Welcome to The Fitness Almanac's Ezine!

In this issue we have:

• Fit tip
• Motivation
• Testimonial
• Fitness Q&A (training for altitude)
• Sucess Quote
• Healthy Recipe (French Toast )
• Fitness Article (Born To Win...But Programmed To Fail)

Fit Tip

Eating should always be a pleasurable experience.

If you're having a special diet meal that's different from what the rest of your family or friends are eating, you'll feel as though you're being punished. In order to be successful in changing your eating habits, you must look forward to and enjoy each meal you eat. This doesn't mean that you have to learn to like rice cakes and celery. It means you must learn how to make simple changes in the foods you love.

Perhaps one of your favorite meals is fried chicken, a baked potato, and salad. Small changes in how the food is prepared can turn this traditionally high-fat meal into a low-fat well-balanced one. Simply marinating a skinless chicken breast in sweet and sour sauce, rolling it in bread crumbs, and baking it makes the chicken a lot less fattening than if it's fried. Instead of butter or regular sour cream on your potato, try low-fat or nonfat sour cream or a reduced fat ranch dressing. Try using a non-fat or low-fat salad dressing rather than a regular dressing and adding as many vegetables to your salad as possible for their additional flavor, texture and nutrients. Any or all of these changes drastically reduce the amount of fat in the meal without sacrificing flavor or feelings of satisfaction.

Healthy eating patterns can only occur when you're enjoying all the foods you eat. If you're eating low-fat, reduced-sugar foods just to be healthy but without enjoying the flavors and textures or how they make you feel, this most likely won't be a permanent change. However, if you begin enjoying healthy foods, you're far more likely to stick with healthy eating for life.

Many people also enjoy eating out but associate this with being "bad" or eating "illegal" foods. Fortunately, it is very possible to eat a healthy, low-fat meal in a restaurant. You don't need to forego your favorite foods or eat before you go out with friends or family. The same decision-making process that we teach occurs whether you eat at home or go out to a restaurant. Many people think that they have two options when eating: eating for taste and pleasure or eating for health. As you learn and practice the healthy eating techniques of the GHF program, these two options will become one and the same.

Motivation

Testimonial

Fitness Q&A

Q: I'm planning to do the Pike's Peak Challenge in September with my sister. She lives in Colorado, so she'll be able to train at a higher altitude, but I won't be able to do that much work at altitude before I go. I'll be there 2 nights before the challenge, so I'll be able to acclimate a little bit, but this is still going to be tough.

A: What a great challenge to share with your sister!

Altitude training will be important for your event. Otherwise, you could put yourself at risk for different types of altitude sickness. Are you able to travel to Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead, or even make a trip to Mt. Whitney (http://www.nps.gov/seki/whitney.htm or http://www.desertusa.com/mag98/sep/stories/whitney.html)?

The LA Metro area also has a number of local trails (http://www.localhikes.com/MSA/MSA_4472.asp). Training on trails would be more specific to your event. I personally prefer the Santa Monica Mountains.

I'm not sure what your current program is. It's important that you build a good aerobic base, and are able to run at a comfortable pace (70-80% MHR) for 60+ minutes. You should add interval and hill training 2-3 times a week. Your intervals should last 2-4 minutes at 85-90% MHR. Your recovery should allow your body to recover to 70-75% MHR. If it takes longer than 5 minutes for your recovery heart rate to drop, then you need to cool down and call it a day. Your training heart rate on the hill repeats should be the same as your interval training. Include one long run (60+ minutes).

You will also need to train your body to eat and drink while training. It's important to find food (energy bars, gels, fruit, sports drinks) that are compatible with your digestive system. Do you know what type of support will be on the trail (e.g., food/drinks)?

My last suggestion is to get a good fitting pair of trail shoes. I suggest going to REI or even Phidippides in the valley to find a shoe that is right for your foot.

If you are interested in doing a triathlon, I will give you more training tips in another email. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

Ni Bueno
GHF’s Triathlon Expert

Success Quote of the Week

"You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of. You don't have charge of the constellations, but you do have charge of whether you read, develop new skills, and take new classes.”

                   - Jim Rohn

Healthy Recipe

French Toast

Makes: 12 servings

Ingredients:

  a. 2 cups fat-free egg substitute or 16 egg whites
  b. 1/4 cup nonfat milk
  c. 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  d. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  e. 12 slices whole grain wheat bread

Directions:

- Combine egg substitute or egg whites, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract in a shallow bowl, and stir well. Dip both sides of each slice of bread in the egg mixture

- Coat a skillet with nonstick cooking spray (nonfat), and preheat over medium heat.

- Place bread slices on skillet, and cook for 1-3 minutes on each side.

Nutritional Information:

  a. Serving size: 1 slice
  b. Calories: 80
  c. Fat: 1 g
  d Cholesterol: 0 mg
  e. Protein: 8.5 g
  f. Carbs: 9 g
  g. Fiber: 2 g
  h. Sodium: 195 mg

 

Fitness Article

Born To Win...But Programmed To Fail - Part 2 of 3
Dr. Frank B. Smoot, MA, DDGHF's Success Coach 

[PLEASE NOTE: This is part 2 of a 3-part series. If you missed part 1, you can find it here.] 

You are not free! If you are to succeed at weight loss—or at life—this is something you must understand! 

Our lovely national anthem notwithstanding, you are not now—and never have been—free.  You may believe you are free, but in reality, you are farther from free than you can probably imagine. 

You may believe you have freedom of choice, but in reality you have virtually no choice at all—at least, not yet. The truth is that you are running on automatic! Your programming started at birth, and continues to operate to this very day. Just like the computer in your den, you are programmed to respond mechanically and automatically to the world around you, according to the beliefs that were programmed into you so long ago….

Note: To read the rest of this week’s fitness article, please click here.