Spotlight on Bootcamper!

You have made it through four weeks of boot camp and we can't wait to hear about your results. We know a lot of you have pretty impressive improvements this month, so make sure you post them to the blog.

Speaking of results, it is time for another spotlight on a boot camper who has achieved great results, and if these results don’t make your friends want to join, we are not sure anything will!

Read her inspiring story below:

Prior to boot camp, fitness was never a priority in my life…I was missing the “fitness gene” and I was cool with that. I had never been a small person and I had come to accept that I never would be.

I occasionally went to the gym but I never really liked it. I even had a personal trainer once who said he’d help toward my secret goal of running the Boulder Bolder Race one of these days, but mostly he was just someone to chat with while I worked out. I conveniently tricked myself into believing that clearly God (or maybe it was Little Debbie) made my body a certain size and shape for a reason and that was fine by me.

In the summer of 2008, a good friend told me about her husband’s experience in a Rialto Wellness boot camp. It sounded like a lot of hard work but he actually loved it and had a lot of fun. I had heard of boot camp before, had been invited, and even watched my boss at work achieve some great results from boot camp. But quite frankly, it sounded like torture from most people so I never seriously considered signing up.

Then it occurred to me that maybe the reason I never liked exercising before was because all the exercise programs I had tried were missing the element of FUN. I decided to try boot camp out and if I didn’t like it – no biggie, a little hard work wouldn’t kill me and I didn’t really care about fitness anyway, right?

Shocking as it was to my family and friends, I signed up for a Rialto Wellness boot camp in July, 2008. Those first few weeks were TOUGH! Getting up at 5:15 am was a challenge in itself! I distinctly remember apologizing to the instructors during the run on the 1st day because I couldn’t run 1/4 mile without walking! And push-ups?? FORGET IT! But I stuck with it and as the month went on, and I became less sore, it actually did become fun! Of course there were days when I HATED jumping rope or burpees or running up that hill on the way home, but all in all I couldn’t believe how much laughing I was doing before 7am and I had been sleeping through it for so long!!

Before I knew it, the first month was over and I had cleaned out most of the “poison” from my fridge, traded in my daily pop-tart for healthier options, lost an inch off my waist, lost 6 lbs and taken 1:48 off my run. Pretty cool….but what struck me most of all was how encouraging all the instructors and other campers were and how much fun we were all having…I WAS HOOKED.

I kept coming back for the fun, but I continued to see real, measurable results which surprised me. In September, I was challenged to try the Maximize Your Metabolism Meal Plan for 7 days as my nutritional goal for the month. It actually took me more like 14 days to figure out the whole method of measuring my food, but it has now become a lifestyle for me. I can’t say I’m 100% all the time, but you’ll much more likely find me eating a healthy meal or snack than not these days.

Seven months in, I’m having even more fun than ever before! I have a ton more energy and confidence and have found an exercise program that I truly LOVE, which I never thought would happen. So far I’ve lost 37 lbs., 7 inches off my waist and gone from pants size 14 to 8. I even ran two 5k races over the last couple of months. And knowing I’ve achieved these results with good old fashioned hard work, determination AND FUN makes it so much sweeter!

But stay tuned – there’s more to come. My current goals are to continue to improve my push-up form and I still want to get in a pull-up. And maybe…just maybe I’ll even work up to running the Boulder Bolder Race this year!

Special thanks to all the Rialto Wellness Instructors and Campers who have given me so much wise advice, encouragement and entertainment! Seriously – you have completely changed the way I think about exercise and eating forever.

I HEART RIALTO WELLNESS!

We heart you too! So glad to have you in the Rialto family. Congratulations on your tremendous results, you look fantastic!!

Have you and your friends signed up for boot camp next month? If your friends are still hesitant to sign up, tell them to read today's blog. If her results don't convince them to join, then we don't think anything will!

Turkey: White vs Dark Meat vs Turfurky

Do you know the nutritional differences between white and dark turkey meat? I'm a fan of all parts of the bird, but we know many people who avoid dark meat because they think it's much more unhealthy than white meat. So here's a handy chart so you can see how they compare. We also added the nutritional info for turducken (for you serious poultry lovers), and Tofurky (for you vegans and vegetarians).

Meat Type (3.5 ounce serving)
White meat
156 Calories
3.2 Total Fat(g)
1 Saturated Fat (g)
29.7 Protein (g)

White meat with skin
188 Calories
7.4 Total Fat (g)
2.1 Saturated Fat (g)
28.5 Protein (g)

Dark meat
186 Calories (g)
7.2 Total Fat (g)
2.4 Saturated Fat (g)
28.4 Protein (g)

Dark meat with skin
220 Calories (g)
11.5 Total Fat (g)
3.5 Saturated Fat (g)
27.3 Protein (g)

Turducken, dark meat
187 Calories (g)
8.6 Total Fat (g)
2.8 Saturated Fat (g)
27.4 Protein (g)

Turducken, light meat
161 Calories (g)
4.9 Total Fat (g)
1.5 Saturated Fat (g)
29.4 Protein (g)

Tofurkey
280 Calories (g)
16 Total Fat (g)
1 Saturated Fat (g)
24 Protein (g)

While dark meat does contain a few more calories and fat, it also contains a considerable amount of iron, so go ahead and eat that drumstick you crave. Keep in mind that the skin contains a ton of calories and fat, so feel free to indulge a little, but don't go overboard. As for the Tofurkey, we've surprised to see that it contains so much fat and calories. At least it's low in saturated fat.

Enjoy whichever protein you choose, but remember that these numbers don't include stuffing or gravy on the side. So if you want to save room for a slice of grandma's famous pumpkin pie, limit the turkey fixings.

Do You Multi-Task?

In this day and age, we are all about multi-tasking. We are always talking on the phone, emailing, and checking the Rialto blog all at the same time. And where would most people be if they didn’t have their blackberries? You can’t go through a day without seeing someone checking their blackberry while grocery shopping or driving. So why not multitask to burn more calories while at work too?

If you are like most people, you sit at a desk all day. This increases your risk for obesity, back pain, poor posture, and a slew of other problems. And you may have noticed that after a tough morning at boot camp you get stiff pretty quickly too!

It doesn’t have to be that way. You can work some exercise into your schedule to counteract the effects and maybe burn a few more calories at the same time! We should already be stretching throughout the day, but there’s more you can do as well. Need to talk something over with a colleague? Take a walk around the block while you do it. Or just bring in a stability ball to sit on instead of a chair – its great for the abs!

There is a new trend going around…but you might have to get your employer to fork over some cash for this one. Some people are exploring the new world of Treadmill Desks. Companies are now selling a traditional treadmill with a desk attached for your computer, phone, and anything else you might need. Walking at a slow pace while working can burn an extra 350 calories per day!

If a Treadmill desk is not in your budget this year there are many other exercises you can do at work. Check out this article for some great ideas for exercises you can do right at your desk. Our favorite is “The Magic Carpet Ride”. What’s yours?! Any other ideas for exercising at your desk or workplace?

Prograde NOT Affected by Peanut Butter Recall

With the recent outbreak of Salmonella in peanut butter based products, Prograde Nutrition has taken the necessary steps to make certain the Peanut Butter used for Prograde Cravers is not affected. We're happy to report that our products are NOT affected at all by the recent outbreak. We take the safety of our products very seriously and want to assure our customers they have no need for concern. If you have any questions regarding this matter please feel free to contact us at Support@GetPrograde.com

Have a Fit Day!

Why Do You Workout?

We all know the basic reason that people start a diet and exercise program. The number one reason people change their life style is to lose weight – or nip small gains in the bud. But there are plenty of other benefits from working out that don’t have anything to do with the numbers on a scale or how your clothes fit.

Can you name seven other benefits of working out?

1) Exercise improves your mood – Exercise stimulates chemicals in the brain which may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed.

2) Exercise combats chronic diseases – Exercise can help you manage high blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

3) Exercise helps you manage your weight – This one is pretty self explanatory…the more calories you burn, the easier it is to manage your weight.

4) Exercise strengthens your heart and lungs – Exercise helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently.

5) Exercise promotes better sleep – A boost in activity can provide a better night sleep….especially if you wake up at 5am!

6) Exercise can put the spark back into your sex life – Exercise improves circulation, which can lead to more satisfying sex!

7) Exercise can be fun – Whether it be rolling around in the park or hiking with your kids, exercise can be a fun group or family activity.

Anyone would agree that all of these are great benefits of working out. And most of them are pretty easy to believe. But how does exercising actually make you happier?

There are two hormones in the body that with exercise affect a person’s mood. Cortisol is a hormone the body produces when anxious, stressed, angry or afraid. When working out burns cortisol and in turn our mood increases. The second hormones are endorphins. Exercise stimulates the pituitary gland to release endorphins. These endorphins then attach themselves on receptors that normally send pain-signaling molecules to other parts of the brain. No wonder everyone at Rialto Boot Camp is so happy!

Aside from losing weight or going down a size, what other changes have you noticed in yourself since you started working out?

How Are You Sleeping?

Have you noticed a change in your sleep patterns since you started boot camp? Hopefully it is getting easier to get to bed early to make sure you get the rest you need! If you are not getting enough sleep at night, you may be hurting your chance of achieving performance and/or weight loss goals.

Many studies have been conducted related to sleep and exercise performance. Needless to say, it has been found that if you are not getting an adequate amount of sleep every night, your exercise performance will suffer. Also, with the lack of sleep, your body’s need for rest and recovery will increase and your risk of injury may be higher.

The weight loss (or lack thereof) connection has been proven as well. An article that just came out in the January 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition took a look at sleep and snacking. It was a small study that let the same group sleep for 5.5 hours or 8.5 hours per night, each for two weeks.

When the group was sleeping for 5.5 hours per night, they ate approximately 220 more calories from snacks, particularly during the hours of 7pm to 7am. And a greater percentage of their calories came from carbohydrates when they slept 5.5 hours per night. Looks like getting adequate sleep may help you stick to your eating plan and keep from turning to snacks for an energy boost.

And if that’s not enough to convince you that adequate sleep is important, studies have also shown that sleep deprivation strongly impairs human functioning overall. And depriving your body of sleep causes hormonal changes that mimic the effects of aging. Surely you don’t want to feel/look older!

We know you’re working hard to achieve your goals, so make sure you get enough sleep so you aren’t sabotaging your efforts.

Have you noticed a difference in your performance at boot camp when you don’t get a full nights rest? Have you changed any of your daily routines to allow for more sleep?

Boot Camp is Back!

Ahh, January. New beginnings, recommitting to exercise and eating right – perfect time for boot camp, and it is almost time!!! Make sure you eat right this weekend, drink plenty of water, and start getting to bed early. This weekend will be kind of a “warm-up,” and it is a great time to start making good food choices to nourish your body and to start on your homework to get ready for the exercise you’ll begin soon. Monday for some and Tuesday starts the real deal for others.

So clean out your refrigerator and go shopping for good food choices. It is much easier to stick to a nutrition plan if you surround yourself with good food choices. That is probably pretty appealing to some of you right now if you’ve been indulging a lot over the holidays! Not sure what you should be eating? Ask an instructor or post your questions to the blog. We have experts in the nutrition field who can help.

During the month there are some important things to remember.

1) It is January and it can be very cold at 6am. Please check the weather the night before camp and make sure you are dressed appropriately.

2) We know that new shoes can be expensive. But getting new shoes can help prevent injury. You really should have a pair that is less than 1 year old, even if you haven't worn them very much! We don’t want you to throw away your money so take care of your shoes! so clean them!

3) It has been proven that people who write down what they eat on a daily basis lose more weight then those that do not. So use those log books. We are here to help you make good choices, but you have to take the first step of logging every thing that you eat.

4) Please take care of yourself this month. If you pull a muscle, do not stretch it (if you stretch, you are just adding more micro tears). Relax and get ice on it ASAP. And remember, RICE, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. That’s right…it says REST! Sometimes you may need to take a day or two to allow your injury to heal. But this doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t exercise at all. If you twist your ankle and can’t run or jump, head to bootcamp. The Rialto instructors will help you modify workouts or come up with exercises you can do that will allow you to get a great workout without further aggravation to your injury.

5) If you bring water bottles, gloves, towels, or anything to bootcamp, they should leave with you! Also be mindful of your surroundings.

Have Fun this Month!!

This is So Sad, but True

As fitness professionals, we can tell you from experience that most people just do not give their health a second thought until it's gone.

It's very sad, but very true.

Now we know you've heard this before. And we know that this message typically falls on deaf ears. But today we want you to do some soul searching.

First off, we hope this message finds you in good health. If it does, we want you to give us 60 seconds of reflection. Sit back in your chair and give thanks for your well-being. Give serious consideration to what your life would be like without it. Imagine the effect on your family if you lost it.

Next, we want you to think about the old saying "you are what you eat."

Truer words were never spoken, you know. So now give us another 60 seconds and think about what you've eaten over the last few days. Make a little list on a piece of paper or on your computer.

So if you are what you eat, what is YOUR body made of right now?

You and I both know there's nothing better than filling up on nature's finest whole foods.

If you are what you eat doesn't it make sense to build your body with nature's finest?

By now we're guessing we have your full attention.

Good.

Because we want you to know that while we would NEVER promise you a miracle pill, we are going to tell you that you can get the nutrients of 25 whole vegetables, greens and fruits in caplet form.

Prograde Nutrition's VGF 25+ is the culmination of 25 vegetable, green and fruit concentrates.

Yes, they take those 25 whole foods and pack them into a heck of a caplet.

They even have specific formulas for men and women.

It's an incredibly convenient way to build your body with better materials, so to speak.

And remember, Prograde's formula uses whole foods. It is NOT a synthetic vitamin created in some lab somewhere.

Now the really cool thing about Prograde Nutrition is they were created by fitness pros for fitness pros. They created a company just so we had nutritional products we could recommend to you. Products we know you will get great benefits.

In fact, their products are so in demand they are now shipping to the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand! Plus, they will soon be able to ship to just about anywhere in the world.

Yes, ALL their products are that good and they are that much in demand.

So to celebrate their new shipping destinations, and just to ring in the New Year, they are having a 10.9% off everything sale.

Yes, that's 10.9 as in January of 2009 ;-)

Here are some other details we want to make sure you know about:

• Again, you receive 10.9% off all Prograde products.



• It will run from Thursday, January 8th until Thursday, January 15th at 11:59pm EST.



• Yes, that 10.9% off will be applicable to SmartShip orders. But it only applies to that first purchase. Not ongoing.



• The coupon code you enter at checkout is: 012009



• The website is http://rialtowellness.getprograde.com/



• If you want to check out the VGF25+ we've been telling you about go here: http://rialtowellness.getprograde.com/vgf

Here's to your health!

Do some soul searching today. Do you really want to be one of those people that thinks about their health AFTER they've lost it?

If your nutritional plan needs a boost be sure to check out Prograde's 10.9% off sale at http://rialtowellness.getprograde.com/

The Truth About Diet Soda

It’s true that diet soda may be a better option then drinking regular soda, but is it your best option? Probably not.

Researchers have found that drinking an excessive amount of diet drinks may not help with weight loss. Consuming a sugary beverage, even if it is artificially sweetened, may lead to cravings for other sweets. It may not mean you eat chocolate, but you may choose a sweeter cereal, bread or dessert.

Also, if you are constantly drinking diet beverages, you probably are not drinking enough water. Diet soda is completely nutrition-free and as important as it is to remember to not drink your calories, it is also important to remember to drink water. If you need a caffeine fix, try drinking tea.

So if you are a big diet soda drinker, try to remember to switch out that soda for water most of the time and save the diet drink for a treat. And just for fun, check out the 20 Unhealthiest Drinks in America and the 13 Worst “Healthy” Foods in the Supermarket.

Who else is on "The Wino Diet?"

I couldn't resist posting this one...

Knocking back a glass of wine each day has long been linked to good health. That is, of course, as long as it's one glass and not the entire bottle.

Wine protects against diseases of the heart and the brain, including coronary artery disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Wine drinkers even have lower rates of certain cancers compared to folks who don't partake. In general, those who drink wine live longer than those who drink beer or other kinds of booze.

Yet scientists have wondered: is wine really such a powerful elixir? Red wine contains antioxidants that have powerful health-protecting properties, but the relationship may not be simple cause and effect. Perhaps wine drinkers also take better care of themselves—they may also eat more healthfully and exercise more regularly than beer drinkers or teetotalers. In other words, perhaps wine is a marker for a certain lifestyle?

A study suggests the benefits of wine are at least in part due to the smart dietary choices of wine connoisseurs. Danish researchers analyzed 3.5 million supermarket receipts and found that wine drinkers (people who bought wine as their only form of alcohol) tended to buy more fruits, vegetables, low-fat meats and cheeses than do other shoppers.

Beer drinkers, on the other hand, filled their carts with ready-to-eat dishes, cold cuts, sausages, sugary items and soft drinks, the researchers report online in the British Medical Journal.

These divergent shopping lists suggest that lifestyle choices may be more important than the type of alcohol a person drinks when it comes to determining mortality risk.

Other demographic patterns emerged among the Danish wine drinkers that could also influence their lower mortality rates. They tend to be more highly educated, wealthier and in better physical shape than beer drinkers. Similar results have been found in a Californian population, suggesting this isn't just a quirk of the Danish study.

It seems that no matter where they live, wine drinkers tend to subscribe to the so-called Mediterranean diet—chock full of fresh produce and healthy, unsaturated fats like those in olive oil and fish, with a minimum of artery-clogging fat from meats and processed foods.

Another wrinkle: scientists note that wine usually accompanies a meal, which means that the alcohol may be better tolerated by the body. In contrast, beer or other spirits tend to be enjoyed on a fairly empty stomach—say, while watching the game on TV or sidled up to a bar.

One positive note for non-winos: A daily tipple of alcohol—any alcohol—thins the blood and prevents blood clots. So go ahead, uncork that bottle. Just put down that wurst.

Here's to your BEST life EVER!

Allowing Shades of Grey

It's that time of year again. The holidays are over and we've rung in the New Year. Most of us are thinking about resolutions, one of which is probably the desire to eat better and re-commit yourself to that nutrition plan. This article from Psychology Today addresses the mental component of healthy nutritional plans...

People who regain weight after dieting are not failures. But if they see themselves as failures, they may be more likely to regain lost weight.

Regainers tend to have an "all-or-nothing" style of thinking, according to research by psychologists at the University of Western Australia. They see themselves as either a success or a failure, with no options in between. People who keep weight off seem to allow for more shades of gray.

Most people stop losing weight after about 20 weeks of dieting. If an all-or-nothing thinker hasn't reached her goal weight by then, she may see herself as a failure and give up on her new eating habits, surmise Susan M. Byrne and colleagues.

Here are some unhealthy thoughts that may sabatoge your goal:

• "I must be thin." This creates desperation, which undermines a healthy long-range approach to sensible eating. Also, perfectionism pervades this thinking.


• "I must eat until sated." Early humans lived in an environment in which food resources were scarce. While our ancestors had to hunt down squirrels and eat them, we can supersize a Whopper meal and skip the workout.


• "I need immediate results." The demand for immediate improvement undermines commitment to a long-term goal. We think, why bother eating healthfully, when the reward is far off? But dieting requires present-moment frustration and self-denial with little immediate reward.


• "I need comfort." People eat to avoid feelings of loneliness, depression and anxiety. Fatty and sugary food provides immediate comfort and distraction from other issues. Resolving some of these problems may help you overcome poor eating habits


• "It's intolerable to stick to a diet." This thinking renders you helpless. People who are easily frustrated want easy solutions. We're seduced by fad diets because they appeal to that immediacy. Yet people who rely on fads suffer high failure rates. When you diet with the short term in mind, you don't learn strategies that require patience and persistence.

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year!

2009 is going to be a GREAT year!

You know how we know?

We're going to be by your side, and we're going to help you get healthy, no matter what.

Each year we seem to get more serious about our fitness and rehabilitation career...

but work seems like so much more fun than it used to.

In part, we believe we have you to thank.

We're ready to set some records in 2009 - are you with us?

Here's another workout Exercise:

Body Weight Circuit B
Squats (Hands behind the head) x 15
Push Up x 15
Diagonal Lunge x 10 (each leg)
Side Plank (Hold 30 seconds)
In and Out Step x 20

Repeat 4-6 times or until you have reached 20 minutes to complete this circuit.

Remember to STRETCH after each workout!

Have a great day (and please remember to bring some great energy to the blog today and let everyone know how stoked you are to get fit in 2009)!