Woman Marine Fitness: Intermittent Fasting

Woman Marine Fitness: Intermittent Fasting: INTERMITTENT FASTING I remember the first time I heard the word "Fasting".  I was somewhere in my twenties and I freque...

Intermittent Fasting

INTERMITTENT FASTING

I remember the first time I heard the word "Fasting".  I was somewhere in my twenties and I frequented the gym...OK, I lived there, the same as today and everyday in between.  I heard a few trainers speaking of this phenomena and wondered why they were talking about fasting since I always attributed it to "spiritual fasting".  I kept listening and did some homework of my own to determine exactly what they were talking about.  Back then (in the late 80's and early 90's) there was very little science behind the subject.  It stated that if you calorie restricted for a certain amount of time and worked out on a empty stomach then your body would be forced to burn "fat" as an energy source.  This would result in weight loss and especially FAT LOSS.  While the benefits sounded appealing I was reminded that starving the body for any length of time would cause your metabolism to slow down thus holding onto calories in the future in order to sustain activity.  At that time, I did not know anyone who was experimenting with this philosophy as we were all in our young 20's and let's face it, we could pretty much eat what we wanted, when we wanted it and it would just fall off of us.  Therefore, I said why put my body through that if I really don't have a weight problem and I like the way I look right now.  Right?

Fast forward a few decades (BE NICE) and the topic has once again been presented.  After many years in the military, working for a DOD contractor at a desk job and starting a family, I decided to look into Fitness as a career.  I loved the gym, I enjoyed food, I soaked up as much knowledge as I could on the current fads with weight training, cardiovascular training and of course nutrition.   This stuff really interested me and still does.  Once having children, aging a bit and moving into more Group Fitness related fields than strength training, I noticed my body was not reacting the same as it once did.  NOW I had to work much harder to make half the progress.  I knew metabolism decreased as we age, certain vitamins and minerals would be deficient and honestly, I could not continue to do two-a-days as I had in the past.  So, let me look into this Intermittent Fasting thing again.  I first looked at the benefits:

Fasting Benefits 

• Giving the Digestive System a break
• Helps boost the Immune System
• Puts your body into a state of Ketosis
• Improved clarity
• Improved sleep quality 
• Weight/Fat Loss

Then, on the flip side, I needed to look at the side effects and what to watch for:

Fasting Side Effects

• Moodiness
• Irritability
• Low blood sugar
• Spikes in Cortisol
• Binge eating 

I needed to try it for myself first in order to determine if it was something I could do and give myself 30 days.  Why 30 days?  I feel you need to do something for at least 21 days in order for your body to adjust, break bad habits and instill new habits in their place.  I'm not gonna lie, the first 4-5 days was a challenge.  I woke up hungry (or so I thought) and was lacking energy.  Since I train clients and teach Group Fitness it was not like I could just call in sick.  I had to show up, be present and WORK...HARD.  I could not wait for my window (my 8 hour eating window) to start but I did.  It took me a week or so to figure out the exact things to eat coming off my fast.  You can't just start cramming things into your body.  There is a process.  I needed quality protein, a complex carb with green leafy vegetables and RESTRICT refined sugars.  This would properly fuel my body and upload quickly to repair muscle (from my workout) and control my blood sugar.  In fact, the MOST important meal you eat of the day is the one immediately following your FAST vs. the old saying "breakfast is the most important meal of the day".  What I noticed after that first 4-5 days was my body adjusted very well to the new lifestyle.  It was on a schedule and I found I actually had MORE energy and started to lose body fat where I had been stuck at a plateau for some time.  I was not that interested in weight loss (I don't trust a scale with a ten foot pole) but rather fat loss.  Plus, I noticed a reduction in bloating, better sleep patterns (coming from a chronic insomniac, that's HUGE) and waking rested and repaired.  I workout each and every day with little repair and rest so when I sleep I need my body to do just that, REPAIR.  If it is focused on digestion that takes away from the repair process.   I made a list of some things I think you should consider before Intermittent Fasting:

1. Measure your Cortisol  either through blood work (serum) or a saline test (available on-line)
2. Retrain your mind - stress response system (women are more vulnerable to this than men)
3. Get your food in order (remember that most important meal I spoke of earlier)
4. Have some accountability (troubleshooting, talk through that stress, support system)
5. Journal (track how you feel for a month, day to day)

I have been living this lifestyle for over 6 months, have been on vacation (doable as well) and been stressed (other factors) and I did not cave.  My body fat has reduced by 6%, I am leaner and have more definition.  I feel GREAT and have more energy that ever before.  If you feel you want to try this and need some accountability, I am here for you.  Happy Fasting.

Remember, "Eat to Live not Live to Eat" 

Ultimate RESET Day 5

What a weird yet surprisingly good day.  I was a bit nervous starting out knowing my calorie intake is low and Friday's are the busiest day of the week for me.  I had to be very strategic in how I was fuel for the day.  My day starts early at 5am since I have the Smith kids up first at 8am.  These celebrations can sometimes run long so I knew I might not have time to eat before my 10:45 TURBO class.  So, I opted for Vegan Chocolate Shakeology for breakfast.  Now since I had to lead the kids in their exercise I knew I needed a small amount of something in my stomach since the last meal was over 12 hours ago and I was in starvation mode.   But, limited on time did not have time for the eggs and spinach like the day before.  I was nervous because I was not sure if it was going to last me until 12:30 which is what I would need.  Now, since the RESET has begun, my bathroom activities have not been all that normal.  I have IBS so I typically take Milk of Magnesia each night before bed as the Magnesium helps with digestion and since I am on an acid blocker from the Ulcer issue last month, I am not producing enough to digest my food as quickly as I need.   Typically, it does the job while I sleep and I am READY to go when I wake up (sorry for too much information, but it is relevant).  This week since starting the RESET, that has not been the case.  I have barely gone but did not have the usual constipation you would think of in this case.  I just assumed that since I was eating just what my body needed and also very clean foods, my body was utilizing and absorbing most of it therefore there was very little left over for exit.  I have yet to weight (that will be the start of week 2) so I am unsure if my weight is the same but that is not why I am doing this to start with.  I just wanted to get rid of the bloat, sleep better, help my ulcer heal and get my body back to "damage free" zone.  Well, this day proved very differently.  I had my shake about 7:15 am.  I leave my house at 7:30 to get the kids to two different schools and then back to Smith for our Fitness Fridays.  WELL, 7:28 am came and LORD HELP ME!  Get out of the way!!!  I felt like I was in the movie Dumb and Dumber when they exchange laxatives as a practical joke.  So, I was there for what seemed like forever making up for lost time I guess.  I feel in the clear (no pun intended) and headed off to school.  By the time I get there, I feel the need to RUN again.  Or do I?   I choose to ignore it and hope for the best since I am using the same restrooms as the kids.  I never know what I am going to find in there and I am scared to death of public bathrooms because of germs.  I muster through the hour long Celebration and make it through my Fitness section.  The feeling has subsided as I have also not brought my water with me.  I think it would have been a different story had I brought it.  By the time I get back to my car, Jim Carry is in my head again and I can't get home fast enough.  BUT THE HOUSEKEEPERS ARE HERE.  They have finished the upstairs but are in the downstairs bathroom cleaning.  NOOOOOOO.  I have to attempt to run the stairs without having a BLOW OUT.  What other choice do I have?  SUCCESSFUL...thank goodness.  Another 15 minutes in there and I start to wonder how I could possibly have that much to discard.  Well, it's time to teach...are you kidding me?  What if I tuck jump, or burpee or jack...I am scared to death now.  I head to the gym as I have 15 minutes before class and during the drive there, it hits again.  AGAIN, I have to muster stairs to the bathroom for a quick...well, you know.  The walk from the bathroom to the aerobic room is only about 100 yards and in  that 100 yards, I prayed a silent prayer to just get me through class and then I could spend the rest of the afternoon in the JOHN.  NO LUCK...by the time I made it to class and started the music, I looked over at Cindy (who is also doing the RESET) and said, I have to go.  She said not to worry, I typically sweat it all out while I am working out anyway and I gave her "the look" and she said "Oh, that bathroom, you better go!".  Thank goodness there is a bathroom located in the room.  Off I go...as the class is wondering why I am running.  Class went fine, in fact, I started off drained and not sure I could do anything other than coach this class but halfway through this burst of energy has come out of nowhere.  I am jumping like a maniac and energy for days.  I finish off 90 minutes of TURBO, Planks and Push-ups and head home for a shower. I am staving but I need a shower.  Granted, I am thinking my blood sugar is going to drop any moment but it does not. Cindy (who I mentioned before) invited me to have salad out so I headed her way.  No bathroom incidents since class.  Salad was amazing and just what I needed.  Picked kids up from school and began to work in the office.  I had my alkalinize shot around 4:30 which holds me over until the husband comes home around 7:00pm asking what is for dinner. We typically eat out on Friday nights so I knew this would be challenging but I really did not feel like cooking either.  We could not agree on where to go so they headed out for pizza and I opted to stay in rather than try my luck with trying to resist the temptation.  I have learned at this stage of the game, avoidance is how I work best.  I make a shake, watch some trashy television (something about I want to marry Harry reality show).  I wait for the family to come home and then head off to bed.  It was just enough for me strangely and I was exhausted so I slept like a rock.  Let's head into Day 6 and hope this energy is here to stay.  Ultimate RESET info

Ultimate RESET Day 4

Better...on the food part anyway.   There is a direct correlation to "NOT" working out while on the RESET.  You don't find yourself starving from meal to meal.  This was one of my usual days off so I spent most of the day working from my desk aside from my planks and push-up challenges I have going on right now.  LUNCH was by far the lost filling and DINNER was by far the most filling.  I still could get my kids to try the brown rice and black bean tacos even though I think they would love them since they love Tacos in general.  My husband and I shared this once again.  I am glad I made a huge batch of it when I did.  This saves time and keeps you out of the kitchen for longer than necessary.  It is also recommended that you drink 8 oz. of water about 10 minutes before you eat rather than drink while you eat.  The water helps you feel full before you start so you eat less and feel less hungry.  But also, drinking fluids while you eat flushed the stomach of the acid needed for digestion which means the food can either sit there longer than it needs to which leads to rotten gut and digestive issues.  GOOD TIP I thought.  I am still loving the choice of eggs for breakfast but need to start trying other options as all Dairy is taken away from us in week 2.  I guess I will be sticking with Vegan Chocolate Shakeology since I cannot consume the amount of fruit suggested because of my citric acid allergy and the fact I have an ulcer which would become increasingly aggravated the more days I follow that regiment.  Sleep is great I just wish I could get more of it (the story of my life).  Mood was better but kids are learning quickly this is not the time to PUSH MY  BUTTONS and look, it only took them 4 days to figure that out.  My husband on the other hand still can't understand why I am so moody.  Really?!  If your calories were reduced to more than half I am sure IRRITABLE would be an understatement.  MEN!!!  Urination is often ( I know, but this is for informational purposes) which means the gallon of water I am drinking a day is doing it's job.  I just have to remember to have plenty on me when I leave the house since bottled water will not do....this has to be Distilled water.  But, great thing Beachbody sends you a nice little carrying bag for your supplements while you are on the road and commuting.  I will check in tomorrow as I again have to teach and we shall see how my shake treats me since that is what my breakfast will be.  Talk to you then.

 Ultimate RESET

Ultimate RESET Day 3

They say the hardest is the first 5 days.  I would have to agree.  I still have my sugar cravings and would kill for a glass of wine but I must stick to my guns.  I woke up hungry so I opted for the eggs and spinach over the steel cut oats.  I wanted to chew rather than swallow.  It was filling and a few more calories which I would need in order to teach my two back to back classes at the gym.  I ate around 8 am so it would still fuel me at 10:45 when I taught my first class.  I did not go all out like I usually do knowing I needed to hold some reserves in the tank for my next class.  This first class is a TurboKick class which for me is usually high impact and knows as HIIT training (High Intensity Interval Training).  I can typically burn around 900-1000 calories in the usual 60 minutes.  I kept my movements low impact (took the jumping out) and still managed to burn 600 calories.  So let me be the first to tell  you, low impact does not mean easy...you still work and you still BURN while saving your joints.  I did not feel drained at all going into my next class and I feel the motivation was still there thanks to my front row divas.  I brought a snack of 6 green apple wedges and 12 bare almonds with me along with 48 ounces of water for the two hours.  The snack on the RESET is usually between lunch and dinner but I knew with teaching I would need it here instead.  This is an approved RESET snack and it did it's trick.  I was refueled in time for Hip Hop Hustle which is still cardio related but low impact and more dancing.  I still managed a burn of about 400 calories.  I made it through the class!!!A funny story by the way...the gym where I teach just had a Smoothie Zone open up within the last week and it is being run by the nicest woman.  She came in before both my classes started and offered 10% off coupons for me to hand out to my students.  Now, typically I am not a fan of the sugar filled protein drinks but they do have great alternatives (salads, wraps and fruit).  At the end of my last class she came back to see if I had any of the coupons left of which I did not.  I would say this is the best thing to market to an aerobic class.  They should be starving by the time they leave my class and what a convenience to just be able to go downstairs and take care of lunch right before you leave.  As most of us know, you should eat a protein and a nutrient dense carb at the completion of your workout since this is when your metabolism is at it's highest.  She offered to make me anything for free for helping her get the word out about their grand opening and she noticed my minimal snack of apples and almonds.  Now, either she felt sorry for me or thought I was poor because the look of pity on her face was priceless.  I explained that neither were true but that I was indeed on a special restrictive meal plan called the RESET.  In our short time together, I think she thought I was crazy since she is aware of how long I had been at the gym and the little amount I had eaten.  I am sure we will revisit this conversation again.  By the time I got home, I was about to chew my own arm off.   But, I had to take supplements and wait 30 minutes before eating.   Then I realized, I was having quinoa which I had yet to prepare.  If you know anything of this food, you know it takes a while...OH LORD HELP ME.  It gave me time to shower and chop the remaining ingredients for the salad so it all worked out.  Thank goodness for the hummus and veggies that went along with it or I really would have eaten a limb.  It was very satisfying.  The afternoon was visited again by the GREEN MONSTER and then a scrumptious dinner of brown rice and black bean taco with guacamole and salsa.  NOW WE ARE TALKING.  I will be having this for dinner tonight and the husband loved it.  He did not stay within the same portion control I was in  but I am glad he enjoyed it.  Dinner done, now off to clean and prep the kids for bed.  It help me over all night and I did not go to bed hungry or stuffed.  Successful day I would say with all that went on.  Moving on to Day 4 when I don't have to teach and will be focusing on business and paperwork.  I hope my brain cells return as it involves math and thinking.  I NEED FOCUS...regenerate cells, REGENERATE!

Ultimate RESET Day 2

Day 2

Well, this proved much better than yesterday.  I would say this is due mostly to the following factors:

• It was not a National Holiday
• Kids were back at school and the husband was back at work which reduced temptation
• I did not have to teach today so my activity level was a lot lower than Day 1

The working out part I think is a huge factor.  You are on limited calories and sugar and most carbohydrates have been removed therefore working out will use up your reserves rather quickly and your blood sugar may drop too.  Timing for me is key.  I must stay on schedule as you will get hungry if you go too long between meals and that leads to snacking.  I am glad I work from home so I can avoid the temptation of fast food and the quick sonic drink ( I do like their coconut water which I am sure has SUGAR).  I am noticing my mood is still irritable at best which makes me thing I am an emotional eater/snacker.  But then again, Aunt Flo is in town (of course).  I have read that a drastic change in calories or activity will bring this on quicker and is a way of our body coping with the new stress.  I did sleep better and I am noticing less bloat.  I will not weight or measure again until I start week 2.  I am excited to see the changes.  The food has been satisfying and shockingly seasoned to perfection with very little work.  The salads are a great portion and seem to be just enough to fill you up.  I am up to a gallon of water (distilled) a day.  I am noticing less dry mouth when I wake in the morning that I typically have to the anxiety meds I take to fall asleep.  The family has been eating the sides along with the RESET (broccoli, asparagus, baby potatoes) as they are not much different than what I normally cook.  I am still craving sugar and wine.  This is probably out of habit.  I have yet to need Shakeology as a snack.  I will still keep that in my tool box as I am sure the day will come when I am STARVING!  Stay tuned for tomorrow as I have to teach two classes back to back which will throw my eating schedule out of whack.  I will pack one of the approved snacks to have between the two classes in order to maintain blood sugar and brain activity.  That is one thing I am noticing, my brain is not as active yet which I understand will improve as I continue to break old habits. Talk to you soon, it is time for my GREEN SHOT!

www.myultimatereset.com/womanmarine

ULTIMATE RESET DAY 1

ULTIMATE RESET DAY 1

The day started off better than most since it was Memorial Day 2014.  This meant I was able to sleep in a bit longer than usual.  I woke around 7am and actually got up at 8am.  Knowing this was day 1, I had prepped so I knew right after waking, I would need to drink my 8oz (or more) of water which I typically do anyway.  I am not a caffeine drinker so coffee is not my thing.  I could see where this would have been an issue for those types.  I actually drank around 24 oz. and took my necessary supplements and then proceeded to take my measurements and Day 1 photo.  According to the plan, you must then wait 30 minutes before having breakfast.  The timing was perfect.  I ate exactly what was listed on the menu for that day (even though I could have chose anything from the Breakfast list from week 1) which was 2 eggs, a slice of whole grain toast and a heaping size of steamed kale or spinach.  This is typically more than I eat any given morning since I usually drink my Shakeology at this time.  But, I thought, what the heck.  It was very filling!  Now, as you very well may know, it is not recommended that you workout on the RESET.  Since I am a Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor, there is no way around this.  I try and time my meals so that I have something in my stomach at least 30 minutes before I teach.  This worked out perfectly.  I was not hungry and had plenty of energy to complete my 90 minutes of TURBO complete with Planks and Push-ups.  This is where it gets CRAZY.  I finished teaching at about 12:15 (understand I finished breakfast around 10am) and I had a deep tissue massage scheduled for 1pm.  This did not leave me much time to shower (not doing so would just be gross and I am not sure the massage would have been enjoyable).  Knowing I was not going to get lunch until 2pm, I went ahead with my shower, water consumption and supplements.  I was EXTRA sensitive to the massage which probably means I was already in the DETOX mode.  My stomach is growling by this time and I can't wait to get home and eat.  I get home around 2pm to prep my MicroGreen Salad which was HUGE.  Of course, had I prepped better the day before (chopping veggies) I would have been able to eat before 3pm.  On the RESET, you also make your own salad dressing which is AMAZING.  This removes all the sugar and crap found in store bought dressings.  I posted in my Facebook page that I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to finish the salad...knowing I would probably eat those words later.  Now to wait for 2 hours before my Alkalanize shot (wheatgrass and herbs to balance my Ph).  I for one love the stuff.  It is very bitter and salty and you shoot it (4 oz.).  I typically add this to my Shakeology daily anyway so I was already used to it just not in it's pure form.  The members on my RESET Team had other opinions to share about the little green monster.  Now to wait 2 hours for dinner.  Here is the problem!!!!  It is Memorial Day and I am the ONLY one in my family doing the RESET so I began to prep for their dinner while I was still full from lunch hoping it would keep me from wanting to snack.  Now my husband is Latin therefore his meal of choice is Grilled Fajitas, Mexican Rice, Chips, Salsa and Guacamole and of course a nice cold BEER.  REALLY????  I am dying over here.  I reach out to my TEAM who I am sure is laughing hysterically at my predicament.  It is painfully quiet on the other end which means they are dealing with their own demons.  I manage to get through it and while they are eating I began to prepare my meal of Salmon, Asparagus and Baby Potatoes which was also very filling and very good.  Now you noticed that nowhere in this BLOG have I had my Shakeology.  That is because it is part of the meal plan if you NEED it but is not necessary.  I plan to use it as a snack when I teach so it keeps me from hitting a wall during my workouts. Dinner was complete by 7pm and with it being a school night for my little ones we begin the DREADED nighttime ritual.  My mood has gone from satisfied and relaxed to full on CRAZY IRRITABLE.  I am sure this is somewhat related to the fact I was not able to have my evening glass of wine or that NICE COLD BEER my husband was walking around with but I also have a SWEET TOOTH.  I love my pies, cakes, cookies and TWIZLERS!  Yes, TWIZLERS.  My husband still asks how I crave wax.  I just do and I am really CRAVING it right now.  So, off to bed we all go.  I am thinking I should probably go to sleep and get a good night's sleep as my day will begin at 5:30.  But, I AM NOT TIRED.  So my husband and I resort to watching a movie until about 11:30.  Now I am tired and ready to SNOOZE.  Low and behold it is May in Texas and regardless of months or seasons, you never know what you are going to get weather wise.  I have three dogs (one of which is high maintenance and can sense a storm 50 miles away).  Needless to say, she begins to bark around 1am.  Now, we are human and have yet to see lightning or hear thunder so are very irritated at this point and have to literally get up and take her out and get her to calm down and back into bed.  It is now 2am.  AHHH...back to bed as I am counting the hours I have left and BAM...the biggest lightning and thunder shock I have probably ever heard just sounded like it happened in my attic.  NOW THE WHOLE FAMILY IS UP....needless to say, 5:30 came early, I was not in the best of moods.  Kids are off to school now as I sit and have my first meal of Day 2.  Let's hope this goes well.  Stay tuned for a recap of Day 2 tomorrow.  Wish me luck, I am going to need it!

Day 4 - "HEALTHY" foods than can FOOL you.

Frozen or Canned Fruit

Any food swimming in juice or "light syrup" isn't good for you. Furthermore, most canned fruit is peeled, meaning you're being robbed of a valuable source of fiber. Frozen fruit is a little trickier. Freezing preserves the fruit itself, but some manufacturers add sugar during the freezing process to preserve color and taste. 

Solution: Read that ingredients list! You want it to say fruit, water—and that's it.

DAY 3 - "HEALTHY" food that can FOOL you.

CHICKEN

 

Just because you made the switch from red meat doesn't mean you're in the clear. Three ounces of raw chicken breast, meat only, has 93 calories, 19.5 grams of protein, and 1.2 grams of fat. Three ounces of dark meat (wings, thighs, and legs), meat only, has 105 calories, 18 grams of protein, and 3.6 grams of fat. It may not seem like much, but it adds up. 

Solution: Go for the breast, and while you're at it, ditch the skin. It's nothing but fat.

DAY 2 - 9 "HEALTHY" Foods that can FOOL you!

WHEAT

Wheat Bread

Whole-grain wheat is better for you than refined wheat. By keeping the bran and germ, you maintain the naturally occurring nutrients and fiber. But, for some reason, manufacturers constantly come up with new ways to lead you back to the refined stuff. One of their latest tricks is to refer to refined flour as "wheat flour" because, obviously, it's made of wheat. But just because it's wheat-based doesn't mean it's not refined. The distracted shopper can mistake this label for "whole wheat flour" and throw it in his cart. Another loaf of cruddy, refined, fiberless bread has a new home. 

Solution: Slow down when you read the label. That word "whole" is an important one.

DAY 1 - 9 "Healthy" Foods That Can Fool You

I will start with the first item on the list:  YOGURT

 

 

It starts out as good stuff. Fat aside, there's the calcium and protein you find in all milk products, along with probiotics, which make it easier to digest for those with lactose issues. The only problem is that straight yogurt can be pretty bitter, so manufacturers load the stuff with sugar and masquerade those carbs as fruit in an effort to make the whole thing more palatable. Have a look at most flavored yogurt and you'll find the second ingredient to be sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. One container of Yoplait® Original Strawberry has 170 calories, with 5 grams of protein and 33 grams of carbohydrates, 27 of which are sugar. Oddly enough, these are the exact same nutrition facts for Yoplait's other, less healthy-sounding flavors, including Key Lime Pie and White Chocolate Raspberry. 

Solution: Buy plain yogurt and flavor it yourself. You'd be amazed at how far a handful of raspberries or a tablespoon of honey will go to cut the bitter taste.

Stay tuned for Item #2 tomorrow...you may be shocked!

Chalene Johnson - ONE of my MENTORS

Chalene Johnson
The Fit Girl Next Door
By L.E. Gomez  

 
Chalene Johnson may be the powerhouse of a modern fitness phenomenon that energizes the masses at health clubs everywhere, but the girl from Michigan is still there, true at heart.

Fifteen years after she created the ever-popular fitness program, Turbo Kick®, Johnson's rising status as a fitness personality has not shaken her ability to be a mother, wife and mentor. You ask her about her roots, and she'll bring up Rachel Ray. Ray was fueled by a passion to teach people that cooking can be fun and simple. Johnson sees the parallels.

"In much that way, though my early aspirations were not fitness, I have always simply wanted to help people experience fun when they exercise," she said. "My goal is to help people be happier, healthier and live a more balanced life."

Much of that life is a product of her success, which has brought in a lot of notoriety and fanfare. At the same time it has brought in a lot of work, hundreds of TV hours promoting her program, filming DVDs and connecting with her fans on the Internet.

Johnson's image and energy fuels the brand, whether it is on the cover of magazines, on TV news programs, workout DVDs, infomercials or websites. None of it happened over night.

From an early age, Johnson was drawn to kinetic energy,martial arts classes, dance, hip hop or simply the way cheerleading squads would combine sound to accentuate their choreography. The energy that came out of human movement was particularly attractive to her. That attraction would eventually lead to the creation of the Turbo Kick program. But early in her fitness career, the 1970s and 80s, aerobics was king.

Judi Sheppard Missett, with Jazzercise ®, and Jane Fonda, with aerobics, brought fitness to the masses on TV and in fitness clubs. The industry wouldn't see a noteworthy explosion until the 1990s when videocassette players became household products nationwide.

After graduating from Michigan State University, Johnson settled in Southern California where she experienced first-hand a shifting movement in group exercise as new formats emerged. The pressure was on fitness instructors who were expected to choreograph, test and create music programs for a wide variety of formats.

So she took what she knew about Tae Kwon Do, dance and aerobics, mixed her own music and brought it into the gym where she worked as a part-time fitness instructor. The concept was fresh. It didn't even have a name at the time but it was catching on. By 1997, Johnson created Powder Blue Productions to help produce notes and instructional DVDs (VHS at the time) with music, the combination became a preprogrammed course that trained instructors.

"In essence I was providing instructors with the benefit of letting me do the `testing' and research and development for each of their classes and providing them with a paint-by-number system that allowed them to focus on another format, such as step, or another that they enjoyed choreographing themselves," she said.

In its first year, Powder Blue Productions trained nearly 1,000 instructors. Within a few years, the program was getting attention at health clubs across the country. To date over 80,000 instructors in 43 countries have gone through one of Johnson's many prechoreographed fitness trainings. "For the first 10 years we never spent a dollar on advertising. It was all word of mouth from one fitness instructor to another via message boards, fitness meetings, conventions and group fitness forums," she said.

Johnson became a figure hard to ignore. Two years after she officially created Turbo Kick, a small (but rapidly growing) company in Los Angeles, Calif., took interest in her workout program as something that could be sold as a home gym product.

Through its infomercials and its diverse menu of in-home fitness programs, Beachbody tapped a demand for accessible fitness and weight loss programs outside the gym. Beachbody was ready for the changing times, and along with it were a number of fitness trainers who wanted to introduce their fresh and exciting concepts. Johnson was one of them.

...I have always simply wanted to help people experience fun when they exercise...My goal is to help people be happier, healthier and live a more balanced life

At the time, Johnson had hired Jay Blahnik and Julie LaFond to manage and process offers to market her product that were coming in from various infomercial companies. Through that process, the group declined offers from some infomercial giants to go with what was at the time a small up-and-coming player. Together, Johnson and Beachbody introduced Turbo Jam® as the in-home version of Turbo Kick. Turbo Jam spawned a number one selling infomercial and a home-workout craze. Beachbody is now a fitness infomercial giant with programs such as P90X®, Insanity® and TurboFire®.

While Turbo Kick initiated with the instructor, pro-level demographic, the program later shifted to a consumer market. The target end user was no longer the veteran fitness instructor, Johnson explained. It was now the fitness enthusiast, or as she said, the one "who has moved from the back row to the front row and now is looking for another challenge."

"Because of Beachbody, there are literally millions of DVDs in the homes of people who might not ever have gathered up the gumption it takes to try a group fitness class at a health club," she said. "I am so thankful that we did the early research when many lucrative deals were on the table and decided to go with a company that really `gets' not only fitness, but the importance of the culture and the family I had created with Turbo Kick. The relationship has been amazing."

To some, Johnson is the master role model of what it takes to create a successful enterprise¿particularly one in which prominence can help reach a bigger goal, and that is to be a mentor.

Though she continues to create workouts and manage Powder Blue Productions, her focus has zeroed in on personal development through a series of audio programs called "Car SmartTM" and via her motivational retreats like the "life-changing" weekend in Southern California called Camp Do More. Along with the fitness component, her audio programs and retreats are about coaching people to balance their lives outside the health club with goals like reducing stress, improving self-image and making the best use of their time to live according to their priorities, she said.

"Quite by accident I ended up in fitness videos, but my personal mission extends beyond fitness. Of the camp she said, "It's my calling. It's my passion.

Cardio Training vs. Weight Training

MUSCLE MASS MATTERS. A LOT.

Do you like walking up stairs on your own or would you rather take one of those home stair lifts? Have you seen one of these things?

First you have to wait for the lift to ever-so-slowly make its way down the stairs. Then you get in it and slowly go up the stairs.

I tried it once with my pet turtle Herb. Herb jumped off half way up. He didn’t have the patience and decided to walk up the stairs.

On a more serious note: For a while, I researched treatments for muscular dystrophy, a disease that causes severe muscle loss. Do that kind of research for a day or two, or talk to people with muscular dystrophy, and you’ll quickly recognize the vital importance of maintaining muscle, even if your goal is to lose weight.

My biggest peeve in the weight loss industry is that weight loss is the measurement for success. For example, here are some other ways to lose weight:

1. Amputation.
2. Osteoporosis.
3. Stomach flu (though intestinal parasites will do in a pinch).
4. Coma.
5. Chemotherapy.
6. Shaving all your hair off.
7. Lobotomy.

Thanks, but I’ll pass on all of those.

Muscle helps you walk up and down stairs and pick up a soup can. And, of course, keeping you moving is muscle’s most important function.

But muscle can also help you lose fat and stay lean.

MUSCLE METABOLISM

Increased basal metabolism is probably the most obvious advantage of having more muscle. Actually, to be more exact, the more muscle you carry, the higher your resting energy expenditure (REE).

Since REE is the biggest part of your total energy use in a given day, it can change how many calories you burn [1] .

Have you ever wondered why muscle uses energy when you’re doing absolutely nothing? Seems like a waste.

Well, muscle is always up to something. It’s constantly being broken down and re-constructed, or synthesized. In fact, all tissues, to one degree or another, are constantly being remade.  It takes about seven days to completely regenerate your skin, and seven years to replace every cell in your skeleton [2].

What makes muscle special is that you can make more of it – a lot more. In other words, unlike bone and skin cells, muscle generation is, to some extent, within your control. Whereas after puberty, you can’t make a lot more of other tissue. Except fat.

The moral of the story? Throw away your scale (or at least hide it for awhile.)

Generally, you don’t need to convince men to gain muscle, but women tend to be more concerned about getting “too big.”

Here’s why women should gain muscle.

LOSE WEIGHT THE EASIER WAY

Here’s a familiar scenario. In January, Jane and Bob agree to lose weight – together. Jane watches what she eats, counts every calorie, and spends hours on the treadmill every day. After a month, she’s down by a pound.

Meanwhile, Bob decides to drink less soda and manages to cut down to one can a week from his usual four. He gets to the gym when he can – maybe three times a week – but half the time, he ends up cutting his workout short. One month of this, and he is ten pounds lighter!

What the heck? Why does this happen? (I can hear women around the world gnashing their teeth from here.)

There are many physiological reasons, but the difference in their muscle mass is one of the biggies.

Let’s compare two women. Jane and Mary both have the same amount of fat, but Mary has an extra 7 kg (15 lb) of muscle.

If, for one year, Jane did exactly what Mary did to maintain her weight– snowboarding, sleeping, swearing in six languages, whatever – Jane would actuallygain 8.5 kg (18.7 lb) of fat, increasing her body fat percentage to 35.8%. Just because of the differences in their resting muscle mass.

The other thing you might notice is that since Mary has more muscle and weighs more overall, despite having the same amount of fat, she actually has a lowerpercentage of body fat.

 

Next Up...IN-N-OUT BURGER

They have some great menu options and are especially friendly to a "paleo" diet, however, there are some menu items you want to steer clear from. Here's what you shouldn't eat the next time you're there, and what you might want to try instead.




















DON'T EAT: Double-Double

The Double-Double with onion clocks in at a cool 670 calories, 370 from fat, and an artery clogging 41 grams of fat. The other killer on your Double-Double is the spread. Even though it tastes so delicious, opting for mustard and ketchup instead will spare you nine grams of fat and 80 calories. 

INSTEAD EAT: Go "Protein Style" with the bun replaced with lettuce and you'll cut out 30 grams of carbohydrates and trim 150 calories.

DON'T DRINK: The Chocolate Shake

Something about milkshakes, burgers and fries really makes you feel like a patriotic American. However, as a healthy American, these work against you. The 15 ounce chocolate shake is a mean 590 calories, and has over 29 grams of fat. No shake solutions here either. The Vanilla shake has the most fat of any of the shakes, and the Strawberry shake finishes the trio with 81 grams of carbohydrates. 

INSTEAD DRINK: Stick with the aqua or a diet soda (if you must), and enjoy your burger even more.

DON'T EAT: Cheeseburger with Onion

How could you pass up a 480 calorie cheeseburger, with half of those calories from fat? Very easily if you care about your waistline. 

INSTEAD EAT: Opt instead for the hamburger, protein style, without the spread. You'll lose about 90 calories and a significant amount of carbs and saturated fats. It washes down nicely with a bottle of water! You still get that great In-N-Out taste, but without as much of the artery-clogging goodness.

DON'T EAT: French Fries

I hate to keep piling on to In-N-Out's already limited menu, but sticking clear of the fries saves you about 400 calories and about half of those come from fat. Not to mention the oil they are fried in. 

INSTEAD EAT: If anything, I recommend carnivoring it out and opt for the protein style, no spread Double-Double. You'll get about the same calories for a single and fries, plus cut out all the empty carbs from the fries.

In-N-Out's menu isn't all that large compared to other fast-food or burger joints. However, that being said, they offer the most customization options to make your burger better for you and not so figure-killing. Opt for protein style, and stay away from the burger spread and sweet stuff like the milkshakes. If you can stick to these simple ideas, you can enjoy In-N-Out after a hard workout. Let it be your reward for a job well done in the gym, on the track, or wherever!