Michael and Margo Summer 09

Our summer vacation will be climbing the pyramids near Luxor in August.
We should probably start hydrating now!!!

There is no alcohol in Saudi Arabia, and actually, the Arabs do not eat many sweets.
Their sweets taste different than ours, and I do not favor them.
They do not have ice cream like we are used to, which is my weakness.
The move to Riyadh alone should benefit my health, which is part of the reason I accepted the position.

Other activities include golfing in the compound, and dodging bullets outside of the compound.
Also, high stress makes me eat less, so I think I am well positioned to loose weight and get fit this summer.

In October, we'll brave the rains in Indian to visit Kerala, the fertility goddess, and then make the long trek to the Taj Mahal.
Then we'll burn a few more calories in the mountainous forests near Kerala, in our constant attempt to make a baby ... don't tell Margo I said that!

Hopefully we'll end the year more fit than we began it.

I want this to be my goal for life.

Thanks to you and Steve for putting right in my face ... in a good way ...
in the only way I have ever been able to recognize it!

Regards,

-mg

Summer 09

My new series is labeled, summer 09. You will find what other clients and trainers are doing this summer to live their goal and not just wish for it. For related articles, click on the "summer 09" Label.

Send me your stories, pictures, or video about how you are living the goal and I will post them on the blog.

Justin List
Owner Better Bodies Campbell
318-3488

One Fit Summer

ONE FIT SUMMER

Sorry to be away for so long. Well spring is here and summer not too far after. The drive from the New Year resolutions is no longer at the wheel and our good eating and consistency are fading. So what do we do to get back to progress?
The best thing is to set a goal. Now that it is getting warmer, we are wearing less clothes and that means that we can’t hide those 5 to 10 pounds that we have gained. Or maybe we have not been diligent on our stretching or cardio. So let’s do it. Let’s set some goals. Go get a piece of paper and something to write with. If you don’t have 15 or 20 minutes to do this exercise, then stop here and come back when you have time. Don’t read on until you have time to give 100% to this exercise.
O.K., Now that you have time, let’s get started. You should be the only thing on your mind right now as you are taking a few minutes for yourself to plan the next phase of your life and it will impact everyone you know. Now take the paper and make three columns from top to bottom. Take 20 seconds to close your eyes and clear your mind as you take deep long breaths. Take your pen and in the first column I want you to list how you feel about yourself. Write the first 5 things that come to your mind in order from first to last, both good and bad. Now in the next column, write the same five things except this time write them in order from top to bottom with which you have the most control over to the least control over. In the third column write what action you can do to change the things that need change, and write what action can maintain the items that you want to stay the same. (For example, if first is a weight issue then you might put eating as an action, and if an item is that you have lots of energy then you might put to keep getting enough sleep to maintain the good feeling.)
By now you should be learning about where your priorities are. You have just set a course of action for your next phase of life. Good work. The next thing I want you to do is make another list. This list is of what you will be doing this summer or for the next several months. It can be work, a project at home, start a hobby, vacation, etc. Compare the two lists and see if they are related. Is your list of summer activities consistent with your goals or plan of action? All too often we want to be in better shape in one form or another but our plans are in a different direction.
For example, if we want to be in better physical condition, plan an active vacation. Go to the Grand Canyon and challenge yourself to a hike. If your goal is to eat better, plan a vacation around eating healthy. If you want lower cholesterol and you are working hard to get your numbers under 200, don’t plan a vacation that is surrounded by little to no activity and “good eating” i.e.: desserts, alcohol, and fattening foods. So don’t plan a cruise to just sit, eat, and drink.
This summer I challenge you to treat yourself and plan your activities to be consistent with your program and goals. Now let’s plan an awesome summer and remember that healthy doesn’t have to be boring. We need to get our life consistent with our goals. Get more out of life, you deserve it.
I would like for you to write in about your summer activities and how they relate to your goals.

Enjoy Life,
Justin List
Justinlist1@gmail.com

Before and After; Teri Bohr

I got on the scale one day and it topped 190. That was a little too close to 200 for me. I knew I had to do something. I went in to see the folks at better bodies on Campbell and Ft. Lowell and started working out with Will. At my heaviest I was 192 pounds and I am now at 155 pounds. I am a 35 years old and 5' 7" tall.


One of the first things I learned was that working out was not enough. I needed to get healthy and start eating right. Sticking primarily to protein (chicken, beef, seafood and eggs) and vegetables and cutting out sugar, breads and starchy vegetables was the general idea. I stuck to the program and lost 30 pounds in about 6 months.


I was very happy with the weight loss and over time I started loosening up on my diet. A year and a half later I found that I had gained 15 pounds back! I knew I had to get back on track with my diet. I was still working out and Justin (manager) was sending out e-mails to keep in touch with the clients at the Campbell location. In one of these e-mails he told us about a 6-week contest for weight loss and overall change. It was perfect timing and great motivation to get me going again. In six weeks I lost 20 pounds (175 lbs at the start, 155 lbs at end), 14 inches and about 4% body fat. I am now at my lowest weight yet of 155 pounds.


Overall I lost 35 pounds, about 10% body fat and over 31 inches (10" in my waist and 6" in my hips!) since I started with Better Bodies. I did it by eating right, working out for an hour twice a week with Will and doing cardio on my own (about 3 hours a week). I feel great and I'm in better shape than I have been since I was in college.


Thanks to Justin and Will at Better Bodies Campbell location for keeping me going!


Teri Bohr

"I lost 40 pounds"

BETTER BODIES TESTIMONIAL


I recently celebrated my 65Th birthday, and was pleased to recognize that I’m in better shape today than I have been for the past 30 years. My husband and I committed to a healthier lifestyle three years ago, and joined Better Bodies on Campbell Avenue when it first opened. Our trainer, Will Rogers, is knowledgeable, personable and strong, and works to get the best results for each of us. I have lost 40 pounds, and now have really firm legs, a strong core and good balance. Will keeps track of the exercises and weights, so we can just show up and work hard. He has also motivated me to get more cardio exercise and find ways to avoid my worst weight-management bugaboo – after dinner snacking. We are both really pleased with our own better bodies.

Karen Phillips

Calculating Fat Intake

What should our fat intake be?

20% or less of our calories should come from fat. This is not as hard as it sounds. For every 50 calories you are allowed 1gm of fat.

50 calories per serving, 1gm of fat.
100 calories per serving, 2gms of fat.
150 calories per serving, 3gms of fat and so on.

For better results and faster weight loss, never take in more than 3 gms of fat per serving. So even if there is 250 calories in a serving, you still do not want there to be more than 3gms of fat.

MATH: 1gm of fat has 9 calories
1gm of protein has 4 calories
1gm of carbohydrates has 4 calories
1gm of alcohol has 7 calories (almost as much as fat).

If you have any questions, email me at justinlist1@gmail.com

Pregnancy and Exercise

Always consult with your physician before beginning an exercise program. The basic rule of thumb is that if you are currently exercising as you become pregnant, you can resume exercise at the same level of intensity. It is not reccomended to add or increase exercise once you become pregnant.

Of course there are many things to take into consideration while developing a program during pregnancy. This is why working with a trained professional is such a great benifit. Knowing the do's and don'ts to be able to accomplish the following. In the following are some of the benefits for pregnant women who engage in properly designed prenatal exercise programs (adapted from ACSM 2000):

* Improved cardiovascular and muscular fitness
* Facilitated recovery from labor
* Faster return to prepregnancy weight, strength, and flexibility levels
* Reduced postpartum belly
* Reduced back pain during pregnancy
* More energy reserve
* Fewer obstetric interventions
* Shorter active phase of labor and less pain
* Less weight gain
* Enhanced maternal psychological well-being that may reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression often experienced during pregnancy
* Increased likelihood of adopting permanent healthy lifestyle habits.
* May also be beneficial in the primary prevention of gestational diabetes.

Some research has revealed reduced birth weight in babies whose mothers performed high-intensity exercise throughout their pregnancy. The lower birth weight was approximately 300 to 350 grams (10 to 12 ounces) and apparently resulted from a decreased amount of subcutaneousous fat in the newborn. There are no documented adverse fetal effects related to exercise-induced fetal heart rate changes.

There are more benifits like less back pain, leading to less need for drugs during delivery and shorter labor.

Exercise selection and safety are our first concern. As you can see we take our job and safety very serious and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask.


Health for Life,

Justin List