Dallas Boot Camp FitnessREAL Eating, REAL Movement, REAL Thinking, R.E.A.L. Living

The North Dallas Boot Camp would like to announce and AMAZING deal for anyone who is interested in one-on-one personal training.  Right now and for a limited time (not sure how long that is yet), The North Dallas Boot Camp is offering 10 personal training sessions for only $350!

For those of you who know me and have worked with me either one-on-one or in one of my fitness boot camps, you know that I strongly believe that when it comes to really wanting to change your body, it is EXTREMELY important to have good nutrition.  It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to lose weight (and I mean body fat), gain lean muscle, become more physically fit, improve athletic performance, recover from an injury or just wanting to feel healthier, FUELING YOUR BODY WITH PROPER, QUALITY NUTRITION CANNOT BE DISREGARDED OR OVERLOOKED!

One of the most popular crash/crap diets that ever hit the market was the “no carb” diet. Now, I’m not going to get into the whole controversy of the “no carb” diet in this post, but I do want to tell you about how GOOD the RIGHT carbohydrates are for you, and the many benefits that many people get from carbohydrates.

Chicken is the number one, most popular sources of lean, quality (depending on what kind of chicken and where it’s from), proteins out there.   It’s very low in fat (unless your eating the dark meat), the calorie content is totally acceptable per serving, and you can prepare it pretty much any way you want! (I’m talking about appropriate healthy ways). it provides us with essential amino acids for lean muscle build, the skin contains a healthy source of saturated fat when eaten in moderation (plus it taste great) and is an excellent source of B vitamin and selenium (B vitamin helps protect from cancer and selenium is fundamental in many major bodily functions).

Fat free dairy, fat free cookies, fat free candy, fat free “100 calorie bags”, fat free chips, fat free peanut butter??, reduced fat this and that, and even fat free shakes and drinks!  EVERYONE has heard and “knows” that fat free is the “better” choice, every time. If it doesn’t have fat, than that must mean it’s good for us right?  WRONG! Unfortunately that’s what advertisers, most of the food industry, most everyone you and I know, and “get fit quick” type CRASH/CRAP diets want us to believe, and the sad thing is we do!

I’m sure everyone has heard how “bad” eggs are for you and how much cholesterol they have, and how eating too many eggs is just horrible!  Well, that’s not exactly the case.  First of all, did you know that every single cell in your body is made of almost 50% cholesterol?! It helps maintain the integrity of the cell membrane and plays a role in facilitating cell signaling.  So why is it that others would tell you to take eggs out of your diet and that eggs are bad for you?  Doesn’t make a bit of sense to me, don’t eat something that’s really good for me?

I’m not saying to go out and eat a dozen whole eggs for breakfast by yourself…but I am telling you that whole eggs and egg whites are a GREAT source or dietary good fat (the yolk), good cholesterol, and super high quality lean protein (the whites). Eggs are a great staple to have in your fat burning, muscle building nutrition program and can be enjoyed not only at breakfast, but with other meals and snacks through out the day.

There are literally hundreds of ways to prepare and eat eggs.   Some of the quickest and beneficial ways are:

• egg whites and vegetable omelet (spinach, tomatoes, carrots and onions..or whatever you’d like really)
• hard boiled eggs and fruit for a healthy snack
• brown rice, lentils or beans, 1 whole egg, and 6 egg whites together
• eggs pan fried by themselves, or just the whites, sea salt and ground pepper
• egg battered chicken
• roasted red and yellow bell peppers, 1 egg, 6 egg whites and half of an avocado, sea salt and ground pepper

A study was conducted that compared two groups of men, one group who ate 2 eggs for breakfast and another group who had a bagel (same number of calories than the 2 eggs) for 8 weeks. Results showed..(www.whfoods.org)

• Lost almost twice as much weight — egg eaters lost an average of 6.0 pounds compared to bagel eaters’ 3.5 pound loss.
• Had an 83% greater decrease in waist circumference
• Reported greater improvements in energy

You don’t always have to through out every yolk.  I would suggest that you have at least one whole egg for every 6 egg whites.  Remember, there is good fat and high quality protein in those bad boys!  Eat em’ up, work hard, have fun and live well!

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Did you know that there are foods that will actually help promote fat burning and muscle building? When eaten in the right proportions and combinations, oatmeal is a great staple food to have in a balanced, consistent fat burning nutrition program.

Many health and fitness professionals, dietitians and nutritionist will often have oatmeal as part of a developed menu plan when working with clients one-on-one or even in a setting such as a fitness boot camp. Oatmeal is one of the most popular foods to enjoy for breakfast, and to start your day off with plenty of energy. Just half a cup of quality oatmeal has just 3 grams of fat, 5 grams of protein and about 28 grams of carbohydrates! This is a perfect balance of macro-nutrients (fat, protein, carbs) that are essential to have when burning fat and building muscle. Oatmeal is also a great source of fiber that assist in promoting a healthy digestive system.

Many studies and research have shown many other health benefits such as:

• lowering cholesterol
• aids in the removal of toxins
• may reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and stroke

You can always add a little extra to your daily oatmeal to make it more enjoyable.  Adding fruits like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, bananas, natural cinnamon, crushed nuts for a good texture, even some egg whites for some added beneficial protein will help with keeping your oatmeal fun! You always want to stay away from instant, sweetened or flavored oatmeal.  Try to choose any old fashioned brand, steel cut or even better, organic oatmeal.  Remember, you always want to stay as whole and natural as possible! Quality nutrition is always a must not matter if you’er trying to become fit or not!

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The first week of session III for The North Dallas Boot Camp was just completed and as expected, has turned out to be yet another successful start of change for new participants!

I would just like thank all the new and returning participants for the opportunity to helping everyone be successful with their health and fitness goals!  I truly enjoy working with each and everyone of you and sincerely hope that this fitness boot camp class is a push start to a whole new year, body, mind and outlook on your personal health and growth.

One my many goals is to instill the importance of consistent and effective exercise, proper nutrition and quality lifestyle changes along with a positive mental attitude to continue to be physically fit and healthy.  With The North Dallas Boot Camp I hope to help as many people as possible not only in the North Dallas area, but everywhere, and give everyone the opportunity to make a choice and become more aware of your health, your body, the food that you eat, the lifestyle choices YOU make and what you can do to continue work hard, have fun and live well!

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On my last post I talked a little about eating before and after workouts, pre-and post workout meals, and gave a few examples of what those meals should consist of.  I would like to add a little to my answers of YES, more specifically to this question of “Should I eat before my early morning fitness boot camp class/workout (or fasted workout)?”

I started thinking more about this popular question and the answer that I have been giving to those who ask, and the answer that I was given before I started my career in health and fitness.  So I contacted a couple of exercise experts I know and asked them the same question.  Jenny Williams, a Fitness Specialist and Sports Nutritionist out of Power Play Fitness Training Studio, and Tom Venuto, a Competitive Natural Bodybuilder and Fitness Industry Expert.  I will have to say that I am very happy I asked them this question because I myself have gained a tremendous amount of useful knowledge to add to my health and fitness bank!

I was surprised that I got almost EXACTLY the same answer from both of these knowledgeable and experienced professionals.  I have summed up both of their answers into one to the best of my ability as to help readers understand what they had to say as easy as possible.

There are 2 different types of “workouts” that we engage in, aerobic (cardio) and anaerobic (resistance or strength training).

• If your early morning workout is going to consist of strictly cardio, they suggested that working out on an empty stomach was a good idea.  Being that’s the FIRST thing you did after your 6-9 hour fast (sleep).
• But if your early morning workout consisted of mostly any type of resistance or strength training, high intensity training, OR training to improve performance (which in my opinion is any strength training, athlete or not), then having something to eat was a GREAT idea.

So for those of you who participate in early morning exercise like a fitness boot camp, it seems that we recommend having a little something in the system be good practice.

I am not going to get into the physiological and scientific details of why these answers stand in this blog post, but if you are interested in finding out I would suggest going to Tom’s website and look for “A.M. Fat Burn” in his article library.  It’s a very good article.  And if you are interested in learning more about Jenny you can also visit her website.  I actually have had the pleasure of working and training right next to Jenny! Impressive!

As a fitness trainer, 2 of the most popular questions that I get asked the most during fitness boot camps as well with one-on-one clients are “Should I eat before I workout and what?”, and “What should I have a post workout meal?”.  The answer to both of these questions is YES!  It doesn’t matter if you workout first thing in the morning, the afternoon or in the evenings. Ideally you want to get in a balanced pre-workout meal or snack at least an hour before you train.  Your body will need energy (your food stuff) during your workout.  You then want to replenish the energy you have just spent during your workout with a good source of SIMPLE carbohydrates and some protein for your post-workout meal.  It is a good idea to take in this meal ASAP after your finished working out.  If right after is not possible, try to have your post-workout meal at least 20 minutes after you train. For those of you who work out first thing in the morning and don’t want to get up that extra 45 minutes to an hour just to eat, I recommend that you at least get a handful of almonds, a couple slices of whole grain Ezekiel bread, 1/2 a cup of oatmeal or some kind of COMPLEX carbohydrate with a little protein on your way to the gym or while your getting ready to head out. Here is a list of some good combinations of post and pre-workout meals.  Please remember to have WHOLE, NATURAL UNPROCESSED meals and snacks as often as you can!  This helps to ensure as much as possible, quality nutrition, which is VERY important for everyone, especially if your body is engaging in regular exercise like a fitness camp . These are just examples, BE CREATIVE and always educate yourself! Pre-workout: plain oatmeal (not instant) and raw yogurt unsweetened granola with a mix of nuts 1 or 2 slices of cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread with 2 tbsp of any nut butter (my favorite!) 1 small sweet potato and at least 4oz of baked or grilled chicken breast 1/2 cup of cooked lentils with at least 4oz of baked or grilled chicken breast 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice with a 1/4 cup of almonds and 1/4 cup of cashews Post-workout: 1 medium banana and 1/2 a cup of almonds (or a 1/2 a cup of mixed nuts) 1 medium green apple and 2 tbsp of peanut butter 4-6oz of backed or grilled chicken and a large carrot 1 cup of fresh berries and 10 egg whites 4-6oz of baked or grilled chicken and a medium pear 1/2 cup of lentils mixed with 1/4 cup of almonds and 1 small banana

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