Sunday, November 28, 2010

My Top 2 Holiday Survival Recommendations

Hey Team

I know we all want to avoid the 5,7,10 lb weight gain that statistically happens during the holiday season.

Even better, my goal this year is to lose 5,7,10 lbs during the season and be on the positive end of the statistic.

How do we stay focused and on track?

As a general principal, we need to burn more calories than we consume. Its easy to consume 2000+, even 3000+ calories at a single meal, never mind the entire day.

My top 2 tips to focus on to stay on track:

#1 - Portion control – basically keep your meal to one plate. Even at a buffet or full spread party, you can enjoy, savor and indulge without overeating.

Keep serving sizes to about the palm of your hand (no fingers, and not piled high).

Think of your plate as divided into quarters – 1 quarter protein, 1 quarter starchy carbs, 2 quarters bright colored veggies (this doesn’t include sweet potatoes with butter and marshmallows). I’m also in favor of a bit more than 1 quarter protein if you desire.

#2 – Stay consistent with your exercise – Schedule your workouts like you would an appointment and be sure to keep it.

I recommend early in the day if possible. Most of us get increasingly busy in the afternoon and it’s easy to blow off your workout.

You can train with us, workout in your living room, the gym, our band program (www.fitbodybandprogram.com) or one of my quick workouts from the website. Just get in a workout.

Get an accountability buddy to help. Train with a friend who is counting on you to be there. I train with a friend and if our schedules don’t match, we are required to text “done” when we finish. We treat this as a competition for more fun and inspiration.

Check out my website for group training times and locations- we will hold you accountable and burn massive calories this season.
www.lefeverwellness.com

Email me back with your top recommendations for staying fit during the holidays.

Dedicated to your health and wellness
Coach Greg
www.lefeverwellness.com

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Why the dreaded Turkey Nap?

It’s the season to talk about the much publicized turkey nap - caused by the evil Tryptophan!

Most interesting to me is that during the other 11 months of the year you don’t hear anyone talk about needing a nap after eating a turkey sandwich…..hmmmm wonder why?

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A small bit of science- tryptophan is an amino acid that can have effects on relaxation. Tryptophan helps the body produce the b- vitamin niacin, which then helps the body produce serotonin, a chemical that acts as a calming agent in the brain and plays a key role in sleep. – ok enough science.

FYI - Other foods that are considered sources of tryptophan are dairy products, beef, poultry, barley, brown rice, fish, soybeans, and peanuts. - Do you need a nap after reasonable consumption of these?

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Here are 5 reasons you may feel sleepy after a big holiday meal;

Carbohydrate overload – A heavy carbohydrate meal will increase insulin levels, which lowers amino acid levels in blood, creating an increase in the relative level of tryptophan in the blood. Serotonin may then produce a sleepy feeling. This can happen at any meal. How do you feel after a big Italian meal with pasta?

Fatty food – A meal rich in fats slows down the digestive system and requires lots of energy to digest. Blood flow is redirected to your stomach rather than the rest of your body, leaving you with less energy overall. A contributor to naps and fatness.

Alcohol - Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. A drink or two can be processed by your body typically without any ill effects. However start getting to the “few” and “many” drinks as part of the holiday celebration will add to the nap-factor. (Too many can add to the lampshade on your head factor)

Overeating -Your body requires a great deal of energy to digest a large meal (particularly high fat and high carbohydrates). When your stomach is full, blood is directed away from other organ systems, including your nervous system. And of course you know by now…you will feel the need to snoooooze.

R&R - Often the most relaxing part of the festivities is likely to be the meal. No matter what you may have been doing throughout the day, Thanksgiving dinner provides an opportunity to sit back and relax – followed by a big meal, some football,…. guess what? zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

A couple of quick tips to keep your energy levels up:

1) Snack on the fruits and vegetables (minimal dip) to keep calorie count down.

2) Eat a balanced turkey dinner - balance turkey or protein, a good helping of veggies and smaller servings of potatoes, breads etc.

3) Reasonable serving sizes - Eat one plate of food and be finished. Try everything but keep the servings sizes of heavy carb and fat foods small. Taste, enjoy, savor, and move on.

4) Beverages – be aware of high calorie celebratory drinks – especially alcohol. Have a couple for the entire day.

5) Exercise – get a workout in before your festivities to increase your metabolism and burn calories – a great healthy start.

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Most of all enjoy your time with friends and family. We all have so much to be thankful for – stop and take a minute with your family to be thankful.

I am thankful for all of you!

Happy Thanksgiving.

Coach Greg

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

I want to lose weight before I start exercising.

Do you know this person?

Are you this person?

This was an excuse I got when I invited someone to train with me.

Let’s get this issue straight!

Unless there is a medical need (consult your physician) to wait to change your diet and lose weight first…

Then Exercise is critical to your weight loss, overall health, and fitness.

I could write many pages with subtopics on this subject, but today I will keep it short and basic.

First - Your body is a machine, let’s compare it to a car.
The car’s engine burns fuel. Your body burns calories.

Quality muscle is likened to the engine and is your main energy burner.

If you want to burn more calories your engine needs to be high quality, efficient, and tuned up regularly.

Now let’s compare engines.

Is your engine a 74 Pinto, or a highly tuned Ferrari?

(It’s a drastic comparison but it makes the point. Likely, you are in between.)

If you put the same amount of fuel into a 74 pinto as you do a Ferrari, which engine is going to burn the most fuel?

Of course the Ferrari.

Quick summary, the more quality muscle you have in your body (bigger engine), the more calories you will burn at rest and in motion.

How do I become more like the Ferrari to burn calories?
- Add resistance training at least three days a week. This is weights, resistance bands, boot camp, personal training, gym workouts.

- Add a couple days of cardio work. This is brisk walk, run, bike, and jump rope. Anything that gets your heart rate up.

Second – Calorie intake
If you are watching your calorie intake (keeping it low) and the quality of food you are eating, that’s great. This is also critical to weight/fat loss, fitness and overall health.

Being aware of your calorie consumption is a must - As I always say “you can out eat the best training program”.

However, if you continuously decrease your calorie intake to keep up with your weight/fat loss, you will reach a point where you can no longer decrease to sustain your energy levels and lifestyle.

This will cause a plateau in your weight loss. And likely casue you to lose quality muscle, not fat.

Side note: If possible, measure your body composition (fat% and lean mass %) before you start “dieting” to ensure you are losing fat, not muscle.

Many dieters and weight loss seekers unfortunately lose lean mass with their fat due to lack of exercise.

Summary: You must consume less calories than you burn. Exercise is a key along with quality food/calorie intake to ensure quality muscle is maintain or increased.

This will help ensure you are losing the unwanted fat and you will look and feel your fittest when you hit your goal.

Bottom line – Don’t wait to exercise. Start today. It takes both good meal planning and exercise to create the healthiest “you” possible.

Please call or email me with any questions on how to start an exercise program and or a sample meal program to help achieve your goals.

Dedicated to your health and wellness
Coach Greg
www.lefeverwellness.com

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