Fitness & Wellness

If you think that you’ll get into shape by simply dieting, you may be surprised to find dieting doesn’t work. What works is changing your lifestyle. Anyone that comes to our boot camp in Schertz/Cibolo, TX knows that we focus on making changes to your diet that last a lifetime, not just eating a special menu until you’ve lost the weight you want to lose. There are several reasons that making lifestyle changes is so much more important than dieting.

Diets may seem like they work, but they don’t.

You may feel proud of yourself if you’ve shed those ten or twenty pounds by sticking with a strict diet, and you should. However, what happens once you’ve achieved your goals? Normally, you go back to your regular eating habits and it doesn’t take long for all the pounds to return, sometimes bringing friends. The cycle starts over and you’re back to counting calories. Diets work, but the success is temporary.

Healthy eating is different.

While it takes some time to learn how to make all the right choices, the basics are easy. Avoid highly processed foods and eat more whole foods. Whole foods, like fresh fruit and vegetables are more than just lower in calories, they’re filled with nutrients that keep you running at peak performance. Learning to make substitutions, like eating brown rice instead of white rice for fewer calories and more nutrition or substituting Greek yogurt for sour cream on baked potatoes is the next step. Finally, learning to cook differently, steaming, broiling, grilling and baking rather than frying and making substitutions to recipes to reduce calories and boost nutrition, such as applesauce for oil or sugar in baked goods, is the last link on healthier eating.

Adding regular exercise to the mix is a must.

Sure, a healthy diet can help you shed those pounds and make you healthier, but when you add in regular exercise, it speeds the process and does even more. Exercise helps you stay healthier. It can burn off the hormones of stress, boost muscle development and improve circulation. As you build muscle tissue, it becomes easier to lose those unwanted pounds. It takes more calories to maintain muscle tissue than it does for fat tissue.

• Drinking plenty of water not only keeps you hydrated, it keeps you healthy. Part of a healthy lifestyle includes drinking approximately 8 glasses a day.
• A healthy lifestyle also means getting adequate sleep. Sleep is necessary for good health. It’s heart healthy and can also help curb urges for sugary treats for energy.
• The healthier your lifestyle, the more energy you’ll have. That can lead to a richer, fuller life and an even healthier way of life.
• Socialization and smiling are also important for health. Smile more and enjoy the company of others to be your fittest and happiest. A good belly laugh burns calories.

If you’ve read the news that some studies show that running too much actually takes toll on your heart, take note. Actually, running is good for your heart, just like any type of endurance exercise. However, just like any type of exercise, going from couch potato to marathon runner in one day is not heart healthy. People who have lived a sedentary life aren’t prepared for a tough workout that would even make a veteran runner exhausted. Doing too much, too soon without working up gradually to a high level of exercise is bad for all muscles.

Running helps you lower your blood pressure and even cholesterol levels.

It doesn’t take much to help get those numbers better, just 30 minutes four to five times a week provides enough exercise to help normalize high blood pressure and lower the bad cholesterol, the LDL, while improving the good cholesterol, the HDL. High blood pressure and high LDL cholesterol are both precursors for heart disease. Getting the numbers back to normal will make your heart thank you by beating longer.

You’ll boost the strength of your heart muscle when you run.

Your heart is like any muscle. It needs exercise to work its best. When you run, you make your heart pump harder. Just like any muscle that has to work harder, it builds strength. Getting your heart muscle into shape means you strengthen the heart walls and improve its efficiency. You’ll be able to endure longer without overtaxing your heart as it builds strength.

Running will help you lose those extra pounds.

Obesity is now the leading cause of preventable deaths. It also sets you up for heart disease. When you run, you work many different muscles besides your heart. You start burning extra calories and building muscle tissue that replaces the fat tissue you lost. The more muscle tissue you build, the more calories you burn, since muscle tissue requires more calories to maintain than fat tissue does. Before you know it, you’ll be far trimmer and heart healthy.

• Running not only makes the heart stronger, it improves the intake of oxygen and lowers the resting pulse rate. That allows the heart to pump more blood each beat and makes its job easier, making it work less.
• Running helps burn off the hormones of stress that can affect not only your heart, but your whole body. It replaces those hormones with ones that make you feel good.
• Running improves circulation, while helping to prevent clots that can interrupt blood flow. Improved circulation also sends important nutrients and oxygen to all parts of the body, including the heart.
• If you’re starting a new workout program, always check with your health care provider to ensure it’s safe for you before you start.

In Schertz/Cibolo, TX, we’re so lucky to be able to find all types of fresh fruits and veggies available from local vendors. Of course, I’m a huge fan of locally grown fresh produce, especially when it’s organic and right out of the garden. There’s nothing worse than a cardboard tasting piece of fruit or vegetable that was picked early, before it became flavorful and shipped in a refrigerated car to ripen later. I guess what I’m saying is that when you focus on actual taste, it makes a huge difference. Truly tasting the food you eat is one way to get you on the road to eat healthy without depriving yourself.

You don’t have to give up everything you love.

That’s right. When you’re eating healthy, it doesn’t mean that you’ll be struck dead by lightening if you have a small piece of cake or a cookie occasionally. Just don’t eat the whole cake, sliver by sliver, of course. (We’ve all been there at one time or another.) If you do, don’t throw up your hands and quit your healthy eating plan. It’s not the end of the world. Just make sure the next meal is healthy. It’s not the individual food that’s going to pack on pounds or make you sick, it’s the combination of your entire diet.

Find ways to make delicious foods and treats that are also healthy and have them available.

You can make some yummy treats that are still quite healthy. For instance, it just takes two, possibly three ingredients, to make a yummy fruit creamsicle. Grind up fresh berries or fruit like blueberries, sweet black cherries or peaches. Add an equal amount of Greek yogurt and if necessary, some honey or agave to sweeten to taste. Put in a popsicle mold and freeze. They’re ready for you when you need a healthy sweet treat. There are so many other healthy foods that are absolutely delicious and won’t leave you feeling deprived!

Find ways to substitute food or ingredients.

You don’t have to eat everything raw that comes fresh from the garden, just start with a few changes to your diet to eat healthier. For instance, instead of sour cream on that baked potato, add a dollop of Greek yogurt. It looks and tastes the same, plus you can buy a smaller container of yogurt that costs far less than the sour cream, so you save money, too. For baking, applesauce can substitute or some of the oil or sugar in it. It lowers calories and boosts nutrition.

• Eat slowly and savor every bite. You’ll get the full flavor of each bite, plus it slows you down, so your brain has a chance to signal your body that you’re full.
• Double the salad and vegetables. Cut the dessert portion in half. You still get some, so you won’t feel left out and with the double serving of salad and veggies, it may be all you can eat.
• When eating out, eat slowly and eat only half the dish and dessert. Get a take home box and finish it tomorrow at lunch. It’s a free lunch that also helps you lose weight!
• Pay attention to whether you’re hungry or eating for an emotional reason. If you’re bored, lonely or sad, often you eat to console yourself. Instead, try doing jumping jacks, running in place, deep knee bends or other exercise before you walk to the fridge. The exercise can help lift your spirits and postpone that binging.

If you’re one of those people who use their protein supplements for snacking, you’re not getting the maximum benefit from them if you’re attempting to lose weight. Some people work their bottoms off in the gym and use their protein supplements for snacks. When it comes the time to weigh in, they’re aghast that while they worked harder and stuck to healthy eating, a cohort who worked far more casually, but didn’t eat protein supplements as snacks, lost more weight. The truth is, while the protein supplements are good, you have to use them at the proper time.

A study at Purdue University proved that timing was important.

Wayne Campbell, the senior author of the study at Purdue, commented on the findings of the study led by Joshua Hudson and published in Nutrition Reviews. He noted that timing mattered when it came to consuming those high protein supplements and consuming them in between meals to replace another snack might actually interfere with your maximum weight loss, rather than aid it.

Using them for snacks, rather than to replace a meal, can add extra calories to your day.

The study followed not only the potential weight loss of the subjects when using a protein supplement, but also the timing of ingesting the supplement. The conclusion was clear. People who used the supplement as a snack between meals gained weight, while those who consumed it during the meal not only maintained weight, but also decreased the amount of fat on their body. Since these studies were just to see the effect of timing, the subjects weren’t attempting to restrict caloric intake.

If you want to gain lean muscle mass, grab a protein drink between meals.

One of the reasons that people tended to gain weight when the protein supplements were used as snacks is that they are higher in calories. When it was time to eat the next meal, the caloric intake was not adjusted for the snack. When consumed with a meal, it filled them and reduced the number of calories they ate, so they maintained their body weight rather than gaining weight. However, for those trying to gain weight, this study can be a blessing. Consuming a protein drink between meals not only helps add pounds, those pounds tend to be muscle rather than fat.

• Listen to the name—protein supplement. That means it’s supposed to supplement a diet, not replace it. Remember, when they’re eaten with a meal, they help build lean muscle mass. You need more than the supplement to get the body you hoped to achieve.
• For the most amazing weight loss and swiftest boost to your muscles, eat healthy and exercise. Unless you have a medical condition or can’t consume the appropriate amount of protein, all the rest is frills.
• If you do decide to make a protein shake for a dinner, throw in greens, fruit and make it a delicious smoothie with whole foods, rather than just your protein powder.
• If you want a high protein snack, choose trail mix, turkey roll-ups, Greek yogurt and fresh fruit, vegetables and yogurt dip, a hard-boiled egg or nut butter spread on apple slices.

You know… sometimes life really makes things interesting! When you start getting some momentum… boom… Roadblock! The question is: Do your stop or do you find a way around it? I just hit a roadblock and there is no way in hell this thing is going to stop me! I’m working my way around it now!

Don’t let roadblocks stop you from getting what you want in you life! Find your way around!

I am sitting at a coffee shop in Santa Monica and “I am in Pain”!

See, this weekend I took a course on Metabolic Training (HIIT) not realizing there
was a workout involved in the course. We did a 50 minute HIIT workout which my
body was not physically prepared for.

It’s been three days since the course and I am still sore and uncomfortable, I’m
guessing it will be a couple more days of this feeling…You know what…It’s not
worth it!

Even though I workout almost every day mostly riding my bike and I have a high level of fitness, I was not conditioned for the type of workout I performed over the weekend. As a consequence I’m paying for it now.

My reason for writing this is so you don’t make the same mistake. The purpose of
exercise and fitness is to support and develop health. Since I chose to exercise at an intensity my body wasn’t conditioned for, I am now in pain which is affecting my life. I am too sore to ride my bike and every time I move my mind goes to the area that hurts and away from writing this or whatever other task I’m working on.

When exercise is done correctly there is an immediate and long-term benefit. Doing
it correctly means you keep pushing yourself over your limits a little bit at a
time not all in one day. This insures that you continually get stronger, have
energy and continue to stay safe.

Working out until you can’t move and get really sore is counterproductive and
significantly increases your chance of injury. I always say when getting in
shape that “it’s a marathon, not a sprint”. It doesn’t mean you can’t do a
sprint now and then. You just have to be prepared for it!

Hope you find this helpful… feel free to contact me with any questions.

Chris

Artichokes are one of the Best vegetables you can eat!

Artichokes are a great healthy detoxing vegetable. They are loaded with antioxidants and one in particular called silymarin which helps rid the liver of harmful toxins and promote healthy liver function. They are also a good source of folate, dietary fiber, and vitamins C and K.

This can be a great choice the following day after a night of drinking.

Here’s some Artichokes in my garden! I of course only have one plant left because my dog decided three plants was to many. lol 🙂 Can’t wait to eat them!

Drink Water! Train yourself to drink water as a first resort and skip the sugary chemically filled drinks. It may be hard at first but you have to train your palate to not crave the taste when drinking fluids and learn to crave the healthy feeling water provides your body! This doesn’t happen overnight it takes time to adapt. It also doesn’t mean you can’t have your favorite drink now and then… Moderation is key! I remember how bad the cravings were when I was around 20 and I cut out sodas and sugary drinks. I remember thinking how tasteless the water was. And you know what…. It Passed. Now when I drink a soda I feel sick and bloated.

Water is where the health is at!!!