"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!!!