Welcome to Get Fit Boot Camp!

July 5, 2010

Welcome to Get Fit Boot Camp at Fit For Life. Over the next six weeks you should see a lot of positive results. I often receive phone calls asking what type of results we see at Get Fit Boot Camp or what they should expect to see if they joined the class. My answer is always the same. You will get out of this class what you put into it. If you just show up four days a week for six straight weeks, you will see and feel results. The people who walk away with amazing results are those who showed up everyday with a positive attitude and gave 100%. When I say positive attitude I mean they truly wanted to better everyday. I feel that this attitude is the only way to approach a six week goal; it all begins with the desire to improve.

If your goal is fat loss, muscle gain or improved endurance you will need to improve the quality of your daily habits. These include your nutrition, your sleep, your flexibility, and your ability to deal with stress. If any of these factors are your weak area now, you should try over the next six weeks to improve in these areas of your life. I am going to give you some basics on improving these factors in this pamphlet. I am not suggesting that these “quality of life” factors are easy to change overnight; I am suggesting that you try your best so that you can truly become a healthier person.

You Are What You Eat! I am sure you have heard this saying before. Have you really thought about how true that statement is? If you eat fast food, which for the most part is garbage food, have you ever noticed that you feel like garbage after eating it? Have you ever noticed after eating a highly processed meal (cereal, white bread, macaroni and cheese, etc.) you do not feel full? When you eat fake, man made food, you can not trick the brain. It senses that you ate something, but it was lacking in nutrients so it sends a signal for more or maybe for something real. Most people continue to shovel down more of the same foods, resulting in excess, nutrient deficient calories. You will never feel satisfied with fake food. On this subject I suggest trying to buy quality foods from Trader Joes, Lassens, or any other store that sells real food. When you shop for food you should plan about four days of meals so that you have a plan at the market instead of going up and down every isle. You know that you do not need half the stuff that ends up in your basket when you go hunting up and down the isle. When buying dinner for Monday, account for extra so that you could have real food for lunch. An example of this concept, Roast a whole chicken with yams and a green veggie. For lunch take the leftover chicken and wrap it in a whole wheat tortilla with green lettuce, tomatoes, and Dijon mustard. That did not take long, so don’t say that you have no time to cook. Dust off that crock pot and use it. Crock Pot cooking is a very healthy, time efficient way to eat real food. Better than the microwave dinners.

The way you eat is equally important. You want to try and eat your calories in 4 to 5 small balanced meals. To be vague on balance, you should always eat a serving of protein that contains good fat (Chicken, fish, red meat, eggs, etc.). I recommend that all of your proteins come from an organic or free range animal source if possible. Carbohydrates should come in the form of whole grain, wheat, brown rice, sweet potatoes, yams, etc. These carbs will break down slower, making you feel longer, sustainable energy. At every meal you should eat fruits and vegetables. I again recommend organic. I mentioned being vague on this subject mostly because you can find out exactly what balance is. At our gym, Fit For Life, we can test your metabolic type and help you really understand balance.

I am not a big pusher of supplements. We often suggest two essential products to add to a healthy diet. These two products are not supplements for most, they are essential, because they are not getting enough from the food they eat. The first of these essentials is fish oil (Carlsen’s Brand). Fish oil has been shown to lower cholesterol and aid in defending over 300 diseases. Google it and learn why you and your whole family should take fish oil everyday. The second essential product, Whey protein, is a good source of protein, especially after class. Whey protein can be used in a meal replacement shake with fruit. Fat burners do not work, so please do not take them and attend class. They will make you jittery and dehydrated, which will lead to muscle cramping and weakness. If you eat a balanced meal or snack (cottage cheese and sliced apples with cinnamon) before class you will have all the energy you need to do well. Doing well in your workouts and giving 100% will be the deciding factor in fat loss. We set up each class to be interval in nature; this requires a lot of energy expenditure from your body, and this is how fat is burned. Nothing beats hard work!

The trainers leading your workouts are also trying hard to make you functional. When your body’s muscles and joints function properly, you can put more into every workout without the possibility of injury. Our active warm ups at the beginning of class will address some imbalances, while others need a little bit of work. At our gym we can run you through a physical assessment to exploit those tight or weak areas. We will give you homework to address these areas. Many of these are daily life habits, sitting at your desk, on the phone, driving, and then more sitting when you get home. These daily patterns lead to tight, weak areas that usually result in back, neck, and knee pains. So instead of using a lot of Advil treat the problem not the symptom.

The last two areas of your total health, sleep and stress really are married. If you do not sleep well, (less than 7 hours uninterrupted) you will wake up stressed. Our mind and bodies are programmed for good, consistent sleep patterns. When this cycle is tampered with we see a major decline in our total health. This imbalance will affect your hormones in a negative way. When your body is stressed, the stress hormone cortical is present in your body. Having corticalpresent in your body for prolonged periods of time can lead to suppressed thyroid function, hyperglycemia, decreased bone density, decreased muscle tissue, higher blood pressure, lower immunity, and of course abdominal fat leading to heart attacks. People who have high levels of cortical present in their bodies tend to be addicted to caffeine and bad carbohydrates, making it impossible to lose weight.

Lack of sleep is not the only reason that people have high levels of cortical. Remember cortical is our fight or flightresponse. You wouldn’t be here today if this wasn’t present in our ancestors. If they saw a tiger, fight or flight would be released from the brain and rushed through the body causing a heightened state of awareness and strength. They either dealt with the situation or died. Fast forward to today. Most people are living their lives, running from the tiger, all day long. The brain and body can not be healthy this way. Today we know that if you take just one minute to deep breathe, you will send a relaxation signal to the brain that will lower your level of cortisol. Imagine what ten minutes a day would do! Please take the time to breathe. You will hear me in class talk a lot about the power of proper breathing.