Biggest Loser, Weigh in on a New York Times Article

personally i love the Biggest Loser and how it motivates so many others to lose weight, me included, 50 pounds i've lost having been motivated by one of the contestants.

Reviewing the article, you will find that the "dangerous" practices contestants took part in were of their own doing and not recommended by the show. Ali, a former contestant, chimed in that contestants would drink as little water as possible within 24 hours before a weigh in. The contestants have been informed this is not healthy and yet still do it of their own free will.

Looking at the quotes from the release forms, it seems to me (having been a legal secretary for 10 years) like they are boiler-plate, general forms that any reality show would have contestants fill out.

The New York Times also brought up the fact that interviews of prior contestants were supervised by an NBC staffer. I would hope so, since it's kind of sounding like things the contestants did to further themselves in the show that didn't follow protocol of what they had been taught, have been tauted as general practices of the show, so.. yes, if i were NBC, i think i'd cover my ass too.

And, by the way... direct quote from the article:
Ali Vincent, a fifth-season contestant who became the first female winner of “The Biggest Loser,” said she believed that her involvement in the show was “definitely worth it.”
“I went from a life of nothing to being active every day, six days a week,” said Ms. Vincent, who started the program weighing 234 pounds and finished at 122. She now weighs about 125 pounds, she said, and is a spokeswoman for products and ventures related to “The Biggest Loser.”
via: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/business/media/25loser.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&src=twt&twt=nytimeshealth

So, if the contestants choose to take it upon themselves to do unhealthy things to further themselves in the game, let them not bring Biggest Loser down. I don't condone the unhealthy behavior or the thought of risking your health to win a game show. What i do condone is the fact that the Biggest Loser is still on the air and inspiring millions to lose weight. As a personal trainer, I do not have that reach. At times I do not agree with things the trainers say or do on the show, but I do agree that they've made a huge difference.

So, I ask you to Weigh In... what is your opinion of the Biggest Loser and things being said about the show?

sloLCfitness.com

Fab Five Fit Facts

Things to think about as you embark on getting fit or continue with staying fit…

Strength training is great for fat burning. When you strength train a time or three a week, you increase you metabolism. The calories you burn during and after strength training along with the toning results you see from strength training is well worth the work. Each time you strength train, your muscles are working hard and this creates tiny little tears that require rest for reparation and recovery. Always allow 48 hours or more between strength training sessions to recover and grow stronger and more toned.

Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) do you know what that is or what yours is? It’s a great tool to have in your tool box. Most people’s RMRs are well above 1000 calories per day which means if you were to stay in bed all day and do absolutely nothing you’d burn your RMR amount in calories per day. Some people under eat thus putting their body into a starvation mode and slowing their metabolism. Always be sure to take in plenty of calories per day, by plenty I mean a respectable amount for your activity level.

Why not look at the scale? Have you ever hopped on the scale, you know you’ve been eating really well and working really hard to find that you’ve GAINED weight? Yup, I bet we’ve all been there. Check in with how your clothes are fitting, do your measurements, you’ll find you’re doing a lot better than you thought. You might even want to readjust your goal weight while you’re on your fitness journey, you may realize you’ve shot too low.

Muscle is denser than fat. Going hand and hand with not paying attention to the number on the scale, remember that muscle is denser than fat. Fat takes up much more area in your body so as you begin and continue to tone, you’ll notice your body becomes leaner though the number on the scale may not. Again, pay attention to your measurements.

Strength training at home. Many people think you have to go to a gym to tone up, but really you have everything you need right at home. You can perform push-ups to tone your chest, tricep dips on a chair for the back of your arms, and wall-sits for your thighs, just to name a few. If you like the gym, by all means, go there to get in shape, if you prefer to work out at home, or just don’t find the time to go to another location to workout, there are plenty of strength training exercises you can do at home, even while watching TV!

For answers to your questions, please visit me on my Facebook page at: http://tinyurl.com/LCfitnessFacebook or drop me a tweet on Twitter: http://twitter.com/sLoLCfitness I’m happy to answer any fit questions you have and if I don’t know the answer, I’ll find it for you.

Best of luck in your fitness endeavors!

Fit for the Holidays

With Thanksgiving coming up in just a few days, many clients pose the question, "How do I stay fit for the Holidays?"

A couple tips come in handy, i believe:

1) log your nutrition and exercise, be honest with yourself. Here's a site you can go to to do so, it's free. http://tinyurl.com/yl25hrb

2) plan time for yourself to get in some exercise, whether it be a walk, hike, bike ride, run, or group exercise class, remember to take care of you.

I usually get pretty stressed during the holiday season, as do many. When my stress level is at it's highest i go for a short walk or a run. Even if it's just around the block to clear my head and get away from everything for a few minutes. I wish you the best during the holidays and always. Here's to a happy, healthy, fit holiday season and new year! Cheers to YOU!

sloLCfitness.com

Yummy Fall Crockpot Meal - Beef, it's what's for dinner

Here's a recipe for a great meal for a fall evening...
it especially goes well with football..
reminder: start it in the morning so it can hang out in the crockpot for hours on end

one serving, with everything below included came out to 329 calories for me (there were 6 servings to be had)

Beef brisket (some sort of big slab of beef you can throw in the crockpot)
5 celery sticks
handful of baby carrots
head of cauliflower
chicken, beef, or pork broth 3 cups
2 tblsp minced garlic
3 potatoes diced, if you'd like.

pour the broth into the crockpot
chop celery then add celery and garlic to the broth.
toss the slab of beef in the pot, start it on high
(add potatoes as well if you've chosen to use them)

keep crock pot on high for a few hours until the water starts bubbling.
switch temp to low
prep cauliflower about 45 minutes before you want to eat and toss in the cauliflower and carrots

When "unloading" the crockpot, pour it into a collander above a huge bowl to catch the broth. Grab about a cup of broth out of there and put it in a pan on the stove to heat up and add flour to to make gravy (just an option)

Save the rest of the broth in a container in the fridge or freezer to use with other crockpot dishes or make some soup with it by adding back in some of the meat and veggies.

Enjoy! Happy Fall!

sloLCfitness.com

My reply to an email fitness question...

Thought i'd share this with all. The question was about ab exercises and the "spare tire" some get 'round their waist.....
First off, really focus on your form when you perform ab exercises. It sounds like you probably are, however.. years ago i made the mistake of performing ab exercises improperly and actually created a lovely little pooch AFTER i lost the weight. At that time i thought i'd never get rid of it. Once i made a conscious effort to really pull my belly button in and up towards my spine (like you're zipping up your pants) i finally saw the results i wanted. Now my abs are really toned and i am so happy with the work really paying off. To be honest, even when i'm teaching a group exercise class, when i'm teaching the "abs" section, i find myself letting my abs go if i don't consciously make the effort to zip it in. Keep up the great work! you'll get there.

As for the fat, that takes time. As you lose fat and gain muscle, you'll really get to the point where you feel great and like what you see. Remember also to take in plenty of calories per day and eat often. I know that sounds silly, but you've probably read the info out there about how eating smaller meals throughout the day increases your metabolism and if you eat too few calories your body goes into a kind of "starvation" mode and starts using up muscle instead of fat, defeating the whole purpose of good nutrition and exercise. Hope this helps!

if you'd like to keep track of your fitness and nutrition, here's a link you can sign up through to log it... https://home.trainingpeaks.com/create-account-personal-edition.aspx?cid=335273


sloLCfitness.com

Articles Online... To believe or not to believe..

..That is the question. Do you have the answer?

Anytime you see an article, blog, post on FB, or tweet about something you are not an expert in, please take it with a grain of salt. Ask a friend or acquaintance who knows more about the subject, or do some research of your own. It’s amazing how much conflicting information there is out there on the internet. It’s great that we have access to so much stuff right at our fingertips but we should keep in mind where it comes from. I have posted several articles on Twitter / Facebook, etc… and though it’s stuff I find is great information, I should probably dig a bit deeper before I post it. I read it, I get something out of it, I like it, I post it. Did I truly research every one of them? No. However, did I utilize my knowledge of fitness and exercise to mull through the article before I posted the link? Yes, I sure did. I would not post something that I didn’t believe to be credible information. That being said, it could happen to anyone.

Recently I attended a lecture by Dr. Wayne Wescott who shared with the crowd that (at one point in his career) he published information from a reliable source, which he believed to be true, and found later was not. It’s easy to make such a mistake. What I’m truly getting at is if you have questions about something ask! If you run across an article on fitness and that’s not your strong point, hit me up and I’ll see what I can do to get you the answer. If you have questions about an article on other subjects, think of all your friends, Twitter followees, and Facebook contacts who might have more knowledge in that area, ask ‘em about it!

We’re on these sites to connect, right? I’m happy to help at any time and I’ve hit people up several times with questions about subjects I have an interest in but don’t know much about. I’ll wrap this up, but please ponder the idea, and keep in touch with friends online by asking! I love to receive questions in my field of expertise, I’m guessin’ they do to!!

sloLCfitness.com

Feeling Overweight and Out of Shape

In the real world i'm fit. Sometimes, though, i feel i'm overweight and out of shape. That's one of the bad places my mind wanders when i awake in the middle of the night to hunger pains and want bad food. It's just turned 3:15am and i would love to eat a bag of Halloween candy and feed my low self-esteem. Instead i opted for a glass of chocolate milk and a few minutes later had a slice of turkey breast. I'm feeling a bit more optimistic about my choices and hope to get back to sleep here shortly. Thought i'd share as i know others have the same experiences. Just because i teach group exercise and am a personal trainer, doesn't mean that my self esteem is constantly fit, i try and keep it in check.

sloLCfitness.com

Fall Fitness

As the weather becomes a bit more chilly and the leaves change colors, do you change your fitness routine? I notice each season I add or take away a bit depending on my mood, the weather, and how busy I am. How does each season affect your fitness goals?

This fall my goal is to run more and eat less junk food. With the holidays growing near and having just passed Halloween, I find my cravings for chocolate at an all time high. Goals as general as the one i just posted don't typically work that well, so I'm spending the next week narrowing it down and ironing out a plan.

Please share your fitness goals with me as I love to discuss them!

sloLCfitness.com