Monthly Archives: May 2010

“Suck it up Buttercup”

Posted on May 29, 2010 | 13 Comments

I ran into a former Boot Camper today.  I always love talking to the men and women that have left Boot Camp for whatever reason they had. Some met their goals and have learned to maintain their own health and fitness program. To them I say, “Way to go.”  I give away everything I know so that they can take control of their own programs.  Sure, I might not make as much money as some fitness people, but I always remember my primary goal…Make people healthier!

Some leave the program after they realize that Boot Camp isn’t the magic pill they are looking for.  ”What do you mean I have to exercise and get all sweaty and breath heavy?”  Why they even start I’ll never know, but to them I say, “Thanks for leaving the program because I don’t want you as a walking advertisement for my program.”

Some leave the program because, well….just because.  Not their cup of tea I guess.  To them I say, “Thanks for coming out.  Been there, done that, got the T-shirt to show for it.”

Finally, the last group of see ‘ya laters’.  These are my favourite.  The conversation sounds like this usually.

C – “Hey I haven’t seen you at Boot Camp in the last few months, when are you coming back?”

FBCer – “Oh, uhm, well.  I, ah, I joined a gym.  I get a real good workout there.”

C – “Great.  How’s it working for you.”  I actually don’t have to ask…sight is a pretty good indicator here.  I just like to know.

FBCer – “It’s great.  I do a few of these (motions to seated pushups) and a few of these (motions to indicate curls) oh and I do alot of these (sit-ups).”

C – “Wow, sounds like you are really working it.  You must be so close to your original goal now.  What was it?”

FBCer – “Oh, to lose 10 inches and forty pounds. No, I’m not as close as I would like to be, I’ve given myself more time to reach my goal”

C – “Good for you.  Why though?”

FBCer – “Uhm, I found your class to be too hard.  I just don’t want to work that hard.  I can do it, I’ll just take a little longer.”

C – “Suck it up buttercup, Boot Camps not supposed to be easy.  You want easy? Fat is easy.  You want to lose 10 inches and forty pounds? Good luck.  At your rate there is a better chance I’ll gain 40 before you lose it and we both know that’s not going to happen!!”

That’s what I want to say. I never do. I just smile and say,  ”Good luck with that.”

Boot Camp is hard. Sure is, and I will never make any apologies for that. I have studied health and fitness for years to ensure I can serve you better than anyone else.  I didn’t just go for a weekend course, got a certificate and called myself a personal trainer.  I’ve made a life out of helping others, examining what work and what doesn’t.  I’m a fitness professional.  You enrol in my program and I am going to ensure I don’t ever take your hard earned money for granted.  I owe it to you to give you a program that is worth every penny, and I am sure I do just that.

Easy.  You want easy?  Here is a list of things that are easy:

Please, another, but make it diet.

Fat is easy.  Sitting on your duff in front of a TV all evening is easy.  Microwaved meals for your family is easy.  Grabbing a bag of chips is easy.  The drive thru at McHarKingChalet is easy.  Phoning for your meal to be delivered is easy.  Finding an excuse not to exercise is easy.  Planning on putting off your fitness goals is easy.  Packing on forty pounds is easy.

I have developed a program that is easy to follow.  I have testimonials that will tell you that it became easy to change their lifestyle.  I know people that will tell you going up stairs is easy now, playing with their children is easy now, choosing veggies over chippies is easy now.  Jumping out of bed and having enough energy for the day is easy now.

Boot Camp? No, not easy.  But it makes everything else easier.

Have I missed anything that you find easier now? Let me know.  Offended by what I said here? Let me know.  Have anything you want to say? Here is your chance.  Let me know. It’s easy.

Who loves ‘ya?

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Ten boosts to a better you!

Posted on May 27, 2010 | 1 Comment

1. Reduce or eliminate dairy for the time being, especially cow’s milk. Exceptions: reasonable amounts of low sugar, fat free yogurt.

2. No processed foods. Processed foods are referred to as Food Products more and more because they are the result of a process more than they are an actual food. Think pure, real and natural – raw vegetables, steamed vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and fruits.

3. Limit starch portions. Smaller portions of starchy foods can have benefits when combined properly with the rest of a balanced meal. Good choices are; Sweet Potatoes, beans, oatmeal, whole grains.

4. Bye Bye Booze. Yes, there are studies that indicate some alcoholic beverages have health benefits.  Not when you are losing weight or improving your health and fitness levels.

5. A little fruit is great, a lot is not: Apples, pears, plums and berries all are good choices. Fruit should be eaten with something light that can slow the natural sugar uptake by your body.  Cottage cheese, all natural peanut or almond butter, lean proteins. NO JUICE.

6. Have lean protein with every meal. Nothing says good calories that help burn increase fat loss like a healthy lean protein choice.

7. No vegetable oils. Use olive oil when you would normally use veg oils.

8. All fats are not created equal. Margarine, fried foods and solid at room temperature fats are the worst. The best is Omega-3, found in fish and flaxseed oil.

9. Eliminate white foods. White bread, white rice, white flour.  Have you ever seen any of those in a natural sate?  They don’t start white, so how exactly do they become white.  Think about what makes white socks whiter.

10. Drink water. Every day, often. No excuses

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How you feeling? HOT, HOT, HOT!!!

Posted on May 26, 2010 | 1 Comment

"Is it hot enough for 'ya?"

Hello Summer!!  I don’t care if the calendar says May 26 and its only spring.  I am absolutely loving this weather.  The hotter the better.  Even my kids are loving it…after school ritual is now change into bathing suits and into the pool.  Only three days since we filled the pool with cold tap water the sun has made it 85 degrees.

The hot weather is great…BUT, it requires that when you are exercising, you need to adjust what you are doing to protect yourself.  Don’t worry, hot weather work outs actually have advantages but I need to make you aware of some of the draw backs as well.

Exercising in the heat is a catalyst to improving your fitness and exercise tolerance.  It builds your bodies self protective systems to heat tolerance making heat comfort easier and protects you as you age from heat related risk.

You increase blood volume, improve cooling, detox through sweat and improve circulation.

Heat adaptation occurs fairly quickly and even after one week of exercise in heat your body says, “Hey thanks…I needed that!” Aerobic fitness sees the most benefit with heat tolerance.  So, no crying about the heat…”There’s no crying at Boot Camp”.  You will get used to it really fast and be able to handle it sooner, faster.

OK, so there is all the benefits…now the protection.

"Water. It does a body good"

WATER, CLEAR FLUIDS, ‘WET’ FOODS.  Bottom line, you have to intake larger volumes of water to offset the loss of fluids that will occur from exercising in the heat.  I always recommend lots of fluids but now it is even more important.  Drinking water when you are thirsty is necessary, but you should never get to the point of being thirsty.  Thirst is one of the symptoms of dehydration…very bad.  You should never allow yourself to get that low on fluids in your body.  Other symptoms of dehydration are:

  • Thirst
  • Loss of Appetite
  • Dry Skin
  • Skin Flushing
  • Dark Colored Urine
  • Dry Mouth
  • Fatigue or Weakness
  • Chills
  • Head Rushes
  • Light headed

Protect yourself and enjoy exercising in the heat.

Never use heat as an excuse not to exercise…unless its just ridiculous heat, like Arizona in the summer.  But then I’ll let you know not to do it. Warmer weather doesn’t mean you shouldn’t show up to Boot Camp, it means you should show up!

“HOT BOOT CAMP RULES.”

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Wait…put down the cup and step away from the coffee!

Posted on May 19, 2010 | 7 Comments

This is an email question I got a couple of days ago.

Hey Carrie. I read today that coffee is really bad for you but a few weeks ago I read that it is good for you.  What’s your opinion?

It’s a great question and one I have received before.  It’s like saying red wine is good for you.  Or, red wine is bad for you.  The answer is, yes.

I want that mug!

I love my morning coffee, so I do know the answer to this one, since it is close to my heart.  Mr. Burrows has no interest in the answer, “Coffee is what it is…nearly as important as blood!”  Seriously, don’t try to come between him and his coffee, especially in the morning.  We are both believers that coffee is to be enjoyed, hot, strong and with nothing in it, except maybe espresso!

So, I will give you both sides of the equation and let you decide for yourself.  First thing that you should know;  It’s not coffee that is the basis of the debatable argument…it’s caffeine.

In the name of love:

In coffee, tea, chocolate, caffeine tastes great!  That’s it, no need to say more!  But, I will.

Studies have shown that caffeine can aid in the treatment and prevention of several high profile diseases.

  • Some cancers
  • Diabetes
  • Liver
  • Alzheimer’s
  • Parkinson’s
  • Gallstones
  • Heart Disease
  • Lung Disease.

The history of the coffee bean is deep and rich.  Some ancient civilizations used the coffee bean as medicine.

It also goes beyond just mere rumour that it is effective at taking the edge off a headache, it can boost your mood, gives you mental focus and prevents cavities.

And at last…. drum roll, one of the most important benefits…it’s a thermogenic fat burner!! Amen, caffeine is perfect!!

I should also say that some of the studies have indicated that the amounts of caffeine change radically from study to study.  One I read talked about more than 6 eight ounce cups and the benefit was for men, not women.  Tim read that one…thus why he orders coffee by the pot, not the cup.

Caffeine, the not so pretty side

Remember the commercial with the egg, “This is your brain.”  Then the frying pan with melted butter is shown and the egg gets dropped in and boom! “This is your brain on drugs…get the picture?”  Well, caffeine is a drug and like all drugs it targets specific parts of your body in different ways.  The central nervous system and brain function actually do get hit with adverse effects.

Skip you morning coffee for a couple of days.  How’s that brain feeling?  When you go without a drug that you have become dependant to, your body has a revolt reaction.  Other negative affects of caffeine include:

  • Headaches
  • Irritability
  • Mild insomnia
  • Increased heart rate
  • Increased blood sugar
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Mild stomach upset

It can even have some really bad problems associated to it:

  • Panic attacks
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Sleep deprivation
  • Continuous stomach problems
  • Prolonged depression
  • Sleep disorders

Caffeine can also mess with your adrenal gland and is an acidic classed beverage.  That mean it messes with your bodies pH balance.  (That’s bad).

Ok, I quit coffee right now…. never mind, I just read the good side of caffeine again.

So, there you have both sides, like I said, you make the choice that you can live with.  Here are a couple of bonus thoughts to help your decision.

1. Limit your coffee and tea intake to 2 or 3 cups per day.

2. Replace one of your normal cups of coffee with a green tea.  Yes still caffeine, but less and will help you through detox.

3. Drink coffee in its best state…clean.  No sugar, honey, milk or cream.  Is it coffee you want or the stuff you put in it?

4. For every cup of coffee you drink, take in an equal amount of water.

5. Like a lot of things in life…moderation is the key.

So, that’s it.  Thoughts? Have you stopped drinking coffee for health reasons? Do the risks matter to you? Let me know where you stand on the issus.

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Hump Day Happiness, Top 10 Craving Busters (Food)

Posted on May 18, 2010 | 3 Comments

Top 10 “Beat the Cravings” foods and meals. (Some of these I have mentioned before, but they are so good they are well worth repeating).

1. Cut up some fresh fruit (berries, an apple, a pear, 1/2 banana) and put 1-2 tsp of melted natural nut (peanut, almond, cashew) butter on top. One teaspoon goes along way and gives your already sweet fruit a bit more of a kick.
2. Make your own healthy Vegetable Chips. Cut up Kale and sweet potatoes and coat them with olive oil . Add some  sea salt and or spices and bake in the oven for 20 – 30 minutes at 250 – 300 degrees C. You really have to watch these, especially the kale, because you don’t want it to burn. You’re looking to get them crispy but if you’re not paying attention, they can easily become burnt and crunchy.

3. Make your favourite hot tea add fruit and ice.  Essentially it is herbal tea sweetened naturally.  If that isn’t enough sweet for you, add Stevia. This is a great cold drink. This really hits the spot at 3pm when I “think” I want a sweet treat but this naturally sweetened beverage is enough to calm my cravings.

4. Get some sliced turkey and/or roast beef and lay 1 or 2 slices flat on a plate. Add  a piece of low fat cheese and wrap it up into a roll. You can also make this into a lettuce wrap by adding a lettuce leaf.

5. Mix some almond or peanut butter with unsweetened organic apple sauce and sprinkle cinnamon on top. A great mid morning or afternoon snack.

6. Go do something you love…haha…I know…I stuck a “non food” one in here. Sometimes we’re not really craving food, we’re just “bored” and need to go and consume ourselves with something we enjoy. For me, sitting at the book store with a green tea, reading magazines, is such a treat! (Although I always come home with more magazines than I will ever possibly be able to read!)

7. Cut up one apple, spread almond butter or peanut butter on top and sprinkle some crushed dark chocolate on top.
8. A decafe green or chamomile herbal tea in the evening is perfect right before bed to calm you after a busy day.
9. After you’ve made your own veggie chips, get make some fresh salsa and have your own chips and dip party.

10. 1 piece of dark chocolate with a dab of natural peanut butter or almond butter. You’d be surprised how 1 piece can go a very long way as far as knocking out a chocolate craving!

Enjoy!!!

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Fit is fantastic…fat is easy. No more excuses!

Posted on May 17, 2010 | 4 Comments

No Excuses!

“I have to keep junk food around for my kids and/or husband”

Lame! They shouldn’t be eating that stuff either!  Do you want your children to take on this same battle when they are older?  And lets be honest everyone…most of our spouses could use a little boot camp and healthier eating so get rid of the junk.

“I’ve tried to lose weight before, but I just can’t do it.”

Ridiculous.

Of course you can!!

You can do anything when you have the proper information.  You can lose the weight with the right program, the right knowledge and the right desire.

I have designed boot camp to give you optimal results BUT, you need to have the right information to make the right food choices and the correct exercise movements.  Yes, you can do it wrong!

If you have tried a diet centre diet/plan and you don’t believe you can do it on your own…then they have just scored a victory in their sales and marketing plan…they set you up for failure.

The next time you are about to say, “I can’t,” stop and ask yourself, “How can I not? This is my life!”

“I travel a lot and can’t get into a routine”

Amy travels all the time and she has maintained her 75+ lb. weight loss – because she is prepared–she always packs food for the plane-and always has healthy snacks so that she is never without a healthy choice.

Other things you can do is to stay at with hotels with gyms  - or you can do boot camp before bed in your hotel room-push ups, squats, lunges, crunches

Ordering when eating out? Get foods grilled or baked, get all dressings and sauces on the side, sub out starchy sides for steamed veggies.

Now that doesn’t sound too hard does it?????

I don’t have time

This is the one I hear all the time and it is total crap! Make the time. We all have 24 hours in a day…it’s how you use it.  Stop taking the time to come up with excuses and just do it.

No one has “free time” – so make the time!

I am sure you found the time to watch your favorite television show, right?!

You’re busy, and I get it, but you have to find a way to make your health a priority.

Scheduling workouts like you do appointments is a great start.

You can try to shift your schedule / work with your family to see if they can drop off the kids at hockey or soccer. The reality is that you must make the time.

You will have better health, and better self-esteem and more energy-it’s that is worth it!

My friends/family don’t eat healthy and it makes it hard for me to eat healthy.

You have to tell your family and friends what your health and fitness goals are and then tell them exactly how to support you. Maybe you need help in preparing extra meals, although that’s a waste of time when you can get them to join your new normal.

The only way they are going to know what you need and how to give it to you is if you tell them.   A bonus of this tactic is that it subconsciously re-affirms in your mind, what you are doing and how important it is for you to maintain your choices.

So ask them to eat healthy with you, and if they can’t do it, then ask them not to push food on you or ask you if you want bites.

Look back at the “Goal Setting Post” for more on this.

I have too many business lunches/dinners + social gatherings

If you think you can’t lose weight in that environment, than you are choosing to use them as an excuse for your own convenience.   You are choosing to make poor choices so you are right; you wont lose weight.  Take responsibility over your own actions!  Remember this one…what would you say to your children of they said, “Well everyone else was doing it so I did too!”

Seriously, is anyone really going to notice if you pass up the fat cakes and booze?  NO, you will never offend anyone by not making a pig of yourself, but you sure will if you belly up to the bar and hog all the food on a stick

If there is a chance that you can bring something to a dinner party or gathering, choose to bring healthy choices…that way you will always have something to fall back on.  You’ll know there is at least one healthy thing to eat.

And if you’re worried about offending people, remember don’t boast about what you are doing or get all, “I can’t eat that because…blah, blah, blah.”  Just say “no thank you” to the unhealthy fare.

What's your excuse?

So, got one? A good excuse that isn’t listed here? Try me out…give me your best shot.  Tell me your excuse and we’ll see what we can do for you.  Let me know, share your thoughts.

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Have you shared your goals?

Posted on May 12, 2010 | 6 Comments

You have to start with a plan

One of the most often overlooked, but very important component of any fitness program, is goal setting.  I talked about it previously here and essentially laid out the reasons you really need to do goal setting as part of your program…Recap;

1. Write down your goal(s).

2. Be specific and reasonable with yourself

3. Set a date to accomplish your goal with incremental bench marks to measure progress

4. Have a partner to help hold you accountable…ME!

Once you have done that, you HAVE to share your plans and goals with your support network.  Most often that will be your family but can extend to co-workers, groups you belong to or your fellow exercise team mates. Some of you may not want to tell anyone for numerous reasons. They don’t want to hear again that you are going to lose weight. They won’t believe you can do it.  You’ve said so many times before, etc.  Those may be valid reasons, but that could be because you never truly committed yourself to your goals.  But that will never happen again, right?

Your family needs to know your plans and know that you are committed.

When you involve your family in your plans you build a support group that is there for you on the days when you need that little push to stay with your program.  They are your cheerleaders and sounding boards when you need to vent frustrations.  You are on a journey and all journeys need support to complete.  They will help you on those days when your will power says, “Eat the ice cream sundae.”

If you keep your plans a secret you may inadvertently offend a loved one by turning down that extra helping of dessert, or choose not to have the glass of wine with your dinner.  Aunt Ellie made the Peach Cobbler from scratch and you just can’t say no.  Well, if Aunt Ellie knew, maybe she wouldn’t have tried to force feed you the calories you don’t need.

Be excited about what you are doing.  Share your experience and success, no matter how small they may seem.  Your family and friends will recognize your excitement and do everything they can to help you make your next goals.  If you go to a friends for dinner it’s natural for them to want to feed you and feed you well.  Let them know what your program is all about so that you don’t feel awkward saying no, and they won’t feel awkward as you turn down food they offer.

In the end, your goals will be easier to attain and your program will be easier to maintain with a support network around you.  We have more power in a group than we do on our own.

It's a one way street

So let me know, have your loved ones ever inadvertently sabotaged your weight loss goals?  Have you kept your program and goals a secret because you are afraid you may fail again?  Even better, tell us how your family or friends have supported you.  Share your story with us so we can all learn from your experiences.

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The Protein Show…(no ham here, unless you count her!)

Posted on May 11, 2010 | 4 Comments

Someone understands the importance of anti-oxidant, mineral and vitamin packed foods…and she is only five years old!! She hasn’t learned the big words to describe good for you nutrition.  She has been encouraged to eat good foods that taste great and look bright. The result? A great protein packed, vitamin, mineral and anti-oxidant smoothie!

Breakfast? Lunch? Diner? Snacks? YES…there is no bad time to have this drink.  This future Boot Camp Diva loves making her smoothie with our protein.


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Spice it up for fat loss!

Posted on May 10, 2010 | 7 Comments

It is one of the most overlooked, but healthiest spices in the world…You might even call it a “fat burning spice”… in a roundabout
way.  Yes, it can actually help you win the battle against abdominal fat if you use it daily…I’ll explain why.

This miracle spice has many other benefits too:

  • controls blood sugar levels
  • helps maintain insulin sensitivity
  • a very powerful antioxidant
  • may have antibacterial and antifungal properties

and dozens of other benefits too numerous to mention here.

So what is this miracle spice?

Well… it’s good old tasty Cinnamon!

Spice with benefits!

Although cinnamon does not directly increase fat burning (such as by increasing metabolic rate, etc), it CAN actually help you to burn off abdominal fat and get leaner by an indirect link.

Cinnamon has dozens of health benefits.  The main benefit that will help you to get leaner is through its strong influence on controlling blood sugar levels in your body.

Here comes the science (and my geeky side…I know you probably didn’t know I had one.)

In a study published in 2003 in the medical journal Diabetes Care, groups were split into people taking 1, 3, or 6 grams of cinnamon per day in capsule form (the equivalent of approx 1/4th to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon).

The results of the study showed that all 3 amounts of cinnamon reduced fasting blood glucose levels by 18-29% after 40 days.

Cinnamon can also increase insulin sensitivity, which essentially means that it is helping your body to control blood sugar while simultaneously allowing your body to require less production of insulin.

Chronically high insulin levels overtime can make your body pack on the pounds.

How can you harness this magic to help you lose more fat?

To benefit from cinnamon and allow it to assist you with greater fat loss potential is to use it daily in your meals wherever you can find a taste for it.  Some popular ideas are in yogurt or cottage cheese, smoothies, oatmeal, or anything else you can think of where it would go well. Some people consider cinnamon an acquired taste so if you are not a fan of the flavour, you could use a cinnamon capsule before each of your meals. (I put it in most of my shakes too.)

Using it either to assist with added flavour in your meals or as a capsule with your meals can help to control blood sugar and insulin response from your meals and thereby control your appetite and cravings throughout the day… hence, helping you to lose body fat more effectively over time.

So now you can see that not only is cinnamon a powerful antioxidant that can help you stay youthful longer, it can also help you to control blood sugar and get a leaner body!

DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!!

So, how do you use cinnamon? Let me know.  Have a fav recipe you use that has cinnamon in it? Share it with readers.

Like I said; shakes, oatmeal, smoothies, etc, are all great options for adding cinnamon as part of your nutritional plan…This is not. –>

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Happy Mothers Day

Posted on May 9, 2010 | 1 Comment

Hope that all of my Boot Camp Mommies have the best day!  You all deserve it.  The hardest working, most unappreciated people in the world!  You are all the best! WIthout you there would be less people, less love and less appreciation.

If your darling husbands forgot this great day, feel free to share this video with them.

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