Lose Some Serious Fat!

Are you desperate to lose fat?

Have joined the ranks of the insanely bored, yet focused cardio worshippers?

Do you feel guilty if you have not spent your hour a day rocking the elliptical machine?

Is your whole workout ruined if someone beat you to the only functioning, coveted
“revolving stair case” ? (Otherwise known as the death mill)

If so, then allow me to be sac-religious for a moment:

“Endurance Exercise is NOT a necessity for fat loss.”

Yes, I said it.

If you don’t like doing endurance work, stop doing it!

You can lose fat rapidly either WITH it or WITHOUT it!

You choose.

Exercising is about being healthy. And we all know that if we don’t like something, the chances of us continuing to do it after the novelty has worn off, is nil, and we NEED to continue doing it for our health’s sake.

Don’t you have anything you’d like to spend those extra hours doing besides ‘penance’ for eating an extra cookie at the office Christmas party? (We’ll talk about your unhealthy relationship with food at a later date.)

Now, I realize there is a place for endurance work. You may be training for a distance challenge, or possibly even really ENJOY the exercise itself. But this indeed would be a rarity. Most of us just either want to get in shape, or stay that way.

So, how can we lose fat rapidly without doing copious amounts of cardio?

Simple: Incorporate a nutritionally dense eating style and learn to implement anaerobic exercise. (The kind that leaves you gasping for breath!)

It’s not a single answer. You can’t lose your fat and keep your muscle without making changes in your diet, AND building some sweat equity working with weights.

So, here’s the bottom line:

Get a plan, a strategy together to make these two things happen in your life.

1. Eat a nutrient rich diet with 90% of your foods coming from plants. (Soups and Salads are a GREAT way to get this accomplished.)

2. Learn to perform High Intensity Interval Training.

If you are new to the concept of eating clean, and eating for nutritional excellence, I’d like to introduce you to Dr. Joel Fuhrman who is providing an important catalyst for a much needed paradigm shift in our approach to healthcare and weight loss.

Purchase any of his books, or even his audio book, Eat for Health (my personal favorite) as a gift for yourself for Christmas and spend the holidays becoming educated in what it will take to implement the most effective weight loss and disease prevention and reversal method ever.

But beware of the side effects!

Incorporating a Nutrient Dense Eating Style may cause unintentional reversal of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, arthritis, IBS, wrinkling skin, allergies and many other annoying and life threatening issues.

As for Learning to perform High Intensity Interval Training, let’s start very simply:

As applies to any exercise prescription, please check with your doctor to be sure this will be a safe activity for you. I know very few doctors who wouldn’t want their clients to walk…so don’t use this as an excuse to delay beginning your wellness journey.

Lace up your tennis shoes, grab a watch with a second hand and walk out your front door.

Step One: Walk for 5 minutes just to warm up your joints. Easy does it.

Step Two: Walk as fast as you can (and I do mean fast) for 1 full minute.

Step Three: Walk slowly to recover for 2 full minutes.

That’s Round One.

Repeat Step Two and Three 4 more times for a total of 15 minutes of Interval Training.

Step Four: Walk for 5 minutes to cool down.

That’s it.

Now, for those of you who are much more advanced and accomplished. Implement this same protocol, but utilize a more strenuous approach:

Jumproping (Fast Jumping 1 minute/Slow jumping 2 minutes)

Treadmill running (Sprint speed 1 minute/Jogging speed 2 minutes)

Cycling: (Fast and difficult gear for 1 minute/Slower and easier gear for 2 minutes.)

You get the idea. Anything that will bring your heart rate up will suffice.

I will post other HIIT workout ideas utilizing weights and cardio throughout the holiday season. Stay tuned.

Spend your holiday season getting prepared for a Fit and Fabulous 2010. Read, practice eating with nutrient density in mind and practice some HIIT.

If you live in Lakeland, Florida and you’re looking for some guidance in holistic dramatic fat loss utilizing the principles I mention here, you will want to check out this opportunity:

Here’s the Website with all the information you need to participate in the premiere weight loss and educational event in Lakeland, Florida.

Lean Out Lakeland

Beginning January 18th, 100 Lakeland individuals will be participating in a Team Weight Loss Contest geared to educate and empower their health and wellness. We have a few places left.

Are you ready to change? We’re here to help you make the permanent lifestyle change you know you need. Stop the endless treadmill cycle. Get it done! Lose the fat and improve your health!

It’s time for your own personal Wellness Revolution.

Tags: Florida, healthy eating, HIIT, Joel Fuhrman, Lakeland, Lakeland Boot Camp, Lakeland Personal Trainer, Lean Out Lakeland, Nutrient Dense Living, Strategic Boot Camp, Whitney Cabrera
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The Balancing Act

It’s a delicate balance.

It starts from the minute we’re born.

Life requires one balancing act after another!

Babies must learn to sit, pull up, crawl and walk. Balance.

Children learn to ride a bike, play a sport, play active games on the playground. Balance.

Things adults take for granted, the basic functional movements: reaching into the cupboard, bending down to tie a toddler’s shoe, getting in and out of the car, climbing the stairs, putting your pants on. It all requires balance.

Balance skills are not only an integral component of healthy aging, they are absolutely essential to maintain the quality and safety of our lives. The CDC cites accidental falls as the leading cause of death and injury among older adults. A full 30% of adults over age 65 in the United States experience a fall every year. This is unacceptable and can be reversed through excellent nutrition and exercise. Age should never become the sole excuse for restricting movement!

So how is YOUR balance? Here’s a quick test to find out.

Stand up, close your eyes, place one foot in front of the other, heel to toe and imagine (just imagine…don’t do it.) you’re going to walk forward on a straight line. (The basic inebriation test.) Remember, don’t actually move, just hold still, close your eyes and maintain your balance for 30 seconds.

How’d you do?

If you were able to maintain for those 30 seconds, your balance is pretty good! If you were wobbly the second you closed your eyes, or even before, then your balance is poor.

No worries. Balance is something that can be improved, and we SHOULD work to improve it.

Once again, you don’t have to be a member of a gym to workout. There are many easy and enjoyable exercises that can help maintain balance and stability and can be done while you brush your teeth in the morning.

One of the most basic balancing exercises is to practice balancing on one foot. Lift one leg slightly, hold for several seconds, and then change legs. Feel free to hold the back of a chair if you need some help starting out. As this becomes easier, then challenge yourself by lifting your leg higher, extending it out the the side or by reaching up and down with your arms while balancing. Then challenge yourself even further by closing your eyes and repeating these movements. You WILL notice a difference if you simply invest 5 minutes a day in balance challenges.

After you’ve mastered some of the basic balance exercises, you can proceed with some more serious balance training tools/toys. If you’re a gym member, most of these will be provided in your gym. If you’re not a gym member, these balance-training tools are just a click away on your computer, or at your favorite local discount or sporting goods store. Some of these items are pricier than others, and as I’ve said before, equipment isn’t essential-it just takes you to the next level.

Stability ball ($10-$30)

Simply by sitting, lying or leaning on this ball to perform your exercises helps improve balance. One of my favorite tips for my office worker clients is to swap their chair for a ball. Builds that core strength and sharpens balance skills.

Versa Discs ($20-$30)

These little inflatable discs pack quite a punch to your exercise routine. You can sit, kneel or stand on these inflatable discs to increase the intensity of whatever exercise you are doing. Try placing one under each foot while doing bicep curls, or under both hands while doing pushups.

BOSU ball ($100)

BOSU balls are versatile. You can use this to perform a wide variety of exercises that help improve your core strength and balance. The BOSU ball usually comes packaged with exercise helps and sometimes even a video to help. One of my favorite exercises utilizing the BOSU is to hold a moderately heavy set of dumbbells and then perform a squat to an overhead press!

Start NOW. Improvements come quickly.

Balance training is good for people of every age, so get the family involved. Everyone from your preschooler to grandparents can benefit and, because it is so fun, they may not even recognize they are exercising!

Google “balance exercises” to learn more exercises to do to keep your routine fresh. Take a Yoga Class.

While your friends are aging and becoming restricted to life in a chair that has to lift them to their feet, you’ll be thankful that you can leap out of bed, dress yourself with ease, tie your running shoes, and get out to compete in your seasonal triathlon through your 90’s. Keep taking the stairs and working to keep your body finely tuned by adding balance exercises to your daily active lifestyle.

Tags: Balance Training, Improving Balance, Lakeland Personal Trainer, Learning Balance, Strategic Boot Camp, Strategic Wellness, Whitney Cabrera RN
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Sharpen Your Baloney Detector!

You’ve got to be kidding!

I’m not much of a TV watcher. Besides nightly re-runs of “King of Queens” and an occasional ever-perplexing episode of “Lost”, I really have no idea what’s going on out there in TV land. Truthfully, I’m really not interested. I want to experience my own life, not get caught up in someone else’s drama.

Last week however, the TV really did catch my attention. I was making my bed between Boot Camps (you know, as neat as my hubby is, in our 25 years of marriage, I think he’s made it twice) and turned on the TV to try to catch up on the news.

While putting my favorite terry-covered body pillow on the bed, I heard the most blatant deception I have ever experienced in a commercial:

“There is nothing wrong with High Fructose Corn Syrup. It comes from corn and can actually be good for you.”

I nearly tripped on a slipper and passed out.

No wonder we are all confused in America! We’re getting
bombarded on every side with conflicting information.

How about these claims:

1. “Cheerios can help lower your cholesterol”

You’ve got to be kidding. Eating processed grains can actually make your cholesterol rise! Cheerios only has 1 gram of soluble fiber per serving. Ditch the box! Eat the oatmeal, not the highy processed cereal made from oats. Yes, oatmeal is GREAT for you…but the kind God would recognize.

2. “Milk does a body good”

You’ve got to be kidding. Check this link out for some very interesting ideas on milk consumption.

The Milk Letter

Our bodies are not equipped to digest conventional milk. Many of us are intolerant and have no idea that many of our health issues are tied in with pasteurized milk consumption. Did you know that a calf will die after 30 days of drinking pasteurized milk?

If you have to drink milk, organic is a must and raw is a much better choice. My suggestion is to try Lite Almond Milk that has no sugar added.

Commercials are responsible for one thing: Selling us their product. Deception that is duping the public into believing that they’re living a healthy lifestyle is rampant. Sharpen your Baloney detector! Be an informed consumer.

Now, about that High Fructose Corn Syrup.

“There is nothing wrong with High Fructose Corn Syrup. It comes from corn and can actually be good for you.”

You’ve got to be kidding!

The latest stats say that new cases of diabetes have increased by 90% in the last 10 years. That means that diabetes or pre-diabetes will now strike 1 in every 4 Americans!

Scientists have clearly linked, time and time again, the use of HFCS to the epidemics (yes, epidemics) of obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome in America.

But despite all of the hard scientific evidence, the industry persists in claiming these findings are untrue. They feel that HFCS is the same as sugar.

Am I the only one, or does this remind you a bit of the tobacco companies fervent denial of the link between lung cancer and smoking?

Here’s a great video for you to put in your arsenal:

High Fructose Corn Syrup Deception

So, how much High Fructose Corn Syrup is in YOUR diet?
Start reading the labels of the products you have in your home right now. You’ll be shocked to see that it can be found in every type of processed, pre-packaged food that you can think of.

Trying to lose body fat? Check out this research done by Dr. Elizabeth Parks from the UT Southwestern Medical Center.

“Our study shows for the first time the surprising speed with which humans make body fat from fructose. Once you start the process of fat synthesis from fructose, it’s hard to slow it down. The bottom line of this study is that fructose very quickly gets made into fat in your body.”

Trying to improve your overall health? It’s really quite simple. To lose weight and decrease the risk of developing cancer, diabetes, heart disease and many other life-altering illnesses, drink pure water, (distilled is best….but not from the plastic jug), stop drinking soda and processed fruit juices and eat whole foods.

And by all means, refine your baloney detector!

Now, go shut the TV off, will ya?

Enjoying the journey,

Whitney Cabrera BSN, RN

Tags: boot camp, Florida, Lakeland Boot Camp, Lakeland Personal Trainer, Strategic Boot Camp, Strategic Wellness, Whitney Cabrera
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Greens, Greens and More Greens Plus a Blow Your Mind Bosu Workout!

I hope all of you are following our meal plan template to the “T”!

That’s what it’s for…a sure fire way to do what you say you want to do:

“Lose at least 10 pounds.”

Just follow the plan…all you have to do is make sure the food is in your home and then eat them!

You know, you should NEVER have any waste of the veggies you buy every week. If you haven’t tried the “go to” menu quick veggie soup, give it a try! It’s a really easy way to use up those veggies. And, if you haven’t put this together yet, you could drink that soup ANY time you want during the day and not sabotage your weight loss efforts. It’s only veggies and broth. Free foods

The goal I have for you this week is to load your life with greens! I hope I’ve been getting this across to you all, but want to take a few minutes to focus on why.

Clearly science says the following through numerous studies:

Following the plan will help you:

“Achieve optimal weight, eliminate chronic health problems, dramatically
reduce disease risk, regain energy you may have lost years ago, and enjoy a
newfound positive attitude and outlook on life! ”

Now who doesn’t want all of that…and just by changing your eating habits to include more veggies!

At the end of our 8 weeks together, you will find the following daily regimen quite easy to incorporate, but you STILL have to plan for it. It won’t happen on it’s own.

1. 2 lbs. of vegetables, 50-70 percent raw, half of them above-ground greens
2. 3-5 raw fruits
3. 1/2 -1 cup whole grains (cooked and/or sprouted)
4. 1/2- 1 cup legumes (cooked and/or sprouted)
5. 3-6 Tbsp. of fats found in vegetables, nuts, seeds, and the highest-quality
oils that are antioxidant- and lignin-rich, with omega fats (3, 6, and 9)
and essential fatty acids
6. Moderate amounts of lean, free range or organic protein sources.

This list is simple and straight forward. But here’s the adventure: You get the opportunity to learn to make these lifestyle changes in the company of MANY other delightful personalities. It’s more than a lifestyle change towards optimal health; it is a move to an adventure for your taste buds!

You’re going to have an opportunity to adopt a whole new repertoire of main dishes, snacks, salads, breakfasts and even smoothies. You will also learn to develop a new set of skills that will
enhance your family’s wellness.

Start eating those salads and green smoothies! Get your 2 pounds of veggies in today!

Tomorrow’s workout will be based on the Bosu’! Nothing like a little balance training!

Come ready to work!

Bring a green smoothie!

You will be receiving your first “challenge” in our competition tomorrow. Hope you’ll be able to get it done!

Enjoying the journey,

Tags: boot camp, bootcamp, circuit training, Lakeland Boot Camp, Lakeland Personal Trainer, Nutrition, Strategic Boot Camp, Strategic Wellness
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What do Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughan and YOU have in common?

Dodgeball, That’s what!

Hey Recruits!

These weeks are flying by!

Tomorrow at Strategic Boot Camp we will be challenging both your focus, and your determination.
You will be performing a 5 exercise circuit 4 different times. Each time you will be pushing yourself to beat the number of reps you did the first time.

You will also be participating in a riveting game of Dodgeball. If (or when) you get out, you will be consigned to exercising in a particular fashion until the game is finished! It will bring back your childhood. Consider it your anti-aging supplement for the day.

I was re-reading one of my favorite books this evening and came across this quote:

“Take responsibility for your body and learn to say “no”. Just because you used to go with your colleague for a frozen yogurt every day at 3:00 or for a drink and a snack after work, doesn’t mean you can’t change those habits. Sure, your colleague might find it disconcerting at first, they they’ll get over it. Don’t take a cookie just because it’s there, or someone says you should. Likewise, don’t beat yourself up if you DO take one. Just be very cognizant of when you are acting our of old habit rather than transitioning responsibly.”

Hey, that’s what we’re doing…transitioning responsibly.

Last week my goal for you was to have you learn to follow a plan and become very aware of your food choices and portion control.

This week my goal for you is to add MANY more greens and veggies to your life while eating “real food” full of great nutrients, still in controlled portions.

Next week…oh. You’ll just have to wait and see. It has something to do with Complex Carbs.

Tomorrow you’ll get the treat of hearing more from Keith Klein and learning about “The Shift”.
Don’t worry. No laying or sitting around while listening. Abs or stretching is on the books.

Have a fantastic night!

Enjoying the journey,

~Whitney

Tags: boot camp, Florida, High Intensity, Lakeland, Making a Workout, Rapid Fat Loss, RN, Strategic Boot Camp, Whitney Cabrera BSN
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