Synergy Fitness & Health Weblog

Leprechauns, Rainbows, And A Pot of Gold!

Synergy Fitness & Health — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 02:34:00 +0000

As the saying goes, “Everyone wants to be Irish on St. Patrick’s Day”. Do you blame them? For most, St. Patrick’s Day equals boisterous parades/parties and endless eating and drinking. If you are anything like my clients, you are already planning a day full of corned beef dinners, Guinness beer, creamy Irish coffee and chocolate mint shamrock cookies with family and friends.

With the holiday right around the corner, I get asked the same question… How can I enjoy the holiday without spoiling my weight loss goals? My initial response to that question is to stay focused on your goals and make the decision to not indulge in anything that would comprise those goals. Easier said that done, right? So, for those of you who live in the real world, I offer the following advice:

Calorie Reducing Tips For Drinking:

Establish your drinking limit to 1,2 or 3 drinks before you get to the party and stick to it
Before each alcoholic drink, always have a low calorie, non-alcoholic beverage. This not only quenches your thirst but it sets the pace for slower, safer celebrating
Turn your wine into a spritzer by adding an equal part of seltzer water or diet 7-Up
Choose a light beer over a regular beer
Ask for low calorie diet mixers where possible

Don’t be tempted to skip meals to allow for drinks, as alcohol won’t satisfy your hunger. In fact, alcohol lowers blood sugar levels. A drop in blood sugar levels sends signals to the brain that you are hungry. With alcohol in your system, willpower can go out of the window and the snack attacks kick in. Eating a proper meal before you go out will line your stomach and slow the rate at which alcohol absorbs into your bloodstream, keeping you in control of how much you eat and drink.

Calorie Reducing Tips For Eating:

Stick to your standard portion sizes and avoid second and third helpings
Munch on healthier snacks between meals like a hand full of almonds, vegetables, fruit, or low fat string cheese instead of chips, cookies and cup cakes
Consume 8-10 cups of water throughout the day
Include a dessert in your total caloric intake for the day and enjoy it guilt free

St. Patrick’s Day is a great holiday to share with close friends and family. To help stay on track with your goals (assuming you are interested) you should set some boundaries and create a plan before the festivities begin. Above all, remember the true spirit of the holiday, don’t forget to wear green and just ENJOY yourself. We all deserve to have a little fun sometimes (within reason of course). Go ahead, eat, drink and be Irish! But choose to be the lucky leprechaun that survives the holiday without expanding your waistline.

Sláinte chugat (Good health to you),

Shaneya Harris, CPT, CAFT

Program Director/Instructor

San Fernando Valley Adventure Boot Camp

Shaneya@ValleyAdventureBootCamp.com

Office: (818) 357-2352

Nutrition Is Key, But Small Changes Can Make A Big Impact.

Synergy Fitness & Health — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 16:54:10 +0000

With spring quickly approaching, more and more people are ready to shed excess fat gained over the winter months in an effort to prepare for the upcoming summer. However, there is all to often a somewhat skewed perception regarding the correct approach to weight loss.

Proper weight loss requires a synergistic approach incorporating:

· Resistance training to increase the rate of metabolism.

· Cardiovascular training to burn off existing body fat.

· Nutrition management (diet) to properly fuel, repair and maintain the body, as well as ensuring proper caloric intake.

Resistance and cardiovascular training are very important elements to improved overall health and sustained weight loss, but nutrition management is 80% of the equation hands down. The best workout program won’t yield any visible results if you don’t take control over your diet.

Let me say this in a different way for clarity: If you exercise everyday but don’t make any changes to your eating habits you will not see any visible results.

Still hard to grasp? lets use numbers to paint the picture:

Daily caloric intake (calories consumed) 2500 Calories

Daily caloric requirements -1900 Calories

Excess calories consumed 600 Calories

Workout caloric expenditure - 450 Calories

Excess calories remaining 150 Calories

If your daily caloric requirement is 1900 calories, and you consume 2500 calories, you are consuming 600 more calories than your body requires each day. Ah HA!!! But you workout…Six times per week you say. Let’s further investigate. Let’s say you burn 450 calories during each of your workouts. That’s great but the problem is that of those 600 extra calories consumed, only 450 were burned off during exercise. That still leaves a surplus of 150 unused calories that will be converted to excess body fat. All of that hard work gone down the drain because of unmanaged eating.

Eating is America’s favorite past time, and because of this 60% of the population is overweight. Are you a part of this statistic? If you’re ready to make the commitment to begin a regular work out program, you must be willing to take it a step further and commit to nutritional changes as well.

Committing to a total nutritional overhaul is a daunting task for some but you can make a big impact with some minor changes:

· Decrease Portion Sizes: Make a conscious effort to reduce your portions at each meal. If you are dining at a restaurant, ask for a to go container before your meal arrives. Restaurant portions are typically 2-3 times more than what you really need. Box up at least half of it before you take that first bite.

· Pack Snacks: Take a detour from the afternoon vending machine trip and have a piece of fruit or raw veggies instead.

· Cut out one fast food meal per week. If you consume fast food 5 times during the week, commit to reducing this number down to 4 times this week. Next week reduce the number again.

This simple approach to improving your eating habits will not get you a visible six pack but Rome wasn’t built in a day. Let’s start by getting you on the right path to improving your health and fitness.

For additional information or questions, contact Misty Robinson at San Fernando Valley Adventure Boot Camp, 818-357-2352 or Misty@ValleyAdventureBootCamp.com. Misty is a Certified Fitness Trainer, Certified Adventure Boot Camp Instructor and Co-Owner of San Fernando Valley Adventure Boot Camp, an outdoor fitness program for women. www.ValleyAdventureBootCamp.com

Running Is The Best Way To Get Fit?

Synergy Fitness & Health — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 23:58:15 +0000

Myth: Running is the best way to get fit.
Fact: There is no one best way to get fit. You have to do what you like or you’ll find a reason to quit. Getting fit physically & mentally is a process that takes time & patience, w/built-in rewards all along the way. If you’re looking for instant success (like lose 10 pounds in 10 days!)you’re only looking for trouble.

Fast & Healthy Fish Tacos

Synergy Fitness & Health — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 23:55:55 +0000

Fast & Healthy Fish Tacos

“Who said that fish tacos had to be fried? This refreshing recipe uses baked Cod and fresh coleslaw for that fish taco taste that is hard to beat. Need to fix dinner in a hurry? This recipe only takes 20 minutes. Servings: 2Here’s what you need…

1 pound Fresh Skinless Cod
1 Tablespoon Butter
1/4 teaspoon Cumin
1/8 teaspoon Garlic powder
1/2 cup Nonfat Plain Yogurt
1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Honey
3 cups Shredded Cabbage Mix
4 Whole Wheat Tortillas
Lime or Lemon to taste

Rinse fish and past dry with paper towels. Cut fish crosswise into 3/4 inch slices. Place fish in single layer in greased shallow baking pan. Combine butter, cumin, and garlic powder. Brush over fish. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 4 to 6 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Combine the yogurt, vinegar and honey. Place the cabbage in a medium sized bowl. Combine the yogurt mixture with the cabbage until well blended.
Spoon some of the coleslaw mixture into each tortilla; add fish slices. Squeeze fresh lime or lemon to taste. Enjoy.

Sneak Calorie Burning

Synergy Fitness & Health — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 23:54:49 +0000

What are your plans for this weekend? A great way to promote weight loss is to pack your weekends with physical activities. Weed the garden, walk the dog, plan a bike trip, or clean out the garage. The key is to keep on moving. For a person who weighs 160 pounds, participating in any of the following activities for thirty minutes will cause the following expenditures in calories:

Chopping and splitting wood 288 calories
Cooking dinner 96 calories
Digging in the garden 240 calories
Dusting 120 calories
Grocery shopping 190 calories
Ironing clothes 190 calories
Making a bed 94 calories
Moving furniture 288 calories
Playing with the kids 192 calories
Raking the lawn 206 calories
Shoveling snow 288 calories
Taking out the trash 120 calories
Trimming bushes 168 calories
Washing dishes 144 calories
Washing Windows 144 calories
Watering outdoor plants 120 calories
Vacuuming 196 calories

What are you waiting for? Find an activity and let the calorie burning begin!

Do You Have The Stubborn Fat Blues?

Synergy Fitness & Health — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 23:53:45 +0000

Every year at about this time frustrated people around the globe look in the mirror and take in the end results of their holiday eating frenzy. Maybe your waist is larger, or your hips are wider, or maybe your New Year’s resolve has fizzled. So what do you do about the stubborn and seemingly permanent fat? Sink into a depression?Well, the easiest thing to do is to throw a pity party. Then before you know it your feelings of self pity begin to snowball into a full blown case of the Stubborn Fat Blues.

How do you know if you have the Stubborn Fat Blues?

Your pants are tighter today than they were a year ago
You’ve tried to lose weight only to fail.
You feel trapped.
You’re close to giving up on yourself.

If you can relate to any of the above statements then you have the Stubborn Fat Blues – quite an unpleasant condition to have. Fortunately, there is a cure. It all starts with your mind. The thing about the Stubborn Fat Blues is that it affects your mind more than anything. You see, your mental state is critical in determining your shape and size. When you focus on all of the things that you hate about your current body like the size of your thighs, the shape of your butt, or the way your belly looks then you’re putting all of your energy on the negative. The more you think about how unhappy you are, the unhappier you will become. Makes sense, right?

So instead of wallowing, use the following techniques to conquer the Stubborn Fat Blues:

1. Take it one battle at a time.
You may have 20, 50 or 100 pounds to lose before you reach your ideal weight – and, boy, that can be overwhelming. The truth is that weight loss like that won’t happen overnight – it takes months of dedication. It’s no wonder so many people simply give up.

Don’t worry about winning the entire war today, instead focus on conquering one battle at a time. Take it one meal at a time, and one day at a time. A healthy meal, a good workout and you’ve won a battle. Remember, 100 pounds is broken down into 350,000 calories. Sure, that sounds like a lot, but all you have to do is focus on burning more calories than you take in today – in the end weight loss will be inevitable.

2. Use a trigger.
How many times throughout your day do you find yourself plagued with negative thoughts? I’m too fat. I’ll never look as good as I used to. I’m not attractive. Yikes! Thoughts like these will ruin your chance at regaining your figure – they are total momentum killers.

Here’s what we want you to do. Whenever a negative thought enters your mind instantly do the following:

Breathe out and squeeze your abs for 5 seconds – 3 times
Throw away any junk food within arms reach
Plan to exercise that day

Make negative thoughts a trigger to take positive action toward your goal – the results will amaze you.

3. See what you want.
If you have weight to lose, mirrors are a nightmare. Every lump and pouch seems to jump out with alarming illumination. And it doesn’t help that most of us see things as worse than they really are.

When was the last time that you closed your eyes and pictured the body that you wished you had? It may sound hokey, but we’re serious. Your mind is very impressionable, and when you bombard it with only the negative then you will be stuck on that image.

Take time each day to visualize your ideal body. Close your eyes and put yourself in that ideal body – feel what it feels like to be fit and attractive. This exercise is a powerful way to fixate your mind on your goal in a way that will leave you no room for failure.

4. Get serious.
Sooner or later you will decide that you are fed up with the Stubborn Fat Blues. You will decide that your health is important. You will decide that you deserve to look great. And you will do what it takes to achieve amazing results.

The best way to ensure that your motivation stays strong – and that your goal is met – is to get on a fitness program that actually works, like Adventure Boot Camp, One on One Personal Training, Online Personal Training. If you need help finding the right program for you - We can help. Together we will identify your goals, find workout programs that you enjoy and create a routine that works with your schedule. It’s that simple.

Then you can say goodbye to the Stubborn Fat Blues – forever!

Myth: Thin people are fit and have low bodyfat

Synergy Fitness & Health — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 04:15:43 +0000

Myth: Thin people are fit and have low bodyfat.

Fact: Thinness isn’t correlated with fitness levels. It doesn’t mean you have low bodyfat. Each person has a different physiological make-up including bone, muscle mass, structure, and bodyfat. Thinness isn’t a sign of a person’s fitness level. Some people are thin by their genetic make up and haven’t exercised a day in their life! Being thin doesn’t mean you’re healthy.

The Ultimate Prescription – Exercise lowers blood pressure and improves cholesterol levels

Synergy Fitness & Health — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 04:07:45 +0000

These days it takes more than an apple a day to keep the doctor off your back.

The good doc is going to pester you about your blood pressure and cholesterol levels – apple or not. And who can blame them?

According to the American Heart Association, 105.2 million adults have borderline to high risk blood cholesterol levels. In addition, nearly one in three adults suffers from high blood pressure. And these numbers grow every year.

So what do you do? Pop a pill and try not to think about it? Or maybe you don’t even bother to have your blood pressure and cholesterol checked – what you don’t know can’t hurt you, right?

Whether you’ve had your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked lately or not, these conditions are deadly and sneaky – many people are unaware of the danger lurking in their own arteries.

What’s so bad about high blood pressure and cholesterol levels? In a nutshell, these conditions raise your chances for having a stroke, kidney failure, heart disease or heart attack. Here’s the lowdown:

Blood Pressure is recorded in two numbers. The first describes your systolic blood pressure. This is the pressure when your heart is squeezing blood out. The second is your diastolic blood pressure. This is the pressure between heartbeats, when your heart is filling with blood.

The ideal blood pressure to have is 120/80 or lower. Blood pressure that falls between 120/80 and 140/90 is considered to be prehypertension – meaning that your blood pressure is higher than normal. If your blood pressure is 140/90 or higher then you officially have high blood pressure.

Cholesterol is also recorded in two numbers – high – density lipoproteins (HDL) and low – density lipoproteins (LDL). The distinction between HDL and LDL is actually quite important – LDL delivers cholesterol to your body while HDL removes cholesterol from your bloodstream. In other words, HDL cholesterol is good and LDL cholesterol is bad.

When there is extra cholesterol in your bloodstream it lines your arteries, causing them to narrow. These deposits can block an artery that flows to your heart – resulting in a heart attack, or they can block an artery that flows to your brain – resulting in a stroke.

The ideal cholesterol level to have is a number less than 200. Between 200 and 239 you are considered to have borderline high cholesterol, and 240 or higher puts you in a danger zone.

Will exercise really help lower your high blood pressure and improve my cholesterol levels? It sure will – and here’s how:

Weak Heart Muscles pump little blood with lots of effort. By exercising you strengthen your heart muscles and train them to pump more blood with less effort. The stronger your heart is the less pressure will be exerted on your arteries.

Exercise Increases HDL levels in some people – this means a decrease in your risk for heart disease. Other heart disease risk factors such as weight, diabetes and high blood pressure all show improvement with regular exercise.

Let’s be totally honest for a moment. Sure, you may be taking medication, but you need to fix the problem rather than simply hold it off.

If exercise isn’t currently part of your lifestyle you will be amazed at how it will improve your health once you start. I’m sure your doctor could share a myriad of success stories involving people just like you who dramatically improved their blood pressure and cholesterol through exercise.

Health. Isn’t that what we all ask for in the New Year?

Exercise is the answer.

The benefits of a consistent and challenging exercise program are numerous – did you know that exercise will even improve your sleep?

Misty and I are in a unique position to assist you in grabbing onto the good health that you deserve. Call or email us today to schedule your fitness assessment and get started on an exercise program that will change your life.

Guilt Free Flavor

Synergy Fitness & Health — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 04:06:44 +0000

Looking to add flavor to your meal without adding extra calories? Try fresh herbs and spices. You will enjoy more flavor AND a smaller you! Remember to avoid creamy or oily dressings-while these are flavorful, they are also filled with fat and calories.

Camp Locations: Northridge & Woodland Hills

Synergy Fitness & Health — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 03:54:03 +0000

DON’T LET 2008 PASS YOU BY!!

Next Boot Camp

February 11

A New Year. A New YOU!

5:30am AND 9:30am

Camp Sessions Available!!

LOCATIONS: Northridge & Woodland Hills

Are you ready for the Adventure?