We will have NFL Sunday Ticket at Elite Fitness and Education this year!!!!

That's right folks, this year we have purchased NFL Sunday ticket for the gym. You can be sure I will be there on Sunday's and won't it be awesome to see the San Diego Chargers playing on all 14 TV's????!!! Ok, maybe not all 14, but it will be pretty cool. We have enough TV's to put each game on 2 TV's so you wont miss any of the action.

One more cool thing we are doing to make fitness fun and not so "boring" and dull.

Forget how you feel, what can you prove?

In the movie “Training Day,” Denzel Washington says to Ethan Hawke “It's not what you know, it's what you can prove." Those words are all too true when it comes to fitness success. The following is actual dialogue that occurred between a client and me, recently. It also explains why some people love me and some people hate me. After getting on the scale and seeing almost no progress after the 3^rd month, I could tell she was discouraged and frustrated. The heavy sigh and stooped shoulders left nothing to the imagination. We walked away from the scale and to the juice bar tables when the “talk” began.

Me: So, when are you going to quit and just give this up?

Client: What do you mean?

Me: You haven’t gotten any significant results and we have been going at this for over 3 months. People will usually quit if they don’t at least see something.

Client: Well, I didn’t plan on quitting but I had thought about when you were going to give up on me.

Me: Are you ready to get to the next level and start seeing results?

Client: Yes

Me: It is going to require you being very uncomfortable. Are you still ready?

Client: Yes

Me: You are not getting results for one reason.

Client: What is that?

Me: You have entitlement issues.

Client: WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!

Me: I warned you that this would get uncomfortable. I am not trying to be mean, but that is what you need to hear. Each week, you tell me that you think your nutrition is fine and that you exercise quite a bit. However, at the end of each week, the scale says you stay the same. How many calories a day do you eat?

Client: I don’t know. Around 1800 I would say.

Me: I weigh 200 pounds. When I want to lose weight I drop my calories to 1700 calories per day and can lose about 2-3 pounds in a week. You weigh 255 pounds. If I can lose 2-3 pounds a week on 1700 calories, you should be losing 3-4 pounds every week on 1800 calories.

Client: So how does that make me entitled?

Me: You think you’re doing “good enough.” You refuse to allow yourself to be a little hungry. You refuse to stop using food as a coping mechanism when you get upset. You do a couple things right each week and expect them to negate the 20 other things you do that are bad. That’s entitlement. I know it is frustrating but instead of getting upset and frustrated, let’s get focused. Stop “thinking” that you are doing well enough and focus on the facts. You saying that you did “pretty good” on your nutrition and that you did “quite a bit” of exercise are NOT a fact. It is your opinion. In fact, many other people might look at your nutrition and exercise and think it is a joke. You can’t prove your nutrition or your exercise exertion in a court of law, to a jury of your peers. What can be proven, however, is that the scale didn’t go down; again. Let’s focus on that. Just think about it, will you? Maybe you’re not doing as good, as you think? Maybe you can put a little more effort into something. Maybe “doing your best” is not going to cut it this time.

A lot of people would have never come back for another session with me. Fortunately, this client knew that I had her best intentions in mind. In fact, before we were finished, she was really thinking about what I said. As human beings, we are the only animals on the planet with an ego. What that typically means is that we will overhype the things we do well and under report the things we do poorly. It was usually “better” to us than other people remember and “not that big of a deal” other times. If you are honest with yourself you will agree with me and understand how people can sabotage themselves out of a good fitness program. Our story didn’t end there. I went on to give my client some reasons that people struggle with weight loss in spite of their feelings of doing well. They are as follows:

1.       Food allergy or intolerance- Over 60% of white skinned people and 40% of dark skinned people are allergic or intolerant to gluten, dairy, soy, or any combination of them. Even if you are not allergic, and only intolerant, it can wreak havoc on your digestive system and ability to maintain an ideal weight. When we eat foods that are highly inflammatory the digestive system becomes inflamed. Specifically your villi get inflamed and shrivel up. Intestinal villi are tiny finger-like outgrowths, in the lining of the small intestine. Villi effectively increase the surface area of the gut wall allowing for slower movement through the small intestine thus allowing greater time for absorption of nutrients. It allows your small intestines to absorb a greater amount of nutrients that pass through your small intestine. When the villi are shriveled up, they do not absorb nutrients as well. This is important to realize because you don’t have a little man in your body that keeps track of the calories that you eat. That is why we can consume very large amounts of calories and just keep eating; we will just store them for later. What we do have, is a little man that is responsible for keeping track of how much nutrients we are getting from our foods. Read my article called “6 Turkey Sandwiches” to learn more about this little guy (the appestat). This little guy tracks your nutrient absorption and if you don’t get enough nutrients, he will prevent you from secreting CCK, which tells you that you are satisfied and can stop eating. When we eat foods that are highly inflammatory to our villi, they cause us to literally keep eating, so we can satisfy our body’s requirements for nutrients. Regardless of how many calories it takes. I have had incredible success with my clients who were willing to give up all gluten, dairy, and soy for 30 days just to see if they had any intolerance. And guess what? So far, every single client I have had do this has learned, they were in fact, intolerant to at least one of the those three foods.

2.       It is virtually impossible to accurately track calories. We all know the old rule of “calories in vs. calories out” is the key to weight loss. Although true, it is not as easy as it sounds. Let me explain. Let’s say a food company wants to make a food bar that is 300 calories. The way the food labeling laws are written, it is stated that a food must contain “at least” the amount of calories on the label. Did you catch that? “At least” the amount of calories on the label. Why would they do this to us? Do they want us to be fat? Not necessarily. Put yourself in the food companies place for a minute. You know that you make a million food bars per week. You also know that it is impossible to make identical food bars every single time. Some might have a little more sugar than others, or flour, or nuts, etc.. You also know that if a single bar ever comes out that is 290 calories, then you could be fined severely and even shut down for a time. You also know that all your food bars are around 300 calories, give or take about 50 calories either way. SO!!! To prevent the govt from accusing of ripping off the consumer, you set your food bar machines to make food bars at 360 calories. Knowing that some bars will be 310 calories and some will be 410 calories, you just adjust your price to absorb the cost. But now you are protected from fines and govt regulation. So if you eat food from a package, go ahead and add 20%-50% of what the package says and you will be more accurate. The trick is when do you add 20% and when do you add 50%?

So how do you overcome this nightmare?  

By realizing that although you may not be accurate, you are most likely consistent. If a person is inaccurate in their calorie counting either because of their own flaws, or because the food label laws suck, they will at least eat the same types of food on a regular basis. Most people only eat 2-3 types of sandwiches, cereals, salads, etc. Most people are not into variety when it comes to food. They have about 20-30 things they enjoy and eat most of the time. That being said, if they are wrong about the calories in a sandwich they make, it will usually be wrong the same amount of calories each time. Continue to “track” your calories but realize it is impossible to know exactly how many calories you “eat.” Let’s say for example you write down that you ate 1400 calories a day. Understand that due to inaccurate labels and maybe your forgetfulness, you actually ate 2000 calories. These are just an example, so don’t get all “butt hurt.” Just reduce your calories by about 200 calories until you lose weight. Even though you are tracking that you only ate 800 calories, chances are, you ate more. You may be hungry but realize this is more psychological than physiological. People have survived for 4 weeks with NO food. You will not die, I promise. Of course, there are other factors to take into account and things you can do to reduce the hunger, but this is an article, not a book so you will have to act on what I have given you and ask for help for the rest.

Benefits of Sunlight

Sunlight, How often do you think about the benefits of it? A lot of people get the bare minimum of light need to stay healthy every day. What we need to realize is just 10 minutes of sunlight everyday can make a huge difference in your life. Sunlight has gotten a bad rap because of severe burns and skin cancers, but there are things you can do to protect yourself while still reaping the benefits.
Sunlight happens to be one of the greatest healing remedies you can find in nature. Our bodies need natural sunlight to synthesize adequate amounts of Vitamin D to keep our bones strong and healthy and strengthen our immune system. If you do not get enough sunlight, you actually increase your risk of bone disease, weaken your heart, slow your immune system and slow the healing of bones and cuts. The trick is to get sunlight in moderation. When you hide away from the sun, you miss out on the benefits.
So lets lake a look at the benefits of sunlight, from the outside in. Sunlight gives you a healthy looking complexion. It can reduce acne, boils, athlete's foot, diaper rash, psoriasis, jaundice, eczema and tighten your skin. We spend millions of dollars on products to control and eliminate these issues. Getting outside for 10-30 minutes a day is free!! Regular moderate exposure to sunlight will cause your body to build up a natural resistance to the harmful effects of ultraviolet light. As for tanning, allowing your skin to get moderately tanned will actually make your more resistant to sunburns and infections.
Inside the body has even more benefits! Getting a daily dose of sun will enhance your immune system by increasing white blood cells, thus helping your body fight off diseases more effectively. While certain skin cancers are associated with too much exposure to the sun, moderate daily exposure can greatly decrease your risk of breast, colon and prostrate cancers. Sunlight can even slow or prevent the growth of cancerous tumors.

Sunlight turns cholesterol into Vitamin D, therefore lowering cholesterol levels. Vitamin D is essential to our immune system. Having a stronger immune system will help your body fight off diseases more effectively and greatly reduce the use of medicines. Sunlight has been proven to balance out hormones. It may even relieve some of the symptoms of PMS. Sunlight also strengthens your circulation by stimulating the production of red blood cells increasing the oxygen in your blood.
Sunlight improves the function of your liver helping it break down toxins and waste. Having a better functioning liver can help you lose body fat. Sunlight improves your digestion, elimination and metabolism. Increasing your metabolism will help you burn calories which is great at helping you lose weight and stay in shape. Of course if you are eating a diet high in fat, junk food, soft drinks, vegetable oils, hydrogenated oils, animal and vegetable shortening, it will not help!


Sunlight can also helps you emotionally. Regular exposure to the sun can help reduce your stress levels. Getting enough sunlight can help you sleep better at night by increasing your melatonin. Melatonin is a natural hormone made by our bodies. Getting enough sleep every day can help slow down the aging process and give your more energy during the day. Sunlight can soothe your nerves and boost your mood leaving you with a renewed sense of well being. Adding just 10 minutes a day of sunlight can greatly reduce depression and anxiety. Sunlight increases the production of endorphins in your brain leaving you feeling much better. It has life giving energy to your organs, and vitalizes your body; the mood enhancement can even strengthen your personal relationships.

So what's stopping you from getting outside a little everyday??

I am not here to be your friend!!

I am not here to be your friend. For most of you, your friends are the ones who will tell you

“It’s ok to have just one.”

“Come on, live a little.”

“You look a little too thin.”

“I think you’re losing too much weight.”

“Are you allowed to enjoy anything anymore?”

“You’re really not as much fun since you quit going out drinking with us and partying on the weekends.”

“Let’s not go to the seminar, Margaritas are only .99 tonight.”

“I don’t care what your trainer says, you should never commit to something like that.”

“It sounds to me like this whole sugar thing is just stupid and unreasonable.”

“What about your kids? Are you not allowed to let your kids enjoy their childhood?”

Every statement above is a real statement that has been said to some of our bootcamp students and they have passed on to me. 

I am not here to be your friend.

I am here to be the person who whispers in your ear “You can do 2 more, trust me.” I am here to take you from doing 13 pushups to doing 73 (woo hoo, Heather) in one month’s time. I am here to make you believe you can do things you never thought possible. I am here to be the little voice you hear in your head when you are tempted to cheat, say to you “Don’t do it, you are doing so good. Don’t blow it.” I am here to be the little voice you here in your head tell you to get out of your warm bed and join the group to run the butte even though it is snowing. I am here to teach to obtain your true achievement and potential. I am here to teach you to stand up to your unsupportive husband and make him eat his cookies in his car because you “will not allow that “CRACK” in this house anymore.” I am here to encourage you when you get frustrated about doing the right thing. I am here to tell you milk is still sugar-water when you attempt to justify it. I am here to talk you out of doing the bad things in your life that you know in your heart are wrong.  I am here to tell you that I know it is difficult- It is NOT impossible.

I am not here to be your friend. I will motivate you, I will push you, I will encourage you, I will make you swear at me, I will make you angry with me, I will make you frustrated, I will make you better. If after all that, when you have accomplished your task at hand and you are truly happy with the way you look and feel, if after all that you want to be friends, so be it; but not now. For now we have a job to do and I will see you next class.

Remember, it is difficult-not impossible. You have plenty of people in your life that will enable you and tell you it’s ok to cheat. You need at least one person in your life that truly wants the best for you. Since I want the best FOR you, I will expect the best FROM you. But remember, it all comes from love.

Have fun and enjoy the process,

Victor

Chicken with Dijon Sauce

 Here is a great healthy chicken recipe that is loved by our family!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 TBSP olive oil
4-6 chicken breasts cut bite size
1 c chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c chicken broth
1 tsp cumin powder
3 TBSP Dijon mustard
3/4 cup vanilla yogurt
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Saute chicken until brown, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
Lower heat, in same skillet saute onion and garlic until soft. Add 1-2 TBSP of chicken broth to keep moist.
Add cumin powder, mustard and remaining broth. Cook for 10 minutes. Return chicken with juices to pan and continue cooking 10 minutes.

Add yogurt, salt and pepper. Heat though. Server over rice and enjoy!

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think!!

Fit Fitness in

In today's busy lifestyles it can be challenging to find the time to workout. The American Heart Association recommends that a healthy adult gets at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week. That breaks down to 30 minutes five times a week. The ideal week should include resistance training at least twice a week.
So where and how do you find the time to fit it in??
1. Consider working out early in the morning. Studies show that people who workout first thing in the morning, are more likely to stick with it. Most people do not feel like working out after a long day of work.
2. When you figure out a time that works for you, put it in your planner. When you make it an appointment, you are less likely to miss it.
3. Take a brisk walk on your lunch break. Grab a coworker and motivate them too!
4. Do squats while you are brushing your teeth.
5. Be less efficient. Take more time doing menial chores. Idea; bring in your groceries from the car one bag at a time.
6. If you have a bicycle, ride to work instead of drive. (bonus, you'll save money on gas)
7. If you are unable to workout in the morning, workout immediately after work. Lets face it when you go home and get comfy you don't want to go back out.
8. Get a workout buddy. When you have someone depending on you it motivates you to stick with it.
9. Don't park up close. Going to the grocery store, school or even the gym, park in the back of the parking lot. The extra steps will all add up at the end of the day.

It really comes down to how important is it for you to be healthier? Are there things in your day/week you can rearrange to make fitness a priority for you? Choosing a healthy lifestyle which includes fitness will help you live a longer, happier life.

Get Heart healthy

Heart Disease is the number one killer of women. Fortunately there are some things you can do to lower your chance of developing this deadly disease!!
Start by exercising. You need to get 20 to 30 minutes of movement in every day. If you can get more than that, it's even better. Getting exercise in your day can help you control your weight and reduce conditions that put a strain on your heart. Exercise helps strengthen your heart and cardiovascular system. Exercise helps your body use oxygen better by improving your circulation. Exercise gives you energy so you can do more activities and sleep better at the end of the day. Exercise lowers blood pressure. Exercise helps reduce stress, tension, anxiety and depression.
Next don't smoke or use tobacco. These are the most significant risk for heart disease. The chemicals in tobacco damage your heart and blood vessels. The nicotine in cigarettes narrows your blood vessels and increases your blood pressure. Social smokers and second hand smoke is just as dangerous. The good news is that when you quit smoking, your risk drops dramatically in just one year.
Third, eat a heart healthy diet. This means eat foods that are low in fat, cholesterol and salt. Epically limit your intake of trans fats and hydrogenated oils found in margarine, fast food, fried food, etc.. Additionally limit refined sugar intake from cakes, candies, cookies, etc.. Instead eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. Also proteins like beans, chicken, turkey and fish. Limit your intake of red meat as it is high in saturated fat.
Finally if you drink alcohol, limit your intake to no more than one drink a day. Excessive alcohol depletes your body's supply of nutrients and vitamins.

You'll be on your way to a healthy heart in no time!!