose Corn Syrup - Stay Away!

Don't believe those television commercials from the corn refiners association saying how high fructose corn syrup is not that bad.

Another reason to avoid high fructose corn syrup: The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry published a study of the “Formation of Hydroxymethylfurfural in Domestic High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) and Its Toxicity to the Honey Bee”.When exposed to warm temperatures, HFCS can form hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), mainly from heating fructose. HMF can kill honeybees, and may contribute to colony collapse disorder that has killed honeybees in the United States and around the world threatening human food production.HFCS is also used as a sweetener in many of our processed foods, and studies have linked HMF to DNA damage in humans. In addition, HMF breaks down in the body to other substances potentially even more harmful than HMF.

The above paragraph is from The Paleo Diet Newsletter. Check out the Paleo diet at http://www.paleodiet.com/.

Split Jerk

Here I am at MPower Crossfit learning/relearning some Olympic lifts. This is the split jerk and I'm at the bottom part of the move. I still have to stand up with the bar overhead.

My friend, Karianne Dickson, and owner of MPower Crossfit in Bernardsville, invited a level 2 Olympic lifting coach to teach us proper form.

Can't wait until next weeks class!

Are You Over-Training?

When you fail to get adequate rest and balance for your mind and body, fatigue and stress accumulate until you reach a state of burnout, injury or illness. Over-training is the point at which an athlete cannot continue with effective training. Fatigue can be recognized by both physical and psychological symptoms.

BEHAVIORAL

• Apathy
• Lethargy
• Depression
• Poor Concentration
• Sleep pattern changes
• Irritability
• Decreased Libido
• Clumsiness
• Increased thirst
• Sluggishness
• Craving for sugar

Physical

• Reduced performance
• Weight change
• Morning Heart Rate change
• Muscle soreness
• Swollen lymph glands
• Diarrhea
• Injury
• Infection
• Amenorrhea
• Decreased Exercise heart rate
• Slow-healing cuts

These symptoms are common for many other conditions or diseases. Please be sure to check with your doctor.

List from "The Cyclist's Training Bible" by Joe Firel

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Get The Kids Involved!

I went to the park yesterday to do some stretching. I figured walking there while pushing Audrey in the stroller would be good exercise, and it was, especially up the hills. I also figured she was going to fall asleep while I sat on the mat. This was half correct. Audrey fell asleep, but only while the stroller was moving!


Finally, it was best to just get her involved. So I did my best to stretch around and with her and we ended up having lots of fun...especially pulling grass and trying to eat it!

Yes, I know....Audrey doesn't look like she was having fun here, but really she loves going to the park with her Mama!

Fight Late Night Cravings

The following is from Holly Rigsby of Fit Yummy Mummy

Fight Late Night Cravings

Need some ideas to fight late night cravings?

You are so not alone. This is actually a HOT Topic! The ladies at ClubFYM asked for some help in the forums today - thought sharing the tips with you would help you find some solutions to help take control of these cravings once and for all!

I need some help!

“I don’t know what my problem is. I think I eat enough all day. But, when I get home from work around 6PM I am so hungry that I can’t wait for dinner - I end up eating crap AND THEN also eating dinner. Then I just feel like, Oh well, I already pigged out so I might as well have ice cream too.

This is what I ate yesterday during the day:

7:30 AM - 1/2 cup GrapeNuts with 1/2 cup whole milk, 2 cups green tea

10 AM - 1/2 cup honeydew, 1/2 cup musk melon, handful walnuts, 2 tricuit crackers

11:15 AM - Intervals

12:00 PM - 1/2 whole wheat wrap with lettuce, tomato, 1 slice cheese, 2 slices soy meat substitute, and 1 cup watermelon, handful “soy crisps”

3:15 PM - 1 serving goat cheese rounds (Babybel minis), 1 rice cake with 1 tbsp. peanut butter, 1/2 c pineapple.

Then I got home at 6, ate a big handful of stupid M&M’s, followed by dinner (brown rice with paneer and fresh peas & tomatoes YUM), then PEANUT M&M’s and a few spoons of ice cream. I felt like I had done great all day until that point. Should I be having bigger snacks to avoid a meltdown like this? Should I have a bigger meal at 3, and then skip the 9PM meal?

Thanks for any help! I really need to get this nutrition thing down!”

Karen, member of ClubFYM

My response to Karen

While Karen is on the right track with eating every 3 hours, making sure to choose whole food options and creating meals around a protein and a produce there were some areas I could identify right away.
~~~~~
“Hey Karen,
Couple things from just a quick glance…

1. Your breakfast needs to be the biggest meal of your day - and I would be sure to add Fruit here - add more protein.

2. If you are starving when you get home - why not eat something at 5 or so or on your way home so you are not famished?

Like a handful of nuts or something portable.

3. Why are M&Ms in the house?

4. Why is ice cream in the house?

5. I would reevaluate the calories you eat during the day and see if you can slightly increase portions (of protein and produce) to make them higher.”
~ Holly
~~~~~~
Several other members were quick to offer support and suggestions on what has helped them to overcome late night cravings. Marloes offered a couple breakfast recipes.
~~~~~~
“Karen!!
I can absolutely relate to you!
I front load my day now more so then I was in the past!
Example -2 eggs plus 2 egg whites2 cups spinach2 tbsp flax meal. Sometimes I will add either peppers or grape tomatoes to this omelet.

OR 1/3 cup oatmea, l2 tbsp flax meal 1tbsp peanut butter 1apple 1/4 cup (2) egg whites

These two breakfast meals fill me up for sure!It does help to eat a bigger breakfast!

If unsupportive food is within reach, it is most likely going to become a part of your day….lol on blaming someone else Laughing…I just do not buy it, why offer yourself that temptation?
You can do this, grab a glass of water instead along with a handful of nuts at 5pm and walk away!”

~ Marloes, Member of ClubFYM and 3rd place winner of the Summer Transformation Challenge


~~~~~3 Great take away points….


1. Make sure you are eating and eating enough every 3 to 4 hours

2. Eliminate overly processed foods, foods that contain HFCS and foods that contain artificial sweeteners - all of which turn up your desire for cravings

3. The largest meal of the day should be your Breakfast - loaded with protein and produce!

4. Create a SUPPORTIVE Environment….if the junk food is there You WILL eat it!Stop making it so hard on yourself!!!

Stretch It Out...Way Out. Tips to Improve Your Stretching Technique

So often we neglect to stretch. We just don't feel like doing it, there is not enough time and hey, we did the most important part of the workout whether is was lifting weights or doing interval training on the bike. Well, I'm here to tell you what you probably already know....it's good for you, you should stretch and it feels good! Wow, rocket science..

In a future blog post I'll get into the reasons why it's good for you and for now here are some tips to improve your stretching technique:

• The more often you stretch the more likely you are to have lasting effects. It's better to stretch a little bit in the morning, a little bit in the afternoon and a little bit more in the evening.


• Hold your stretch between 18 and 30 seconds


• Stretch each area about 5 times (so that's 30 seconds X 5 = 2 1/2 minutes on each hamstring or quad or whatever body part)


• Your body should be in good postural alignment whether you are lying on the ground, side lying, standing or sitting. "Square" your hips and shoulders to your body, keep your low back in its natural curvature, etc.

For deeper stretching and getting the myofacial layer beneath the muscle try a foam roller or rolling stick. What's the myofacial layer? Think of a piece of chicken that you've just taken the skin off and you now see the whitish, filmy covering over the meat of the chicken. Well, we have it too, and it's one big piece that can get bound to our muscles and make us achy and uncomfortable. I found this You Tube video that shows how to use a foam roller on some commonly tight muscles. Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lLw81kGeXg

"It is wise to keep in mind that neither success nor failure is ever final." -Roger Babson

You Know What It Is?

You know what it is? YES...I do know what it is! It's the beginning of an excuse! Almost everyday someone says to me...You know what it is? It's this, it's that and it's always an excuse or justification as to why they can't do something. In reality it's what the person really doesn't WANT to do or change.

I don't want to hear what someone CAN'T do because whatever it is, is usually unfounded. Now, I'm not saying there are aren't legitimate barriers to why someone doesn't have the ability to exercise. Maybe they have a broken back? Perhaps someone can't change their eating habits because they are allergic to everything under the sun. More often then not, though, people don't WANT to change.

Change is hard. We find a lot of comfort in our routine and when someone asks you to change that routine we get scared and think "I can't do that". Well, guess what? Chances are that you CAN make changes. It just takes small steps and an open mind.

Most often the statement/question "You know what it is?" is a response to me asking or suggesting that someone change the way they are currently doing something. For instance, when someone comes to me and asks for my help in losing fat weight I might say: "You need to add another day of metabolic resistance training and one day of intervals to your program. And, oh yeah, don't eat ice cream every night and stay away from processed foods" Then I hear "you know what it is?" and it follows with some lame excuse that almost sounds legitimate.

COME ON PEOPLE!!!! Enough with the excuses. It's Okay not to want to make the changes. Just be honest with yourself and me. You don't want to make the changes because they are hard or whatever the reason, just don't tell me you can't because I know you CAN!

Here are some tips to get you through the hard changes:

1. Visualize yourself making the change. Good athletes do it all of the time. The baseball player imagines himself hitting the ball on the right spot of the bat, his body swinging in response, all of the components he can think of. Do the same with exercise. Imagine yourself getting out of bed, alert and happy to begin your day with activity. Picture yourself putting on your clothes you've set out the night before. Then driving to the gym or walking to your basement or living room where you exercise. See yourself lifting the weights. Your breaking a sweat. You can feel the muscles working and burning. You CAN do it!

2. See yourself as a person who does this or does that. Become an avid exerciser in your mind and others will see you as that person, too. In other words make exercise and healthy eating such a part of your life, it's just who you are. Change the perception of yourself. "I am someone who works out 5 days a week. I am someone who eats garden salad instead of macaroni salad."

3. Change your goals. This one might actually be the hardest. We all think we want to be thin. Perhaps, instead of your goal to lose 50 pounds your goal should be changed to walking every day or eating breakfast every day. I don't want to discourage you from losing 50 pounds of fat, but perhaps you are really not willing to give up the excess of food or drink. Don't torment yourself, just tweak your goals. Eventually one healthy change will lead to another!

Good Luck and please don't say "You know what it is?"

Glycemic Index of the Foods You Eat

I've been doing a lot of reading and talking with other professionals lately about nutrition. I have long believed that the foods we eat play a huge role in how we feel day to day, how our bodies age, development (or not) of disease, etc.



You may or may not be familiar with the glycemic index. It is a guide of how fast and high a food produces insulin in response to eating a carbohydrate. Quick and dirty...eat food, the hormone insulin is released to get the sugar from the carbohydrate into the cells of our body. Depending on the food, the insulin either does a slow drip (good) or spikes (bad). This is important because how the insulin responds has a great deal to do with things such as weight gain/loss, energy levels, heart disease, diabetes and other conditions.



Eating foods with a low glycemic index is better for your health and for those interested in losing weight. Think of the glycemic index as a speedometer. Table sugar is 100 (mph), that's fast! A peeled and boiled yam is (25), that's slow.

What are the Benefits of the Glycemic Index?

Eating a lot of high GI foods can be detrimental to your health because it pushes your body to extremes. This is especially true if you are overweight and sedentary. Switching to eating mainly low GI carbs that slowly trickle glucose into your blood stream keeps your energy levels balanced and means you will feel fuller for longer between meals.

Low GI diets help people lose and control weight
Low GI diets increase the body's sensitivity to insulin
Low GI carbs improve diabetes control
Low GI carbs reduce the risk of heart disease
Low GI carbs reduce blood cholesterol levels
Low GI carbs can help you manage the symptoms of PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)
Low GI carbs reduce hunger and keep you fuller for longer
Low GI carbs prolong physical endurance
High GI carbs help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise

Check this web site for more information on the Glycemic Index, glycemic load and to find the GI of foods you eat.

www.glycemicindex.com

Good luck and there will definitely be more discussion about nutrition and weight loss so keep following!

Reduce Calories; Maintain Energy For Running

I got this from Runner's World. It makes sense and you will see some results (probably slow results, but results non the less).

REDUCE CALORIE INTAKE BASED ON PERSONAL NEEDS
Make small changes in your diet and reap big rewards.By Leslie Goldman
Image by Getty Images
From the April 2009 issue of Runner's World

Dieter's Strategy: Cut 500 calories a day to lose one pound a week. Runner's Strategy: Reduce calorie intake based on personal needs. You've probably heard of the 500 Rule—slash 500 calories a day to lose one pound a week (one pound equals 3,500 calories). "It's a nice, clean rule," says Lewin, and for a lot of dieters, cutting 500 calories a day will help them lose weight—at least for a while.

The problem for runners, though, is that slashing that many calories can be too much—especially if you're training hard. "Cutting too many calories can be your worst enemy," says Lewin. "It can lead to plummeting energy levels. You might not be able to work out as well or maintain muscle mass—you're setting yourself up for failure." So rather than cutting 500 calories, runners should work to identify the number of calories they personally need to eat to lose weight, says Lewin.

Here's how to find that number.

1. Count Calories: Track your intake by keeping a detailed food journal for one week, says Lewin. Write down everything you eat and note your energy and hunger levels on a scale of one to 10 (nutritiondata.com and calorieking.com provide calorie counts for most foods, making it easy to do the math).

2. Trim—Don't Slash: "Start by cutting about 300 calories a day," says Leslie Bonci, R.D., director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "It's a more doable number and is more likely to reflect a drop in body fat." As long as you're running, you'll still hit a 500-calorie deficit per day and lose about one pound a week.

3. Tweak It: If you cut 300 calories and maintain your energy levels, but the number on the scale hasn't budged, it's time to reduce your intake gradually, says Bonci.

You can also adjust for training. Racking up miles for a marathon? Add calories back in. Having an easy week? Reduce your intake further. Small Changes, Big Rewards.

You don't need to make drastic adjustments to your calorie intake to start dropping pounds. Small substitutes here and there can add up and lead to major weight loss. Jennifer Ventrelle, R.D., owner of a private weight-loss practice in Chicago called Weight No More, suggests these simple food swaps for a day of meals to help cut calories while keeping your energy levels high.

Swap Out: Bagel with cream cheese 360 calories
Swap In: Whole-grain bagel with peanut butter and a cup of yogurt 325 calories

Swap Out: Starbucks Grande Latte 190 calories
Swap In: Starbucks Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte 130 calories

Swap Out: Clif Bar 250 calories
Swap In: High-fiber, high-protein granola bar, such as Kashi GoLean Crunchy Bar 180 calories

Swap Out: Subway six-inch roast-beef sandwich on white with mayo, cheese, and veggies 400 calories
Swap In: Subway six-inch roast-beef sandwich on wheat with mustard, no cheese, extra veggies, and apple slices on the side 340 calories

Swap Out: Four-ounce pork chop and salad with apples, walnuts, and goat cheese 485 calories Swap In: Four ounces of pork tenderloin and a mixed green salad with apples and walnuts (hold the cheese), and a half cup of brown rice 380 calories

Swap Out: One cup of vanilla ice cream 290 calories
Swap In: Half cup of vanilla ice cream with one cup of raspberries 205 calories

Original Daily Intake: 1,975 calories
New Daily Intake: 1,560 calories
Total Daily Savings: 415 calories

Cool stuff at Sneaker Factory Grand Opening

My friend, Erika, and I and our babies checked out The Sneaker Factory grand opening in Basking Ridge this past weekend! We checked out the latest foot ware, cool sunglasses and got some information about the Lymphoma & Leukemia Team In Training.

Here we are with our future running buddies!

The store is pretty cool because all of the sales people have to have at least 6 months of training before they can help customers find the right sneakers. The owner, Mike, said he actually goes to classes offered by the sneaker manufactures and learns how to fit people to their running shoes! I'm talking 6 days here, 5 days there...there is a lot to know about how to properly fit your foot to a sneaker. Mike sure seemed like he knew what he was talking about, too!

Also, you get to run around in the sneakers before you buy them. I highly recommend you get professionally fitted for your running shoes...no more sports authority if you really want to feel good while you run!

Erika and I decided we'd like to do Team In Training next May at the Grand Canyon! We will hike in and back out for a total of 8 hours of hiking. We will each be committed to raising between $4200-$4600 for The Lymphoma and Leukemia Society...I'll keep you posted on this endeavor!

In the mean time if you want to start running as part of your fitness routine the first thing you need to do is get a great pair of sneakers. Next go out for an easy run/walk. That is walk for 5-10 minutes then run for however long feels comfortable then walk again. Just do what feels right...maybe you go for a total of 15 minutes, maybe you go for a total of 30 minutes. Alternate between walking and running until your running lasts longer than your walking.

My sister lost 18# in less than 2 months....

My Sister lost 18# in less then 2 months….can you?

Really, she did! And I'm very proud of her!

It wasn’t magic and I’m sure it wasn’t easy. But, she did it anyway! Janet didn’t use some quick weight loss pill, magic “diet” or have any kind of medical procedure! She did it the old fashioned way…..eating healthy!!!

Are you surprised by that? I’ll bet someone reading this will still find an excuse or reason as to why that won’t work for them. But, I assure you, it can work for you, too!

Janet made her decision to change the way she ate and wouldn’t you know it…she lost weight! A funny thing is, she didn’t think her eating habits were that bad before! They were, but now the foods she eats are helping her body work better instead of making her body just function.

Here is a quick overview of the changes Janet made to help her lose 18 pounds in less than 2 months.

· Cut out Salt
· Cut out processed SUGAR (aka the devil!) except natural sugar in the form of fruit
· No Alcohol
· No Caffeine (I know this one was hard for her)
· No Preservatives…another biggy
· Increased water intake to 1-2 quarts daily.

Janet says “I eat food as close to the natural form as possible. For instance, I will eat the grain instead of bread. I mostly have taken the philosophy that if I can't theoretically go outside and grow it, gather it, shoot it or fish for it, I don't eat it. Yogurt, olive oil and flax seed oil and small amounts of cheese excluded. “

Wow! Sounds like a pretty healthy way to eat. Eating the right foods can help you feel good , have more energy and prevent disease. Stop with the excuses and make changes today!

Keep watching my blog because in future posts I’ll talk about how some of these changes helped her lose weight beyond just a negative calorie balance.

Good luck in making your own changes today!

Single Leg Squat

This is a great example of a single leg squat. Single leg squats are really hard to do properly and Craig Ballentine shows how it ought to be done! If you try these, make sure your knee and ankle are in alignment. Don't allow your knee to sway in...a very common mistake that can. Single leg squats are a great leg and hip strengthener and Great for improving knee stability!

A Favorite Quote

"Losers visualize the penalties of failure. Winners visualize the rewards of success." Dr. Rob Gilbert.

I'm thinking of this quote now as I contemplate going for a run or going back to bed! I think I'll get some fresh air before the baby wakes up!

Plank for Warm-Up

In the video today I show you how to use the standard plank exercise to start your warm-up. These moves help warm up your core musculature. Neuromuscular activation, specifically, helps you get the proper muscles working and in the proper order.

This video shows only a few seconds of the activities. You will work up to 1 or more minutes, as time under tension is the key to getting these muscles activated and strong.