How to Survive: The Potluck

We are smack in the middle of “The Holidays.” I get asked many times to do speeches and seminars on “How to Survive The Holidays.” But what are we trying to survive? And I think the answer is Stress. We are doing our dead level best to try to forget anyone when buying presents, sending cards, traveling and of course we have a sharp Increase in the number of Potluck Dinners and get togethers.

There is nothing more American than a good ‘ol down home Potluck. Let’s all get together and eat and we will each bring a dish and eat and if there will be 20 people, each person will cook for twenty people and eat. And because we are stressed and out of time, we need to make something quick and easy. We look in the pantry and see noodles, soup, cheese and crackers; Enter….The Casserole.

Ok, I know we are in the South and there is an innate and honest affinity for The Casserole. The emergence of The Casserole is a blog for another time, but it is a practical solution for feeding the masses. However, if you are a math whiz, you’ll quickly realize that if 20 people cook for 20 people that is now 400 servings of quick and easy food. So how do we watch our waistline when 90% of our options are super-high calorie and low caloric value foods?

We runners and athletes and those wanting our jeans to fit in January like they did in October have to develop a strategy so we don’t have to be a recluse to avoid the social weight gaining that is “The Holidays.” Of course we have exercised earlier that day, so we have burned what we could, now here is how to not overdo it:

A) Go through the Potluck line First. There is always a tiny bowl of salad or a Vege Tray (the one that you brought) that you need to get to first. There won’t be many vegetables that aren’t cooked in butter or wrapped in bacon, so you have to get there first before what little healthy food there is gone.

B) Drink 16 oz of water before you eat. If The Casserole is a happy memory of your mama’s cooking and you want to have a little, then have a little. But drinking water beforehand will keep you eating only 200 calories because you’ll be full and you won’t eat 800 calories.

C) Be Selective. If there is BBQ, just take the meat and eat it with a fork, and forgo the bun.

D) Stalk the Table. Subtly yet politely, make mental notes of what you see on the table, and then decide what you want beforehand. The temptation is to take a little of everything, but your plate is full and you’re only halfway through the line. HINT: If it’s covered in Tin Foil beforehand, proceed with caution.

E) MEN: Eat your wife’s dish. ‘Nuff said.

I'd love to show you how to maintain your weight through the holidays take your overall health and fitness to the next level. Take advantage of your FREE Fitness Consultation. (a $65 value)

During this consult, you'll receive detailed information on how to get fit and trim that's tailored to YOUR body.

There's no obligation and it's totally and completely free. To sign up, click here

Another Exciting Announcement!

Years ago when I took an assessment of my talents and how I could use them in the business environment, I wrote down running. At the time I thought, "Well, that's no use, what good is running to anyone but me?" Then when I saw an opportunity to run and raise money for charity, it clicked! As many of you know, running/coaching for charity is close to my heart, I've been coaching Run-For-Charity teams for 10 years consistently. When I decided to start my own Country Music Marathon Training Team, I knew that was an aspect that I was going to miss this year.
WELL, NOT ANYMORE!!!

American Cancer Society's - Team DetermiNation has named Personal Best Fitness as its official training team for Country Music Marathon 2012! Each Saturday morning we will be joined by 50-75 runners all raising money for cancer research and using their fitness to make a difference for others.

Come run with us and help support these runners in their quest this year...or if cancer is some thing you'd like to run to raise research money for, go to our website and click the Team DetermiNation Logo for American Cancer Society.
www.PersonalBestFitness.VIPrespond.com/CMM2012

Lose 28 lbs easily? Its true using Irvingia Gabonensis.

The herb is called Irvingia Gabonensis.

This study was published in the journal Lipids in Health and Disease. [1] Researchers recruited both overweight and obese people to participate in the study. They were divided into two groups.

The first group supplemented with 150mg of Irvingia twice a day.The second group was given a placebo.

Here's the cool part: Both groups maintained the SAME diet and amount of physical exercise.

The study lasted ten weeks and at the start of the study, researchers measured starting body weight and the following BASELINE blood levels:

1. Total Cholesterol (both LDL and HDL)
2. Fasting Glucose
3. Leptin
4. Adiponectin
5. C-reactive protein

So what happened?

The group taking the Irvingia supplement twice a day lost 28 pounds of body weight!

The placebo group only lost 1 measly pound.

And hang onto your hat... because the Irvingia group's ending blood tests were just as amazing.

Fasting glucose DROPPED by a whopping 22%... total cholesterol DOWN 26%... LDL ("bad") cholesterol REDUCED by 27%...C-reactive protein PLUMMETED by 52%.

All in less than 3 months! That's pretty incredible for a single herb.

More human studies need to be done, to be sure. But so far, it looks very promising.

For example, another study investigated the effect of Irvingia on rats that were made to have diabetes. One single oral dose of Irvingia lowered the rats' plasma glucose just two hours after it was administered. [2]

And yet another double-blind human study recruited forty participants. Again, they were divided into two groups. One received Irvingia while the other received a placebo. Both groups maintained their normal caloric intake.

After just 30 days, the Irvingia group lost a whopping 12.3 pounds. And just like in the other human study I told you about, the Irvingia group had SIGNIFICANT reductions in total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides. [3]

You can most likely find Irvingia extract at your local heath food store. I'd suggest taking the amount used in the first study I mentioned, which is 150mg, twice daily.

[1]Judith L Ngondi, et al. The use of a Cissus quadrangularis/Irvingia gabonensis combination in the management of weight loss: a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Lipids in Health and Disease 2008, 7:12

[2] Ngondi JL, Djiotsa EJ, Fossouo Z, Oben J. Hypoglycaemic effect of the methanol extract of irvingia gabonensis seeds on streptozotocin diabetic rats. Afr J Trad CAM. 2006 3:74–7.

[3] Judith L Ngondi, Julius E Oben* and Samuel R Minka. The effect of Irvingia gabonensis seeds on body weight and blood lipids of obese subjects in Cameroon. Lipids in Health and Disease 2005, 4:12 doi:10.1186/1476-511X-4-12

BUT WAIT.... THERE's got to be a CATCH. There is... CLICK HERE.

Irvingia Gabonensis.... the truth.

When I read this amazing study about Irvingia Gabonensis.... I had to do soome follow up research. I didn't have to look much further than our own Outstanding Nutritionist MariEtta Parrish RD, LDN, CSSD She explained that is does IN FACT WORK!! It is basically a good dose of soluble fiber, which may help people lose weight and indeed has been proven to lower cholesterol.

However, it is not recommended that you take it more than a month as long term studies have not been done and cannot show how it might affect long term nutrient retention. This is a concern because this supplement basically acts like a laxative, which is why it is effective.

Besides nutrient deficiencies from long term use, it also may cause laxative dependence and poor fluid absorption and absorption by your bowels. However, if one wanted to supplement this or a laxative for a month, if they can handle the effects, they would lose more weight. It may be worth some individuals who are really interested to try it and see how they tolerate it short term to boost their weight loss efforts. The article does skew the actual results some what. Placebo lost ~1.5 lbs. after a month, compared to supplement folks that lost ~4.5 lbs. after a month.

The supplement did have positive blood lipid effects, but did not lower body fat. Therefore, this study suggests that weight lost was mostly muscle and water.

You 'll want to make sure you maintain your muscle through any and every weightloss program through a strength training program or workouts. It doesn't have to be big bulky body building, there are some really healthy ways to have serious weightloss while keeping your muscle in a healthy way.

I'd love to show you how to take your overall health and fitness to the next level. Take advantage of your FREE Fitness Consultation. (a $65 value)

During this consult, you'll receive detailed information on how to get fit and trim that's tailored to YOUR body.

There's no obligation and it's totally and completely free. To sign up, click here

Should I run more, or Cross Train more?

I shouldn’t be surprised, I shouldn’t act surprised, I should contain my excitement and act like I knew what I was doing. But isn’t still so exciting and invigorating when what you intended to happen, actually happens?!

Get this: My client was getting ready for his 3^rd Ironman Triathlon. That’s a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run… no small feat and this was his 3^rd time doing it. I have also completed an Ironman Triathlon and have an understanding of what his needs were and knew exactly what to do with him. Cross Train. Cross Train. Cross Train.

He did 2 things different for this Ironman:

A) Cross Train/Strength Train

B) Not a single 100 mile bike ride. (In his past races he had done 4-6 in preparation)

The Results: A Personal Best by TWO HOURS!

The Testimonial: “Personal Best Fitness was instrumental during the training process for Ironman Switzerland! Being my third Ironman I wanted and needed help with the long road that is Ironman training.

I was able to PR by over 2 hours! and that was because of the core and leg strength that we development in our personal training sessions. I want to thank Christopher, Meg, and Jennifer for all of their help in helping me achieve this goal.”-Will S.

Now don’t get me wrong… there is no substitute for practicing the actual exercise that you are preparing to compete with. Runner’s need to run. Bikers need to bike. Our client was very dedicated to his swimming, biking and running and showed great discipline in that.

However, strengthening the stabilizer muscles and the secondary muscles that support the primary muscles for your exercise movement, will keep the primary muscles from exhaustion and fatigue. Strengthening the muscles fast twitch muscles through cross training (when all you work with your running is your slow twitch muscles) will give you more overall speed and a stronger kick at the finish.

So the easy answer to the question: Should I run more or Cross Train more?

If your running is consistent and disciplined, you will see greater results in your running from a good Cross Training program. Here’s to reaching your Personal Best!

Take your health and fitness to the next level, and take advantage of your FREE Fitness Consultation (a $65 value). During this consult, you'll receive detailed information on how to get fit and trim that's tailored to YOUR body.

There's no obligation and it's totally and completely free. CLICK HERE.

The Resilient Life

I joke with my clients quite a bit, that the personal training they receive from me three days per week is actually FREE! The fee they pay is for the mental and emotional counseling that goes on for an hour each session.

There is a side of fitness that can’t be documented or even really quantified in hard numbers or data. In our fitness life we want to build muscle and lose body fat and make our heart healthier and become more flexible. Those improvements make life-tasks easier and our bodies healthy. What I’ve also seen is resilience in your life that you will build through practicing consistency and the ability to endure. Pushing your body to go a little further, pressing a little more weight than you did last time, setting your goal a little higher and then meeting it makes your mind strong and confidant.

Listening to people’s stories of struggle and victory every day, strangely I find comfort in knowing that everyone is going through something. I have seen people go through so many life events, both joyous and devastating and things that blew my mind while realizing everyone is always dealing with something very personal and all consuming. They recognize that they are able to deal with these events with a clear head due to the resiliency they have developed through exercise. Exercise develops the ability to be broken down and then both mentally and physically recover. Exercise develops the ability to have a positive outlet or coping skill. Exercise develops the ability to be able to focus or compartmentalize events and feelings.

I have been teaching fitness for over a decade, and the one thing they don’t teach you in school, is that fitness (and achieving any goal) is more about the mindset and less about the body. I meet people who CAN’T meet their fitness goals, and I meet people who WON’T meet their fitness goals. The people who CAN’T; I can teach, educate, motivate, inspire and show them how to meet their goals. Those that WON’T meet their fitness goals are those who will not change adapt or take responsibility for what they have learned.

Fitness teaches adaptability, and the wherewithal to assess the situation and make the appropriate changes to achieve the goal. If in a triathlon, you hit a bump in the road and your tire goes flat… you have two choices. You can quit and wait for someone to come by and pick you up, or you can change your tire and modify your goal for the day and feel the greater satisfaction of completing a task through an adversity.

Of course we want each person to build muscle, lose fat and improve physically to their personal best. However, the further reaching effects of exercise on mental health and the ability to remain resilient is a life skill that can help carry you through any life event and situation.

Here’s to reaching your Personal Best.