Apr. 7, 2012

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Overland Park Boot Camp – 5 Tips to Get Ready for Summer

0 Overland Park Boot Camp 5 Tips to Get Ready for Summer

Hello Overland Park, Jamie Plunkett here, Overland Parks’ weight loss specialist…I’ve got 5 tips for you today to help you get ready for summer.  Number one is be active every day, I know that one’s kinda goofy & it’s kinda simple, but try to be active every day of the week, just a little bit every day will help.  Number two, Jack LaLanne’s favorite saying- “If it’s man-made, don’t eat it”, so try to focus on whole grains, lean meats, veggies, fruits & healthy fats.  Number three – Lift Weights.  Stay in the hypertrophy rep range, which is 8 to 12 reps focus on trying to increase your resting metabolism by toning more muscle.  Number four…try to drink more water every day, I would shoot for at least 90 ounces a day, don’t go overboard on it, no need to drink more than about a gallon & a half, but try to shoot for about 90 to 100 ounces a day.  And number five, pretty simple also, try to get 8 hours of sleep a night.  This affects appetite, it affects the amount of hours that you’re awake that you’re going to eat, it also affects hormones that affect appetite.  As always, have a great day! Jamie Plunkett here

Posted in Fat Loss, Nutrition & Diet, Videos, Weight Loss by Jamie | No Comments

Apr. 5, 2012

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The Down-Low On Calories In Your Favorite Alcoholic Drinks

How often are you consuming alcoholic beverages?

Many people completely overlook the impact alcoholic beverages can have on their weight loss progress and go on to slam back a few drinks every weekend, enjoying a night out with their friends. Before you know it, the scale just isn’t moving and you’re wondering where you’re going wrong.

If you aren’t taking care to make sure that you’re watching your alcohol consumption, it will derail all the progress that you should be seeing on your weight loss program.

Read on to see how your favorite beverages stack up on calories…

The Problem With Alcohol

You need to understand what the problem is with alcohol in the first place. The big issue is that as soon as alcohol enters your system, all fat burning is going to come to a screeching halt. Your body will recognize the alcohol as a toxin and from then on, it’s going to do everything  it can to remove it from the body before doing anything else – INCLUDING burning any body fat!  So each time you take a drink, you are literally stopping the fat burning process.  Only once the alcohol has cleared your blood will fat burning resume – provided you haven’t consumed a high amount of calories as well.

The Calorie Damage

So what is the calorie damage of the drinks that you’re consuming?

If you opt for a ruby port wine, you’ll consume the highest amount of calories – a whopping 185 calories in a 4 oz.  serving. If you’re a wine lover, and want to keep your intake on the lower side, then opt for a White Zinfandel, which contains only 80 calories per 4 oz.   Chablis wine is also a smart move as it contains just 85 calories per 4 oz. serving, just a touch higher than White Zin.

If you’re someone who likes liquors, these are some of your best options as a vodka or rum will contain just 82 calories per ounce. If you opt for a creamy liquor though, then you’ll be looking at a slightly higher calorie intake at 110-125 calories per ounce.

Cocktails are possibly the worst alcohol choice that you could be making as they’ll come in at between 200 and 500 calories total, really setting you up for some serious problems as far as weight maintenance is concerned.

Beer is relatively low in calories at 150 per bottle or 110 per light bottle, but it does contain carbs, so for those on low carb diets, it’s not the best option.

So there you have the main calorie counts for your favorite drinks. Remember to always opt for diet soda or water as a mixer if you are having mixed drinks as this is an easy way to reduce the amount of calories you consume while enjoying an alcoholic beverage.

Also consider alternating one drink with one glass of water to limit the calories from alcohol even further.

Posted in Fat Loss, Nutrition & Diet, Personal Training, Weight Loss by jamie | No Comments

Apr. 1, 2012

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Boot Camp Leawood – How much is your health worth?

What is the value of your health?  To me, its priceless.  I cannot put a price on my health.  Without health, we have absolutely nothing.

In a recent report, author Avi Dor reported health care costs for obese individuals are 9 times higher for women and 6 times higher for men.  Roughly an additional $8300 for women and $6500 for men, annually.  Over a 30 year span, $240,000 for women and $180,000 for men.

WOW!

So again, I would like to ask.  What is the value of your health?body scans 259x300 Boot Camp Leawood How much is your health worth?

To me, its a question of how much value we put on added years to our lives.  Exercise, healthy weight management, and nutrition can easily add 30 years to a persons life.  How much is 30 years worth to you?

When we question the value of our healthy habits, we are questioning the value of our health.  Being healthy, in shape, feeling good, able bodied, free of medicine, comfortable in our skin, confident, etc… does come at a price, but the alternative comes a at much higher price.

Have a great day!

JP

Your health is your greatest wealth.

Posted in Fat Loss, Fitness, Mind & Motivation, Weight Loss by Jamie | No Comments

Mar. 31, 2012

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Boot Camp Overland Park – Do You Have a Purpose or are you doing Burpees?

What is your purpose?

I have a purpose in everything I do.  If there is no purpose, I don’t do it.  Do you go to the grocery store every weekend regardless of whether or not you need groceries?  I hope not!  If you don’t need groceries, or if the store you go to doesn’t fulfill the purpose of the trip to the grocery store, then what is the purpose?  You’ve probably just wasted time and energy on NOT fulfilling your needs.

Well, the same is true of your fitness goals.  Do you have a purpose?  Are you fulfilling your purpose?

If your answer is NO, why not?

Often times I hear about boot camps that sound a lot like a Physical Education class.  If you are trying to fill credit hours, this serves the purpose, BUT if you are trying to lose weight and get into your skinny clothes, this is not the best possible route.  These PE classes are busy work. You spend most of your time running around doing UNSTRUCTURED WORK without a PURPOSE.  This was great when we were in school, the purpose was to give the students physical activity and to run off some energy, worked great!  Served the purpose!

These PE classes burn a ton of calories while you are working out, then your body goes into a CATABOLIC state.   So you actually burn fewer calories at rest after working out because your body is trying to make up for the extreme workout.  The human body is an amazing machine, it adapts to every single thing we do.  When you eat less, and exercise more, your body starts slowing things down to make up for the deficit.

Doing endless amounts of cardio pushes your resting metabolic rate lower and lower.

This is why there is a HUGE misconception here, CARDIO IS NOT, NOT the solution to weight loss.  It never has been and never will be!

You see, there is a science to working out.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that people are moving, but wouldn’t you rather invest your time WISELY and burn more calories at rest too?? Maybe when you’re are doing all the things you enjoy?

This is the very reason resistance training IS THE SOLUTION to weight loss.  Invest your time wisely, tell your body that you NEED the muscle that it is currently carrying and more!

Don’t freak out on me, you are not going to get HUGE  (If that was the case I would look like Arnold, but I don’t because you don’t just stumble upon that physique).

So if you find yourself doing burpees, walking on a treadmill, running around, doing TIMED exercises, etc…
PLEASE stop and ask yourself, what is my purpose? I would bet if your purpose is to lose weight and get in better shape, you are not spending your time wisely!

Have A Great Day!

JP

Posted in Boot Camps, Weight Loss by Jamie | No Comments

Mar. 26, 2012

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Overland Park Personal Trainer | Four Food Journal Musts

Do you use a food journal?  It’s one of the best ways to guarantee that you’ll see the success you’re after as you work toward your weight loss and fat loss goals.

If you are not currently using a food journal, now is a great time to start!  And if you ARE using one, you need to be sure you’re using it to its fullest potential.

Here are 4 things to remember to include when using a food journal:

Macro Nutrients and Total Calories

The very first thing that you must include in your food journal is your macro nutrients.  It will be tough at first, but you MUST record each meal’s Protein, Carb, Fat & Fiber numbers.  These 4 items together are just as important (if not more-so) than total calories.

If you aren’t losing weight for example, and look back over your food journal to see that you are consuming X number of calories each day, this indicates that you most likely need to tweak one or more of your macro nutrients – most often carbs and/or fat need to be reduced, and protein needs to be increased.  The 4 macro nutrients give you your total caloric intake for the day.

How Each Meal Makes You Feel

Include in your food journal  how each meal makes you feel. Does the meal leave you feeling energized or does it leave you feeling hungry and wanting more?  This is a good way to assess which type of diet plan is going to work best for you so that you know which to use in the future.  Some people respond much better to certain types of foods, so by having this information in the journal, you can reflect back on it and ensure you are creating the most appropriate nutrition plan for your needs.

Reasons for Eating Beyond Hunger

Make sure that you list any reasons why you’re eating that don’t include hunger.  Eating for emotional reasons is something many people do that can really come back to harm their progress over the long term.  If you find that you’re often eating  out of boredom or for some other reason, it’s time to figure out what’s going on – and see if you can tell yourself to do something OTHER than eat.  Go for a short walk, have a glass of water.  The urge to eat shall pass!

Your Body Weight

Record your body weight each week.  As you see progress, you’ll know you’ve got it right.  If you stop seeing progress, you’ll know it’s time to tweak the nutrition plan & kick start some action.

Posted in Fat Loss, Mind & Motivation, Nutrition & Diet, Weight Loss by jamie | No Comments

Mar. 26, 2012

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Overland Park Boot Camp | What To Do When Weight Loss Stops

You’ve been going about your diet plan and everything has been great – you’ve been hitting the gym each and every day, seeing good progress and feeling pretty good about how things are moving along. Then one day when it all comes to a halt, there’s no question that you’re going to be left feeling rather frustrated.

You’ve been doing everything “right” and it worked before, so what’s changed?   How come now you are unable to shed any more fat? Is your body broken?

These may just be a few of the questions that you begin to ask yourself.

In order to get past this frustrating problem, it’s important that you take into account what can cause weight loss to stop and then take clear actions to overcome it.

Let’s have a look at what you need to know.

You’ve Been Using A Low Calorie Diet For Too Long

The very first reason that your weight loss might have come to a grinding halt is if you’ve been following a low calorie diet for far too long.

The fact of the matter is that while low calorie diets can be good to get fat loss moving along quickly, they’ll also cause your metabolism rate to take a sharp turn for the worse – and slow down.  Before you know it, you won’t be burning many calories throughout the day, making fat loss feel next to impossible.  To help offset this, bring your calorie intake back up for a few days so that you can convince your body that it’s not in starvation mode.

Once you’ve done this and your metabolism speeds back up again, when you return back to the lower calorie diet, you should find that fat loss moves along more quickly.

You’re Not Tracking Your Calorie Intake Properly

The second thing that you’ll need to look at is whether you are honestly tracking your calories properly. This is another grave mistake that some people tend to make.  While at the beginning they were diligent with their calorie tracking, as time goes on, they’re  less and less exact.  Now, they could be letting calories slip in here and there – perhaps a bite of a cookie while they were waiting for the fax machine at work and a half a sandwich while they prepared dinner.  These calories will all add up and could take you away from seeing optimal fat loss results.  If you are not tracking your calories and the rest of your macro nutrients accurately, you are only hindering your progress.  Be honest!

You’ve Kept The Same Workouts For Weeks On End

Have you been doing the same workouts for weeks on end, without changing it up?  This is a really big recipe for disaster because the body needs change to keep showing results. As soon as your body adapts, you’re going to hit a fitness plateau.  While this may not necessarily always cause your body to stop losing fat…depending on your diet, you definitely won’t be making any improvements in your fitness level.  Mix it up, change your workouts and watch what happens.

So there you have three main reasons why you might see fat loss plateau and what you can do about it. Assess your current situation and see if any of these are influencing your progress.

Posted in Fat Loss, Fitness, Nutrition & Diet, Weight Loss by jamie | No Comments

Mar. 12, 2012

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Overland Park Boot Camp – Healthy Fats Required

As you go about your fat loss diet, one type of food that you must make sure you aren’t overlooking is healthy fats. Many people are still under the impression that healthy fats should be avoided in their meal plan because they contain too many calories and will rapidly cause fat gain.

The truth is, as long as you are moderating your portion sizes, fats will not cause you to gain body fat and, if anything, may help to keep you leaner.

Fats will slow down the release of carbohydrates in the blood, keeping your blood glucose levels stable, and reducing the amount of hunger that you experience on a day to day basis.

Healthy fats are also required to absorb certain nutrients in the body, so they are not something that you should be cutting out entirely.

So this said, what are the best healthy fats to turn to?

Avocado

avocado Overland Park Boot Camp Healthy Fats RequiredOne excellent source of healthy fat is the avocado. Most people completely overlook the avocado in their diet but the truth is this one can help to promote better heart health and keep your energy levels stable.

It’ll add a nice mild flavor to the foods that you’re eating as well, adding a nice change of pace to your everyday diet.

Avocado can also be blended up into smoothies or sauces that you’re preparing, so that’s another way to add this into your plan.

Flaxseeds

flaxseed Overland Park Boot Camp Healthy Fats RequiredFlaxseeds are the next way to get in some healthy fat.  These are especially good because they’re high in omega fats, which are required by the body. Other fats the body can do without if necessary, but omega fats are essential to stay alive.

Flaxseeds also pack in a good dose of dietary fiber which is also important for fat loss.

Nuts

Nuts are one of the more commonly eaten fats in the diet and are also a great option. Depending on the nut you’ll get either omega fats or monounsaturated fats, so these will be optimal for heart-health.

Nuts also help to calm hunger, so a handful before a meal is a great way to take the edge off  (JUST a handful!).

Fish

Finally, the last source of healthy fat to consider adding to your diet is fish. Fish is rich in protein as well as omega fats if you choose the right varieties, and is one of the best foods to be eating regularly.

Just be sure to stay away from varieties that contain a high amount of mercury such as swordfish or canned albacore tuna as these can cause potential health risks over the long term.

So don’t overlook healthy fats in your diet any longer. Get them in and you’ll feel better because of it!

Posted in Fat Loss, Fitness, Nutrition & Diet, Weight Loss by jamie | No Comments

Mar. 7, 2012

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Why You Must Get Enough Protein With Your Fat Loss Diet

As you go about your weight loss diet plan, one thing that you absolutely must make sure you’re doing is getting sufficient protein. Far too many people start to let their protein intake fall by the wayside and it’s only going to put a huge dent in the amount of progress that they see.

The reasons why some people fail to get sufficient protein can be varied, and include not having enough time to prepare the protein rich foods that they should be eating, lack of food preference for protein rich foods, or simply not knowing which type of foods contain the most protein.

Why is getting enough protein so essential for your success?

Protein Boosts Your Metabolic Rate

Protein is the one macronutrient that will actually serve to boost your metabolic rate.

Each time you eat 100 calories of protein, you’ll burn off about 25 of those calories simply digesting it. This cannot be said for carbs and fats, making protein a far better nutrient for fat loss purposes.

Protein Keeps Hunger Low

Of all the macro nutrients, protein tops the list in suppressing your hunger.

Protein rich foods will calm hunger pains and keep them low, making it that much easier to maintain a reduced calorie diet plan.

Creating the calorie deficit required for fat loss is the number one key to success, so this can really help out in that regard.

Protein Spares Lean Muscle Tissue

Those who are on a fat loss diet may be at an increased risk of losing lean muscle mass because there’s a higher chance that their body may begin to turn to incoming protein as a fuel source.

Making sure that you’re eating a little extra protein in the ensures that even if this does take place, it still won’t put you at a risk for losing that lean muscle you worked so hard to attain.

Choosing Proper Protein Rich Foods

So now that you can clearly see the benefits for getting enough protein rich foods into your diet plan, which ones will be best?

The top protein rich food options include chicken breast, white fish, lean red meat, turkey breast, low fat dairy products, egg whites, as well as whey protein powder.

If you can include these often in your diet plan you can feel confident that you’re providing your muscles what they need, and that YOU are putting in your best possible effort to reach your fat loss goals. Make sure that you get in one of these foods with each and every meal or snack that you consume.

Posted in Boot Camps, Fat Loss, Nutrition & Diet, Personal Training, Weight Loss by jamie | No Comments

Mar. 1, 2012

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Overland Park Personal Trainer – Top Stress Busting Activities

If you’re someone who often finds yourself highly stressed as you go about your day, one thing that you need to take into account is the power that physical activity can have on your stress levels. One of the single best ways to combat stress is to get more active as this will cause a release of feel-good endorphins in the body that will help to ease your stress and get you into a calmer state. That said, not all activities are created equal. There are certain activities that are much more effective for combating stress than others, so by taking the time to learn which activities you should be turning to, you’ll know where to place your focus. Let’s have a quick look at the top stress busting activities that you should know about.

Kick-Boxing

The very first of the stress busting activities to consider is kick-boxing. Kick-boxing is great because it is so intense in nature so you’ll really get a chance to release that pent up stress in a physical way. Since aggression is one way that many people do start to relieve their stress, kick-boxing will provide the perfect release. Since kick boxing is a high impact cardio workout, it’s an activity that you’ll want to do if fat loss is your goal.

Yoga

The second of the top stress busting activities to add to your to-do list is yoga. Yoga is perfect for those who want to achieve a calmer state of mind and who are stressed because of a hurried lifestyle. Yoga will help to calm you down and get your mind-body connection back. Most people will notice that they enter a yoga class with a lot on their mind…but by the time they leave, most of what they’d been thinking about has been worked out in their head.

Running

Moving along, running is the next activity that you’ll want to consider for its stress relieving purposes. Running is especially good for producing the endorphin release that will help to ease your stress and act in the same manner in the body as some recreational drugs. Running produces what’s often referred to as the ‘runners high’, which will have you feeling less stressed for hours after the workout is completed. Running is also one of the best calorie burning activities as well, so for those who want to firm up and trim down, it’s one to consider.

Weight Lifting

Finally, the last of the stress busting exercises that you’ll want to think about is weight lifting. Weight lifting, like boxing, is good for those who enjoy a more aggressive method to release their pent up stress and anxiety. Weight lifting will have you hoisting heavy weights that fully challenge the muscles and allow you to channel your anger, frustration, or whatever other emotions you’re feeling into the weights. Best of all, weight lifting is the top exercise to really change the way your body looks, so if physique improvements are on your to-do list, this is the form of exercise you’ll want to be including.

So there you have the top stress busting activities that you need to consider. Make sure that you aren’t overlooking any of these if you want to see optimal results.

Posted in Boot Camps, Fat Loss, Mind & Motivation, Personal Training by jamie | No Comments

Feb. 21, 2012

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Smart Excuse Busters

If you’re someone who, as you go about your workout program, always seems to have some excuse or another, it’s vital that you start looking at what these excuses are and ways that you can overcome them.
Use these next time something is threatening to throw you off track.

While there will always be those people who will use every single excuse in the books that they can think of so it’s not really going to matter what they figure out to overcome their excuse, another one will just pop right back up, for most people, if you do think of a solution to put in place, you can carry on with your program and see better success.

Let’s look at some of the top excuses that some people use so that you can clearly see what you need to do to overcome them.

Lack Of Time

The very first excuse that is very often used is lack of time. Face it, we live in a world where there are just not enough hours in the day. You’re just as short on time as the next person is but it’s how you choose to spend the hours that you do have that really matter.

To help ensure that you can carve away enough time to get your workouts in, start assessing your schedule. Are you wasting time where you shouldn’t be?

Also consider using a shorter workout program so that it’s easier for you to get the workouts in. This will ensure that you aren’t as tempted to skip the gym because you don’t feel you’ll be able to do the complete session.

Lack Of Motivation

Lack of motivation is the next problem that many people experience as they go about their workout routine. Feeling low on motivation yourself?

If so, look into a workout buddy. Having someone to do your workouts with can be one of the best motivational boosters around and really help you move on to see the success that you’re after.

They’ll be there to help you through the difficult times and encourage you along through the good times.

Lack Of Resources

Next, lack of resources is the next excuse some people use. So you don’t have a gym membership – there are many ways to deal with this.

Consider instead setting up your own home gym. All you really need to see optimal results is a pair of exchangeable dumbbells and a skipping rope. This will allow you to get your strength training in along with your cardio training, touching upon both key elements of a good fitness plan.

This will run you $50 total – if that, so there’s really no excuse here.

Physical Discomfort

Finally, the last excuse some people use is physical discomfort – they just don’t like working out. If this is your excuse, find a new workout.

It’s as simple as that. While some physical discomfort may be present as this indicates that you are pushing yourself hard and are on the way to seeing top notch results, there should never be extreme physical discomfort that you can’t handle.

If there is, you aren’t doing something right. A proper workout should leave you feeling better, not worse.

So there you have the primary things that you should remember with regards to busting your excuses.

Posted in Fat Loss by jamie | No Comments

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