Achieve Fitness USA Colorado Springs

5 Easy Food & Drink Tips

2012-01-15T19:04:00.000-07:00

Weight loss is a simple formula – calories in vs. calories out. ie: you need to either a) consume fewer calories (aka:diet), b) spend more calories (aka:exercise), or, c) a combination of the two (best alternative).

1. Eat 4-6 smaller meals throughout the day.

Rather than 2 or 3 large meals, try eating 4-6 moderately sized ones,
(breakfast, midmorning, lunch, mid afternoon, dinner, early evening) and never, ever skip breakfast. Maintaining caloric intake through out the day helps establish and maintain
metabolic rate, maintains consistent blood sugar levels which in turn helps avoid insulin valleys & spikes, and keeps appetite under control. The key is, a “meal” can be a banana & cup of yogurt (watch the sugar in yogurts though). Keep your calorie intake slow & steady.

2. Eliminate fast foods/minimize fried foods & highly processed “made up” convenience foods.

Fast food - processed, pre-frozen, preserved, deep-fried, fatty, cholesterol laden, empty calories – just about all the watch words in existence can be used to describe this terrible “food”. Most fast foods provide so little in the way of nutritional value, it’s hardly worth mentioning. It’s truly JU-N-K food. Just say no!

What exactly is a Red Vine? A Pop-Tart? Magic Shell ice cream topper? Watch out for food products that bear little or no resemblance to their original food source. Go for a box of raisins, not the Raisinets; have whole grain toast with all natural jam rather than a Pop-Tart, etc. You’ll cut down on sodium, added sugar and a paragraph of preservatives. As an added benefit, the original food source most often contains fewer calories and fat, plus more fiber, vitamins and minerals.

3. Drink Water!!!

Consume 1/2 oz. of water per lb. of body weight per day. (150 lb. person = 75 oz. per day). This isn’t as difficult as it sounds. Get a 20 oz. container of bottled water, fill it up 3 times, and there’s 60 oz. right there. The health & fat burning properties of water are well documented. It has no sugar, added or other, is readily available & is free or darn cheap. Take a look at the label on the side of virtually any other beverage. Corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, etc. (cleverly labeled sugar) are virtually assured of being in the top 3 ingredients, along with a bunch of other stuff that can’t be found anywhere in nature. All these chemicals, sugars, food colorings and dehydrates really work against you reaching your fitness goals.

4. Eat until you’re satisfied, not full.

Portion sizes are a key. It takes a full 15 to 20 minutes for the stomach’s “stretch receptors” to communicate to the brain that we’re full. During that 15 minutes, most of us continue to eat. Limit portions and stop consuming, whether you feel full or not.

As you begin your exercise routine, you’ll be placing your body in an atypical caloric deficit. Your body is not accustomed to this, the result - you’ll feel hungry. This hunger/need sensation is expected, is strongest in the initial weeks & is a GOOD sign. Resisting the temptation to eat more during this period is critical.

5. Drink an 8 to 10 oz. glass of water and/or eat a medium-sized apple 5 to 10 minutes before meals.

This trick works like a charm. You’ll be shocked at how much less you consume per sitting just by taking this simple action.

High blood pressure stats just keep getting higher

2011-12-29T22:54:00.000-07:00

As Americans get older and fatter, the number of adults with high blood pressure has climbed to almost 1 in 3 over the past decade, putting more people at risk of a stroke, heart attack or kidney failure. A little more than a decade ago, the number was closer to 1 in 4. Two decades ago, it was falling. But then came the obesity surge in the late '80s.

"It's not surprising because we've seen that Americans are getting fatter, and we know that blood pressure goes up when people gain weight," said Dr. David Goff, an epidemiology expert at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina. (duh).

About 65 million American adults now have high blood pressure — 30 percent more than the 50 million who did in the previous decade, according to the report in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association. The report did not specifically examine reasons for the spike, but experts said the aging U.S. population and the growing proportion of overweight and obese Americans are probably major contributors. (duh)

"The big message to the American public on that is that we need to pay attention to our lifestyle and those that are overweight need to get slimmer," said Dr. Daniel Jones, dean of the School of Medicine for the University of Mississippi Medical Center and an expert on high blood pressure.

The risk of hypertension, or high blood pressure, is increased by old age, excess weight and lack of physical activity. High blood pressure is defined as 140 over 90 or higher. Blood pressure less than 120 over 80 is generally considered ideal. People in between these categories are called pre-hypertensive.

The study found that at least 65 million Americans either have blood pressure in the high range, take blood-pressure lowering medicines or have been told at least twice that they had high blood pressure. High blood pressure adds to the workload of the heart and arteries. Over time it can mean the heart and arteries do not work as well as they should.

High blood pressure can be treated with medicine and lifestyle changes, including eating less fat and more fruits and vegetables, becoming more physically active and limiting salt intake.

The new figures are from Census data and a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which included 4,531 adults. It estimates that 31.3 percent of Americans have high blood pressure, up from 28.9 percent in the previous national health report.

And the numbers are even worse for blacks. 4 out of 10 black-Americans have high blood pressure, compared with about 3 out of 10 Mexican-Americans and whites. "It's clear we're not paying enough attention to the things that can prevent and manage high blood pressures," Jones said.

There are no symptoms of high blood pressure. "That's why they refer to it as the silent killer," said Dr. Larry E. Fields, lead author of the study and an adviser to the U.S. assistant secretary for health. So he said healthy adults should be checked at least every two years. Only 2 out of 3 people who have high blood pressure know that they do, and only 1 in 3 has the condition under control.

Weight-gain season is HERE

2011-12-01T22:44:00.000-07:00

It's here—whether you're ready or not. Just look at the seasonal shelves in your favorite store. Retailers like to call it ‘holiday season' but let's be more accurate. Weight Gain season begins now and runs straight through New Year. The month will bring ample opportunity for you to expand your waistline. Of course the choice is yours. Now is your opportunity to plan for the weeks ahead. Once the craziness begins, you'll be to busy to put a plan into action.

So let's take this moment of clarity, this calm before the storm, to outline a two-part plan that will save your waist from unwanted holiday inches.

Part One: Your Exercise Plan
Exercise is the first thing people cut when they get busy, and the holiday season is notorious for empty gyms. This year do something different—obligate yourself to exercise. Promising to yourself won't do it, you need to promise to others so that you won't drop the ball.

Sign up to work with a fitness expert – This is the perfect solution for consistent, challenging and effective workouts. We give you the attention and assistance you need to power through the holidays in better shape than ever – talk about motivating!

Join a class – You won't be as effective exercising on your own during the busy holiday season, so join a class for accountability. Find something challenging that gets your heart rate elevated and uses strength training.

Get a serious exercise buddy – Some friends can be an awesome help when you get a bad case of the "I just don't feel like it's."

Part Two: Your Diet Plan
The holidays offer ample opportunities to indulge, so you need to hammer down some guidelines before hitting the buffet line. I'm not saying you shouldn't indulge in any seasonal treats, but use moderation. Don't use the holidays as an excuse to eat until the point of being uncomfortable – will you really miss that bloated feeling?
Don't bring edible treats to the office or to parties. You know that the leftovers will come home and you'll end up eating far more than your share. This year do everyone a favor by not gifting fattening treats.

When faced with a buffet line, load your plate first with greens, vegetables and lean meats before breads and heavier foods. Also drink water with your meal.

Beware of holiday drinks – most are brimming with calories. Hot drinks from coffee shops, cocktails at parties and creamy eggnog are all very enjoyable and all filled with empty calories. Stick with hot tea or unsweetened coffee.

Everywhere you go during the holiday season brings you face-to-face with a plate of sweets. To avoid being a bore but without adding inches to your waist, try the one treat rule. Each time you're in a social situation that involves sweets just eat one, and enjoy your treat slowly.

You don't have to gain weight this holiday season. The key is mindset. If you approach the holidays with the mindset of, ‘I deserve to indulge and I shouldn't have to exercise' then you'll enter 2012 a few pounds heavier, a little less healthy, and with lower energy than ever before.

Instead enter 2012 in better shape than you are today, healthier than you've been in a long time, and with more energy than you thought possible. I'm here to help – call email to set up a fitness consultation. I'd love to show you how to transform your body over the weeks to come.

A Few Tips for the Holidays

2011-11-27T15:34:00.000-07:00

Being health-conscious doesn't necessarily mean Ayou can't enjoy the holiday season and have a little bit of what you crave. It simply means that you should continue to be vigilant and be prepared for the festivities.

1. Exercise: Most people have a little extra time available over the holiday season when they are not at work. Take this opportunity to get some exercise! This will help to burn off the excess calories and fat consumed over this period. And maybe it will get you into the habit of exercising, and you can continue the regime after the holiday season is over.

2. Review your cooking methods: These days there is no excuse for not utilizing the many healthy ways in which food can be prepared. Instead of frying, grill your food. If you're roasting, use one of the many available low-calorie spray oils. Steam vegetables to retain nutrients and flavor.

3. Invest in lower fat ingredients for cooking: If you're preparing a big dinner, why not use half-fat ingredients whenever possible? It is often difficult to tell the difference where taste and flavor are concerned. You can even get low-calorie beers, wines and soft drinks. By simply swapping regular ingredients, foods and drinks for their half-fat alternatives you can make a big cut-back on fat and calorie consumption.

4. Eat regularly: If you are going to a big party or dinner, don't starve yourself all day in anticipation. You're in danger of arriving there feeling “starved” and eating everything in sight. Instead, have healthy snacks throughout the day. By doing this, you'll be less likely to over-indulge whilst you are out.

5. Prepare for outings: If you have some big nights out and meals planned over the holiday season, compensate by having some healthy eating days leading up to the event. Many of us think that we may as well forget about healthy eating over the holidays. However, it should not be a case of forgetting about your health, but simply managing it a little more carefully over the holidays.

6. Balance your meals out: Don't be tempted to fill up your plate with purely rich, calorie-laden food. Instead, have a little of everything including fruit and vegetables. This way, you'll still get to indulge as well as receive valuable nutrients and vitamins.

7. Be wary of sugary foods: Always remember that rich, sugary foods have a nasty habit of making us crave yet more rich and sugary foods. We've all been there...over-indulging in sweet or rich food...feeling bloated, sick, and making rash promises to never eat again...and, a couple of hours later, finding ourselves back in the kitchen, picking at leftovers. By ensuring that you practise healthy eating over the holidays, and throw in some form of regular exercise, you can expect to have more energy and fewer cravings.

8. Stock up on healthy snacks: When you go shopping, be sure to throw some healthy snacking items in to your trolley. Fill up on raw vegetables, such as carrots or celery, which can make a simple snack in times of temptation.

9. Moderate alcohol intake: Don't forget that alcohol is fattening too. That innocent-looking glass of sparkly wine or that small bottle of beer may look as though it will do no harm. However, alcohol contains calories and lots of them. Try and control the amount of alcohol you consume over the holiday period and, in the same way as food, try not to over-indulge regularly. There are plenty of lower-calorie beers and wines available that can help, so opt for the healthier version whenever possible.

10. Be assertive: Don't feel as though you have to say yes to everyone that offers you food and drink. If you are not hungry, then simply say so. Do not let yourself be bullied into eating something that you really don't want.

12. Leave what you don't want: Despite what your parents may have drummed into you as a child, don't feel obliged to clear your plate. When you feel full, stop eating. Simple

Food and festivity will always be a major part of the holiday season - and there is certainly nothing wrong in that. However, the holiday season is also a stressful time for many of us, and we need plenty of energy and stamina to cope with it. It is therefore essential that we eat the right type of food with the necessary nutrients to give us energy and reduce stress levels. This is not to say that we shouldn't allow ourselves to indulge a little, but we should eat in moderation and maintain a varied diet.

KILL the Death Talk!

2011-07-26T19:48:00.000-06:00

I'm sure that many reading this blog entry are new Altitude Bootcampers (there's over 100 of you) & thus new to the world of Coach Derrick. I'd also be willing to bet that many have either felt or heard someone else feeling the wrath of one of my "NO DEATH TALK IN MY GYM!" rants. So for those who may be uninitiated - here's the low low on what that's all about.

Christianity is my particular expression of faith. I don't cram it down anyone's throat nor do I begrudge anyone who chooses otherwise. One of the great things about this nation is we are free to worship and express our faith as we choose, or not at all. The pastor of our house of worship tells a fascinating story:

In former years he was a meat-cutter. Worked in a butcher shop & interfaced with the public every day of the week. One day he says he felt the unction to "shut up, stop doing all the talking, & just listen to people". Pay careful attention to the things people say. So he did so one day & says he noticed an amazing phenomena. We speak 3 things over ourselves all the time; death, sickness/disease, and poverty. Think about it. How many times have you said or heard:

"Makes me sick!"

"You're kill'n me!"

"So broke I can't pay attention"

"That movie last night was so funny, we were just dying laughing!"

"Oh man, I was dead after that."

And so on. We say it all the time. Well you know what? Words are containers. Whether we believe it or not, they are. Words are VERY powerful things. And in life we tend to get what we say. If you go around saying, "I'm a loser. Nobody likes me. I have no friends and I never will..." Well guess what? And of course the opposite is equally true.

And so he began a campaign years ago to say, "Look, if you're going to joke around about that stuff - joke on the right side of the power curve." So instead of, "I'm dying" make it, "I'm living".

As fitness professionals we're forever hearing this. "You just about killed us with all those squats yesterday."; "I was about to die." Etc. Etc. Etc. Imaging if you had a position where people accused you, on a daily basis, of killing them!

So in the Achieve Fitness USA and Altitude Fitness Camps gyms -we turn it around! I'm don't KILL people (!), I do just the opposite - I LIVE them!

So next time you're in one of my workouts and you throw out a "death statement" & get the requisite verbal smack down,....you'll know why. You're coming to workout so that you can LIVE and have more LIFE. Keep it on the right side of the power curve!

Morning workouts ROCK

2011-06-23T16:32:00.004-06:00

I was going round and round with a friend/potential client yesterday about joining our new "Altitude Bootcamp" and he as giving me the, "It's too early" whine. So Rob, my friend, this blog's for you!

Will morning training will help you shed pounds quicker. The answer is "yes," morning training has been proven efficient for weight loss. The reason is simple: Training in the morning will help "jump-start" your metabolism and keep it elevated for up to 24 hours, thus burning more calories throughout the day.

Here's why training in the morning is a great way to blast fat: Your body pulls energy from 2 primary sources, carbohydrates and fat. Sugar and carbohydrates are immediately available, short-term fuel sources. So you grad those first. Once depleted you make the jump over to the long-term source, aka: fat.

Your levels of muscle and liver glycogen (also called stored carbohydrates) are normally very low when you wake up first thing in the morning - since you haven't eaten anything in 8 hours. With depleted glycogen and lower blood sugar, you'll give your body the perfect environment to burn fat instead of carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates or glycogen are your body's primary and preferred source of energy. When they're low, your body will tap into your secondary energy reserve, which is your body fat. The less carbohydrates you have, the more fat your body will burn, and you never have less than in the morning.

Of course there's an adjustment period. The same way you're jet-lagged after an overseas trip or drowsy when you suddenly have to switch from the graveyard shift to a regular 9 to 5 shift, training in the morning will require some lag time. Normally, it should take about three weeks for your body to fully adjust to the time change. You'll start feeling fully energized; you'll wake up more easily and will generally be more alert.

But once you've made the shift and are on a new routine, its easy. And morning training has lots of advantages.

First of all, training in the morning will free up the rest of your day, allowing you to focus on work and enjoy your evening activities.

By completing your workout early in the morning, you're also guaranteeing that you'll actually do it. We all know that after a long day at work, it's easier to make excuses or other plans in order to skip a workout. In the morning, your body and mind are fresh and ready to rock 'n' roll. Just remember that being disciplined is the key to staying fit, so start losing your snoozing habits.

As you know, exercise increases mental acuity. By training in the morning, you'll wake up faster and be mentally alert at the crack of dawn. It'll also give you time to plan your day effectively before getting to work.

A good morning workout provides that rush of adrenaline and a sense of accomplishment that will stick with you throughout the day. Plus, you sleep LIKE A BABY at night. You've never slept as well as you will when you do morning workouts.

Finally, have you ever noticed how healthy you feel after a workout? And how you become turned off by greasy, unhealthy food? That said, training in the morning will force you to start watching what you eat from the first meal of the day. It will help regulate your appetite and set a "healthy mindset."

Now all you need is a louder alarm clock to help you get up those first few weeks. Before you know it, you'll be a lean, mean, morning machine. So Robert, rise and shine, my friend, because training in the morning definitely has its benefits.

Tips for Kid's Summertime Nurtion

2011-06-13T11:06:00.000-06:00

Every parent wants good things for their children: a positive outlook on life, a healthy respect for authority, a strong sense of self, a disease-free body...a healthy body weight.

Despite our best intentions, a recent report suggests that for the first time in two centuries, the current generation of children may have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

With all the advances in medicine, how could this possibly be true? The blame falls squarely on today's toxic food environment. In short, your kids are eating too much junk.

And who can blame them? Junk food tastes great.

The good news is that healthy food also tastes great. Take these simple tips and transform your child's diet into one that is packed with good health.

1) Add Color

Adding bright and colorful fruits and veggies to your child's plate will get their diet on the fast track to health. Fresh fruits and veggies are filled with fiber, vitamins and minerals that are essential to good health.

If your kids are resistant then make it fun. Serve veggies with salad dressing as a dip. Cut fresh fruit in the colors of the rainbow and place them on a skewer. Serve a color themed meal – all green, all red or all orange. Use your imagination and you'll come up with an endless number of ways to make fruits and veggies fun to eat.

2) Think Whole Foods

Processed foods are the biggest problem with our modern diet. Packaged and refined food products are devitalized and filled with empty calories that quickly lead to weight gain. Unfortunately, processed foods make up a large portion of the diet of many children.

Train your kids to opt for whole foods, rather than packaged ones. Whole foods are foods that are in their natural state. An apple. A piece of sprouted grain bread spread with natural peanut butter. A piece of hormone-free chicken. A bowl of beans. You get the idea.

3) Use Wholesome Sweeteners

Refined sugar and corn syrup are packed into many of the foods that your kids love. But wait, there are more wholesome sweeteners available – sweeteners that add vitamins and minerals rather than empty calories. Use the following rather than white sugar or corn syrup:

•Sucanat: This pure, dried sugar can juice retains its molasses content. Use

it to replace white sugar in baking.

•Pure Maple Syrup: Forget the "fake" syrups containing corn syrup. Pure maple yrup

contains potassium, calcium and some amino acids.

•Brown Rice Syrup: Use this dark syrupy sweetener instead of corn syrup. It takes

longer to digest and won't spike your blood sugar like refined sugar.

•Dates: Throw a few seeded dates into your blender to sweeten your smoothie rather

than adding white sugar.

4) Make Smart Substitutions

Kids love pizza and pasta and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and that's not going to change any time soon. Rather than fight your kids on their favorites, try making smart substitutions to make their favorites more nutritious.

•Pizza: Up the nutritional content of your pizza by opting for wheat crust over

white, adding veggies to the toppings and sticking with lean meat toppings.

•Pasta: Use sprouted grain or whole grain pasta rather than traditional white

pasta. Add veggies to your pasta sauce. Stick with red sauce, since white sauce is

so high in fat.

•PB&J: A PB&J, made with white bread using sugar-filled peanut butter and corn

syrup-filled jelly, is fairly void of any real nutritional value. Try the PB&J

Makeover recipe below instead for a sandwich that will provide real wholesome fuel

for your child's day.

5) Ban Sugary Drinks

One of the best things that you can do for your child's good health is to instill in them a love for water rather than sugary drinks. Soda pop and juices are filled with empty calories that encourage weight gain. Its literally this simple: consumption of soda is killing our nation.

The easiest way to do this is to stock your house with lots of pure, filtered water. Don't have fruit drinks or soda pop readily available so they don't grow accustom to drinking them.

While I presented these tips as improvements to be made to your child's diets, these tips will also do wonders for your diet. Try these 5 tips out for 30 days and I guarantee you'll look and feel better.

Parents all want good things for their children. Now how about doing something good for yourself as well? You are your child's biggest role model on how to live, for better or worse.

Treat yourself right. Get started on an exercise program that will change your life for the better.

28 Small Changes

2011-05-15T00:32:00.002-06:00

Just the other day I was talking w/a client about one of my "signature" presentations - "Formula for Success". Many of you have heard it. Its simple really. Formula for Success = small disciplines repeated on a daily basis. Conversely; Formula for Failure = small errors in judgment repeated on a daily basis.

Weight loss requires changing the way you eat, the amount you exercise, the way you think about food, and more. That's a lot! And when looking at such a huge step from square one, it can seem really scary.

But break the weight loss process down into smaller steps, and success will seem more accessible. As you accomplish each "mini-goal," you'll feel like a winner. And that winning feeling is great motivation for meeting more mini-goals, and more, until suddenly you're at the weight you've always wanted.

"Making small changes one at a time is a great strategy," agrees Dr. Howard Rankin, a Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, psychologist and author of Inspired to Lose (Step Wise Press, 2001). "It's not overwhelming, and it results in a slower, more steady weight loss."

Remember: When it comes to weight loss, slow and steady wins the race. It's the pace that will help you get to your goal, then stay there.

Do Sweat the Small Stuff

A bunch of small changes add up to big results. Maybe cutting the cream out of your coffee seems like a small feat to you. But once you've got that down you can add another small feat, then another.

Baby steps are the way to go. Especially when you're just starting. There seem to be so many things to do, it's overwhelming. Little things become habits, and eventually the whole process doesn't seem so overwhelming.

I've asked dozens of people like you what small steps they've taken in order to see their way toward their weight goals. This is what they said

About Small Eating Changes

Water, water, water, water. (Your skin will look great, too!)
· Order half portions at restaurants, or share a full portion with somebody. Or ask for a to-go container when you order your food, and pack up half the portion before you even start eating.

· Cut back on butter and mayo.

· Limit fried foods to once or twice per week.

· Use less or no sugar in your coffee or tea.

· Replace ground beef with Boca products or turkey.

· Try at least one new food every week. If you're bored with what you're eating, you're more likely to give up.

· Eat fresh, raw veggies instead of chips with sandwiches.

· Measure your portions until you're sure you know what a cup, a half-cup, and a tablespoon look like. This way, you can be sure you're accurately counting your POINTS.

· Try not to drink your POINTS. Save them for food, so you feel fuller.

· Dip your fork in a side of salad dressing before each bite, instead of pouring it directly on your salad. You'll find that you are satisfied with much less than you usually put on.

· Find the lowest-POINTS alternative to all your favorite high-POINTS foods.

· Never eat out of a bag or box. Take out a measured/counted quantity of food and put it in a bowl. This way, you know exactly how much you're having.

· Always eat something for breakfast.

· Read food labels. Check serving sizes.

· Add vegetables to everything.

· Plan meals in advance; use that information to make out a complete shopping list.

· Give guests food to take home.

· Make sure your Journal is easy and always accessible (like the online Journal that WeightWatchers.com subscribers get).

· Record foods and their POINTS values in your Journal before you eat them.

About Small Exercise Changes

· Take the stairs every single time they're an option. No more elevators or escalators.

· Make exercise a priority, not an inconvenience.

· Park far from your destination, so you're forced to walk this works at the supermarket, mall, wherever. (This also helps you waste less time looking for a parking space!)

· View tiring chores (shoveling snow, cleaning the house, weeding the garden, taking the garbage out, grocery shopping) as a chance to get in some activity.

· Take the grocery cart back to the store when you're done loading your bags into your car.

· If you take public transportation, get off one stop early.

· Work out with a buddy.

Altitude Bootcamp is HERE!

2011-04-27T21:43:00.000-06:00

Achieve Fitness Colorado Springs is about to launch our latest fitness venture - Altitude Bootcamp! Visit www.altitudebootcamps.com.

THE FACILITY

The search for the perfect location finally ended when we landed an agreement with Play it Now Sports. The facility is PERFECT! Easy to get to, center of town, massive (over 54,000 sq. ft.), indoor, constant 72 degrees, soft flooring. We now have the largest and best bootcamp workout facility in CO Springs, hands down. And on days when the weather is right, we'll head out to one of CO Springs beautiful parks to hike and/or rock climb.

THE WORKOUTS

If you've never done 'bootcamp' style workouts, you're in for a treat. Most of you are familiar with Derrick's "outside the box" methods of conditioning. Well, with this kind of space I can really go to town on the creativity side. These camps will be the most fun you've had since kindergarten recess. We play games - like medicine ball golf, have tug 'o wars, and all sorts of other engaging activities that promote balance, teamwork, coordination, core-conditioning, cardiovascular endurance and muscle building. I offer my personal guarantee, you laugh out loud AT LEAST four times each workout or I will drop and knock out 20.

We're very aware that people come in all shapes, sizes, ages and levels of capability. No matter how long its been, how de-conditioned you are, DO NOT feel intimidated. I and the Altitude coaches are trained, capable and anticipate a wide range of ability and take that into account when designing exercises and activities. (hey, we're professionals, alright?)

THE LOCATION

Play it Now SPORTS is on the NE corner of Academy & Union Blvds. In the same plaza as "Big Lots".

THE DAYS & TIMES

Here's the only catch....you've gotta get out of bed. For the first camp workouts are:

Monday 6:00 - 6:45am
Wednesday 6:00 - 6:45am
Friday 6:00 - 6:45am

While it may be a struggle the first week or 2 while your body clock resets, believe me - if you've never done it - you'll come to love the morning workout. You're more alert & have more energy during the day and absolutely sleep better at night.

THE COST

And here's the good news! Camps are designed to run 5 weeks on/1 week off. In order to get Altitude Bootcamps launched and rolling I'm offering an introductory rate of just $159 per camp. Yes, you read correctly. That's just $10.60 per workout.

To make the offer even sweeter, I'm tossing in a handful of enticing goodies:

Goodie #1 - a 4th workout each week......for FREE. Yes, free. We'll also workout Saturdays 8:30 - 9:15am at absolutely no add'l cost. Come on Saturdays and your cost per workout drops to just $7.95. NO WHERE can you beat that.

Goodie #2 - a special offer for readers of my eNewsletters and blog ONLY. For you I'm throwing in a BOGO. Bring a friend, spouse, co-worker,...whom ever. You buy one & he or she gets theirs for FREE. Give it as a gift or split the difference. Either way, that knocks your cost of participation down to to under $4 per workout. But don't drag your heels. I'm only going to offer this until we have about 20 campers - then its gone forever.

So if you've been sitting the fitness thing out b/c you just couldn't squeeze it into the budget - I've just destroyed that objection!

SIGN UP

Best and fastest way is to email info@altitudefitnesscamps.com. Many of you on my blog and newsletter list used to workout with us on a regular basis...but then life happened. Why not treat yourself to a summer of looking and feeling great! Its fun, its inexpensive. Come to the new gym and do some sweat'n to the oldies!

SUPERFOODS

2011-04-15T13:11:00.000-06:00

It's a bird ... it's a plane ... it's ... walnuts? Don't laugh. The humble walnut, along with a dozen other dietary choices -from beans to yogurt- is no less than a "superfood," say some health experts.

Steven Pratt, MD, is one of them. In his book "SuperFoods RX: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life", he goes into detail why he thinks these foods are so potent.

Pratt, an ophthalmologist who specializes in ocular plastic surgery at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, Calif., says he became convinced of the power of these basic foods when he saw the positive results of a few simple diet changes in his patients suffering from age-related macular degeneration - a leading cause of blindness.

"Whether you're trying to prevent cataracts, macular degeneration, cancer, or cardiovascular disease, the same type of preventive dietary measures apply," he says. "The whole body is connected: a healthy heart equals a healthy eye and healthy skin. You'll hear about all these special diets for special health needs, but really, the same diet and the same lifestyle choices prevent the same diseases. With rare exceptions, you don't need 20 different preventive modalities - just one really good diet."

And that "one really good diet," Pratt says, should be founded on these "superfoods":

· Beans

· Blueberries

· Broccoli

· Oats

· Oranges

· Pumpkin

· Salmon

· Soy

· Spinach

· Tea (green or black)

· Tomatoes

· Turkey

· Walnuts

· Yogurt

When incorporated into your regular daily diet, these foods, says Pratt, can stop some of the changes that lead to diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, Alzheimer's, and some cancers. "I picked them out after researching all of the world's healthiest diets: for example, Japanese diets, Mediterranean diets, and even some of the healthier dietary patterns in the United States," he says. "I noticed that it's the same food groups wherever you live."

Walnuts: The Good Fat

Every nut, even macadamias - the fattiest - has been found to improve cholesterol, Pratt reports. "Walnuts are among the superstars. They're an excellent source of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids," he says. Salmon is another great source of these heart-healthy fatty acids.

"Studies show that you can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease by 15% to 50% if you eat a handful of nuts five times a week. If you found a pill that did the same thing, you'd make a fortune." Of course, chowing down on a huge tub of walnuts can be counterproductive, so as always, watch your intake. A handful of dry, roasted, unsalted walnuts - about 14 walnut halves - has about 150 calories, and is enough to yield "superfood" benefits.

Add Some Color to Your Diet

Its true that good things come in small packages. Used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes, blueberries are a tiny fruit that combines a wide variety of nutrients. "Blueberries don't have a huge amount of any single nutrient, but they have the synergy of multiple nutrients," Pratt says. "There's vitamin C, folic acid, fiber, carotenoids, and hundreds of other compounds in this one small fruit. Blueberries also have a very thick skin, which is where nature packs most of its nutrients."

When you're thinking "superfoods," think color, says Beverly Clevidence, PhD, a research leader at the USDA's Diet and Human Performance laboratory. That means foods that are deep blue, purple, red, green, or orange. They contain health-enhancing nutrients that protect against heart disease and cancer, and also improve our sense of balance, our memory, and other thinking skills.

Nutritionist Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, director of nutrition of the WebMD Weight Loss Clinic, offers these tips on how to add some color to your diet:

· Top your cereal with almonds or berries; add tomatoes to sandwiches, soups or stews; layer your whole grain bread sandwich with slices of peppers and fresh spinach.

· Pack a snack bag of nuts, baby carrots, raw broccoli, grape tomatoes, and bell pepper slices for a nutritious pick-me-up between meals.

· Fruit and nut granola bars stash easily into briefcases for quick energy and a tasty treat.

Soy for Cholesterol

No, adding soy to your diet does not mean pouring more soy sauce on your Chinese food, It does mean adding soy foods such as tofu, soy milk, soy nuts, or the green soybeans -- called edamame by the Japanese.

Not everyone is convinced about soy's heart-healthy benefits but its cholesterol-lowering benefits do seem powerful enough. A study reported July 2003 in The Journal of the American Medical Association showed that a diet of soy fiber, protein from oats and barley, almonds, and margarine from plant sterols lowered cholesterol as much as statins, the most widely prescribed cholesterol medicine.

Tofu takes on the flavor of foods that it is cooked with. Try a stir-fry of colorful veggies and cubed tofu with a light Asian sauce for a quick meal. You can also find cereals at the store loaded with both soy and fiber. Serve with skim milk and you'll get three super nutrients for breakfast.Take a soy protein bar for a quick snack or lunch during the day. Soy nuts are another great portable snack option. Edamame (Japanese name for green soybeans) are snacks even kids will love! Find these nutritious nuggets in the freezer section at your supermarket. Serve them plain or with a low-fat dip.

Fiber for Your Whole Body

Beans and oats are great sources of fiber. Fiber helps keep our cholesterol and blood sugar levels low and our bowels functioning smoothly. Studies show that dietary fiber - including foods such as apples, barley, beans and other legumes, fruits and vegetables, oatmeal, oat bran and brown rice - clearly lower blood cholesterol. High-fiber foods are also digested more slowly, so they don't cause spikes in blood sugar levels like white bread, potatoes and sweets do. Of course, everyone knows that fiber helps keep you regular. High-fiber foods also help us feel full, making it easier to control weight.

Read food labels to find whole grain breads and cereals that provide three or more grams of fiber per serving. A bowl full of bran or high-fiber cereal is a great start. Whole fruits and veggies are great for a healthy dose of fiber. Aim for five to nine servings of fruits and veggies a day for a healthy dose of fiber. Juices don't contain as much fiber as whole fruit. And beans are loaded with fiber and protein, so add them to soups, stews, salads, eggs, and salsas.

Calcium for Your Bones

Yogurt and other dairy products help keep your bones strong and lessen your chance of fractures as you get older, calcium also keeps teeth strong, helps your muscles contract, and your heart beat. Recent studies have even shown that calcium may lower your risk of colon polyps, and help you lose weight. Researchers at Purdue University found that women who consume calcium from low-fat dairy products, or get at least 1,000 milligrams a day, showed an overall decrease in body weight.

Dairy products are the best source of calcium. Choose skim milk, low-fat yogurt, and low-fat cheese to avoid saturated fats. A single serving can provide you with 20% of the 1,200 milligrams a day you need. You can also add calcium to your diet with calcium-enriched cereals and orange juice. Foods such as dark green vegetables, dried beans, and sardines also contain calcium.

Start your day with café au lait made with half skim milk and half strong coffee,.Add a bowl of whole grain cereal topped with skim milk and fresh fruit for a breakfast of champions. Snack on low-fat yogurt or cheese between meals for an energizing treat.

Another plus for the "superfoods": they can all be found in pretty much every supermarket in every town in America. You might not be able to buy bok choy everywhere, but every grocery store sells broccoli. Both dark green leafy vegetables with similar health benefits, broccoli makes the "superfood" list and bok choy is one of its "sidekicks."

So are "superfoods" for real, or just another diet-book gimmick in a market flooded with them? "I think it's a good message," says Beth Kitchin, MS, RD, assistant professor in the department of nutrition at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. "There's good data to support the health benefits of all these foods. They're what we might call 'functional foods,' because you eat them for a very specific purpose. The walnuts and the salmon are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, yogurt is a great source of calcium and natural bacterial cultures that help maintain a healthy digestive tract, and tea has been shown over and over again to have a role in preventing some cancers."

Can you lose weight on a "superfoods" diet? Of course you can, says Pratt, although that's a side benefit. "The Superfoods way of looking at things is a lifestyle choice, not a weight-loss program," he says. "But if you make these foods a lifestyle choice, you'll feel better and you'll look better."

Carbs vs. Glycemic Index

2011-03-27T13:17:00.000-06:00

You can't toss a baguette these days without hitting someone who's talking about the pros & cons of carbs. Yet with all this carb chatter it's not always easy to figure out exactly which are the good carbs & which are the bad. Enter the glycemic index (GI) - a reference source that can help indicate which foods are high GI, & therefore most likely to contribute to obesity, type 2 diabetes, & a number of chronic diseases including heart disease. Now a new study reveals that a steady intake of high GI foods may be associated with one of the most common & deadly types of cancer.

Dangerous load

The glycemic index is a measurement system developed to help diabetic patients manage their blood glucose levels. In a nutshell: Low GI foods (such as most fruits and vegetables) prompt a slow increase in blood sugar levels, while high GI foods (such as processed baked goods and starchy foods) produce a quick spike in blood sugar levels. A steady intake of high GI foods promotes a gradual insensitivity to insulin - the precursor of type 2 diabetes.

I’ve written in the past about the discovery 70 years ago that cancer cells use glucose (sugar) for growth. All cells have a requirement for glucose, but cancer cells consume as much as 4 to 5 times more glucose than normal, healthy cells. In fact, they're unable to multiply rapidly without it. So the results of new research from UCLA are not entirely surprising. Using data from the Women's Health Study, the UCLA team found 174 cases of colorectal cancer among a group of more than 38,000 women. Researchers estimated the glycemic load (GL) for each subject by analyzing dietary information gathered from food-frequency questionnaires over a period of about eight years. Their conclusion: "Dietary glycemic load was statistically significantly associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer." Generally speaking, glycemic load increases when foods that are high on the glycemic index also contain high amounts of carbohydrates.

Help from down under

A recent study looked at adolescents who ate either instant oatmeal or unprocessed oatmeal for breakfast. The study showed that the group eating instant oatmeal consumed more food later in the day than the unprocessed group. The reason? The higher glycemic index of the instant oatmeal causes it to be digested more rapidly, so hunger returns sooner.

This is one of the worst aspects about foods with a high GI: They actually make you hungrier than foods with a low GI. As a result, you end up eating more. And if the foods you're eating more of are high GI too; you're caught in a vicious cycle that can only lead to weight gain and all of the other problems that come tagging along as the pounds increase.

The solution is to become aware of the GI value of the foods you eat. At one time that would have been easier said than done. But a web site operated by the University of Sydney now makes it very easy. The site (glycemicindex.com) provides a GI Database where you can search for the GI and GL of different types of food. The slight drawback for those of us in the U.S. is that the database is sometimes specific about brand names, which are mostly Australian and European. Nevertheless, the database still offers an excellent guide for making low GI dietary choices.

The next thing

I believe there's a good chance that all of the current buzz about carbohydrates will soon give way to glycemic index as the hot dietary topic. So if you want to stay ahead of the curve, the next time someone starts talking carbs, tip them off to the index that will help guide them away from the types of carbs that can do the most harm.

The Devil's Candy

2011-03-14T16:34:00.000-06:00

Have you seen these ads (paid for by the Corn Growers of America, [not] oddly enough....follow the money) where two moms are in a kitchen and one is explaining to the other how high fructose corn syrup is really just an all-natural product that's gotten a bad rap? Well, SHE IS LYING TO YOU!! Read on for an interesting lesson:

In or around 1970 food companies began adding an evil ingredient to their products; that ingredient is turning your body into a fat-storing machine. What I’m talking about is a very inexpensive sweetner that began replacing sugar in most processed foods – high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). At that time our understanding of how fructose works in the body was very limited, and we had no idea how it would affect the population. Now we know. It is a failed experiment. HFCS is making America fat. How? By shutting off the switches that control appetite. It’s more easily turned into fat than any other carbohydrate. And it’s EVERYWHERE, from the obvious places like Coke and Mountain Dew to barbecue sauce and canned soup.

In 1970 Americans consumed about a half pound of HFCS per person per year. By 2007 we were consuming about 72 pounds each, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Over the same period, our obesity rate has more than doubled, and diabetes is up 400%.

HFCS is different from other sugars and sweetners, which can make you fat indirectly, over time. HFCS makes you fat by the straightest possible metabolic path. Let’s look at where this stuff comes from, what it does to your body, and – most importantly – how to get as much of it as possible out of your diet.

Fructose can make you fat

The problem with HFCS is the fructose – a sugar that occurs naturally in fruit and honey – rather than the corn syrup. Corn syrup is primarily made up of a sugar called glucose, which can be burned up as a source of immediate energy, stored in the liver and muscles for later use, or, as a last resort, stored as fat. But corn syrup isn’t as sweet as other sugars, which is why the food-processing industry fell in love with HFCS, a cheap and doubly sweet chemical derivative.

But what’s good for Pepsi Cola’s profits isn’t that great for your health. That’s because your body doesn’t necessarily use fructose as an immediate source of energy. Fructose is more readily metabolized into fat.

(I should mention that we are not saying the small amounts of fructose you get through fruit or honey will make you fat. Fruit is packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber, all of which are components of a healthy diet.)

HFCS though, delivers amounts of fructose that are unprecedented in human history. Soda consumption has more than doubled to better than 50 gallons(!) per person per year. Soda alone is a major contributor to the obesity and diabetes epidemic in this great nation.

Fructose messes with your hormones

Normally, when you eat a food that contains glucose or starch - or any other carbohydrate - your body releases insulin, a hormone that does a series of important jobs to regulate body weight: First, it tries to push the carbs into the muscle cells to be used as energy and facilitates carb storage in the liver for later use. Then it suppresses appetite – telling your body, in effect, “I’m full, it’s time to stop eating”. Finally, it stimulates the production of another hormone, leptin.

Leptin acts as a nutrition traffic cop of sorts. It helps regulate storage of body fat and helps increase metabolism when needed to keep your weight in check. Fructose doesn’t stimulate insulin and therefore doesn’t increase the production of leptin. This is the most important part of the case against HFCS. Without insulin and leptin, your appetite has no shutoff mechanism. You can drink a six-pack of Mountain Dew or eat a half gallon of frozen yogurt, and your body will hardly acknowledge that you’ve consumed any calories at all. Eat the equivalent number of calories in the form of a Thanksgiving dinner and you feel too stuffed to move!

How to find fructose and avoid it

Soft drinks are the main vein of HFCS, but it’s everywhere. Your first line of defense – avoid drinking soda! Next, read nutrition labels. Start with the ingredients. If a label says “sugar”, the product contains sucrose, which is a 50/50 blend of fructose and glucose. That doesn’t seem to be as much of a problem.

If HFCS is listed first or second, look at the chart that accompanies the ingredients to see how much sugar is in the food. If it’s just a gram or two, don’t sweat it. But if you see a food that has 8 or more grams of sugar, and HFCS is prominent on the list of ingredients, buy something else. Remember, your body can deal with a little of anything, but a lot of fructose is a one-way ticket to Fat City.

Messing with the food supply is making a deal with the devil. The money that the food industry is saving by using a cheap but unstudied sweetner has been deposited on your waistline. It’s time to close their fructose account!

Three Keys to Getting & Staying in Shape

2011-02-26T16:23:00.000-07:00

KEYS TO GETTING, AND STAYING, IN SHAPE

Are you a little over weight? Able to “pinch an inch” (or more)? Is the activity you do most everyday, sitting? The Surgeon General’s report, Physical Activity and Health, is a compilation of 30 years of research chronicling the benefits of regular exercise, and the harmful effects of sedentary living. To no one's surprise, the report stresses that regular, moderate physical activity can help prevent a multitude of health problems, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and adult-onset diabetes.

Here are some sobering facts to consider:

· Over 1,250 Americans will DIE from cardiac arrest – TODAY

· 54% of adults in the U.S. do not get enough exercise to protect their heart

· Accounting for 41% of all deaths, (CVD) is the #1 killer in America

· Lack of physical activity is clearly shown to be a risk factor for CVD

· 300,000 people a year die from illnesses directly caused or worsened by being overweight.

· 12% of total deaths in the U.S., are due to a lack of regular physical activity

· Being just 10 to 20 pounds overweight significantly increases the risk of premature death

· High blood pressure (hypertension) was the primary cause of death for about 210,000

Americans last year.

· 1 in 5 Americans have high blood pressure, 31.6 percent don't know they have it.

Statistics on Cardiovascular Disease In Women

· CVD ranks 1st among all diseases in hospital discharges for women.

· 53.1 percent of all female deaths in America occur from CVD.

· In 20088, CVD claimed the lives of 503,927 females while cancer (all forms combined) killed

259,467 females.

The good news is, getting into shape does not have to be nearly as costly, time consuming and painful as most people think. Three key components, working together, will help to achieve any level of fitness goal.

1. Motivation

Needless to say, the desire to get in shape - alone, won’t get the job done. Which is why millions have health club memberships, and still are out of shape. Noticeable improvements in body shape and muscle tone take 2 or 3 months to appear. It’s during this critical period that most people drop out of the race. We need a push. A personal trainer or fitness coach is a great way to go, but, at the typical $40 – 80 per hour, not within everyone’s budget. A better idea may be to become a member of a team. A group of folks with the similar goal of getting in shape, who’ll be in your corner and cheer you on – just as you do for them. Nothing motivates like success. With consistent effort, in a few months you will notice improvements. They key is to make it through the initial “break in” period.

2. Information

Do you know how many fat calories you consume? What’s your target heart rate? Why is fast food bad for you? There’s a wealth of information out there regarding diet and nutrition – most of it inaccurate at best, deceptive at worst. Regardless of what the ads on the radio say, there’s no magic shake, no magic herb or pill that’s going to provide real, long-term weight loss. Simply put, “dieting” does not work. The very term “going on a diet”, implies that sooner or later one “comes off the diet”.

The key to losing weight is simple; creating, on a daily basis, a caloric deficit. Put another way, we need to consume fewer calories than we expend. There are two ways to do this, 1) spend more calories (ie: exercise) and/or 2) take in fewer calories. That’s it. Calories in vs. calories out.

3. Accountability

Who do you know that’ll walk into your living room tonight, slap the remote control out of your hand and say, “Let’s go for a brisk 20 minute walk”? Anyone that follows you into Burger King and says, “Get the heck out of here, that stuff is slowly killing you!”? Nobody? That lack of accountability is the real reason most of us are out of shape. Deep down, we know that we need and want that person, because – when it comes to getting in shape – we’re over burdened with life’s issues, we have no time (so we say), or we’re just plain lazy. Accountability is the key, but where does one find it? Read on…

If this information makes sense, if you could you stand to lose a few pounds, get bored with the gym routine, and can't afford a personal trainer - Achieve Fitness USA adult small-groups may be the solution for you. Our groups are anything but boring! We play games, toss medicine balls, take hikes, and employ other unconventional methods of conditioning our bodies. Most importantly, we laugh a whole lot. Age & current physical condition are completely unimportant, all that matters is attitude.

Email me at derrick@afusa-cs.com for information on schedules and locations. Its about time!

The WORLD's BEST Exercise

2011-02-06T21:28:00.000-07:00

Wait! Don't just skim down to see which exercise I've labeled as the best, get the whole story...

I'm often approached and asked to pin down a single exercise as the one that will help lose the most fat and sculpt the quickest. That's not an easy question to answer. You see, I'm very aware of the fact that though an exercise may be perfect for Client A, it may not be the best choice for Client B—hence my hesitation to label any exercise as the universal best.

That being said, some exercises are definitely better than others. And, yes, there are even a few that I would call the best.

What makes an exercise the best?
When deciding which exercises to include in a routine, it is important to consider the type of movement involved. The simpler the movement, the fewer muscles get recruited into motion, thus the fewer muscles get conditioned and the fewer calories are burned. On the other hand, the more complex the movement, the more calories you burn and the more muscles you strengthen.

To put it simply, exercises that use complex movements will deliver better results than exercises that use only simple movements. Complex movements recruit multiple muscles, some to stabilize and others to perform the movement. This process keeps your heart rate higher than a simple exercise would, giving you a more intense workout.

What is a complex movement?
A complex movement is a multi-joint movement that recruits large portions of the body to complete the exercise. Let's compare a simple movement leg exercise with a complex movement leg exercise:

The leg extension machine uses a simple, isolated movement to work the quadriceps. You're in a seated position moving only the knee joint. On a conventional leg extension machine you have constant resistance in a totally linear path of movement. Follow that? The machine does all the work of balancing the weight and you simply provide the locomotion. There isn't much involvement, if any, from other muscles and it doesn't burn very many calories. Same is true for a (machine) chest press, shoulder press, bicep "preacher" curl, and just about every other expensive, fancy looking piece of equipment on the floor of a health club.

Now let's look at a free weight walking lunge. Begin by standing with feet together and a dumbbell in each hand (or a barbell across the shoulders, a medicine ball held at the chest, or even with no weight at all). Take a large step forward and lower the back knee, keeping the front knee at a 90 degree angle. Now push off the front foot and pull the back leg forward, repeating the movement.

How many muscles did you utilize while performing the lunge? Probably too many to count. You certainly worked your quadriceps, gluteus, hamstrings, calves, abdominals, supporting muscles in the shoulders, arms and back just to name a few. Plus minor stabilizing muscles that remain completely at rest while you're sitting on that health club machine. As a result, all of those (working) muscles begin screaming for fuel, aka: oxygen. That's why when we "lift weights" in MY classes - you get your huff & puff on...big tyme. You 've raised your heart rate and really kicked your metabolism into high gear. That's a great exercise.

Other ways to increase intensity.
Using complex movements is just one of many ways to kick your workout intensity up a notch. Try incorporating a super set into your routine. (Something else I do with regularity.) Simply perform two or more exercises in a row and then take a short rest, rather than one lift...rest (aka: sit and thumb twittle, listen to music, watch CNN, etc.), then one more,..rest, etc.

Or compound set. Perform one exercise, then perform an exercise utilizing opposing body parts. This can also be done with muscles utilizing complimenting body parts - but please ask me or another fitness professional or someone with solid knowledge of exercise science before trying it.

The key to finding the best exercise is to find the ones that bring your workout intensity to a whole new level. I'd be shortchanging you if I named any exercise as "the best". Fact of the matter is; its a combination of changing your workouts up, using interval training, and even some good old cardio that will ultimately see you to your goal.

These methods will help burn more calories, increase metabolic rate, and will stimulate the production of more fat burning and muscle toning hormones. Of course, there is more involved to achieving fitness goals. You need to incorporate fat burning into your routine, consistently challenge yourself during workouts, take control of your eating habits and to get your diet dialed in.

So what's the best exercise for you? Best way to find out,....call or email me today.

(heh, heh,....as if you didn't see that one coming)

The difference between "beef" & "taco meat filling"

2011-01-29T22:59:00.000-07:00

If you haven't caught wind of this yet, those of you who like to pull into Taco Bell from time-to-time for a quick, inexpensive, nutritious (cough, cough) meal - really ought to click and follow this link:

http://gizmodo.com/5742413/this-is-what-really-hides-in-taco-bells-beef?skyline=true&s=i

Seems one of these great United States is suing Taco Bell over its use of the word "beef" concerning the stuff it actually puts into its "food".

Some years ago I recorded a CD series on nutrition & the fast food industry. In that recording I can remember making the following statements, "A pound of ground beef is about $3.99 in the grocery store - depending on how lean it is it can be more....how much do you think the ground beef buyer for the Taco Bell chain pays per pound?" That was 2004. Well today we're finding out. My guess is they pay around 50 cents. Why?" Seems non-beef beef is reasonably priced.

I worked my way through highschool in a Kentucky Fried Chicken. I have a friend who worked in a Taco Bell. Today he added this little tidbit of information, "I used to work there when I was 16. I was always surprised by the fact that nothing is cooked at Taco Bell. The ground beef came in a big 5lb plastic bag and you just heat it up by dunking it in a pot of boiling water."

Now THAT sounds about as appetizing as the way we used to make the gravy that went on the "mashed potatoes" at KFC.

Just say no, folks. Just say no.

In the beginning....

2011-01-23T22:20:00.000-07:00

In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth. And the Earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep.

And Satan said, "It doesn't get any better than this."

And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit," and God saw that it was good.

And Satan said, "There goes the neighborhood."

And God said, "Let us make Man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air and over the cattle, and over all the Earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the Earth." So God created Man in His own image; male and female created He them.

And God looked upon Man and Woman and saw that they were lean and fit. And God created the healthful yogurt, that woman might keep her figure that man found so fair.

And Satan brought forth chocolate. And Woman gained 5 lbs.

And God said, "Try my crispy fresh salad."

And Satan brought forth Ben & Jerry's. And Woman gained 10 lbs.

And God said, "I have sent thee heart-healthy vegetables and olive oil with which to cook them."

And Satan brought forth chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And Man gained 10 lbs. and his bad cholesterol went through the roof.

And God brought forth running shoes and Man resolved to lose those extra pounds.

And Satan brought forth cable TV with remote control so Man would not have to toil to change channels between ESPN and ESPN2.

And Man gained another 20 pounds.

And God said, "You're running up the score, Devil."

So then God brought forth the potato, a vegetable naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition.

And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fat fried them. And he created sour cream dip also. Man clutched his remote control and ate the potato chips swaddled in cholesterol.

And God populated the earth with broccoli and cauliflower and spinach, green and yellow vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

And Satan created McDonald's. McDonald's brought forth the $.99 double cheeseburger. And Satan said to Man, "You want fries with that?" And Man said, "Supersize them." And Man gained 5 pounds.

And Satan saw and said, "It is good." And Man went into cardiac arrest.

God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery.

And then Satan created HMOs.

Eat some COLOR!

2011-01-16T12:28:00.000-07:00

Needless to say, as a fitness professional I get asked a lot of questions about diet and nutrition. What I usually tell most people is that you do not need to "go on a diet". I don't like the whole idea. If for no other reason than the very term "going on a diet" implies that sooner or later you "come off a diet". And what happens then? What you need is a change of lifestyle and habits in the area of consumption.

I tend to prescribe the common sense diet. I personally believe that just about everyone knows. Know what I mean? Everyone knows which foods are fundamentally bad for you and which are fundamentally good. You don't need a fitness professional to tell you that if you're filling up on Burger King Whoppers, large order of fries, and a (diet) cola three days a week - you aren't giving your body foods that are rich in life-sustaining nutrients and you certainly aren't going to be losing any weight. NOBODY needs to be told this.

"Ok, so I know what I should not be eating - what SHOULD I be eating?" One of the ways that I'm fond of answering this question is to say - FOCUS ON KEEPING COLOR IN YOUR DIET. Especially foods that are dark green, red, orange and burgundy. Bell peppers come in a variety of colors (yellow, green, red), beets are a nice rich dark burgundy color as are cranberries. pomegranites and cherries, oranges, apricots and canteloupes = orange, raspberries, leeks, lemons are yellow. You get the idea. Generally speaking foods that are white/lacking color tend to be low in nutritional value. Breads, pastas, (refined) sugar, pasta, potatoes, etc.

Of course there are exceptions to every rule, there are some white foods that are very good for you (onions), and this isn't addressing meats and nuts, but generally speaking the more color you manage to add to your diet - the better!

New Year, New Results

2011-01-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

Do you or someone you know have fitness goals for the new year? Approx. 80% of "New Year's Resolutions" are health & fitness related. And of those, 90% have been abandoned within 6 weeks! Want to know why? Two reasons: 1) Lack of specific, measurable goals. 2) Lack of motivation and accountability.

Lack of specific, measurable goals

Many people's resolutions sound something like this, "This year I'want to get back in shape". Or, "to lose some weight." Those aren't goals. Those are prayers - without the necessary faith to launch them. If the goal is to "lose some weight", how do you know when you've attained it? Losing 6 ounces is "losing some weight", but its an accomplishment I wouldn't be boasting all around town about.

How about this for a resolution: "My goal for 2011 is to lose 30 pounds, reduce my overall percentage of bodyfat by 10% and reduce my resting heart rate by 15 beats per minute." How about them apples? Specific + easily measurable.

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Think about that final goal for a second. "Reducing my resting heart rate by 15 beats per minute". The heart is a muscle. And just like any other muscle, it has a limited life expectancy. BY FAR the vast majority of us will die b/c our hearts fail. Morbid, perhaps, but it's just statistics. Heart failure will do us most in. Imagine if you were to reduce your resting heart rate by just 15 beats a minute. (Which isn't very hard to do, by the way.) That's 15 beats a minute; 60 minutes to an hour; 24 hours to a day; 7 days to a week; 4 weeks to a month; 12 months to a year; 10 years to a decade; (approx.) 8 decades to a lifetime. Just consider know how many YEARS you'd be adding to the backend of your life by investing a mere 2 hours a week now. Years to enjoy grand children, travel the world, gaze into the eyes of your loved one. Yet most people will not invest the time. Its a mystery I'll never understand.
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Lack of motivation and accountability

Where accountability lacks, so do results. Its true in all walks of life, not just fitness. For most people; if a report is due 10am on Tuesday, it gets done and turned in b/c there's someone (a boss, a teacher) in a position of authority with the ability to inflict consequences for non-performance.

When it comes to conditioning the body,...no such person. Its tough getting out of bed at 5am and hitting the gym. It takes a level of motivation most don't possess. Its tough getting off that comfortable sofa, turning the game off, and putting in a mile + 50 pushups + 50 crunches.

They key is to GET STARTED. Its a funny thing with exercise - once you've stopped, its hard to start; but once you've started, its hard to stop. I've found this true over the years, and so have you. Its the initial motivation to just get going that's the hard part. If you can muscle through that first handful of weeks, keeping it going is relatively easy.

Its the theory of "the big Mo" (can you name that book??) Mo = momentum. Pastor of our church, Mark Cowart (www.churchforallnations.com), has an amazing saying: When setting still, a freight train can be held in place by a one-inch square block of cement. But. Once up to speed that same train will go through a similar block of cement ten-feet square.

And nothing motivates like success. Once you've dropped a pant size, once you look in the mirror and notice chin #14 is gone, once your honey starts making comments about your backside that you haven't heard in a decade,...then keeping up with the workouts is easy. But those things don't happen right away. They come with time. I know many if not most of our clients say they would not be working out at all were it not for the motivation and accountability of having a trainer or belonging to one of our small-group classes.

If you've made a resolution. Or if you didn't b/c you've tried and failed in years past. Get in touch with your local Achieve Fitness USA and set up an interview. This can be done, it can be affordable, its really not that hard. You'll look better, feel better, have more energy and stamina, libido comes to life and you'll fit in clothes that have been hanging in the back of the closet for 5 years. Plus -whether they're here yet or not- you owe it to your grandchildren.

How about a FREE COKE?!

2010-12-29T12:20:00.001-07:00

Here are a few facts you may not have known:

WHAT CAN BEAT A COOL, REFRESHING BOTTLE OF COKE?

1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about four days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.

2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate), commercial trucks must use the Hazardous Material placards, required by the government for highly corrosive materials.

3. For years distributors of coke have been known to use it to clean the engines of their trucks.

4. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from streets and highways after automobile accidents.

5. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in about two days.

6. To clean a toilet: pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.

7. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.

8. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

9. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

10. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil,
allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy (with a high pH balance).

11. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes,
add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains.

12. It will clean road haze from your windshield like nobody’s business. Try it and see. You’ll have the best vision out of your vehicle you have EVER had.

Now imagine the effect of the stuff on your stomach and intestinal lining! And this isn’t even touching on the high concentrations of sugar found in Coke. Scroll down to "older posts" & read “Sugar, sugar everywhere” if you want to be disgusted just a little bit more.

FREE WEEK of Wholly Fit Kids!

2010-12-26T18:46:00.000-07:00

The spring semester of Wholly Fit Kids! is almost here!! Official go-time is January 3rd - just a week away. The radio & print ads have been running, the phones have been ringing, and we're almost there! As an added bonus blessing for southern Colorado's homeschoooling families, we've decided to make the first week of workouts FREE!

So if you are a homeschooler or know of someone who is - get those kids in for a fun, exciting, action-packed hour of games, drills and fun at Play it Now Sports on the corner of N. Academy & Union Blvd. Call 719.266.8040 for registration information and reserve a spot for your kiddos before they're all gone!

Kids Bonez

2010-12-16T22:19:00.000-07:00

The federal government says 64 percent of teenage boys and 86 percent of teenage girls aren't getting enough calcium. A poll of California doctors says that nearly half of them think kids' bones are getting weaker because they're drinking soft drinks instead of milk.

A study by the Mayo Clinic says doctors are seeing 42 percent more arm fractures in children then they did 30 years ago. "Fractures beget fractures," said Laura Tosi, an orthopedic surgeon at Children's National Medical Center. "If you start fracturing that tells us you're likely going to have more — and that therefore your probability of needing a walker or a cane or ending up in a nursing home is going to be far, far greater."

In a New Zealand study, researchers said it might not be just weak bones that cause the breaks, but all the extra weight kids are packing on these days. According to the U.S. government, 18 percent of kids are overweight, and that number more than doubled between 1980 and 2000.

And when kids do exercise, it's not just an easy game of kickball that they're playing. That's the final reason blamed for extra bone breaks in the Mayo Clinic study: Kids are playing extreme sports without enough protective equipment.

You probably never thought that elementary school kids would have to worry about osteoporosis. But nearly all of people's bone mass is formed before puberty, so that's exactly when kids — and parents — can do something about it.

Win the Power Struggle!

2010-12-09T07:43:00.000-07:00

The season of deck-your-waist-with-extra-pounds is officially here. So what are you going to do about it? Will you join the masses who faithfully gain 5 to 8 pounds between November and January? Or will you do something different this year? It is entirely possible to avoid the dreaded holiday chub by following this simple strategy:

All About Power
To begin, it's important that you approach your goal from a place of I can rather than I can't.

Most diet and weight loss plans begin by outlining everything that you can't (eat). You can't enjoy the buffet at your office holiday party. You can't taste the fudge that your aunt Frances made. You can't partake in the seasonal coffee drinks. You can't, you can't, you can't.

It shouldn't be surprising when the diet only last a few days before your inner rebel breaks out and defies all the rules by mowing through an entire plate of Christmas cookies in one sitting.
When you begin from a place of can't, you forfeit all of the power.

On the other hand, when you approach your goal from a place of I can, the power swings back into your favor. Use these 3 steps to re-gain your power:

Focus on positive action.
Rather than obsess over what you can't eat this holiday season, I want you to take the positive action of exercising into your own hands. Every time that you complete a workout feel the surge of empowerment that comes with the accomplishment.

Schedule positive action.
The next step is to concretely schedule your workout sessions. I advise that you exercise even more during the holiday season than normal, since you will be taking in more calories. If you normally exercise 3 times each week for 30 minutes, then plan to exercise 5 times each week for 45 minutes.

Reward yourself for positive action.
At the end of each week take the time to reward yourself for successfully completing each scheduled workout. Don't use food as a reward, since you'll be taking in extra calories as it is. A massage, a new outfit, a leisurely hour spent at a coffee shop, or even a well deserved nap are all great ways to reward yourself.

Change what you believe
The people who won't gain any weight this holiday season already know it. How? They've decided not to gain weight, and they believe it. Do you believe you won't gain weight this year? Or are your past failures keeping you less than confident?

Let's create a strong belief that you won't be powerless to holiday pounds. In his book, Awaken the Giant Within, Anthony Robbins explains 4 steps needed to create a belief:

Step One: Identify the basic belief. I won't gain weight this holiday season.

Step Two: Reinforce your belief by adding new and more powerful references. This means focusing on the reasons that you don't want to gain the weight. Get out a sheet of paper and list all of the cons to you gaining an extra 5 or 10 pounds over the holidays. Spend a lot of time on this step. Reiterate to yourself over and over why you don't want to gain the weight.

Step Three: Find a triggering event, or create one of your own. Disturb yourself. Try on your bathing suit, or better yet go out and try on bathing suits in dressing rooms with that awful lighting. Try on your skinny jeans. Try on last year's cocktail dress. Try on that outfit at the back of your closet that you still can't fit into.

Step Four: Take action. Get started on your exercise program – right now. Taking action is the most important step, and the most rewarding.

Call or email me right now, I'll help you get started on an exercise program and guide you step-by-step all the way to success. Who knows? I may even get you to your New Year's Resolution before January even starts.

Give yourself the power to overcome holiday pounds – get started now.

Wholly Fit Kids! .....is BACK!!!

2010-12-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

Wholly Fit Kids!, P.E classes for home schoolers is BACK!

In 2004 Wholly Fit Kids! began fulfilling a unique role in the Colorado Springs home school community by providing an exercise program specifically for home schooling families. Featured in the C/S Gazette, on KRDO Channel 13 news, 102.7 KBIQ radio and other local news outlets, the program grew to become a staple to local home schoolers. Then in 2008 we lost our building.

We’ve now located a new facility & are preparing to re-launch of WFK! in January of 2011. We're in the process of forming weekday classes for children ages 5 to 18 years old and are accepting new enrollments for the next 5 weeks - then the doors open for fun, games & workouts in January.

We use games (like medicine ball golf) & fun activities to promote teamwork, develop coordination, abdominal strength and cardio-vascular fitness, all while improving balance, eye-to-hand and eye-to- foot motor skills. All WFK! classes are instructed by certified, fully insured fitness professionals with CPR, and are held in a secure building with soft turf flooring.

For more information or to be added to a roster, call 719-266-8040,
email whollyfit1@earthlink.net or visit www.afusa-cs.com.

Six Holiday Foods to be Cautious of this Year

2010-11-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

It's estimated the average American Thanksgiving dinner is about 4500 calories! That's more than double most people's caloric intake for an entire day. While portion control is always a major consideration, the types of seasonal foods consumed can add up quickly, so exercise caution this year. It's good to enjoy holiday foods, but be conscious of serving sizes particularly with these foods:

1. Stuffing
(Serving size 1 cup) Calories 354, Carbs 43 g, Protein 6.4 g, Fat 17 g, Sodium 1048 mg. The surprise with stuffing is the serving size; one cup of stuffing is about 3-4 mouthfuls. It's very easy to double the serving size without knowing it, and what's worse is it contains over 1000 mg. of sodium!!!

2. Gravy
(Serving size 3/4 cup) Calories 375, (Macro nutrients can vary based on ingredients). If you want accurate numbers for gravy, use commercially prepared gravy. Unfortunately, most homemade gravy contains drippings from the meat (turkey, chicken, etc...). Using drippings only increases the fat content which increases calories...SUBSTANTIALLY!!! In addition, stuffing can absorb large amounts of gravy, which will increase the serving size.

3. Mashed Potatoes
(Serving size 1 cup) Calories 237-450, Carbs 35 g, Protein 4 g, Fat 9-22g. As with the gravy example, the numbers change based on the recipe. Most homemade recipes include vast amounts of butter and cream. Adding the 3/4 cup of gravy to the mashed potatoes will yield a 700+ calorie side dish.

4. Pumpkin Pie
Serving size 1/8 slice of 8" pie) Calories 316, Carbs 41 g, Protein 7 g, Fat 14.41 g. Pumpkin pie is a seasonal favorite, but be aware of the fat calories. Adding whip cream to this treat will tack on an additional 40-80 calories.

5. Pecan Pie
(Serving size 1/8 slice of 8" pie) Calories 503, Carbs 64 g. Protein 6 g, Fat 27 g. This is one of the highest calorie items on the holiday menu. Remember, nuts are high in fat so balance your macronutrients through the other meal throughout the day. A larger serving can easily add up to 800 calories!!!

6. Eggnog
(Serving size 1 1/2 cups) Calories 335, Carbs 31 g, Protein 17.34 Fat 16 g. This holiday treat is full of fat, most of which is saturated. This one is sure to pack on the pounds and clog your arteries.

This is the short list of holiday foods that wreck havoc on your scale and wardrobe, but there are many baked foods not listed above that can have the same results. Cookies should be at the top of that list, because many holiday favorites can be as much as 140 cal each!!!

Bon Appetite...and Happy Holidays (if I didn't just ruin it for you!).

Sugar, sugar, everywhere

2010-11-13T22:24:00.000-07:00

More than just a few research scientists have made the statement in recent years that “Refined sugar is doing more damage to the general state of health in America than any other poison, drug or narcotic.” This is a statement I whole-heartedly agree with.

What, exactly, is it?

The white crystalline substance we know of as sugar is an unnatural substance produced by industrial processes (mostly from sugar cane or sugar beets) by chemically refining it down to pure sucrose, after stripping away all the vitamins, minerals, proteins, enzymes and other beneficial nutrients.

What is left is a concentrated unnatural substance which the human body is not able to handle, at least not in anywhere near the quantities that is now ingested in today's accepted lifestyle. Why is sugar so devastating to our health? One reason is it is pure chemical and (like heroin) through refining has been stripped of all the natural food nutrition that it originally had in the plant itself.

Heroin and sugar are arrived at by very similar processes of refinement. In producing heroin, the opium is first extracted from the poppy: The opium is then refined into morphine. Chemists then went to work on morphine and further refined it into heroin. (Proclaiming, at the time, they had "discovered" a wonderful new pain-killer that was non-addictive. So they said.)

Similarly, sugar is first pressed as a juice from the cane (or beet) and refined into molasses. Then it is refined into brown sugar, and finally into strange white crystals, C12H22O, that are an alien chemical to the human system.

Americans consume 152 pounds of sweeteners per year, a figure that has been increasing, (along with our collective waistline), since the early 1800s. "During the last decade, Americans have reduced their fat intake at least two percent but we have also become 30% more overweight in almost the same time," writes Ann Louise Gittleman, MS, CNS, in her book Get the Sugar Out.

Oddly enough, though we have, for about 15 years, been removing the fat from our diets, we’re becoming fatter! The culprits – serving sizes and sugar.

Why is it so damaging?

The biggest reasons sugar does more damage than any other poison, drug or narcotic are:

a) It is considered a "food" and therefore ingested in such massive quantities. Americans in particular are told how we are the best fed and best nourished people on the face of the earth. If we are talking about processed junk food - this is true.

If you examine the "foods" in any supermarket more closely and start reading labels, you will find just about everything contains sugar. Most of the foods are loaded with it - from cereals, to soups, to ketchup, to hotdogs. Even flue-cured tobacco can contain as much as 20% sugar by weight. Some cereals are as much as 50% sugar.

b) The damaging effects begin early, from the day a baby is born and is fed sugar in its formula. (Even mothers milk is contaminated with it if the mother eats sugar.) And the consumption of this “food” continues with food products continually marketed to us at every stage of life. From Cap’n Crunch to Ensure – it’s every where, every day and in just about every thing.

c) Like heroin, sugar is highly addictive. Some estimates are that as many as 95% of Americans are addicted to sugar. Most, if not all, without the slightest idea this addiction is in place. Ever wonder why sweet foods are so much more appealing than bland? Ever wonder why, despite knowing that you should pass on that piece of cake and despite your best efforts to say, “no’, you eat it anyway? Being delectable and seductive to the taste, sugar is highly habit forming. Humans not only develop a strong taste for sugar but an insatiable craving for it.

Slow but insidious

Perhaps the biggest reason that refined sugar is so dangerous is that the damage sugar does is slow and insidious. It takes years before it ruins your pancreas, your adrenal glands, throws your whole endocrine system out of kilter and produces a huge list of damage. Consuming that donut today, candy bar tomorrow, does little damage at the moment of consumption. But 40 years later, it is going to extract its price.

List of Damages

When we talk about sugar, we are including bad nutrition as a whole, since anyone who indulges in sugar has bad dietary habits per se.

1. Sugar is by far the leading cause of dental deterioration - cavities in teeth, bleeding gums, failure of bone structure, and loss of teeth.

2. Sugar is the main cause of diabetes, hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia.

3. It is either a significant or contributory cause of heart disease, arteriosclerosis, mental illness, depression, senility, hypertension, cancer.

4. It has an extremely harmful effect in unbalancing the endocrine system and injuring its component glands such as the adrenal glands, pancreas and liver, causing the blood sugar level to fluctuate widely. It has a number of other extremely damaging effects on the human body.

Among the many illnesses linked to too much sugar consumption are

* Increases overgrowth of Candida yeast organism
* Increases chronic fatigue
* Can trigger binge eating in those with bulimia
* Increases PMS symptoms
* Increases hyperactivity in about 50% of children
* Increases tooth decay
* Increases anxiety and irritability
* Can increase or intensify symptoms of anxiety and panic in susceptible women
* Can make it difficult to lose weight because of constantly high insulin levels,
which causes the body to store excess carbs as fat.

Want more information?

Information and knowledge are the starting point to victory in The Battle Over Your Body. Contained in my library, I have an excellent article titled “124 Ways That Sugar Ruins Your Health”. Yes, you read correctly – 124!

If you would like to receive a complimentary copy of this article, just email derrick@achievefitnessusa.com and I’d be happy to send it you personally. It’s an eye-opener, and something you’ll want to have nearby the next time a Baby Ruth jones hits you!

The REAL KEY to weight loss!!

2010-11-01T16:01:00.000-06:00

Want to know the real way to lose weight, AND KEEP IT OFF? Yes, we need to eat more of the right things and less of the wrong. And yes, we need to exercise regularly. But do you know the correct kind of exercise to be doing?

When they want to begin exercising and losing weight, *most* people start doing cardio. Walking, jogging, riding a stationary bike, etc. And while the cardio work certainly is important – we need to have well conditioned hearts – the real key to losing weight and keeping it off, is resistance training. aka: weight lifting. Resistance bearing exercise is the most important link in the weight loss chain.

The reason why is very simple; its muscle that burns calories. Thus, the more muscle mass you have the more efficient your body is at burning energy. Remember this:

YOUR MUSCLE IS YOUR METABOLISM

Here’s a simple biology class on how this works. At rest, a pound of muscle burns approximately 50 calories per day. Got it? Ok. Once we reach the 'middle-aged' years the body begins losing muscle mass. Through atrophy, dehydration, etc. You literally have less muscle now than you did when you were 23. (Tell me about it, right?)

Beginning around age 35 we can lose 1 lb. of muscle mass per year. It just goes away. So let’s do some math. Say you’re around 50 now and it’s been 10 years since you lifted weights on a regular basis. Since we lose a pound a year, and it’s been 10 years – that's 10 lbs. of lost muscle. If a pound of muscle burns 50 calories a day, and you’ve lost 10 lbs. of muscle – you have lost the ability to burn 500 calories PER DAY. Simply because you no longer have the muscle mass with which to burn it. Following this?

Here’s the problem. We now are no longer able to burn 500 calories each day, however, our consumption habits do not take this fact into account! That is, we eat just as much as we always have. And that’s the reason why – as we get older, it gets harder & harder to drop 15 lbs. BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T MAINTAIN YOUR MUSCLE MASS.

So the key – for everyone, including you ladies, is to get on a consistent resistance training program asap!

Coffee or Dessert??

2010-10-28T09:57:00.000-06:00

A cup of "Joe" isn't what it used to be. Now don't get me wrong, I loves me some joe. But when was the last time you heard someone go into a coffee shop and actually order a coffee? Coffee shops have expanded their product lines to include Caffe Americano’s, Latte's, Vanilla Latte, Mocha Macchiato, White Chocolate Vanilla Latte, Frappuccino, Cinnamon Gingerbread Macchito (with whipped cream), Vanilla Nut Carmel Frappuccino, Chocolate Chip With Carmel Pepermint Esspresso, Double Choclate Chip Frappuccino With Blended Cream, and literally dozens of other coffee-based drinks - createable by utilizing a dizzying array of coffee and sugary syrup flavorings. These frozen and blended beverages, are nothing more than VERY high calorie/high sugar liquid desserts.

Examining the Starbucks, Corp. web site for nutrition information, reveals some amazing statistics. The smallest frozen coffee item contains 330 calories and 46 grams of sugar - and that item is made with skim milk! The same item in it's largest size is 630 calories and an amazing 84 grams of sugar! For many folks, that constitutes almost 50% of their necessary caloric intake for an entire day.

To put that into perspective; 1 cup of vanilla ice cream contains 145 calories and 15 grams of sugar; 1 slice of Boston Cream Pie contains 232 calories and 33 grams of sugar; and one chocolate glazed doughnut has 250 calories and 19 grams of sugar. One could eat all three of these (nutritionally useless) "foods", and still not reach the calorie count of a single large "dessert" coffee.

If a person averaged just two Starbucks "desserts" per week, it would add an additional 65,000 calories to his or her annual diet. Which, in turn, equals an additional 18 pounds per year! (And how many American's average not two per week, but one or two per day?)

The next time you want a little "pick me up", stick to the old fashioned java. As an example a café Americano (iced or hot) contains 16 calories and NO sugar. Adding 2 tbsp of cream and some Splenda only increases the calorie count by 40 calories.

2010-01-02T17:36:00.000-07:00

Lost 61lbs. in 16 weeks!!!!!

2010-01-02T16:29:00.000-07:00

As a couple that competes in bodybuilding and fitness my husband and I are constantly watching what we eat and modifying our diets. One year ago, my husband, John, decided he was going to take one year off from leaning out, put on size, and compete in our regions biggest bodybuilding show, The Rocky Mountain, in 12 months. True to what he set out to accomplish, he grew to 259 lbs. at 5'8. 16 weeks out from the show I started him on a very specific diet to lean him out to be stage ready. We had to keep his muscle size on and drop his body fat to 8%.

16 weeks later and 6lbs. lighter he took the stage! It was a long 16 weeks and let me tell you, the diet was not fun. But he stuck to it and reaped the rewards.

Wherever you are at and what your goals are, sticking to your diet can be the hardest. Temptation is all over the place, especially in our society. But it can be done and you can do it. You might not be looking to drop that amount of weight so quickly, but whatever your goals we can help. Check us out at http://www.afusa-cs.com/csp/home.php?N_webcat_id=1

Nutrition

2010-01-02T16:16:00.000-07:00

Check out our new "Diet/Nutrition" Tab on our website at:

http://www.afusa-cs.com/csp/inner.php?N_webcat_id=30

Even before exercise, nutrition is the single most important key to our bodies health. Of course, if you don't have your health you don't have anything. So whether you need to lose weight, learn how to eat for your body, or even need to gain weight call us for a consultation.

Thought for the day

2009-12-16T19:27:00.000-07:00

"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going" ~Beverly Sills~

I get reminded by this quote almost all the time around this time of year. Everyone is looking for that "magic" pill or supplement that is going to get them to their goals. Truth is there is no such pill or supplement. It is the same today as it always has been: workout and eat well. The answer to your health and weight goals is truly that basic and simple. There are no shortcuts or magic, so quit wasting your time on trying to find them. Get started today, because one day your health will be a priority.

2009-12-16T19:05:00.000-07:00

Heavy Bag Video

2009-11-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18L_nOOoYp0