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‘Tis the season to be jolly, and nothing makes Americans more jolly than
eating sled-fuls of food. This holiday season, just like in seasons past, we
will be packing on the pounds as we celebrate with our family and friends. Some research has the average American
adding anywhere from 5 -10 pounds in the time between Thanksgiving and New
Years. And in my experience, each year
the gym empties out in December, and then gets packed in January. It’s easy to see why – holidays are the
most stressful time of the year. Aside from having to find presents for
everyone you’ve ever met, there are the family obligations, charitable
functions, not to mention the office parties.
Plus it’s cold outside. Who
likes sweating it up in the cold? That alone can account for the vacant gyms
across America
in the winter months. So what is a person to do? Give up until January? Don’t be a chump – I
have put together a simple list of ways to prevent holiday blubber gain.
#6 Lose the Booze
As we all know alcohol impairs judgment- it can basically
make you stupid. On top of that
alcoholic beverages can have anywhere from 200 – 500 calories per serving.
The eggnog drinks can have even more.
Add to that the fact that they are all empty calories, can slam your
blood sugar and have the highest likelihood of being stored as fat, you can
see why you would want to limit your consumption. Better options would be
light beer, spritzers or similar lower cal options if not just avoiding it
all together. Whatever your choice, drink responsibly.
#5 Stick to the Program
Assuming you have been on a workout and nutrition plan, stick to it. It’s very easy to find excuses NOT to
exercise- so this season make sure you keep your commitment to yourself. If you normally go 3 x per week, then just
keep it up. Hey, this time of year chances are you’ll have the gym to
yourself! So rearrange what you must, but get in there!
#4 Just a Bite
Dying for a piece of that Santa’s triple chocolate sleigh cake? Try having just one bite, then move
on. This one requires some will power
I know, but the first bite is the one that has the most flavor, while
subsequent bites will be less intense as your taste buds have become
accustomed to the richness. So indulge in that first decadent nibble and then
hand it off to a friend (or better yet an enemy!).
#3 Meat First
Start off any holiday meal with the meat. Turkey
is a great choice. It is a protein
powerhouse and is low in fat and calories (just watch the gravy). It will fill you up and reduce the
likelihood of overindulging in other less healthy holiday fare.
#2 Regular
Eating
Many people think that since they know they will be
pigging out at dinner, they are better off not eating earlier in the
day. Wrong. DO NOT SKIP MEALS! This actually increases
your chances of overeating as you will most likely be ravenous and end up
gorging yourself silly. Your body will also be more likely to store fat,
since it has been in deprivation mode all day. Eat like your trainer told you, multiple small
meals throughout the day. That should
help to keep you from plowing through the buffet table like an overzealous
reindeer at your company party.
#1 Screw it
That’s right, I said it. Screw it.
Let’s assume you have been good all year. Santa will not put coal in your
stocking for having a night where you throw caution to the wind and put a
little jingle in your bells. Ultimately it is not a big deal. We need to look at the big picture. A single occurrence of overeating (or just
plain bad eating) will not make or break you. Obviously regular
overindulgence is just a bad idea. But
once in a while it is absolutely fine.
Go ahead, you have earned it.
Don’t go nuts, but live a little.
If you have 6 or 7 holiday functions to attend, this is not the best
option to adopt, so use your judgment.
Healthy Holidays!
Joshua
Carter
The Body Transformation Expert
Carter Fitness Training
http://carterfitness.com
818-766-8888
PS: Feel like a bowl
full of jelly? Or worse, look like one? My staff and I currently have some
availabilities so why not come in and get a FR.E.E test drive of our
services? Schedule a session with a qualified trainer to get that fat melted
away faster than Frosty in Florida.
Carter Fitness in West Hills is up and running. Reply to this email or give
me a call at 818-337-6175
How To Burn It Off For Good
Take
your cardio workout to a new level with HIIT
Can you think of anything more torturous than spending an hour pedaling away
on a bike or plodding along on the treadmill? You're not alone. Most exercise
enthusiasts dread conventional cardio - why?
Because it's b-o-r-i-n-g.
So why do it at all? The goal of a cardio workout is to lose the unwanted
inches and to develop the efficiency of your heart and lungs. But new studies
are out that show our slow-go cardio sessions may not be as effective for
burning off that holiday bulge as we thought.
When you plod along on the treadmill at an even pace, your body enters what
is called a steady state. This
means that your body has adjusted to the pace and is now trying to conserve
energy.
Conserve energy? But I thought the point was
to burn
energy?
And so your dilemma goes: You can't stand the monotony of traditional cardio
and it leaves you with less than satisfactory results. So what should you
do?
The answer is HIIT,
a new training technique that blasts both boredom and fat.
Check out what experts are saying:
"In research, HIIT has been shown to burn adipose (fat) tissue more
effectively than low-intensity exercise - up to 50% more efficiently."
"HIIT speeds up your metabolism and keeps it revved up for some time
after your workout. The bottom line is that HIIT training burns a greater
number of total calories than low-intensity training, and more calories
burned equals less fat on your body."
What is HIIT?
High-Intensity
Interval Training: is
an exercise strategy that improves performance with short training sessions.
These sessions involve a warm up period, several short, maximum-intensity
efforts that are separated by moderate recovery intervals, and a cool down
period.
In other words, your 60 minutes of low-intensity cardio is replaced with
more effective, High
Intensity
Interval
Training
for as little as 15 minutes. The addition of explosions of speed into your
comfortable pace will increase your power, muscle tone, speed, strength,
endurance and best of all will melt the inches off.
Here is an example of a HIIT program - this can be done on any form of cardio
equipment or even jogging outside or swimming laps:
- Start with an easy 4 minute warm up, casually
increasing your pace to the one that you usually maintain for your
workout.
- Once you are sufficiently warm, sky rocket your intensity
for 30 seconds.
- Return to your normal pace for the next 30 seconds
and then sky rocket again.
- Repeat
this 30-30 interval for 6 minutes and then gradually decrease your
intensity as you enter a cooling off pace.
After your HIIT session you can
expect to burn more calories due to an increase in your metabolism - sounds
good, right? If you aren't ready to jump into a full-fledged HIIT session,
try on of the following modified HIIT workouts:
Modified HIIT 1:
- Start with at least a 5 minute warm up, casually
increasing your pace to the one that you usually maintain for your
workout.
- Once you are sufficiently warm, increase your
intensity for a full minute.
- Return to your normal pace and remain here until you
have recovered enough to go again.
- Repeat
this 1 minute interval with full recovery time between each one for the
full extent of your workout and then gradually decrease your intensity
as you enter a cooling off pace.
Modified HIIT 2:
- Start with at least a 5 minute warm up, casually
increasing your pace to the one that you usually maintain for your
workout.
- Once you are sufficiently warm, change your speed and
intensity for 2 minutes.
- Return to your normal pace for 2 minutes and then
change your intensity and speed again. The key is to keep your body
guessing - you aren't doing full intensity work, but you also aren't
staying at the same pace for the entire length of the workout.
- Repeat this 2 minute interval for the full extent of
your workout and then gradually decrease your intensity as you enter a
cooling off pace.
There you have it - all you need
to take your cardio workout to the next level. Do you have questions about
the information presented in this newsletter? Or how would you like to slim
down just in time for the holidays? I can help. And best of all I have many
more strategies and techniques to help you achieve maximum results in minimum
time.
I want to meet with you,
one-on-one, to design an exercise program that will fit your unique goals.
Call or come in today to get started!
Foods
that are rich in fiber fill you up without fattening you up! Take time this
holiday season to enjoy whole grains, vegetables and fruits. Enjoy fibrous
food as a nutritious and beneficial snack!
 The holidays are here& - and that
means rich deserts galore. Try this Pumpkin Carmel Flan as a lighter
alternative. You probably know that most of the fat in pies is found in the
crust - well this delicious dish gives you all of the pumpkin taste that you
love without the guilt-ridden crust. Yields
10 servings.
Ingredients:
Carmel:
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons water
Flan:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
- 1 (12 oz) can evaporated skim milk
- 3/4 cup egg substitute
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the sugar and
water in a heavy-gauged saucepan over medium heat. Stir while sugar
melts. Let mixture boil without stirring for at least 5 minutes or until
the liquid turns golden brown. Immediately pour into a 9” baking dish.
- Mix all dry ingredients together in a medium bowl -
set aside. Mix the pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg substitute and vanilla
in a bowl. Add the dry ingredients and blend well. Pour the mixture into
the prepared baking dish.
- Place the dish in a larger pan and pour hot water
into the larger pan until the water comes halfway up the edge of the
baking dish. Bake for 1 hour or until flan is set.
- Cool at room temperature and then refrigerate for at
least 4 hours and up to 1 day before serving. Before serving run a sharp
knife around the edge of the flan and invert onto a platter, making sure
that the caramel runs down the top and sides. Garnish with sprinkled
cinnamon and chopped nuts. Enjoy.
Nutrition
facts: Here
by popular demand, I will now be displaying the nutritional facts for the
healthy recipes included in each newsletter. Check out how our Pumpkin Carmel
Flan measures up against Traditional Pumpkin Pie - 120 fewer calories and 16
grams less fat.
Pumpkin
Carmel Flan
Calories:
200
Total fat:
1g
Protein:
6g
Carbohydrate:
43g
Traditional
Pumpkin Pie
Calories:
320
Total fat:
17g
Protein:
6g
Carbohydrate:
47g
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Joshua
Carter
Body
Transformation Expert
Email Me
My Site
818-337-6175
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