“You
may be disappointed if you fail but you’ve lost if you
don’t try.”
– Beverly
Sills
Eat
Only MacDonald’s for 30 Days?!
Did
you hear about the crazy experiment undertaken by 48-year
old Chazz Weaver
of Southern California to eat only MacDonald’s
meals for 30 days straight? You might be very surprised
by the results.
He
says he lost 8 pounds of body fat. His blood pressure
went
from 111/78 to 121/81, still considered good. And
his cholesterol: in total it went up 6%, but that was
due to an 80% increase in his HDL (good cholesterol).
His LDL (bad cholesterol) dropped two points. And his
triglycerides improved 42%. In addition, he is quoted
as saying that his strength and energy did not diminish
and that he had no negative side effects, “not
even a headache or a mood swing,” reported by the
Orange County Register.
What
struck me about this experiment is Chazz’ passion
for truth in this industry and the clear message that
each one of us must take personal responsibility for
our health and fitness.
Why
didn’t he gain weight, but instead lost it?
You may have guessed that it was exercise: he exercised
six days a week for 75-90 minutes each day. Here’s
a quote from Chazz’ website:
“
I am saying that exercise was the reason for my improvements
and not the fact that I only ate McDonald’s food
for 30 days. If you were to take exercise out of the
equation, I would have gained 30 to 40 pounds of body
fat, and I can not tell you how my cholesterol would
have reacted; this is where education becomes very important.” While
I have no intention of going on this 30-day diet,
I love how
this experiment highlights what we know: calories
in, calories out. No one nutrient (carbs, protein, fat)
makes us gain weight. It’s the balance, and exercise
is a critical component in that equation. Critical! Point
made?
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Free
Power Walk Session with Heart Rate Training
When:July 8th and 9th
Time: 12:10-12:40
Where: City Park
(Corner of North Shore Drive and Roosevelt.
Across from Tennis Courts)
If you find yourself asking "where
should my heart rate be while working out?" Then
this is a class you don't want to miss! Individual
heart rate training to make
your workouts more efficient and effective. But more
importantly so you have the upper edge you need to
reach your fitness
goals.
Please RSVP by the morning of
July 8th. Call 846-1525.
If raining, will reschedule!
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Toning
that lower body – the lunge gets it all!
Sometimes you don’t have time
for a full workout and you need to make the most of the time
you do have. One way
to do that for your lower body is with lunges.
The lunge gets it all – your thighs (front and back),
glutes (butt) and it engages your inner and outer thighs for
balance. It works intrinsic muscles (those you “never
knew you had”) to balance you during the move. You also
use your core muscles (abs and back) to keep you upright.
Here’s what the lunge looks
like:
right leg forward– switch off legs
From the down position pictured above, press back up to starting
position using your right leg. If you really focus on pressing
through that front foot and pushing your heel into the ground,
you can really work that side of glutes.
Make sure to keep your posture straight
(head over shoulder, shoulders over hips… you get the
idea) throughout the entire move. Do not let your knee bend
past the front of your
toes. In fact, keep the front knee at no more than a 90 degree
bend. And never touch the back knee to the ground. There is
no need to bend so far down.
You’re busy so I like to share
exercises that help you to make the most of the time that
you do have. There are a
variety of ways to do this, the lunge being one of them. Keep
reading future issues for more tips on how to make the best
use of your workout time.
Please note:
The lunge is not a beginner’s move. If you’ve never
tried a lunge before, ask your fitness coach or trainer for
guidance. If you have bad knees or experience pain, stop – use
a different exercise.
Oh,
Sweet Sugar
Which of the following is sugar known to cause?
- Obesity High cholesterol
- High blood pressure Cavities
- Weight gain Diabetes
If you said cavities, and only cavities,
you are correct. It is the only health affect that has
been proven in
studies to be caused by sugar. You
may be shocked to find out that there is no strong
evidence that supports the claim of sugar
causing weight gain or obesity.
It is too many calories that will cause you to gain weight,
whether it’s sugar or any other food/beverage.
If you find that your excess calories come from sugar, here
are some ways to moderate your intake but still enjoy:
- Split dessert with a friend when
out to eat. If you’ve
had a meal to begin with, eating an entire dessert would likely
fill you up too much anyway. Also consider eating less of your
entrée.
- Do not forbid yourself sugar. Studies show that you can
only restrict it for so long. Restriction leads to
binging, causing you to eat far more than you would have
otherwise.
- Experiment with sweets that are lower in calories.
In the summer, I love a cup of strawberries with
a little whipped
cream. It satisfies me while supplying a punch of
vitamin C
at the same time, all with minimal calories. Speaking
of which, this is the time to enjoy those fruits
we only get
for a few
months out of the year. Enjoy!
Tasty Black Bean Salsa Get your fiber fix and a healthy dose of iron with this easy
recipe:
-
2 – 15 oz cans of black
beans (drained and rinsed)
-
1
small to medium jicama (peeled and chopped)
-
6 TBS fresh
Lime Juice
-
3 to 6 tblsp olive oil (as desired)
-
1 ½ tsp ground
cumin
-
½ cup chopped red onion
-
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
-
½ tsp salt
-
1 cup peeled and seeded chopped tomato
-
1 tsp seeded and
chopped fine jalapeño (use the whole
jalapeño for extra spice)
Mix together everything except tomato. Cover and refrigerate
over night. Add chopped tomato before serving. Serve with tortillas
(for extra fiber use sprouted whole wheat tortillas) warmed
in olive oil.
Message from the
President:
 I
am becoming more aware of how we talk to ourselves. Of course
I can study myself 24/7 but in my business I find other good
subjects to learn from.
Have you ever noticed
what you say to yourself? If you miss a workout do you say, “That’s okay, I know I can
squeeze in 20 minutes before I get in the shower tomorrow morning” or
do you say something more like, “I never stick with anything
for long – how can I expect to lose weight at this rate?” If
you’re like 98% of people I know, it’s the later.
What if a child
(yours or one that you know) were to make a mistake? Would
you talk to that child the same way you talk
to yourself? Most certain your answer is “no.” You’d
consider it abusive or at the very least mean. The child would
not feel supported and their self esteem would take a beating.
But we’re no different. Say something else, something
better to yourself. See what happens.
To your health,
Amy Lundberg
Aim For It, President
Struggling with trying to lose weight?
Fed up with diets and worthless exercise? Call 800-388-8137
for support!
If you know someone who would benefit from a complimentary
subscription to The Fitness Motivation Monitor, please contact
our office at 800-388-8137. |
