"Keepin' It Real..."

Food and I have had a serious love/hate relationship for most of my life! While I love to eat, of course I hate what consuming the extra calories does to my body. And even though I subscribe to every healthy living, eating, cooking, you name it, magazine, my DVR is filled with recordings of Top Chef, Cake Boss, Cupcake Wars and any number of decadent food shows that I salivate over! Vacation destinations are often decided first with specific regional foods and restaurants in mind, followed by which hotels have the best gym!

Soooo, how do I come to terms with my dual food personalities without driving myself and those around me crazy? Let’s say I’m still working on it. But in the meantime, I’ve found a few ways I can have my cake (well, maybe not cake) and eat it too.

It sounds simple, but once you start eating real food that somebody actually cooked, and then try to eschew the packaged and premade stuff, you can eat well and still be good to your body. In his book, Food Rules, Michael Pollan states simply, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants”. And it makes a lot of sense. You can eat well and not gain weight by eating the foods your body needs and satisfying your palate. Real food is not enhanced with flavor additives and fillers that have no purpose other than to make you crave more and pack on the pounds.

A tablespoon of olive oil added to a pan of roasted vegetables may seem higher in calories, but the flavor, satisfaction and fullness you get far exceed that of the over-boiled veggies with margarine loaded with trans-fats. And, a well-prepared lean cut of beef, pork, fish or poultry in a reasonable portion size gives you much more enjoyment and nutrition then an enhanced, packaged “lean” or “lite” meal with the same number of calories!

And you don’t have to “supersize” or load up your plate to eat enough to fill you up. Michael Pollan says we confuse the amount of food with the food experience. We tend to equate quantity with enjoyment when they’re not the same thing. Europeans and most Eastern cultures eat far less food overall than Americans, yet still have intense food experiences. The meal itself, and the shared enjoyment is what makes the eating experience pleasurable. And although you’ll find some of our American “fast food” in other countries, you’re more likely to see people eating leisurely family dinners or lingering over a meal in a café rather than eating behind the wheel of the car!



Preparation doesn’t have to be complicated and you don’t really need a lot of heavy sauces when you use quality ingredients and take the time to cook them properly. When you choose vegetables and fruits in season, they just taste better, and when your taste is satisfied, you feel full faster. You might be surprised to know that a wide variety of crops are harvested in the fall (squash, apples, endive, garlic, grapes, figs, mushrooms) and winter (citrus, kale, radishes, turnips, leeks) in addition to products that we usually associate with the summer, like sweet peas, corn, peaches, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, and green beans!

And don’t get me wrong, eating at a restaurant can still fit into your healthy lifestyle. Again, choose places where the food is actually prepared, not pre-manufactured and take the time to actually dine, not just “unzip” your mouth, throw the food in and leave!

Tasting menus and tapas plates at many restaurants offer wonderful flavors to experience with others, without the massive portions at the “Factory” restaurants. And offering tastes to others at your table makes dining out a shared experience that everyone can savor. It’s a good way to try new foods without having to commit to an entire plateful.

On a recent family trip, we ordered a couple of plates (some meat and some seafood) for the table, sliced, portioned and served family style. Without a full plate to “clean”, we all had our fill without overeating (and some of us even tried foods we had never eaten)!

Pollan says to think of the law of diminishing marginal utility. When you realize the real pleasure in food comes in the first couple bites, and it diminishes thereafter, that’s a kind of reminder to focus on the experience.

So, defined, real food is:
food [food] n 1. something that nourishes, sustains, or supplies.
real [ree-uhl, reel] adj 1. true and actual; not artificial

The current “real food” movement honors the cultural aspect of eating by identifying the importance of tradition and relationships in our food experiences, and also takes into account the pleasure we derive from food’s taste and our connection to those tastes.

It’s not a guarantee by any means, but the idea is, if you eat real food, your body will respond positively, be it losing or maintaining weight, or building both strength and endurance.



And check out Pollan’s short pamphlet-like book, Food Rules. He wrote it with a simple rule (actually 64 rules) concept. We’re all so overwhelmed with the research on nutrition, but he says you don’t need to know all the science (of nutrition) to make smart decisions. It provides “a real radical distillation of everything (he’s) been working on. It’s really just to help people to act. It’s about daily practice more than theory.”

"Free Your Mind..."

My family and I are self-admitted foodies. While other families go on vacations and bring back glowing descriptions of paintings and churches, we can illustrate every luscious detail of the Paella in Barcelona, the Caprese salad in Florence or even the amazing carrot cake in Chicago.

Watching shows on the Food Network, we love hearing the descriptions of specific flavors and ingredient combinations in the foods they feature. Our restaurant experiences are not just about satisfying hunger, but enjoying the specific flavors in each bite.

It might seem contrary that someone who teaches fitness for a living would advocate the enjoyment of an array of foods and flavors. But an awareness of what we eat, or something called mindful eating, is exactly why the Mindful Eating and Living (MEAL) program at the University of New Mexico Center for Life Integrative Medicine Specialty Clinic was developed by Brian Shelley, MD.

He noticed that standard mindfulness-based stress reduction programs were changing participants’ eating behaviors and wondered whether a mindfulness program focusing specifically on eating could help people who were overweight or obese and trying to lose weight.

By paying attention both to inner cues (thoughts, emotions and sensations) and to the environment, research suggests that mindful eating programs have much to offer chronically unsuccessful dieters. They deal with topics like foods that trigger binges, how to shop mindfully for food and how to deal with environmental pressures to overeat.

The program uses experiential exercises to help participants apply mindfulness to everyday eating decisions: like eating a single raisin (or other simple food) slowly, so you can fully appreciate its visual appearance, smell, texture and taste. Or, eating typical trigger foods, like potato chips, cookies, or even ice cream mindfully, to distinguish between the expectation and actual experience of enjoyment and satisfaction.

I have to agree with some of the suggestions. By taking my time with a single scoop of ice cream and a small spoon, I can literally make my dessert last twice as long as wolfing down a cone, giving myself time to feel satisfied sooner and eat less.

In his book, Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time, Pavel Somov teaches original exercises to help readers learn about their palates and manage their appetites. His books eschew perfectionism and provide ways to become more aware of the food choices we make and how to make better ones. He focuses on the experience during a meal with exercises like: recognizing the effect of drinking water on hunger and fullness, or sharing a potluck meal where each participant brings one healthy item and one less healthy item, and everyone practices making food choices and leaving food on the plate.

He suggests pacing our eating by half, and resting our hands between bites of food to fully appreciate the flavors while we chew our food thoroughly. Typically when we eat, we tend to eat the entire portion. This kind of eating doesn’t factor in the delay between your stomach’s knowing you’re full and your brain’s knowing you are full. As a result, we overeat.

The book also advocates practices like buying a bag of chips or cookies or candy and seeing how long you can make it last. Instead of scarfing down the whole bag at one sitting, take the single piece and savor the flavors.

Also, since eating links people, places and things of our past, he explains how it can be a great way of going down memory lane. Reminiscent eating is an opportunity to turn a simple act of eating into a meaningful experience with the added advantage of slowing down the process of eating. When you look at the food in front of you and allow yourself to free-associate about what the dish, the smell, and the taste remind you of, it turns mechanical and meaningless eating into sentimental and mindful enjoyment of your meal.

Even a cooling off period can help you really appreciate the flavors in front of you. We’ve all burnt our lips on a bowl of soup, or a cup of coffee. Next time, give it a few moments to cool off. Enjoy the wait so you can really appreciate the flavors.

Although it might seem a little forced at first, taking the time to truly enjoy the food in front of you, and really tasting the flavor nuances of what you are eating could be just the key to taking control of your eating behavior!

"I Put A Spell On You..."

They say that most people gain from 7-10 pounds in the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I actually lose weight during that time. And it’s not because I’m more vigilant about my diet and exercise during that month; it’s because I’ve finally run out of Halloween candy!!

Every year, I would buy the candy that I loved to give out on Halloween night. I would also trek through the neighborhood with my kids, watching their Halloween bags (actually pillowcases so they could hold more) fill up with mini Reese’s Cups, Crunch bars, and Milky Ways.

As they diligently sorted out their candy categories when we got home, I calculated how many pieces I could pilfer from each stash without it being to apparent to them that some of their treats were missing. I also grabbed the leftover candy we hadn’t given out, and into my secret bag in the back of the pantry it went.

For the kids, the rule in our house was one to two pieces of candy per day after the Halloween frenzy. I tried to stick to it myself, grabbing one piece at a time while trying to hide the noise from opening the wrappers. I’d go to great lengths not to let anyone know I had eaten their candy; stuffing the empty wrappers in my purse and throwing them away outside my house.

This continued well into my kids’ college years, when, no longer able to lift candy from their trick-or-treat bags, I kept a little of the leftover candy from the care packages we sent them at school!

It took me a long time, but I finally realized I cannot eat only ONE or TWO pieces of candy if there are MANY pieces of candy in my house. So this year, I think I am going to be a Halloween “Scrooge” and skip the candy purchases all together. But, if tradition gets the best of me (and you), here’s a breakdown of candy calories, so you can figure them into your healthy eating plan:

Hershey Kisses- 26 calories and 8 g carb each kiss
Hershey's Miniature Bars(mixed) - average of 42 calories and 5 g carb each bar
M&Ms, plain, Fun size (18 g) - 88 calories and 12 g carb
Miniature Bars (Milky Way, Snickers, Twix, 3 Musketeers) - average 38 calories and 5 g carb each bar
Mr. Goodbar Snack size (17 g) - 90 calories and 9 grams carb
Nestle's Crunch Bars Fun size (10 g) 50 calories and 7 grams carb
Three Musketeers bar -Fun size (15 g) - 64 calories and 11 g carb
Tootsie Rolls -Small bar - 50 calories and 10 g carb
-Midgee - 23 calories and 7 g carb
-Mini-Midgees - 11 calories and 2 g carb
Pay Day - Snack size (19 g) - 90 calories and 10 g carb
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
-Miniature (about 9 grams each) - 44 calories and 5 g carb per cup
-Snack size (17 g) - 88 calories and 10 g carb
Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkins (34 g) - 180 calories and 17 g carb
100 Grand Bars -Fun size (11 g) - 50 calories and 8 g carb
Almond Joy Snack size (15 g) - 80 calories and 10g carb
Baby Ruth Bar, Fun size (18 g each) - 85 calories and 13 g carb
Butterfinger Bar, Fun size (18 g each) - 85 calories 14 g carb
Heath Bar, Snack size (13 g) - 74 calories and 9 g carb
Kit Kat, Fun size (14 g) - 73 calories and 9 g carb
Milky Way bar, Fun size (17 g) - 75 calories and 12 g carb
Mounds bars, Snack size (17 g) - 83 calories and 9 g carb
Snickers Bars, Fun size (17 g) - 80 calories and 10 g carb
Take Five bar, Fun size (15 g) - 10 g carb
Twix, Snack size (10 g) - 50 calories and 7 g carb
Skittles -Original Fruit, Fun size (20 g) - 80 calories and 18 g carb
Laffy Taffy, Chocolate, small bars (8 g each) - 32 calories and 7 g carb
Milk Duds Snack size (12 g) - 54 calories and 9 g carb
Blow Pop, Junior - 50 calories and 14 g carb
York Peppermint Patties -Regular small patty (14 g) - 53 calories and 11 g carb
Raisinettes, Fun size (16 g - about 16 pieces) - 56 calories and 11 g carb
Candy Corn, Brach's - 11 pieces - 70 calories and 18 g carb
Starburst, Fun size (2 pieces per stick) - 40 calories and 10 g carb
Jr. Mints, Fun size (10 g) - 50 calories and 12 g carb
Mike and Ike small box (14 g) - 50 calories and 12 g carb



For me, the BEST and the WORST Halloween candy really is about the taste, however, Hungry Girl has come up with a slideshow of candy categories that list nutritionally, the best and the worst candy. Check it out at:
http://www.delish.com/entertaining-ideas/holidays/halloween/healthy-halloween-treats

And if you want to know what it will take to burn off the York Peppermint Patty and Tootsie Rolls you just ate, check out the Halloween candy calculator at:
http://walking.about.com/library/cal/blhalloweencalories.htm

So, if you make the choice to stash that candy, know what you’re putting into your body and know what you have to do to keep it from completely sabotaging your healthy eating plan. Though I won’t be buying candy for our household, maybe they have some yummy doggy Halloween treats for my grand puppy, Pizza!!

"The Next Big Thing..."

Every year, fitness organizations and marketers make predictions about what the hot new trends will be. From food choices to group fitness classes to training programs, we’re always looking to “reinvent the wheel”.

I’m pretty open to trying new things, but sometimes it’s hard to weed through all the options that are out there. I can’t try every class or piece of equipment, and some of the “Fusion” classes just scare me with names like Cardio Striptease, Disco Yoga, Cycle Karaoke, Yogalates and Hydroplyo!

However,there are a few trends of the last few years that I really do think are effective:

Probably the most popular, bootcamp workouts and extreme workout programs and classes are here to stay. These time-efficient workouts offer shorter, yet higher-intensity workouts and are very appealing because they can reap significant fitness rewards with a shorter time investment. Boot-camp style workouts burn a lot of calories while improving muscular fitness at the same time. Boot camp exercises vary but usually target all areas of fitness including cardio and muscular endurance, fat loss and weight loss, full body strength, agility, balance, flexibility, and mobility.

Even circuit training falls into this category because its combined strength and endurance activities make it a time-efficient workout choice.
Extreme video workouts like Px90 or Insanity have also taken off, but they usually require at least a 6 week daily commitment to only that program.

Also, dance inspired fitness classes like Zumba and other ethnic dance are also a popular trend that’s here to stay, due in part to the continued success of shows like Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance. Set to Latin music, they take you through both fast and slow dance moves. These high and low cardio intervals burn fat and tone problem areas. If you have the right teacher (like Kim at West County Lifetime Fitness), the classes feel more like a party than a workout. And, if you are having fun, you’re going to work harder.
For more about Zumba, see my previous blog :
http://fitnessbarista.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-im-loving-now-is-zumba-contrary-to.html

And, even though many still work one-on-one with a personal trainer, people are scaling back on personal training sessions to take advantage of small-group training and group class participation as a way to save on expenses. Many gyms have altered programs to better suit the needs of larger groups. Gyms offer small group Team Fitness and Team Weight Loss sessions with groups of 4-6 people at a time. The group setting offers additional motivation and support.

As far as equipment, these two are great new tools that I really like working with:

TRX
I absolutely love the TRX. I first saw it at a fitness conference and tried it there, but over the past few years, I’ve seen it being used at gyms and training facilities everywhere.



When you first see it, the TRX looks like some sort of torture device or the “Caution” tape around a crime scene, but once you figure out all the straps, you’ll be suspending your body weight in no time.
Designed by a Navy SEAL, the TRX program will tone your whole body without you having to pick up a single weight. Weighing less than 2 pounds, the TRX® sets up in seconds. You can buy a door anchor that’s easy-to-use and it affixes to any solid door and won't damage paint or wood. The nylon straps create two forms of resistance during your exercises — your own body weight and gravity. The portability and time-efficiency of these workouts appeal to people looking to stay fit at home, the office, the gym or while traveling. The TRX literally works every muscle because many of the moves require you to use your core to balance.

Many gyms offer classes in TRX suspension training and/or have the straps available for their members to use. Unfortunately, my gym only lets you use the TRX with a trainer because of “liability issues”. Frankly, since I do know how to use it, the two mesh TRX straps seem a lot safer to me than lifting heavy weights off the rack! (Do you hear me Lifetime Fitness?)

You can find out more about the TRX at:
http://www.fitnessanywhere.com/

Also, you can get daily updates, videos of exercises, and training advice on their Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/trxsuspensiontraining

Kettlebells
Both a cardio and weight lifting workout in one, kettlebells are now being used regularly in gyms across the country. Invented by Russians in the 1700s, these cast iron weights were used by the Russian Secret Forces and U.S. Military.




Through different variations of swings and lifts, kettlebells are meant to be an all-inclusive exercise regime. Kettlebells require you to focus on whole-body conditioning because lifting and controlling a kettlebell forces the entire body, and specifically the core, to contract as a group, building both strength and stability at the same time. And they are hardcore. Your heart rate will elevate and your muscles will burn. It gives you both cardio and weightlifting in one workout, and usually in less than thirty minutes.

Kettlebells also offer users a wider range of motion than dumbbells that just sit in the palm of the hand, and they also better simulate the way we carry things in our daily lives improving our functional strength as well.

Gyms are slowly adapting to this trend having about one or two kettlebells in a variety of weight ranges, so the weight you want to use isn’t always available. You might try adding one or two kettlebell exercises to your overall routine until they become a staple item at your facility. It’s also a good idea to get some training in how to use a kettlebell because if you’re not careful, you can hurt yourself even just picking it up the wrong way!

Check out more info about kettlebells:
http://www.dragondoor.com/

http://www.power-systems.com/s-3-kettlebells.aspx

Of course I haven’t even begun to cover what’s out there or what new trends will take off in 2011. But you can be pretty sure it’s NOT going to be the “Hawaii Chair”, “Ab rocket”, or, definitely not the most ridiculous trend, the “Shake Weight"!

Frankie Says Relax...

As a working mom, for so many years, I tried my best to fit in exercise whenever I had time. I’d grab an hour in the gym or fit in a class and take advantage of any workout opportunity to make sure I was getting enough exercise. I got in my “rest days’ when I was too busy with other activities to go to the gym.

My goal was just to be sure and get in ENOUGH exercise. So now , with more free time, I’ve been hitting the gym much more frequently. When my knees started hurting and I had to really push hard through a couple of workouts, I chocked it up to getting older. When I actually looked at my recent workout log, I realized that I hadn’t taken a rest day in over three weeks. After all those years of just trying to get to the gym, who knew that I would actually fall victim to overtraining; basically, exercising beyond the abilities of the body.

In the world of sports medicine, it’s called “hitting the wall” or commonly “exercise burnout”. Knowing the warning signs can go a long way in helping you recognize if this is affecting your performance.

Decreased performance: you might not be able to go as far or as fast as you used to or unable to lift as heavy a weight. (This is not lack of motivation; it’s that you are physically unable to perform as well)

Loss of coordination: Seemingly simple moves or use of equipment can become difficult. (This one was kind of difficult for me to recognize as I am always a klutz!)

Elevated morning heart rate: a surprising side effect of overtraining

Headaches:Frequent headaches, especially in the morning.

Loss of appetite: Even though I’m usually happy if I’m not hungry, a sustained loss of appetite is reason for concern.

Chronic muscle soreness: When you train, you expect to sustain a reasonable amount of muscle soreness 24-48 hours after working specific muscles, but the key to this symptom is the word “chronic”. The soreness in your muscles should ease after a couple of days.

Unrealistic expectations: This is more of an emotional response to exercise burnout, but if you are overtraining, you may expect unrealistic results like dropping 5 pounds in a week or building muscle overnight.

These symptoms tend to occur when the training, intensity, or duration of your workouts really surpass the recuperation time you need.

Remember, I said “recuperation” not total rest, but rather active rest. If you’re a runner, try a walk on your rest day. Instead of going to the weight room, play golf or tennis or try a bike ride. If not, you’ll soon see a decrease in performance and your motivation may begin to taper off.

The key is listening to your body. If you start to feel more exhausted than energized despite your best exercise efforts, it’s probably time to change up your fitness program. Your body needs time to adjust and adapt. And since so much of your progress is made during the recovery period, you need to allow time for that. Recovery time also allows the body to replenish energy stores and repair damaged tissues.

Rest and recovery are not the same as skipping a workout. Successful athletes and fitness enthusiasts on every level build this recovery component into their training program.

Dave Spence of timetorun.com suggests the following:

• 1. Use "active recovery" to maximize time and avoid over training. Active recovery or active rest is productive recuperation performed between exercises or even between workouts. For example, gentle stretching exercises between strength exercises will allow you to rest hard working muscles without requiring total inactivity. Cross-training with fun, lower intensity activities between intense workout days will help you to recover, but still keep you active.

• 2. Vary the intensity of your workouts throughout the week. As a general rule, two or three days of hard training should be followed by an equal number of lower intensity workouts.

• 3. Vary the activities and exercises within your program. Performing the same type of exercises, at the same intensity every workout, can set you up for burnout or injury. Your body will also adapt to the same routine day after day, and you may experience diminishing returns for your efforts. Changing your activities and your routine will keep your body challenged, as it has to adapt to each new stimulus.

• 4. Take at least one actual day of rest each week. This is important for both mental and physical health. If you feel that you have to do something, try stretching, yoga or an easy activity such as a walk in the park. Your day of rest will rejuvenate you for your next few days of workouts.

Working out does wonders for your body and mind, and with proper rest and recovery, you’ll continue to feel great and see results!!

Soak Up The Sun...

When you work out a lot, muscle soreness is a given. Over the years, I’ve learned to tell the difference between DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), which occurs 24-72 hours after working a muscle, and pain from an injury. But recently, I’d been sore most of the time and a lot more tired after a workout. I chocked it up to getting older, but when I mentioned it to my doctor at a recent physical exam, he tested my vitamin D levels and found that I was deficient (well below 40).

Up until then, I wasn’t aware of all the problems a vitamin D deficiency could cause. Years ago, I wasn’t too worried about things like that. Apparently, D is the only vitamin that doesn’t need to be consumed in food or supplements because our bodies make it when our skin is exposed to direct sunlight. Considering that I spent most of my summer afternoons in high school and college lying by the pool with a foil-covered book to reflect the sun, I’m sure I absorbed enough of it.

But not all sun exposure is the same, and lots of different factors determine how much we absorb. These days, I tend to fear “un-screened” sun exposure, being worried more about melanoma and skin cancer. Even though we still spend time outdoors, most of us are usually slathered in SPF 30 to even SPF 100 sunscreen, making the vitamin D production in our bodies less efficient and even non-existent.

Who knew there would be a need for additional vitamin D? I took a calcium supplement and knew about vitamin D's role in helping the body absorb calcium in order to maintain bone density to prevent osteoporosis. But new research suggests it also helps protect against chronic diseases such as cancer, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, obesity, depression, and autoimmune diseases. Recent studies have also shown that when vitamin D levels drop, we’re more prone to colds and flus!

Vitamin D is the only vitamin that is also a hormone. After vitamin D is made by the skin or eaten, the kidney and liver help to convert it into an active hormone form. As a hormone, it controls calcium absorption to help the body build strong bones and teeth, and it helps maintain muscle strength. After spending all that time working out, you don’t want your strength zapped by vitamin loss.
And when you’re deficient in calcium and vitamin D, your bones can end up breaking down in order to supply enough calcium to the rest of your body. It can also take a toll on more than just your skeleton, causing muscle pain, fatigue and throwing you off emotionally.

Usually, a diet that includes fortified milk and dairy products, fortified orange juice, liver, eggs, and oily fish, along with as little as 10 minutes of exposure a day provides enough D. But sometimes even that isn’t enough, and testing will show if a supplement is needed.

The test, known as a 25-hydroxyvitamin D test, is used to determine if bone weakness, bone malformation, or abnormal metabolism of calcium is occurring as a result of a deficiency or excess of vitamin D. The current recommended intake of vitamin D is 200 IU (international units) for those up to age 50; 400 IU for people 51-70; and 600 IU for those older than 70. Requirements increase with age because older skin produces less vitamin D.

The test can be administered by your doctor and there are home tests available as well.

After I got the results, my doctor started me on a 50,000 IU supplement once a week for 12 weeks. I also am trying to spend about 10-15 minutes in the sun without sunscreen 2-3 days a week (my dermatologist says it’s OK!). I’m not experiencing as much muscle soreness as before and I really do have more energy. My last blood test showed improvement with the high dosage supplement bringing my Vitamin D levels up to the almost normal range.

For more information on who is at risk for this deficiency and how Vitamin D helps lessen and prevent a number of conditions, go to:
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp

Fantastic Voyage...

By now you know I like to talk to people at the gym. Trainers, fitness instructors, whoever is working out next to me; I like to hear what people are doing in their workout and beyond. Although I’ve changed places over the years, I often see many of the same people from gym to gym. With Sandy, we would usually be working out at the same time of day or taking the same classes at my old gym. I ran into her at Lifetime Fitness and we started, again, talking about our workouts, our kids, our clients and how hard we had to work just to try and maintain our fitness level.

Even though she had always seemed very fit and strong to me, Sandy looked stronger and leaner and I asked what she had been doing differently. She told me she was training for 2010 NPC Missouri State Bodybuilding, Figure & Bikini Championship. Her focus was the figure competition. For Sandy, her evolution from a mom who loved to work out to a fully focused competitive athlete has been amazing, inspiring, frustrating, and exhausting, but also, when she looks back, so much fun and worth every minute!

She had taken class after class and boot camp after boot camp and even done a half marathon, but Sandy really started to change her way of thinking and had her first “twinkle” (as she says) after reading the stories of the figure competitors in Oxygen magazine; like Nicole Wilkins Lee, winner of the Pro Women’s Figure nationals and particularly, the story of Tosca Reno. At age 42, with the support of Tosca’s now husband, Robert Kennedy (publisher of the magazine), she entered her first physique contest. Undaunted by the younger competitors, she took fifth place in her class.

Reading about Tosca’s commitment to eating clean, Sandy decided to start the ball rolling by forgoing her evening glass of wine. That led to eating more healthfully and working with both a trainer to build muscle (Chad Frenzel at Lifetime Fitness) and a diet coach (Kit Kitson at In Shape Fitness) to change her eating.



“Chad jumped on the bandwagon. He believed in me even when I didn’t!” she said. Besides working with Sandy in the gym, he came with her to see Kit and coached her like an athlete along the way. She learned to actually reduce cardio times and pace so that she was burning fat rather than muscle. Before this training, she had worked at such a high heart rate, that her body held on to weight. By slowing the rate to about 60% and alternating with some high interval days, Sandy was able to lose 23 pound of fat and put on 3 pounds of muscle.

Kit had her drinking a gallon of water daily, eating every 4 hours, (protein, carbs, and fats. Carbs and protein with every meal) but no refined carbs, and no carbs except vegetables after 3PM. She also had to cut out dairy foods. At first she craved the refined carbs and sugar, but she was allowed a cheat meal on the weekend. She supplemented only with a multi-vitamin, CLA, and 1st Form protein powder. She had to be aware of everything she put into her body. In fact, early on she would have a salad every day for lunch, putting the two containers of dressing that came with it on top. The calories were listed on the cafe’s menu, but when her trainer saw her eating it, he said the dressing looked too thick. He found out that each small ramekin contained over 200 calories, so her “healthy” lunch turned into a meal with more fat and calories than pizza!

The difficulty of staying on such a regimen is to be expected, but Sandy was surprised by the wide range of “opinions” about what she was doing. Many people were afraid she would get “super-masculine” and they had a difficult time understanding why she was competing. She had to explain that it was a “figure” competition, not a female “bodybuilding” competition. There were a lot of comments like, “Who would want to get up on stage in a bikini at our age?” and comments on the foods she would eat, making it particularly difficult in social situations.



In contrast to that, however, was the rock solid support of her husband, Mike and two daughters, Emma, 15 and Caitlin, 12. Mike and the girls saw many breakdowns, but they would be her own personal support group, helping her grill her chicken and making sure she didn’t get off track. The girls would say “You sure you want to eat that?” helping her keep her eye on the goal. She would practice the poses, showing them to her girls for advice. Sandy’s clients (she’s a personal trainer) also cheered her on from week to week. When she started, she weighed 168 pounds and ended between 143-146 pounds. It was hard for Sandy to get over the “stupid scale” and realize although the weight loss didn’t seem that significant, she reached 11% body fat and went from a size 12 to a size 6!

And although the numbers are very impressive, what appears to be vanity is actually empowerment for Sandy. Instead of turning to wine or ice cream Blizzards, she relied on her family support and her own focus to get her through the stressful times. She believes what she changed on the outside should really show others how she feels on the inside. Sandy didn’t know if she’d actually like the competition, but she loved the journey!!

The whole experience brought her closer to her husband and her girls. Although she was nervous before getting on stage at the competition, when she saw them all standing there, it made her so happy, she got the giggles.
The two women who placed over Sandy were more muscular, as it can be subjective in the figure competition. She knows what she wants to work on now and she’s actually ready to do it again.

I’m in awe of what Sandy has accomplished. She celebrated a milestone in her life (Sandy turned 40 this summer) by making a commitment and believing in her ability to reach her goal. Knowing she has fulfilled this promise to herself and that she has the backing of the people she loves can only make the rest of her many birthdays to come even better!!



Congratulations, also, to the other Lifetime Fitness trainers and members who participated in the competitions.
In Bodybuilding:
Chad Frenzel (Sandy’s trainer)- 1st in Middleweight
Henry Lovelace-2nd in his Master’s group, 4th in Middleweight
Bruce Frenzel-2nd in his master’s group, 7th in Middleweight
Chase Silverstein and Connor Silverstein-1st and 2nd in Teen, respectively
In Figure:
Suzy Adams-2nd in her Master’s group and 5th in Class A
And of course Sandy- 3rd in her master’s group and 4th in Class C
(This really was a family celebration! Bruce is Chad’s father, Chase and Connor are brothers and Suzy is their mom!)

"Got To Give It Up..."

Researchers are now saying that losing a significant amount of weight quickly with a strict diet and exercise plan, rather than doing it gradually, is the best way to take and keep weight off. Scientists at the University of Florida, who studied the link between the rate of initial weight loss and overall success long-term, said shedding weight QUICKLY is the best way to achieve lasting results.

Three years ago, I would have disagreed. All of my experience and training told me that losing weight slowly and steadily was the only way to prevent “yo-yo” dieting. I argued with my doctor about restrictive diet programs, believing they taught unrealistic habits and encouraged “all or nothing” eating behaviors. But at that time, despite any “healthy eating” patterns I tried to encourage, losing 1 or 2 pounds a week was more frustrating than encouraging for my family members trying to lose weight.

Our doctor again recommended a program called the Medifast Diet that had been around for over 25 years. He explained that seeing weight loss right away is encouraging and helps motivate participants to stick to the plan. They see great results early on and they want to continue their hard work!

My husband was on board and ready to make a change, so who was I to argue? He told my daughter about the plan that night at dinner and she said she wanted to make a change as well, so the Monday after Thanksgiving 2008, they started the Medifast Diet.

The premise of the Medifast Diet program is fairly simple. Frequent small meals with high levels of protein and low levels of carbohydrates put your body into a state called ketosis. This state encourages your metabolism to increase and causes your body to use its own fat stores for energy. The frequent meals (usually six times each day) help to keep you from feeling hungry, so there is less of a chance of eating foods not on the plan.

The products were originally only available through physicians but can now be obtained through local and online distributors. The basic plan, called the 5 and 1 Plan, involves using Medifast’s meal replacements for five daily meals and consuming one main "lean and green" meal you prepare yourself that consists of a protein source and lots of vegetables. Meal replacement options include soups, chili, shakes, oatmeal, bars, and even brownies and soft serve ice cream. Their products require very little preparation, which makes it easy to fit the five small meals into a busy lifestyle. All of the Medifast Diet meal replacements are vitamin-and mineral-fortified to ensure proper nutrition (which can be difficult to achieve when you’re following a calorie restrictive diet).

You follow this plan rigorously until you’ve lost your desired amount of weight. They recommend having a physician monitor your progress, especially if you are going to be on the program longer than 16 weeks. (We worked with Dr. Paul Stein in St. Louis- www.paulsteinmd.com )

They followed that plan (with me as the “cooking & motivation assistant”) and lost between 7 and 13 pounds the first week and 18-25 pounds the first month. What began as a diet, turned into a total lifestyle change. They began eating frequently, keeping their metabolism steady, instead of going all day without food and being ravenous at night! For their main meal, they tried new and different vegetables and seasonings, along with various proteins allowed on the plan, learning to expand their taste and choose the best options. I actually started cooking regularly and they truly enjoyed most of what I made.

We are also a family who loves to go out to restaurants, so that was a real concern when they started the program, and as my daughter is in her 20’s, going out with her friends was a major consideration as well. So, because making this change needed to fit into their lifestyle, we spoke up when we went out. It is amazing how helpful the wait staff at most restaurants can be. Thanks to waiters like Brad and Brian of Brio Tuscan Grille, we could modify our orders! And with the help and support of friends and family, they have seen great success!!

As my husband began to see the weight come off, he wanted to embrace a healthy lifestyle. He was about to turn 60 and wanted to live well for a long time, so he continued to take charge of his health and well-being. He started to go to gym a couple of days a week. He loves the steam room and hot tub (at Lifetime Fitness), so as a reward for a good workout, he started allowing himself the extra time in the steam. As he began working in the gym more, he not only lost weight from his nutritional changes, but he kept his body and heart strong. He has lost over 120 pounds to date, and gone down six pants sizes and three shirt sizes.

My daughter’s journey has been remarkable as well. To date, she has lost over 75 pounds and works out 6 days a week. In September of 2009, she had seen a significant weight loss and was ready to take it to the next level. She joined the gym and had a fitness assessment to pinpoint what she wanted to work on. Her last Fit Point assessment showed strength increases and significant reduction in both her BMI and body composition. She has gone down four pants sizes and recently began a new weight training program and plans to see even more success.

According to researcher Lisa Nackers, whose findings are published online by the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, "(those) who lost at a faster rate,… had lost more and maintained a greater loss in the long run than… who lost at a slower rate…It shows if you get off to a quick start... it pays off more in the long run than making smaller behavioral changes". She suggests that physical appearance, body image, increased energy and better mobility may be improved more by shedding weight quickly.

I’ve seen this first-hand in my house!! The restrictive plan has become a healthy eating plan. As a result of starting with the 5 meal replacements, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins, and healthy fats have become the norm. If either one feels they have let their weight get over a 3-4 pound gain, they go back to the original plan for a few weeks or the Medifast maintenance phase.

One of the real keys to success for both my husband and daughter is allowing occasional treats and drinks and “flex time” during vacations and celebrations. They have seen success and don’t want to go back. It’s not an “all or nothing attitude” like most diets. This is a lifestyle change. And as my daughter says, “If I slip up and eat something ‘bad’, I’m not gonna beat myself up. I’ll just work out harder at the gym tomorrow!” To order online, www.tsfl.com .

Just a quick sidenote. Many of you have sent me emails about the program , asking if it would work for you or someone you know. A big part of this program's success is having the support of your doctor, weight loss counselor and/or family and friends. It is very restrictive at first, but if you have a "cheerleader" to help coach you, you'll likely be successful!

You can view a videoproduced by videographer, Brad Gass of Lifetime Fitness that shows how exercise and training worked in their success!

Taking It To The Streets...

I love talking to people at the gym. I know…. I’m supposed to be totally focused on my workout, and for the most part I am, but I also love hearing what others are doing to get fit and stay that way. However, lately there seems to be a general lack of enthusiasm and motivation among my gym cohorts! Maybe it’s the hot weather, maybe everyone is really busy, maybe they’ve realized that summer is almost over and they still haven’t gotten into swimsuit shape, or maybe they’re just BORED with their current workout!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Exercise needs variety. We are not like little hamsters willing to repeat the same activity over and over, day after day with no changes! We need to vary our routines, our intensity and sometimes, even our scenery; not only to prevent boredom, but also to see better results!
Of course you can try new classes, workshops, trainers and equipment, but with the warm weather still upon us, why not try just getting outside? Beyond just walking, running and biking, go to a local park or school stadium/track, and try a workout that will give you both a change of scenery and a challenge!
-Start with a few walking laps around the track or park.
-Then, do 10 walking lunges/15 seconds jog (Repeat 5x).
-10 side lunges/15 seconds skipping (Repeat 5x).
-10 forward jumps/15 second sprints/rest or walk 15 seconds (Repeat 5x).



Find a set of steps either near the park or in the bleachers and run up each step while staying on your toes. Walk down and repeat 5x, then run up every other step with a wider stance. Walk down and repeat this 5x
Repeat the whole routine if you’re feeling energetic and/or add in some strength training body weight moves like:
-Push-ups on a park bench or on the bleachers
-Bench squats on bleachers or bench (Hold your arms out in front of you and squat to a sitting position. When your rear taps the bench, push yourself up with your glute muscles)
-Tricep dips on the edge of bleachers or a bench
Wear your heart rate monitor and see how hard you work yourself. You can always hold back or push harder the next time.
So, give it a try while the weather is still calm. It won’t be long before we’re all dressed in coats and boots and lots of layers, grateful for the warmth of the gym. Enjoy the sunshine now, and recharge your fitness batteries in the process!!!

Wedding Bell Blues...

He proposed! She said yes! The wedding planner is getting things rolling and all is well. That is, until it’s time to try on the dresses and tuxes; and all of a sudden the realization hits. You’ll be on display in front of two to three hundred friends and family, captured in photographs and videos that will be shared, emailed , put on Facebook and passed down from generation to generation for eternity!!
Whether you’re a bride, a groom, bridesmaid, best man, or the father or mother of the bride/groom, you want to look good and feel comfortable being the focus of everyone at the wedding. But with all the stress of getting everything done and making sure everyone is happy with the plans, we all lose sight of the fact that we need to focus on taking care of ourselves as well. Extreme diets are not the way to go since your mood, immune system, and energy will crash, turning you into a bride (groom, etc.)-zilla no one wants to be around!
So where do you start? The only way to lose weight and look your best is by combining exercise with healthy eating. You can set a goal for yourself, but be realistic. If you've never been a size 4 in your life, don't try and push to get there now. And not only can you get help planning your party, but Bridal and Wedding Fitness Programs and Boot Camps can help you achieve your goals and feel fit and confident on the “big day”!
Bridal Boot Camps and Wedding Party Group programs are popping up at gyms and personal training centers across the country. They can be one-on-one sessions with a personal trainer, small group intensive programs, or even large group fitness classes focused solely on brides and their wedding parties. The programs run anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks and usually include strength training and cardiovascular endurance components, along with nutrition education. The goals of each program vary with each individual group, but most work on obtaining a noticeable change in body composition with a more toned and lean physique. Increased energy, better skin tone, and stress reduction are added benefits.
There’s even a reality show on VH1 called Bridal Boot Camp, hosted by Cynthia Conde, founder of the trademarked Bridal Bootcamp fitness program. Conde developed her Bridal Bootcamp program after taking on a client who had been engaged for two years, but refused to set a wedding date because she was 100 pounds overweight. Conde developed the program using a hardcore, military-style training similar to what her brother had experienced in the Marines to help women get fit in time for their wedding. The show takes the concept to extremes, focusing much more on the drama tyical in reality shows.
Nationally, a variety of companies have branded the Bridal Boot camp concept and offer trainers certifications and franchises for “Bride Specific” training, but locally, many clubs and personal training studios are offering their own workshops.
The Club at Chesterfield offers an 8 week program called Bride 2 Be Bootcamp. For $300 per person, the program sets goals and develops an 8 week personalized game plan including a training schedule with fitness and diet pointers. For 1 hour, 1 day per week, the bride and/or bridesmaids get to work with a trainer, and for the 8 weeks can use the club at any time. Also, if 5 or more members of the wedding party participate, the bride gets to train free. For more information: http://www.clubatchesterfield.com/bride-2-be-bootcamp-/
Every Body Fit in St Louis offers a boot camp called Every Bride Fit Boot Camp in the Webster Groves, for schedule, go to www.everybridefit.net/
BodyFit St. Louis offers 3 different programs: One-on-one personal training, Bride and Groom couples training, and Bridal Party Boot Camp. For more info, email info@bodyfitstl.com
Fitness Barista offers individual and small group sessions (2-4 people) working with all members of the wedding party. The sessions are geared to the specific goals of each group member, with personalized nutrition, strength training, and cardio elements. Team exercises and motivation keep everyone focused on a common goal. Email hkraus52@gmail.com to set up a free group consultation.
The key differences between Bridal Boot Camps and ordinary fitness boot camps and training sessions are the shared focus on the wedding experience and the “urgency” for results along the way. It’s also a great way to alleviate some of the stress between mothers and daughters (or sons), brides and their bridesmaids and even brides and grooms as they approach the “big day”!
There are so many decisions to make and so many details to handle when planning a wedding. A focus on your health and fitness is a great way to let others help you relax, and help you look and feel better in the process! Whether you’re the bride, groom, bridesmaid, best man, mother of the bride or groom or a guest at the wedding, you can benefit from the boot camp experience!

What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been...

This weekend I’m going to my 40 year high school reunion! I can hardly believe that I’m anywhere near 40 years old (Obviously, well beyond that), but I'm amazed at all that has happened since then. Having had a negative body image and poor eating and exercise habits during my adolescent years, I realize how far I have come in my commitment to good health and fitness!
My earliest recollection of any type of group exercise was a Girl’s Sports Club at a local community center in Columbus, Ohio. It was also the place that I met my lifelong best friend, Nadine. Our mothers were both concerned about our increasing numbers on the scale, and thought sports club would be the perfect solution. They’d drop us off at the front door and pick us up two hours later, happily imagining all the calories we had burned while running around the gym. What they didn’t know was, as soon as they were gone, Nadine and I would sneak out of the gym and around the corner to the BBF (Burger Boy Food-a-Rama. Even the name sounds fattening). We’d have our fill of burgers, fries and shakes, head back to the front entrance, and wait for our moms to come for us. After about 10 weeks of “class”, my puzzled mother was sure I must have had some kind of thyroid condition since I was gaining weight; not losing it!
I’d love to say that things changed when I started high school, but the affair with high-calorie, high-fat foods continued. Once I got to college, I tried ways to lose weight; many of them unhealthy or just plain dangerous. Diet pills, not eating all day (and binging at night), the grapefruit, cabbage, cookie, or any (fill in the blank) fad diet, I tried them all! I’d be on a diet, off of a diet, on a diet, off of one until I just didn’t want to deal with it any more. And then magically, the aerobic dancing craze began and I started taking classes. I love music and I love to dance (I think I’m really good, but my kids beg to differ!!), so it was a great fit for me. I didn’t even feel like I was “exercising”!
This continued for years; even when I got married, started working, moved to different cities and had my kids. I even went into labor following a particularly energetic dance combination! I’d find a class that worked with my schedule and do everything I could to get there regularly. At the time, many of the classes were in church basements or recreation centers, so I dragged my kids with me and they would happily play on the playground while I took my class (That was long before the days of “Kid’s Club” and child care that the gyms have today).
When I moved to St. Louis, I joined a gym for the aerobics classes, but I finally ventured into what I called the “Boy’s Locker Room”, i.e. the weight room! I was clueless as to how to use any of the equipment and I was afraid the weights would make me look too bulky, but the other members were helpful and the trainers I worked with gave me a lot more confidence!The combination of adding weight training to my routine took my training to a whole new level. I was amazed by how much my body changed,
So for me, working out and staying fit has gone from being a struggle to being a habit. It's part of my day, like brushing my teeth. Some days I can't wait to get to the gym and sometimes, it's difficult to get myself out of the house. There isn't a beginning, middle and end to a healthy lifestyle; it constantly evolves. Restricting calories has become eating mindfully. The focus on myself has grown to a focus on others' health and fitness. I'm happy when I'm on track, but I'm doubly proud of those around me who have embraced a healthy lifestyle.
I don't regret having weight difficulties when I was younger. If anything, it's made me more determined to keep the fitness level I have. As I age, and it does happen to all of us, I modify and regroup, but continue the journey.
So think about your own fitness journey. What motivates you? What fitness and weight loss goals have you achieved and what goals are you working on? Are you on the road you want to be?
Oh, and my friend Nadine, she's been working out 3 or 4 times a week boxing and lifting weights with her husband. We're meeting at the reunion, feeling a lot healthier and fit than when we'd skip out on Sports Club!

Get Back...

I love people-watching! Malls, baseball games, restaurants, gyms; it’s like a sport! So on a recent trip to Las Vegas, I got an eyeful!
And it’s not what you’re thinking. There are a lot of toned and muscular men and women walking around who spend hours in the gym toning their legs, building their biceps and chiseling their chest, but they rarely train their backs since they can’t really “see” it being worked. But believe it or not, the back is probably one of the most “visible” of muscle groups.
Girls in strapless dresses who might be otherwise fit or even skinny, parade by with layers of “Bra Schmutz” (a phrase coined by Judy, a trainer I used to workout with) over the top of their satin minis. Guys with pecs you can bounce a coin off of and big “guns” walked hunched over with little or no strength in their back or shoulders. And the weird thing is, the back is what shows off your hard work. In suits or T-shirts, even sweaters and coats, a strong V-shaped back (which accentuates a small waist), in conjunction with our other muscles, is a testament to all our hard work.
The muscles behind help assist your efforts with the muscles in front. So not only will it help you develop a great-looking physique, it will also improve your posture. Also, regular back exercise can actually prevent and/or alleviate back pain better than traditional methods like spinal manipulation, traction, or medication. In his book Back Works, Dr. Timothy J. Gray, D.O., says that an exercise program that strengthens the abdominal and back muscles can help back pain sufferers. With this in mind, you need to make regular, intense back exercise a priority.
There are three primary muscle groups in the back - the trapezius muscles in the upper back, the latissimus dorsi muscles in the mid-back, and the erector spinae muscles in the lower back. There are several other smaller muscles in the back, all of which will be developed by performing exercises that work the three main back muscles.
Some basic back exercises you can start with are a lat pulldown (upper), low row (lower), one arm dumbbell rows (mid). Do 3 sets of about 12-15 reps of each exercise.

Lat Pulldown-Sit on a Lat Pulldown machine so your torso is positioned directly beneath the cable (sitting too far away causes you to pitch forward which can strain your neck and upper back). Pull the bar to your collarbone, leaning back slightly. Pause in contracted position before slowly returning to start.












Seated Row-Sit on a seated low back machine or low cable row. Reach forward to grasp handles. Sit straight without leaning forward. Squeeze shoulder blades together, then bend elbows, driving them back toward your waist without changing your torso position. Slowly straighten your arms, being careful not to lock your elbows.










One Arm Dumbbell Row-Put your left knee and hand on a flat bench. Grasp a dumbbell with your right hand, keeping your arm straight and back parallel to bench. Pull the dumbbell to the middle portion of your chest in one smooth motion and then lower to the start. Switch to right knee and hand on bench; dumbbell in left hand.








Other back exercises like pull-ups (assisted), back extensions, and straight-arm pulldowns are very effective once you have built up some strength, however, because exact form is so important, it would be wise to work a few sessions with a personal trainer who can watch and guide you to the correct form.

"Hit The Road 'Fat', and Don't Ya Come Back No More.."

I’ve never been a huge fan of supplements. While other trainers were taking creatine or glutamine to optimize muscle growth, I kind of steered away from anything stronger than a calcium chew or a multi-vitamin.
But, about 10 years ago, I read about a supplement thought to decrease body fat while increasing muscle tone. Having spent a lot of time working on my fat loss and muscle gain with diet and exercise, I figured it couldn’t hurt to try and keep things working!
CLA (Conjugated Linoliec Acid) is a special form of the fatty acid, linoliec acid. Scientists believe that it helps you keep body fat off once you have dieted or exercised it away. CLA occurs naturally in meat and animal fats and in dairy products, such as milk (not skim) and some cheeses, but most of us don’t really get enough from the foods we eat. A University of Wisconsin study showed that a group taking a CLA supplement (3 grams a day of 80% CLA) had a 5 % drop in fat mass in seven months over a group taking a placebo. It works by inhibiting fat cell filling, meaning it prevents fat cells from getting larger, but doesn’t actually cause the loss of existing body fat.
So, what does that mean for you? Well, CLA is useful for preventing fat gain once you’ve lost it, and it spares lean muscle typically lost when dieting. It helps reduce your whole body fat percentages and preserves and aids the growth of lean muscle. Several studies have also touted the antioxidant, immune-enhancement and anti-cancer benefits of CLA, but the test groups are limited.
CLA is typically sold in a softgel form and sometimes called Tonalin, a patented vegetarian source of CLA. Aim for 3-4 grams per day to retain muscle and prevent rebound after dieting.
Also, I’ve tried different brands and there IS a difference between high quality health food or supplement store brands and the ones at the drug and discount stores (Be especially careful of fillers some brands use). My current favorite is Iron-Tek CLA soft gels.
However, if you hate pills, Old Home Foods in St. Paul, Minnesota has just launched a new product called Safflower Power Yogurt with Clarinol CLA, with the benefits of both yogurt and CLA. A 6 oz. serving is 160 calories and contains 1.5 grams of CLA. Eight different flavors are currently available in Minnesota. To read more about the product, go to http://www.safflowerpower.com
As a CLA guinea pig myself, I can say that the softgels have worked for me, but the jury is still out on the yogurt! I’ve not read of or experienced any negative side effects either. If you’ve worked hard to get in shape, it might be worth a try.

Instant Karma's Gonna Get You...

Although I'm usually open to trying many different types of workouts, I kind of avoided taking yoga classes over the years. I mean, I knew there were lots of benefits like improved flexibility, increased strength and even better posture, but since yoga is not typically focused on aerobic fitness, I wasn’t sure I wanted to put in the time. I vividly remember my mother taking yoga over 40 years ago when she wanted to quit smoking. Because of the deep and mindful breathing involved, she was able to give up the cigarettes and her lung capacity improved. She continued the practice and when my kids were little, she even taught them to do different yoga poses as a game when she babysat. It must have worked for her since she’s about to celebrate her 91st birthday.
However, since I’m usually stuck on hyper-drive throughout the day, I never allowed myself to be open to the mind-calming and heart health benefits of the practice.
I tried a “yoga-lates-boxing-fusion” kind of group fitness class a few years back, but I left with a sore back and a stomach ache. So when my daughter convinced me to go to a free yoga class at the lululemon showroom, I was a little skeptical. We arrived early, rolled out our mats and took off our shoes. I was convinced I was the only one there who wouldn’t even be able to bend from the waist and touch the ground or hold a pose or stand steady, and… I kind of was. But it was OK, because our instructor, Danielle (Danielle Tridenti -www.dyogahome.com and lululemon ambassador), amazingly was right there to quietly help me “re-adjust” my moves and modify ones that were too difficult. I felt great afterwards and even a little sore (in a good way).
We returned to lululemon another week and took a yoga class with Emily (Emily Goble, who teaches at Wellbridge and other places around St. Louis). I felt a little more confident this time, but it didn’t take long to see I had quite a way to go. Still, like Danielle, Emily would walk through the room gently moving and assisting us to position ourselves correctly. The hour flew by (unlike some grueling fitness classes I’ve taken) and I actually felt sort of relaxed. No small feat for someone with my type A personality!
Again, I’ve only taken two or three yoga classes, but from what I have gleaned, there are apparently many different styles of yoga being taught and practiced today and generally, all of the styles are based on the same physical postures or poses called asanas.
Hatha is a very general term that can encompass many of the physical types of yoga, and like Hatha, Vinyasa is a general term that is used to describe many different types of classes.
Vinyasa, which means breath-synchronized movement, tends to be a bit more vigorous. It uses a series of poses called sun salutations, in which movement is matched to the breath.
Ashtanga yoga is a fast-paced series of sequential poses beginning with sun salutations where students move from one posture to another in a continual flow and link movements to breath. It is more physically demanding to build strength, flexibility, and stamina. Power yoga is based on Ashtanga.
Bikram Yoga is practiced in a 95 to 100 degree room, which allows tight muscles to loosen and causes profuse sweating, thought to be cleansing. The Bikram method, developed by Bikram Choudhury, uses a set series of 26 poses. The heat is supposed to allow you to go deeper and safer into a yoga pose, while lowering the risk of injuries.
Although my gym (Lifetime Fitness) doesn’t offer Bikram Yoga, I did take a Hot Yoga class taught by Karen Fairchild. The class offers the benefits of the hot room, such as safely stretching your muscles, and releasing the lactic acid and other toxins that build up with muscle use, but it isn’t regimented to the specific series of poses in Bikram. Karen, like Emily and Danielle, helped guide us through the poses gently, but the heat really got to me (I'm told you get used to the heat after a few classes). I made it through most of the session, and I loved how Karen advocated lengthening of the muscles versus the contracting I usually do when I lift weights. She likes the balance yoga brings to a workout program and believes it’s a complement to all other types of exercise.
So...., will I continue to take yoga classes? I’m pretty sure I will. It’s a new challenge and I’m hoping it will help my flexibility. Best of all, I actually felt calm after each class (Maybe it was short-lived, but I’d like to extend that!).
As my friend Robyn said when I asked her why she takes yoga:
“I just feel like it’s good for me!”
And isn’t that what we’re all looking to find?
Check your gym’s schedule for yoga class times. Also, Lululemon Athletica has information on local instructors and offers weekly complimentary yoga classes (and they are sooooo great about giving you information). Log onto http://www.lululemon.com/stores/ to see if there is a store near you.

My Favorite Mistake...

I’ve been told that we all learn from our mistakes. With that in mind, I’ve learned more than my fair share through lots of trial and error. That goes for pretty much all areas of my life, but especially my journey with fitness and health. We read all of the things we’re supposed to do, but we need to know the diet and exercise mistakes to avoid.
In dieting and good eating, food needs to become our ally; not our enemy. I read an article last week about a woman who termed her relationship with food “bipolar” because of the love-hate nature of her feelings. We have to start thinking of food as a fuel for energy and life, rather than an enemy to overcome or conquer.
When we skip meals and go long stretches without eating, we actually slow the rate at which we burn calories. Skipping meals can also cause us to overeat when we finally do allow ourselves some food.
If we completely eliminate a food group, chances are we are going to forgo important nutrients from that group, or overcompensate with another food group. Better to cut back some on a food group you enjoy than to fight to avoid them completely!
Also, healthful eating needs to be a lifestyle choice; not just something to do for a few weeks or months. You can cut back or add more, but don’t ever get to the point where you’re either only “on a diet” or out of control.
And finally, we can’t be perfect 24/7. If you indulge some, don’t beat yourself up. Just redirect yourself back on track. Like a GPS recalculating your route, your body can find its way back if you let it.
Keep up what you’ve started and let yourself learn from your (and “my”) mistakes!

Ball of (Muscle) Confusion...

Flip through the TV channels most mornings and you can’t miss the infomercials for workouts like P90X or Insanity. Watch for a few minutes and you’ll hear terms like “muscle confusion” or “maximum interval training”. They go from blah to buff in no time with no gym, no trainer and no nutritionist. The promise of quick results has won over many trainers and people looking to get in shape – especially Hollywood stars, who often have very little time to transform their bodies.
But what about us regular people? Do we really need to confuse our muscles or does that just make working out more confusing? And what exactly IS muscle confusion? Put simply, muscle confusion is the principle of changing your routines to keep your body guessing. The human body is very efficient at adapting to its environment. Adherents argue that when we do the same workout over and over, the body's muscles dull to the routine, and any gains made in size and strength eventually plateau. By constantly mixing up exercises, sets and reps, muscles become “confused”, forcing them to work harder and therefore burn more calories. This principle is all about ensuring you have variety in your workouts.
Since I wasn’t quite ready to order the DVDs myself, I decided to talk to one of my former clients who is currently doing the program. Kelley spends about 10 hours a day as a surgical physician’s assistant, so meeting with a trainer or going to the gym became more and more difficult for her. “I’d come home and it was pitch dark, freezing cold and the dog needed to go out. The last thing I wanted to do was leave & go to the gym to work out!” Along with her husband, she began the P90X program this past December.
She described the program as a 13 week (two four-week phases and one 5 week phase) commitment that mixes weights, cardio, ab work, plyometrics, Kempo (kickboxing), yoga and stretching. The “Classic’ phase offers a different workout every day with a larger focus on strength training. The “Lean” phase provides more cardio and less weight training and the “Doubles” phase has some days with two a day workouts and extra cardio. Some of the workouts are 45 minutes, some one hour, with 15 minutes of additional ab training.
All twelve DVDs are included in the set along with a workout and nutrition book. You can also purchase the P90X chin-up bar, bands, push-up bars and recovery formula powder. Kelley uses a preprinted P90X log to set and record workout goals. Since December, she has reduced her hips by 2 inches, waist by 2 ½ inches and dropped 4 pounds. The weight loss might not sound like a lot, but she’s gone down two sizes in her pants and it’s great therapy working out with a partner/husband/friend, too.
I spoke with a few others who have tried the program and seen successful results as well. So does that mean you should try it? Only if you’re willing to commit to the whole plan. It doesn’t work if you only do it sporadically. The program uses the tag line “Just press play..”, but if you also change the channel, you won’t get the same outcome.
Also, a DVD can’t really tell you if you’re doing an exercise correctly, so there is always the potential for doing the exercises incorrectly and not getting good results or the possibility of injuring yourself.
And even if the man on the DVD is yelling and screaming at you to push yourself, a real live trainer will likely drive you harder (I’m just sayin’). As Ross McConnell, a trainer at my gym, says “Until you’ve had your #%@ handed to you by a personal trainer, do not open your mouth and say you can get the same thing from a book or magazine” (or DVD).
Trainer? PX90 ?Trainer? PX90? I’m so confused!!!

"Whatever You Do, Take Care of Your Shoes..."

When I first started working out, there wasn’t a huge collection of different shoe types. I went from walking shoes to running shoes to cross trainers over the years, but I’ve kind of stuck with a brand that fits my wide foot and haven’t changed the style much. I can always tell when it’s time for new shoes because my knees and back start to hurt and my workout suffers.
But lately, I’ve seen some really cool shoes around. My daughter first bought a pair of dark grey and neon pink Nike Lunar Lites and then I began to see trainers at my gym wearing Reebok Zig Zag shoes and the green and orange neon Lunar Lites as well. My son picked up a pair too (green, not pink!) and suddenly my white Adidas looked kind of sad.
Before I made a change, I thought it best to figure out just how to find the right shoe for me.
First and foremost is getting the right size, so have your foot measured frequently. Steven Raiken, MD. the director of the foot and ankle service at the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia says, “Foot size does change as we get older, so have your feet measured twice a year. Sizes also vary between brands, so go by what fits, not by what size the shoe is."
Also, it’s best to shop for shoes toward the end of the day. Feet tend to swell as the day goes on and as you run and walk, so try on shoes when your feet are the largest. Make sure you bring the same socks you would normally wear while working out, and if you wear orthotics, bring those too.
And don't think you’ll just get used to the shoe after you break it in. Running and walking shoes should feel comfortable right away, Raiken says. Walk or run around the store (better to look stupid now then be in pain later) to make sure they feel good in action.
The heel of the shoe should fit snugly and you should have enough room to wiggle your toes (about 3/8 to ½ inch between the front of the shoe and your big toe).
And believe it or not, some of the cool features like air or gel inserts and zig zag or springy bottoms actually serve a purpose, absorbing shock or adding extra support.
Know when to replace shoes, too. Don’t go by how worn the top of the shoe is. It might not have any scuffs or wear, but once the back of the sole is worn out or the shoe feels uncomfortable or less supportive, it’s time for a new pair. Typically, you should replace running shoes about every 400 miles, workout shoes about every 5-7 months, and aerobic shoes about every 100-120 hours of use.
Personally, I wear the same shoe (a running shoe) for weight training, cycling, aerobics/cardio, and dance, but if you can afford it, sport specific shoes are a plus. The stiffer spinning shoes keep your feet clipped to the pedals for more power while cycling, walking shoes are stiffer than running shoes with greater cushioning in the ball of the foot, and running shoes are created for forward motion and offer ankle support. To find a variety of running shoes:
www.runnersworld.com/topic/0,7122,s6-240-400-0-0,00.html

If dance is part of your routine, you may need “dansneakers; like sneakers with a split side. Although the soles are rubber, they allow rotation on the ball of the foot and don’t stick to the floor.
I’ve also seen the new “toning” shoes that claim to build muscle tone and increase calf and gluteal muscle activity. Whether it’s the MBT, Shape Up from Skechers, or Easy Tone by Reebok (they have a great marketing campaign), the jury is still out on the shoes.
Your best bet is to know your foot idiosyncrasies and the type of activity you’ll be doing. Do your research before buying shoes at a larger chain store or online. A smaller store geared to running, biking or dance can give you more personal attention, but may cost a bit more.
In the meantime, just check out what people who do the same activities as you are wearing. In a TV or magazine ad, a shoe modeled by an elite athlete always looks good. But before you buy, find out what fits and what works for “real” people like you.

"Saved By The Bell(s)..."

My 90 year-old mother’s motto is “You’re never too old to learn something new!” She plays piano, bridge and card games. She takes water aerobics and rides a recumbent bike. She’s on her computer every day and even has a Facebook page. Open to new experiences, she never gets stale or stuck in her ways. I think she tricks her body into thinking it’s starting over and that’s how she stays young. It’s like that with your workout. If you keep doing the same routine over and over, things stay the same. With that in mind, I decided I needed some new tricks up my sleeve and signed up for a training seminar.
Talk about doing something different! The first instructor had us out in the parking lot carrying sandbags, pulling sleds and yes, pushing cars; his rationale being that intervals of work can beat out rhythmic cardio for fat burning. While I agreed with him in theory, I don’t think you’ll see me doing the Plane Pull, Fridge Carry, or the Anvil Carry and Drag in ESPN’s World’s Strongest Man Competition. However, the other workshops introduced me to some new equipment and a better way to use some others.
I learned about a new variation of the stability ball called the Bosu Ballast Ball. Now if you’ve been in a gym in the last ten years, you’ve definitely seen a stability ball, but the BOSU Ballast Ball is the first new innovation to the original I’ve seen that makes sense. The Ballast Ball has about 3-5 pounds of a grainy sand-like material inside which really challenges the core. The ballast also acts as a stabilizer when the ball is on the ground, so you have more options for the exercises you can do on it. Also, the ballast (sand) is loose and shifts around inside, giving you both visual and audible cues for how to do different exercises You can do all the familiar exercises while sitting, lying and leaning on the balls, but the more you use it, the more the advantages of the sand ballast become apparent. The added weight also allows the Ballast Ball to act somewhat like a medicine ball when you perform swinging and rotational movements. The sand makes it really challenging to try and stabilize your body and forces you to tighten your abdominal and core muscles, and the filling can increase the intensity of an exercise when you shift it around in a circular or wave-like motion. You can actually jerk the ball to make the filling fly to one side, then the other, which forces you to really engage your core muscles (or get thrown off-balance).
I bought one of the balls and have been experimenting with it ever since. Because the ball is stable, you can squat and sit on it without it rolling away. The ball stays in place, adding more variety and stability to my workouts. You can also combine exercises for some great functional training. One move we learned in the workshop (also shown in the video that comes with the ball) involves squatting to the ball, hinging back for a crunch, and standing back up to work the core and lower back. The move really hits deeper core muscles from the crunch to the stand. Unfortunately, I have yet to see one of the Ballast Balls in a gym, but it is available to order (with a training DVD) at either:

http://www.bosu.com/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BOSU/itemdetl.html?item=BOSU_Ballast_Pro
or
http://www.power-systems.com/p-3789-bosu-ballast-ball.aspx

In the next workshop, the focus was on something called kettlebells. Kettlebells require you to focus on whole-body conditioning because lifting and controlling a kettlebell forces the entire body, and specifically the core, to contract as a group, building both strength and stability at the same time.
Traditional weights work in just one plane of motion and rely on leverage and static fixed positions, but in daily life our bodies move in three planes of motion. The moment you pick up a kettlebell it triggers instability, which engages all 38-core muscles. When used correctly, kettlebells also engage all four major body systems - Nervous, Cardiovascular, Muscular and Skeletal.
Originally used in Russia, the kettlebell became a tool for strongmen performing feats, The kettelbell's center of gravity is 6-8 inches below the center of your hand. This increases the difficulty and benefit of many of the exercise you do. Kettlebells also offer users a wider range of motion than dumbbells that just sit in the palm of the hand, and they also better simulate the way we carry things in our daily lives. I for one was worn out after the instructor had us doing “pick ups”, “swings”, “push-presses”, and “Turkish get-ups”, along with traditional squats, lunges, and deadlifts (made even more difficult with the bells).
Most gyms have some form of kettlebells available, but you would be wise to spend a session working with a trainer who can teach you how to safely work with kettlebells and show you the various grips and movements. You can also order a set with a training DVD or book at http://www.power-systems.com/s-3-kettlebells.aspx
In the lululemon (I really don't work for them; I just love their philosophy and clothes!) manifesto, they say to “Do One Thing A Day That Scares You”. I guess my mom has taught me the same credo, so I was glad I tried something new. It WAS difficult, and to tell you the truth, the guy making me pull sleds and push cars did kind of scare me. But I ended up really learning and enjoying something different. So, don’t let your fear of the unknown keep you from trying something new in your workout. Who knows, you might actually like it!