Archive for December, 2008
As the calendar changed to a new year, I set a resolution to take more time for myself and my health. I dieted and exercised on my own without significant changes. As a result, I decided to search out a personal trainer this year for more specific guidance, motivation and direction. My search ended with Nutrex Solutions - Private Personal Training.
I found the expertise, encouragement and enthusiasm I was looking for in Stacey Nolan Young, Fitness & Lifestyle Coach. Every time I arrived for a session, I knew she would be sitting by the door to welcome me beaming with her contagious energy and ask me how I was feeling. Each time she was prepared, set up each machine and demonstrated each exercise. She is very knowledgeable and explained all the muscle groups we would be working on and the benefits to the body. She answered all my questions, listened to feedback, continually correcting my form and helping me focus. As I progressed, she implemented more weight and difficulty.
Through Stacey’s’ persistence I set attainable goals and she would be cheering me on with each accomplishment. I always walked out feeling better then when I arrived and looked forward to my next work out and sweating profusely. In combination with the diet changes, I lost inches and I felt more positive.
Both Stacey and Mark have a strong worth ethic, they live the lifestyle they preach and lead by example. “Talking the talk and walking the walk.” I always looked forward to hearing their animated stories and weekend adventures exploring new trails or trying new activities. .“ Nutrex is very professional and a leader in current health trends and information.
P.S. As a bonus you will not find any mirrors in this facility!!
Thanks,
Liz
December 29th, 2008
About a year ago we posted the incredible transformation of a young man named Jeff Franco. In fact, it was one of our most popular articles ever!
Over the course of one year he lost 65 pounds and an amazing 11.25 inches off his waist! By the end he was totally ripped! If you missed it you’ll definitely want to check it out HERE to get up to speed.
Now, one year later, Jeff is still maintaining a body fat percentage around 10% and his waist is within ¾ of an inch of his last visit.
Recently Jeff dropped by for a chat and we managed to get him to open up about the trials and tribulations of maintaining such an unbelievable amount of weight loss.
Mark Young: Hey Jeff! I want to start by saying congratulations for keeping the weight off. It’s obvious that you’ve worked hard over the last year and you look fantastic.
It seems to me that while losing weight is tough, most people seem to have even more difficultly keeping it off. What do you think it is that has allowed you to keep it off for so long?
Jeff Franco: Thanks, Mark.
Losing weight was tough at first, but when I started to see the pounds come off, it motivated me keep going to achieve my weight loss goal. And, believe it or not, it did get easier as time went on. After all was said and done I had lost the weight and looked and felt good about myself. Now all I had to do was try to stay that way which was hard as well.
The reason I think that this can be difficult is because when you’re maintaining the weight that you’ve worked so hard for, there’s no real goal to achieve afterwards. At first you could say, “My goal is to lose 40 pounds”. After you’ve lost the 40 pounds, you set another goal; to stay at your current weight, but that isn’t very exciting.
When you weigh yourself every week, you don’t see your weight drop; instead it stays the same and that can be unmotivating. “Okay, so last week I weighed in at 170 pounds and this week I weigh in at…170 pounds”.
Although you are progressing because you’re maintaining your weight, you feel that you aren’t. When it comes to maintenance, people have to find other goals or ways of motivating themselves. Just because you’ve lost the weight, it doesn’t mean you stop eating healthy and exercising. You’ll go back to the way you were before, overweight and out of shape. And then do you really want to go through that all over again?
The battle doesn’t end after you’ve lost the weight. You can always improve yourself in some way. You can always be leaner. People have to understand, that it is a lifestyle change. So even after losing the weight, the training must continue in order to maintain the body that you now have.
When I lost all that weight, I liked the way that I looked and more importantly, I liked the way I felt. I guess what really motivated me to keep the weight off for so long was thinking back to what I was before and realizing that I never want to be like that again.
People notice me now. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like the attention. And my girlfriend loves my body. That’s motivation enough. There are still ways that I would like to improve my physique. I want to be leaner and more cut, but like I said it’s a constant battle and it will take time and I’m willing to do it. This is the lifestyle I decided to choose and I will continue doing this for all my life.
Mark Young: Congrats on the girlfriend! I guess we’ll have to hold back all the ladies who have been emailing us for your number since we ran your article. *Laughs*
Seriously though, when you did the Jeff Franco Project series you were a single guy. How has having a girlfriend affected your workouts and your eating regime? I know you were pretty strict before, but most people find it more difficult to stick to their plan when they’re sharing their time with someone else. How do you manage it?
Jeff Franco: *laughing* Yeah right.
Having a girlfriend affecting the eating regime? Not at all. Affecting the workouts? Absolutely.
For the time being, we live in different cities. My routine for the last 6 months or so was going to work in the morning, coming home from work anywhere around 2:30 - 4:30 pm, heading to the gym for an hour or two and then coming home in the evening. She’s an hour away and since I only get to see her weekends, I’ve found myself skipping workouts to go see her because I really miss her during the week.
So, I’ve definitely skipped a few workouts for that. Not mention the other times in the last year where I was too tired, too busy, too sick, or injured and missed workouts. I went whenever I could.
It hasn’t exactly been 5 days a week like I was used to when going through the Jeff Franco project, but I usually hit 3-4 workouts a week getting and get in about 5-6 hours of exercise. Some weeks it’s been 2. Some weeks it’s been 1 or none. Although, just recently I’ve become more strict with the training; I told my girlfriend I couldn’t come down as often during the week so I could stick to my training. She understands, but I’m sure she doesn’t like it so much. *laughs*
As far as the eating habits are concerned. I haven’t slipped. If I were to slip on that as well as miss workouts, then I’d be in trouble. But I haven’t. She pretty much eats like I do. I think I’ve inspired her to do that which is kinda cool. We have our one cheat day together on the weekend and enjoy it.
Every other day of the week I’m as strict as I ever was with the food. Once in a while, I’ll find her eating a donut or something in front of me and waving it in front of my face telling me how good it is. But it’s all in good fun, because she knows I can handle it. We both eat pretty healthy most of the time. Some of my habits have rubbed off on her and has inspired her because now she wants me to train her!!!
So even though I’ve missed workouts, I haven’t gained any weight back. I’m still happy where I am and will continue to improve as I go. And I will keep training and eating this way so I can continue to improve myself. We both will. Things are going to happen that interrupt training. Life throws you curveballs, you’ve just gotta roll with it.
Mark Young: Since you’ve been pretty constant with the diet and missed a few workouts some people might be thinking that the workouts maybe aren’t that important. Could you clarify that for us?
Jeff Franco: They are important, don’t get me wrong. Weight loss occurs when you combine healthy eating habits and exercise together. That’s how I lost all that weight. Since I don’t need to lose anymore weight, I can afford to miss a workout here and there. I won’t progress my muscle tone as quickly but I won’t all of a sudden become overweight again because I missed two days at the gym one week… unless I was consistently eating unhealthy foods.
I don’t care who you are, no one is going to go to the gym for 5 days a week every week for the rest of their lives. We’re not robots. I’ve been eating as healthy as possible and worked out consistently to get to where I am now. I’ve done the best I could and this is the body I’ve built SO FAR.
I wouldn’t look this way if I’d just dieted and didn’t workout at all. It would never have worked. I would have lost maybe like 10 pounds in a year, not 70. You have to burn more calories than you consume to lose weight.
You also have to use weight training to strengthen and tone your body. If you just diet, big deal. That’s only half the battle. The workouts are very important.
Mark Young: I agree 100%.
One thing science has demonstrated conclusively is that those who have strong social support are more likely to succeed at losing weight and keeping it off. You mentioned that both you and your girlfriend eat healthy foods together.
How important do you really think social support is for long term weight loss? Do you think it would be harder if she wasn’t so supportive?
Jeff Franco: I definitely think social support is important. It would be harder if she wasn’t so supportive of my lifestyle. If you had one person that worked out every day and ate healthy all the time and the other person was just lying around doing nothing but eating junk food, there would definitely be a problem.
One would rub off on the other. More likely the unhealthy lifestyle would rub off the most. Luckily for me, my lifestyle has rubbed off on her and we do this together now. I’ve known people who were thin while single and then blew up months after being in a relationship.
It’s true that social support is very important to keeping the weight off. And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been to a party or gathering of friends and have turned down a drink, or a cookie or a piece of cake or what have you. It’s hard.
Mark Young: It sure is.
As I’m sure you’re aware, New Years is approaching. What recommendations would you have for anyone who is going to make permanent weight loss a priority this year?
Jeff Franco: Ultimately, the most common New Year’s resolution that happens every year is “I’m gonna lose weight”. In January at the gym, it’s packed with people who have said “yeah, this time I’m really doing it!”
By the time mid-February rolls around, it’s back to normal again because most of those people have given up. I say, if you’re going to make permanent weight loss a priority this year, just do it. People are either going to stick to it or not. All I can say is stick to it. Consistently. No matter what. I did. It was worth it.
Mark Young: Thanks again Jeff for taking the time to chat with us.
Jeff Franco: No problem. Anytime.
If you still can’t get enough of the Jeff Franco Project you can check out his interview from last April where he dishes out some tough love and shares what it really takes to make a radical transformation. See the full interview HERE.
December 16th, 2008
By Mark Young
We’ve all experienced those moments where, in a burst of insight, we say to ourselves “Ah-Ha” and something complicated suddenly becomes remarkably clear. This article will detail 5 of the most powerful Ah-Ha moments I’ve had in my career.
Calorie Intake Controls Your Metabolism
If you want to lose weight you need to eat more food. When you follow a calorie restricted diet, your metabolism falls to match your intake.
Here’s an example:
Let’s say your metabolism is burning 2000 calories per day. This is determined by the exercise you do and the amount of energy your body requires just to keep you alive. If you eat 2000 calories per day your weight will stay the same because there is no difference between what you’ve taken in and what your body has burned off.
You want to lose weight so you decide to follow a calorically restricted plan and drop your calories to 1200 (or even 800 as some poorly constructed plans suggest). This creates a difference of 800 calories per day. For a week this amounts to a total of 5600 calories or 1.6 pounds of fat!!! Not too shabby.
After a month or two on the plan you’re down a ton of weight, but you’ve noticed that your weight loss has slowed significantly. The problem is that your body has determined that you are starving yourself and it has decided to slow down your metabolism to match your intake as a protective mechanism.
You’re still consuming only 1200 calories per day, but your metabolism is now burning off 1500 so the difference is only 300. This is obviously much different than it was before and now you’re only losing just over half of a pound per week. You decide to stick with the plan because it has worked so far and maybe things will sort themselves out.
Your body decides to show you otherwise and continues to decrease your metabolism until you reach a complete plateau. Your metabolism reaches the point where it exactly matches your input and you can’t lose a single pound. You reduce your calories a little more, but the same thing happens and you’re almost at the end of your rope. Finally, you resort to exercise, but you’re far too exhausted because your intake is too low to give you the energy or nutrients required.
Eventually the frustration is overwhelming so you ditch the plan altogether. From the months of starvation your cravings are intense and at this point you could care less about what you stuff in your face so you’re packing in everything in sight. You’re following the See-Food Diet. If you see it, you eat it. You’re eating more than you used to eat and you’re probably consuming around 2400 calories per day. But your metabolism has not budged and is still running at 1200 calories so the difference is 1200 calories per day in favour of fat gain. This amounts to almost 2.5 pounds of weight gain per week! That’s faster than you lost it in the first place. In three months you’ll be at least 10 pounds heavier than when you started!!!
Keep in mind that this is the BEST case scenario because it assumes that all you lost during the first three months is fat and that your muscle mass (which burns calories) was left intact. Sadly, this is rarely the case. At this point if you started another calorie depriving plan you’d repeat the process only to do more damage and result in more weight gain.
5 Hours of Exercise is the MINIMUM Required for Long Term Weight Loss
Here are two scenarios designed to produce a weight loss of about one pound per week:
(Note: We don’t actually count calories at our facility. This is done for demonstration purposes only.)
Scenario #1:
Average Daily Calorie Output (Metabolism + Exercise 2 hours per week) = 2000 calories
Average Daily Calorie Intake (Food) = 1500 calories
Difference = 500 calories per day
Scenario #2:
Average Daily Calorie Output (Metabolism + Exercise 5 hours per week) = 2500
Average Daily Calorie Intake (Food) = 2000 calories
Difference = 500 calories per day
While on the surface these might look like the end result is the same, I can guarantee you that the physique produced by scenario #2 will be leaner and healthier than the physique produced by scenario #1. There’s even research to support it.
Of course, many dieticians would disagree, but if you don’t believe it I’d suggest you try it out for yourself. We’ve done it both ways and the difference has been astounding.
I won’t get into the science of why it works (that’s a whole other article), but a great side benefit is that when you exercise more, you get to eat more. When you eat more you can consume more nutrient rich foods that supply your body with the vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients that your body requires to leave you feeling totally energized. When you’re energized you have less cravings for junky food. At the same time, your metabolism climbs not only because of the exercise, but because you’re consuming more food.
The only thing you have to do is make time for the five hours of exercise per week and consume the right foods and the transformation will be INCREDIBLE. Not only will you look better, but you’ll feel like a million bucks.
Core Training Might be Useful After All
I’ll admit it. I’m quick to resist trends. When someone comes up with a new diet or a new exercise program I’ll read the information, but unless it is backed by science and a long history of successes I won’t give it a second glance. The tried and true methods are usually the best.
When core training burst onto the scene a few years back the only information about “the core” was a slew of marketing hype and complete garbage with no reference to scientific material or even anecdotal results. It was a media driven circus and people were dropping loads of cash on stability balls and wobble boards like crazy. In fact, many chiropractors I know still do this. I basically bucked the trend altogether and didn’t give it another thought.
For years my wife urged me to reconsider my decision and I finally came around this past year, thanks to her persistence. What I discovered is that there is more to the core than balancing single legged on a Bosu ball with a blindfold and singing “Gonna Make You Sweat” by C&C Music Factory.
Sure, there are still plenty of shady people capitalizing on the public desire to find some new and exciting quick fix, but I’ve finally come to terms with the word core. It still doesn’t mean what most people think it means and most people are still doing it wrong, but I’ve accepted core training as a mainstay in our programs…and that’s a huge leap for me.
By the way, if you’re looking for an incredible resource about the appropriate use of stability balls and similar devices check out “The Truth About Unstable Surface Training” HERE.
Crunches are a Completely Ineffective Way to Train the Core
The “core”, as we’ve discussed, is often a catch phrase used to sell overhyped and overpriced exercise programs on late night television. It is also composed of more than just the abdominals that everyone so desperately desires.
In reality, the core is made up of all of the muscles that surround and provide support to the middle of the body. It contains, the rectus abdominis, internal and external obliques, transverse abdominis, multifidus and other low back extensors, glutes, and maybe the even the hip flexors just to name a few.
To start with, crunches are bad for a couple reasons:
1. When spines are tested in spinal research labs they use machines that bend them back and forth repeatedly until a disc herniates. This is exactly what crunches are doing to your spine. If it helps, try to think of bending a credit card back and forth repeatedly. At first you’ll start to see the card turn white as the plastic weakens and then eventually…SNAP. It’s all over and there’s nothing you can do to bring it back to the way it was before.
2. Most people are dominant with their rectus abdominis (the six pack muscles) and have underactive external obliques. Since crunches only train the rectus you’re only contributing to something that is already an issue which can eventually lead to lower back pain.
However, the main issue with crunches is that they don’t allow the abs to function in the primary role they were designed for…to support the core. If you question this notion, just think about the last time you walked around a social gathering doing a crunching motion. Unless bowing is very customary around your friends (this would mean bowing every second or so) you’d probably look nuts.
Static exercises like planks, deadbugs, pallof presses, chops, and lifts are the very best way to train the abdominal portion of the core because they train all of the muscles that function in the role of stabilizers as they’re meant to be used. In fact, the guy in the picture above probably doesn’t do any crunches at all!
You Can’t Possibly Know Everything
I know stuff. In fact, I feel that I know a lot more than a lot of people and I work hard every day to stay on the cutting edge. However, the single greatest lesson I’ve learned over the course of my time in this field is that no matter how much you know, you can never know nearly enough. Every time I start to forget this fact I pick up a book, listen to a fitness audio CD, or go to a conference and am completely floored by how much I still have to learn. What’s even tougher to take is that whenever I learn more, I know that people are continually coming out with new stuff to learn. Sometimes I just wish people would take the next 100 years off of producing great information so I could catch up.
Of course, I’m being facetious here. I absolutely love the influx of new information all the time. It makes me feel alive and reminds me that there are so many more exciting things I’ll be able to attain in my lifetime in this industry.
In my attempt to stay current I read for AT LEAST half an hour each day while walking on the treadmill each morning. (By the way, this gets in an easy 3.5 hours of exercise per week above and beyond my workouts…while multitasking!) In fact, I usually read more than that (about an hour per day).
Despite my efforts, there is always going to be more to learn and this is one of the most humbling and exciting things about working in this field.
Why should you care about this?
Because it reminds me that most of us spend countless hours doing mindless activities each day like watching TV or surfing around for people we don’t even like to pad our friend list on Facebook. If we all took just half an hour per day to learn more about something we really wanted to know or doing something we’ve “always wanted to do” our lives might look totally different than they are.
December 9th, 2008
By Stacey Nolan Young
We originally ran this article on December 4th, 2007 but since the holidays are upon us once again, we thought it might be of use to you all this season. Enjoy!
The time has arrived. The snow has fallen. Christmas lights are twinkling brightly in the night sky. Malls are bursting at the seams with people elbowing each other to get to the cash registers. Festive music and sounds abound. The scent of holiday baking comes from houses all around. ‘Tis the season for that “round belly that shakes like a bowl full of jelly.” For whatever reason, the Christmas season revolves around food. And usually it is not of the healthy variety.
Last year we wrote an article regarding strategies to survive the holidays when you are trying to lose or even maintain your weight. In Part 1, Mark Young talked about PLANNING your schedule so that all events that involve “holiday food” are planned “cheats”. He also discussed incorporating healthy food into the mix. In this article I will be expanding on these and equipping you with even more strategies for you to cope with the season.
What if I’m out Christmas shopping and all there is to eat is fast food?
The simple answer: PLAN
You and I both know that the malls are crazy, crazy, crazy during the Christmas season. Shopping for one hour can turn into several because of the crowds. Parking lots can take almost as long to get out of. If you are going to brave the mall traffic, then simply plan to be out for at least a few hours. Take food with you. Put food in a small cooler with ice packs inside it and throw it in the trunk of the car. Or bring a protein shake with you so you can simply purchase a bottle of water and mix it up. These are small items that can fit inside of a purse.
Worst case scenario? You forget to bring food and have to enter the dreaded food court. As hard as this may be to believe, there are healthy options available. Try a grilled chicken salad or a sandwich on a whole wheat bun. Look for the items that aren’t going to cost you in pounds. You don’t always have to go for the burgers. You just need to make the healthy decisions.
What about all of the baked goods around me?
Like Eve in the Garden of Eden with the apple, temptation is all around us this time of year. How do you go about resisting?
The short answer: DEFER
The temptation may be there, but that doesn’t that imply that you have to give in at all times. Remember when I mentioned planning? It may mean that you hold off on giving in at that exact moment and defer to one of your PLANNED times to “cheat”. The baking will still be there. This may be difficult and YES - this may suck but instead of telling yourself “no” you are telling yourself “just wait until”. The impact that this has on you psychologically will sustain you when it comes to weight loss goals.
Believe it or not this is just like everything else in life. Do you ever have those days at work when you just don’t feel like working and wish to take the day off? Do you give in every time you have these thoughts?
I’m guessing that the answer is no. You work the day like every other one and you look forward to the weekend. The same principle is in effect with holiday treats. Designate times for them and stay strong until those times arrive! It’s worth it in the end.
What about pressure from outside influences?
Believe it or not this can be the most difficult part in surviving the holidays. Your friends can quickly become foe. Your family can turn on you. I’m not talking about anything overly dramatic but I am talking about something that most people think only children have to deal with; peer pressure. Don’t laugh - it is true and if you haven’t experienced it yet consider yourself lucky.
Turning down a holiday feast is hard enough on your own but what happens when your close ones are pushing you to eat “just one bite” and telling you that “a little bit won’t hurt at all”?
Or the questions:
“Why aren’t you eating the food?”
“Is my baking not good enough for you?”
“How come you can’t have it?”
Sometimes there are even people who allow jealousy to rule and start to come down on you and point you out to the other people in the room. They want to make you feel different. These are usually the people who have not had the willpower themselves to make a change in their own lives.
Stay Strong
Show those people what you are made of. They will see your results and come to you for advice! So…even if that shortbread is shoved under your nose… if it’s not planned DON’T EAT IT!
Christmas Day
Christmas day has arrived. You’ve managed to minimize damage this holiday season. You feel good and proud of yourself. Great! Now reward yourself and take the day off. Enjoy the day with friends and family! But remember to be back at it the following day.
Good health is the best gift that you can give to yourself and to your family. You reap more rewards than you can imagine. And it really is a gift that keeps on giving! Treat yourself to that this year. You deserve it.
Happy Holidays!
December 3rd, 2008
