Are you a NEAT person?

NEAT stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. NEAT describes those people who are constantly fidgeting, moving, walking, pacing, etc... according to a recent article on thatsfit. They are also showing that people who are like that tend to be thinner than those who don't have the same habits. It doesn't seem to change based on how much weight you lose or gain, which tends to make us think it could be genetic. But if you don't have any of these habits, don't lose hope; you can still practice some of the habits even if it isn't second nature to you. Try moving more, standing more, and sitting still less. Little things make a big difference.

A New Year and a New Mindset

I don't know why, but we tend to avoid stretching when we go to the gym. Actually, let me rephrase that, we don't stretch if we go to the gym or not. Take a look at the people you are around. Do you see people's heads leaning forward, their shoulders rounded, maybe you see their feet turned out when they walk? Maybe you should take a quick look in the mirror too. I know I personally have my right foot turn out simply because I don't stretch the calf muscle and do individual single leg calf raises. There are so many simple things you can do to correct your posture and avoid some of the neck pain, back pain, and even knee pain that you have. Paul Chek recently wrote an article about stretching and mentioned two excellent books:

• How to Eat, Move, and Be Healthy! - This is a book for the general population that discusses eating habits, stretching prescription based on posture deviations, and some general workout principals. The nutrition is based on eating by metabolic type. It's a good book that I've looked through. I haven't applied it to anyone's routine yet, but it does have some great information. I do recommend this book. He gets a little weird in some parts of it, but you have to overlook that. Paul Chek is new age in his thinking. In some ways I would consider him a genius, in other ways I completely disagree with him. His principals are solid though and could be followed by the average person, which is often missing from a lot of other diet books I've read.


• The Golf Biomechanic's Manual - To be honest, I know some personal trainers that can't understand this book. It has the most detailed posture assessment I've ever seen, and I use it all the time. I can't wait until I can fly out to California and go through his golf certification class (based on the principals of this book). If you don't know the names of your muscles, you will have a hard time getting through this book. He goes through posture deviations in magnificant detail, explains what to do stretch by stretch, and how each stretch will improve your golf swing. I fell in love with it just from the technicality of it.

Going back to his article though. Take a look at it and learn the importance of stretching, and if you have trouble understanding it......that's what I'm here for. Just let me know.

Weight Loss Buddy

I ran across an interesting website called Weight Loss Buddy. It helps you find other people in your area with the same goals as you that can help you stay accountable. I have always felt that the two most important things in helping someone achieve results are education and accountability. That's the reason I started the Katy Group Meetings a while back. I want to use it to educate the residents of Katy, and then have them hold each other accountable.
Anyway, I'm not completely sold on this program just yet until I hear from someone that's used it before and has had success with it. It sounds like a great concept. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Cybex Trazer

I just recently watched a video on Traq 3-D, a clinic that uses a 3-D system to rehabilitate patients. They use the Cybex Trazer, a new system that makes video games where you are the joystick. It tracks your movement and records your heart rate as you play. Some clinics are using it for rehabilitation on patients. It's a great idea, especially for athletes, that gets the person moving in a controlled clinical environment. It is designed for the young to the elderly and has levels that can be varied by the clinician.

I don't know of any place around Katy that has this in their clinics, but maybe we will see this in the near future. This does seem to be the future of video gaming and maybe rehabilitation and sports training as well. Video systems like the Nintendo Wii and the Cybex Trazer will probably be the first of many more systems to come.

Houston's Rank on the Fattest Cities List

I have good news and bad news for my fellow Houstonians. The bad news is that Houston is still on the fattest cities list, but the good news is that we have moved from our much prized #1 spot to #5! Mayor Bill White and his team has done a great job at moving us down the list and I am confident we are on the right track to be off the list in a few years! Take a look at the list and see for yourself where everyone ranks.

Meeting Notes 12/18/06 Cooking Tips

Prepare your meals ahead of time for the week. You can prepare your a weeks worth of food within an hour if you take the time to do it. We all have busy schedules today, but I spend about an hour every Sunday and can prepare all of my lunches and dinners for the week with that one hour. One of my favorite cookbooks is the Cooking Light 5 Ingredients 15 Minutes. You can find lots of great, quick recipes that will allow you to prepare your meals quickly.

What if you are surrounded by people who eat unhealthy and they are a bad influence on you?
You have to take a stand at first and tell your family/friends that you are not going to eat at places you can't eat unhealthy. At first they will give you a hard time, but you have to stand your ground. Eventually your family/friends will begin to choose places that they know you will be able to eat at. Make it a game with yourself. Show them that you can resist the unhealthy things, and eventually your friends/family will begin to support you.

Nutrition Warning on Clothing Labels?

There is a ridiculous story coming out of Britain that is suggesting that, "Obese Should Have Health Warnings on their Clothes." Naveed Sattar, Professor of Metabolic Medicine at the University of Glasgow, is suggesting that there should be helpline numbers sewn onto the insides of clothes of those who are obese. While this is absurd, his other ideas make sense:

• Bike Lanes on new roads
• Nutritional Information for meals at retail establishments
• Saturated Fat listed in nutritional information
• Park areas should be built into new housing areas

Those all seem to make sense, but not sewing helpline numbers into the clothing of those who are obese. They know they are struggling with obesity, and a phone number on the clothes is not going to help anything.

Why can't people understand that those who are struggling with being overweight need education, emotional support, and possibly accountability. They are humans and deserve to be treated with respect. They want to improve their health, but often don't know how to make it happen. Dr. Sattar really needs to understand how to treat others first, before he tries to solve their problems for them.

How Do I Find a Good Personal Trainer?

Finding a Good Trainer can be a very difficult task. It amazes me how some people will just randomly pick a personal trainer without careful consideration. You have to realize that you are investing into your health, and that you are trusting another individual for taking care of your health. It's not always about the personal trainer who looks the best or gives you the best deal. You have to realize that you are making a committment to have someone help and instruct you through your nutrition, strength training, cardiovascular program, aches and pains, and educate you in a way that you will feel secure doing it on your own in the future. Take a look at the article link and read up. They did a great job explaining what to look for.

If you want to know more about how I measure up, just visit the About Me section.

Tracy McGrady's Back Pain

I just read an article about Tracy McGrady's Back Pain and how he is sidelined now indefinitely. I know that around 80 - 90% of the population end up with back pain sometime in their life, but it amazes me that no one has been able to help Tracy McGrady out. I specialize primarily in reducing or eliminating back pain, and I rarely find it hard to figure out the cause of the problem. If doctors can't find anything from the X-Rays or MRIs, then often it's simply some posture deviations that are causing the nerves to be pinched. Once the posture deviations are eliminated, 99% of the time the pain is either eliminated or greatly reduced. You then just have to find the right things to do to get the posture lined back up. Some people go to chiropractors who will adjust the spine and get the alignment straight again. Physical therapist will work on the muscles and stretch and strengthen individual muscles until the pelvis and back are in alignment. Sometimes people need both types of treatment. Honestly, both treatments have advantages and disadvantages, and they aren't both guaranteed to work. Personal trainers have a very simple posture assesment analysis that they are able to do that works pretty well as well. It's based off physical therapy principles and posture alignment, and I have seen it really change some people's lives.

I wish I had a chance to evaluate Tracy McGrady and see if something as simple as a posture deviation is causing his aches and pains. I'm sure he's recieving top care though, and hopefully whatever the problem is, they will find it and get him back on the court soon.

Expanding Portions = Expanding Waist

AOL recently published a story entitled Over 20 Years Portions Have Grown. It's a great article that needs to be told and it's even discussing what the seminar I am doing this Saturday. Hopefully I will be able to record the seminar on Saturday and post it on here. For now, check out the article that came out today!

Meeting Notes 12/11/2006 The Mental Adjustment

It's difficult to grasp this point today, but I really feel that it is the one thing that separates those who succeed and those who don't. Tonight we talked about the mental aspect of weight loss.

Every single day is a new start. If you fail one day, get right back up again. You can't let one day ruin a week for you. Every day you should focus on your individual goals like it's your first day.

Keep focused on your goals. The mental is the biggest part. You can’t stick with the eating part without the mental aspect. You can’t stick out with the workout part without the mental aspect. You have to continue to stay focused.

What is the secret to being mentally prepared? There isn’t one. You have just have to want it bad enough. You have to treasure it and crave it in order to make it happen. You have to want the long term goal more than the temptation in front of you. The difference between those who make it and those who don't are the people that make it are able to focus on the long term goal.

There are numerous diets out there, and studies have shown that the results have been virtually the same no matter what diet you do. You have to find what works for you, and stick with it. You have to find the one that you can stay motivated on all the way through your results.

You have to be willing to stay focused on the goal at hand. You will probably have to give up something in order to stick with it. You must sell out totally and be willing to give up everything to do it. Something clicks and you will be determined no matter what the situation.

What will it take to get you that motivated? Do you have to throw away your old clothes? When there is no going back, you will find a way to make thing happen.

Mental Surrender!

What was the last thing that you really wanted in life? I mean really wanted. Something you had to sacrifice for. You were so determined that you were willing to do anything it took to get there. I recently heard about a husband and wife that paid off all of their debt in 17 months. 17 months! They had to be eating crackers and drinking water for that to happen, but they were so desperate to pay off their bills, their cars, their home, that they were willing to give up everything else for it. Do you want it that bad? Are you so completely sold out and determined to lose weight that you can say nothing else matters?

Is it really that serious? Does it have to be that extreme? If you are asking that or have tried in the past to lose weight and just couldn't make it happen, then yes it is that extreme. You have to burn everything behind you and be determined that there is no going back. If it means taking your money and putting a certain amount away each week, and promising yourself that you can only have it back if you lose the weight, then that just might motivate you. At the end if you don't make it, donate it to an organization of your choice. But if you stay focused, and what you were putting aside was precious to you, you would find a way to make it happen.

Eventually there just something that clicks. And when you reach that point, no matter what comes your way, it doesn't phase you. You end up sacrificing to make sure you eat right. You find ways to get workouts in, even when you don't feel like doing it. Something has to click though. Until it does, it will be a struggle, but once it does, you will never be the same again.

Breast Cancer Prevention

There is a new study recently published that shows that women who exercise vigorously have a 14% lower risk in developing breast cancer. It could be due to a lower body fat, which would decrease the amount of estrogen within the body, but they are still studying the results.

"If found to be causally related to breast cancer, physical activity would have
a substantial public health effect on the prevention of this disease, along with
its other positive health benefits," it added.

The study involved more than 36,000 women over several years.

Obesity: Exercise or Diet?

Considering there are billions spent on diets and weight loss pills every year, this article might surprise you. There was a study done recently that had obese individuals start adding some exercise into their daily routine, cut down on portions of food, and they saw results at the end. It wasn't a dramatic change in weight, but there body responded really well. Blood pressure, heart rate, and cholesterol all improved with just some small changes. Take a look at the article. You might be suprised at how easy it was for people to see changes in the body.

Bosses Push Staff to Eat Right, Exercise

The Houston Chronicle recently published a story about companies trying to get their employees to eat better and begin exercising in order to reduce health care costs. Companies are beginning to understand that an unhealthy employee can cost the company much more. Some companies are encouraging exercise breaks, providing exercise bikes, or giving stretching classes throughout the day. Some have even hired a nutritionist on staff, dropped the prices of salads in the cafeterias and raised the prices of unhealthy food just to encourage employees to eat healthier. I really feel the best thing employers can do though is to lead by example.

Dan T. Cathy, president and chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A, Inc.
restaurants and a runner, has cajoled 265 company employees to run the January
Walt Disney World marathon or half-marathon with him. Most of the runners
joining him "have never done anything like that distance-wise," Cathy said of
his group. "There's a lot of first timers."
Cathy said he's motivated by his religious belief that the body is a temple and a more practical thought.
"We live in a time when there really is a healthcare crisis," said Cathy. "Every
segment of society needs to make a contribution."

Teens Who Take Multi-Vitamins Have a Healthier Lifestyle

The Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH) reported findings recently that teens who were using multivitamins also had a healthier diet and lifestyle. There are a lot of interesting facts within the article that make it a good read. Enjoy!

Other Links:
Make Children's Health Routine with Fitness Routine, Eating Habits
Exercise When Young May Reduce Risk of Fractures Later in Life
A Side of Exercise with your McDonald's Fries?

Working Out Without a Gym (From the Other Side of the Pond)

I found an interesting article from a personal trainer in the UK on how to "Lose Weight and Get Fit for Free". It has great advice, and I also love the reference to losing a stone and various other outdoor sports that we don't do in the states. Good advice and good entertainment. It's a great combination!

Meeting Notes 12/04/2006 Getting Started

Here are the meeting notes from tonight. Hopefully this will help remind you of everything discussed or if you didn't make the meeting give you enough information to help you get started.

Discussion
I. Local Resources

• A. Seminar Information (December 16th at 10:30 AM at *edited* or call 281-644-5300 Ext 431 for more information).
• B. Katy Area Farmer's Market (http://www.texasgardeningsanctuary.org/katyfarmersmarket.htm)

II. Right Mindset

• A. Insanity - Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. You have to change something from a previous experience if you want this time to be different. You have to be able to see the mistakes.
• B. Looking Back - When you start moving forward, you can't look back. Once you have identified what happened in the past, move forward. If you changed things, then things are going to be different this time. Don't think about previous failures. This time will be different.
• C. You have to change something that forces you to move forward. You have to do whatever it takes. When you decide what you are going to do, don't let anything slow you down. If this goal is important for you, you shouldn't let anything stand in your way.
• D. Controlling your rewards. Slowly make changes. Even if you are changing just one thing, there is nothing wrong with rewarding yourself for doing well. Control your rewards though. If you have a celebratory meal for doing so well all week, limit yourself to just that one meal. If your celebration meal is on Saturday night, make it just that Saturday night, not Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday night. If you decide to have your celebratory meal on Thursday night, wait until the following Saturday before you have your next special meal.
• E. Diet Drinks. I have a whole article on diet drinks and what the ingrediants that are in them do to your body, but here is a brief explanation of it. If you want the whole article, let me know.

Top Reasons Never To Consume Diet Soft Drinks!
1. Soft drinks steal water from the body. Caffeine is a diuretic which takes away more water than it provides to the body.. To replace the water stolen by diet soft drinks, you need to drink 8-12 glasses of water for every one glass of soft drinks that you consume!
2. Soft Drinks never quench your thirst, certainly not your body's need for water. Constantly denying your body an adequate amount can lead to Chronic Cellular Dehydration, a condition that weakens your body at
the cellular level. This, in turn, can lead to a weakened immune system and a plethora of diseases.
3. The elevated levels of phosphates in soft drinks leach vital minerals from your body. Soft Drinks are made with purified water that also leach vital minerals from your body. A severe lack of minerals can lead to Heart Disease (lack of magnesium), Osteoporosis (lack of calcium) and many other diseases. Most vitamins can not perform their function in the body without the presence of minerals.
4. Soft Drinks can remove rust from a car bumper or other metal surfaces. Imagine what it's doing to your digestive tract as well as the rest of your body.
5. Soft Drinks severely interfere with digestion. Caffeine virtually shuts down the digestive process. That means your body is essentially taking in NO nutrients from the food you may have just eaten, even that eaten hours earlier. Consumed with french-fries which can take WEEKS to digest, there is arguably nothing worse a person can put in their body.
6. Diet soft drinks contain Aspartame, which has been linked to depression, insomnia, neurological disease and a plethora of other illness. The FDA has received more than 10,000 consumer complaints about Aspartame, that's 80% of all complaints about food additives.
7. Soft Drinks are EXTREMELY acidic, so much so that they can eat through the liner of an aluminum can and leach aluminum from the can if it sits on the shelf too long. Alzheimer patients who have been autopsied ALL have high levels of aluminum in their brains. Heavy metals in the body can lead to many neurological and other diseases.
8. Soft Drinks are EXTREMELY acidic: The human body naturally exists at a pH of about 7.0. Soft Drinks have a pH of about 2.5, which means you are putting something into your body that is hundred of thousands of times more acidic that your body is! Diseases flourish in an acidic environment. Soft Drinks and other acidic food deposit acid waste in the body which accumulates over time in the joints and around the organs. For example, the Body pH of cancer or arthritis patients are always low. The sicker the person, the lower the Body pH.
9. Soft Drinks are the WORSE THING you can possibly put in your body. Don't even think of taking a sip of a Soft Drink when you are sick with a cold, flu or something worse. It will only make it that much harder for your body to fight the illness.

• F. Make Changes and Accept Responsibility For Yourself. You can't blame other people for anything. You have to take responsibility for you and you alone. It is your responsibility, while it helps when loved ones help you, you won't necessarily get support from others in your life.
• G. New Beginning is Now. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. That's a cheesy statement, but it's true. It is a new beginning. When you start this adventure, this is a whole new beginning.
• H. Thanksgiving is one meal and Christmas is one Day. Many times we wait until January 1st to start the yearly weight loss resolution. WHY? The Thanksgiving meal is just one meal, and Christmas is only one day. One day won't mess up your results, so why are you wanting an extra month to get started? Don't celebrate the whole week of Thanksgiving or the whole month of December for Christmas.
• I. Changing one thing is a step in the positive direction. You don't have to be perfect to make progress. Take it one step at a time. If you take a step in the right direction, you will see positive results. Make small positive changes and you will experience results.
• J. It has to cost you something. It has to give up something precious to you (time, money, etc...) We all take things more seriously when we have to give up something precious to us. I hate this fact, but it is true.
• K. Focus on God. Saturate yourself in God and His help. He can give you strength when you can't hold yourself up. When you lean on Him, you will find strength when you have none.
• L. Education and Accountablity. Both of these are crucial. Proper education is extremely important, but all of the knowledge in the world does you no good unless you follow it. Accountability is crucial to make everything work.
• M. Set a Deadline. Force yourself to stick to your original goal. It may not be comfortable, but you have to make a way to make it happen. If you say you are going to workout 3 days a week, do it no matter what.
• N. Three Focuses - Cardiovascular, Strength Training, Nutrition (Set goals for each category if possible.)

Summary

1. Forget past mistakes, make this a new start.
2. Make sure you get serious about this even if this cost you something.
3. Set reasonable goals.

Weekly Meetings

Well, starting tomorrow I'm going to start a weekly meeting at Panera Bread at Fry and I-10 on Monday nights at 7:00 PM. If you find this blog, you are welcome to come. I will help coach everyone at the group on how to get healthier and lose weight. It's free, just come. If you miss a meeting, I'll try to cover the contents of the meeting here on the blog. Hope to see you there!

Weight Loss Pills and the FDA

You may assume that weight loss pills on the shelves have undergone a thorough examintaion by the FDA, but you would assume wrong. Just because a store sells a particular weight loss pill, does not mean it has undergone any kind of testing by any agency. In fact, what appears on the side of the bottle may not be the same as what appears inside the bottle. A company can bottle anything and sell it, until someone finally comes along and sends it off for lab tests. Don't be fooled America! We spend $35 Billion on weight loss products each year; don't get caught up in the wrong thing.

So now that I told you what not to spend money on, what should you spend your money on. The smartest thing you can do is begin to eat smarter and exercise first. After you have gotten past the initial weight loss, then you can start exploring supplements. Do the basics first. I'm not recommending anything on supplements right now. When I run across the miracle pill, I'll let you know.