Here is a reprint of a Canwest article I am in January 4th 2010

You can win the battle of the holiday bulge

By Martha Worboy, For Canwest News Service

This holiday season, Julia Grieve plans to keep her energy levels high and weight gain at bay with a little strategic planning that includes eating well and drinking plenty of water.

Photograph by: Hugh Wesley, Canwest News Service

This holiday season, Julia Grieve plans to keep her energy levels high and weight gain at bay. But don't think that the 38-year-old mother and chief executive officer of Preloved — a popular line of redesigned vintage clothing — intends to avoid holiday socializing.

With a little strategic planning that includes an early morning jog three times a week, Grieve aims to go out, eat right and feel great.

As a Toronto-based mother of three children under 10, Grieve says she has no time to feel sluggish.

"For me now, it's about how I feel. I can't feel hungover or bloated after a night out."

But she admits she didn't always plan towards a healthy holiday season.

"I always go to a lot of parties and I never used to think about it. But without fail, I would suffer in January. You put on five or 10 pounds and you don't really feel so great," she says.

Many people deal with the yuletide season by eating and drinking their way mindlessly through the holidays, according to Nicole Springle, a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic Canada in Toronto.

Alternatively, they'll rationalize their eating in ways that are counter to their bodies' needs.

"People will skip meals for a big meal," Springle says. "Or they'll go to a party after work and haven't had anything between lunch and the party. Then, they're starving so they'll fill up on high-calorie food."

Springle says it's important to eat regular, balanced meals and snacks throughout the day to maintain blood sugar levels and avoid cravings of the sweet and salty kind.

She encourages skipping the seasonal sweets and snacking regularly on protein mixed with complex, fibre-rich carbohydrates such as dried fruit and nuts or an apple and some low fat cheese, and sticking to the four food groups at meal time.

Calgary life coach and personal trainer Allan Fine suggests not only eating regularly but having a small meal before heading out to a party.

"If you show up hungry, your chances of overeating are huge," he says.

Fine also points out the common problem of sweets and leftovers from holiday festivities being passed around the workplace.

"People will give you tons of sweets this time of year. Have one or two, that's fine, but don't stand by the water cooler with a buddy eating a box of them," he says.

A little self-supervision can go a long way in the battle of the holiday bulge. But it's tough to stick to a plan when you're being pressured to consume for weeks on end.

What do you say to your mother-in-law during Christmas dinner when you haven't cleaned your plate?

"Tell her 'I'm stuffed, can I take it home?'" Fine says. "Don't worry about eating everything in one meal. The thing you want to avoid saying is 'I'm stuffed, roll me out of here.'"

And be prepared to plan ahead, says Springle.

"Allow yourself to have treats but think about it beforehand. How much will I have? What is OK? If you go in with one plan, it's easier to stick to."

But it's not all about the food we consume, it's also about the energy we burn off. And although people might struggle with the hectic pace of the holiday season, Fine says there's always time to integrate exercise into the mix.

"Don't wait until New Year's," Fine says. "There's no reason not to join a gym now."

If you're not a gym person, it's important to find other ways to stay active. Fine encourages people to join a group fitness program or hire a personal trainer instead.

Even if you hate formal exercise programs, there are still ways to keep your body moving.

Take the stairs in your office building instead of using the elevator and don't park close to work, Fine suggests.

The bottom line?

"Workout and take care of yourself so you can enjoy yourself when you want to," Fine says.

—

Party tips from registered dietitian Nicole Springle:

You're at a party and the food and drinks are coming at you in all directions. Rather than accept everything you're offered, follow these tips to make wise and waist-friendly choices — and still enjoy a few indulgences along the way.

- If you arrive at a party hungry, try to fill your plate initially with fruits and vegetables (this will help fill you up so you won't be tempted to eat too many truffles or tarts).

- A soup or a salad will also help fill you up at the beginning of a meal.

- At a cocktail party, don't stand by the appetizer table or you may find yourself eating mindlessly.

- Decide ahead of time what appetizers and desserts you're going to sample, and stick to your plan.

- Try not to eat off the trays at a buffet table, and limit yourself to one plate only.

- Be attentive to what you eat. Savour the food and enjoy it but don't just keep your hands busy while mingling.

- Monitor your drinking. Thirst is often mistaken for hunger.

- Alcoholic drinks can be high in calories. Pace yourself with water.

- The body takes about 20 minutes to feel full. If you're racing through your plate, you're not giving yourself time to feel full.

- Research shows the first bite and the last bite are the most enjoyable; the rest is filler. You probably don't need as much as you think.

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1. Step 1

   First, remember that holiday time always involves tons of sweets. You will likely receive many different types of sweets as gifts, as will your family members. Your workplace will likely be full of sweets everywhere you look. It is very hard to resist partaking in some, if not all of these. Make sure to pack your own snacks. It's OK to have 1 or 2 , but not the whole box.

2. Step 2

   During times like this, it is even more important to eat all of your food mindfully. Just make it a point to be very much aware of everything that you are putting into your mouth. Don't just stand next to the water cooler chatting with a coworker while you pop truffles in your mouth that someone put out to share. Don't just gobble the whole box of chocolates that someone gave you just to "finish the box." Eat slowly and mindfully.

3. Step 3

   If someone gives you a gift of sweets, try to have the willpower to get them out of your house without even touching any. Consider bringing them to work or to your church to share, re-gift them or just walk into some charitable organization and hand it over with the the hopes that they will give it someone who doesn't have. If you feel obligated to sample some of what you were given, don't sample it at a time when you may end up eating the whole thing. Sample it right before you put it out in the break room at work, then quickly walk away.

4. Step 4

   Be very aware of how calories work. A small truffle could easily have 100 calories. so 10 are 1000 calories that will just turn into fat .That's enough energy to run about a 10 miles. Will you really be running a mile (or 10 )after work? If you eat the whole box of truffles, something I know I could easily do, you could easily have enough energy to run an entire marathon. Will you be doing that? In a sense, calories are calories. If you eat too many sweets in a day, compensate for that by eating as low-calorie and as low-fat as you possibly can for the rest of the day. Also do as much exercise as you can, even if it's just marching in place while watching TV.

5. Step 5

   Don't adopt a self-defeating and illogical mindset. Don't say, "Well, my diet is already shot to hell, so I might as well eat all the candy." That is just silly. Don't say, "OK, I'll just pig out between now and New Years Day, because on January 1 I am going to start the strictest diet that I've ever been on in my life." There is nothing magical about Jan 1 as a good day to start a diet. The right time is right now, even if you just finished a whole box of cookies.

6. Step 6

   Try to remember that even if you follow a diet perfectly, you will still only lose about 2 pounds per week on average (not counting initial water weight loss which doesn't involve fat loss). If you gain 10 pounds over the holidays, you are probably looking at at least 5 weeks of very strict dieting and exercise. Will you really do that, or will you get off track no later than Valentine's Day when more sweets come your way?

7. Step 7

   It is very, very hard to not gain weight over the holidays, but you don't have to agree in advance that you will, which many people do. You can honestly sneak past the holidays with little or no weight gain. Just try to be mindful and in control, and remember that there is never a wrong moment to eat healthy and exercise. Each moment is a new beginning. Jan 1 is only a calendar year beginning. It is not the first moment of the rest of your life, which is right now.

8. Hire a trainer, it amazes me that people think of nothing to spend $3000 or $4000 on a 1 week vacation but won't consider hiring someone that can really show them how to to care of their health the rest of their lives.You have to look at it as a investment in your health and future. What would your life be like if you lost all the weight you wanted or really got in great shape?

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TURKEY, STUFFING, POTATOES, GRAVY, BISCUITS

AND MORE!!

Did you gain 5lbs going from house to house , brunch

to dinner back to back?

Make a new years resolution now!!
You know what you have to lose and start creating a NEW YOU for 2010!!

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For so many of our clients emotional eating , binge eating and eating out of boredom are contributing factors to their weight gain and lack of fitness. So when I suggest that a boot camp program can help here is why!

ACCOUNTABILITY- With a structured fitness and nutrition program like ours there is someone to be accountable to.

MOTIVATION – Weekly coaching calls help you get over the humps with new information all the time.

NUTRITION PLAN – We are the only boot camp fitness program on the market today with a structured nutrition plan, a back end client forum and free nutrition and fitness software for you to use.

When you want to lose weight fast you first have to change your eating habits. While many people think too much junky food is the reason for their extra pounds often the root cause is emotions. So many people use food as a way to comfort themselves during emotionally trying times.
(more…)

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When is the last time you heard you are what you eat!

Do you really know what you're eating? It may look like a simple slice of bread or helping of canned peas, but although the food itself seems harmless, the product's nutrition facts label may reveal a different story.  Did you know that food manufacturers often mislead the public in a attempt to sell you their product. For instance the word "LIGHT" on a food label can refer to the texture or color and can have nothing to do with the fat or calorie content.

"We need to be more aware of what we’re putting in our bodies," says Allan Fine, a nutritional consultant with Fitness Boot Camps Canada of Calgary Alberta "Especially now that we see the connection between our food intake, obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes and cancer, our food intake and specific diseases." These diseases include, among others, hypertension from too much salt and high cholesterol – which can lead to heart disease and stroke – from too much fat. (more…)

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As a trainer and nutritional consultant for more than 20 years now it always amazes me how most people are trying to find the next quick fix or fad diet. What’s more important to you: that fast-food meal loaded with fat, sugar, and empty calories that will eventually make you feel sluggish and guilty – or taking the time to implement this nutrition plan so that you look, feel, and perform at your very best? The answer is simple,you life!! It wont be easy but making the change necessary, actually taking action, is the hard part. I promise you though if you do it will be one of the most important things you do in your whole life!

In order to be successful at leading a healthier lifestyle, you need to have knowledge and a good understanding of the best, most effective ways to do that. Fitness Boot Camps Canada Eating Plan will give you that. But I also want you to know that it’s okay to be afraid and uncomfortable with this lifestyle change; that’s natural. Changing old habits isn’t easy. In general, people have a hard time adjusting to change. Change is made even more difficult when we’re not certain we want the goals we have set out to achieve. Change is impossible when we set ourselves unrealistic goals (see below for help in setting goals).

But it truly is possible when we set realistic goals and follow a plan that we already know works very well, especially when we modify it so that it’s right for you, for your lifestyle and personal preferences. If you have a willingness to work through the initial emotional discomfort as you begin this new nutrition plan, you’ll find the confidence, commitment, determination, and belief in your own self-worth that will ease the way.

Healthy living means making important lifestyle changes, changes in the way you eat and exercise and, I hope you’re coming to see, in the way you think. It may sound overwhelming at first, but it’s really quite simple. Remember: these changes will be customized to fit you. They’ll also never be painful or hard to stick with. Many Fitness Boot Camps Canada Eating Plan Members have already successfully made the change to a better way of eating. You can too, once you understand how easy it is.

Making the change to The Fitness Boot Camps Canada Eating Plan is a process you will enjoy and can be proud of. The easiest way to go about it is to take it one step at a time. If you try to hurry change, chances are that it won’t be permanent. It’s important to understand that once you put into effect this plan I’m teaching you, it is yours forever and will make a substantial impact on your life – and the change necessary will become easier each and every new day.

Once you truly believe that you have the ability to find a comfortable balance of food, activity, and life attitudes, you can break free from traditional fad DIETS forever and begin implementing this plan, which produces amazing results and is enjoyable all along the way. Action creates motivation. Once you understand and implement The Fitness Boot Camps Canada Eating Plan, you will become successful. Once you start achieving great results, the excitement and fun you experience will make the change well worth the effort. Enjoying the many great benefits of a healthy lifestyle will help provide the impetus to stay on the healthy road you’ve taken. Get started today in making that change – you’ll be very glad you did.

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Boot Camp Weight Loss – Healthy Way to Lose Weight

Many customers are so desperate to rid themselves of unwanted fat so properties totally forget that a healthy way to lose weight is the just way to have permanent weight loss. Fad diets and gimmicks only work in the very brief term and can often be uncertain to your health. Who wants to look great easily in a casket? So you really own to be careful when taking the proper way to get yourself at a low level to the size you want.

Everyone knows that great nutrition, proper diet, and exercise promote a healthy way to lose weight. But this process is furthermore known to be quite slow, especially if you have a slow metabolism. It’s frustrating to pass up all the food that you love and do all that working out only to waste a pound a week. That’s really not incentive enough to stay on any diet, particularly if you need to lose a lot of weight. You just won’t be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel and will give up. (more…)

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I think we are all so looking forward to Spring and the new camp season. Its been a long , long winter. The coldest in years, and I’ve been itching to get back outside and run Fitness Boot Camps Canada again, plus add a few more options to the home training. We’ve got lots of diversity and offerings so I thought I’d share a list of Spring camps/small group training descriptions.

We will be offering the following beginning April, 2009:

Bikini Body Boot Camp- This full body circuit style workout will condition all the major muscles in your body, plus focus heavily on your lower parts and abs and CORE training and muscle activation techniques to help you develop better strength, endurance and muscular control from your center out.

Bridal Part Boot Camp – Come join this fun Bridal boot camp adventure and get in the best shape of your life for your wedding day to help you lose weight, increase muscle strength and endurance and build a new appreciation for the world outside (rain or shine).

The Biggest Loser Boot camp Challenge – Find your competitive side of fitness with this integrated workout that combines fitness with fun.Entrants must sign up for 12 weeks of BootCamp. Before nd after pictures will be taken and you will be weighed and your body fat will be tested. Upon the completion of 12 weeks you will be re-tested and the Losers will be judged on total combined LBS of weight and fat lost.

In addition to the Spring Fitness Camps I am offering a few incentives to current participants and newcomers.

1. 15% discount if you register for all 3 months worth of camps.

AND the big excitement…

We will be offering a FREE, 1 hour Boot Camp Extravaganza on Friday , March 23rd  All times, All locations to kick off the season.

If you need more information on fees, times, and specific dates go to the website at https://www.fitnessbootcampscanada.com/index.html

I hope to see you all this Spring!

In health- Allan Fine

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The American Dietetic Association urges everyone to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.

The American Dietetic Association created March Nutrition Month

in 1973 to promote healthy eating for everyone. Use this month to learn more about nutrition and eating healthy foods. (more…)

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With Calgary's cold weather and challenging snowfalls it's easy to burn huge amounts of extra calories. Go skiing, shoveling snow, snowboarding , shoveling snow, long walks, shoveling snow you get the idea.

Did you know that you can create a caloric deficit by not only eating small
portions of the right types of foods, but also by being more active throughout the day?

It's true. Take every opportunity to be as active as possible throughout the
day. The more active you are, the more calories you'll burn, and the easier it'll be to create a caloric deficit for maximum fat loss.

Exercise doesn't have to be limited to the track or the gym. You can greatly
increase the amount of physical activity your body gets (and the total calories you burn) by making small lifestyle changes to be as active as possible throughout the day..

Here's a few simple examples:

- Get in the habit of taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

- Keep your sport shoes in the car so you're always prepared to get out and
be active when you have some extra time. You could take a brisk walk or
shoot some baskets after lunch, before returning to work.

- Choose a hike or a bike ride instead of a movie.

- Play with your kids in the backyard rather than dropping them off at the
video arcade.

- Park a extra few blocks from work ( in the spring) and walk the rest of the way.

Any extra bit of activity adds up and over the long-run, makes a big difference in how much fat you lose. By simply meeting friends for a walk or bike ride, or a game of tennis or racquetball, instead of "happy hour", for example, will save you 700 or more calories (i.e. burn 350+ calories and save 350+ calories on drinks you would have consumed).

By doing this just once a week, you can lose an extra pound of fat a month!
That's 12 pounds of fat a year simply by having fun playing instead of drinking once a week. Of course, if you made this simple change 2 or 3 times a week you could enjoy double or triple the fat loss.

Key points to remember:
1. Take advantage of every opportunity to be more active throughout the
day to help create a caloric deficit.

Although today's lesson might seem obvious, it's often overlooked. Most
people only consider calories with the foods they eat and their exercise
routine. But your body is burning calories throughout the day and the more
active you are, the more fat you'll lose.

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