Sunday, June 29, 2008

Take Advantage of the Warm Weather


Many of you are aware of the health benefits that cardiovascular exercise entails. In fact, with each of your specific goals, there is cardio involved. I encourage you all to get outside. Leave the gym for bit and enjoy the warm weather while we have it. The 4th of July is coming quickly and that means a 3 day weekend. Wake up early, go for a jog or a bike ride. Go to a park with your family and play frisbee and have a healthy BBQ. This is your opportunity to change things up and enjoy it too. Too many of us get caught up in the everyday routine, and while exercise is one of the best habits to have there is no better exercise than exercise outside. 

Monday, June 23, 2008

Sucess in Numbers


Many people underestimate the power of the people around them. Too many people fail because they try to accomplish their health and fitness goals alone. If you want to greatly increase your chances of reaching your goal and decreasing temptation, then you need support. Of course I am here for you, and you can rest assured that I will be holding you accountable for your actions. But, that may not be the easiest way to stay motivated. You need a friend. I don't mean someone to do all of your workouts with you. (although that is nice sometimes) What I mean is that you need to make your goals known. Let your family, friends, co-workers, and the people you see on a day-to-day basis know that you are on mission. To lose the flab and get healthy. Almost everyone you tell will change their attitude and want to help you. They may tease or tempt you a little bit, but I can assure you that it's mainly because they feel guilty about their own self-image. That's where you can help yourselves and them and invite them to join you. Your chances of success greatly improve with the support of others. It no longer becomes a personal goal, it becomes a lifestyle change. Your decision will effect everyone around you whether you think it will or not.
I believe this is so important that I am willing to give anyone a complementary Gift Card worth a free week's session, or $25 in free supplements for referring someone that signs up.
Keep up the hard work everyone!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Beyond the Comfort Zone

Although sweat can be an indicator that your workouts are pushing you to the limits, they are not always an indicator that you are getting a good enough workout. Many people gauge their workout by how much they sweat, and unfortunately that isn't what I am going to ask you to do.

I want you to take your workout to the next level. I want you to take what you think you can do and push a bit harder. When you are in the process of changing your body composition, you are going to need to do something extra. Its not a surprise that losing fat and strengthening muscle is not an easy process. Your body will want to fight you every step of the way. The best way to not let it win is to give it a good fight. For your body to make adaptations, you have to face physical hardship. I am not talking about injury or exhaustion. I am talking about not quiting to early, and not underestimating your own strength.

This week I want everyone to ramp up their exercise. Push yourselves to true failure and lets see some serious results. You are all awesome. Keep up the great work!

-Jared

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

More Spinach Please!


There are tons of benefits! So everyone, eat up! Its a free food, so there is no need to worry about extra calories. Check it out.
  1. Spinach contains choline and inositol, the substances that help to prevent atherosclerosis or thickening and hardening of arteries.
  2. Spinach and alfalfa help stabilize blood sugar
  3. among diabetics to several handful spinach, add 3 cups of water. Place over low heat for one hour. Then strain. Take ½ cup twice a day. Spinach and alfalfa may be served as part of the meal.
  4. Spinach is loaded with flavonoid that function as antioxidant and anti-cancer agent.
  5. Spinach contain carotenoid that help fights cancer.
  6. Spinach is a rich source of Vitamins C and A (Immune system booster and healthy skin)
  7. Spinach is an anti-aging vegetable.
  8. Spinach is a good source of Vitamin K, which aids in the formation of the blood substance required for clotting of blood.
  9. Spinach is helpful in the following cases ; Anemia, Tumors, Constipation, Insomnia, Obesity, Neuritis (inflammation of nerves), Nerve exhaustion, High blood pressure, Bronchitis, Colon cancer, Prostate cancer, Breast cancer, Osteoporosis, Dyspepsia (chronic indigestion), Also helps ailment of the kidneys, bladder and liver.

Nutritive Values : Per 100 gm.

  • Vitamin A : 9,420 I.U.
  • Vitamin B : Thiamine .11 mg.;
  • Riboflavin : .20 mg.;
  • Niacin : .6 mg.
  • Vitamin C : 59 mg.
  • Good source of Vitamin k : amount undetermined.
  • Calcium : 81 mg
  • Iron : 3.0 mg.
  • Phosphorus : 55 mg.
  • Potassium : 470 mg.
  • Carbohydrates : 3.2 gm.
  • Protein : 2.3 gm.
  • Calories : 20
http://hubpages.com/hub/Health_Benefits_of_Spinach

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Protein Pancakes



Here is a quick, easy and delicious way to curb a craving and get some balanced nutrition in the process.

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup Fat Free Cottage Cheese

4-5 egg whites

1 scoop protein powder (vanilla)

Blend until batter consistency. Then pour into a frying pan like normal pancakes.

Thats the basics. You can add your own items for flavoring... for example


mix in 1/2 cup blueberries after blending.

Top with some calorie free butter spray and some sugar free syrup and enjoy!

Thursday, June 12, 2008


Howard took his final picture today, and I know a lot of you wanted to see. So here you are. Howard ended at 9.2% body fat. He lost over 70lbs of fat. Nice job.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Importance of Sleep when Dieting

Here is a really great article I found on sleep deprivation and weight gain. I hope all of you are getting your sleep! Keep up the hard work.
The Stages of Sleep

In order to understand the link between sleep deprivation and weight gain it is important to know how much quality sleep we need. Experts believe that adults require seven to eight hours of sleep every night. Studies have shown that decreased amounts of REM sleep can lead to an increased food intake. The two phases of sleep are referred to as non-REM sleep and REM sleep. The "REM" in both phases stands for "Rapid Eye Movement."
Non-REM: Non-REM sleep is divided into four phases:
Phase 1: During this phase, a person is in between wake and sleep. The person can be awakened easily.
Phase 2: This is a period of light sleep during which body temperature drops.
Phase 3 and Phase 4: These are the phases during which a person experiences an increasingly deeper stage of sleep called delta sleep. During this restorative stage, the body is repairing itself, building bone and muscle and releasing certain hormones.
REM: REM is the phase during which a person dreams. It's a period of greater brain activity but less muscle activity.
Sleep Apnea and Weight Gain
Researchers now believe that sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, may contribute more to obesity than they once thought. Sleep apnea is a disorder in which a sleeping person stops breathing because his or her airways are obstructed, or blocked.Although sleep apnea can affect anyone, it is more common in overweight men. Other risk factors include being more than 40 years old, having a large neck and having a family history of the disorder. While some may think sleep apnea is just a snoring problem, if left untreated, it can lead to heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke.People who suffer from sleep apnea and other sleep disorders are less likely to enter the deeper, restorative phases of sleep and therefore run the risk of packing on extra pounds as well.
Sleep, Hormones and Weight Gain
Leptin and Grehlin are hormones that help the body control appetite and weight gain and loss. Leptin suppresses appetite, while Grehlin increases appetite and may prevent a person from losing weight.When lack of sleep becomes a chronic problem, levels of Grehlin increases, causing greater appetite, and levels of Leptin decrease. Regardless of diet and exercise, it's possible that some obesity is caused, or made worse, by sleep deprivation.
Getting to Sleep to Prevent Weight Gain
If you are experiencing problems sleeping and think your sleeping disorders might be causing you to gain weight, you should consider visiting a doctor, who can discuss ways to help restore your normal sleeping pattern.You may even want to consult a sleep lab for evaluation. There, you will spend the night hooked up to electrodes, which will monitor your brain activity during sleep. The process is painless and may be covered by your insurance.If you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, your doctor may prescribe one therapy, or a combination of therapies. Regular exercise will improve your quality of sleep, as will reducing or eliminating you intake of alcohol, caffeine and tobacco.If enlarged tonsils are obstructing your airway and causing sleep apnea, the doctor might want to surgically remove the organs. He or she also may prescribe sleep medications to help you sleep through the night. While some newer sleep medications may be used for long-term sleep problems, it's important for you and your doctor to weigh their risks and benefits. Getting your sleep problems diagnosed and treated may be the first step in accomplishing your weight loss goals. If you've tried everything to lose weight and nothing seems to be working, don't give up. Lack of sleep may be keeping you from achieving weight loss success. http://www.sleep-deprivation.com/articles/effects-of-sleep-deprivation/weight.php

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Healthy Substitutions

An easy way to eat healthier, and still eat the foods you love is to make small substitutions to your meals. This is something that you can learn to do and before you know it, you dont even think about it anymore.

For example, when you are baking you substitute applesauce in place of butter. When you are cooking in a frying pan always use an alternative to fat like Pam. Low calorie butter spray in place of butter or margerine. Whole wheat flour instead of bleached, whole wheat pasta in place regular, wild or brown rice in place of white. Yams or sweet potatoes in place white potatoes. Lean cuts of beef like sirloin or tenderloin in place of pot roast, ribs, or prime rib.

On the sweeter side of things, its always better to avoid high sugar foods. Most of the time you are never going to notice a difference. Sugar free candy is hit and miss. A lot of times they make up for the lack of sugar with an extra side of fat. Sugar free syrups, jams and jellies, sodas and drinks, are all going to save you on the unwanted calories. Not to mention the effect they have on our blood sugar.

When it comes to dairy, it is always better to choose the lowfat or non-fat cheeses (when you are cooking with cheese, you can't tell a difference in taste so non-fat is much better), low-fat milks, yogurts and make sure you check the date so you get the freshest availible.

Fresh or frozen veggies are better than canned. And to prevent a loss of nutrition, steaming, grilling, or micro-waving them is a lot better than boiling or sauteing them. The fresher the better!

When it comes to dressing and sauces, red almost always will be a healthier bet than cream or white. Avoid oily or buttery dressings, and go for the vineagarettes or tomato based sauces.

Hopefully this helps you to make better choices. These little things can add up quickly.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Silent Sabatoge


My wife and I like to eat out. Its easy, its convienent, and a lot of the time it tastes pretty good. As most of you know, I am a little weird when it comes to eating things when I dont know thier exact nutritional content (or at least a pretty good idea of whats in it). So I decided to make myself a travel binder and go online to get the nutritional information on a lot local restraunts and food chains. That way, while I am out, I dont have to wonder. Even though I dont eat at fast food places very often, I decided to just get it all. What I discovered was shocking.
The craziest thing to me was that this was all published. You would think if fast food chains served poison, they would try to hide it. But all these restaurants dont try to hide anything. People would'nt walk in with the intention of ordering a #9 combo and a poison shot instead of a soda. No one would say, "Does the poison come in cherry or carmel?" They dont try to hide anything, because the unhealthy food doesnt keep people away.
Here's the real problem. We generally aren't aware of whats in the food that is prepared for us. That, right there, should be a crime. We then wonder why nearly 70% of the U.S. is overweight. But, don't you think a little more knowledge would help us in the battle for being fit and healthy? You shouldnt have to guess. If you like to eat out, I suggest making a binder for yourselves. Go online and see if your local eatery's have listed thier nutrition facts on a website. If you can't find anything, they are usually willing to provide you with them upon request.
Here are a few shocking discoveries;
Rumbi's - Beach Club Sandwich : Cals-1130 Fat-33g Carbs-173g Protein-45g
Chili's - Fajita Steak Quesadillas w/ Guacamole : Cals 2020 Fat-111g Carbs-150 Protein-102g
Subway's - Meatball Marinara : Cals-1120 Fat-48g Carbs-126g Protein-48g SUGAR-26g ( 3-1/2 teaspoons )
Unfortunately, there are easy ways to make bad choices. But it doesnt have to be that way. Know whats in what you eat, your health should'nt be a bet. You shouldnt have to one day look in the mirror and wonder what happened. You should be able to confidently say, I know what I put in my body, I know that I am healthy.
If you need help with ideas or even just general health questions. You know how to contact me. Keep up the great work everyone, no matter where you are :)
-Jared