Body Boot Camp of Santa Barbara http://bootcampsb.net Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:07:19 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Learning to Run http://bootcampsb.net/2011/learning-to-run http://bootcampsb.net/2011/learning-to-run#comments Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:13:41 +0000 bootcampsb http://bootcampsb.net/?p=451 Have you ever thought you’d like to run a marathon but you are not a runner. Well I am excited to tell you some fantastic news… you can! Believe it or not it’s true. I was certainly not a runner 15 years ago when I decided to train for my first marathon but fortunately for me I found the right training method that has helped me and hundreds of thousands of other people not only complete a marathon but do it feeling great!

]]> http://bootcampsb.net/2011/learning-to-run/feed 0 411 on Food http://bootcampsb.net/2011/411-on-food http://bootcampsb.net/2011/411-on-food#comments Sun, 28 Aug 2011 18:43:12 +0000 bootcampsb http://bootcampsb.net/?p=401

When you start Boot Camp you are faced with learning a new routine and pushing your body harder than you probably have in a while. As such, you need fuel and plenty of it. But starting a fitness routine is hard enough without complicating it with the addition of a special diet… so start by keeping our nutritional goals simple. Here they are…eat breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday, add in a mid morning and afternoon snack and drink plenty of water (at least 24 ounces each day). And write this all down in your nutritional journal!

Sounds simple enough right? Well you would be surprised. Many of us skip breakfast and this is a big problem because breakfast has a very important function… breaking the fast that you started some 6 to 8 hours earlier. Yes, believe it or not – not eating for 6 to 8 hours is considered fasting. Your body is a machine that never stops. When we are sleeping your body is working very hard to put things back in order that have been tossed about or are in need of repair. This work requires fuel just like exercise. When you skip breakfast your body begins to think that food is not available and begins to conserve fuel. Instead of using up fat that has been stored it slows everything down in order to conserve. The result, you feel sluggish and your brain doesn’t work at its full capacity. Then when we finally do eat something our body, which is still in conservation mode, tucks any extra fuel that it can find away as fat in case the next meal is far off. If you miss breakfast regularly these little deposits in the fat bank can really add up and pretty soon your body has established a sizable retirement fund around your midsection. Bottom line, don’t skip breakfast.

Now once you have broken that fast you need to keep your metabolism up and burning fuel and the only way to do that is to feed it at regular intervals. In a perfect world we should really eat a little something every 2 hours but for many of us with busy schedules this is not always a reality. So this is where planning ahead becomes one of our best diet tools. If you can just stop for one second and think about what you are going to eat tomorrow, no, not every grain of rice, but just make a mental plan it will help you stay on track. For instance, tomorrow I think I will have some oatmeal for breakfast and then some whole wheat toast with peanut butter for a snack, a veggie and chicken bowl from Chipotle for lunch, an apple for my other snack, and then dinner out with some friends at a restaurant I have never been to. By running through the day in this way I have now made a mental plan and know if I need to do anything to make it happen. Do I need to pack an apple, bread, and peanut butter? Yes, and I am going to do it now before I go to bed because my alarm is set for 5:30 AM so I can make it to Boot Camp and if I wait until the morning I am sure to forget my name let alone my snacks.

So as you begin to build a new you start simple… eat regularly… but actually do more than that, get in the habit of planning to eat regularly. And because you are giving thought to what you are going to eat before you eat it you will also be more mindful about what kind of fuel you are giving your body. When you combine proper eating with regular exercise you have discovered the secret of building lean muscle mass, and losing excess fat!

]]> http://bootcampsb.net/2011/411-on-food/feed 0 Fat Loss http://bootcampsb.net/2011/fat-loss http://bootcampsb.net/2011/fat-loss#comments Sun, 28 Aug 2011 18:35:13 +0000 bootcampsb http://bootcampsb.net/?p=394 The following information is a part of the packet each Boot Camper receives on the first day. However, I thought I would post it here on the Blog as a helpful reminder.

Fat Loss Guidelines

Many participants in Boot Camp have a goal of losing excess body fat. This is a reasonable goal given that you will be working out regularly. However, to maximize your success you should seriously consider incorporating the following Fat Loss Guidelines.

Always have breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. After you have been sleeping for 6-8 hours your body has begun to control and restrict calorie use because your body has moved into fasting mode… eating breakfast does exactly what you would expect it breaks the fast. This will help set the tone for your metabolism for the remainder of the day.

Eat regularly. Keep your metabolism revved up all day. Following breakfast you should plan to eat something every few hours. This doesn’t mean that you should eat a big meal every few hours but you should plan to give your body regular meals and snacks. Incorporate a healthy snack between breakfast and lunch and between lunch and dinner. This will keep your metabolism running high and you will burn more fat. You will also eat less during your larger meals if you don’t feel as hungry. Whatever you do – don’t starve yourself. The longer you go between meals and snacks the slower your metabolism will run. Think of your metabolism as a furnace. If you feed the fire regularly it will burn nice and steady but if you neglect it – soon it will run very low and will take some time to get back to the level it once was at.

Eliminate or reduce all “white foods”. The term “white foods” refers to the following items: White breads or products made with white flour, pasta, rice, potatoes, alcohol and sugar. All of these foods cause a dramatic spike in your blood sugar level increasing the amount of insulin that is released into your blood stream. This can result in more of the calories you have eaten to be stored as fat. However, you can still enjoy bread products made from whole wheat and whole grains, wild and brown rice, and sweet potatoes. All of these items have a lesser impact on the body’s insulin production and contain a good deal of healthy fiber.

Drink plenty of water. Your body is designed to protect itself. As such, if you are not drinking enough water you body will begin to retain water as a safety measure. However, if you drink plenty of water throughout the day your body will recognize that there is not a fear of dehydration and begin to release stores of excess water. Additionally, staying properly hydrated will aid in muscle recovery as you will be working out on a regular basis and will be challenging your body to do more and more.

Have your last meal of the day at least 3 hours before your scheduled bed time. If you plan to be in bed at 10 PM make sure you finish your last meal of the day by 7 PM. This means no snacks or dessert after that time. This will allow your body plenty of time to fully metabolize the food you have ingested and reduce the risk of these calories being stored as fat.

Give yourself a bedtime. By getting enough sleep you will give your body the rest that it needs to recover from your workouts and return renewed and ready to do more. If you deprive yourself of sleep your body will not perform it its optimum level during your workout and you will store more fat as a way of having backup energy.

Treat yourself. By staying true to your workout schedule and healthy eating habits you will see results in the way your body looks and feels. But, you may also feel deprived if you have eliminated foods that you love. As such, you should give yourself one meal a week when you eat whatever you want without regard to the amount of calories, fat, carbs, or sugar. Make it pure enjoyment. Knowing you have this meal to look forward to will help you stick to your plan and will be a reward for all your hard work and commitment.

]]> http://bootcampsb.net/2011/fat-loss/feed 0 The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. http://bootcampsb.net/2011/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly http://bootcampsb.net/2011/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly#comments Sun, 28 Aug 2011 18:32:42 +0000 bootcampsb http://bootcampsb.net/?p=391

Below is a list of Lean Protiens, Complex Carbohydrates, and Good Fats. This list is designed to help you make better food choices.

 

Protein (Lean Meats and Fish)

Chicken Breasts

Turkey Breasts

Pork Tenderloin

Pork Chops

Canadian Bacon

Veal Chop

Veal Cutlet

Beef Top Round

Beef Tenderloin

Beef Sirloin (including ground)

All types of fish and shellfish

 

Dairy

1% or fat free milk

Plain fat-free yogurt

Low-fat plain soy milk

1% or fat-free buttermilk

Reduced fat cheeses

Feta

Mozzarella

Parmesan

Provolone

Ricotta

String (this is really just mozzarella)

Eggs

 

Vegetables

Artichokes

Asparagus

Avocado

Beans

Broccoli

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Collard Greens

Cucumbers

Eggplant

Lettuce (all varieties)

Mushrooms

Snow Peas

Spinach

Sprouts

Tomatoes

Turnips

Water Chestnuts

Zucchini

 

Fruits

Apples

Apricots

Bananas

Berries

Blueberries

Cantaloupe

Cherries

Grapefruit

Kiwi

Mangoes

Oranges

Peaches

Pears

Pineapple

Raisins

Strawberries

Watermelon

 

Breads and Starches

Whole Grain Breads

Whole Grain Cereals

Oatmeal

Bran Muffins

Whole Wheat Pasta

Whole Wheat Pita

Brown Rice

Wild Rice

 

Nuts

Almonds

Cashews

Macadamias

Peanuts

Peanut Butter

Pistachios

Walnuts

 

Fats

Olive Oil

Canola Oil

 

Miscellaneous – In limited quantities

Jell-O (sugar free)

Pudding (sugar free)

Red Wine

Dark Chocolate (it has less sugar than milk

chocolate – but exercise portion control

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