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Coach G's Fitness Tips:
Contributed by Gerard "Coach G" Butley, a Rome-based certified personal trainer.

Coach G’s Fitness BOOT CAMP is a fun, high energy 1-hour workout. BOOT CAMP can help improve fitness and overall health. It uses various body weight- focused exercises and little equipment to help lose weight, achieve better cardiovascular fitness, improve muscular definition, and increase overall flexibility. This program never gets boring! BOOT CAMP is for both men and women age 16+ and is intended to include all levels of exercise fitness. The emphasis is not about where you start but rather the progress we make along the way!

New Classes!
"Get Ready for Summer" Bootcamp at Villa Borghese!
May 14th-June 12. Tuesdays & Thursdays 6 pm-6:45 pm.
Villa borghese (Near via veneto across from the Casa del Cinema).
€ 90 for 9 classes.
Sign up - click through and hit the "schedule now" button.

Free consultation: gerard.lifechanging@gmail.com
www.lifechangingfitness.net

Cooking Class Hey Fit Stars, have you made this week a healthy one?  Remember we are moving daily toward living a healthier lifestyle. Make small changes and focus on staying consistent with them and the big changes will come along for the ride. One small change you need to get on immediately is learning to cook for yourself. My clients who know how to cook and feel confident cooking for themselves are more consistent with eating a healthy diet.  Here’s some motivation to get out there and get the oven mitts moving.

Cooking does not mean chef  Among many people there’s this idea that you have to be trained or had to grow up cooking to know how to cook yummy healthy food.  WRONG!!  So much of cooking is about creativity, experimentation, and not being scared to get your hands dirty, literally.  Step 1 is telling yourself that it is not that hard.  Ditch the phobia that you will not be able to make something healthy that also tastes good.  One of my favorite quick meals is just placing boneless skinless chicken breast on a broiler pan, drizzling it with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and then sticking it in the broiler for 7-8 minutes each side.  I love to couple this with asparagus which I again just drizzle with olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper.  I broil this for about 8 minutes and I have a yummy meal that’s also good for me.  Low carb, low fat, low stress!

Busy Baking First let’s kill a couple of misconceptions about cooking that burn me up, pun intended.  The first one is just a little pet peeve of mine that baking means only tending to cookies, breads, and sweets.  I love to bake and there is never any of that poision coming out of my oven.  The second and even more infuriating excuse I constantly hear is “I don’t have time to cook”.  I love using my oven for one major reason: I’m sooo busy.  My day literally spans from leaving my home at 6:15 am to returning home after 11 pm most days of the week.  Between these times I am training clients, training myself, writing articles, shooting videos, taking photos, speaking engagements, motivating my clients, playing semi pro basketball and then. equally as important, spending quality time with my man.  Because of all this baking is my best friend. It is the only way you can cook and literally leave the room to finish another task while your food finishes, without burning down the house.  It also allows me to cook in bulk for 2-3 days allowing me more time for other activities.  Feel confident to try your own recipes.  Use spices you like and lots of olive oil and you usually won't go wrong.

Coach G Challenge: Face your fears and become fearless. Sign up for my Villa Borghese Bootcamp.
Expect more of yourself!

Six-Week Countdown Hey Fit Stars: It’s May, yes, we are into the heart of spring and can really taste summer.  Six weeks from now I’ll be getting ready to hit the beaches of Thailand, so like many of you, I’m getting into my fine tune mode.  If you have been slacking and falling behind on your workouts, don’t worry, but we have to get serious immediately.  Believe it or not 6 weeks is enough time to see some differences and have that confidence you want at the beach.  Here are some dietary keys to getting the body you want in 6 weeks.

Arrivederci Sugar I know I’m always preaching limiting your sugar but now is crunch time.  Sugar has been proven to help the body hold onto those last fat deposits especially around your abs, or lack there of.  I find that most people feel like they aren’t eating lots of sugars in their diets but it can sneak up on you.  The most deceptive places are juices, breads, and alcohol.  Fruit juices are laced with high amounts of sugar, even the 100% all natural ones.  Stick to water all the time.  If you need some type of flavor try adding lemon or cucumber to your water.  Also frizzy or carbonated water can help to give you a sense of taste without the empty calories that come along with juice.  Put these 3 things away and watch your muffin top go away with it.    

Bread doesn’t always come in a loaf.  Think crackers, cookies, and anything that you are putting flour into.  Also it doesn’t have to taste sweet to act like a sugar.  Once it is broken down in the body it spikes your blood sugar up and puts you in a fat storing zone.  Which is not the zone we want at all.  Try some alternatives like lettuce wraps, cheese crisps, or kale chips to replace that bready feeling.  Start by reducing your bread by 1 meal each week.  So this week no bread at dinner, next week none for lunch and dinner, and finally in 3 weeks cutting it out completely.  Remember you can still include healthy carbs like sweet potatoes and beans to get a well balanced diet.

Alcohol is the main culprit to that spare tire many of you have around your waist.  Not only is the alcohol not allowing your body to break down the stored fat that it wants to burn, but it’s usually coupled with even more bad calories.  As always, if you’re going to drink, try to drink cocktails straight or with club soda and lime.  If you are serious about dropping the weight your first step needs to be dropping the bottle.  2 rules I live by are only drinking on the weekends and on days that I work out twice.  If you are packing on the calories you'd better pack yourself into the gym.

Coach G Challenge: Wineless week...Can you do it?

Staying on Program When Guests Arrive Hey, fit stars! I'm catching you between a cascade of holidays here in Rome. Many of you may be traveling, but if you are like me you have people coming to visit you. Either way, you are vulnerable to lose sight of your goals. Here's Coach G's tips to staying focused when your home becomes the hotel.

Mi casa es...Mi Casa So you have a guest coming, what's the first thing you do? Run to the grocery store and buy everything that your guests usually eat at home. We have to have snacks for our guest right? WRONG. When guests come to stay with my partner and I, they quickly notice something — we eat healthy. Don't be afraid to introduce your guests to almonds, greek yogurt, and fruit as a snack. Many times we bend our own rules to accommodate others if though it doesn't make us happy. Use this as a time to teach them some healthy habits and stay on track yourself. Believe m,e they will have enough opportunities to reach into the bread basket before diving into the carbonara. If your influence can help them to go home the same size they came to you, they will thank you.

Guest + visiting me=workout buddy I hate the excuse that I have guests in town for skipping workouts. Fit stars incorporate their guests in their workouts. Maybe you change your time or maybe you bring them to class and watch them squeal (not joking). I have a friend from home visiting next week and I told her, "bring your tennis shoes and your A game". She's going to be taking my Bootcamp while on vacation and at the same time spending time with me. Besides, how many people can say they've done a Bootcamp where they filmed Ben-Hur. Bottom line....NO EXCUSES.

Coach G Challenge: Face your fears and try my Bootcamp.

Programming Your Workouts Hey fit stars! We are heading full steam into May and I'm excited to have my outdoor bootcamps starting back up. If you are looking for a new routine to get you back in shape, make sure to sign up. This week we will continue where we left off last week with programming your workouts. Last issue we covered our stabilization and strength phase. If you missed last week remember you can always catch up on the old issues at www.lifechangingfitbess.net/coachg corner.

Fork in the Road Now we come to a place where your goals can guide you. This is where we can move into more of a hypertrophy, power, metabolic or all of the above focus.

Hypertrophy is simply put, gaining mass. If you are looking to pack on muscle this is where the reps should lie between 8-12 for 3-4 sets max. Remember ladies, hypertrophy is not only for the guys. Muscle mass is very important for skeletal support, raising metabolism, and giving you the look you want when the fat is burned.
Power is how fast you can move weight. This will include motions of lighter weights very fast for 5-10 reps. Here you don't want to work til muscle fatigue because the goal is speed. Power is very important for sports because a split second makes the difference between a make and a miss. But, even if you are not a sports guy don't ignore this phase. Moving weight faster will help you get stronger, and bigger because it activates type 2x muscle fibers.
Metabolic means we are burning as many calories as possible. These are your circuit workouts that don't stop and keep your heart rate up the entire time. The goal is to burn lots of fat and lots of calories. Try picking 5 large muscle exercises and doing them in a circuit 5x for 12 reps without stopping. As my clients know, you will come to appreciate oxygen.

Phase it Out What's up fit stars? I know each of you had a great holiday or are still enjoying it. Remember that mastering your rest to stress ratio is a major key to your mental and physical progress. Today I noticed that a lot of the questions I get fall in the category of programming. I know all of you aren't fortunate enough to train with me every week so in the next two issues I'm going to show you how to take your program to the next level.
Phase it out- when working with my clients I like to work in three primary phases: stabilization, strength, and power. How long you stay in each phase depends on your goals of course but I'd say a four week rotation is a good starting point.

Stabilization is like the foundation to your house. This involves lots of core and balance training. Instead of your traditional exercises we would perform a dumbbell press on a ball or a squat on a bosu ball. Work in ranges of three sets of 12-15 reps. It also gives your joints, tendons, ligaments and stabilizer muscles time to get ready for future loads that will be placed on them in the next phases. This phase is key to injury prevention so though it may sound useless (especially to guys) don't skip it. It's important. If it's good enough for your favorite football player, then it's good enough for you.

Strength phase is now placing the bricks on our house. The focus here is to target your muscle's neuromuscular system or the nerves that control your muscles and how they fire. Most strength gains have more to do with neurons than size. Here we go heavy, really really heavy! Try 4 or 5 sets of 2-6 reps. Remember as your reps go down your sets should go up. A big misconception is that heavy will make you big, but instead, to gain size you want higher reps of 8-12. Ok this completes the first half. Next week I'll give you the secrets to planning the second part of your routine.

Hey there fit stars Buona Pasqua weekend or Happy Easter to my followers who need to brush up on their Italian.  Easter brings lots of activities going on no matter where you are in the world.  I am so fortunate to be spending this time in South Africa to spread my Coach G love to my fit stars in the motherland.  
Let's make a pact today to make this spring a fruitful and healthy one, mentally and physically.  Success in any endeavor starts with positive thinking and visualizing yourself where you want to be.  Becoming a true fit star starts with knowing you are one before the rest of the world can see it.  I always remember this quote from my girl RuPaul, "I always knew I was a star, it just took the world time to catch up".
Now that we are motivated and ready to rock, I wanted to answer a nutrition question I received from a client.  "What things do you need to be aware of when  eating vegetarian or vegan? "

My Vegan life: Being vegan or vegetarian is pretty common place now days.  The idea is that by going this route you are of course going healthier, but that's not always the case. As many of you know last year I did a month as a vegetarian and it wasn't so bad.  My key to making this leap successful is the same things I preach to my carnivore followers, Go Unprocessed!!  Eating lots of vegan potato chips, pita breads, and pretzels can have you vegan and fat.  Go for things that are naturally vegan.  

Monitor your protein: It's easy to fall short of the daily minimum recommended .4g of protein for each kg you weigh when you are cutting out meat.  Make sure to include lots of nuts, beans, and quinoa into your diet.  These all are veggies that consist of natural proteins.  If your not super strict I suggest keeping eggs in your diet.  Besides packing protein they possess a substance called cholein that helps with brain function.  If your watching calories and cholesterol  stick with the egg whites. They bring all the protein punch without the baggage.

Patience is key - remember as with any diet change it takes a few weeks to a month for your body to adjust to its new way of living. 
The empty feeling won't last forever pretty soon it will be a habit.

Keeping Fit During Busy Times Hey fit stars these past 2 weeks have been so power packed.  Between meetings, photos, videos, & clients this coach is beat.  Despite all the work on my plate I've still found a way to get my workouts in and eat healthy.  Organization + Effort = Success.  With that said, this week I wanted to touch on how you can be successful during busy times or even travel.

Organize your organizing: You've heard it before: Being organized is half the battle. Well, I'd go a step further and say its 80%.  The person who sets a date to cook their food for a week doesn't have temptations to eat badly.  The person who writes in times for their workouts on their business calendar doesn't skip them.  Remember. when things are written down they are harder to overlook or not do. 

Half a workout > No workout: when you are busy I know time gets pinched in every direction, but remember something is ALWAYS better than nothing.  When you are traveling if you can squeeze in 10 min in the morning and 10 before bed, look you've got 20 minutes in.  Every little bit counts toward keeping you in shape.  When my clients go away I always say "Just come back to me like you left me".  Also as always remember that less time means harder work so go hard or go home.

Coach G Challenge: schedule your workouts and healthy meals for the month of April

Fruity and Sweet Hey Fit Stars! I was privileged enough to speak to the American International Club of Rome this week and we had an amazing discussion on “Becoming a Fit Star”.  Besides attacking the mental aspect of being a fit and healthy person, I was able to answer many questions that the audience had.  I figured some of these are questions that you out there also may have, so I decided to share them as part of this week's Coach G Corner.  Remember if you ever have a topic or a question, feel free to facebook me(Gerard Burley), tweet me (@CoachGRome), or email me(gerard.lifechanging@gmail.com).

What are some deceptive high carb & high sugar foods?  I must start this with this: CARBS ARE NOT BAD, I state again CARBS ARE NOT BAD, but how you ea tdepends on your goals.  Most people I deal with or give advice to are worried about one goal: losing fat.  If losing fat, staying slim, or losing weight is your primary goal, than you do need to monitor your carbohydrate and sugar intake.  Now that we got that out of the way, I’ll start with public enemy #1...Fruit. Yeah, I said fruit.  Fruit is full of natural sugar and although it's a great substitute for drinking juices, it's still very high in sugar.  The fruits with the highest sugar volume and worst for your waist line are bananas, mangos, grapes, and dried fruits like dates, raisins, and apricots.  I suggest fruit should be eaten earlier in the day or as a snack for energy before a hard workout. If fat loss it the target for you, you want to keep your blood sugar as low as possible as long as possible. This is especially important at night before bed.  If you are craving a snack, try cheese crisps, nuts, or Greek yogurt. These snacks will keep your blood sugar down and the added protein will help you stay full until bed time.  If you just have to have your fruit, go for raspberries, blackberries, lemons, limes, cranberries or rhubarb, which rank among the lowest in sugar.    

What’s the best sweetner? This is a loaded question, but I’ll try to give the straight forward quick answer.  I preach to go natural.  When it comes to the commonly found sweeteners, I recommend honey.  It’s sweet and has healing antioxidant properties.  Next, I would suggest cane sugar because at least it has not been processed as much as white sugar.  Remember “brown sugar” is nothing more that white table sugar mixed with molasses so you are not eating more naturally by using it. Last, if you have to, I’d say use white table sugar. I’m not a fan, but it beats the artificial mess. If you can, stay away from ALL artificial sweeteners.  Scientists can’t prove direct links to cancer or other ailments, but some studies have found higher rates in those who use them.  In general, the less chemicals we can keep in our bodies, the better.  A harder to find but natural, calorie-free sweetener is stevia.  To me, it has an after taste but some people like it.  

Coach G Challenge: Go artificial sweetener free for 10 days No diet coke or crystal light.  Your body will thank you.

Run for Your Life Hey Fit Stars, did you know it’s the weekend of the big Race here in Rome? That’s right, the Rome Marathon is going down this Sunday. I’m very excited to have two clients participating and also two Marine friends of mine from the US Embassy are running in honor of the Wounded Warrior Project. This is a non profit that helps assist wounded American service members. I have pledged 10 euros for every mile that one marine runs so I challenge you to top me. Feel free to contact me if you want more info on how to sponsor a marine, every bit counts. With the spirit of running in the air and the weather getting nice, I decided today to give some tips on how to be a successful runner. Whether you’re a seasoned old school runner, a weekend warrior, or looking to start something new, pay close attention to these tips. They’ll help you out in the long run.

Weights are your friend. ”I don’t lift, I don’t want to mess up my form." “I’m going to start by just running and get into the weights later.” “I’m more of a slow twitch muscle guy.” These are just a few of a host of excuses I hear from people on why they stay away from resistance exercises. While running may be your forte, it's imperative that you add strength training to your routine, as well. Facts show that runners who strength train have less injuries, less muscle imbalances, run faster, run longer, and most importantly, look better in the pics after the race. Much of the stability of the knee is due to a muscle complex in your front thigh commonly called your VMO or Vastus Medius Oblique. Many times, weakness in this area is the underlying issue in a runner’s knee pain. So adding a consistent leg and core strengthening program can make a world of difference in preventing the knee pain caused from the mileage you run. As if having healthy knees wasn’t enough, strengthening can also make you not only finish the race, but finish first. Runners who strengthen their quads, gluts and hip flexors have higher knee lift, giving them longer more powerful strides. If you are still not sold, name one Olympic runner who doesn’t do weight training....you can’t! My life philosophy is: do what the best do and you’ll be closer to being the best.

Get your Roll on! Now, if you follow me on Facebook and Twitter (which you should) you’ve seen my foam roller video. But you can never say something good too many times. Foam rolling is a form of flexibility training called myofacial release that helps to relax muscle and fascia riding the body of muscle imbalances. If you are a runner, foam rolling is a life or death part of your training. I recommend rolling as pre and post workout warm up/cool down. It hurts a little, but the benefits are priceless. For more inf,o check out my video on it http://www.lifechangingfitness.net/coach-g-tv/

The Skinny on Stretching Running seems like one of those things that you can just jump up and do, but as you get older and your mileage increases, stretching is not just an option. Keys to successful stretching: Before running choose dynamic or moving stretches. Try butt kicks, high knee lifts, leg swings, squats, calf raises, small hops and even a few pushups to help warm up your body. After running do longer static stretching where you hold the stretch at least a minute. Save 15-20 min of your workout three times a week just for static stretching. Your body will thank you.

Coach G Challenge: Send me a challenge that you do via video and I’ll post it and use it as next week's challenge. Lets create a healthy community!

The Bare Necessities Happy March Fit Stars, I’m going to go ahead and say it, Spring is in the air.  Here in Rome the sun is out, the weather is back how it’s supposed to be, and its time for you to get outside.  With the weather getting nicer we are slowly approaching the “newbies running season”.  I call it that because if you are a real runner your season is all year round, but this is the time when many people decide that they’d like to take up running.  Also with the Rome marathon, Susan Komen Breast Cancer Race, and a host of other 5k’s coming up soon, people are starting their training.  With this said, I’m going to respond to a question I got from one of my Fit Stars on how to pick good running shoes and workout gear.

The BARE necessities  Maybe you’re not into running, maybe you live under a rock, or maybe you just live in Rome but all the new craze is BAREFOOT running.  Many physical therapists have come to find that your shoes have been the culprit of many of your joint problems and injuries.  We have always known that shoes that bend in the middle and don’t have a strong arch support are bad for us, but now we find that even those can be doing us damage. It boils down to this, when you wear running shoes, the shoes absorb the shock during a part of the run called heel strike. This sounds like a good thing, but biomechanically, we weren’t meant to run so hard on our heels. Instead, our bodies were made to shift the forces forward on our natural force absorbing parts of the foot as we would running barefoot.  Many people who put in lots of miles in running shoes have been prone to back, knee, hip, and even neck pain all as a result of running the wrong way.  Meanwhile many so called native tribes throughout South America and Africa are known to run barefoot for upwards of 80+ miles per week without a back ache or tendinitis in sight.  

Going BARE in style? Now if you are like me, then you don’t want to mess up your fresh pedicure running around your local city streets all barefooted. Well, what’s a girl to do?  Luckily, you have options.  There are new barefoot technology shoes (that come in cool colors and designs) that can give you this positive barefoot affect, but at the same time protect your feet from the dangers of the ground.  Even more importantly, they give you something that can not only put your body in proper alignment but can also match your workout outfit.  And YES that is important!  I personally own 2 pairs of Vibram five finger shoes which I like for comfort and style, but many other brands are coming out with replicas now.  Adidas has even come out with their new adiPureTrainer minimalist shoe which has all the barefoot technology, but wont make you stand out as much as some other brands.  If you are looking into trying a barefoot shoe I recommend the Vibrams, they are Coach G tested and Coach G approved, so you know what you’re getting.  I must warn you penny pinchers though, these shoes are technically less shoe. Be prepared because none of these shoes are cheap.  But as with anything in life you get what you pay for.  Also when it comes to your health, do you want to spend it up front or on a co-pay at the doctors.   For more info check out http://barefootrunningshoes.org/ you can not only buy the shoes here but they will provide you with blogs and feedback for each brand.  As always this purchase is about your specific needs, so remember, do your own research to find out whats best for you.

Coach G Challenge: Get out and run this weekend.  Need some inspiration? Download the Runkeeper app. It’ll help you log your miles and stay motivated

The Other G-I Fit Stars, I hope you are as happy as I am to know that March is coming next week because when I hear March, I start to think about spring. This made me look at the calendar and the 1st official day of spring is less than 30 days away.  If you have yet to make many of the changes that you want, it is never too late to start.  This week I was privileged to speak with some people at the US Embassy in a round table discussion about nutrition and starting a healthy lifestyle. Though we covered lots of topics from body detoxing to the correct types of weight loss exercises, one thing w that can help a lot of you with planning a healthy diet was controlling Glycemic Index (GI).  So sit back and learn how what you are eating is affecting you.

The other “G-I” :  Pertaining to health, when you hear the two letters GI, you think of something related to what my mom called, “the oops and the poops”.  Growing up in the 80s & 9’s I immediately think of my all time favorite cartoon GI-Joe. But today we are talking about the Glycemic Index.  Basically GI is a way that we can measure how much the carbohydrates in a food will affect blood sugar levels after it’s consumed.  Foods that have carbs that break down quickly, also drive your blood sugar up quickly and are considered high glycemic foods.  The ratings of food are as follows: foods with a GI of less than 55 are considered low, 55-69 medium, and anything above 70 is considered high glycemic.  

Why do you care? Simply put, high glycemic foods make you fat and can directly lead to diabetes. The science is like this: the body can’t directly use sugar, so to grab the energy, we have to release insulin, which helps the body process the sugar into usable energy in the form of glucose. All good right? Wrong!  A side affect of insulin being in the blood stream is it triggers your body to hold on to fat and even store more body fat.  Also, insulin sort of acts like a drug in the body in the respect that the more you use it, the more resistant your body gets to it, and the more needs to be released to get the same effect.  This is essentially the start of type 2 diabetes.   So, the lower insulin levels we can keep in our blood stream the better.      

What foods are low on the GI? Whole non-processed foods and foods that generally are darker.  Sweet potatoes beat white potatoes, brown or black rice beats white rice, and whole grain rolled oats beats bread. Unfortunately, for many of you bread even whole wheat breads are on the most wanted list of high glycemic foods ranking above 69 on the GI.  For a list of foods check out this chart and see if you’re eating for your long term health goals.  http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm

Coach G Challenge: Follow the Glycemic Index chart and throw away anything over 70 that you have in your home.  Twitter: @CoachGrome

Inflammation Education Fit Stars, what is going on?  It’s snowing every week now and they are calling for more. This is not Coach G approved.  I will say I am proud of my clients, who have held to their commitments and have kept up with their training, to spite the weather.  It helps to have a trainer like me making unbreakable prepaid appointments :) When you’re a Fit Star you don’t make excuses, you make results!  Are you a Fit Star? Last week I touched on some health issues and got some feedback questions on it, so I wanted to talk more about how changing your eating habits some can make a major impact on your long term health. Well, let's make you healthier...

What do cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and chronic depression all have in common?  Besides all being health issues we start to worry about more as we get older, they all happen to be inflammatory diseases.  Lets start with the basics, what is inflammation?  Acute-inflammation, alsoc called short-term inflammation actually is a good thing.  Your body does this to try to put itself in a healing state, like when you sprain your ankle it swells up to protect, bring blood and healing cells to the area. But as we know, if the swelling stays too long, it becomes chronic and this impedes our ability to heal.  This also can happen internally in regars to diseases. Some bacteria, viruses, allergens or irritants can put our bodies into a state of chronic inflammation and prevent us from healing they way we are supposed to.  So what makes us stay inflamed?  In many respects it is what your doctor told you when you were young, “you are what you eat!”  Some foods are, plainly put, “sweller foods” which not only keep your body chronically inflamed, but actually exacerbate the situation.  Want to guess which foods these are?  You guessed it! Fast foods, processed foods, packaged snack food like chips & pretzels, wheat flour (especially bread) and sugar!!  Yet another reason why you don’t need bread in your life. These foods are not only increasing your waistline, but also putting you one step closer to the grave.  So unless you don’t mind Pringles, Macdonalds, and Frito Lay sponsoring your funeral, I think it’s time to put the processed food down.       .

How to Fix It? Scared yet? Good, then I’m doing my job! Now, take a deep breath because, as usual, your Valentine, Coach G, has the answers for you.  There are just as many foods out there that are anti-Inflammatory foods or “deflating foods”. These can help put your body back into a state of health and healing. #1-switch to whole and organic foods.  If you have a can of almonds and on the back the ingredients say more than just almonds, PUT IT BACK!  Try visiting farmers markets or getting fresh fruits and vegetables for ALL of your meals.  You should get your healthy carbohydrates and fats from vegetables like sweet potatoes and avocados.  #2-Eat more cold water fish like salmon, cod, oysters and tuna.  The omega 3 fatty acids in these fish are great anti-inflammatories. #3-Add more spices to your foods like ginger, cinnamon, mint and rosemary. #4- Drink green, tea which, besides being inflammatory, will give you a boost for the day. #5- And last the best way to keep yourself anti-inflammatory...Drum roll please...EXERCISE.  Every study shows that consistent exercise helps combat inflammatory diseases. No Excuses Just do it!   

Coach G Challenge: Find out what inflammatory foods you have in your house and throw them out.  Your not wasting money you are gaining life. Twitter: @CoachGrome

Soul Foodies Hey Fit Stars, February came in with a roar, SNOW what I’m talking about!  Hope all of you are staying warm and remembering to do some dynamic warm-ups before starting any outdoor jogs in this cold weather.  If the cold has kept you in, remember you can do a lot just in the space of your home.  A few pushups, mountain climbers, and planks can go a long way toward keeping you in shape.  Living overseas sometimes we forget about what’s going on back in the States, but as many of you know, February is Black History Month.  I thought this would be a great opportunity to tap into a part of the African-American culture that is loved by all: SOUL FOOD!!  For those who don’t know, soul food is hearty food from the southern part of the United States that historically isn’t too healthy, but tastes great.  Though soul food & southern cooking has a bad rap on the health side (just ask Paula Dee)n, all of it isn’t bad.  Coach G is here to show you how to enjoy your loved-filled cooking and stay in good graces with you doctor.  

Easy Bake Oven When cooking soul food, my first rule is Stick to the Oven.  Too many times people immediately go for fried chicken or fried fish or fried anything when we could make something easier and healthier just below the burners. Frying items takes lots of the good nutrients away from foods especially veggies.  Try baking chicken or fish and using whole products in season. Just a little olive oil, sea salt and ground pepper can go a long way.  Even try experimenting, making your own bbq sauce and limiting as much sugar as possible.  Some bbq sauces have 15 or more ingredients when just ketchup, vinegar, hot sauce, and a little honey can really make something special.  My other soul food that bakes up great in the oven is the yam or sweet potato.  Try topping it with some almond butter and Cinnamon and you’ll have a tasty side for your baked meats and veggies.  The key, as always, is to go for the lean meats and lots of whole veggies.  Fill up on healthy foods that you like but leave the breads and grains at home.  Making a small change like replacing breads and grains with whole carb sources like beans and sweet potatoes will make a huge difference in the way you look and feel.    

Two health evils  You've heard me speak about Paula Deen, the famous American southern chef who was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Many people all around are facing problems with diabetes and high blood pressure.  I decided to speak on this because African-Americans are twice as likely to have these diseases, but the numbers are rising among all cultures, so the info needs to get out to everyone.  Though everyone screams genetics these ailments are mostly linked to inactivity and being over weight.  Many people are satisfied with just taking a pill from the doctor, but I believe the less chemicals you have in your body, the better.  Besides, the pills can have damaging side effects. The first step to avoiding these illnesses or getingt off of the meds is getting off your bottom.  So many people sit for more than eight hours a day and don’t do anything to combat it. Start walking to and from work or hit the elliptical five days a week.  Moving more leads to a stronger heart and losing weight, which can reverse some effects of both high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.  Secondly, make some changes in your diet.  Do you eat veggies everyday? Are you eating processed foods? Do you use form changing oils like butter or lard?  Increase the protein, reduce the carb intake, and watch your blood pressure go down, your diabetes disappear, and your waist line thank you!  

Coach G Challenge: Get your blood pressure and blood sugar checked.  Knowing is the first step
twitter (@CoachGrome) or facebook me

Mental Fitness
Hey Fit Stars, January is officially in the books so we are into the meat of the winter, but fortunately we are that much closer to spring.  Here in Rome the midday weather is pretty good so take advantage of this time to squeeze in a jog or walk outdoors.  Remember especially in the winter we need vitamin D from the sun so when its out, go take some rays. So though I’m always giving you direct fitness tips on what to do and eat to crank out that healthy body that you want,  I’m taking the time today to take a step back and show you how to achieve on the mental side of diet and exercise.

Become a Control freak  Ok, control freak has a bad connotation these days, but when it comes to fitness I think it can be a good thing.  The first step to being successful at anything is knowing and BELIEVING that you have control over it.  Many people don’t feel as though they can achieve grand goals in life because they don’t feel in control.  When it comes to your health you have to think that you are in complete control because only then are you able to accept responsibility for how you look and feel. When you take full responsibility you know that you are the cause for both your successes and failures. If you don’t look the way you want, tell yourself “I made myself this way” because the longer you beat around the bush the longer before you can make a change.  Lack of control and excuses go hand in hand.  Once you feel as if you aren’t in control of your health you begin making excuses for why you aren’t healthy as you want to be.  Don’t blame time, money, the kids, genetics, or your spouse.  Blame yourself, then take charge to be the success you want to see.  To put it simply, the actions you take today directly affect your outcomes tomorrow.  Successful people in every field know this first hand, failure’s don’t!

Fear Factor So apparently I have a rep around town for having hard classes, tough personal training sessions, and throwing killer parties.  The third one never gets me in trouble but one and two have kept a lot of people away from training with me all because of one thing FEAR!!! Step #2 in becoming who you want to be is to be fearless.  Now let me explain exactly what this means.  Starting any new program whether it be working out or getting a new job brings on the butterflies in the stomach and some presence of fear, but its how you handle it that shows the character you possess.  All great people in history have been afraid at times of greatness, but have conquered that energy and applied it to the task at hand.  One technique I use for myself is the “what’s the worst that could happen” clause.  Whenever I’m afraid of starting something I ask myself this and usually I figure out that in the worst case scenario I’m still going to be better off than where I started.  When I speak to people about taking a Bootcamp class their biggest fear is that they will be the worst in the class, but if your fear of failure never lets you try, then you will never succeed.  Ironically many of the people who are the most fearful have children, but what would you say to them if they were scared to do something? “Go get’em slugger” or “You can do it sweetie.”  Well it's time for you to put on your grown-up shoes and go get’um.  Remember something I learned my first day of pledging and that I try to live out each day, “The best teachers are the ones that live their creed”....ARE YOU?  

Coach G Challenge: Write down three things your fear and how you will overcome them.  Feel free to email tweet (@CoachGrome) or facebook me.

Metabo-life
Hey Fit Stars  I’m having a week of mourning so if you see me help cheer me up.  My Baltimore Ravens lost in the game to go to the American football Superbowl and I’m a die hard fan so it's been rough. The good thing is I’ve been taking my pain out on the weights.  I got lots of good questions for topics for this week's newsletter, and I appreciate the feedback. So today will approach that mysterious word everybody knows, but few REALLY understand...METABOLISM. Today I thought I’d clear up some myths and also give some tips to help you get yours “all the way turned’ up” like you want.

Metabo-isms  Ok what is your metabolism?  Most people would say its that thing that’s been broken since I hit 26 and now I can’t fit my skinny jeans.  That may partially be true but technically metabolism just describes all chemical cell reactions going on in the body to keep you alive and kicking.  This could be breaking down waste or producing new cells, basically all the little things going on to keep the big machine moving.  But when it comes to fat loss what we really want to talk about is metabolic rate, which is how fast this metabolism occurs.  This can have some influence on how much food is required for our body to get bigger or smaller.  How many calories your body burns just laying in bed all day is called your Basal Metabolic Rate(BMR).To find out yours go here http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

Metabo-myth So I’ve heard so many that I don’t know where to start, but I’ll address a few of the most common misnomers I hear around the water cooler.  And water cooler is right where we will start. I think we have all heard someone say “Girl, you know I’m drinking cold water now, it raises my metabolism and I’m 'bout to be skinny. You need to try it.” Recent studies have show nthat cold water doesn’t raise your metabolism enough to effect your weight loss, but it is true that when people emphasize drinking more water, many times they do lose weight. Why? To put it simply, when you drink more water you usually eat less.  Many of our hunger pangs are really from dehydration, so when you're craving a snack, first grab a full 12 oz glass of water and see if it goes away. If not, then feed the beast.

Metabo-baby Next thing I heare lots of is “Well you know everyone in my family is big that’s why I’m big. We have slow metabolisms”  Lets be real, everyone in your family is big because of Grandma’s cookies and seven-layer bacon filled lasagna.  More than likely, your family ALL ate the same bad stuff and practiced the same bad exercise(or lack therof) habits.  Now, it is true that genes play some role, but diet, exercise, and muscle mass have way more to do with how fast your metabolism works.  

Metabo-boost Want a faster metabolism? First, PACK ON MORE MUSCLE!  Why do men tend to lose weight faster than women? Because men tend to have more muscle to constantly burn calories.  Cardio is important, but you need to add 2 or 3 strength days to your routine to maximize results. You’ll realize that you feel hungrier more often because your body’s metabolism is rising.  Also, eat smaller meals through out the day.  If you think of your metabolism as a fire, you have to feed it small amounts to keep it burning. You’d be surprised, but most overweight people only eat once or twice a day.  Most important: make sure to eat breakfast this gets your fire started for the day.  

Coach G Challenge: Sign up for www.myfitnesspal.com  or get the app, start tracking your foods and calories

Belly of the Beast
Hey Fit Stars!  We are three weeks into 2012 and by now your resolutions should be becoming habits. I am sticking to my goals of swimming twice a week, doing my myofascial release using a foam roller everyday, and stretching for 15 minutes after every workout.  Let me know via facebook(Gerard Burley), or twitter @CoachGRome what you have been doing and what obstacles or successes you are finding.  I always love to hear from my Fit Stars.  So today I’m digging into my mail bag and answering an age-old question,one that many of you have.  How do I get rid of abdominal fat?  If you have tried to, then you know its actually pretty tough, but as ususal, Coach G’s got your back.

The Belly of the Beast  So here we go: you’ve been working out, hitting the elliptical, doing a few weights, and now you can feel your arms tighten and some things are lifting back up to where they are “supposed” to be, but that darn belly flab is still there haunting you.  What to do?  Well, for starts, remember you can’t tell your body where to lose fat and many times, your genes dictate where your particular body likes to store extra adipose tissue, aka FAT.  Women tend to store it in their abdomen, hips, and thighs and men in the abdominal area.  Also, you have to think of us strictly as animals, evolution-wise the body wants to keep the area surrounding your organs as warm as possible, so many times that belly fat is the last place to go.  Ok, now we know why it’s so hard to lose, what can we do?  

Sugar ain’t so Sweet Your first and most important step in losing belly fat is cutting the sugar.  When blood sugar is up your body releases insulin and when insulin is in the blood your brain tells your body to store all the fat it can instead of burning it.  Now you may be saying, Coach G I don’t eat a lot of sweets or sugary foods.  But you gotta remember not only sweet foods raise your blood sugar.  The body sees all carbohydrates as sugar for the body and processed or simple carbs are the worst because they spike the blood sugar up fast.  This means your daily rice bread and potatoes could be what are keeping you round.  The covert enemy of your belly fat is also whole wheat.  Yeah, I said it!  Whole wheat aka the good bread aka Mr 5 grains aka Mr high fiber, well he’s aka making you fat!  Studies have shown that even whole wheat can shoot your blood sugar up higher than a snickers bar in some cases. Not to mention many people being allergic to it, glutein intolerance, I feel like there’s no need to have bread in your diet...EVER!

Turn it up   So you’ve heard me preach about interval training before, but that’s because IT WORKS.  If you really want your body to dig deep and burn the belly fat, you have to take your body to a high intensity zone. Thirty-minute slow jogs on the treadmill reading your Style Magazine is not going to cut it, while 15 minutes of hard up hill interval running will.  When training with my weight loss clients I try to get their heart rate in the upwards of 80-90% of their max heart rate (max heart rate =225-Age).  Not only will you burn more calories during the workout, your body will continue burning fat for 72 hours following the workout.  The key to getting the toned athletic body we want, is turning your body into a lean mean fat burning machine 24 HOURS A DAY!

Coach G Challenge: Go through your house and put everything with wheat or high fructose corn syrup in the ingredients in a trash bag. Your abs will thank you!

Accountability and Attitude
Hey Fit Stars! I have seen more and more people in the gym so far in January and this is a good thing.  I’m guessing some of you are actually sticking to your new year resolutions.  I heard the best thing yesterday while talking to a friend in the gym.  She said, “This is not a resolution this is a lifestyle change.” and she hit it on the head.  We are not about changing for a month or a year but for a life time.  Healthy isn’t a phase, it’s a way of life.  With that said I do have a few more tips to help you all ease into your new transitions with making 2012 the beginning of the rest of your life.

Pay for Accountability  Now you may think I promote paying for personal training just because I’m a trainer, and hwile some of that’s true, I mainly promote it because it works.  So many people are going to sign up for gyms in the new year thinking that it will get them the results they want, but the funny thing about the gym is YOU HAVE TO GO!!!  The same energy it takes to run outside, do pushups in your house, or pop in the Jillian Micheals DVD that you vowed to start 3 years ago is going to get you up and out to the gym.  You obviously need something that will hold you accountable and cost enough that you value it.  Even a bad trainer is better than no trainer in the respect that you will have an appointment scheduled to make your workouts actually happen 2 or 3 times a week.  But, remember when selecting personal trainers or course instructors, as with most things in life, you generally get what you pay for.  Make sure to ask them questions about their experience, certifications, and if possible references of clients.  If a trainer can’t easily pull out clients to refer to you BEWARE!!!  Money may be tight in these times so price can be one concern, but it shouldn’t be the only driving force in this new relationship.  When you go to buy a car you don’t go “Hey give me the cheapest thing on the lot!” because you’ll be broke down on the side of the road in a month.  Think about what you will from your body a month after starting when choosing a trainer, because believe it or not you are putting your most important asset in someone else’s hands.   

Attitude Adjustment  Now like Ms. Whitney Houston says “I’m gonna save the best for last.” ;-)  ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING!  I think everyone should write this on a sticky note and put it on the mirror so they see it before you starting every day.  Or if you know someone (maybe your husband or an office mate) who needs a more positive attitude, you can put this somewhere they will see it.  One rule I teach with my clients is we don’t use the word “can’t” and we don’t have defeatist attitudes.  If someone walks into my class with the wrong attitude, I send them out to come back in with a different one.  Its seems elementary and silly, but we usually both have a laugh and it works.  You will never be able to control outside influences on your life, but you will always have 100% control over how you react to them.  When facing new fitness and weight loss goals you have to have a positive attitude.  Some things are going to be new and hard and some days you wont feel like you can do it, but you have to say I CAN DO THIS.  This sounds corny, cheesey, very leadership camp, or team building retreat, but plain and simple the stuff works.  There’s a reason all Forbes Top 500 companies utilize these tools.  Come with the right positive attitude towards working out, changing your nutritional patterns, and building a healthier you and you will be able to achieve anything you want.  And if you need more help, just call me!

Coach G Challenge: Simply Smile and say hello to everyone you pass.  Bringing positive energy makes a difference.

Resolution Revolution
Hey FitStars, wow its 2012 and the world didn’t end, so you know what that means: we actually have to stick to those resolutions.  Though the numbers on the calendars change, polls across the board show that the #1 resolution is still to lose weight and get more fit. If this is your resolution, its been on your mind for a long time, but now you are ready for that ultimate kick in the butt to make it happen.  So the question here isn’t the what, but the how.  How are we going to achieve now, what we haven”t been able to in the past?  How are we going to not quit by Feb 1?  How do we make the numbers on the scale go down as the numbers on the calender go up?  Well it’s time for Coach G’s Resolution Revolution...  

Write it down  So this may sound obvious, but you’ll be very surprised how many people have resolutions “in the clouds” as I like to say.  When you talk to any life coach or psychologist regarding achieving anything, the first step is writing it down.  Let’s think about it, a resolution is nothing more than a contract with yourself.  Would you have a verbal or mental contract when buying a house or getting a loan from a bank?  Of course not, because these things are important and you need the written contract to make it real.  Same applies here. I suggest writing the goals down and making copies to be placed around your home, car, and office as a reminder.  I also suggest you let the people around you know what you are trying to achieve and the seriousness of it.  If they are friends, they will be supportive and not eat unhealthy things around you or they will accompany you to the gym to help you.  We all know friends don’t let friends drive drunk, well friends don’t let friends get fat!

Late Fees My last tip is that with any contract, if you don’t abide to the terms of the contract there is a penalty. So why not with this one?  If you know there is no penalty if you don’t achieve your goals you have less motivation to achieve them.  I suggest something out of your control like tell your significant other not to give you a birthday present or cancel a shopping day or trip that you were planning on.  Bottom line is just as you feel the rewards of confidence and great health by achieving your goals, there has to be a penalty for not doing what your supposed to do.

Coach G Challenge: Take your picture today and every 15 days in the same clothes. See if there are any differences by summer.

Top Three Healthy Gift Ideas Hey Coach G FitStars, it’s officially Christmas time and many of you are scrambling for those last minute presents.  My idea: think of things that can be an experience for someone and include some type of healthy aspect.  Of course you could buy someone personal training sessions or a 6 week pass to a fitness class, but remember all exercise doesn’t take place in the gym.  Think about a trip to go skiing, rock climbing, or hiking during the new year.  The best way to stay healthy in general is to make it part of your lifestyle.  When thinking about this I decided to list my top 3 health related gift ideas for this Christmas Holiday Season.

Hire a personal trainer Ok Ok I know you think I’m biased, and maybe I am, but the best way to see results, add accountability, and give someone that jump start they need iis by getting them a personal trainer.  In the new year millions of euros, dollars, and pounds will be spent joining a gym. But many of these millions will be wasted on people who won't attend the gym because they feel no accountability.  Instead, spend that money on a trainer because the appointment aspect will make you feel like its a must do.  In my experienc, if you haven’t been to the gym in a while you are better hiring a trainer first, then signing up for a gym second.  Miraculously when people have personal trainers they find the time to workout.

Consult with a nutritionist  What’s the most important factor for health? NUTRITION.  I'd rather have a client who works out with minimal effort and eats exactly as I recommend then a client who eats horribly and works out hard.  You can workout as much as you want, but if you're not eating for your goals you will never achieve them.  80-90% of how your workouts are expressed and the results you see is due to your diet.  That’s why it's a great idea to give someone a consult or two with a LICENSED nutritionist.  They will be able to give you an idea of how to eat for your personal goals.

Health magazine subscription I know what your thinking: I can’t get my husband or wife to the gym how can I get them to read a magazine...you’d be surprised!  I look at health magazines as in-home advertisements or billboards that sell health.  Maybe he or she won't look at the first issue, but after seeing it come to the house every month it will seep in. It’s like talking to your kids about drugs, alcohol, and sex.  Many times they act like they aren’t listening but they are and will actually make decisions based on what you say.  Even in my home, after years of making exercise and nutritional suggestions FINALLY I can see that my partner has made changes, so believe me, it works!  I recommend Men’s Health or Women’s Health magazine which you can even find on the ipad.  

Coach G Challenge: Christmas push up/sit-up challenge-10 pushups then 10 sit-ups, 9 pushups then 9 sit-ups continue counting down to 1.  Take a 2 minute break then go back up from 1 to 10.

Healthy Holiday Feasts Hey Coach G Fit Stars, so I was just getting into the swing of fall and now I see Santa walking around everywhere. Somehow the holiday season has snuck up on us, which means millions of people across the world are using the next week to plan a big meal for their family and friends.  With this in mind, I hope I can catch you before you’ve done all your food shopping, to give you some ideas to make with your holiday meal a HEALTHY success.

Have a game plan:  Like with most things in life, success with wellness starts with being organized and well planned. This also applies to how you attack the dinner table.  So step 1, be real with yourself; everyone has a vice so you need to know yours.  Are you the super wine drinker, the dessert girl, or have you never seen a carb you didn’t like? (If you are all 3 then we have bigger problems. Do not pass GO, Do not collect $200 call me immediately!)  Now that we have identified the problem we can make a plan to still enjoy holiday dinner and not fall off the deep end with our diet.  Now even though I train many clients with many many vices, I have found that one culprit that is common to everyone is good ole’ Mr. Vino.  Whether it's red or white most people love a good glass of wine....or 8.  Fine I can accept that, BUT if you know you are going to have lots to drink at your holiday meal, then you have to up the will power on the food spectrum.  I recommend anytime you have a meal with drinks don’t eat ANY carbohydrates with that meal.  Think of the amount of carbohydrates and or sugars you should take in as an empty glass.  Each time you take a drink that glass fills, so if you have 3 glasses of wine then try to put mashed potatoes and corn (yes corn is full of carbs and sugars) on top of it, as they said in the old days “your cup runneth over”!  By going past your carb threshold you are setting yourself up for a rude awaking when you try to fit into that dress on New Year's Eve.

New TRY-DISH-ions So I’ve found that in my family on Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter we tend to eat the same things, but honestly without rhyme or reason.  There are no rules about what we have to eat.  The only constant is that we eat the same things and we gain the same weight.  TRY SOMETHING NEW!!  Try mixing it up and do something New Age and funky.  Turkey or chicken is great, but maybe try having fish as a main course and adding lots of veggies as sides.  Salmon with a honey glaze is an amazingly healthy main course that not only will wow your guests, but have them thanking you for saving their waistlines.  Also look for healthy, but tasty alternatives to the norm. One I like to use is replacing your normal carb high — rice, potatoes, pasta, or stuffing — with a cauliflower mash.  It may sound weird but trust me its GREAT!  And most importantly a serving size of cauliflower has 14 calories with 2g of carbs and mashed potatoes has 66 calories with 13g of carbs.  Cauliflower has 3x less calories keeping you 3x as lean and sexy :-heck out this recipe from my friend Chef Chrystal Baker of the Duo Dishes Blog http://www.duodishes.com/recipe/vegan-vegetarian/an-old-new-trick/ 

Coach G Challenge: Take 15 minutes a day to close your eyes and meditate.  See who you want to be and what you want to achieve. No TV, no phone, no Internet.

Gobble Gobble Gobble.
Oh we all know what that means, It’s Thanksgiving or as I like to call it Turkey Day! For my non-American followers Thanksgiving is a grand holiday celebrating the American settlers and is centered around a huge feast involving a turkey. Living overseas, this holiday means even more to me because it reminds me of my home and family. Though Thanksgiving is centered around the Turkey and a big meal we don’t want to let it ruin all of the work we have done or side track us from the health goals we have for ourselves. Here’s a few ways to enjoy the holiday and keep your Fit Star body too.

Early bird gets the...BURN So all day we will be waiting in anticipation for this grand meal, but dinner isn’t actually served until the evening. This leaves lots of time to get in a early or mid-morning workout...NO EXCUSES. Many of my clients are diplomats and business owners who find themselves faced with braving large meals that they can’t get out of because of business obligations. I teach them that the key to surviving the big meal whether it be for a holiday or a business meeting is be proactive. You know this day is coming so plan to get up early and get in a high intensity workout before dinner is served. This can be an interval run in the park, swimming, or even a weight session with me (yes I’ll be working). I’m proud of my Thursday circuit training class and will still be holding class to help combat what we'll be eating later in the day.

When it comes to food and bad meals, beyond all of the advice about how many carbs, proteins, and fats to eat, think about your body as a Libra scale. One side reflects calories burned and the other calories put in. If you can get a hard workout in early and eat healthy throughout the day, by the time you get to dinner you will be have a negative caloric load meaning a little extra pie may bring your scale back to even. Our goal on holidays and special events is not to kill the fun in them but rather be conscious and educated in our decisions. Remember striking even on a holiday is a win in my book! I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and enjoy the times you have with what is important: FAMILY FRIENDS AND LAUGHS

Coach G Challenge: Don’t tell someone you are thankful for them SHOW THEM.

Getting Fit for the Holidays
Coach G family, Winter’s here...well maybe its not officially, but it sure feels like it!  Besides, looking at the calendar the holidays are right around the corner.  Can you believe Thanksgiving is next week and Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa are pretty much a month away?  With the holidays a comin’ there will be more parties where you have to look your best. When these times come around you want to be confident, proud, and feel good.  Follow these tips and you will stun them all.

Fast lane to Fasting:  When I hear fasting I first think of starving myself for some cause or religious purpose, but there are ways to add a mini-fast to your usual cycles to help with weight loss and toning.  Think of it like this, your muscles generally hold about 1500-2000 calories worth of energy in the form of muscle glycogen or carbohydrates in storage, which would take around 12-15 hours without food to become depleted.  So, for exampl,e if you have dinner at 7 pm and wake up around 7 am, your muscles are generally near depletion, depending on your metabolism and sleep time.  In this moment usually we run to get breakfast to help replenish energy stores.  One way we can target fat loss is by completing intense morning workouts during this time of carbohydrate depletion.  So by adding in a workout pre-breakfast and holding off eating until 9 or 10 am you have created a fasting state in your body and therefore made your body target fat for an energy source.  I don’t recommend this if you are just beginning working out because without your normal energy stores present, you may feel not as strong or like you don’t have your normal workout endurance.  But, if you are looking for a change and need a boost its a great way to change your routine to continue getting the results you want.  Though its tough to wake up before the sun is up, I think this is why many of my morning 1-on-1 and bootcamp clients see results FAST!!!!  

Fast and Heavy: What makes a better athlete?  Well, depends on the sport of course, but in most sports the guy/gal who can move quickly and explosively WINS.  Even in distance running, the champions have the burst to pull away from the pack when they need it.  When we talk about this, we are talking about training type 2b muscle fibers.  These fibers are what I like to refer to as the “Emergency Fibers” because they don’t always contract.  To recruit them you have to do one of two things: either lift something very heavy like 1-4 reps or move a lighter load as fast as you can. By recruiting more muscle fibers we get more strength and mass gains. So whether you are a weekend warrior, want to be stronger, or look better, add faster lifts and heavier lifts and watch the gains roll in.     

Coach G Challenge: Try all of your normal lift with a lighter weight, but AS FAST AS YOU CAN

In Home and In Line
Coach G family, how are you? Its been a long week with all this rain here. Rain, rain go away come back another...well just don’t come back :-) Sometimes with all the dreary weather it's easy to put exercise on the back burner, but AS USUAL Coach G has a few ways to help beat the rainy workout blues.

In home and in line So though I am a huge proponent of the gym, some days I understand you just don’t want to leave the comfortable confines of your home. Believe it or not, this does not have to impact your workout. The keys to having a successful in-home workout are having a plan, using big muscles, moving fast, and most of all being creative. When making your plan, think of which body parts you’d like to focus on, or make sure you have a workout that hits them all and cycle through them in a circuit. For example, make a circuit out of push ups, planks, lunges, and pull ups (If you don’t have something in your home where you can pull up try using your door frame or pulling an item up from the floor while bending over). This particular workout allows you to hit chest, back, core, and legs, which won’t only tone you up but also create a cardiovascular effect. When it comes to burning fat, this cardio aspect is the key. To hone in on this, I suggest using 30 second breaks MAX between each exercise. As you get better. try to not use any breaks at all. As anyone who has taken my classes or trained with me knows, a 30 second break goes very fast. Lastly, when working out at home remember you are only limited by your own creativity. If it’s in your house its fair game to be used in the workout. Some classic in-home exercises are dips on a chair or wall push ups, but don’t be afraid to get crazy. I’ve been known to have clients do squats while holding their children or even dragging their kids down the hallway with a broomstick. Or, for even more motivation to get those carbs out of the house, put them to good use and do lunges while holding a bag of rice on your arms. For those of you who are a little less creative and want someone to do the thinking for you I recommend the “Men’s or Women’s Health Magazine” exercise app or tapping into the wonderful wide world of Youtube. Both are full of different workouts from strength-focused to yoga-inspired flexibility sessions. Enjoy!!!

Coach G Challenge: Push ups every morning right out of bed. Start with 10 and add 1 everyday see how high you can eventually get.

The Truth About CLA for Increasing Fat Metabolism
Coach G family, what’s up? I hope you guys all enjoyed Halloween and didn’t have too much candy.  If you're reading this and there’s still candy and goodies in your house...throw them out. Go ahead, I’ll wait.... Now you're ready for November. So today I’m reaching into my digital grab bag and addressing some questions on the truth behind a fat burning supplement called CLA.

CLA All Day  Conjugated Linoleic Acid or better known as CLA is a not so new supplement, but is now being used more commonly to help increase fat metabolism especially in thyroid and diabetic patients.  It has been known as a strong cancer fighting supplement and has been used as such, but researchers have more recently found it to also assist with increasing fat metabolism while maintaining muscle composition.

Is it natural?  Yes it is actually is a fatty acid similar to the Omega 3 fish oils you hear so much about, but is instead part of the Omega 6s.  Scientist believe that in order for this supplement to have significant fat reducing effects you need to consume 3,000mg per day, which is 1 pill 3 times a day or 1 with each meal.   But one thing the supplement companies won't tell you is that you can also get this in your diet naturally by eating grass-fed beef.  Studies show that cows who eat grass, which is what they are supposed to be eating, produce 300-400% more CLA in their meat and therefore pass it on to you when you eat theirmeat.  These cows also have a lot less saturated fat and bad cholesterol in their meat. In some cases they have even been found to have 2 times as much Vitamin D in their milk. Farm-raised fish also have way less vitamins and good fats than wild fish.  Overall we have totally industrialized food and messed EVERYTHING UP!

So with this knowledge:
#1 KNOW WHERE YOU FOOD COMES FROM and #2 don’t cut beef totally out of your diet, rather make sure you are having the right kind of beef. Make sure your beef is gras- fed and not grain-fed because cows digestive systems can't process grain correctly. In turn, their bodies yield less of the vitamins and good fats that we should be taking in when enjoying a good steak.  Now grass-fed beef isn’t cheap, but I guarantee being overweight costs way more.  Where do you want to spend your mone?

Coach G Challenge: Organic Meats from now on!

Surviving Halloween
Coach G family it’s that last week of October and you know what that means...HALLOWEEN :-) I don’t know about you but I’m having more fun with this holiday as an adult than as a kid. Though this holiday is going to have you surrounded by bowls of candy and loads of drinks, if you follow a few of these steps you will stay on course at any Halloween party.

Piccolo Plates: Now this is something I preach for life even when you are at home, but ESPECIALLY when you are going to a party. Go for the small plates! Lets be real, your going to act up. I’m sure you can only pass up on the candy corn and boo-brownies so many times, especially after a few cups of the witch’s brew, but lets try this Jedi mind trick. Only use the smallest plates at the party, so even if you pile it up you aren’t going over board. When it comes to food many of us have been trained to do 2 things all of our lives, fill up your plate and then finish everything on it. But surprisingly the size of the plate never comes into play with this equation. Solution, stay with the small plates. You will find yourself eating less but being satisfied in no time.

Witch brew is for you? So I get asked this question more than anything else (which I think tells you something about my clients): what is the healthiest alcoholic drink? Answer...WATER, ok just joking! But, I will say anyone who is serious about losing weight or staying toned and cut up knows that until you cut the alcohol out you are fighting an up hill battle, on ice, with 1 leg, while someone throws snow balls at you (get the point)! If you have to indulge I have a few rules to help you save the calories. Go Clear, Go hard, and Go home. Go clear - Clear alcohols tend to have less calories and sugars. Coach G pick...flavored vanilla vodka with club soda. It’s 69 calories so at that rate you can have 10 for the amount of calories in 1 margarita. Go Hard - If you're up for the challenge - drink straight alcohol. Many times it's the mixers not the alcohol that kills your diet. Coach G pick - Patron on the rocks splash of lime. Smooth, low calorie and will have you ready to party in no time :-) Go Home - don’t be the last to leave the party because you’ll probably end up drinking and eating more with the host. Coach G pick...TAXI. Be safe out there its not worth it trying to drink and drive. Before you go out find out the number to the cab company. Here in Rome - You can even SMS (text) one at 366 6730 000. Enjoy the holiday!

Coach G Challenge: For every drink you have drink a glass of water between you’ll find yourself drinkingand eating less.

Releasing Your Power
What’s up Coach G family? It's getting cold out there, so I hope you are all bundled up. Don’t let the cold stop you from your outdoor jogs just invest in some good thermal gear to help you brave the cold. Also, remember to do your dynamic stretching warm up a little longer during cold weather. Today I wanted to speak to you all about POWER because both mentally and physically, power is very important. I am very fortunate to work with extremely powerful people like you everyday, but some of them don’t know it. So let’s chat about releasing your internal powers....

Parental Power So this is probably the most important power of them all, the power you have over your family and kids. How many of you buy the groceries? Well then you have been deemed the king or queen of nutrition for the family. I hear so many clients say “Oh I have to buy this ice cream for my kids” or “ These potato chips are for my husband”....PUMP THE BRAKES!!! You just forgot who was in charge. If you are buying the groceries, then buy healthy things for the entire family and don’t bring unhealthy foods into the house. Would you buy your family members cigarettes or drugs? Then why give them something that could be just as harmful? When you allow your kids to eat unhealthy foods you are just training them to be unhealthy eaters when they get older. There is a high correlation between adults who eat a less processed more healthy diet now to those who ate this way growing up. If your husband, wife, or partner doesn’t like that you’ve put a halt to the bad foods, tell them to go buy it themselves. If they have to go out of their way to eat poorly, 9 times out of 10 they won't do it. You wouldn’t settle for less in any other area for your family, so why do it with nutrition?

Push, Pull, Power Whether your a fan of calcio (soccer), football, or the baseball championships, you are surrounded by sports this time of year. Ever wonder what makes these guys great athletes? IT’S THEIR POWER. Power is not only being able to move weight or create force but being able to do this fast. How does this pertain to you? Couple of ways, one, if you’re a weekend warrior the best way to improve your game is to add some fast power exercises to your workout. Secondly, if you want to burn more calories increase the speed of your workout and you will see your body change..FAST. Next time you’re in the gym, try doing some of your usual exercises as fast as you can. You’ll be setting your body up for success!

Coach G Challenge: Do every thing fast. Instead of your usual jog do sprints, jumps, explosive push-ups and pull-ups.

Avoiding the two Cs: Cortisol and Caffeine
Coach G family, it's mid October and the weather is awesome for a little outdoor working out. Its a little chilly in the mornings, but the day time and evening prove to be amazing weather for a nice run or my evening Bootcamp in Villa Borghese (Tues/Thurs 5:45-6:30...hint hint). With this great weather, I also encourage you all to participate in the FAO Run For Food on Sunday, there’s a 5k and 10k portion, so get out and exercise for a great cause. Today I’m going to tell you about two “C’s” that you should try to limit in your diet, Cortisol and Caffeine.

Hormone Crazy Cortisol So every husband knows that hormones can have a great affect on his wife’s attitudes, moods, and eventually on whether or not the rest of the family is allowed to have a good day. But, most people don’t think of hormones having control over how we store fat. A major hormone found in both men and women is called Cortisol, and is has been linked in many studies to aiding in storing fat especially abdominal fat. Cortisol is released as a result of stress. A recent Yale study found that women who don’t handle stress well, resulting in more negative moods, tended to pack on the fat in the mid section. So your outlook on life could be keeping you out of the clothes that you want to wear. Thinking positively and having stress coping mechanisms can actually keep you trim and healthy.

Caffeine's Curse This is a battle I have with my clients daily and sometimes 3x a day, CUT BACK ON THE CAFFEINE. One, I don’t like it because its a drug. Its the only drug that people “need” daily or hourly and is socially acceptable (don’t say cigarettes). If I publically took a caffeine pill 2 or 3x a day people would think I’m weird or have a problem, but put it in a cup and its ok. To be a strong person I feel you have to always be in control of yourself and not “NEED” anything (but I’ll step off my soap box...temporarily). Another reason to limit caffeine is that in a recent study they found a correlation of caffeine intake to high levels of cortisol in the blood. So yes, your coffee is making you fat, I said it!!!!! To help combat this I suggest you go for the green tea. Green tea has ¼ the amount of caffeine as coffee and packs on way more antioxidants. There’s even been a link to green tea raising your t-cells and strengthening your immune system. This is just another reason why you should pick up the green tea and put down the espresso. Coach G Challenge: 5 days NO COFFEE or COFFEE PRODUCTS... ARE YOU MAN / WOMAN ENOUGH?

Six Worst Foods

THE BAD:
Haagen-Daz Ice cream - so it hurts me to say it because “I scream for ice cream”, but this one is Bad. Most flavors pack 300+ calories, ? day’s cholesterol and ½ a day's saturated fat per serving and with 4 servings in a pint you can easily kill your flat tummy plans. Because really, who eats 1 serving? Go Breyer’s Vanilla, its all natural and about 130 calories per serving. [Our Italian gelato is way less fattening than Haagen Daz]
Hamburger & Cheeseburger - Nothing like a good burger...Your RIGHT! Nothing else can kill a diet like they can. Only good thing in the burger is the protein but its usually low quality and stuffed between zero fiber buns, mayo, cheese, and maybe bacon. To give you an idea, a cheeseburger at Hard Rock Cafe is 1008 calories...JUST THE BURGER Canned Fruit - I like to put this on here because it seems like its good for you, but not so much. Many canned fruits are stored in syrup aka SUGAR SUGAR SUGAR. If your trying to lose weight or maintain that girlish figure Mr. Sugar is not your friend (he’s gotta go). Eat fresh fruits, sure you pay more now but less on the co-pay later.

THE UGLY
French Fries - Avoid at all cost!! Deep frying these potatoes strips away all of the nutrient value and adds even more fat and calories to it. Also these taters are cheap so restaurants have no problem piling them on making you eat way more than your fair share. Lastly, they are usually paired with something not so great. Pass on the fries and save 400 calories and 20g of fat.
Margaritas - Who doesn’t like Cinco de Mayo? But its not worth adding cinco inches or cm to your waist. This Mexican tequila drink tastes great because its all sugar and carbs. A standard Margarita glass is 12 oz and packs about 540 calories and I have NEVER seen someone have 1 Margarita. Just go hard and take the tequila shot. You will save 400 calories and the night will get interesting I PROMISE...
Sodas - Coke spelled backwards is EVIL well not really but it should be. This can be so bad because most people drink so many and they are full of sugar and empty calories, not to mention it has our favorite drug, caffeine. Each serving has 10 teaspoons of sugar, 55 mg caffeine, and 150 calories, but it also prevents the uptake of nutrients in the body. Soda is linked to tooth decay, osteoporosis, and heart disease. STOP THE POP!

Six Best Foods
We need to kiss September good bye and I know by now we all should have stable schedules and be back on track with our exercise schedules. Though the exercise portion is very important, the nutritional side of things is even more important. You could be that very in shape guy with high cholesterol if you don’t monitor what you eat. I know you guys know I’m very PRO-PROTEIN and ANTI-SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES, but from some of the questions I get, I feel some of you don’t know exactly how to eat this way. With this in mind I decided in my next two issues to make a chart of Coach G’s 6 Best Foods and 6 Worst foods for you. Lets Start on the bright side!

1. Egg Whites- Awesome breakfast or snack, very high in protein and low in calories. Also by avoiding the yolk or yellow part of the egg, you avoid much of the cholesterol that give eggs a bad rap.
2. Salmon - Very high in protein and full of Omega 3 fatty acids which not only protect your heart and cardiovascular system but also keep your skin looking soft, young, and wrinkle free
3. Greek Yogurt - Like Yogurt? Well do it like Pythagoras did and go Greek. Greek Yogurt gives you the creamy taste you love from normal yogurt but packs 17 grams of protein. Dodge the pre-sweetened ones. For sweetness, add your own fruit.
4. Sweet Potatoes - When you do carb it needs to be complex and these guys are complex as it gets. Sweet Potatoes are rich in fiber, vitamin A, C, B6, and are packed with carotenoids which are cancer fighting and help with immunity. 5. Broccoli - This green monster is packed with vitamin C, carotenoids, vitamin K and folic acid. Broccoli is also very important for preventing osteoporosis because its loaded with calcium. Best thing of all, at about 30 calories a serving and less than 6g carbs you can really eat as much as you want.
6. Watermelon Have a sweet tooth? Well I got the solution. Good ole watermelon is full of sweet flavor vitamin C, Vitamin A, and potassium but leaves you feeling good by only holding 80 calories in a 2 cup serving.

Coach G Challenge: In corporate these foods in your diet this week. Make a chart and see how many servings you have had of each and let me know about it. **Remember sweet potatoes and watermelon are a pre-3 pm meal, they are loaded with great stuff, but we don’t need them in the evening.

Getting Back Into the Exercise Swing
We are heading full steam ahead into fall and the weather is great. Life is back to being busy here in Rome. Believe me, I know, my clients are back in town, I’m teaching 2 circuit training classes, 2 Bootcamp classes (Villa Borghese and Circo Massimo *register online*), playing basketball 4 nights a weeks and now doing Zumba. If your life demands have kept you from getting into the exercise swing of things or you’ve hit a plateau, here are a few tips for you.

Dress to impress So you are strolling down Via del Corso looking for that new amazing must have outfit, because as we all know, YOU IS FANCY (to say the least)! But it seems your vision has become a little clouded because as you have been focusing on your night time wear you have neglected your workout gear. Think about it, when you buy new clothes you want to wear them to go out. So using this same concept Coach G is giving you permission to go buy the hottest cutest workout gear you can find. It will get you off your butt and have you in the gym or park working out, subito! This is a great way to get you started in a new routine or to give yourself a new boost to stay motivated. Go for colors that describe you and clothes that make you feel good about your body. I have found that some of my clients with the biggest happiest attitudes tend to wear bright colors which reflect that. So throw those dark baggy clothes away and get into something new to change your routine. Try setting goals for yourself like for each 5 pounds you lose or each month that you stick to your workout and diet plan you get to purchase new workout clothes (and maybe one pair of heels). You will be surprised how a little retail therapy and new clothes can spark new attitudes for new workouts and a NEW YOU!!!

Sign up & PAY Need a reason to start your workouts? There’s none greater than “Beacause I paid for it!” No matter what it is. Sign up for a 5k, a bootcamp class, a circuit training class, spin class, kick boxing, or like I did, ZUMBA. Do anything, but the key is Pay FOR IT UPFRONT. When you pay for classes 1 by 1 it is very easy to pass up on the class if you’re having a bad day or something comes up, but when you pay upfront you have already forced yourself into a commitment. If you think you can’t afford a class take a look at your weekly budget. There are probably some things in there that are hurting your wallet and hurting your health. Take your coffee and pasta budget and put it into your body budget. 10 euro lunch x 5 days a week = Coach G’s Class Registration fee + enough for a new shirt. The biggest excuse I hear each day is “I cant afford it”, but ironically if you offer the same people a free or discounted class another excuse usually follows. What I make people say is “It’s not important enough to me”. When someone says this the responsibility is placed back on them. Point blank: Successful people feel like they have TOTAL control of who they are and what they will be, unsuccessful people don’t....WHICH ARE YOU?

Live Longer, Run Faster
So we are mid way through September and things are busy busy busy.  Seems like the days are moving very fast and sometimes the days go by so fast it seems as if you don't have any time to squeeze in a workout, but as usual Coach G has got the answers.

Break it up So everyday people tell me they don't have time to get a hour in the gym or to go for an hour run.  First I tell them, who said you needed an hour? (Just ask people in my 45-minute Circuit Training or Bootcamp Classes or any of my 30-minute session clients)  Secondly I asked them, who said you have to do it all at once.  Steal 15 minutes before work, 15 minutes midday and 15 at night and you still have done your 45 minutes of working out for the day.  Busy Busy Busy people like CEO's and presidents find time to workout daily, so you should be able to also.  On top of all that, a new Swedish study  found that people who workout daily are more productive throughout their day.  Bottom line: healthy in-shape people tend to work quicker and more efficiently.  So if you're a manager, wife, or husband with an unproductive employee or spouse, maybe you need to send them to one of my classes. PRONTO!

More Intensity=More Life I'm always preaching high-intensity as a way to get a great workout and burn more calories in less time, but another study has given me more ammo to shoot down your long drawn out workouts.  A study by the European Society of Cardiology Congress (say that 3x fast) has found that people who consistently work out at higher intensities live longer.  In the study men who cycled at a fast pace lived 5.3 years longer than those who cycled slowly, and women speed cyclists lived 3.9 years longer.  The study also found the same results in walking and running.  So, in essence, 15 minutes running as fast as you can beats 30 min running slow.  Live longer, run faster. 

Why a High Protein Diet Works
Coach G family so we are creeping up on the 1st weekend of September or better known as Labor day weekend for my American clientele.  Needless to say the grills will be up, the drinks will be flowing, and you may be enticed to dabble in a few sweets. But don’t worry, I’m here to help you navigate around all the pitfalls that may be in your way.

Skip the sides So I don’t know about you, but when I’m at a BBQ or gathering I can’t wait for what we came to see..the grilled meat.  Then why not focus on that, because, honestly, it's not the main courses that are the problems it’s usually what lies beside it.  Have a burger (hold the bun), 2 chicken breasts (hold the bun), a hot dog (hold the bun), and a pork lion skewer to your little heart's content, but avoid the chips, potato salad, and cookies that like to accompany them.  Why can you double up on the grilled meats?  One word PROTEIN.  The more protein rich of a diet you can have the more likely you are to avoid an ever growing waistline.  Here’s the why: it takes your body lots more  energy to digest and process protein in the body than it does carbohydrates and fats.  You body can use upwards of 30% of the actual protein calories simply to digest it.  That means for every 100 calories of protein, 30 are being by digestion, so you are really only taking in 70 calories.  Also, some studies have found that people who eat more protein in their diet feel “fuller” longer helping them avoid cravings for bad foods and over eating.  As a gauge of your protein intake, it is recommended the “AVERAGE” person consume .8 grams of protein per 1 kilogram(1kg=2.2lb) that they weigh.  If you are active or trying to put on muscle mass it should be more.  Are you getting enough?  

Coach G Challenge - Ok folks usually I am blessing you with piles of knowledge to keep you fit, strong, and trim, but today I have a challenge for you.  Everyone wants to know how to lose weight or maintain their bodies with low body fat.  Here’s a challenge that will help.  Limit yourself to 100g OR LESS of carbohydrates per day for the next 4 weeks. Remember, non-workout days should have even less carbs. I want to hear about your successes/ failures and see if you notice any body or weight changes. OK GO!!! 

Back to School
Coach G family its the last full week of August and let's go ahead and say it, summer’s over (even though it’s still pretty hot). From being in school so long and working at universities, when I think about late August I think about BACK TO SCHOOL! As your kids head back to the studies its time for you to also make new commitments to make the grade in an important subject...YOUR HEALTH!! Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way.

Organize before you exercise An old football coach of mine said that you can win at least 2 games a season just by being organized, sounds iffy but it’s true. The same advice applies to being successful with both your nutrition and fitness goals. Before you even touch a weight, cardio machine, or enter the grocery store take 2 hours to make a plan. Use whatever calender you put important events in to schedule out and write in workouts. Many times we psychologically put exercise on the back burner because its not placed in the same regard as work, home, and social events. By writing down “ 40 min Cardio” right beside “Staff Meeting” and “Luncheon” it makes it feel equally important to you. This way you are less likely to blow it off. Increased organization also helps for nutrition. Plan out your meals and have the ingredients handy so you are not tempted by more accessible, but less nutritious foods. This means if you know you have a busy week ahead, plan to cook your meals for the week on Sunday so you can re-heat them up quickly without yielding to grabbing fast food on the go. Plain and simple: when you are organized at work you are successful at work, so stay organized on your health and you will stay healthy.

Give the machines a rest I know, unfortunately many gyms are full of the latest but not so greatest exercise machines. They are comfortable and easy and that’s exactly why you shouldn’t use them. More effective exercises are ones that use more functional movements like what we do in our everyday lives. When's the last time you were sitting down doing a leg extension or sitting and pressing forward....uhhh never? But throughout the day we squat, bend, reach up for items, and sit up which require more than one muscle group's help to happen. So, for a more effective workout, try using more dumbbells, kettle bells, and swiss balls and NO MACHINES. For more functional exercises check out my fitness videos on Coach G TV http://www.lifechangingfitness.net/coach-g-tv/

So So So SORE
Happy Ferragosto or as many of us who are still here in Rome call it "Happy Empty Streets Day". Rome is a ghost town about now with everyone on vacation, which personally I like. I suggest you use this time to go running in some places that may be scenic but not as crowded as usual. So the questions have been pouring in and I received a question about muscle soreness last week. Lets give it a stab.

No pain no gain? My reader wrote in saying that he is very good with cardio and flexibility but whenever he does weight training he finds himself sore for up to 5 days. Is this normal? In short, Yes. (Ask anyone who has taken one of my classes) but lets examine the why. So what exactly is the cause of muscle soreness post workout? Tiny microscopic tears of damage to your muscle cells and connective tissue making your pain receptors hyper-sensitive. Exercises that cause this are ones where your muscle is lengthening or you have to control, like the down motion of a squat, lunge or bench press. Now to your problem in particular...simply put, you're not strong and don't lift on a consistent basis. The body adapts fairly fast, but if you are getting sore for 5 days every time you lift, it's telling me you lift 2 or 3 times a month when it should be 2 or 3 per week. A few things you can do to help speed the process up are ice and cardio. Much of the pain comes along from inflammation in the muscle cells but if you ice your muscles right after a hard workout you can prevent some of the inflammation and pain. Also by doing cardio between lifting days you will bring new oxygenated blood and nutrients to the area helping the healing time. If you ever experience pain for over a week or pain without moving or touching the muscle go see a doctor you may have over done it!

Tea > Coffee Yeah, I said it. I always get into this fight with my clients when I try to get them on the green tea kick, but here's 1 more reason to make the switch. A new study revealed that green tea, when drunk right after meals, helps metabolize carbohydrates and can help you burn an extra 100-200 calories a day.

Baby, I Was Born This Way
I’m excited about this week because I’m going into the virtual mail bag and answering a question from one of my many readers. I received a question on Fast twitch vs Slow twitch fibers and how they effect us. So prepare for some things that make you go hmmm.... Baby I was Born this way...

Though I do love a good Gaga song, today I’m talking about muscle fiber types. Ever notice that some people are just naturally better at certain sports or activities while others aren’t? It may have a lot to do with what dominant muscle fibers they were born with. So we have two different types of muscle fibers, Type 1 (aka Slow twitch or Red fibers) which are full of blood capilliaries(making them red) are great for endurance activities. Type 2 (aka Fast twitch or White fibers) are known for helping with more explosive or quick activities.
Type 2 fibers are even broken down further into type 2a, type 2x, and type 2b fibers, which are in descending order basd on the amount of oxygen in the muscle. Simply put, Less Oxygen = More Fatigue.
So what’s this mean for you? You are born with a certain percentage of each type of muscle fiber so you may be better at some types of exercise, BUT studies have shown that through specific training people can affect their percentage of muscle fiber types. For example, if you have lots of type 1 slow twitch fibers, through years of explosive exercises like plyometrics, you can increase your percentage of Type 2 fast twitch fibers. I suggest you use this as a guide to get out of your comfort zone. If running long distance is easy for you, try to incorporate some interval sprints or jumping exercises. When you work different fibers in new ways you gain results.

Food + Educate=? Check out the new app called Fooducate. It uses a barcode scanner to let you know if the food you are about to buy is healthy or not. They give foods an A to F rating and also offer alternatives. Not sure if the database is international yet, but for those commisary shoppers out there, this is a must have.

Control Your Destiny
It's the last weekend in July and we have reached the time in Italy when everyone goes away on vacation; but many of us have just finished vacations and it is now time to get focused on goals for the year. After returning back from vacation it is a great time to set some goals and make a plan to achieve them.

Control your destiny So we are ready to go out and make our goals and make a plan for achieving the goals, but take a step back. Before even making goals I like to talk to clients about getting in the mind set of controlling their own destiny. Successful people are able to take responsibility for their actions and know that the success of their nutritional and fitness goals lies within them. When setting up goals, try to avoid the pitfalls of making many excuses (or reasons as some call them) for why you can't workout or stick to your healthy eating plan. When you think about working out, if the first five things out of your mouth are why you can't do it..THERE'S A PROBLEM!!

Ask for help! Up until now you haven't been able to maintain your workout program or keep up with your diet on your own, what's the problem? YOU NEED HELP. When buying a house, fixing your car, or even fixing a pipe you always call on a professional to help you with the situation. But for some reason, when it comes to body, health, and fitness, many people are threatened to ask for a personal trainer or nutritionist to help them reach the goals. When you have someone else to hold you accountable, you are way more likely to reach your goals...ask my clients!. .

Travelin' Time
Coach G family its travelin' time! It seems like everyone is taking advantage of the July month to pack up the bags, put on some shorts and get out of the city. But remember just because you are leaving town doesn't mean you have to leave your workout at home also. Though you may not have a gym, follow these tips and you will return from your trip looking like you left.

Reservations for 2 and a gym When looking for a hotel we all have certain things that we must have, internet service, queen beds, hair dryer. But how often do you make a decision on where you stay based on whether the hotel has a gym or exercise room available? If you have to think, the answer is probably never. Next time you're looking for a place to stay on your vacation make sure to check for a gym facility on your hotel search engine. The more convenient an exercise facility is on vacation, the more likely you will be to use it. If you are traveling through Europe you may have some difficulty in certain cities finding a hotel with a gym in it, but don't stop there. Ask the management of the hotel if they are affiliated with any area gym locations. Many times hotels can get you free or discounted weekly passes to area gyms, but they will only tell you if you ask...SO ASK!!

Wake up workouts Now I don't know about you, but on my vacations many times nothing seems to really get up and happening until after 11am(if we are lucky). Knowing this, I always plan to fit in a workout as soon as I wake up and it never disturbs my vacation. If you are traveling with family this is also great because you can leave the sleeping kids with your husband or wife while you take 30 minutes for a brief workout. As I tell my clients I don't expect you to lose weighht or make strength gains while you are off on vacation, but please come back like you left me. In other words, even if your diet falls off the radar some on vacation, by maintaining workouts each day of the trip you should be able to relatively maintain your weight.

Working Out in the Heat
Have you been outside? Who turned the heat on? With the heat so intense sometimes it makes it harder to get pumped up for an outdoor workout or if you do, sometimes you feel as if you can’t go as long. Well with this in mind, I have a few tips to help you beat the heat and still get in the workout you need.

Get in a quickie! Ok, ok it's hot, I heard you the first time. So what's the solution? Don’t workout as long! If your normal jog outside is 45 minutes or so, why not shorten it up to 30 minutes? Waiting for the catch? Here it is....TURN UP THE INTENSITY. As time goes down intensity must go up. We in the fitness field call this the principle of Intensity vs Time. If the sun really gets to you you can shorten up your workouts and get the same or better benefits if you just increase your intensity. For example, instead of running at the same speed for 45 minutes try doing 15 sprints up a hill. This type of interval work provides better cardiovascular benefits and actually causes your body to keep burning calories throughout the day (way after you have finished cursing me for the suggestion).

Water weights Have a pool? Well I bet your not using it to its full potential. Water is a great environment for resistance and cardio training all in one. Next time you're in a pool challenge yourself to do jogging, high knees runs, or any of your other normal on land exercises. You’ll find its a bit of a workout because unlike in the air, water gives resistance in both directions making it twice as hard. Doing interval swimming in the pool is also a great way to get in your cardio workout while staying cool. Swim from one end of the pool to the other as fast as you can then slowly swim or float back. See how many you can do before you're wiped out, then try to beat that number next time. Keep this up and you’ll be needing a smaller bathing suit in no time!

**Parent Tip: Make your kids into official counters and it even becomes fun for the whole family while you get your workout.

Become a Journalist
So its the last week of June and amazingly we are just a week away from July gracing us with its presence and HEAT. As the summer rolls on and the temperature rises, you undoubtedly will be attending more social gatherings including bbq's, dinner parties and cocktails. Here are a few tips to help you enjoy your summer without allowing the summer parties to ruin you!

Become a Journalist Ok so I don't need you to start working at CNN or BBC or even write an article on Coach G's Bootcamp :-) instead. start to take notes on your foods. I encourage all of my clients to begin some type of food tracking with a food journal. There are many different types, for those of you who aren't so electronically savvy a good old-fashioned pen and paper works well. I suggest you have a small notebook that you always carry with you. To my smart phone users there are plenty of apps that can find to help with tracking your food intake. My favorite is a calorie counter called myfitnesspal (which you can also find at www.myfitnesspal.com). So there are 2 reasons why this is important: studies show that when people have to write down what foods they eat, they tend to make better choices. Also, many times people forget all the food they eat and only remember their big meals. Though it seems minor the few potato chips here, cappuccino there, and the daily afternoon grab in the candy bowl can add up and subsequently be a downfall to achieving diet goals.

Calories vs Food! Now that we are tracking our foods and sometimes in-turn tracking our calories I want to say ALL CALORIES ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL. 1500 calories of processed sugary foods do not react in your body the same way organic fruits, veggies, and meats do. Processed foods cause your body to go into a fat storing mood which can lead to a little extra baggage. I focus on teaching people how to eat healthy as a primary goal and counting calories as a secondary one. In most cases if your eating the right thing you don't have to monitor the amount as much. Remember you can usually eat 2 or 3 oranges and equal the calories of 1 cookie.

Brain Exercise
After a power-packed weekend in Rome including Euro Gay Pride and Lady Gaga, it's time to settle back in and remember our goals. I know many weeks we focus on how exercise can help us in the here and now but I wanted to really focus on how the steps that we take now can really last a lifetime. Check out why eating healthy and committing to exercise must be a lifetime goal.

Biking for your brain! Many of us know about the more obvious benefits to exercise such as burning calories, producing strong muscles, and keeping a healthy heart. But new studies have proven that those who continue moderate to intense exercise into their senior years tend to have healthier brains. American Academy of Neurology found that exercise helps prevent brain lesions called "silent strokes". These brain lesions are linked as precursors to falls, impaired mobility, memory problems, dementia and even full-on strokes. Those who were in the groups that participated in moderate to intense exercise were 40-50% less likely to develop the brain lesions. So even if you are naturally slender or have no aesthetic motivations to regularly exercise, this is a big reason to get of the couch and on to a bike.
Your food moods! Now, when you are in a bad mood, do you have foods you always turn to for comfort? Ever think what you ate earlier may have been was caused your mood? Studies are now showing that the foods we eat can directly affect the moods we get into by the way they react with chemicals in our brains. Diets rich in omega 3 fatty acids, B-complex vitamins, and Vitamin D have been seen as affective in combating depression. Even the timing of when you eat can have a grave affect on your mood. In a study, those who ate 4-6 meals a day, keeping the body fed, tending to have less irritable bouts. So next time you think its rude to snack in the office, remember your coworker would rather you snack than be snappy!

Let's get Fatty!
Now we all remember the old ideology to have a low fat diet and all foods started popping up with Low Fat stickers including, cookies and ice cream. Contrary to this old thinking more studies are showing that one of the best diets is one high in saturated fats, low in carbohydrates, and high in organic fruits and vegetables. As far as fats go you do want to limit trans fats to as close to zero as possible, but saturated fats have been found to have some beneficial characteristics. Saturated fats help with healthy brain function, cell development, satiety(or feeling full faster), lower HDL or bad cholesterol and can even help provide you with more healthy less wrinkled looking skin. Also unlike carbohydrates and sugars fats don't directly affect your insulin production which tells your body to store instead of burn fat. So next time you're out "guiltlessly" order that steak, but pass on the bread and pasta and you will see you waistline thank you.

Ditch the Process! Processed foods are popping up everywhere because they make our world a little easier by saving us time. The problem is if you eat too much of them you won't have much time on this earth. All nutritionist agree that processed foods are at the top of the DO NOT EAT ME list. They not only tend to be high in sugar, salt, and trans fats but also through the processing of the food the foods loose much of the nutrients that are naturally found in the organic version. Without as many nutrients it becomes easy to over eat because your body has not received many nutrients for the ratio of food. Ever wonder why its so easy to eat a whole bag of chips and not a whole can of beans?

Fruit Jump Start
After an exhausting weekend you may be feeling a little worn down for your workouts, but I've got the right medicine for those days when you just don't got it!

Pump up the volume Its a huge myth that you need a full hour a day in the gym to get the body you want and gain the health benefits you deserve. When you don't have the energy to do a full timed workout. cut your time down but raise your intensity. Many times you can burn more calories in a 20 minute fast-paced high-intensity workout than you can in a low to moderately intense full hour workout. Also, high intense workouts tend to make your body burn more calories post workout than low intensity ones do because you are still recovering throughout the day.
Fruit jump start Yes, we have all been there: seemingly too tired to workout. Don't reach for that cafe or candy! Instead, eat an apple or an orange 30 minutes prior to working out, and you will find you have just the energy boost you need to jump start yourself to a great, productive workout. Many studies say that an apple has been known to have the same energy and focus effect on people as a cup of coffee, but is more natural and much healthier. I suggest throwing an orange in your gym bag so when you hit the locker room you eat it while you are changing. That way, it'll kick in right when you need it.

Baby Bootcamp
I was approached by a client last week about exercise recommendations for those lovely mothers-to-be and what can those who have just given birth do to drop the baby fat ASAP! I thought this was a great subject to touch on because many of my readers are going through this, plan to go through this or are still carrying some weight from their last pregnancy— even those whose kids are in middle school :-). Many of the tips and techniques can really apply to all of us who have a few places to tone up and slim down.

Your not eating for TWO!! Ok, we all know the expression "eating for 2", but are you really? Despite popular opinion, your body becomes more efficient at processing nutrients during pregnancy and most doctors recommend that the mother only requires about 300 extra calories a day beginning in the 2nd trimester and 450 extra in the 3rd trimester. You can obtain these extra calories from adding a healthy snack to your daily diet (almonds, tuna sandwich, yogurt, or a couple glasses of milk). As with all my clients, I suggest mothers to-be eat foods that are high in nutrients and give you the most bang for your buck. That means still stay away from sugary, processed or fried foods that may have the extra calories you need but don't provide any of the nutrients needed for you or your baby. Most importantly, you must realize that eating double doesn't give you twice as much chance at having a healthy baby, quite the contrary, it can lead to complications during labor and instead it doubles your chances of being over weight post-pregnancy.
Baby Bootcamp? Getting pregnant doesn't shut down your exercise program. Instead, it can provide a healthier environment for the baby and make labor a smoother and less fatiguing event. Most doctors recommend low impact training including walking. swimming, cycling etc as safe exercise so long as it doesn't bring your heart rate above 140 beats per minute. Some low weight strength training exercises have even be seen to prevent back issues during and post pregnancy, but always consult a doctor before beginning an exercise routine while pregnant. After you have had the baby you generally want to be cleared at your 6-week post natal check up but if you were active before and during pregnancy you may be able to return sooner. Post-natal women, as with all exercisers, its very important to focus on core strengthening. Many times your core and pelvic muscles have been under lots of stress so you must restrengthen those areas. Try pelvic floor and kegel exercises to give you back that strength where you need it!

Cardio Overload
So you do your weights 2 or 3x a week (maybe Coach G's Bootcamp) and have been eating relatively well but you don't think your pounds are going anywhere. Theres one reason: NOT ENOUGH CARDIO!!! Weight training is great for toning up certain places, building muscle, and increasing strength but to maximize your weight loss and fat burn you must be dedicated to cardio sessions between your weight sessions. Some people workout very hard at the weight portion of training, building up great muscles, but don't add enough cardio to help reveal the muscle. If you've been working hard with the weights to pack on muscle, why not work hard on the cardio side so you can see all of your work.

No Time, a new excuse So your busy, so what? So you have a job, so what? So you have kids, so what? SO DOES EVERYONE...there's always time to workout. but you must set your priorities. A client asked me this week if it was worth it to do only 15 minutes of cardio or a workout if they were pressed for time...YES, SI, OUI, SIM, JA (I think you get the idea). As with everything in life, every minute counts, but I suggest you think of time and intensity on a seesaw, in order to get sample results. As the time goes down, the intensity has to go up. Many times in my Coach G Bootcamp classes, when we do circuit training we only spend 10-15 minutes on actual physical movement during the entire class, but the intensity is at a level where you are still able to see results and have gains. So what are you waiting for, got 15 minutes to spare?

Beat the Cravings!
Well I'm 3 weeks into my vegetarian reign and besides a few cravings I have been able to keep a full belly and a stable mind. After dodging many cravings this weekend especially living with someone not on board with my eating habits I thought I could give you some tips to sticking to your dietary goals even though you may be faced with unhealthy demands from others in your house.

Get Cocky!!... - So I know too much pride can be a bad trait but I'm giving you permission to be cocky with your diet. Take pride that you choose to eat salmon and veggies for dinner as opposed to the pasta and bread. Feel like you are better than those who are eating worse around you. Many times this will keep you from falling into the trap of nibbling from their plates because you are too good for it. Psychologically, sometimes you have to play games with yourself to stay on track. I like to think of eating my healthy food being equivalent to wearing my designer clothes and eating bad food as wearing my hang around the house sweats.....Now Don't you want to look good :-)
Try new foods- Do you have a burning craving for a burger or does your sweet tooth keep nagging you? Look for alternatives that will satisfy that taste in a healthier way. Boca burgers and black bean burgers have been great replacements for hamburgers or beef in my diet and they possess way less calories and cholesterol than regular burgers. Also try substituting turkey for ground beef in recipes for a healthier alternative. If the sweets got ya begging try replacing sugar in your favorite recipe with splenda and butter with light margarine. Small steps to a healthier diet can go a long way!!

Eat Before You Eat
Have you created a great day today and vowed to make this week better than the last? If not, it's not too late.As we move into the spring, I wanted to give you a few more tips to help you spring into a new you.

Eat before you Eat!! Whats the best way to make a bad eating decision? Make that decision while your hungry. Ever notice when you get very hungry you crave all the bad foods? What's the solution? DON'T GET HUNGRY! Before you head out to dinner with family or friends eat something small, like a piece of fruit, yogurt or a granola bar. It is proven that people who are not starving tend to make healthier eating decisions, so one key step to staying consistent is staying satisfied. Besides, by the time you actually get your food, it'll probably be another hour or so from the time you leave your house. The worse thing that could happen is that you won't eat as much of your dinner. and is that really bad?
Weekly Goals What's your fitness goal this week? Don't have one? Well, then we have a problem! Set a goal for each week and see if you can stick to it. Try to change the goals each week to focus on different aspects of your health. Vow to only eat fresh green veggies with dinner or vow to go to the gym five times this week. When people make short term goals they are more likely to accomplish their long term ones. Also, psychologically the goals seem less difficult if its only for a week, but subconsciously many of the goals that you achieve will stick with you.

Staying Strong
I have made it through two weeks of vegetarianism and I must say it ain't that bad! As with any healthy living plan you must focus on the things that you can eat and not the ones that you can't. I have had so many fresh fruits and veggies my body feels great. Has anyone else decided to take me up on challenging themselves nutritionally? I haven't heard from anyone. Today I thought we could touch on some ways to help you stay disciplined with any new diet/ nutritional plan. Follow these key tips and you'll find yourself successful with all your new nutrition goals1

Birds of a feather Flock...- You know the rest of the saying and it applies in all aspects of life including your health. Associate with people who are doing healthy things, making healthy eating part of your social calender. If you have a goal and you have decided that eating healthy and incorporating exercise is a priority in your life you need to find others who are thinking likewise. Your group will support and encourage each other and you'll find it easier to reach those goals you have all set.
Cook it and Eat It So you want to gain control over what you put in your body? The best way is preparing your own food. Stop going out so much to eat, Make breakfast. Pack a lunch. Cook dinner. It is nearly impossible to control what you are eating if you put the power in other's hands. Studies show that the most successful healthy dieters eat out less than others. So stop only depending on others to provide you lunch. Instead, step up and make your own. This also will leave more euros in your pocket!

Power Foods
I have decided to take on a test of wills on my self and go vegetarian for a month...AHHHHHHHHHH !!!!. Going through this whole process I thought I should challenge you to take a nutritional challenge month. I'd love to hear from you on what your gonna do differently or better this month. It doesn't have to be as drastic as mine, but take on Coach G's 30 day challenge, Put down the prosecco, pick up the water bottle, and start making COMMITMENTS! Inspired by my journey I decided to tell you guys about some power foods that I call Coach G's Must Have's!!

Salmon - All fish are high in protein but what makes salmon special is that its full of Omega 3 fatty acids which have been proven to protect your heart and reduce your chance of heart attack. It's never too late to add this to your diet.
Broccoli - We all know broccoli must be good for us it's green but many people don't know how good it is for you. Broccoli is so packed with nutrients( Vitamin C, Fiber, & Selenium to name a few) that just two florets count at a serving of vegetables. If that didn't sway you, broccoli contains lutein which has been proven to help slow down the affects of aging.
Yogurt- Yogurt is an awesome snack, breakfast, or even a dessert alternative. The calcium in yogurt absorbs into the body just as well as milk does and most yogurts are less than 100 calories per container or serving. Besides all these qualities, yogurt contains many good bacteria that help sustain great GI health.

Substitute
I'm going to go ahead and say it...SPRING IS HERE!!! Have you made your plans yet for how you will achieve your goals to look and feel better than ever? Still thinking that the answer is No and that is the wrong answer. Luckily you have Coach G to save the day.

Time for a Substitute!- We all have items we like and think we can't live without, but many times those same items are the ones holding us back from our goals. Many times you don't have to totally throw that item away, instead think about what it is you like about that item and find a healthier substitution. Example: white rice is horrible for you especially at night time if you're trying to loose weight, but many people enjoy the texture of it with their dinner. Try putting califlower through a food processor to chop it up in the texture of rice. This is a great substitute that can trick your mind and taste buds. Here is the recipe lowcarbdiets.about.com

Post it!- So in the office many of us are absent minded and therefore live and die by the post it notes all around our desks. For some reason, that's great for office reminders but we don't apply it to our health goals. I suggest you place reminder notes to yourself about your nutritional and wellness goals. I challenge you to put 2 post its on your desk "DID YOU WORKOUT TODAY?" and "SHOULD I BE EATING THIS?" You will be surprised how much influence the constant reminders have on you! If you want the Coach G official DID YOU WORKOUT TODAY? sign just email me and I'll be glad to get you one. CoachG@lifechangingfitness.net

Fiber
It'salready mid February and spring is right around the corner, so now is the time to start on our spring/summer bodies! Follow these tips and you will be well on your way.

Raise the Heart Rate!- Throw all your slow moving workouts out of the window, it's time for you to turn up the heat. Try doing exercises back to back and fast to help raise your heart rate while you're working out. Workouts that raise the heart rate not only help you to train your cardiovascular system while toning your muscles, but it also helps you to burn more calories and in turn more fat. So if your working out and you find that you aren't breathing as hard as you can during a workout then move through faster.
Fiber much- Besides white bread and processed flour being EVIL, it lacks something that we all need...FIBER!!! Studies show that people who increase their fiber intake tend to lose more weight than those who do not. Fiber keeps us regular and helps to move a lot of impurities and fats through the body before they can all be absorbed into. So this week, take in more beans, dark green veggies, and dark dark dark brown breads. More fiber equals a healthier you.

Groups and Hills
Look outside what is that big bright thing in the sky? We are getting closer and closer to spring, so lets work in some outdoor mid-day workouts. Here are some ideas to keep you motivated on your goals!
Gang up on Fitness! So we know the saying "Misery loves company", well actually fitness loves company, also. People who work out in groups are way more likely to stick to their scheduled workouts and therefore achieve their fitness and weight loss goals. It's easy to call up a friend to go get a glass of wine or dinner, but when is the last time you called a friend to go for a run or do a workout tape together.?......Still thinking, then its been too long! A group of ladies in my Bootcamp class have organized an extra day to get together for a jog and another client of mine peer-pressured a friend into playing basketball. This makes me smile, so this week use your peer pressure for something positive...A FITTER YOU!
Hills go up and waist-sizes go down- So Rome is the city of seven hills, but when's the last time you walked up one?.....Again still thinking, you know what that means! Just by walking or running up hills you can double the amount of calories burned in the same amount of time. Try to run as hard and as long as you can up the hill. then walk back down. Do this 3x a week and watch your progress, pretty soon you will be conquering these hills in no time. Most of the parks around the city have amazing hills and provide a great cardio challenge. This weekend check out Villa Doria Pamphili or Villa Ada both have some killer hills. Trust me, your waist and thighs will thank me.

Maximize Workouts!
I must say I have been impressed with the number of people I have seen in the gym lately. We so far have been sticking to those resolutions and that's great! Keeping in line with the workout theme I have some tips for you to help you get the most out of your next workout!
Go For Time! Success in the gym and in your gym routines many times depends on providing variation in your workouts. This doesn't always mean changing your exercises but even changes in the order that you do them or how you perform them can increase the intensity of a workout. Next time you are in the gym instead of counting reps for each exercise try to perform it for as fast and as hard as you can go. As you improve, increase length the time for more endurance. This will help to train your fast twitch (explosive) muscles and provide a great cardio workout at the same time. More joints, More calories, More fun If you want to maximize your workouts while you're in the gym, stay away from the simple, single joint motions and get back to old- school whole body, multi-joint exercises. Instead of doing your normal bicep curls or tricep extensions to work your arms, focus more on big muscle multi joint exercises like bench presses, push ups, rows and pull ups. By working these big muscle groups you recruit more energy from your smaller muscles, biceps, triceps, and shoulders and end up training them harder. Besides getting a better workout you burn more calories in less time, so lets remember, GO BIG OR GO HOME!!!

Get Fishy!
So most of us are from or at one time or another lived in the Washington DC or Baltimore area which is known for its great seafood well guess where else has great seafood? ITALY! The pizza and pasta may be more promoted in Italian cuisine, but the seafood and fish is amazing and won't leave you heavier on your pack out than when you first PCS'd. Besides tasting great, fish is very high in protein, low in calories, low in cholesterol (for all you red meat lovers), and is full of omega 3 fatty acids which are the good fats we need in our body. Couple this with some fresh green veggies and you have a meal that will have you back in those skinny jeans you love so much.
Snack Attack So its time we take a lesson from our kids and get back on the snack attack. The word "snack" has gotten a bad rap as eating something bad, but eating small healthy snacks throughout the day will help increase your metabolism and help you make better meal decisons. When you are starving you just want the first food you see, smell, or can get your hands on whether its healthy or not, but by snacking, its easier to go make a healthier choice for the meal. i suggest keeping non perishable healthy snacks like nuts and granola bars everywhere (Car, Office, Home, Gym bag, purse, anywhere you are). Eat healthier by making it easier to do so!!!

The New Year
Make plans not goals! It's the new year and we all love to make January 1 as the start date of our diet and exercise goals being put into overdrive, maybe just drive or even only neutral for some of you. With the focus on this date so much energy is put into making GOALS GOALS GOALS, I will lose 20 lbs, I will fit into my old dress or pants size, I will be healthier. Goals are greats but plans are better. You have to write out a plan on how you are going to achieve these goals. The long term goal is great but I find people are more successful when they focus on small lifestyle changes which lead to the big plan. Make a list of small specific actions you will do....Limit yourself to 2 glasses of wine a week, do cardio 3x a week, eat breakfast each day, or SIGN UP TO TAKE COACH G's TOTAL BODY CHANGE CLASS these small step will lead you to your goal.
Positive Attitude - Excuses= Results You hear it all the time think positive think positive, do you know why you hear it so much? BEACAUSE IT'S TRUE. My clients that take on a positive approach to working out and life always see better results than those who focus on the negative. The negative ones focus on things they don't like and excuses while positive thinkers see it as a great challenge. I hear so many excuses everyday, I had kids, I have thyroid, bad genes, I'm short, I'm tall, I have a food addiction....STOP!!! Strong successful people overcome adversity so stop accepting the mediocre you and wake up get up and KILL THE EXCUSES!.

Holiday Health
We are right up on Christmas and smack in the middle of the holiday season. I hope all of you are enjoying this time with your family and friends but not letting their presence take you off track from your goals.
Be the Holiday Health Guru - So you have decided to put your health in the forefront, exercise regularly, and watch your nutrition, but during the holidays you're surrounded by others who aren't as zealous, to say the least. What to do? Don't let them pull you into their web of unhealthiness; instead, bring them to the other side...OUR SIDE!!! When you're in a family or friend group setting, tell everyone about a health tip you've learned here or try leading everyone in a small workout in the house. It may sound corny or dull but it really will be an activity that everyone will appreciate in the end. Even if they joke and make it seem like they aren't listening, I guarantee THEY ARE!!! Over this holiday spread some healthy holiday cheer!
Know Your Portions - So its holiday time which usually means big plates, big cups, and BIG GUTS! Don't fall into the black hole of over consuming out of lack of knowledge. Check your serving sizes. Most serving sizes for beverages are 6 oz. To put that in perspective, your average coffee cup holds 8 oz. For my mature audience, the serving size for red and white wine is 5 oz, but most glasses hold between 9-14 oz, so be careful this holiday.

Old School
As you press forward into our winter workouts, remember you must start the work now for the summer body that you'll want to show off in six months. Here are some tips to help you put on the lean muscle you want and burn the fat you don't.
Old school is still cool! So everyday we see new types of exercise equipment go on the market. Do you really need all these to stay in shape? Coach G says NO! Believe it or not you can still do a lot with just the use of barbells, dumbbells, and even body weight. With this same idea don't disregard the use of your old exercises that you learned when you were young. Incorporate some form of push ups, squats, and lunges into your workouts. These exercises target big muscles and also force you to use your core to stabilize which all in all makes you gain more muscle and burn more calories.
Pair up for success Many times we look at our workouts in a straight line like they need to be done in a certain order, but actually many exercises can be more effective when they are paired up. If you have a problem area or an area you really want to focus on, try doing 2 exercises that focus on the same muscle group back to back. For example perform a bench press and immediately perform a pushup or tricep dip afterward. All of these exercises are used in pushing motions so you will have them working double time. This will help challenge the area even more and help boost you straight to the goals you want. Remember to give them a little more rest between starting the next group, they will need it.

Countdown to the New Year
We are fully recovered from the Turkey holiday and now see its the first week of December already!! Which means we are officially into a count down to the new year. Here are some tips to make these last 30 days your best ones. Start your resolution today! Who said that a new year's resolution has to happen in the new year? Many times people are prepared to make some strides to losing weight and feeling healthy but for no reason decide to wait until the new year ultimately wasting 30 days for no reason. Instead use this time to write out a realistic plan for yourself listing your goals both long term and short term to give you a systematic plan for accomplishing your goals. Many people make goals every year without writing out the steps to accomplishing them. Will you join a class, hire a personal trainer, form an exercise buddy group? Now's the time to decide what is right for you. Half of achieving something is starting it!
Merchandise motivation So I know you are looking for an extra step to help motivate you to that next level and I've got the perfect plan. For the holidays buy any clothes you purchase 1 size smaller than your current one. If you have a brand new dress that you want to wear but can't fit many times it becomes the extra motivation you need to hit the gym and not the dinner table. You can also make an agreement to do this with friend for gifts helping to motivate both of you into a whole new you.

Surviving Thanksgiving
Though Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrating food and family let's remember to not let Thanksgiving kill our fitness goals!
Thanksgiving is ONE DAY! So I like to be realistic this is probably 1 of 2 days out of the whole year that you really really want to stuff your face and have a great meal. I can accept that, but many of us let this "it's ok it's Thanksgiving" notion carry on a little, well actually a lot to long. True, one day of some over eating won't kill your diet plan, but 2 or 3 will. Just because you have a lot of left overs doesn't mean you have to eat them all. Have a big meal with many guest and divide up the left over so no one family has too much sitting in there home. The more food that is staring at you in the fridge the more likely you are to eat it.
Portion control! How can I possibly worry about portions at Thanksgiving dinner? I say DON'T, instead worry about it when your buying the food for dinner. Simple rule if its good for you get more of it if its bad limit yourself to one. In other words buy lots of veggies and Turkey, but limit the sweets and desserts you buy. The best way not to over eat on the desserts is to run out of them. Another preventative measure is to choose desserts with a finite size. So bake cupcakes instead of a whole cake. Your more likely to eat just one cupcake which is most times smaller than the "I deserve this" slice of cake we love to cut.
Keep the water in sight! We know that the wine will be flowing but keep a pitcher of water on the table. The more water you drink the less wine(sugar and calories) you will consume. Also staying hydrated can help to curve your appetite so a glass or 2 of water this Thanksgiving can go a long way!

Endorphin in the Rain
We are well into November and feeling the transition from fun fall to a rainy winter. Despite the rain, we must continue to keep our eyes focused on our health and wellness to keep our spirits up in the midst of the gloomy weather. Here are a couple of tips on how you can use your workout to beat the rain!

Jump start your endorphins! So we all know its a little bit harder to get up in the morning when we hear the pit-pat of rain on our bedroom window and see grey skies above, but don't worry, as usual Coach G has got the solution. Roll out of bed and start your morning with a few sets of exercises to help jump start your day. Exercising as little as 10 minutes releases endorphins, our bodies' natural feel-good chemicals from released by the brain, which help not only put us in an overall good mood, but also gives us a burst of energy. Besides just endorphins, exercise causes the release of adrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine, which all work together to help you to continue to feel good throughout the day.
Coach G's Morning Endorphin Circuit:
Push ups, Mountain Climbers, Air Squats, Sit ups,Lunges, and planks.
Do each exercise for 30 seconds and repeat the circuit 3 times

Mid-day Meditation! With the stresses of the office, if I know many of you correctly, sometimes you are in need of some endorphin release and stress relief to get you through the day. I suggest YOGA AT YOUR DESK! Yes yoga doesn't have to include a mat and a great deal of space. Instead, many stretches can be done without even leaving your desk (which your boss will like). Performing something as simple as a neck roll for 5 repetitions can make a big difference in your cervical vertebrae alignment. Check out this video for a relaxing yoga routine to do at your desk! .

Fat-Burning Exercises
I hope everyone enjoyed their Halloween holiday and didn't eat too much candy over the weekend. And if you did I know you are ready to get to work this week to burn it off! With this in mind i wanted to give you some new workout ideas to help you burn a little extraw.

Mix in cardio & weights. So I know you have been doing cardio and you have been doing some weight training, but when is the last time you have combined them? Instead of doing your standard 15 or 20 minutes of cardio after your weight workout why not mix it within your weights. Next time you're in the gym try this: Perform a set of your weight workout then immediately go into 1 or 2 mins of cardio, then return to your next set of weights. This will challenge your heart and body in a new and dynamic way which will trigger an intense calorie and fat burn!
Plyometrics! Plyo-WHAT you're asking? Plyometrics, it's a long word for various explosive jumping exercises. These exercises are great fat burners because they involve the entire body and get your heart racing quick. These exercises will also help you get better at your performance by making you faster, jump higher, and overall more explosive. Try incorporating 3 sets of 20 repetitive jumps into your workout . Remember to try to jump as high and as quick as possible on each jump. You can also use these exercises as your cardio to mix in with your weight workout. Check out this video of some ideas of different plyometric exercises!

Surviving Halloween
I'd like to wish a HAPPY HALLOWEEN to all you fitness ghost and ghouls out there. Let's make sure to remember our dedication to our nutrition during this mass extravaganza of Halloween Parties and candy. I'm going to give you a few tips on surviving Halloween without your fitness and health goals taking a fright!!!

Eat something orange.- I'm not talking about candy corn but there are so many healthy alternatives that can keep you and your family in the spirit of the holiday. One of the best things you can have your kids eat are Sweet potatos or Yams. Both of these orange delights are loaded with complex carbohydrates(the good ones) and are chock full of vitamins including potassium, Vitamin B6, beta caratine, vitamin C, vitamin A,iron, and magnese to name a few. The best part these things fill you up and are only 95 calories per serving on average. Try to sweet and spice these up with cinnamon or nutmeg and a little brown sugar, notice I said little. It'll be a better alternative to the loads of chocolate and candy that the kids will get at the Halloween party.
Dress as something fit!- We already know that we are what we eat well many times we are who we dress as also. So this means if you choose to be a super hero or a football coach for Halloween we tend to play those roles so with that said you can do a few push ups and sit ups as part of your act and costume. Seems silly as first but dress your kids as super heros and watch their sctivity level soar. Feel free to challenge superman to some pushups and lunges to save the world. All in all most importantly be safe during this holiday weekend.

Fiber
Coach G family, I know all of you have been increasing your work outs and watching what you eat to make sure you look just right in that new dress or suit for upcoming winter engagments, but I have a diet secret that will help you shape up even quicker. What is it a little word called FIBER!!!

What is Fiber?- So you've heard it everywhere "oh eat this its high in fiber", but what are we really talking about when we say fiber? Fiber is the natural indigestible parts of many plant products which helps our gastrointestinal tract(GI) to stay working in a natural manner. In lamans terms these natural parts of plants can't be absorbed by our bodies so they help push things right along out of our system. Keeping this natural flow or staying regular as some say helps move toxins out the body most notably preventing colon cancer.
More Fiber = Less Fat!- We love healthy GI tracts but how does this help you lose weight? Many ways, for starters high fiber foods stay in your stomach longer while your body tries to break it down, causing you to feel full longer on less calories. 2nd high fiber foods help push out fats and bad cholesterol out of your system before they can be totally absorbed into your body helping not only your heart health but also your figure. Lastly because high fiber foods are broken down so slowly it does not raise your blood sugar level quickly which can instead put your body into a fat storage mode (ie. the mode we wanna stay away from).
If it's White it Probably Ain't Right!- Relax, relax I'm talking about foods! Most white foods have been bleached and processed stripping the food of its natural fiber content. Stay away from white bread, white rice, white flour, white sugar, etc. Also be careful of "100% wheat bread" some are just white processed bread with added caramel color. Some very high fiber foods include beans/lentils, whole grain breads(look on the back label for fiber content and whole grain), whole wheat pasta, artichokes, peas, and rasberries. So get out and fiber up!!

Surviving Oktober Fest-How to Party Properly
Lets remember to go light on the beer and sausage and instead celebrate October with something active like The Run For Food Race on October 17th see the CLO for more details. Today I'm going to tell you how to survive our Oktoberfest-ivities without blowing our goals.

Who needs bread?- I know when you approach the food table you feel as if you have to dabble in a little of everything but skip by the bread selections. At a festival like this your going to tend to gain more than enough carbs and sugars from the beer your drinking so when it comes to food lets stick with the meats. Shoot for the lean meats like chicken and fish and instead of scooping up that Reiberdatschi (potato pancakes) for a side dish, pile on the sauerkraut and red cabbage.
Don't park by the food or bar!- If you were on a diet would you sit in the kitchen all day? There is a correlation with why many chefs are overweight, THEY ARE CONSTANTLY AROUND FOOD! This same concept works for us, get your food and beer then get far away from those stations. If the food is easy to access then we are more prone to hop up for 2nds and 3rds when we may not even be hungry. I call it the SEE ME EAT ME SYNDROME and many people fall prey to it.
Beer, Water, Beer, Water!- This isn't me de bating over what to drink rather this is the order in which you should be drinking at the festival. It is easy to lose track of the # of drinks we are having and end up drinking enough calories to be a meal in itself. I suggest drinking one glass or bottle of water for each one of beer. This will not only keep you hydrated but discourage you from taking in that extra brew that you didn't need! Have fun but Be safe, Be smart and Be fit!

Cold Workout
Coach G family, can you believe it, it's the last week of September and so officially October and as far as I'm concerned Fall is here. Despite popular belief we don't have to limit our workouts when it gets cooler, so I decided to key in on tips to working out in the cooler weather..

Long Warmup Now I know when your ready to do your outdoor workout we just want to get out there and get started, but though your mind may be primed and prepped for the workout session we must give our bodies time to do the same. If your going for a jog take your first 5-10 minutes to start at a slower pace where your muscles can get used to the activity. This is time for you to break a sweat and raise your body temperature. By increasing body temperature we are able to activate certain enzymes in our body which assist us with flexibility and in turn help us prevent injury.
Go harder longer So now that you're all warmed up don't let the cold put a freeze or your intensity. Exercise scientist have found that both cyclist and runners have been able to work harder for longer in cooler temperatures than in the warm climate temperatures. The cool air temperatures allows our bodies to focus more on producing energy for the exercise instead of expending energy in cooling the body, so with that said push yourself because your body can take it!
Cover your head! No this isn't your mom talking, but she was right, you have to cover your head. When exercising we can lose more than 50% of our body heat from our head alone so it is very important to cover the head when braving the cold. A great outdoor exercise outfit keeps you warm and comfortable, but uses breathable materials like tights and Underarmor therma gear. We want light materials that wisk away sweat allowing a layer of dry air near the skin. Also remember to insulate the hands and feet because those will be the first places to go cold!

Workout Time
When is the best time to workout?- If I had a euro for every time someone ask me this question I'd be a very wealthy young man. So I know many people have been thinking this question and I am hear to answer it and set the record straight. Ready, drum roll please....THE BEST TIME TO WORKOUT IS....WHENEVER YOU HAVE THE TIME!!! I know sounds a little anticlimactic, but its true. With all of our busy schedules you must examine your life and find a daily time that you can consistently workout. With that said studies have shown that those who workout in the morning tend to be more consistent with their workouts and in turn become more successful with reaching there goals. This is also because if you workout first thing in the morning there is less opportunity for unforeseen distractions to alter your workout. Any of these statements sound familiar: Oh no I have to work late! The kids need me to come pick them up early! I think I'll just skip the gym today.
What's the best type of workout?
So again this is a question I'm posed with pretty consistently. And again the answer isn't so simple, but it boils down to one thing... IT MATTER'S YOUR GOALS! Cardiovascular training is excellent for increasing heart and lung strength and burning fat, Yoga and Pilates type classes are great for increasing flexibility and correcting posture, and resistance training is great for overall muscle strength and toning. So now you must ask your self what are my goals? Now if I had to select one type of exercise as most important I would have to say RESISTANCE TRAINING is the most important for overall body health and conditioning. Why, you ask? Well there are more overall benefits to resistance training and by altering parameters you can get many of the benefits that are achieved by other forms of exercise. By cutting down your rest times to less than 60sec and using lots of large muscles you can gain great cardiovascular fitness by doing a resistance workout(remember Circuit Training?). Also many of our flexibility issues are because of muscle imbalances which can be corrected by strengthening our entire body evenly. The best thing is to include all aspects of fitness into your workout regimen so get out there and dabble in a little of everything!

Metabolism
So we all have heard it as an excuse for being over weight, " I naturally have a slow metabolism so I can't lose weight." WRONG!!! Yes genes have a lot to do with how your body burns food and how quickly it utilizes calories, but it is 1 of many factors that control your metabolism. Lets start with what the metabolism is, technically metabolism is any of the chemical functions within your body that help your stay alive, but from a health and fitness point of view your metabolism is how quickly and efficiently your body burns and utilizes food. There are various NATURAL things you can do to help speed up your metabolism and none of which are in a pill form called metabolife, metapill, or metaburn etc.
Eat smaller meals- The easiest way to raise your metabolism is to change how you eat. Small meals through out the day keeps our body burning calories quickly as opposed to a large meal which slows the rate at which the body burns. Also when the body hasn't had food for sometime it goes into starvation mode slowing down our metabolism and burning as little calories as possible.
Pack on more muscle- Why can body builders eat upwards of 5000 calories a day? It's not because they burn that much in a workout, but rather because of the composition of their bodies. Muscle takes more energy to maintain so someone with more muscle mass burns more calories per day than the person without muscle. This is one reason why many men can eat more than a female and not pack on the pounds that females do, so ladies think of this next time you only want to do cardio.
Spice up your life- Yes there's a reason that eating spicy food makes you sweat at the dinner table, its raises your body temperature and speeds up your metabolism. So if you can stand it cook with peppers and spices to help burn off a little more fat.
Did you have your Green Tea today?- Besides being full of amazing antioxidants(which helps clean up many harmful free radicals in our body) green tea has been proven to have metabolism raising properties. So drink a cup a day, I DO!!

Organized Eating
Keep a record- Now this may seem tedious, but I guarantee its worth it! Keep a food journal of what you eat through out the day. This can be as detailed as carrying around a little notepad and jotting down what you eat as you eat it or as simple as making a note in your phone since we never take a step without our phones. Studies have shown that people who write down what they eat tend to eat healthier and a wider variety of foods. Its something about writing a double cheeseburger down in our food journal that makes us face the reality of what we are putting into our bodies and makes us think twice.
Download a better diet- We have so many sources out there to help us eat our best and stick to our workouts. Most of us use the internet daily for 100's of things but yet don't choose to use it for our health. There are many calorie counters out there that can start to give you a idea of how many calories you should be taking in for your individual goals. My favorite and the one I recommend to my clients is myfitnesspal.com, it has a vast database of foods and also allows to you enter in exercise sessions including something as simple as walking stairs to the office. Also for you techies out there myfitnesspal has an app for the I-phone so you can stay connected to your goals on the go.
Out of sight out of mind- Maybe our mothers were right with this old saying, but they just weren't applying to the right stuff...FOOD! There is a strong correlation of us wanting to eat what we see so the best solution to eating healthier is SEE MORE HEALTHY FOODS AND LESS BAD ONES. The first step is if you know you shouldn't be eating it then don't bring it in your home. Now if you live with others who may not exactly be supporting you by having the bad foods around ie. the husband/wive's cookie stash then move it out of sight. People have lost weight just by keeping bad items to the back of the fridge or cabinets. So go do a kitchen makeover...NOW!!!