I have been a certified personal trainer for almost 2 decades. I have worked in physical therapy offices, sport performance gyms, big box gyms, private studios, home gyms and spin studios. I have done CrossFit and am a CrossFit Endurance Coach. I have been around long enough to know when I see a bad coach, a mediocre coach and a great coach. Sadly what I see most often in any gym, fitness center or CrossFit Box is people looking for an answer to their weight problem, sedentary lifestyle or bad diet. A few rare gyms, coaches and personal trainers actually have been able to make the connection that community and relationships are what will help any person to become stronger, change their eating paradigm and become more physically active. This community is where CrossFit gets it right but if you go to a CroddFit box keep your ego in check or you may end up in the physical therapists office.
Good coaches give you a well structured warm up and workout that is challenging but not debilitating for your fitness level. A mediocre coach gives the same warm up regardless of the workout and pushes you to more than you should be doing for your fitness level and exercise experience but you still finish the workout. A bad coach will put you into positions that you are not structurally prepared to get in to or that coach may not know how to modify for your limitations.
CrossFit has stepped up their game in the last 2 or 3 years with what they require for coaching education. However many of the movements in CrossFit require a level of muscle coordination that some people are not able to coach. Young coaches who think they are unbreakable will go for the Olympic Lifting or Kettlebell Certs while more seasoned coaches go for the Mobility Cert to help their members move better. CrossFit has proven that when you move better you then you will feel better and you will get stronger and lose weight as a side effect. If you have some good coaching you will probably stay at it longer.
CrossFit is NOT individualized by an outside source like a personal trainer or private coach. It is not "periodized" or developed with a scientifically tested and replicated method. Everyone gets the same WOD (CrossFit speak for Workout Of the Day) at each box (what CrossFit affiliates call their gyms). Some coaches program better than others. Some program for competition while others program for weight loss and others program a mix. Most boxes offer a free class, a free week or sometimes even 2 free weeks to see if you like it. CrossFit IS NOT FOR EVERYONE. Not all boxes are the same. Not all coaches are the same. Chances are there is a box near you that programs in a way that you like near you, just don't go looking for air conditioning and saunas.
Can CrossFit be "cultish?" Sure, in some boxes, but usually where the head coach is highly opinionated, sometimes narrowly educated and has followers in his gym who are looking to believe in his methodology. Many who do CrosFit can be "all or nothing" types who only eat Paleo and do CrossFit workouts and hang out with other CrossFitters. The same thing happens with triathletes, bodybuilders and Group Exercisers (Remember Curves, Tae Bo and P90X?). CrossFit builds communities and sometimes those communities give rise to something that people realize they have in common and makes them feel better.
I have seen people come to CrossFit with low self esteem in January and leave for Spring Break with downright swagger. I have seen former college athletes come to CrossFit with swagger and leave injured the ssame day. I have seen triathletes come in thinking they are fit and be absolutely humbled by their lack of strength and coordination.
What I see often is fear.
And most importantly: Triumph over that Fear.
Our bodies are capable of adapting to whatever we give them. The adaptation to too many calories and too little movement is weight gain. The adaptation to daily doses of increased activity is a shedding of that extra weight and improvement in the cardiovascular system. Those who are new to CrossFit and those who are experienced at CrossFit all have the same thought when the see the WOD: "Can my body do this?"
With the right community behind them and some good coaching the answer should always be "Yes."
Now a few caveats: Anyone attempting to begin or even continue CrossFit should know that it is not personalized and they may not get the attention they would get from a training studio. If you have a history of any shoulder, neck, knee or back problems then get them checked and cleared by a doctor before you begin any fitness program. If you have heart, lung or metabolic disease you should get cleared by a doctor also.
It is possible to do CrossFit for life. It takes a tremendous amount of body awareness and testing when you are at your limit. You will cross the line sometimes and do too much. Hopefully by that time you have enough sense of your body to stop before you break. I also hope you have a coach who is smart enough to build a strong base for you, present enough to push you to do more than you think you can and courageous enough to stop you before you do something that will get you hurt.
Now go move something heavy! (for time)
Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Sunday, February 9, 2014
In a sea of Info (Paddling Upstream)
The blogosphere is loaded with people either venting, ranting or trying to sell you something. There are a few that are trying to make a difference in people's lives. There are political and news blogs but I have yet to read one of those that isn't trying to divide or make someone else wrong to prove they are right. The television plays in my gym, 20 feet from my desk, and I see so many fast food, junk food and pharmaceutical advertisements that I feel I cannot keep up. We have become so involved in watching what we eat, trying to manage our health and cut calories out of our food that we have strayed VERY far from what it means to be healthy and eat real, wholesome food.
We call going to the doctor "Healthcare" when it is really just Sick Care, further blurring the lines of what we know as healthy. Health is the body's natural ability to heal itself. You read that correctly: We have a natural ability to heal ourselves. At this point in our human development we are struggling to create an environment in our bodies that is conducive to creating healing. Those with a compromised immune system have trouble healing from even scratches and bruises. Many on long term medications have nearly irreversible physical conditions caused by medications intended to cure something else. Whole food side effects are healthy bowels, stronger bones and general feeling of well being.
We view food as something to stress over rather than a means of making our bodies feel great. We are flooded with images of fast or junk food as being cheap, delicious or satisfying when they are actually low in nutrition and high in salt, sugar and/or fat. That inexpensive hamburger or taco will cost you more by making you buy a heartburn prescription. The caffeine in the diet soda may wake you up in the short term but the fake sugar will cause you to feel sluggish and crave sugary food as your insulin level spikes and then crashes. This will send you looking for real calories as your body is smart and wants real food after just being tricked into thinking it consumed food when it in fact did not.
In short: We are fighting an uphill battle to stay healthy. We have taken the big picture out of how we view health. Eating real food is only slightly more work in the beginning until you learn to be self sustaining and cook whole food for yourself. The following are some ways we create an unhealthy environment in our own bodies:
Environmental toxins from ever present car exhaust, Air pollution from manufacturing and pesticide use
Internal stress from alarming news reports, money stress and terror threats
Lack of daily activity
Poor association with food as nourishment
The wrong idea that we "do not have time" or money for healthy food
Poor or misguided information regarding nutrition, exercise and food
A few answers:
Seek information from reputable sources like the following
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/healthy_living/default.aspx
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/adult-health/basics/staying-healthy/HLV-20049421
Eat food not foodlike products, no one ever got fat from eating spinach, tomatoes and collards.
Limit sugar intake
Get more sleep and less caffeine.
Turn off your TV an hour before bed
Get help from a professional- Nutritionist, coach or trainer
Be balanced in food, exercise and social interaction
I am here. There is someone close to you who will help. There is someone close to you who needs your help to make it happen. We are all in this together.
Be healthier.
Andy
We call going to the doctor "Healthcare" when it is really just Sick Care, further blurring the lines of what we know as healthy. Health is the body's natural ability to heal itself. You read that correctly: We have a natural ability to heal ourselves. At this point in our human development we are struggling to create an environment in our bodies that is conducive to creating healing. Those with a compromised immune system have trouble healing from even scratches and bruises. Many on long term medications have nearly irreversible physical conditions caused by medications intended to cure something else. Whole food side effects are healthy bowels, stronger bones and general feeling of well being.
We view food as something to stress over rather than a means of making our bodies feel great. We are flooded with images of fast or junk food as being cheap, delicious or satisfying when they are actually low in nutrition and high in salt, sugar and/or fat. That inexpensive hamburger or taco will cost you more by making you buy a heartburn prescription. The caffeine in the diet soda may wake you up in the short term but the fake sugar will cause you to feel sluggish and crave sugary food as your insulin level spikes and then crashes. This will send you looking for real calories as your body is smart and wants real food after just being tricked into thinking it consumed food when it in fact did not.
In short: We are fighting an uphill battle to stay healthy. We have taken the big picture out of how we view health. Eating real food is only slightly more work in the beginning until you learn to be self sustaining and cook whole food for yourself. The following are some ways we create an unhealthy environment in our own bodies:
Environmental toxins from ever present car exhaust, Air pollution from manufacturing and pesticide use
Internal stress from alarming news reports, money stress and terror threats
Lack of daily activity
Poor association with food as nourishment
The wrong idea that we "do not have time" or money for healthy food
Poor or misguided information regarding nutrition, exercise and food
A few answers:
Seek information from reputable sources like the following
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/healthy_living/default.aspx
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/adult-health/basics/staying-healthy/HLV-20049421
Eat food not foodlike products, no one ever got fat from eating spinach, tomatoes and collards.
Limit sugar intake
Get more sleep and less caffeine.
Turn off your TV an hour before bed
Get help from a professional- Nutritionist, coach or trainer
Be balanced in food, exercise and social interaction
I am here. There is someone close to you who will help. There is someone close to you who needs your help to make it happen. We are all in this together.
Be healthier.
Andy
Monday, October 7, 2013
What do Weight loss and Marathon Training have in common?
What do Losing Weight and training for a marathon have om common? They both require you to plan a course of action of long period of time, stick to that plan and revel in your accomplishments at the end. How are they different? There is a definitive race date and finish line for a marathon and you do not have a finish date, but instead a finish weight, when you are losing weight.
Losing weight is a definite struggle whether you are trying to lose 15lb or 150lbs. Racing weight for a marathon athlete can be achieved by adjusting their diet to perform better at running and recover faster. For anyone trying to lose weight over a long period of time then small changes made to your eating plan can create a sustainable and delicious way to lose weight and be healthier.
Whether training for a marathon or training to lose weight for the long run your eating will have to be taken into account. Creating a long term plan is the key to success at weight loss or running a marathon. We offer online and email/phone coaching for endurance athletes as well as those looking to lose weight. Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is a major step in lengthening your quality of adult years. See help to improve your health faster.
Begin today!
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Success Needs to be Trained
Success has many forms. For some success looks like a big bank account while another may see it as spending a Sunday with family and friends. Recently I was able to be a facilitator of 4 very different success stories. 1 person lost 60lbs, 1 person ran her first race, 1 raced an IronMan triathlon faster than she had before and another is now able to climb the stairs without holding the hand rail.
I see things in terms of how we live in the physical world, not as much about the financial world. If your fitness and wellness is not invested in then your financial investments will dwindle quickly. Just like your financial health, your physical health should be invested in and the earlier you begin the better off you will be.
On to the successes:
DH is a member of my studio in Cool Springs, TN. He was an athlete in college, works a very stressful job and had let himself get up to about 100 lbs overweight. He came up playing baseball at a time when training and fitness were only for the field and never mind whether you could walk when your college career was over. The results are some serious knee pains that limit his exercise capacity. His program needed modifications and he was not able to do many of the most effective weight loss exercises, like running sprints. Through consistency in his exercise program he has been able to drop 60 lbs. We are working on his diet for the last 40. His company is involved in a major merger with another large company so his stress level is still very high yet he makes exercise part of his daily schedule. DH feels like there is still more to lose but he has gained so much more by feeling more energetic.
Jes B has scoliosis, a surgically implanted rod in her back and 6 fused vertebrae. She also has about 30 years of doctors and relatives telling her that she should not run because it could hurt her back. Many times they would be right. I watch HOW she runs instead of just making sure "that" she runs. (A quality run is far better than just running large volume) I watched to see that she was running with her back in mind and using a safe run stride with short, soft steps. She had not run since before her surgery 30 years ago, when she was a child. She had stayed fit mainly focusing on yoga and Pilate's but even that had been sporadic in the last year. She wanted to run and so run she did. She completed a 6k run this weekend in a time of 43:29. Despite the warnings she did not break anything and actually finished pain free. She decided to run for herself, because she wanted to feel that freedom and accomplish what others said she could not. She possesses a champions heart.
When Esther came to me in late March she wanted to race her second IronMan (a 2.4 mi swim followed by a 112mi Bike then finished with a 26.2 mi run) in Wales in about 5 months. Normally I will not train anyone for IronMan who does not have at least 6 months to train for it. She had back pain that was preventing her from both running and biking. Although the swim can be the most daunting part of the race for some, it is only about 10% of the entire race. Now would be a good time to mention that Esther lives in Ethiopia and has some VERY tough training conditions- no lane lines in the pool, bad roads with people who yell things like "foreigner" and throw things and oddball lengths to run on the track as well as people who will just randomly pretend to run with you. I was able to Skype with her and her boyfriend, who is a trainer, to get her strong enough to bike and run. She was diligent in her efforts, I was the coach who kept her focused on her goal when she the training got difficult and she wanted to quit and she was able to enjoy her race on race day. She finished in a time of 12:37:05, 84 min faster than her last race. She learned how to focus and stay with it even when things got challenging. She trusted that her body could do what she wanted it to do on race day. She even had a good time doing it.
AA is business professional who has not made exercise a part of her life. She is 65 years old and noticed that she was too young to have such difficulty with climbing stairs. She is a business coach and has many clients who are pulling at her for time. She does not have much time to work out but makes 30min a week to see me and does 2 or 3 more workouts on her own. By staying dedicated to her own workout and seeing me she has improved her strength and feels better during the day. Her energy level is higher and her ability to work longer with more focus is greater. She looks forward to our meetings every week and incorporates more exercise than she used to.
Success comes in many shades. From beginner to seasoned athlete, from former college players to seniors who have never exercised we can all gain from being consistent in our fitness plan. Fitness is personal. Success is a muscle that can be made stronger and more fit. I use the gym to represent life success. The ability to overcome what limits you in the strength and fitness realm is not very unlike what is faced in business. You set your own goals and work daily to achieve them. Strive daily to be more fit, more lean and more healthy. Seek the stronger you, the faster you and the more healthy you. Your business and your body should both run lean, fast and strong.
Find your own success.
Just make fitness part of it.
I see things in terms of how we live in the physical world, not as much about the financial world. If your fitness and wellness is not invested in then your financial investments will dwindle quickly. Just like your financial health, your physical health should be invested in and the earlier you begin the better off you will be.
On to the successes:
DH is a member of my studio in Cool Springs, TN. He was an athlete in college, works a very stressful job and had let himself get up to about 100 lbs overweight. He came up playing baseball at a time when training and fitness were only for the field and never mind whether you could walk when your college career was over. The results are some serious knee pains that limit his exercise capacity. His program needed modifications and he was not able to do many of the most effective weight loss exercises, like running sprints. Through consistency in his exercise program he has been able to drop 60 lbs. We are working on his diet for the last 40. His company is involved in a major merger with another large company so his stress level is still very high yet he makes exercise part of his daily schedule. DH feels like there is still more to lose but he has gained so much more by feeling more energetic.
Jes B has scoliosis, a surgically implanted rod in her back and 6 fused vertebrae. She also has about 30 years of doctors and relatives telling her that she should not run because it could hurt her back. Many times they would be right. I watch HOW she runs instead of just making sure "that" she runs. (A quality run is far better than just running large volume) I watched to see that she was running with her back in mind and using a safe run stride with short, soft steps. She had not run since before her surgery 30 years ago, when she was a child. She had stayed fit mainly focusing on yoga and Pilate's but even that had been sporadic in the last year. She wanted to run and so run she did. She completed a 6k run this weekend in a time of 43:29. Despite the warnings she did not break anything and actually finished pain free. She decided to run for herself, because she wanted to feel that freedom and accomplish what others said she could not. She possesses a champions heart.
When Esther came to me in late March she wanted to race her second IronMan (a 2.4 mi swim followed by a 112mi Bike then finished with a 26.2 mi run) in Wales in about 5 months. Normally I will not train anyone for IronMan who does not have at least 6 months to train for it. She had back pain that was preventing her from both running and biking. Although the swim can be the most daunting part of the race for some, it is only about 10% of the entire race. Now would be a good time to mention that Esther lives in Ethiopia and has some VERY tough training conditions- no lane lines in the pool, bad roads with people who yell things like "foreigner" and throw things and oddball lengths to run on the track as well as people who will just randomly pretend to run with you. I was able to Skype with her and her boyfriend, who is a trainer, to get her strong enough to bike and run. She was diligent in her efforts, I was the coach who kept her focused on her goal when she the training got difficult and she wanted to quit and she was able to enjoy her race on race day. She finished in a time of 12:37:05, 84 min faster than her last race. She learned how to focus and stay with it even when things got challenging. She trusted that her body could do what she wanted it to do on race day. She even had a good time doing it.
AA is business professional who has not made exercise a part of her life. She is 65 years old and noticed that she was too young to have such difficulty with climbing stairs. She is a business coach and has many clients who are pulling at her for time. She does not have much time to work out but makes 30min a week to see me and does 2 or 3 more workouts on her own. By staying dedicated to her own workout and seeing me she has improved her strength and feels better during the day. Her energy level is higher and her ability to work longer with more focus is greater. She looks forward to our meetings every week and incorporates more exercise than she used to.
Success comes in many shades. From beginner to seasoned athlete, from former college players to seniors who have never exercised we can all gain from being consistent in our fitness plan. Fitness is personal. Success is a muscle that can be made stronger and more fit. I use the gym to represent life success. The ability to overcome what limits you in the strength and fitness realm is not very unlike what is faced in business. You set your own goals and work daily to achieve them. Strive daily to be more fit, more lean and more healthy. Seek the stronger you, the faster you and the more healthy you. Your business and your body should both run lean, fast and strong.
Find your own success.
Just make fitness part of it.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Can 1 Day Change your Life?
On this day every year I remember. I remember that I was training at a gym on Wall St. I remember thinking the burned paper flying past the gym window before 9AM was from an employee that got fired. I remember hearing the second plane hit and that feeling of insecurity that we could be attacked in such an unconventional way. I remember thinking that nothing can prepare you for that eventuality. I remember feeling weak. I remember walking north on Church St with a clear view of the towers, both burning, streets in mayhem and humanity all around. I remember New Yorker's caring for other New Yorker's. Mets fans helping Yankee Fans, Jets helping Giants fans, Bo Sox fans helping Yankee fans.
I went to my first meditation/prayer service in New York that night. I wanted to understand. More than that I wanted to help others and myself feel strong. I still want to help others feel strong. I still want to help others to make this country strong, to make their family strong, to make their lives strong. I like the power of 3 for this. 2001 is 667x3, 12 years ago is a multiple of 3 and a 24 Day Challenge is 3 weeks and 3 days. That is a great amount of time to create a new habit and make major changes to your body, mind and spirit. Don't think 24 days can do any thing? Think about how much this day, Sept 11, 2001 changed the lives of millions.
On Oct 6, 2013 we will be launching a 24 Day Body Transformation Challenge here at TCA Wellness. You will be provided with an eating and activity guide. You do not need to be here on that day but it is beneficial. You do need to contact us regarding the details of the challenge. You will have support from others who are taking the challenge as well as the coaches and personal trainers at the studio. This 1 day changed my life forever, I am using that change to reach out to those who want to change theirs. Will you take the challenge?
Will you send an email or make a phone call that can put you on the road to a different future?
Will you take control of your weight and your health?
Will you commit to 3 short weeks plus 3 days if you knew it would put you on a path to a healthy life?
Just leave us your email in the box above. Leave us a PM on FB or twitter. Take charge!
I went to my first meditation/prayer service in New York that night. I wanted to understand. More than that I wanted to help others and myself feel strong. I still want to help others feel strong. I still want to help others to make this country strong, to make their family strong, to make their lives strong. I like the power of 3 for this. 2001 is 667x3, 12 years ago is a multiple of 3 and a 24 Day Challenge is 3 weeks and 3 days. That is a great amount of time to create a new habit and make major changes to your body, mind and spirit. Don't think 24 days can do any thing? Think about how much this day, Sept 11, 2001 changed the lives of millions.
On Oct 6, 2013 we will be launching a 24 Day Body Transformation Challenge here at TCA Wellness. You will be provided with an eating and activity guide. You do not need to be here on that day but it is beneficial. You do need to contact us regarding the details of the challenge. You will have support from others who are taking the challenge as well as the coaches and personal trainers at the studio. This 1 day changed my life forever, I am using that change to reach out to those who want to change theirs. Will you take the challenge?
Will you send an email or make a phone call that can put you on the road to a different future?
Will you take control of your weight and your health?
Will you commit to 3 short weeks plus 3 days if you knew it would put you on a path to a healthy life?
Just leave us your email in the box above. Leave us a PM on FB or twitter. Take charge!
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Inactivity is a Cause of Heart Disease- So lighten up and move!
I was reading some material recently about Baby Boomers. My dad was born in that first year, 1945, and he has always seemed to take pretty good care of himself. My mom was born a few years later into a different set of circumstances and has taken care of herself quite differently. They are both "Boomers" and neither of them show many signs of cardiovascular disease. They both have only 1 major risk factor: being overweight. Their "co-morbid" risk factors are High blood pressure and hyperlipidemia, high cholesterol.
As you may have read in "Ode to Dad of Fitness" my family has always done a better job than most of the country (at least statistically) at maintaining our health. We have been eating salads and trying low fat recipes for 30 years or so. However my dad has a bowl of ice cream from a cereal/soup size bowl more nights a week than he should. Exercise has been a part of our life and sitting in front of a screen, computer or TV, was always pretty limited. If it was daylight we were moving!
Now onto my "Soap Box": Inactivity is a lifestyle choice that leads to a host of problems! A study as far back as 1996 equated inactivity with smoking more than a pack of cigarettes a day. Many times inactivity can be diet related- if you don't have the energy to move around then you probably will not move as extra exercise or enjoyment. If you have inflammation in your body due to a high sugar or alcohol or tobacco laced diet then moving around is uncomfortable and you probably will not do it then either. Even if you smoke, drink and eat too much sugar you need to move more. Better still, you need to move smarter. Smart exercise takes less time and achieves a greater result to your fitness and sense of well being. The diet changes will happen when you make them happen.
You don't slow down because you move less, you move less because you slowed down.
Find a reason, like enjoying an active life, to keep you moving.
Find life in your days or your days will end sooner. It is that simple!
As the government has instituted a new Health Care law we are all responsible for the health of our fellow citizens, like it or not. The government is not trying to control your health or "Tell you" what to eat or how much to exercise, that still falls to you. Be responsible with the freedom.
Your insurance company tells you what it will pay for but your health, not your sickness, is in your hands. Exercise, Especially Strength Training, is the Single Best Way to Maintain and (possibly even) IMPROVE Your Health!!! The side effects of exercise are mostly feeling and looking better, having greater self confidence and improved brain and muscle health. What side effects does your medication have? Go on. Go read that 4 page flyer your (P)Harmacist gave you with you with your meds. I will wait. 1 side effect of Statins is Muscle Wasting. All that time in the gym almost countered by a medication. Right exercise can lower your cholesterol and improve your golf game or time with your loved ones. Statins, not so much.
So here is what to do:
1) Get cleared by your doctor to exercise.
2) Find a Fitness professional to teach you how to exercise for your size, age and current limitations.
3) Follow the prescription from your Trainer or other fitness pro. Get regular updates so you keep getting stronger.
4) Go enjoy a healthier life with less pain.
Some exercises I like:
The Squat- Sit down on something low then stand up. Repeat 10-15x. Once you are good at that then take away what is below you and stop on your own.
The Lift - Imagine you have to lift a rock or a bag of mulch off the ground. Get yourself flexible and strong enough to be able to do it yourself. Now go do it yourself!
The Twist - Not the dance but it is good for you. Imagine pulling a garden hose from behind you to in front of you or lifting your groceries up and over the side of the cart and into your car. You have just "twisted" 180 degrees. Do this as exercise and then you are less likely to throw your back out doing it in the parking lot of the grocery store.
The Lunge - You have to do a short lunge whenever you climb stairs, a place where many falls occur in the Boomer population. If you can lunge forward and keep yourself under control then you will have the ability to get out of the way of that cyclist you didn't see coming while you were reading that email and walking down the street.
The Push/Pull - If you don't have a gym to go to you can always go to Target and open and close the Non Automatic doors all day. that way you work your pushing muscles and your pulling muscles. I like to see more pulling since we spend too much time closing off the front of our bodies while we drive, text, email and flex in the bathroom mirror.
If all else fails you can get down on the floor and stand up as quickly as possible 20x in a row. It uses most major muscle groups and helps to maintain your flexibility. If you do it fast enough you can also get your heart rate up.
Now go have fun with fitness. Be active! Stay younger by tomorrow.
If you're in Brentwood then come by the studio and I an show you to improve your health by lifting more than you ever thought possible. It slows down the aging process but don't tell the drug makers.
In health,
Andy Nelson
As you may have read in "Ode to Dad of Fitness" my family has always done a better job than most of the country (at least statistically) at maintaining our health. We have been eating salads and trying low fat recipes for 30 years or so. However my dad has a bowl of ice cream from a cereal/soup size bowl more nights a week than he should. Exercise has been a part of our life and sitting in front of a screen, computer or TV, was always pretty limited. If it was daylight we were moving!
Now onto my "Soap Box": Inactivity is a lifestyle choice that leads to a host of problems! A study as far back as 1996 equated inactivity with smoking more than a pack of cigarettes a day. Many times inactivity can be diet related- if you don't have the energy to move around then you probably will not move as extra exercise or enjoyment. If you have inflammation in your body due to a high sugar or alcohol or tobacco laced diet then moving around is uncomfortable and you probably will not do it then either. Even if you smoke, drink and eat too much sugar you need to move more. Better still, you need to move smarter. Smart exercise takes less time and achieves a greater result to your fitness and sense of well being. The diet changes will happen when you make them happen.
You don't slow down because you move less, you move less because you slowed down.
Find a reason, like enjoying an active life, to keep you moving.
Find life in your days or your days will end sooner. It is that simple!
As the government has instituted a new Health Care law we are all responsible for the health of our fellow citizens, like it or not. The government is not trying to control your health or "Tell you" what to eat or how much to exercise, that still falls to you. Be responsible with the freedom.
Your insurance company tells you what it will pay for but your health, not your sickness, is in your hands. Exercise, Especially Strength Training, is the Single Best Way to Maintain and (possibly even) IMPROVE Your Health!!! The side effects of exercise are mostly feeling and looking better, having greater self confidence and improved brain and muscle health. What side effects does your medication have? Go on. Go read that 4 page flyer your (P)Harmacist gave you with you with your meds. I will wait. 1 side effect of Statins is Muscle Wasting. All that time in the gym almost countered by a medication. Right exercise can lower your cholesterol and improve your golf game or time with your loved ones. Statins, not so much.
So here is what to do:
1) Get cleared by your doctor to exercise.
2) Find a Fitness professional to teach you how to exercise for your size, age and current limitations.
3) Follow the prescription from your Trainer or other fitness pro. Get regular updates so you keep getting stronger.
4) Go enjoy a healthier life with less pain.
Some exercises I like:
The Squat- Sit down on something low then stand up. Repeat 10-15x. Once you are good at that then take away what is below you and stop on your own.
The Lift - Imagine you have to lift a rock or a bag of mulch off the ground. Get yourself flexible and strong enough to be able to do it yourself. Now go do it yourself!
The Twist - Not the dance but it is good for you. Imagine pulling a garden hose from behind you to in front of you or lifting your groceries up and over the side of the cart and into your car. You have just "twisted" 180 degrees. Do this as exercise and then you are less likely to throw your back out doing it in the parking lot of the grocery store.
The Lunge - You have to do a short lunge whenever you climb stairs, a place where many falls occur in the Boomer population. If you can lunge forward and keep yourself under control then you will have the ability to get out of the way of that cyclist you didn't see coming while you were reading that email and walking down the street.
The Push/Pull - If you don't have a gym to go to you can always go to Target and open and close the Non Automatic doors all day. that way you work your pushing muscles and your pulling muscles. I like to see more pulling since we spend too much time closing off the front of our bodies while we drive, text, email and flex in the bathroom mirror.
If all else fails you can get down on the floor and stand up as quickly as possible 20x in a row. It uses most major muscle groups and helps to maintain your flexibility. If you do it fast enough you can also get your heart rate up.
Now go have fun with fitness. Be active! Stay younger by tomorrow.
If you're in Brentwood then come by the studio and I an show you to improve your health by lifting more than you ever thought possible. It slows down the aging process but don't tell the drug makers.
In health,
Andy Nelson
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Happy National Running Day!
I have seen post after post about how to start a running plan today. I have not seen 1 single post that incorporates strength training. Running, as a sport or recreationally, has almost as high of an injury rate as football and soccer, both considered contact sports. Many people pick up running for the same reasons that I suggest it:
-It can be done almost anywhere
-All you need is shoes (Maybe) and willpower
-We were "born to run" (otherwise our ancestors would have been tiger food)
-It makes us feel good to be outside and moving fast
As a running coach I specialize in Strength Training for runners of all ages and ability. Except for a few athletes looking for an edge, most runners don't come to me until AFTER they are injured. I am not a Physical Therapist but they often send me patients who need to learn to run better. Sometimes I will watch them run but usually I just watch them squat first. When someone is challenged doing the squat, even with only body weight, they usually have trouble running.
Why? You may ask. The muscles that are responsible for controlling the squat pattern, when not working properly, will often not work to stabilize a runner in the gait cycle. Thank about it for just a minute: If you cannot control yourself as you squat in a stable, controlled environment then you will probably have difficulty controlling your legs when you run.
But running is "natural". Yes it is, but sitting in a car or at a desk in front of a computer is not. (We could also discuss the unnatural, inflammation causing food intake if you like) Sitting for long periods of time can lead to muscle imbalances, especially in the hips, chest and calves. Yes, even having tight chest muscles can lead to back, hip and leg injuries (we are 1 system).
Simple solutions:
1) Do SQUATS! this is the best exercise for runners. It lengthens the hamstrings, strengthens the hips and works your core. Lower your butt down to knees level, hold for 2 seconds, and stand back up. 3sets of 10 reps for beginners. Build form there. Begin to add weights.
2) Do active stretching like Windmill Toe Touch before you run.
3) Do plyometric training to improve how your body lands when you run.
4) Listen to how your body feels when you run. Don't tune out when you run. Yes running is challenging, but the difference between running that hurts and running that causes injury related pain is huge. Your lungs and legs burn when you run, your shins, knees, ankles or hips hurt when injured.
5) Do core work! The plank, side plank and back extension just may save your run.
Now go out and enjoy National Running Day. Call a friend and bring them too.
Stay healthy, run Happy,
Coach Andy Nelson
twitter.com/tricoachandy
https://plus.google.com/b/116418230416619943050/116418230416619943050/about?hl=en
Facebook.com/TriCoachAndy
-It can be done almost anywhere
-All you need is shoes (Maybe) and willpower
-We were "born to run" (otherwise our ancestors would have been tiger food)
-It makes us feel good to be outside and moving fast
As a running coach I specialize in Strength Training for runners of all ages and ability. Except for a few athletes looking for an edge, most runners don't come to me until AFTER they are injured. I am not a Physical Therapist but they often send me patients who need to learn to run better. Sometimes I will watch them run but usually I just watch them squat first. When someone is challenged doing the squat, even with only body weight, they usually have trouble running.
Why? You may ask. The muscles that are responsible for controlling the squat pattern, when not working properly, will often not work to stabilize a runner in the gait cycle. Thank about it for just a minute: If you cannot control yourself as you squat in a stable, controlled environment then you will probably have difficulty controlling your legs when you run.
But running is "natural". Yes it is, but sitting in a car or at a desk in front of a computer is not. (We could also discuss the unnatural, inflammation causing food intake if you like) Sitting for long periods of time can lead to muscle imbalances, especially in the hips, chest and calves. Yes, even having tight chest muscles can lead to back, hip and leg injuries (we are 1 system).
Simple solutions:
1) Do SQUATS! this is the best exercise for runners. It lengthens the hamstrings, strengthens the hips and works your core. Lower your butt down to knees level, hold for 2 seconds, and stand back up. 3sets of 10 reps for beginners. Build form there. Begin to add weights.
2) Do active stretching like Windmill Toe Touch before you run.
3) Do plyometric training to improve how your body lands when you run.
4) Listen to how your body feels when you run. Don't tune out when you run. Yes running is challenging, but the difference between running that hurts and running that causes injury related pain is huge. Your lungs and legs burn when you run, your shins, knees, ankles or hips hurt when injured.
5) Do core work! The plank, side plank and back extension just may save your run.
Now go out and enjoy National Running Day. Call a friend and bring them too.
Stay healthy, run Happy,
Coach Andy Nelson
twitter.com/tricoachandy
https://plus.google.com/b/116418230416619943050/116418230416619943050/about?hl=en
Facebook.com/TriCoachAndy
Monday, June 3, 2013
Are You Fit Enough For Retirement?
I had a great conversation last weekend with the father of a friend who had developed a great retirement plan on a flight from Osaka to Beijing. The plan had been drawn up several years ago and his wife told him then that he should have retired 3 years before so he could live out the whole plan. His name was Perry* and he has been, and continues to be, a quite successful business man. His wife is a hospice nurse and a runner. They are close in age and she is in great shape but he is at least 25lbs heavier than he should be but eats a clean diet. Some of his plan involves a bit of physical activity that I wonder if he will be fit enough for.
With all the focus on our monetary ability to retire do we ever stop to ask, far enough in advance, if we will be physically prepared for retirement?
When do we begin to lay the ground work for being able to play with our grandchildren? When do we get strong enough to handle the recovery process when need a hip replacement? When do we realize that we may be too frail to enjoy the money we have earned in a life of successful business pursuits? When do we stop saving for retirement and start living our retirement?
Will you be Fit enough to enjoy your retirement?
Perry's* plan involves living in several different locations for 6 months each. Each location had lots to offer from art, to culture, wine and food, and hiking or outdoor activity. He would be required to live in a new environment, adapt to the climate, stay healthy and active and be physically fit enough to battle crowds, climb stairs, sleep in a bed that is not his usual bed, travel by train, plane or bus and not get sick or injured while under such stress all while aging.
While a clean diet and healthy lifestyle are very important as we age, strength training and stress mitigation are are of just as high priority. Yoga/flexibility training, weight lifting, meditation/prayer and cardiovascular fitness all play roles in keeping us healthy and slow the aging process. Just as important as slowing the aging process, using these activities in your weekly fitness routine will help you to add quality to your years and, barring disease and illness, quantity as well.
A simple weekly formula to help add years to your life and life to your years:
Mon- Weight Lifting- Focus on basic movement patterns like squats w/weights, moving weights from the ground to over your head, twisting while bending or squatting and pushing or pulling weights.
Tues - Cardio fitness or Flexibility/Yoga
Wed - Meditation/Church/Spiritual Health/Social Activities
Thu - Weight training- Pushing and Pulling, Standing and sitting w/weights, Single leg balancing, flexibility work/stretching
Fri - Swimming or other cardio - I prefer you run. When you lose the ability to walk you increase your risk of death.
Sat - Weights and/or Cardio (Yes. Again) - short and challenging session, make it social if you can.
Sun - Church/Spiritual Health/Meditation/Social Play
These things are all part of making your life complete and whole and healthy. You will add quality of life to your years and years onto your life. You will have elevated mood from lifting weights, more confidence in your ability to complete physical tasks and a more clear mind. You don't have to be retired or in your last years of work to benefit from this formula.
If you want to see improvement in your health without prescription drugs then lifting weights has been shown to be a panacea. It improves insulin clearing, good cholesterol and body mass index. Add it to improving your diet to change the course of your retirement health.
Now go get healthier!
Ask a fitness professional how. Ask your doctor if you are healthy enough for exercise. If they say "No" then ask them how sick you need to be?
*name and minor details changed for protection ;)
With all the focus on our monetary ability to retire do we ever stop to ask, far enough in advance, if we will be physically prepared for retirement?
When do we begin to lay the ground work for being able to play with our grandchildren? When do we get strong enough to handle the recovery process when need a hip replacement? When do we realize that we may be too frail to enjoy the money we have earned in a life of successful business pursuits? When do we stop saving for retirement and start living our retirement?
Will you be Fit enough to enjoy your retirement?
Perry's* plan involves living in several different locations for 6 months each. Each location had lots to offer from art, to culture, wine and food, and hiking or outdoor activity. He would be required to live in a new environment, adapt to the climate, stay healthy and active and be physically fit enough to battle crowds, climb stairs, sleep in a bed that is not his usual bed, travel by train, plane or bus and not get sick or injured while under such stress all while aging.
While a clean diet and healthy lifestyle are very important as we age, strength training and stress mitigation are are of just as high priority. Yoga/flexibility training, weight lifting, meditation/prayer and cardiovascular fitness all play roles in keeping us healthy and slow the aging process. Just as important as slowing the aging process, using these activities in your weekly fitness routine will help you to add quality to your years and, barring disease and illness, quantity as well.
A simple weekly formula to help add years to your life and life to your years:
Mon- Weight Lifting- Focus on basic movement patterns like squats w/weights, moving weights from the ground to over your head, twisting while bending or squatting and pushing or pulling weights.
Tues - Cardio fitness or Flexibility/Yoga
Wed - Meditation/Church/Spiritual Health/Social Activities
Thu - Weight training- Pushing and Pulling, Standing and sitting w/weights, Single leg balancing, flexibility work/stretching
Fri - Swimming or other cardio - I prefer you run. When you lose the ability to walk you increase your risk of death.
Sat - Weights and/or Cardio (Yes. Again) - short and challenging session, make it social if you can.
Sun - Church/Spiritual Health/Meditation/Social Play
These things are all part of making your life complete and whole and healthy. You will add quality of life to your years and years onto your life. You will have elevated mood from lifting weights, more confidence in your ability to complete physical tasks and a more clear mind. You don't have to be retired or in your last years of work to benefit from this formula.
If you want to see improvement in your health without prescription drugs then lifting weights has been shown to be a panacea. It improves insulin clearing, good cholesterol and body mass index. Add it to improving your diet to change the course of your retirement health.
Now go get healthier!
Ask a fitness professional how. Ask your doctor if you are healthy enough for exercise. If they say "No" then ask them how sick you need to be?
*name and minor details changed for protection ;)
Friday, May 24, 2013
Look Where you want to Go
As a runner who likes to run on trails I know to look where I am going. One wrong step could result in a fall. I know this when I go out for a run and it slows me down enough to choose my steps well. In this way Trail Running is a mental game as well. You know you could get hurt but moving your body through nature like that is well worth the risk.
But What about the gym?
Yes, you need to look where you are going because people are moving heavy objects, sometimes very quickly. You also have to have a long view. Going to the gym is just something you need to do. It makes us more human since we are no longer hunting our food on foot and dragging it home. We move more and better when we are in the gym lifting weights. It makes us lose weight faster. It improves our brain function, blood function, insulin regulation and genetic pathways thus slowing aging.
When you begin to make exercise part of your lifestyle it may be difficult to keep these things in mind, especially if you are recovering from Bariatric Surgery. For those affected by Obesity the goals are very different than the goals of a life long athlete. Both people have to keep an eye on where their fitness goals are taking them; in the direction of health or the direction of a shorter life.
Many in the fitness industry still think Obesity is a simple issue; Simply solved with a "calories in, calories out" approach. Trust me, there are millions who have tried this method unsuccessfully. If that worked it would have already. We were all heading in that direction of fitness until a few innovators took the time to see what was working and what wasn't. You cannot always exercise you way through obesity or cancer or Crohn's Disease. Each individual is effected in their own way by their medical condition. There are many who are judgmental and say Obesity is self imposed. There are many cancers that were due to lifestyle but rarely are they judged so harshly. Some who have been ill come back to fight for others. Some give up and re-start their fight over and over. It is a fitness professionals job to meet each client where they are on the day and encourage fitness regardless of the starting point.
Keep your eyes focused forward! Where are we going to help those who are asking for help? Fitness professionals should be as professionals in allied health fields. Use the proper terms to address those with obesity. Do not give diet advice for someone under the care of an RD and or MD. Work toward a better functioning individual regardless of their weight. If someone comes for fitness training and education then address their issues from a strength and mobility standpoint first. The person who is 400lbs benefits just as much, or more, from being able to perform a squat as the 110lb person does.
Exercise should be fun and leaving you feeling challenged but not defeated. It will not be fun every day. Find the fun in an improved quality of life. Weight training works! It can help almost anyone feel better. Those who do not feel better are rare. A little muscle soreness aside your body will thank you for lifting weights and for exercise in general. Do not be discouraged at the pace of the scale or how your clothes fit. Fight for your life!
But What about the gym?
Yes, you need to look where you are going because people are moving heavy objects, sometimes very quickly. You also have to have a long view. Going to the gym is just something you need to do. It makes us more human since we are no longer hunting our food on foot and dragging it home. We move more and better when we are in the gym lifting weights. It makes us lose weight faster. It improves our brain function, blood function, insulin regulation and genetic pathways thus slowing aging.
When you begin to make exercise part of your lifestyle it may be difficult to keep these things in mind, especially if you are recovering from Bariatric Surgery. For those affected by Obesity the goals are very different than the goals of a life long athlete. Both people have to keep an eye on where their fitness goals are taking them; in the direction of health or the direction of a shorter life.
Many in the fitness industry still think Obesity is a simple issue; Simply solved with a "calories in, calories out" approach. Trust me, there are millions who have tried this method unsuccessfully. If that worked it would have already. We were all heading in that direction of fitness until a few innovators took the time to see what was working and what wasn't. You cannot always exercise you way through obesity or cancer or Crohn's Disease. Each individual is effected in their own way by their medical condition. There are many who are judgmental and say Obesity is self imposed. There are many cancers that were due to lifestyle but rarely are they judged so harshly. Some who have been ill come back to fight for others. Some give up and re-start their fight over and over. It is a fitness professionals job to meet each client where they are on the day and encourage fitness regardless of the starting point.
Keep your eyes focused forward! Where are we going to help those who are asking for help? Fitness professionals should be as professionals in allied health fields. Use the proper terms to address those with obesity. Do not give diet advice for someone under the care of an RD and or MD. Work toward a better functioning individual regardless of their weight. If someone comes for fitness training and education then address their issues from a strength and mobility standpoint first. The person who is 400lbs benefits just as much, or more, from being able to perform a squat as the 110lb person does.
Exercise should be fun and leaving you feeling challenged but not defeated. It will not be fun every day. Find the fun in an improved quality of life. Weight training works! It can help almost anyone feel better. Those who do not feel better are rare. A little muscle soreness aside your body will thank you for lifting weights and for exercise in general. Do not be discouraged at the pace of the scale or how your clothes fit. Fight for your life!
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Other Sports
So I competed in the CrossFit Games Open and have since had some time to reflect. It was competition! Pure and simple. They determined that fitness, when judged by the CrossFit parameters, should be judged based upon a particular set of exercises performed over a set time frame. It was scaled to everybody broken down by gender and even age group at some point. It was fitness in competition format!
For me It was FUN!
I enjoy competing. It is fun to test myself against an old me and against others. I am competitive I like seeing how I stack up against others and athletic events, which is part of the popularity of FlyWheel. CrossFit is its own sport just as running is its own support and football is its own sport. It takes a certain fitness to play football but it takes a different fitness to run as a sport regardless of distance. Most people who do CrossFit regularly can jump into a football game and fare pretty well. Those same people can probably jump into a half marathon and gut it out at least once without injury. There are cases of professional football players who did not fare well in a CrossFit work out. They are truly fit, at the peak of anyone's game and yet they suffer under a CrossFit work out.
But just as those same football players will adapt and improve their own football skills by doing CrossFit so too will a runner improve their running form and be a stronger runner for it by incorporating CrossFit. They call CrossFit "The Sport of Fitness" but you have to be pretty fit and pretty fearless to take it on for any length of time. CrossFit draws and maintains a certain type of person, the person who thrives on bettering their last performance. Just as Krank Nashville is great for getting you fit enough for their indoor cycling class and/or Strength Classes Krankers tend to do quite well at CrossFit when they go. However most Krankers prefer the comradeship found at Krank. It is Fitness and athletic ability, just slightly more specified to a different fitness.
We are all trying to become more fit and healthy. One type of exercise should not be looked down upon by any other fitness group. Yoga requires fitness. Pilates requires fitness they just don't have competitions. There are other sports besides baseball, football, basketball and hockey. It was not so long ago that Soccer was a rare sport in the US. After Pele and bunch of European guys wowed the US for a few years then Soccer basically vanished until the mid 80's. There are Other Sports out there. There is Roller Derby and Mountain Biking and Spartan Race or anything that requires mental and physical stamina to endure to the finish. I like running on trails. Lucky for me there is plenty of that activity to go race and test myself against others regularly. I like Spartan Racing as well as an occasional backyard football game. Our psyche wants to compete.
We compete in sports.
We put Gym Time to the test.
We challenge our comfort zone.
Most importantly we improve ourselves simply by seeing a thing through.
I encourage you to find your sport.
I encourage you to improve upon who you are through physical challenge.
I urge you to discover your true strength. The strength that is stronger than your greatest weakness. When you overcome your ability to quit in a physical endeavor then you send a signal to your subconscious mind that you can overcome more than you thought before.
Strive for physical fitness and your mental fitness will come along for the ride. Choose a sport to compete in. Any sport. Any One that scares you. Try to get good at it. It doesn't matter if you take up knitting for speed. At least you will find achievement and a more fit mind.
Compete with yourself or friends to see who can be most fit and healthy. Even the loser of that challenge will add years to their life.
No go be healthier than you ever thought possible.
For me It was FUN!
I enjoy competing. It is fun to test myself against an old me and against others. I am competitive I like seeing how I stack up against others and athletic events, which is part of the popularity of FlyWheel. CrossFit is its own sport just as running is its own support and football is its own sport. It takes a certain fitness to play football but it takes a different fitness to run as a sport regardless of distance. Most people who do CrossFit regularly can jump into a football game and fare pretty well. Those same people can probably jump into a half marathon and gut it out at least once without injury. There are cases of professional football players who did not fare well in a CrossFit work out. They are truly fit, at the peak of anyone's game and yet they suffer under a CrossFit work out.
But just as those same football players will adapt and improve their own football skills by doing CrossFit so too will a runner improve their running form and be a stronger runner for it by incorporating CrossFit. They call CrossFit "The Sport of Fitness" but you have to be pretty fit and pretty fearless to take it on for any length of time. CrossFit draws and maintains a certain type of person, the person who thrives on bettering their last performance. Just as Krank Nashville is great for getting you fit enough for their indoor cycling class and/or Strength Classes Krankers tend to do quite well at CrossFit when they go. However most Krankers prefer the comradeship found at Krank. It is Fitness and athletic ability, just slightly more specified to a different fitness.
We are all trying to become more fit and healthy. One type of exercise should not be looked down upon by any other fitness group. Yoga requires fitness. Pilates requires fitness they just don't have competitions. There are other sports besides baseball, football, basketball and hockey. It was not so long ago that Soccer was a rare sport in the US. After Pele and bunch of European guys wowed the US for a few years then Soccer basically vanished until the mid 80's. There are Other Sports out there. There is Roller Derby and Mountain Biking and Spartan Race or anything that requires mental and physical stamina to endure to the finish. I like running on trails. Lucky for me there is plenty of that activity to go race and test myself against others regularly. I like Spartan Racing as well as an occasional backyard football game. Our psyche wants to compete.
We compete in sports.
We put Gym Time to the test.
We challenge our comfort zone.
Most importantly we improve ourselves simply by seeing a thing through.
I encourage you to find your sport.
I encourage you to improve upon who you are through physical challenge.
I urge you to discover your true strength. The strength that is stronger than your greatest weakness. When you overcome your ability to quit in a physical endeavor then you send a signal to your subconscious mind that you can overcome more than you thought before.
Strive for physical fitness and your mental fitness will come along for the ride. Choose a sport to compete in. Any sport. Any One that scares you. Try to get good at it. It doesn't matter if you take up knitting for speed. At least you will find achievement and a more fit mind.
Compete with yourself or friends to see who can be most fit and healthy. Even the loser of that challenge will add years to their life.
No go be healthier than you ever thought possible.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
My Turkey (or grass fed beef) Chili recipe
I have made a few changes to this recipe but I have posted something similar before.
This is good food! It is healthy. High protein. High fiber. And most importantly: High flavor!
Enjoy!
This makes a very big pot of chili:
1 box Pomi Chopped tomatoes (no spices) (or can of 24oz Chopped)
1 box Pomi Strained (or 24oz canned or bagged strained)
1 lb of Ground turkey or Grass Fed Beef
1 med Yellow Onion - Chopped large
1or 2 can Black beans - rinsed
1 can Kidney Beans - rinsed
1 can Pinto Beans - rinsed
1 each - Red, yellow, orange and/or green pepper - cut into large chunks
1tbps Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Fresh Black pepper (to taste)
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Cumin
2 tbsp Olive Oil
In
pot brown meat with Olive Oil and half of spices. (if you ise beef that is 85/15 then you may want to drain some of the fat before you move you on). After a few min add
chopped onions. When onions are brown add strained tomatoes, chopped
tomatoes. Once tomatoes begin to bubble add beans and remainder of
spices. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Mixture should be thick and hearty
looking. Stir regularly to prevent sticking and ensure spices blend
well. Taste and adjust spices to your liking.
I like to add tabasco or Trader Joe's Jalapeno Pepper Sauce to add some heat. Cut Jalapenos for greater flavor, remove seeds to keep heat down and flavor higher.Sometimes I like to add Green Chiles. They add a nce flavor without cranking up the heat. I like this with a warm corn tortilla or corn bread. If carbs make you gain then stay away from flour tortillas.
Enjoy your food!
Eat Clean. Be lean! Be strong! Race Fast!
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Olympic and Election Year Health
For me the the best things in life come around every 4 years: the Olympics! I really enjoyed watching the Olympics on all the NBC channels this year. The technology and footage was just amazing! Others are absolutely glued to the television watching Election year debates and how quickly candidates fluctuate in the poles. I don't watch much TV (other than some Olympic sports and biking and running) or read the newspaper very much- I find them to be tough on my well being. This year we are offered political choices that seem to be as divisive as ever.
I believe quite fully in the American Dream, I feel like I get to live it EVERY day! The American Dream seems to have taken a very sharp turn somewhere. Somewhere we have skipped over the desire of humans to do useful work. Scrubbing toilets is useful work, the American dream says that if you work hard, use your brain a lot and get over your belief that you are "too good" to clean toilets then maybe you can invent something that takes the place of you scrubbing that toilet. That invention can make you a millionaire.
I will give you my take on this dream:
I do not fear that we will fail as a society in my lifetime. I do not feel that we will continue our trend toward an ever growing obesity epidemic either. We are Americans after all. We don't back down from a fight. We show the world just how rebellious we can be. Be rebellious in the fight against obesity, it will benefit your health and well being as well as the health of the economy. We use P90X, Sweatin to the Oldies, Tae Bo and Insanity:the Asylum to lose millions of pounds and become healthier than we ever thought.
DO NOT buy in to over eating as the "American Way!" DO NOT take being sedentary as the "American WAY!" We have the best athletes in the world, just look at our Olympic medal count! How can we have the best athletes and the highest level of obesity in the world? The sport of running has more participants, by far, than competitive eating. We should demand more of ourselves! We are the greatest nation after all! If your local, state or federal government imposes some rule or law that you feel infringes on your right to choose a gluttonous soda or trans-fats it is because you have not demanded better of yourself, you were irresponsible or too ill to make a better choice for yourself. Feel free to vote that politician out of office. Then show them that you can be responsible for your own healthy actions. Do not go it alone! Get help if you need it.
Get out and exercise to the best of your ability! Challenge yourself to do your part as a citizen. You can vote only every 4 years but you can make healthy choices that can effect the economy for the long run every time you eat. Choose more vegetables, lean protein sources and healthy fats like avocados and olive oil. Stay away from sugary foods, especially high fructose corn syrup and processed foods. Go out and participate in a sport or activity that brings you closer to your friends and family. Just DO NOT SIT THERE AND COMPLAIN!
GO! Be ACTIVE!
Make healthy choices like an industrious, productive and healthy American. Bring our greatness to a new level.
I believe quite fully in the American Dream, I feel like I get to live it EVERY day! The American Dream seems to have taken a very sharp turn somewhere. Somewhere we have skipped over the desire of humans to do useful work. Scrubbing toilets is useful work, the American dream says that if you work hard, use your brain a lot and get over your belief that you are "too good" to clean toilets then maybe you can invent something that takes the place of you scrubbing that toilet. That invention can make you a millionaire.
I will give you my take on this dream:
My American Dream says that if one works hard and wishes to improve their standing in life they can do so. I can push myself, as I feel every American should, to improve my input into this society and, as you raise your standards you can help those who are struggling to raise theirs. I choose making us, as a country, stronger and healthier as my means to living the dream. As I find ways to better my health and wealth I am encouraged, as a citizen of the USA and of the world, to improve the health and wealth of others. Effecting massive change on the health and wealth of this country is my dream. Making what i consider a good living at this chosen profession is My American Dream.
I do not fear that we will fail as a society in my lifetime. I do not feel that we will continue our trend toward an ever growing obesity epidemic either. We are Americans after all. We don't back down from a fight. We show the world just how rebellious we can be. Be rebellious in the fight against obesity, it will benefit your health and well being as well as the health of the economy. We use P90X, Sweatin to the Oldies, Tae Bo and Insanity:the Asylum to lose millions of pounds and become healthier than we ever thought.
DO NOT buy in to over eating as the "American Way!" DO NOT take being sedentary as the "American WAY!" We have the best athletes in the world, just look at our Olympic medal count! How can we have the best athletes and the highest level of obesity in the world? The sport of running has more participants, by far, than competitive eating. We should demand more of ourselves! We are the greatest nation after all! If your local, state or federal government imposes some rule or law that you feel infringes on your right to choose a gluttonous soda or trans-fats it is because you have not demanded better of yourself, you were irresponsible or too ill to make a better choice for yourself. Feel free to vote that politician out of office. Then show them that you can be responsible for your own healthy actions. Do not go it alone! Get help if you need it.
Get out and exercise to the best of your ability! Challenge yourself to do your part as a citizen. You can vote only every 4 years but you can make healthy choices that can effect the economy for the long run every time you eat. Choose more vegetables, lean protein sources and healthy fats like avocados and olive oil. Stay away from sugary foods, especially high fructose corn syrup and processed foods. Go out and participate in a sport or activity that brings you closer to your friends and family. Just DO NOT SIT THERE AND COMPLAIN!
GO! Be ACTIVE!
Make healthy choices like an industrious, productive and healthy American. Bring our greatness to a new level.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Between Mother's Day and Father's Day
A def. of Healthy (just so we are on the same page)
1 : enjoying health and vigor of body, mind, or spirit : well
2 : evincing health
3 : conducive to health
4
a : prosperous, flourishing b : not small or feeble : considerable
Right in the middle of when we honor our Mothers and when we honor our Fathers comes Memorial Day. The day we kick off the Summer season is also a time to remind ourselves why we have those freedoms. But with freedom comes responsibility.
I may step on a few toes here but I don't have enough followers to make a splash.
So here goes:
There are just too many Americans who are fat!
I don't mean a little over weight; F-A-T!!
It is a drain on our economy and a dis-service to generations past and future. Those who died for your freedom expected you to handle it gently and with honor. Now our fingers are too swollen from abusing our bodies to feel the delicate freedom we hold. We hold the freedom of choice, of democracy, of a beautiful country with teeming cities and open farmland and 68% of the inhabitants are obese!
We were once deprived as a country; now we have too much! We have a "Free Enterprise System" that is hard to match. I have heard both sides of the argument as to how "free" it is but lets stick to health and fitness. We reward those who reward us. If you work hard you can be a billionaire. You can come from absolutely nothing and be wealthy and healthy if you have the right long term goals and make the right decisions.
Is there a separation? Sure.
Do some families or people have it easier? They sure do.
It is probably quite a different thing to be a Buffett or a Gates or a than a Nelson (that's me). Who was Warren Buffetts dad? How about Bill Gates mom? Exactly my point. 1 Generation away from being known in a small town or a city maybe to being known world over.
We have food production that well exceeds Our needs and that far exceeds our caloric requirements. The problem we have with food is that we can't live without it so are forced to be responsible and make good choices or suffer the consequences.
You can go without alcohol.
You can go without cigarettes.
You can go without marijuana.
You can go without any vice we've chosen but we can't do without food. Using food as a vice is a slippery slope. Sometimes you can use food to comfort yourself but why do you need to be comforted every day? If you need to be comforted every day then you should seek help from a professional.
Sometimes food is a reward. If food is your reward then you can use it but it can be a tightrope. I like to have wings and beer on the day I finish a marathon. It is difficult for me to justify the high fat food under many other circumstances. Don't reward yourself like that for every workout, you will become frustrated at lack of results and quit exercise altogether.
We all know how to stay healthy: exercise vigorously, eat more vegetables, eat less meat, don't over eat, don't eat much sugar. But just because we know how to eat properly does not mean we are doing it. Clearly, we're not doing it!
The majority of this country considers himself either Jewish or Christian. In both cases we are told treat the body as a Temple. You wouldn't treat a Temple this way. You wouldn't bring substandard food to your place of worship. Why would you feed yourself that way?
It seems as if there is a disconnect between what goes into our mouth and how that affects our body. We should be responsible for what goes in our mouths as well as what comes out. You cannot constantly deride someone for their weight or how they live and then not live up to your own standards.
I'm not against chocolate. I'm not against McDonald's. I'm not against fast food or even processed foods. I just feel that if you're connected to your body and you understand how your body feels after you eat these things you will choose wiser.
We choose any number of ways to disconnect ourselves from the way things are going around us. We act as if the food we eat is not making us sick. It is not normal to feel bad every day. If you are on medication for any "Co-morbid risk factors" (diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol ). We need to look at our lives as a whole. If you have high blood pressure but are otherwise healthy then maybe you need to do something to manage your stress or lower your salt intake. If you have high cholesterol but are otherwise healthy then maybe you need to exercise more and eat healthier. There are a few rare cases of those whose only risk factor for heart disease is that they are obese. These people should play the lottery. That's almost how rare it is! It is also quite rare to find an adult who is healthy with type II diabetes.
I don't claim to have the answers. If you pay attention to how your body feels when you eat then you will know if you are eating properly. If you get indigestion after you eat it is a sign that your body is rejecting something you have eaten. If you feel sluggish after you eat then you are probably eating something that is lacking in true nourishment.
I like ribs!
I like burgers!
I even like french fries and chocolate and wine and pizza and even like BACON!. I also like to cook. I really like to cook healthy food. My grandmother taught me to cook Southern when I was very young. Around the same time my father was pulling recipes from Runners World magazine. My father would run nearly every day and have a bowl of ice cream nearly every night. Back then runners still "carb loaded" before a race. My father taught me about exercise but he also taught me about dessert. I still run, even after more than 30 years but I had to teach myself that ice cream is only for 1 or 2 days per week.
We let ourselves get caught up in watching the news and being concerned about whether or not we are going to make it to our next paycheck. We worry about this politician or that politician. We worry about things and we have absolutely zero control over them. We busy ourselves and find excuses not to exercise. You could've found time for exercise in the time you spent on Facebook this week.
We find excuses why it's "hard" to find time for exercise. Just go. Move your body! Simply moving heavy things can challenge you physically. We were meant built to exercise all day long! Challenge yourself mentally to take responsibility for your own actions. Try new exercises just to see if you can do them! For your own healthy life!
There is a concern over big government and government run health care. Lets try some self care to show we are responsible enough for our own health. Big government does not try to control your health. Though some feel it should because you haven't done a good job of staying healthy on your own. It's not the governments job to take care of you. It's not the governments job to do anything about your health. But if you are not taking care of yourself and you're putting a drain on the economy by being unhealthy then someone has to step in.
If your family and friends are not going to tell you you're Fat then they're probably fat too. In our attempt to be nice and not tell someone they're overweight or not tell someone that their fat, then we've allowed ourselves to become a nation of sick people. Being sick is not normal, and there's not a pill for everything. Ask your doctor for about options for exercise. Check with your insurance company about what they pay for in the way of exercise intervention for being over weight or obese.
Demand of your leaders better health from them. Start in your home by being healthy there. If you are overweight or obese then begin to do something about it. Find the answers! Ask a fit friend to show you how to work out. Go online and find a new exercise. Sign up for and event to run a 5k or bike to raise money for something like Wounded Warriors, Fisher House or Team McGraw.
Begin to make daily exercise a part of your life. Don't watch so much television. Make vigorous movement part of your life just like taking pills to manage pain.
Community organizers, City Council members, preachers, rabbis, imams, Senator, Mayors - ALL civic leaders owe it to your communities to become more healthy. Begin a campaign of checking on the health of your constituents. Make the health of your community a priority and the financial needs of your community will be more easily managed.
This Memorial Day honor those who died for our freedom! Run your Memorial Day 5K. Play hoops with a veteran. Throw the baseball with a wounded veteran who wishes he could run a 5K.
Honor your freedom and treat it well.
Stay healthy for your country.
Create a healthier and stronger place to call the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.
Take control of your health today. Your country's future depends on it.
Andrew Nelson
P.S. Forward this to as many people as you care about. I hope this gets back to me many times.
Comment! Tell others! Pin it! Facebook it! Tweet it! Then go for a run!
1 : enjoying health and vigor of body, mind, or spirit : well
2 : evincing health
3 : conducive to health
We have food production that well exceeds Our needs and that far exceeds our caloric requirements. The problem we have with food is that we can't live without it so are forced to be responsible and make good choices or suffer the consequences.
You can go without alcohol.
You can go without cigarettes.
You can go without marijuana.
You can go without any vice we've chosen but we can't do without food. Using food as a vice is a slippery slope. Sometimes you can use food to comfort yourself but why do you need to be comforted every day? If you need to be comforted every day then you should seek help from a professional.
Sometimes food is a reward. If food is your reward then you can use it but it can be a tightrope. I like to have wings and beer on the day I finish a marathon. It is difficult for me to justify the high fat food under many other circumstances. Don't reward yourself like that for every workout, you will become frustrated at lack of results and quit exercise altogether.
We all know how to stay healthy: exercise vigorously, eat more vegetables, eat less meat, don't over eat, don't eat much sugar. But just because we know how to eat properly does not mean we are doing it. Clearly, we're not doing it!
The majority of this country considers himself either Jewish or Christian. In both cases we are told treat the body as a Temple. You wouldn't treat a Temple this way. You wouldn't bring substandard food to your place of worship. Why would you feed yourself that way?
It seems as if there is a disconnect between what goes into our mouth and how that affects our body. We should be responsible for what goes in our mouths as well as what comes out. You cannot constantly deride someone for their weight or how they live and then not live up to your own standards.
I'm not against chocolate. I'm not against McDonald's. I'm not against fast food or even processed foods. I just feel that if you're connected to your body and you understand how your body feels after you eat these things you will choose wiser.
We choose any number of ways to disconnect ourselves from the way things are going around us. We act as if the food we eat is not making us sick. It is not normal to feel bad every day. If you are on medication for any "Co-morbid risk factors" (diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol ). We need to look at our lives as a whole. If you have high blood pressure but are otherwise healthy then maybe you need to do something to manage your stress or lower your salt intake. If you have high cholesterol but are otherwise healthy then maybe you need to exercise more and eat healthier. There are a few rare cases of those whose only risk factor for heart disease is that they are obese. These people should play the lottery. That's almost how rare it is! It is also quite rare to find an adult who is healthy with type II diabetes.
I don't claim to have the answers. If you pay attention to how your body feels when you eat then you will know if you are eating properly. If you get indigestion after you eat it is a sign that your body is rejecting something you have eaten. If you feel sluggish after you eat then you are probably eating something that is lacking in true nourishment.
I like ribs!
I like burgers!
I even like french fries and chocolate and wine and pizza and even like BACON!. I also like to cook. I really like to cook healthy food. My grandmother taught me to cook Southern when I was very young. Around the same time my father was pulling recipes from Runners World magazine. My father would run nearly every day and have a bowl of ice cream nearly every night. Back then runners still "carb loaded" before a race. My father taught me about exercise but he also taught me about dessert. I still run, even after more than 30 years but I had to teach myself that ice cream is only for 1 or 2 days per week.
We let ourselves get caught up in watching the news and being concerned about whether or not we are going to make it to our next paycheck. We worry about this politician or that politician. We worry about things and we have absolutely zero control over them. We busy ourselves and find excuses not to exercise. You could've found time for exercise in the time you spent on Facebook this week.
We find excuses why it's "hard" to find time for exercise. Just go. Move your body! Simply moving heavy things can challenge you physically. We were meant built to exercise all day long! Challenge yourself mentally to take responsibility for your own actions. Try new exercises just to see if you can do them! For your own healthy life!
There is a concern over big government and government run health care. Lets try some self care to show we are responsible enough for our own health. Big government does not try to control your health. Though some feel it should because you haven't done a good job of staying healthy on your own. It's not the governments job to take care of you. It's not the governments job to do anything about your health. But if you are not taking care of yourself and you're putting a drain on the economy by being unhealthy then someone has to step in.
If your family and friends are not going to tell you you're Fat then they're probably fat too. In our attempt to be nice and not tell someone they're overweight or not tell someone that their fat, then we've allowed ourselves to become a nation of sick people. Being sick is not normal, and there's not a pill for everything. Ask your doctor for about options for exercise. Check with your insurance company about what they pay for in the way of exercise intervention for being over weight or obese.
Demand of your leaders better health from them. Start in your home by being healthy there. If you are overweight or obese then begin to do something about it. Find the answers! Ask a fit friend to show you how to work out. Go online and find a new exercise. Sign up for and event to run a 5k or bike to raise money for something like Wounded Warriors, Fisher House or Team McGraw.
Begin to make daily exercise a part of your life. Don't watch so much television. Make vigorous movement part of your life just like taking pills to manage pain.
Community organizers, City Council members, preachers, rabbis, imams, Senator, Mayors - ALL civic leaders owe it to your communities to become more healthy. Begin a campaign of checking on the health of your constituents. Make the health of your community a priority and the financial needs of your community will be more easily managed.
This Memorial Day honor those who died for our freedom! Run your Memorial Day 5K. Play hoops with a veteran. Throw the baseball with a wounded veteran who wishes he could run a 5K.
Honor your freedom and treat it well.
Stay healthy for your country.
Create a healthier and stronger place to call the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.
Take control of your health today. Your country's future depends on it.
Andrew Nelson
P.S. Forward this to as many people as you care about. I hope this gets back to me many times.
Comment! Tell others! Pin it! Facebook it! Tweet it! Then go for a run!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
3 Habits of Those who have lost 30lbs and Kept it off.
Studies show that there are 3 habits common to those who have lost 30lbs or more and kept it off:
1- They weigh themselves regularly.
2- They Work out at Home
3- They eat Breakfast
As a trainer and a coach I have been guilty of some of the bad habits of mediocre coaches, not in a while but I did in the beginning. I have told people not to weigh themselves "because the scale is not a good indicator." However, for those who truly want to lose weight then weighing regularly is a good thing. Weighing yourself regularly(NOT every day, once a week is good) lets you know if you need to change course or reminds you that you are on track.
Working out at home does not limit your ability to work out with others; I coach a team (www.teamwesports.com) of women who workout together to support each other in their athletic endeavours whether they are for weight loss, health improvement, or racing. If you work out at home then you have no excuse to skip workouts; it is never raining inside, or too hot or cold or snowy- there are NO EXCUSES at home.
Eating breakfast sets the rest of the day up for success. I like to start my day with veggies (quick recipe below) just to get the day going on a healthy note. Eating breakfast fuels the brain and the body keeping the hormones better balanced and staving off hunger and cravings. When I am in a rush I drink Shakeology () for breakfast and can go for hours without cravings( it also diminishes my cravings for the rest of the day). Eating a healthy breakfast that is low in simple carbohydrates and higher in protein and fiber helps to fuel you without spikes in the insulin level that can lead to a "crash" later.
Those are the three habits that work for almost everyone. Here are a few habits that work for many people and are worth trying:
4- Work out with someone else/join a group - working out with others keeps you all focused
5- Set a goal - Use a coach or trainer to help you set realistic, time managed weight loss goals
6- Make healthier choices daily - Begin with small steps and add to them daily. More veggies is a good start.
Now that you have some great tools to get you going start by implementing the first 3 today. What are you waiting for? If you need more help getting started then look to a professional for some guidance- a trainer or coach can get you to your goals faster!
Now go out get ahead of the Holiday Weight Gain Season!
-Andy Nelson
www.twitter.com/tricoachandy
facebook.com/getfitnyc
andy@getfitnyc.com
Healthy Recipe:
In a lightly oiled 10" cast iron skillet place 1cup Baby Spinach and cover heating on low.
In a small bowl beat 2 large whole eggs
After the Spinach has steamed for 3-5 min chop it with a spatula and place in the eggs.
Return the whole mixture to the skillet and cover (if rapid weight loss is not your goal you can add 1/2-3/4oz Grass Fed Organic Cheese on top). Heat appr 4 min.
Keep heat low to medium until the eggs are firm throughout.
Fold with a spatula and place on a plate.
Add some salsa for more veggie goodness!
1- They weigh themselves regularly.
2- They Work out at Home
3- They eat Breakfast
As a trainer and a coach I have been guilty of some of the bad habits of mediocre coaches, not in a while but I did in the beginning. I have told people not to weigh themselves "because the scale is not a good indicator." However, for those who truly want to lose weight then weighing regularly is a good thing. Weighing yourself regularly(NOT every day, once a week is good) lets you know if you need to change course or reminds you that you are on track.
Working out at home does not limit your ability to work out with others; I coach a team (www.teamwesports.com) of women who workout together to support each other in their athletic endeavours whether they are for weight loss, health improvement, or racing. If you work out at home then you have no excuse to skip workouts; it is never raining inside, or too hot or cold or snowy- there are NO EXCUSES at home.
Eating breakfast sets the rest of the day up for success. I like to start my day with veggies (quick recipe below) just to get the day going on a healthy note. Eating breakfast fuels the brain and the body keeping the hormones better balanced and staving off hunger and cravings. When I am in a rush I drink Shakeology () for breakfast and can go for hours without cravings( it also diminishes my cravings for the rest of the day). Eating a healthy breakfast that is low in simple carbohydrates and higher in protein and fiber helps to fuel you without spikes in the insulin level that can lead to a "crash" later.
Those are the three habits that work for almost everyone. Here are a few habits that work for many people and are worth trying:
4- Work out with someone else/join a group - working out with others keeps you all focused
5- Set a goal - Use a coach or trainer to help you set realistic, time managed weight loss goals
6- Make healthier choices daily - Begin with small steps and add to them daily. More veggies is a good start.
Now that you have some great tools to get you going start by implementing the first 3 today. What are you waiting for? If you need more help getting started then look to a professional for some guidance- a trainer or coach can get you to your goals faster!
Now go out get ahead of the Holiday Weight Gain Season!
-Andy Nelson
www.twitter.com/tricoachandy
facebook.com/getfitnyc
andy@getfitnyc.com
Healthy Recipe:
In a lightly oiled 10" cast iron skillet place 1cup Baby Spinach and cover heating on low.
In a small bowl beat 2 large whole eggs
After the Spinach has steamed for 3-5 min chop it with a spatula and place in the eggs.
Return the whole mixture to the skillet and cover (if rapid weight loss is not your goal you can add 1/2-3/4oz Grass Fed Organic Cheese on top). Heat appr 4 min.
Keep heat low to medium until the eggs are firm throughout.
Fold with a spatula and place on a plate.
Add some salsa for more veggie goodness!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Confessions of a Sugar Addict.
I know you think that when you are healthy that you spend your whole life focusing on being healthy. I was lucky for the most part. I had discipline if you count the 80/20 Rule. 80% of the time I was focused, 20% of the time I was a schlub. I would eat scones, candy, and muffins whenever I wanted, justifying it with leading an otherwise healthy lifestyle.
There are sugar abusers and savory abusers, each has its drawbacks. Sugar throws off the hormones by causing the body to store fat and savory is often the delivery system for saturated fat. The whole abuse of food is a lose/lose. Moderation is the key.
On my best days I would still crave sweets, and a bite of chocolate early in the morning leads to more bites of chocolate later in the day. Even eating salads, healthy carbs, adequate protein, and healthy fats would still not be enough.
Here is the thing: I put out a lot of energy and have a physical job as a trainer and multisport coach. I get about 6.5-8 hours of sleep per night but I was still always hungry or craving sugar because something was missing in my diet. I found what was missing with Shakeology. I am not sure what in Shakeology put back the missing pieces but it did. It was like a key that locked the door on my sugar cravings. Now if I crave sugar it is usually emotional, and that is easier to address than an unnamed craving for something missing in your otherwise stellar diet.
I cannot tell you how much Shakeology means to me in my training for races and my otherwise hectic schedule, but I do not want to go a day without it. It stabilizes my mood(probably because i am not eating as much sugar), gives me energy without caffeine, and has reduced the bloat in my belly. I am able to absorb the stresses of working out 2 or 3 x/day and commuting from client to client. I have not lost weight by using Shakeology but that was not the goal. I have lost body fat and feel more energy for my clients and my family.
www.myshakeology.com/tricoachandy
www.revcoachandy.com
There are sugar abusers and savory abusers, each has its drawbacks. Sugar throws off the hormones by causing the body to store fat and savory is often the delivery system for saturated fat. The whole abuse of food is a lose/lose. Moderation is the key.
On my best days I would still crave sweets, and a bite of chocolate early in the morning leads to more bites of chocolate later in the day. Even eating salads, healthy carbs, adequate protein, and healthy fats would still not be enough.
Here is the thing: I put out a lot of energy and have a physical job as a trainer and multisport coach. I get about 6.5-8 hours of sleep per night but I was still always hungry or craving sugar because something was missing in my diet. I found what was missing with Shakeology. I am not sure what in Shakeology put back the missing pieces but it did. It was like a key that locked the door on my sugar cravings. Now if I crave sugar it is usually emotional, and that is easier to address than an unnamed craving for something missing in your otherwise stellar diet.
I cannot tell you how much Shakeology means to me in my training for races and my otherwise hectic schedule, but I do not want to go a day without it. It stabilizes my mood(probably because i am not eating as much sugar), gives me energy without caffeine, and has reduced the bloat in my belly. I am able to absorb the stresses of working out 2 or 3 x/day and commuting from client to client. I have not lost weight by using Shakeology but that was not the goal. I have lost body fat and feel more energy for my clients and my family.
www.myshakeology.com/tricoachandy
www.revcoachandy.com
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