Linda's Story

That's right, I have another success story to share.  If you've read everything I've written so far, you'll have read a little bit about my story which led to me being able to share Tina's story.  Well, Tina's story has led to another success story; this time, it's a lady named Linda.

A couple of months ago, Linda approached me.  She knows Tina and said she had seen how I helped Tina.  She wondered if I could help her, too.  We sat down and talked for a little bit about her goals and what she wanted to do.  Because of health reasons, she wasn't ready to start formal exercise, but she walks constantly at work and as much as possible outside of work.  She couldn't do much, due to painful bone spurs in her feet, as well as other foot problems.  But she did what she could.

Understanding this, we decided to simply talk nutrition.  She asked questions, and I answered them to the best of my knowledge, experience, and ability.  Finally, I asked her if she had a piece of paper; she pulled out a grocery store receipt.  I pulled out my pen and--on the back of this receipt--wrote down a sample nutritional plan for one day.  We talked about it, and she decided she would give it a try.  I reminded her that I was a certified personal trainer, not a certified dietitian, and her response was, "I know.  But I've seen how you've changed, and I've seen how you helped Tina."  So, she took my plan and was very excited.

Over the months, she has given me occasional updates about how things are going for her.  Today, along with telling me that she has lost 27 pounds in a couple months, she gave me the most exciting news I have heard from her yet.  Following are some of the things she said during our conversation:

"I feel so good!"

"I've had a hard time staying on my diet through Christmas, but I'm getting back on it on Monday... and I've been able to maintain my weight throughout the holidays.  I've lost 27 pounds, and I haven't put any back on."

"I'm no longer tired.  I used to go home and just sleep, and I don't feel like that anymore!"

"The doctor is surprised that I can walk without my bone spurs hurting at all."

"I don't have to have that foot surgery now... because of all the weight I've lost!"

The 27 pounds in a few months, yes that is exciting.  But no pain from her bone spurs, that's cool!  And not having to get foot surgery because she's dropped the weight, that is just downright awesome!!!  She was obviously very excited about that, and that makes me excited, too!  This is why I decided to get into this: to help people improve their quality of life.

Way to go, Linda!

Happy New Year!!!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas, Hanukkah, or other holiday.  If you celebrate Kwanzaa, I hope you're enjoying your holiday season, as well.  Though different cultures, regions, religions, or nations celebrate different holidays, there is at least one that is world-wide: New Year's. (Ok, so there's the Chinese New Year's that is different from the "regular" New Year's, but it's still a new year celebration.)  And along with the universal celebration of New Year's comes the almost universal tradition of setting new year's resolutions.  Even if you don't want to call it a resolution, most everybody will set themselves a goal or two for the new year.  Whether it's to find a new job, advance in your current job, finish or go back to school, start a family, exercise more, eat better, watch less TV, read a new book, or whatever it may be.

One of my goals for the new year, or a resolution, is to take at least one first place age group finish in an Olympic distance triathlon (click here for an explanation of different triathlon distances). Another one of my goals is to use my race season as a fund raising effort for a charitable group.  I have a couple groups in mind, but haven't decided on anything yet.  I need to do this soon, as well as contact the charity to see what I need to do to get this going.  I have never done anything like this before, but I think it will be a great experience.

What about you?  What are some of your resolutions, or goals for the new year? 

If any of them have to do with fitness, I would love to be a part of it.  Whether you want to lose weight, pass a fitness test, run your first 5K or marathon, I would love to help!  I just re-certified my NSCA-cpt last night, so I'm good to go!  Check out my personal training page--look for the link on the right side of this page, or simply click here to go right to the page--to see what will work best for you. 

To help out even more, I am also offering a special for anybody who signs up with me in January:

If you sign up (in January) for a 6-month program at Timpanogos Fitness, there will be no charge for your fitness assessment; this is a $35 value!

If you sign up with me (again, in January only) for 6 months (at your home/outside of Timpanogos Fitness), your first session will be free!  This is a $20-$50 value, depending on where you live and how long the sessions are that you want.

I hope everybody has a very happy New Year's celebration, and I wish you all the best for the coming year.  May it be one of happiness, joy, love, hard work, determination, new adventures, old traditions, and success in your worthwhile causes! 

Happy New Year!!!

12 Days of Christmas

Merry Christmas, everyone!  I am home alone Christmas Eve morning.  I really wanted to still be sleeping right now, but my body decided it's time to wake up.  And it's not listening to me when I tell it to go back to sleep.  So I decided I would send out this little Christmas present to everyone.

As this is a blog about fitness, my Christmas gift to you is a "12 Days of Christmas" style workout.  This is what we did at boot camp Thursday morning, and then I adapted it a little for all my personal training clients.  Below, you will find a list of twelve exercises.  For some, you will need a pair of dumbbells.  The way you want to do this workout is to do one rep of the first exercise, followed by two reps of the second and one rep of the first.  Then you'll do 3 reps of the third, 2 reps of the second, and one of the first.  Follow that up with 4 reps of the fourth, 3 reps of the third, 2 reps of the second, and one rep of the first.  Keep adding exercises, with the number of the exercise corresponding to how many reps you will do of that exercise, until you have done 12 reps of the twelfth exercise, 11 of the eleventh, 10 reps of the tenth, 9 of the ninth, 8 of the eighth, 7 reps of the seventh, 6 of the sixth, 5 of the fifth, 4 of the fourth, 3 reps of the third, 2 of the second, and one rep of the first exercise.  Just like the song, but a lot less annoying... and a lot better for your health and pocket book, too! Enjoy!

1. Ladder Run (or 30 seconds of Mountain Climbers, if you don't have a marked basketball court for ladders)

2. Stupids (Start on your hands and toes.  Keeping your body flat and your feet still, walk your hands out as far as you can, and then walk your feet back in to the starting position.)

3. Single leg Squats (3 per leg)

4. Alternating Push-Up Planks (Start on your hands and toes again, in a push-up position. Walk your arms down so you're now resting on your forearms, in a plank position.  And then walk back up into a push-up position.  That is one rep.)

5. Burpees  (start standing. Drop down to a crouching position with your hands on the ground.  Using your hands for support, kick your feet out behind you, do a quick push-up, then bring your feet forward again, and jump as high as you can in the air, extending your arms up above your head.)

6. Russian Twists (Sit on the floor with feet elevated so that your balancing on your tailbone.  Grab a dumbbell in your hands and twist side to side, letting the dumbbell touch the ground on each side.  For this exercise, touch the dumbbell to each side 6 times.)

7. Lunges with a Hammer Curl (This one will also be 7 lunges per leg.  Each time you lunge forward, do one hammer curl, which is simply a bicep curl but with palms rotated inward so that they are facing each other.  Of course, you'll need your set of dumbbells for this one, too.)

8. Leg Lifts (Lay on the ground with legs fully extended.  Keeping your legs as straight as possible, raise them up off the ground as high as you can, and then lower them again without letting your feet touch the ground before starting the next lift.)

9. Single Leg Hip Raises (Again, while lying on the ground, bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the ground.  Now lift one leg up in the air.  Keeping that leg up in the air, raise your hips up towards the ceiling as high as you can, and then lower your hips without letting them touch the ground before starting the next lift.  Do 9 on these, and then switch which leg is in the air and do 9 more.)

10. Squats with Shoulder Press (You'll need your dumbbells for this one again.  Holding the dumbbells by your ears (palms facing forward), squat down as far as you can go, pushing your butt back so that your knees don't go out past your toes. As you stand back up, make sure you're pushing up through your heels, and fully extend your arms up over your head.  Lower your arms back to the starting position, and begin your next squat.)

11. Single Leg Calf Raises (Stand on one leg and raise up on that toe as high as you can.  Do this next to a wall if you need help with balance.  You can hold your dumbbells in your hands to increase resistance.  Or, to increase the range of motion, do this on a stair and--as you come down--let your heel drop below level; just make sure you have a wall or railing to hold on to.)

12. Jumping Jacks (Yup, just like when you were in Third grade!)

Merry Christmas!!!

Suggestions for Surviving the Holidays: Increase Your Metabolism without Thinking (too much)

After giving some tips to help control food cravings, I figured I would share some tips I have about exercise.  These are some simple ways to increase thermogenesis (burn more calories) without thinking too much.

Perhaps you have heard the acronym N.E.A.T.  Maybe you haven't heard of it, or you have but don't know what it means.  N.E.A.T.  stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.  It is simply a fancy way of saying, "burning calories in ways other than a formal exercise or training session."  So, how can you increase N.E.A.T. without exercising?  Here are some of my suggestions.

Walk
Simple enough, right?  Believe it or not, most people don't walk as far or as fast as they think.  Studies have shown that the speed with which you walk has some influence on how long you will live; the faster you walk, the greater the chances of living longer.  How?  The increased speed strengthens both your heart and lungs. However, there is no reason to suddenly make speed walking your normal walking pace. Simply try increasing the speed you walk just a little.  If you typically take 30 steps in 60 seconds, try speeding up to 30 steps in 50 seconds.

With the faster walking, try walking a little bit more everyday.  Buy a pedometer; these are cheap and easy to use.  Clip it on your belt or pants, and it does the counting for you.  Track how many steps you take, and try to increase that number by a mere 25 steps per day.  If on Monday, you take 10,000 steps, take 10,025 on Tuesday, 10,050 on Wednesday, 10,075 on Thursday, and so on.  By the next Monday, you'll be taking 175 more steps than you did the week before! Some simple ideas to help with getting in more steps each day include: parking farther away than you usually would when you go to a store or holiday party, taking a couple trips to the car when you get home from shopping (instead of lining your arms with all 10 bags at once), using the stairs instead of the elevator, and getting up to change the channel or volume on the TV (instead of using the remote).

Fidget
This one's easy.  Movement burns calories.  Sure, the speed or intensity with which you move will determine how many calories you burn; the higher the intensity, the greater the rate of calorie burn.  But tapping your toe or heel while you sit at your computer updating your facebook status will burn more calories than if you just sit still while working on the computer.  A couple other ways to do this: tap your toe while listening to music, twiddle your thumbs while standing in line at the grocery store instead of reading the tabloids, adjust the way you sit in your chair every couple of minutes (as often as possible without annoying others), or stretch your shoulders while you walk.  Sure, these won't burn a ton of extra calories, but there are studies that suggest that fidgeters tend to be leaner.

Ditch the chair
Ok, so this one isn't always possible, but try standing more often.  The same studies that suggest that fidgeters tend to be leaner also suggest that people who stand more during the day also tend to be leaner.  This will also help strengthen your leg muscles a little more, as you will have to depend on those muscles, rather than the chair, to hold you up.

Another way to do this is to replace the office chair with an exercise ball.  Though this may not always be possible at your place of employment, you can easily do this at home.  Depending on which medicine ball you get, and where you get it from, they can cost about $10... which is a LOT less than an office chair.  As it attempts to roll around, you will have to use your abdomen, lower back, and even some leg muscles to stabilize the ball.  This will not only help you fidget without realizing that you're fidgeting, but it will also strengthen your ab and lower back muscles specifically.  And muscles burn more calories at rest than fat does, so stronger muscles will help you burn more calories.

Move while watching TV
Instead of fast-forwarding the Tivo or DVR during commercials, get up and move around.  Do some crunches, push-ups, or even tricep dips off the edge of the sofa.  Maybe try jogging in place or do some jumping jacks.  You can even do this during a particularly boring part of the show or TV movie, rather than just waiting for the commercials.

Enjoy the season
Again, this is a time of joy.  Enjoy the lights, the songs, the parties and gatherings (without over-indulging), and everything else that goes along with this wonderful holiday season. Kiss your significant other under the mistletoe (or anywhere else that is appropriate); this raises the heart rate which translates into burning some extra calories.  And don't forget to laugh; this is another great calorie burner!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!!!

Suggestions for Surviving the Holidays: How to Curb Your Food Cravings instantly

The Holiday season is in full swing.  Thanksgiving is over, and Christmas is close at hand.  This is a wonderful time of year for family gatherings, company parties, staying in on a cold winter night, and snuggling in front of a warm fire.  It also typically seems to be the time of year when everybody complains about gaining weight. With this in mind, I would like to give a few suggestions to help you limit or completely stop any holiday weight gain.  Yes, it is even possible to lose weight during the holidays.  

Everybody, I'm sure, recognizes the main cause for holiday weight gain: eating too much.  And not just eating too much, but eating too much of the sweets, treats, goodies, etc.  These are the same things that cause weight gain any other time of year, but they are in more abundance during the holiday season.  And with more abundance seems to come more cravings.

Food cravings can attack us all, from the 5-time Ironman finisher to the newly-recovering couch potato. They are unavoidable, and to deny their existence will make you more vulnerable when they attack. The best thing to do is to have strategies in place to combat cravings and to meet them head on. Here are some great tricks to curb those cravings:

Stop Cravings Before They Start.

Cravings often occur when your body is missing some nutrient or type of food that your diet has been lacking. You can prevent them by making sure you're eating small, well-balanced meals and snacks throughout the day. As a matter of fact, if you're eating whole foods every 3-4 hours, your belly will stay relatively full and your blood sugar will stay level. Without dangerous dips in your blood sugar, you're less likely to crave quick fixes like simple carbs or bad fats.

Hydrate!

Did you know that sometimes what our brains register as hunger is actually our bodies trying to tell us that we're dehydrated? Yes, your body can mistake thirst for hunger.  The next time a craving hits you out of nowhere, make it a point to drink a full glass of water. Not only will it fight "hydration pangs," it'll also curb your cravings by filling your stomach.

Distract Your Taste Buds.

Sometimes cravings hit because you're stressed or bored and your mouth needs something to do. A great trick is to pop a piece of sugarless gum or a breath mint. The burst of flavor will refocus your palate and nip that craving in the bud. Usually when your mouth is already full there's no room to want anything more.

Don't Eat. Act.

Sit down and make a list of 10 things that you can do instead of succumbing to your cravings. Keep the list close at hand and refer to it often. It may sound cheesy, but it's a great weapon against those pesky cravings. Your list might include going for a walk, taking a quick shower, playing with a pet, or chatting with a loved one. The point is to focus your attention elsewhere and recondition your mind to crave something more active instead of the food you don't need.

Rule Your Cravings with an Iron Fist.

Sometimes it's less about craving a particular food and more about general impulse control. The next time you are hit with a diet-busting craving, clench your fists as you tell yourself that you will not indulge. Research has shown that the physical activity of clenching your fists can help you assert control and be conscientious in your decision making.

Remember: Sharing Is Caring...For Yourself

If you just can't resist a piece of cheesecake or that side of fries, try splitting one serving with a friend. There are three reasons why this strategy halts the damage cravings can inflict on your fitness goals. First, you'll get a satisfying taste, preventing you from feeling deprived and possibly opening yourself up to a dangerous binge later on. Second, by splitting the portion you instantly cut down on the calories and bring your treat down to manageable levels of sugar, fat, and sodium. Lastly, you get instant support in your healthy decision from your like-minded friend. Just make sure you and your cravings-buddy split a single portion - not an entire extra large everything pizza.  

Enjoy the Season!

These are not new tips, and are not exclusive to me, but hopefully they will prove helpful.  Most of all, remember to enjoy this holiday season.  Cherish your friends and family. Smile a little more.  Look for more opportunities to help others.  If others try to help you, accept their service gratefully.  Sing the songs of the holiday season.  Laugh! 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

The first run in my new shoes

It's been less than two days, and I am loving my new shoes already. I have really been wanting to get in a run in them, rather than just wearing them around the house, so this morning I made it happen.  I met with a client for half an hour at 6:00 a.m., and my next appointment isn't until 8, so I strapped on my shoes and went for a run.  I am trying to allow myself plenty of time to transition into this new type of shoe, so I decided not to go too far or too fast.  After a five-minute warm-up on the treadmill, I let my speed top off at 6 mph, which is a ten-minute mile.  I just went for 1 mile and then let the treadmill take me into a cool-down.

It wasn't far or fast, but it sure felt good! Even in such a short time and distance, I could feel the difference these shoes make.  My leg muscles did have to work a little differently, but it felt so much better than any other shoe I have run in (which, admittedly, has not been a whole lot: Asics, Sauconys, and Newtons). And my forefoot and toes finally have the room they need!  Yes, my fat feet could relax and run as if I didn't have a shoe constricting them.

Perhaps the most telling thing, though, is how they feel now.  I still have some time before my next client, so as I write this, I am also doing an upper body weight work-out.  Usually after a run, I want to get my feet out of my shoes as quickly as possible.  I've done weight work-outs barefoot before, just because I had to get my shoes off to let my feet breathe and relax.  Today, I still have my shoes on as I do my weight work-out (and take occasional breaks to write), and it feels really good!  The Altra box was right: it actually feels like I'm wearing slippers, not shoes! But these are "slippers" with enough support that I can run in them!

I love these shoes, and now I can't wait to start getting in some longer runs in these things!!!

My new running shoes

Have you ever given or received an early Christmas present?  Have you ever bought yourself a Christmas present?  Well, today, I kind of did both of those. A couple weeks ago, I received a holiday bonus from one of my jobs, and today I received a rewards card from my bank. So I went out and bought myself an early Christmas present: a new pair of running shoes!

They aren't just any running shoes; they are shoes that I have wanted almost all year long.  They're a relatively new brand (hit the market back in April or May) and are Competitor Magazine's editor's pick for most innovative shoe of 2011.  I am the new owner of a pair of Altra Instincts!

What makes these shoes so special?  Well, take a look and you will see.

Do you see what makes them different?

In most running shoes, the sole at the heel is almost--or exactly--twice as thick as at the forefoot. In the first picture of my new Instincts, however, you'll notice that the thickness of the sole at the heel is just as thick as the sole at the forefoot. Altra calls this "Zero Drop." This allows a more natural, mid- foot strike when running, which leads to less impact and shock being absorbed by the knees. Hopefully this will help alleviate the sore IT band that I've been nursing all year.

According to the brochure that came with my shoes, this Zero Drop will also strengthen the Achilles tendon and lower calf, both of which have been "neutralized" by "a lifetime of wearing an elevated heel..."  I've only worn them for a couple of hours today, but I can tell you that I can already feel them working my calves more. I'm sure this is partially because my calves are already sore from yesterday's lower body work-out that included 30 seated calf raises, 65 single-leg standing calf raises (per leg), and 75 double-leg standing calf raises (alternating between toes straight, toes in, and toes out), but that soreness just made it easier to tell the difference when I put on this new pair.

As for the other main difference, you'll notice in the second and third pictures that the front of the shoe does not look normal, either.  Instead of coming to a point (and squishing the toes together) as most running shoes do, Altra has copied the shape of the foot.  Again according to the brochure, this "helps alleviate forefoot pain, bunions, neuromas, and other pathologies.  Toes spread naturally and relax in the shoe. [The] foot maintains its proper anatomical position. [This] allows for maximum shock absorption and powerful toe-off."  I haven't run in them yet, nor have I worn them enough to attest for all this professional sounding stuff, but I can't tell you how comfortable they are!!!  I have relatively wide feet (or at least I think of them that way), and it has been impossible to find shoes that don't feel like they're squeezing my feet... until now!!!  My feet finally have room!

Now I just can't wait to run in them!!!