Is Fasted Cardio BEST for fat loss?

Fasted Cardio and Changes in Body Composition – What Research Says…

Even while we are #SaferAtHome, I still get questions about the best ways to lose body fat. One of the most popular strategies for accelerating fat loss is to perform aerobic exercise after an overnight fast. I actually perform fasted cardio a few days per week as I prep for my Figure competitions. The strategy, first popularized by Bill Phillips in his best-seller Body for Life, is based on acute research showing that low glycogen levels cause your body to shift substrate utilization away from carbs, thereby allowing greater mobilization of stored fat for energy.

Indeed, some studies have shown that consumption of carbohydrates prior to engaging in aerobic exercise reduces entry of long-chain fatty acids in the mitochondria thus inhibiting fat oxidation. Here’s the kicker, though: results are specific to low-intensity cardio. While fat breakdown is accelerated during fasted high-intensity cardio, the amount of available fatty acids exceeds the body’s ability to use them for fuel. Hence, the common practice of performing HIIT while fasted is actually counterproductive from a fat-burning standpoint.

While acute research would seem to suggest a potential benefit to performing fasted cardio— at least at lower intensities— there’s one not-so-little problem when attempting to extrapolate results into practice: namely, the amount of fat burned during exercise does not necessarily reflect actual fat loss. Understand that the human body continually adjusts its use of substrate in accordance with a multitude of factors that can change from moment to moment.

Take-home point: Fat burning must be evaluated over the course of days— not on an hourly basis— to truly understand its effect on body composition.

The Study

Recently, studies sought to determine whether fasted cardio actually promoted differences in fat loss over time. Twenty recreationally trained college-aged women were randomly assigned to either a fasted training (FASTED) group that performed exercise after an overnight fast or a non-fasted training (FED) group that consumed a meal prior to exercise. On training days, the morning meals were consumed in the form of a shake that provided 40 grams of carbs and 20 grams of protein. These meals were ingested under the supervision of the research team to ensure that subjects adhered to either the FASTED or FED conditions.

The training protocol consisted of one-hour sessions of supervised steady-state treadmill exercise performed at 70 percent of maximal heart rate— an intensity that equated to a fast walk/jog. The low-intensity nature of the protocol ensured that any fat-burning advantages associated with fasted cardio would translate into greater improvements to body composition. Training was carried out three days per week for four weeks.

To help control food intake and thus optimize fat loss, subjects were given customized meal plans designed to create a 500-calorie deficit. The meal plans provided a balance of carbs (~45%), protein (~30%) and fats (~25%), and allowed ample ability for the subjects to choose their preferred foods. Subjects recorded their daily food consumption in an online journal for continual monitoring of nutritional intake. Nutritional counseling was provided throughout the study period to enhance dietary adherence.

The results were somewhat surprising: Although both groups lost a significant amount of weight and body fat, no differences were noted between conditions in any body composition measure. Adherence to the program was excellent, with average attendance equating to more than 95 percent of total sessions.

The Thermic Effect of Exercise & Fat Stores

The discrepancies between acute and long-term findings can be explained by the fact that consuming a meal before exercise increases a phenomenon termed the thermic effect of exercise (TEE). The influence of performing cardio in the fed state on TEE was demonstrated in a crossover study where subjects participated in two separate treatment conditions: On one occasion the subjects performed a bout of moderate-intensity cardio after eating; in the other they performed the same exercise protocol after an overnight fast. Meals were individually prepared by the researchers; so the total quantity of food and macro-nutrient ratio did not differ between conditions. Results showed a greater utilization of fat as a fuel source following exercise in the fed condition, with differences remaining significant 24 hours post-workout. Similar results have been reported by other researchers;  although a recent study contradicts these findings.

It’s also important to consider the location of fat stores mobilized during training. From an aesthetic standpoint, the only fat loss that really matters is from subcutaneous (i.e., underneath the skin) depots. However, only a little more than half of the fat burned during training is derived subcutaneously; the balance comes from intramuscular triglycerides (IMTG). IMTG are stored as lipid droplets in the sarcoplasm of the muscle and their close proximity to the mitochondria facilitates their ability to be used on-demand during exercise. As might be expected, the body adapts to performance of regular exercise by increasing utilization of IMTG, thus sparing carbohydrate for potential anaerobic needs. Studies show that the reliance on IMTG for fuel in aerobically trained individuals is almost twice that of those who are untrained, with the contribution of IMTG stores rising to approximately 80 percent of total body fat utilization during 120 minutes of moderate intensity endurance training.8 The take home point here is that acute studies do not distinguish between subcutaneous fat and IMTG, and thus the net effect of increasing fat utilization during training becomes increasingly less relevant with long-term aerobic adherence.

Study Limitations

So does this mean that there is no benefit to performing fasted cardio? Not necessarily.

 A couple of study limitations need to be taken into account when attempting to draw evidence-based conclusions. For one, the study was of relatively short duration, spanning only four weeks. While this period of time was sufficient to achieve significant fat loss, it remains possible that very slight differences between conditions might take longer to manifest.

Moreover, the findings are specific to young, recreationally trained women and cannot necessarily be generalized to hard-training physique athletes. It has been postulated that the true benefit of fasted cardio is specific to those with low levels of body fat (e.g., pre-contest bodybuilders) who are trying to lose that last pound or two of stubborn fat. Whether this outcome plays out in practice is yet to be determined.

The Bottom Line

It appears clear that if there are in fact any benefits from fasted cardio, they would be minor at best. Although it remains possible that lean individuals might see small but potentially meaningful benefits on fat loss from performing exercise prior to a morning meal, the strategy just as easily could have a negative impact on fat burning via a reduced TEE. When considering all the evidence, the best advice here would be to experiment with both strategies and try to objectively determine what works best for you as an individual.

Adapted from Brad Schoenfeld - https://www.fitnessrxwomen.com/weight-loss/cardio/fasted-cardio-and-changes-in-body-composition/

COVID-19 & SUPPLEMENTS?

Covid Strategy: Hit Back With NAD

All right, you are staying home. (Not everyone is! See Cell Phone Tracking). And you are thinking about face masks. (You should, that is a central tenant of Taiwan's world-class control action). You even heard of getting TB vaccination (called BCG) as a means of boosting your immune system, like they are trying in Germany. And yes, you are determined to have your ferritin monitored if you get sick. It indicates a cytokine storm is brewing and you are about to get a lot sicker. Ask for tocilizumab, and turn it off early.

But I want to get to the heart of a new idea you can implement yourself. Your energy. One of the cardinal symptoms of the COVID-19 is extreme fatigue. I mean, extreme. Just a little more and you're dead. Yeah, loss of smell early, dry cough, fever, and chills, muscle aches are all in there too. Then pneumonia and organ failure. But without energy, you're done. And now we know why.

Let me introduce NADH (Niacin, Vitamin B3 is its source). It is smack dab in the middle of energy production. You can't make your internal fuel, ATP, in your mitochondria without NADH. Virus infections highjack NADH production and deplete it. Getting older and it gets a little shakier too. Then viral infections are harder on you. And that appears to be front and center of the COVID-19 problem. At age 69, I have about a 10% mortality chance, boosted higher by being male. Is it my NADH deficit? We know NAD plays a key role in your innate immune response to viruses. So it's not unexpected to see the article published just this week about COVID-19 depleting NAD and that being central to its pathology. All metabolic paths of COVID-19 end up with NAD depletion.

Can you fix it? Yup! In the last few years, we have realized that taking Niacin is a pain. Too much flushing. We have tried it for everything because NAD is so important to our health. You can't get people to take that flushing. But if you add the "riboside" form to it, it works! No flush. Good blood levels.

Clinical results? This is moving too fast. Pending. But is NAD-riboside dangerous. Nope. GRAS - generally recognized as safe. Niacin without the flush.

WWW: What will work for me. Well, I bought some off Amazon. First time I looked it was there. Next time, it might be sold out. There is a fancy brand name but a bunch of companies make it. For now, it might be worth the branded name. I intend to take it till all this craziness is over. Meantime, I'm practicing spelling tocilizumab so I can ask for it by name.

Pop Quiz

1. The heart of viral infections is what? Answer: they down-regulate your energy production via NAD to highjack it to make their own reproduction.

2. That has been proven with COVID-19. T or F. Answer: True

3. As you get older, you make less NAD. T or F. Answer: Sadly, true

4. You can safely raise your own NAD levels by taking what? Answer: Take nicotinamide riboside, 300 mg or more

5. Should I wear a mask in public? Answer: For heavens sake, yes. The countries that have succeeded do it. We can. My guess is much more is spread by insignificant aerosolization of saliva that we realize. Small droplets that happen when you sing, talk, breath deeply, cough and sneeze. Cough and sneeze get all the attention but explain to me how it spreads so fast short of those. We make fewer droplets when we just talk, but we still do. And that's why masks work. You go for a walk and a 21-year-old jogger runs by, breathing hard. You’re done without a mask. At least worse odds.

For A Link to Our Archives, Click Here

Kind regards,

John E Whitcomb, MD -Brookfield (WI) Longevity & Healthy Living Clinic

References: New York Times, Foreign Policy, Bloomberg, NBCNews, ScienceDirect, RejuvenationResearch, LinusPaulingInstitute, Cell Life Sci, Genes and Development, Preprints, BioRxiv, Nature,

Can I Boost My Immune System?

As we head into yet another week of being confronted with a “new” way of living, even if it is temporary; I thought it would be a nice reminder that you are STILL able to do something beneficial for your health AT HOME. Fears about coronavirus have prompted online searches and plenty of misinformation about how to strengthen the immune system.

Here’s what works — and what doesn’t.

As worries grow about the new coronavirus, online searches for ways to bolster the immune system have surged. Are there foods to boost your immune system? Will vitamins help?

The immune system is a complex network of cells, organs and tissues that work in tandem to protect the body from infection. While genetics play a role, we know from studies of twins that the strength of our immune system is largely determined by non-heritable factors. The germs we are exposed to over a lifetime, as well as lifestyle factors like stress, sleep, diet and exercise all play a role in the strength of our immune response.

The bottom line: There is no magic pill or a specific food guaranteed to bolster your immune system and protect you from the new coronavirus. But there are real ways you can take care of yourself and give your immune system the best chance to do its job against a respiratory illness.

Lower your stress. Worries about the coronavirus, the stock market and the general disruption of life have added to our stress levels, but we know that stress also can make you more susceptible to respiratory illness.

In a series of remarkable studies over 20 years at Carnegie Mellon University, volunteers were exposed to the cold virus (using nose drops) and then quarantined for observation. The researchers found that people who reported less stress in their lives were less likely to develop cold symptoms. Another series of studies at Ohio State University found that marital conflict is especially taxing to the immune system. In a series of studies, the researchers inflicted small wounds on the arms of volunteers, and then asked couples to discuss topics both pleasant and stressful. When couples argued, their wounds took, on average, a full day longer to heal than after the sessions in which the couples discussed something pleasant. Among couples who exhibited especially high levels of hostility, the wounds took two days longer to heal.

The bottom line: Your body does a better job fighting off illness and healing wounds when it’s not under stress. Learning techniques for managing stress, like meditation, controlled breathing or talking to a therapist are all ways to help your immune system stay strong.

Improve your sleep habits. A healthy immune system can fight off infection. A sleep-deprived immune system doesn’t work as well. In one surprising study, researchers found 164 men and women willing to be exposed to the cold virus. Not everyone got sick. But short sleepers — those who regularly slept less than six hours a night — were 4.2 times more likely to catch the cold compared with those who got more than seven hours of sleep, researchers found. Risk was even higher when a person slept less than five hours a night.

The bottom line: Focusing on better sleep habits is a good way to strengthen your immune system. The sweet spot for sleep is six to seven hours a night. Stick to a regular bedtime and wake-up schedule. Avoid screens, night-eating and exercise right before bedtime.

Check your vitamin D level: While more study is needed on the link between vitamin D and immune health, some promising research suggests that checking your vitamin D level — and taking a vitamin D supplement — could help your body fight off respiratory illness. In one study of 107 older patients, some patients took high doses of vitamin D while others were given standard doses. After a year, the researchers found that people in the high-dose group had 40 percent fewer respiratory infections over the course of the year compared to those on the standard dose. A more recent analysis of 25 randomized controlled trials of 11,000 patients showed an overall protective effect of vitamin D supplementation against acute respiratory tract infections. The data aren’t conclusive, and some studies of vitamin D haven’t shown a benefit.

Why would vitamin D lower risk for respiratory illness? Our bodies need adequate vitamin D to produce the antimicrobial proteins that kill viruses and bacteria. “If you don’t have adequate vitamin D circulating, you are less effective at producing these proteins and more susceptible to infection,” says Dr. Adit Ginde, professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the study’s lead author. “These proteins are particularly active in the respiratory tract.”

It’s important to note that there are no clinical recommendations to take vitamin D for immune health, although the standard recommendation for bone health is for 600 to 800 international units per day. (That is the level found in most multivitamins.) In the study of respiratory illness and vitamin D, the dose was equivalent to about 3,330 international units daily.

Vitamin D can be found in fatty fish, such as salmon, and in milk or foods fortified with vitamin D. In general, our vitamin D levels tend to be influenced by sun exposure, skin tone and latitude — people in northern areas who get less sun exposure in the winter typically have lower vitamin D. A blood test is required to check vitamin D levels. Less than 20 nanograms per milliliter is considered deficient. Above 30 is optimal.

The bottom line: If you are concerned about immune health, you may consider having your vitamin D level checked and talking to your doctor about whether to take a supplement.

Avoid excessive alcohol consumption. Numerous studies have found a link between excessive alcohol consumption and immune function. Research shows people who drink in excess are more susceptible to respiratory illness and pneumonia and recover from infection and wounds more slowly. Alcohol alters the number of microbes in the gut microbiome, a community of microorganisms that affect the immune system. Excessive alcohol can damage the lungs, and impair the mucosal immune system, which is essential in helping the body recognize pathogens and fight infection. And it’s not just chronic drinking that does damage. Binge drinking can also impair the immune system.

The bottom line: A cocktail or glass of wine while you are sheltering in place during coronavirus is fine. But avoid drinking to excess. The current U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that alcohol should be consumed only in moderation — up to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.

Eat a balanced diet, exercise and skip unproven supplements. A healthful diet and exercise are important to maintaining a strong immune system. However, no single food or natural remedy has been proven to bolster a person’s immune system or ward off disease. But that hasn’t stopped people from making specious claims. A recipe circulating on social media claims boiled garlic water helps. Other common foods touted for their immune-boosting properties are ginger, citrus fruits, turmeric, oregano oil and bone broth. There are small studies that suggest a benefit to some of these foods, but strong evidence is lacking. For instance, the bone broth claim has been fueled by a study published in 2000 that showed eating chicken soup seemed to reduce symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection. A number of small studies have suggested garlic may enhance immune system function. Claims that elderberry products can prevent viral illness also are making the rounds on social media, but evidence is lacking.

Zinc supplements and lozenges are also a popular remedy for fighting off colds and respiratory illness. Some studies have found that zinc lozenges may reduce the duration of cold by about a day and, may reduce the number of upper respiratory infections in children. But the data on zinc are mixed. If you already have enough zinc from your diet, it’s not clear that taking a supplement can help. Zinc supplements also commonly cause nausea.

“There are a lot of products that tout immune boosting properties, but I don’t think any of these have been medically proven to work,” said Dr. Krystina Woods, hospital epidemiologist and medical director of infection prevention at Mount Sinai West. “There are people who anecdotally say ‘I felt great after I took’ whatever. That may be true, but there’s no science to support that.”

The bottom line: If you enjoy foods touted as immune boosters, there is no harm in eating them as part of a balanced diet. Just be sure that you don’t neglect proven health advice — like washing your hands and not touching your face — when it comes to protecting yourself from viral illness.

Adapted from the NYTimes - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/well/live/can-i-boost-my-immune-system.html

Alcohol, Being At Home & Losing Weight

As a personal trainer AND a Wisconsinite, I get this question all the time. Can I drink alcohol if I'm trying to lose weight? It’s a good question and one many people are still confounded about.... Are you able to consume alcohol and still lose weight? This may be of special interest to those of us who are cooped up inside BUT are still trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Let’s find out.

Wine and Alcohol

Many years ago, a friend gave me a great learning point about his German grandmother telling him the story of a recent doctor visit. The doctor asked, "Luella, you're in excellent health. What are you doing?"

"Well doctor, I have one cocktail every night." She said,

My friend’s grandmother was convinced that one drink every night was good for her health.

His grandfather also had the same conviction, but he drank 3-4 cocktails a night and weighed 300 lbs.

His grandma wasn't concerned much about weight loss, but the question is still highly relevant for all of us. Can we drink and be healthy?

Let's face it, most of us love cocktails and some us love MANY cocktails, but when we're trying to lose weight and/or body fat, is it good to cut out drinking altogether?

Alcohol's Disruptive Patterns

Alcohol can cause issues for your weight-loss and metabolism-balancing efforts because it is high in calories (second only to fat – alcohol is said to have 7 calories per gram and fat has 9 calories per gram), and, like fats and carbs, is metabolized to acetyl CoA. When acetyl CoA is around in high amounts, the body sees no reason to burn other fuels, like the food you just ate OR the body fat already on your body.

So, when you drink, you are more likely to store your surplus food calories as fat rather than burn them.

Does that mean we should avoid alcohol completely?

You may need to avoid alcohol when you're trying to lose weight, but data shows that many people that have a glass of wine almost nightly and are still able to attain and maintain a lean, healthy body.

The trick is to know what does and does not work for you.

The truth is, small amounts of alcohol, (note: we said ‘small amounts’ boot campers) can certainly be apart of some people's fat-loss formula and whether it is for you or not will take some detective work.

Understanding Interactions Between Foods is Critical

If you want a glass of wine with dinner, here's a tip...

Don't eat starch and fat with your meal and drink alcohol together. Make an effort to never combine the three.

For instance, have a piece of fish, a plate of veggies and either a glass of wine OR half a sweet potato, but not both.

Experimenting is key and my goal, as your coach, is to provide you with the structured flexibility for real life.

But, now I am really curious to learn from all of you, plus it is a cool way for us to interact during a time when we can’t really interact.

What have you discovered about alcohol?

Can you drink when you're trying to lose weight?

Please reply and share what you've learned with me.

In health,

Coach C

Why Boot Camp Training is SO Effective! – Combination Training!

Sometimes the training you NEED to do is NOT always going to be your favorite. I had a client ask me the other day, "when are we done?" We were doing a tougher than normal, five exercise, full body, all dumbbell set as a 30 sec on/30 sec off protocol. It was a 25-min workout and was meant to get your lift AND your cardio done all at once. I always believe, time is of essence! In a one-hour workout, for most people it is difficult to achieve a proper warm up, an adequate cardio workout, a challenging strength training segment, some postural exercises and an appropriate cool-down and stretch.  How do we fit it all in?  Most people want results in the shortest period of time.  Who wants to spend 2+ hours in the gym?

Boot Camp & Small Group Combination Training is the answer 

Combination Training is an integrated form of training that combines lower body, upper body, trunk musculature and balance training all into one exercise, accomplishing three times as much training in the same amount of time. Yep, the stuff we do at camp everyday!

Combination Training is also a more natural and functional way of training.  Can you imagine any daily task that you complete regularly that involves only one joint or muscle group.  Our bodies just don’t function in an isolation fashion.  When you get out of a chair, bend down to pick something up or lift something to put it on a shelf; your entire body functions as a team.  And all sports require your muscles to work together.  And yet when we train in the gym, most people generally train their muscles separately focusing on only one body part at a time.  It would be like a football coach taking each of his starting line players and training them individually before their first game.  Even though each player may be in optimal physical conditioning, if the coach hasn’t pulled them together and scrimmage in order to learn to work together, their first game is going to be a disaster.  For example, a leg extension exercise works the quads independently but it doesn’t mean the quads will be able to work together well with the hamstrings or the trunk muscles.  Combination training teaches your muscles to work together as a team as they do in real life situations.  During sports or recreational activities, your muscles have to learn to react, support and oppose each other effectively.

Combination training is an effective form of training both from a time efficiency and a functional perspective.  Keep in mind, however, that it may take you a while before you can work up to combination training exercises; and at boot camp everything can be modified for your current fitness level.  First you have to learn how to execute each individual movement correctly and then you can start combining.

Some examples of combination training exercises would be to combine lunges with an overhead press or squats with rows.  What about performing bench step-ups with bicep curls, or squat to high pull?  Try balancing on one leg when performing any upper body movement or lying over a stability ball when performing chest presses.  When designing a program, personal trainers should analyze how you can take any exercise skill to the next level by combining two or three movements into one complex, compound movement.  Not only will you be more efficient with your time but also you will be training your body in a way that mimics real-life movements. I love boot camp training because it allows me to be super creative, because let's be honest, most personal trainers are lazy and want to get away with doing the least amount of work necessary. Want more ideas, come to boot camp and see how it is done! Oh, and to answer her question, "We are done when you are sweaty, tired and have kicked butt." You're welcome!

Coach C

BENEFITS OF TRAINING FOR A STRONG BUTT

There is a lot more to a tight behind than the way your jeans fit! And anyone that has taken Small Group OR Boot Camp this past year has heard me say countless times, “it’s all about the booty.” Your behind is made up of 3 major muscles including the glute maximum, glute medius, and the glute minimus. They are the largest muscle group in the body and play a vital role in how we walk, run, stand and sit. Your glutes are incredibly important, but they’re often weak and underworked. Hey, no judgement!

What Causes Weak Glute Muscles?

Many people suffer from under-active or weak glute muscles. In our sedentary society, people are spending less time moving around and more time sitting. As a result, they aren’t properly using their butt muscles. Many of us have jobs that require us to spend so much time sitting that our glutes stop working as efficiently, effectively, and strongly as they should. Once our glutes stop firing, our hip flexors get tight and can lead to injury. YUCK, who has time for that?

Benefits of a Strong Butt

When you build a stronger booty, here are a few of the benefits you can expect.

- Prevent Back Pain

Your behind works to stabilize the pelvis and keep the integrity of movement in the hip joint. When they’re strong, your lower back doesn’t bear the brunt of your motion. By working out the glutes, you will provide the base of your spine with a good cushion, which will help stabilize your hips and prevent pain in the neck, lower back, and surrounding muscles.

- Increase Athletic Performance

Our glutes play an essential role in helping us balance, change direction, run, stop, and jump. If we want to be stronger athletes, it’s time to start squatting. Squats are one of the best exercises to target the gluteus maximus. Stronger glutes can improve your speed, agility, and jumping skills. Focusing on your  glutes is a great way to take your skill to the next level in almost any sport IR in just daily life.

- Prevent Knee Pain

Our knees absorb about one-and-a-half times your body weight with each step. That pressure, plus regular wear and tear, takes its toll. Strong glutes will keep our pelvis stable and from swaying side to side. If your pelvis isn’t stable, it puts a lot of pressure on your knees and ankles to compensate. When your backside is strong, it helps prevent this naturally, keeping you safe from a knee injury.

How to Test Your Glute Strength

The Trendelenberg test is a simple way for you to evaluate how healthy your behind is. To do this, stand up straight, and lift up one of your legs as though you were going to hop. The more difficult it is for you to keep your hips level, the more you need to work on your glutes.

Having trouble with your glutes, let me know. As a coach, it is my job to help develop my clients in a 360-degree fashion. Lets get you fit!

In Health,

Coach C

Weight Loss Mistakes You May Still Be Making

Helping my clients who struggle with weight management or weight loss requires a whole-person approach in my opinion. In many cases, clients can greatly benefit from personal training, fitness classes, nutrition counseling and lifestyle and weight management coaching.

All “dieting” clients will make mistakes (especially in the beginning), and most of the time they don’t even realize it. C’mon we have all been there right? As a certified Personal trainer, Fitness Nutrition Specialist and Lifestyle and Weight Management Specialist, I help them get back on track and start seeing the results they want. This is one of the the parts of my job that I truly LOVE! Below are a few of the mistakes that you maybe making that are sabotaging your efforts.

Only Focusing on the Numbers on the Scale

It’s very common for clients to feel like they are not losing weight or fat fast enough, despite faithfully sticking to their nutrition plan. I try to remind them that many factors can affect scale weight, including fluid fluctuations, muscle mass gains and the weight of undigested food. They may be losing body fat even if the number on the scale doesn’t drastically change. Our weight can fluctuate by up to 4 lbs over the course of a day, depending on how much food, sodium and liquid we have consumed. Measuring your waist with a tape measure and taking monthly pictures can show that you are actually losing fat. Photos never lie!

Working Out Too Much and Too Often

Excessive exercise is unsustainable in the long term for most people and often leads to unnecessary stress. Trying to force the body to burn more calories by exercising too much is neither effective nor healthy for any client. Lifting weights/resistance training can help boost your metabolic rate, increase muscle mass and promote fat loss, including belly fat. Lifting heavy weights is one of the most effective exercise strategies for gaining muscle and increasing metabolic rate. It also improves overall body composition and boosts belly fat loss. We do lots of it in Small Group and Boot Camp.

Not Eating Enough Protein and Fiber

Getting enough protein and fiber is super important for a client trying to lose weight. Protein has been shown to help with weight loss in several ways. It can reduce appetite, increase feelings of fullness, decrease calorie intake, increase metabolic rate and protect muscle mass during weight loss. A low-fiber diet may be compromising your weight loss efforts too.  Fiber helps reduce appetite by forming a gel that holds water. This gel moves slowly through your digestive tract, making you feel fuller longer.

Eating Too Much Fat on a Low-Carb Diet

Although low-carb and ketogenic diets help reduce hunger and caloric intake, adding too much fat may slow down or prevent weight loss. Many low-carb and keto diets allow unlimited amounts of fat, assuming that the resulting appetite suppression will keep calories low enough for weight loss. However, if you are adding large amounts of fat to your food or beverages and are not losing weight, then cut back on the fat a bit ( cutting back 10-15 grams a day to start).

Having Unrealistic Goals

Having weight loss and other health-related goals can help you stay motivated, but having unrealistic expectations can actually work against you. Try to adjust your expectations so that they align with realistic goals. This can help prevent you from getting discouraged and improve your chances for success. For example; losing 1-2 lbs of fat per week is very doable and sustainable but losing 4-5 lbs a week is not usually doable and if that much weight is lost, it usually is also from water weight and heaven forbid, muscle mass loss. :(

Not Tracking What You Eat in Any Way

Eating nutritious foods is a great weight loss strategy, but you may still be eating more calories than you need to lose weight. If you are not tracking what you eat, you can easily be consuming more calories than you realize. If you aren’t tracking, you are likely getting less protein and fiber than you need.  Stop guessing, start tracking with an app like My Fitness Pal.

Not Reading the Nutrition Facts Labels

Food labels provide information on ingredients, calories, and nutrients. Make sure you understand how to accurately read the nutrition label. Failing to accurately read label information can quickly lead to the consumption of unwanted calories and unhealthy ingredients. To get the most important information for weight control, you will need to make a habit of looking at the ingredients list and nutrition facts label. Be an educated consumer.

Not Eating Whole Foods

One of the worst things a dieting client can do for weight loss is to eat a lot of highly processed foods. Some researchers believe this could be due to their negative effects on gut health and inflammation.  I encourage all my clients (regardless of whether they are trying to lose weight) to choose whole, single-ingredient that are minimally processed. This strategy really works AND is helps decrease bloating too.

What’s Next?

If you need help with your nutrition, “dieting”, weight management, improving the results of your fitness routine, let me know.  I can help you learn about optimal nutrition, including proven techniques for increasing energy, optimal health and decreased dependence on medications.  This is what I do!

In good health,

Coach Catherine

Adapted from https://www.nestacertified.com/weight-loss-mistakes-your-clients-are-likely-making-and-how-to-help/

BEST FOODS TO REDUCE INFLAMMATION

There are natural, healthy foods you can choose which may help reduce and even prevent inflammation. You work out to feel great, why not eat better to cut down on joint and body inflammation?

Inflammation is your body’s natural response to injury or infection. Chronic inflammation, also known as internal inflammation, is a continuous, system-wide inflammation characterized by constant tearing down then healing of tissues and internal organs.

Chronic inflammation may be triggered by exposure to toxins or inflammatory foods like sugar, trans fats and other processed foods. Chronic inflammation has been linked to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), food allergies and sensitivities, type 2 diabetes, acne, celiac disease, and asthma. Yuck!

 Here are six popular anti-inflammatory foods you should add to your diet, enjoy:

 1. Berries

Raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries are packed with vitamins and minerals and rich in antioxidants. Berries contain antioxidants called anthocyanins, which are phytonutrients with anti-inflammatory effects that may reduce your risk of inflammatory diseases. Goji berries, an orange-red fruit native to China are very high in antioxidants and increasingly popular for their anti-inflammatory properties.

 2. Papaya

Papaya contains papain, a protein-digesting enzyme. Vitamins E, C, and papain found in papaya reduce inflammation and improve digestion. Papaya is also high in fiber and water content which supports a healthy digestive tract and elimination.

 3. Pineapple

Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that aids in the soothing of indigestion, healing of trauma and reduction of swelling and inflammation in many conditions or injuries. Bromelain also decreases the inflammation associated with joint pain, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and arthritis. Bromelain is used in many OTC natural-based anti-inflammatory supplements for arthritis. And don’t worry about the natural sugar; just make sure to have it right AFTER your workout.

 4. Fish

The Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish can help block the formation of antibodies and proteins that cause inflammation in your body.  Patients with rheumatoid arthritis who eat fatty fish two or more times per week experience significantly fewer arthritis symptoms than people who never eat fish. Eat a 3-6 ounce serving of fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, or sardines two to three times a week to reduce arthritis inflammation.

 5. Olive Oil

Olive oil is rich in phenols and similar phenolic compounds. One of the phenols found in olive oil, oleocanthal has similar analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties to ibuprofen. This may be one of the reasons behind the Mediterranean diet’s positive impact on heart and blood pressure. Choose virgin or extra-virgin olive oil to ensure your olive oil has the maximum amount of these beneficial compounds.

 6. Spices

Several of the best anti-inflammatory foods you can eat are in your spice cabinet. The healthy polyphenol compounds found in many herbs and spices can disrupt your body’s inflammatory process. Tumeric and the curcumin found in turmeric block inflammation as do ginger, cinnamon, clove, black pepper, and garlic. So have fun and experiment.

 Hope you found this article helpful and educational. Let me know if you implement any of the above strategies and how they work for you? Still struggling, ask me. I am Nutritional Specialist certified and am here to help!

 Yours in health,

Coach C

 ADAPTED from https://www.nestacertified.com/best-foods-to-reduce-inflammation/

What is Intuitive Eating and How Does it Work?

Intuitive Eating makes you the expert of your body and its hunger signals. The term intuitive Eating was coined by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in the 1990s. It’s the opposite of traditional dieting. Intuitive Eating doesn’t impose guidelines about what to avoid and what or when to eat. Instead, it teaches that you are the best person to make nutritional choices for yourself. Many of my current personal training clients have subscribed to this type of eating protocol as a way to live and eat normally while NOT feeling like they are on a diet.

The Ten Principles of Intuitive Eating

Reject the Diet Mentality

Diets may accomplish the goal at first but they tend to fail when their rules are impossible to adhere to permanently, leaving behind feelings of failure. Expecting any “diet” to be the answer to a life-long struggle is the first thing to let go of when embracing Intuitive Eating.

Honor Your Hunger

Hunger signals a biological need for energy. Ignoring it regularly can trigger overeating. Getting to the point of intense hunger will make it hard, if not impossible to eat with the moderation weight loss requires. Honoring that hunger signal and not seeing it as an enemy will help lay the foundation of trust between you and your food.

Make Peace with Food

Allow all foods into your diet and give yourself unconditional permission to eat whatever you want. Stop categorizing foods as good or bad. If you tell yourself you can’t have or shouldn’t have a certain food, you will eventually feel deprived. This deprivation builds into uncontrollable cravings and overeating. Making peace with food gives YOU the control, NOT food.

Challenge the Food Police

The food police are the thoughts in your head that declare you as “good” for eating a salad for lunch and “bad” because you ate dessert/carbs/sugar/etc. These are the unreasonable rules that were created by dieting that cause you to feel guilty. You have enough in life that tries to make you feel guilty, don’t let food be one of them. These rules are housed deep in your brain and pop up on a daily basis to govern your food decisions. It’s impossible to view eating as a normal, pleasurable activity when the food police have a hold. Challenging the food police is an important step towards becoming an intuitive eater.

Respect Your Fullness

This is where mindfulness comes in (similar to honoring your hunger). Paying attention to the signals that you are no longer hungry might require slowing down, or tuning out of the conversation to tune in to the body, or a full-on pause in the meal to notice how the food tastes, chewing it fully and determining if you have eaten enough to feel full. Ignoring “fullness” is how many people gained weight to begin with.

Discover the Satisfaction Factor

There is an inherent pleasure and a desire to feel emotionally satisfied derived from eating. Eating delicious and fulfilling foods should not be something to avoid; on the contrary, feeling consistently satisfied from eating something you really want to eat can create a more conducive environment to eating more moderately. Find ways that are unrelated to food to deal with your feelings, such as taking a walk, meditating, journal, perusing a magazine, or calling a friend. Become aware of the times when a feeling that you might call hunger is really based on emotion.

Honor Your Feelings Without Using Food

Too often food becomes the answer to stress, anxiety, boredom. We can’t expect food to never be used as a coping mechanism, but someone with a complicated relationship with food that has come to use food as a crutch should look elsewhere to process their emotions. New skill sets for coping can be learned and utilized during times when food was there to temporarily provide that relief. You can NEVER placate emotions with food; it does not work!

Respect Your Body

Rather than criticizing your body for how it looks and what you perceive is wrong with it, recognize it as capable and beautiful just as it is. Accepting and loving your own body will provide a level of freedom from the diet mentality that would be impossible to relinquish otherwise. When I up my carbs, I embrace the fullness and strength in my muscles versus just “looking bigger".”

Exercise—Feel the Difference

Start moving and notice how much better it feels than not moving. Thinking of exercise as nothing but a tool to weight loss rather than a natural state a human being should engage in every day reduces the motivation to exercise at all. You know how you feel when you miss both camp or small group!

Honor Your Health

Remember, you don’t have to go all or nothing on your nutrition. Make an effort to eat healthy foods as a lifestyle choice, but eating perfectly is not a requirement for good health. One indulgence or even a bad weekend of eating is not going to unravel your entire year’s efforts at weight loss and healthfulness. Allow the occasional slip-ups or even the intentional ones and know that you can still stay on a healthy track overall.

I hope this helps give you an alternative way of looking at food, especially if you are still struggling with a good nutritional fit for you. Remember, I am always hear to help so contact me with questions. OK?

Yours in health,

Coach C

Adapted from https://www.nestacertified.com/what-is-intuitive-eating-a-guide-to-intuitive-eating

Changing Your Workout Focus For Fall & Winter

In the summer, I'm always outside -- walking hills and stairs, running (sprinting really), hiking, doing beach workouts with my husband, and running boot camps -- but as the weather gets a little colder and the nights a little darker, I find I spend a lot less time outdoors. C’mon its Wisconsin, it snows in October sometimes.

As a result, I look for opportunities to stay active and healthy indoors. And I'm not alone. All gyms, including our personal training studio, experience an influx of clients coming back to seek refuge from the colder, wetter Midwest weather.

So, if you’re storing your road bike for the winter, now would be a great opportunity to start taking an indoor small group class. Or if you like water sports, you might sign up for an indoor rowing program. If you like to cardio, you'd love a spin class or maybe even hip-hop if you like dance. Check Groupon or other online offerings, they offer lots of these “deals” this time of year. You might register for a yoga or Pilates program someplace local. Use this as an opportunity to try something new or to focus on an area that you'd like to improve upon.

I personally use the fall and winter months to experiment with new interval training workouts, for myself AND for my personal training clients. And YES I DO experiment on myself first, THEN my husband. I will also ramp up my weight training and indoor small group classes. However, I know many friends and clients still get outdoors and run, ski or snowshoe. As long as you have the right gear, most don't mind the wet, snow and cold. Plus, it ensures that they still soak up some vitamin D and get some fresh air. I believe that helps a lot with preventing the seasonal affective disorder that many people experience in Milwaukee and other Midwest cities.

Here are a few of my favorite resistance training exercises.

Upper Body: Super Band or Regular/Assisted Pull-ups

The pull up or chin-up is one of the best upper body exercises and it is definitely one of my favorite compound upper body movements. Big bang for your buck stuff! The problem is most people can't perform a full chin-up without assistance. Hey, no judgment. Fortunately, many studios and gyms have super bands or other assisted chin-up machines, enabling most people to incorporate chin-ups into their workout routine because the machines offer assistance.

If you are not an Achieve client, but belong to a traditional gym, a common assisted pull up model may be either a stand-up or kneel model and it may either be computerized or involve only a weight stack. The instructions on the front of the machine will clearly demonstrate how to complete the set-up process. You will also notice that the chin-up exercise allows you to choose three or four different grips: a wide grip, a mid-grip, a narrow grip and a reverse mid-grip.

At most gyms, there are pull up bars and super bands to help “boost” clients up, taking away a percentage of their own body weight during the lift, making the chin up a little easier and more manageable but still very effective. Grips can be underhand and close (this is your strongest position), over hand close or over hand wide (this is your weakest position). You can also use a straight lifting bar in it’s racked position. That way your feet never leave the ground BUT you are still using a large percentage of your body weight in the lift.

Once you have decided upon the grip, technique is pretty simple. As you pull with your arms and back, your body will lift upward. Stop once your chin has cleared the bar. Slowly return to the starting position. Attempt to achieve full range of motion without locking out on your elbows. Try to focus on pulling with the muscles in your back rather than your arms. Perform a set of eight to 12 reps. Regular chin-up bars don’t offer the assistance most people need, so we suggest you either use a small bench or just use your legs to jump up to the bar and then control the release on the way down; with or without a super band.

If your strength isn't up to the point of lifting or lowering your body weight at all, then you can just keep your feet on the bench/ground and lift and lower as much of your body weight as you can handle. With time and consistency, you will be able to lift and lower more of your weight soon!

Lower Body -- Step Ups (with or without weights)

Position yourself in front of a bench holding a set of hand weights (height dependent on the current strength of your legs) with one foot on the bench so that your kneecap faces forward and your weight is distributed on all four corners of your foot. Avoid having the bench so high that when you step down, your hips don't drop below your knee. Now slowly step up, extending the supporting knee into a fully upright, balanced position. Now slowly lower yourself down to the starting position. Focus on pulling your weight up through the lead glute (lead leg) muscle and driving through the lead heel. Perform eight to 12 reps on each leg with a weight that challenges you by the end of the set.

Core – Plank or Table Top

Lie on your stomach. Position your elbows under your shoulders. Contract your abdominal muscles and then slowly lift your body onto your toes and your elbows. Keep your back straight and shoulder blades pulled together. Remember to breathe. Hold this position for a few seconds and repeat 10 to 15 times. Feel free to start on your knees and elbows, and as you get stronger, slowly progress to your toes.

Catherine Andersen BA, MBA, NSCA - CPT has been inspiring clients to adopt a fitness lifestyle for over 20 years. She is the co-owner, with husband Michael, of Achieve Personal Fitness and Milwaukee Adventure Boot Camp in the North shore of Milwaukee. She has helped mentor and raise two active and healthy step-children, Regan and Devin and is an IFBB Professional Figure Athlete. Join our FREE newsletter for regular health and fitness inspiration or follow us on Facebook. Want to learn more or become a part of our fitness community and successes? Check us out at https://www.achievepersonalfitness.com

Tips For Getting & Staying Motivated

As we head out of summer and into autumn, I always have a tendency to re-evaluate my goals. Where am I and where do I want to be. Motivation is what drives us to make the things happen – but staying motivated isn’t always easy. Below are some great tips on how to become (and stay!) motivated, and suggestions for what to do if you just can’t get into gear, no matter what your goals happen to be.

 This can help if:

·       you want to figure out your goals and learn how to achieve them

·       you’re feeling unmotivated

·       you want to get stuff done.

 Positive and negative motivation

Motivation is what drives you toward a goal, gets you up in the morning, and keeps you working through a task, determined to succeed when things get tough. But motivation can be both positive and negative:

              Positive motivations focus on the positive things that will happen when you take action For example: ‘Finishing this assignment means I’m only a step away from being qualified.'

Negative motivations focus on the negative backlash that will occur if you don’t take        action. For example: ‘If I don’t finish this assignment in the next few hours, I’ll fail my course.'

Negative and positive motivations can both be effective in different circumstances. However, it’s much easier to do something because you actually want to, rather than because you want to avoid a particular outcome if you don’t do it. If you don’t have a positive plan of action, using negative motivation can make you feel helpless and may even reduce your motivation.

 How to become (and stay) motivated

               Set goals. When you set a goal, you make a decision to act in a way that will help you achieve what you want. Goals give you a direction to focus on – one that’s measurable and has an endpoint. This can help you to stay motivated.

               Choose goals that interest you. You’re much more likely to stay motivated if you’re working towards something that you genuinely want to do or achieve, rather than what other people want for you.

               Find things that interest you within goals that don’t. Sometimes other people set goals or tasks for us that we don’t find interesting or want to do. So, try and find something within that task that does motivate you. For example: ‘I hate math, but it’s going to help me become an engineer, which I want more than anything.’

              Make your goal public. If you tell someone – or write down – your goal, you’ve essentially made a promise to keep your word. This is always a tough one but it helps keep you accountable to your goal

              Plot your progress. When you’re working toward something, it can be really motivating if you can see evidence that you’re making progress. Draw or create a visual representation of how you’re coming closer to achieving the goal you’ve set yourself.

              Break up your goal. Start with easier tasks and work your way up to bigger challenges. Breaking up a task in your mind into achievable chunks helps build confidence.

        Use rewards. Promise yourself some sort of reward each time you complete a step/task.

              Don’t do it alone. Join a class, or find a teacher or someone you can share the experience with. Other people’s encouragement to keep going can be a big boost to your motivation, particularly when you’re doing it tough.

 If you’re really finding it hard

If you’ve tried but failed to get motivated, then it might help to talk it through with someone you trust.  A family, a friend a mentor; these are all good sources to use. Sometimes it can be hard to achieve things on your own, so having a good support network may help when you’ve taken on a big challenge.

 What can I do now?

·       Write down some goals for the coming year.

·       Plan some rewards or treats to keep your motivation up.

·       Tell someone about your goal, to keep yourself accountable.

 Ok now it is time; get that motivation working for you. Need some help, great let us know, we are here for you!

Yours in health,

Coach C

 Adapted from https://au.reachout.com/articles/tips-for-getting-and-staying-motivated

Why Boot Camp & Small Group Training is SO Effective! – Combination Training!

Time is of essence! In a 45-min to one-hour workout, for most people it is difficult to achieve a proper warmup, an adequate cardio workout, a challenging strength training segment, some postural exercises and an appropriate cool-down and stretch.  How do we fit it all in?  Most people want results in the shortest period of time.  Who wants to spend 2+ hours in the gym?

 Boot Camp  & Small Group Combination Training is the answer 

 Combination Training is an integrated form of training that combines lower body, upper body, trunk musculature and balance training all into one exercise, accomplishing three times as much training in the same amount of time. Yep, the stuff we do at camp every day!

Combination Training is also a more natural and functional way of training.  Can you imagine any daily task that you complete regularly that involves only one joint or muscle group?  Our bodies just don’t function in an isolation fashion.  When you get out of a chair, bend down to pick something up or lift something to put it on a shelf; your entire body functions as a team.  And all sports require your muscles to work together.  And yet when we train in the gym, most people generally train their muscles separately focusing on only one body part at a time.  It would be like a football coach taking each of his starting line players and training them individually before their first game.  Even though each player may be in optimal physical conditioning, if the coach hasn’t pulled them together and scrimmage in order to learn to work together, their first game is going to be a disaster.  For example, a leg extension exercise works the quads independently, but it doesn’t mean the quads will be able to work together well with the hamstrings or the trunk muscles.  Combination training teaches your muscles to work together as a team as they do in real life situations.  During sports or recreational activities, your muscles have to learn to react, support and oppose each other effectively.

 Combination training is an effective form of training both from a time efficiency and a functional perspective.  Keep in mind, however, that it may take you a while before you can work up to combination training exercises; and at boot camp everything can be modified for your current fitness level.  First you have to learn how to execute each individual movement correctly and then you can start combining.

Some examples of combination training exercises would be to combine lunges with an overhead press or squats with rows.  What about performing bench step-ups with bicep curls?  Try balancing on one leg when performing any upper body movement or lying over a stability ball when performing chest presses.  When designing a program, analyze how you can take any exercise skill to the next level by combining two or three movements into one complex, compound movement.  Not only will you be more efficient with your time but also you will be training your body in a way that mimics real-life movements. Come join us at small group or boot camp to see how it works!

SIMPLE MEAL PREP HACKS THAT WILL SAVE YOU TIME

You know by now, that when it comes to healthy eating, preparation is the key to success. But if you love the convenience of prepackaged foods and restaurant meals, it might be hard for you to go cold turkey on your take-out routines; especially if you relaxed a little this summer with cooking at home. Planning and preparing meals ahead of time will make healthy choices a no-brainer for you.

Plan Your Meals Ahead

Select one or two days each week that will be devoted to meal prepping and be creative with your meal ideas. I cook on Sunday and Wednesdays.  Healthy tacos on one night can turn into taco salads the next. Menu planning with grocery lists also reduces that sneaky impulse to buy random items at the grocery store, which not only helps keep you on track nutritionally, but aids in reducing unnecessary (and often expensive) purchases that are devoid of nutritional benefits.

Cook Once and Eat Twice

This meal prep hack is all about leveraging leftovers, repurposing ingredients, and cooking in bulk. With your busy schedules, it can be tricky for you to prepare a full meal every night of the week. Selecting one day a week to prepare several items allows you to plan for leftovers throughout the week. For example, grilling or baking several chicken breasts on one day provides a lean protein for that night’s dinner as well as a key ingredient for chicken salads for a meal the following day. This reduces cooking time and makes meal prepping faster on subsequent weeknights.

Become a Fan of One-Pot Meals

Toss prepped ingredients together with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and a variety of spices and roast in the oven. Or invest in a crock-pot or instant pot and experiment with making homemade soups and slow-cooker meals. A little chicken or vegetable broth with fresh vegetables, diced sweet potatoes, and lean protein (such as chicken or loin meats) make a tasty and nutritionally balanced meal.

Use Your Freezer Space

Freezing leftovers and prepped meals is genius. When time is lacking or energy is waning, you can pull out a frozen veggie lasagna or soup a day or two in advance and have meals ready to go after work or when the kids come home from daily activities.

Use Containers

The right containers are a must for successful meal prep. Invest in a variety of sizes and styles of containers. Select options that allow for freezing leftovers, storing produce for the week, and pre-packing lunches and snacks. Yes, you may have to spend a little money if you don’t own these handy tools already, but they are an investment that will pay for themselves in short order.

How I Can Help

I want to help you with food, diet, weight-management and improving the results of your fitness routines, boot camp, personal training or small group. This is why I recertified in Fitness Nutrition Coaching. My certification focuses on optimal nutrition, including proven techniques for increasing energy, optimal health and decreased dependence on medications. Please feel free to use me as a resource if you have any questions or are struggling with your nutrition or goals.

 In Health,

Coach C

Metabolism & Menopause - nutrition seminar follow up and advanced education on hormone challenges

What causes weight gain at menopause?

Why are the low calorie diets that worked in your younger years no longer effective?

What changes can you make to your diet, exercise, and lifestyle regime to combat menopausal weight gain?

This seminar will help explain the impact female hormones have on weight gain and fat loss and why menopause is such a difficult time for many women. We will also have a Q&A section at the end to discuss questions from the January nutrition discussion and goal writing seminar. 

Please join us for a much requested and educational hour. 

Instructor - Catherine Andersen - NSCA CPT 

Location - The Milwaukee Cycling Center Glendale (The "old" Achieve studio)

Time/Date - Saturday July 13th from 10:30-11:30 (Q&A to follow)

Signup - Please use Mindbody to sign up for this FREE class Click Here to register

Consistency: The Key To Progress In Your Fitness and Fat loss Program.

Through my years of competing and personal training I have noticed the one main ingredient that keeps people from reaching their fitness goals; consistency! People tend to be impatient when it comes to exercise. I get it; we want, what we want when we want it, right? Too many times people do not give their exercise or nutrition plans enough time to reap the benefits they are looking for.

No matter what we do in life we will not achieve the success we want unless we work at it day in and day out for months and months. Sorry, I am just the messenger. The same goes for your exercise programs. You can have the best trainer or coach in the world and the best nutrition to follow it up, but if you do not stick with it consistently, you will wind up spinning your wheels. This can be very frustrating for someone who is trying hit a certain goal by a certain date OR just a goal in general.

THE 3 KEYS TO CONSISTENCY

As a coach and from my experience with over 20 years in the industry, I feel there are three main components in any exercise program to build lean muscle and lose unwanted body fat. These components are resistance training (lifting weights or using body weight), cardiovascular exercise and proper nutrition. All three are equally important on achieving your goals in fitness.

If one is not executed consistently, the other two will suffer and so will your progress. Don't get me wrong; to assume we can be perfect, 100% of the time will just be setting ourselves up for failure. It should be about progress, not perfection. Your goal should be to follow your programs the best you can most of the time. The longer the time you stick with something the better you will become at it. Here are a few ways we can remain more consistent with our exercise and nutrition programs.

 RESISTANCE TRAINING

Depending on your goals, you should perform some type of resistance training with weights anywhere from 3-6 times per week. The importance of resistance training is that it will help increase your lean, toned body mass, thus giving a better shape to the body and increasing you basal metabolic rate (look it up!). Muscle is like a 24-hour furnace, so we must be sure we maintain or even increase our lean muscle to keep the metabolism on the rise.

To help keep you more dedicated; I would find a workout partner or hire the help of a qualified personal trainer or coach. This way you are held accountable. I am more likely to go to the gym if I know there is someone waiting for me that I am accountable on my own. Also having a training partner, a trainer  or a small group (or boot camp crew) will keep you more focused and motivated during your workouts.

 CARDIOVASCULAR TRAINING

Cardiovascular activity is necessary to keep the metabolism roaring and help you burn some extra calories that will lead to fat loss. The main reason I choose to do a moderate amount of cardio; is that it allows me to eat more food and still make the fat loss results I am looking for. Some people who rely on diet alone to lose fat usually find themselves losing weight but also a lot of muscle. They become a smaller version of their flabby self. Keeping a little bit more food in the diet, but using effective high intensity cardio sessions to burn more calories, will end up in retention of lean muscle while losing the fat.

If possible a few days per week, I recommend doing your cardio first thing in the morning, 20-30 minutes plus, before breakfast (fasted). This way it is out of the way, and it will really boost your energy for a good portion of the day to follow. It is a little tough in the beginning, but after a week, you will feel so good doing it, you will be locked in a routine.

If there is no way you can do it first thing in the morning OR if you already do boot camp (which you DO need to eat before), I would do it right after you train with weights or at night after your last meal. Bring a headset with your favorite music to help the time go faster and use good beats per minute (BMP) to rev your pace. As the weather gets nicer, include outdoor cardio like jogging, running, stairs and/or hill intervals.

 NUTRITION

This is where I find the biggest inconsistency lies with most clients. Some are good for 2-3 days, but blow it for two days, etc. This viscous cycle will lead to frustration and no results. Instead of following an extreme diet plan, I rather you follow a nutrition plan that is moderate and one you feel you can follow every day for most of the time. Find a plan that is filled with the healthy foods you like that allow you to feel fed and NOT deprived.

NO, this does not mean ice cream! BUT once in a long while, you can indulge and enjoy. Moderation is the key. But even if you slack and indulge in one or two of your meals, the day is not ruined; just start back to your healthy eating for your next meal following.

Convenience is a big factor that affects the consistency of eating the right foods. I recommend you get in the habit of preparing your own meals ahead of time. This will eliminate the excuses of stopping off at a fast food place because you have nothing to eat. It will eliminate the excuse for skipping a much-needed meal. I cook meats, veggies and starches on Sunday and Wednesday, these are the days my schedule allows me to prep.

I would invest the money in a good grill and some glass Tupperware. The best thing about preparing your meals is that you know exactly what you are eating and have complete control of the food you eat.

To speed up the metabolism and to help recuperate from your workouts, try to eat 5-6 small meals per day. It takes a minimum of around two weeks of a consistent eating regime to start boosting your metabolism and making results as far as lean muscle gain and fat loss. Supplement companies today made it very easy to hit all of your meals.

You can purchase a protein powder and/or meal replacement packets. Protein shakes in a can already mixed and protein bars that are low in sugar, are very easy to carry. Again these help eliminate any excuse for not getting the proper nutrition your body needs at the proper time. I would still rather you eat whole foods, but something is better than nothing at all.

 CONCLUSION

A consistent and effective routine will take some time to develop. After a couple of weeks, it will be part of your every day process. Once you hit that level it is smooth sailing, almost "auto-pilot." Sure, in the beginning it will be difficult at times to prepare all your meals, do all your cardio, and hit every training session.

You will get use to it, I promise and there will come a point where you will not even think about it because it will be a consistent part of your daily routine. It is just a matter of convincing yourself that you can do it and giving yourself time to get there. The more time you do it, the more confidence you will develop to stick with it. So please go out there and try your best, you owe it to yourself! Take care and I am here to help!

 Stay healthy,

Coach Catherine

 Adapted from https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/zaino16.htm

6 Tips to Tailgate the Healthy Way in WI

Don’t sacrifice flavor or fun

It’s baseball season, then football season then whatever comes next in WI — which means it’s tailgating time, too. Don’t let too many burgers and beers deliver a big hit to your nutrition OR your waistline.

Instead, take a timeout from unhealthy habits and create a fresh game plan for tailgating. Adding a few healthy dishes to your menu can be a real game changer for your health. With these six tips, you don’t have to sacrifice flavor or fun.

1. Cook up some kabobs - If you’re firing up the grill, try some delicious chicken, steak or shrimp kabobs. Stack the kabobs with your choice of meat, cubes of peppers and onions, mushrooms, pineapple, or other veggies or fruits you enjoy. Brush them with olive oil and your favorite herbs for a surge of flavor. Kabobs have fewer calories and less saturated and trans fats than other tailgate fare. And the peppers contain lots of antioxidants that prevent oxidation of cholesterol during heating.

 2. Skip the chips, keep the potato - If potatoes are a staple for you, try a small baked or sweet potato bar rather than potato salad or chips, which are traditionally high in fat and calories. Rub the outside of the baked potatoes in olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil and set them straight on the grill. Ahead of time, prepare a few bowls of toppings such as salsa, sautéed spinach, black beans and Parmesan cheese — all in moderation, right Achieve clients?

 3. For pasta salad, go 100 percent whole grain- If you are going to make pasta salad, then transform a traditional pasta salad recipe into a healthier version by cutting out refined grains. When grains are refined, the two outer layers—the bran and germ—are removed in an attempt to enhance the taste and extend the shelf life. But this process also leads to a loss of important nutrients such as B vitamins and fiber. Using 100 percent wholewheat (or any whole grain) pasta instead will increase your intake of key nutrients associated with improved glycemic control and decreased risk of heart disease.

 4. Snack smartly - Calories can add up quickly, especially if you’re a die-hard fan tailgating every week (hello Milwaukee Brewers fans). Try pairing your healthy entrée choices with nutritious snacks such as air-popped popcorn, grilled corn, multigrain crackers with hummus and guacamole, fresh veggies with a greek yogurt dip, or a fresh fruit salad.

 5. Keep food safety in mind - Don’t let food borne illness spoil your fun. Safe protocols include cooking meat to an internal temperatures of 145°F for whole meats (allowing the meat to rest for 3 minutes before eating), 160°F for ground meats, and 165°F for all poultry. Additionally, clean plates and utensils to avoid cross contamination, wash produce before preparation, and refrigerate high protein foods after 1–2 hours of sitting out (one hour for hot weather, two hours for colder weather).

 6. Grab a Bloody Mary - Ok if you are going to drink, compared to beer, a Bloody Mary is a better drink of choice. These drinks provide more nutrients than other alcoholic beverages because the base is potassium-rich tomato juice. Just be sure to go light on the salt and always drink alcohol in moderation — defined as one glass per day for women and two glasses for men. And be sure to stay hydrated with plenty of water.

 Have a great and healthy tailgate!

Coach C

Adapted from - Brigid Titgemeier, nutrition assistant at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute

Practical Tips for Improving Your Health the Easy Way

Sometimes, the most seemingly insignificant steps we take for our health can have the greatest impact. Don’t feel like you have to make drastic changes to your lifestyle in order to improve your health. Instead, focus on the smaller things; for example, prioritize preventive health strategies, learn to forgive yourself, and practice a little more self-care. Here are some concrete actions you can take for your health today!

Remove Clutter to Reduce Stress

According to Verywell Mind, clutter can get in the way of your health in a number of ways. For one thing, excess mess causes us to feel stressed and frustrated, as we’re forced to navigate our messy homes to get things done. Being surrounded by clutter is extremely mentally draining. And it’s nearly impossible to enjoy hobbies and engage in home fitness activities when you don't have space for them. Plus, clutter often hides dust and germs, which can trigger allergy symptoms and make you sick. If deep cleaning your home seems overwhelming, consider hiring cleaning help. According to HomeAdvisor, most homeowners in Milwaukee spend between $114 and $236 to hire a professional maid service. Having your home cleaned is well worth it for greater peace of mind.

Start a New Hobby

Another excellent way to reduce stress in your life is to pick up an enjoyable hobby. With all your clutter out of the way, you'll finally have space for it! In addition to busting stress, hobbies can stave off mental illness and even improve your cognitive skills. For the best mental benefits, choose a hobby that genuinely challenges your mind. Learning another language or picking up an instrument, for example, are excellent options to explore.

Get Moving

While some hobbies are amazing for your mind, others are great for your body. If you’re not ready to adopt a fitness routine, consider picking up an active hobby. Dancing, yoga, tennis, hiking, rock climbing, and gardening will get your body moving in all the right ways. Even better, choose a variety of hobbies so you’re working different muscles with each activity.

According to the US National Library of Medicine, regular exercise will improve your full-body health on several levels, helping you to sleep better, avoid disease, and even live longer! On top of adopting physical hobbies, make your everyday activities more active. Park farther away from work, take the stairs, or fit in a quick workout while watching TV.

Add a Cup of Veggies to Every Meal

Adopting a healthier diet can also be easy. Simply by focusing on getting more vegetables in your diet, you can support your health from head to toe. Vegetables are packed full of essential nutrients used by our skin, hair, organs, and brain. Unfortunately, only 10 percent of Americans meet the guidelines for vegetable consumption, which is two to three cups of veggies per day. If you can add just one cup of vegetables to each meal, you’ll be doing wonders for your overall health. Since it can be difficult to eat veggies with breakfast, check out these delicious ideas.

Cut Back on Refined Carbs

Avoiding certain foods is often more difficult than incorporating healthy options into a diet. However, if you really want to be healthier, you’ll cut back on just one terrible ingredient — refined carbs. While complex carbohydrates can be healthy and nutritious, simple carbs are empty calories that increase your risk of several diseases.

So, try to avoid sugar and refined wheat. This includes white bread, pasta, and white rice. If you need some motivation to pass on the sugary donut or swap out your morning toast for a bowl of oatmeal, think about all the great ways you’ll feel better. You will burn fat faster, feel hungry less often, and have more consistent energy throughout the day. You’ll likely feel happier too!

Getting healthy may be easier than you thought after all. With just a few tweaks to your daily routine, you can make a significant positive impact on your head-to-toe health. All it takes is a little effort to enrich your life with more happiness and energy.

Submitted by: Jennifer McGregor
jmcgreg@publichealthlibrary.org 
PublicHealthLibrary.org

Post St. Patricks Day Advocare Natural Detox and Cleanse ($39)

Had a few too many green beers this past St. Patrick’s Day.  No worries, we have a great way to help you naturally detox your system. The AdvoCare Herbal Day Cleanse System can help rid your body of waste and help it to better absorb nutrients with its unique blend of herbal ingredients.

Using a systematic approach, this 10-day system guides you through the daily steps for internal cleansing and improved digestion. It can also support healthy weight management and weight loss.

Each Herbal Cleanse System includes three key products:

• ProBiotic Restore™ capsules (in the Herbal Cleanse box

• Herbal Cleanse tablets (in the Herbal Cleanse box)

• AdvoCare® Fiber

*Use these three products for the duration of the 10-day Cleanse.

Helpful Tips for the Herbal Cleanse:

• Consume a well-balanced, healthy diet while taking Herbal Cleanse

• Follow a diet rich in whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables

• Drink plenty of water

• Avoid fried, heavy foods and junk food
  
  Click for Coach Catherine's Advocare Store