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Full body fat blasting core building workouts anyone can do. My clients that do not meet with me on Fridays should be doing these.

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ED'S WORKOUT VIDEO

Women, Exercise and Metabolism, Part 1

Your metabolism is all reactions by which the body gets and spends energy. Your Resting Metabolic Rate RMR) , and the calories burned through eating, exercise and daily activity make up your total daily expenditure (TDE).

If your TDE is less than the calories you consume in a given period, you will store those excess calories for another time (as fat).

The largest component of the TDE is by far your RMR. The shocking fact is it is NOT exercise! So, the big question on every woman's mind is how can I increase my RMR?!?!

There are 8 factors that affect RMR:

1. Genetics
2. Age
3. Fat Free Mass
4. Surface Area
5. Temperature
6. Caloric Restriction
7. Hormones
8. Menopause

Can you guess which ones you can control and which ones will help you keep your body weight ina healthy or desirable range? Stay tuned for Part 2 of this series where we will explain each factor and how to use it to your advantage and meet your goals!

STRAWBERRY CREPE RECIPE

1. Whip 3 egg whites to foamy

2. Add a few drops of vanilla extract, cinnamon, and a packet of splenda*

3. Whip again to foamy

Spray Pam in pan, pour mixture in and let cook until it started to bubble. Peel up edges with spatula and lip to omelette and let cook. Flip if needed.

Voila!

40 calories/15 grams protein, less than one gram of fat!

*add strawberry extract for a variation.

OPTION:

-Fold in lowfat cottage or ricotta cheese and/or berries and/or crushed nuts.

A Mom's story and progress pictures

Lizzie sat down in my office and we realized we recognized each other! She was the new owner of the eatery on the square where we live, but maaaaaan. Does she look different. Turns out they sold the restaraunt when she, after 40 and already with a 9 year old GOT PREGNANT! She had been a prosecuter for the DA here in town and the changes in her life were happening at mock speed.

Add to that she was overweight, out of shape, overwhelmed and over 40!

We laughed when she said her favorite thing about her before is that she "was

drinking coffee at the BEACH!" She was running each day and dieting and nothing was happening so she went to the doc. She diagnosed with THYROID DISEASE, and medicated. But the weight did not by any stretch fly off so she embarked on a fat loss education mission.

And despite these challenges:

Over 40

Thyroid Disease

New (later) Mom

Over it all!

She transformed from this

TO THIS!

When I saw these I said "WOOOWW!!" Then when I got my wits back I had to know the big a-ha she had, so I asked "What is the one thing you attribute this total change to?"

She just smiled and said "Without a doubt. Weight lifting."

You may be interested to know that Lizzie is also the newest member of the Revolution Fitness Group and is the presenter at the Holiday Nutrtion Seminar at our studio "Eat Fit for the Holidays." Details below. Everyone is welcome as long as they bring a canned food donation for local charities.

7 tips for Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain

1. Be aware of the nutritional data of the food, especially if you are eating out. sparkpeople.com is a great place to register (2 seconds) and just peruse the value of different foods. Things labeled "healthy choices" are not always! Most restaurants have nutrition data as well so check out your faves. You will save 100's of calories.
2. Watch your alcohol consumption. Alcohol itself has calories, and the body metabolizes it before it burns any fat. Stick to a glass of wine or two (or volunteer to be the designated driver and enjoy sparkling water throughout the evening) to help minimize calories.
3. Plan - If you fail to plan, you plan to fail! your day. Unplanned "deal with it later" thinking during the Holidays is a recipe for 10 pounds gained. A simple resolution to eat fruits and vegetables in preparation for a Holiday function that night can save your hours on the treadmill by saving hundreds of calories. Don't starve yourself all day to justify eating more at dinner. Eating a satisfying breakfast can ward off the temptation to overindulge later in the day.
4. Portion out unhealthy foods. When at the function, be aware! Limit fried or creamy appetizers, sauces, high-calorie side dishes, and desserts, and instead focus on whole foods, lean meats, and vegetables and fruits.
5. So important it bears repeating....Be aware of what you eat. To help prevent overindulging - and the stomachache, bloating and other gastrointestinal discomfort that can come with it - be mindful when you are eating, and stop when you are feeling full.
6. Get up from the table when you're done, in order to avoid nibbling. This is where awareness is key. Simply leaving the eating area can change the whole night for you! Imagine feeling GREAT after a function instead of full of regret. It is simply a matter of removing yourself.
7. Once your meal is over, take a walk to help digest your food and think about what a wonderful experience you just had - and the company and conversations that contributed to making it memorable and enjoyable. Great after Thanksgiving tradition!

And if you are Lawrenceville, attend our powerful seminar Tuesday November 17th/

Stay Strong!

Anna

Eat Fit for the Holidays Studio Seminar

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Sugar Addiction

In 2008, researchers from Princeton University published their findings from a series of rat studies in the Neuroscience Biobehavior Review. They concluded:

“Food is not ordinarily like a substance of abuse, but intermittent bingeing and deprivation changes that. Based on the observed behavioral and neurochemical similarities between the effects of intermittent sugar access and drugs of abuse, we suggest that sugar, as common as it is, nonetheless meets the criteria for a substance of abuse and may be “addictive” for some individuals when consumed in a ‘binge-like’ manner. This conclusion is reinforced by the changes in limbic system neurochemistry that are similar for the drugs and for sugar. The effects we observe are smaller in magnitude than those produced by a drug of abuse such as cocaine or morphine… Nonetheless, the extensive series of experiments revealing similarities between sugar-induced and drug-induced behavior and neurochemistry lends credence to the concept of ‘sugar addiction.’”

I just ran across this on Tom Venuto's blog and I'm in a hurry to share it with everyone! If you are not local and you are wrestling with food, this could be the culprit.

Don't waste another minute without support accountability and structure! This is not just a matter of "just eat less and move more!" Not really!

NON DAIRY SOURCES OF CALCIUM (Cow's Milk Alternatives)

Calcium is important to many populations because the body will attempt to extract from the bones if dietary sources are not adequate. An important time for formation of the calcium matrix of bone which is specific for women is from about 2 years before the menses starts to about 5 years after, approximately age 9-16. Women also lose calcium from the bone easily, due to metabolic and hormonal shifts, both during pregnancy and during and after menopause. One cup of cow's milk contains approximately 300 mg of calcium.

If you have a child who wont drink milk or you do not want to drink cow's milk but worry about calcium, worry no more. Here are the calcium mg found in many common foods for comparison.

Dark green leafy vegetables

cooked turnip greens 450
cooked bok choy 330
cooked collards 300
cooked spinach 250
cooked kale 200
parsley 200
cooked mustard greens 180
dandelion greens 150
romaine lettuce 40
head lettuce 10

Beans and Peas (cooked, ready to eat)

navy beans 140
soybeans 130
pinto beans 100
garbanzo beans 95
lima, black beans 60
lentils 50
split peas 20

Grains

tapioca (dried) 300
brown rice, cooked 20
quinoa, cooked 80
corn meal, whole grain 50
rye flour, dark 40
oats 40
tortillas, corn, calcium fortified (2) 120
tortillas, flour or unfortified (2) 23
whole wheat flour 50

Seafood

raw oysters 240
shrimp 300
salmon with bones 490
mackerel with bones 600
sardines with bones 1,000

Seeds

almonds 750
hazelnuts (filbert) 450
walnuts 280
sesame seeds (whole, unhulled) 2,100
sunflower seeds 260

Anna Smith

Revolution Fitness Group

www.revtraining.blogspot.com

www.revtraining.com

The Ironman Journey

Feel free to follow my husband on his journey to the IRONMAN Triathlon next year. Follow the thoughts on training and the mental game from from a guy who went from "Big Mike" in college to a long distance triathlete.

The Ironman Journey

HIGH PROTEIN PEPPERMINT HOT CHOCOLATE/COFFEE DRINK

PEPPERMINT CHOCOLATE COFFEE

Brewed coffee

1/4 tsp peppermint extract

3/4 scoop chocolate powder

(splash almond milk)

Dump first 3 ing in your blender or mini chopper, run for 30 seconds. Pour in your mug and add your skim milk or almond milk or nothing. You may also want a spenda or stevia....

PEPPERMINT HOT CHOCOLATE

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 scoop of Chocolate Protein Powder

- 8-10 ounces of water, cold

- 2 packets of splenda

- 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract

STEPS:

1. In a saucepan, OFF the stove, pour in your cold water.

2. Add the scoop of protein and the splenda, and whisk together until it is mixed -- it will look really thin.

3. Add the peppermint extract and whisk some more.

4. Set on the stove top and heat it up, only until it is HOT, whisking constantly. Don't let it boil.

5. Just test it with your finger to make sure it is hot and remove from the heat immediately, avoid the chunky coating that will form.

6. Pour into your favorite mug or other drinking container.

How to use your Cardio Zones - Training Recommendations

You can find heart rate zone calculators all over the internet and they are all accurate. However, they all end with this false and dangerous statement: "Aim to spend time in all three heart rate zones each week."

OK, so take your brand new 60 year old client and make sure she spends some time approaching her anaerobic threshold because we need to hit all three heart rate zones and interval training is good? Only if you want to end up in a courtroom!!

The important things about cardiovascular conditioning are proper progression and adaptation. Both of which are the foundations of fat loss. Too hard too fast is just as dangerous as too slow is ineffective.

Beginners need to spend most of their time in Zone 1 WORKING UP TO 45 MINUTES TOTAL.

Then after that has been done, start by going 10 minutes in Zone 1, then over a 1 minute period, work harder to get your heart rate to zone 2 and after the minute is up, recover. If your heart rate falls into Zone 1 again within the next minute, congrats! Stay in recovery 5 more mintues and repeat these minute drills 2 or 3 more times into Zone 2 for this workout and on your next workouts work on increasing your time in Zone 2 and recovering as needed.

Use this same procedure to push your heart rate into Zone 3 and if you recover back to Zone 2 in one minute then you are OK to continue at 5 minute recovery into Zones 1 and 2 and push Zone 3 another couple of times in that workout.

Once you've progressed, NOW its time to use all three zones and use all three of these workouts to improve your cardiovascular capacity safely.

General Guidelines for Cardiorespiratory Training

Cardiorespiratory training is really all exercise that you can do. A strong cardiorespiratory base (and flexibility base) is necessary for any client or athlete to progress in the resistance, speed, agility, or balance training that a professional might use to bring about fat loss or improved fitness. It is in fact the cornerstone of all fitness. This fact is why I think we've erroneously linked ability to run as a person's fitness ability as if it were a grade as mentioned in the last post).

There are different recommendations for general health improvements and an actual improvement in fitness level. See below:

In order to reap general health benefits:

5-7 days a week

Moderate intensity exercise for 30 minutes a session (day)

In order to improve your fitness level:

5-7 days a week

60-90% of Heart Rate Max for 20-60 minutes a day

Stay tuned for information on how to structure these programs to meet these goals.

Anna

Myths about Fitness and Running

Many many many people equate fitness with the ability of a person to run. There are several solid and worthy scientific benefits to running, as with any aerobic activity. However there are millions of myths regarding running as well. Perhaps its the ideal we all carry about a person's fitness being directly linked to their ability to run? Clearing our minds of that persistent perception of running as a benchmark for fitness, let's look strictly at the science.

In order to reap any measurable rewards, the general recommendation is 3 times a week of at least 20 minutes duration each. Then you should expect the following scientifically proven aerobic advantages.

1. The heart becomes more efficient and can get more blood (and oxygen) pumped to your body in each stroke, enabling better muscle function, and hormone delivery post workout for muscle recovery. This also makes daily living less taxing.
2. Improved blood flow that helps mobilize fat for energy, instead of just using carbohydrates.
3. Better blood pressure
4. Heart grows and gets heavier
5. Type 1 (endurance) muscle fibers will be able to go longer but will not look different.

Now, here are the myths about running, with the real truths in red.

1. Running (or aerobics) is the KEY to fat loss. Any activity you do that burns calories will help you burn more than you take in will assist in fat loss, but running long periods is not the quickest or most efficient way to do that.
2. Fitness pros live a lifestyle of twice a day aerobics of 45 minutes per session to stay lean. The key to their leanness is their diet and resistance training regimen. When that is done consistently, the aerobic training can be quite a bit less than this. Two a day workouts are usually reserved for competition prep (5-8 weeks max).
3. Morning aerobics burns more fat. Burning 3600 calories burns 1 pound of fat no matter when you do it. Calories do not burn faster before 7am. And if you pull through Burger King and get a biscuit then you might have well just stayed in bed. You lost repair and recovery opportunities plus you set your blood sugar up for cravings all the rest of the day further damaging any caloric deficit you may have started and the sluggishness from eating garbage robs you from any additional energy to do anything else to further what you started that morning.
4. The more I run (or do aerobics) the higher my metabolism. The more you run, the more you run. Your metabolism actually slows the longer you train in a sense. Your body has one job, and that is to survive. If you set our on a 90 minute training session, and you do that workout every week, or 2 times a week then it begins to get efficient at that workout. And that includes conserving the energy it takes to perform the workout. So as you get more fit, your body adapts but dropping some weight yes, but then by doing the same workout with less calories. I experienced this phenomenon myself training for long periods for triathlons and while fitter than ever aerobically, I was softer than ever aesthetically.
5. Treadmill calorie readings are accurate, so I know I'm burning my 500 a day. A female will burn about 250 calories per half hour of vigorous aerobic work. A male might get closer to 500.
6. I need to stay in the fat burning zone. You need to burn 3600 calories to burn 1 pound of fat regardless of what fuel you used to do it! The fuel used for the activity in this case is NOT important. It's the total calories that gets you fit and lean and looking great.

This is why you dont see trainers welcoming clients then running them around the building for an hour if their goal is fat loss. We've helped sculpt hundreds of clients shedding at least 10 pounds up to 150 pounds of unwanted fat without ever sending them out of long runs. Stay tuned for tips on effective aerobic training and how to structure your workouts to get the most out of them without wasting one single second if your mission is fat loss!

Best,

Anna