Hey everyone. It’s the holiday Fat gaining time.
No Doubt you don’t want the average 5-12 pound gain before January just to make a resolution to take it back off.

It’s a silly cycle. But it keeps happening year after year.

So here for you is an easy to apply list of holiday tips to keep you ahead of the game.

Since its party time, it usually means a time that includes high carb, high fat foods in mass quantities. Don't get sucked in and knocked off track. Try a few of these to help you out.

1) Have a healthy snack before you leave to a party. Eat some veggies or small turkey sandwich or some fruit. This will help curb your appetite so when you arrive you aren't famished and looking for the cookies, chips and dip to satisfy you.

2) drink a glass of water when you start to feel hungry and before a meal. Water helps send the message to your brain that there is something in your stomach and helps curb your appetite. It also takes up some space so there is less room for over consumption. Many times hunger is mistaken for thirst and a simple glass of water can satisfy you.

3) Eat ONE plate of food - Many parties are buffet style which is easy to overdo. Take one plate and sample everything you want - IN SMALL PORTIONS. When your plate is clean, simply be done.

4) include protein with your meals - protein helps slow your digestions and keeps the blood sugar levels lower which can help slow the sugar/fat storage. Still keep your portions in control. To many protein calories can add up also.

5) Biggest one - Portion Control. Keeping your overall calories down and in check will help ensure your fitness success. If you are a desert person, skip a starchy carb at dinner and trade for a small desert. Key here is small. Create a new habit by sampling a desert and then passing it on to someone else ( don't pass it to someone else in boot camp).

Enjoy your holiday season and be successful with your fitness - it can be done - and we have faith that each of you can do it.

Please let us know your success stories - big or small, every success is a success and we want to know.

Be well

Coach Greg

Check out our Pumpkin Pum workout -- too much fun!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a6rK9DTW70

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, in turn, 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 these?

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

Heavy Carbohydrates – A heavy carbohydrate meal will increase insulin levels, which lowers competing amino acid levels in blood, creating an increase in the relative level of tryptophan in the blood. Serotonin may then produce a sleepy feeling.

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.

Alcohol - Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. A few drinks as part of the holiday celebration can 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 snooze.

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…. 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.
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

Have you been to the fair yet?

Wow!! Is no food sacred anymore?

How do you make Fat even Fatter? Eat at the fair.

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I’m writing this newsletter to help you avoid falling victim to the massive calorie avalanche at the fair.

Tiff, TC and I recently went to the fair and were floored at the food choices. As we stood waiting for our grilled corn, we looked around at the other eating choices in the area – Gadzooks!! What I saw was shocking.

Here is the list of memorable items and their statistics ( stats courtesy of Calorieking.com)

Fried Twinkies – 420 cal / 34g FAT / 45gcarb
Fried snickers – 444 cal / 29g FAT / 42g Carb
Fried zucchini (but it’s a vegetable-not after frying) – 620 cal / 40g FAT / 1100 sodium
Fried onion rings (3 rings probably not the massive ones) – 309 cal / 13g FAT / 40g carb
And the new entries for this year…
Fried Cupcakes – not yet rated on the Fat-o-meter, but can you imagine?
Fried Pop tarts- not yet rated on the Fat-o-meter

Who thinks of this stuff? Keep in mind they aren’t just fried, they are battered first then fried, a double calorie whammy.

I ask how they can keep making these nasty foods and then I look around at the people eating them (check the statistic in the P.S.). Even my son commented on how nasty the food was and how it made people fat. Let’s add the rest of the equation, it not only makes you FAT but also adds to your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, etc. Talk about an accelerator.


Here is the important part - - How can you avoid overeating and getting caught up in damaging all the hard work you have been putting in to get yourself healthy and in shape?

1) Eat before you go to the fair. Choose something healthy that is reasonably high fiber/high protein. This will help you feel full longer so you can enjoy all of the other attractions the fair has to offer without wanting to eat when you walk in the door.
2) Drink plenty of water – water helps you feel full and will help keep the fried food craving away.
3) Choose something healthier to eat – turkey leg, grilled corn, BBQ without all the starchy side dishes. (fried Veggies don’t count – they are still fried. Check stat below)
4) Choose one treat and share it – sharing is a great way to avoid overeating. Have a couple bites and pass it on.

And then be sure you are enrolled in our next boot camp to keep your positive fitness momentum. Your fellow boot campers are there for support too.

Write me back or post a comment and let me know what methods you used to avoid the food pitfalls of the fair. Have a healthy day

Coach Greg
www.lefeverwellness.com
http://lefeverwellness.getprograde.com

P.S.
A recent report on the fatness of America was just issued and we are up 1% from 25 to 26% OBESE. That’s not overweight, its OBESE.