For Paul Vuille

Paul Vuille died Monday 11/22/2010 of a massive heart attack. He was 49 years old.He never saw it coming but the warning signs were already present: he was a 2 pack a day smoker for the almost 40 years I've known him. The closest thing to exercise was the occasional bike ride. He had a sedentary job and he liked to kick back at home. He loved good food (though he wouldn't/couldn't cook) and he loved his wine...bought it by the case...at least 1 bottle at dinner. Over the years, we've prodded him to exercise but he was content His (now ex) wife changed her lifestyle, hoping he'd join in. She quit smoking (1 pack a day) started exercising with me (she was my first client) and shed 55 lbs in 15 months. We revamped her diet to include whole grains, lots of fruits and vegetables, chicken, lean beef and fish-more cooking, less eating out. That was 5 years ago and she's still maintained her weight through diet and exercise.. Because of her, he was eating healthier but old habits die hard.
His last check up (last year) was fine...nothing amiss...doctor told him (as always) to quit smoking but otherwise, everything OK. No history of heart problems. As they say, the first sign of a heart problem is death.
This didn't have to happen. This could have been prevented. All it takes is a little lifestyle change. Diet. Exercise. Small steps.
Paul's passing has made me even more determined to help people lose weight, eat healthy and stay fit.

Cut The C.R.A.P. Out Of Your Diet

I saw this in the paper and I thought it was interesting...take the CRAP out of your diet.
C-Caffiene
R-Refined sugars
A-Alcohol
P-processed food
It's impossible to cut all of the crap out of your diet (I will not give up my 2 daily regular w/2 sugars) but you can opt for changes:
Flavored seltzer water instead of soda
Fresh meats/fish instead of canned/processed
Limit alcohol consumption
Use honey as a sweetener
Opt for cooking meals at home as opposed to going out or ordering in
The little things make a difference...after all, as I stated in a previous blog, you are what you eat and if you eat C.R A.P, you'll look and feel like crap.

coming up-the formula-(diet+exercise+cardio=weight loss)

Nobody likes to exercise...here's why you should

I'll admit it...sometimes I don't like to exercise. I could think of better things I could be doing (like nothing) but I talk myself out of it and do it. I realize that in the long run, I'll reap the benefits of it.
That being said, here's why you should:
1) Improvement of cardiovascular system-The heart is, above all, a muscle...the more you work it, the more it will improve. Moderate walking will jumpstart the process. Start small and try to increase the amount you walk on a weekly basis...do some hills and inclines in addition to walking flat surfaces. Increasing your cardio will also help you lose weight...you'll burn calories (and burn more if you do intervals with inclines)
2) Lose weight-combining cardio with a resistance program will help you shed pounds and inches. The problem I've seen is that people who want to lose weight expect it to come off quickly. Programs like The Biggest Loser present a false idea about how to lose weight. On the average, with diet and exercise, you should be able to lose a pound to a pound and a half a week. Your metabolism has to gradually adjust and it will fall into place. Losing 4 to 6 lbs a month is possible (and healthy). Remember, it took years to put the weight on...it will take time to take it off (and maintain it)
3) Improvement of overall health and well being-you'll feel better, look better, have more energy, better self esteem, prevent certain health ailments related to obestiy (diabetes, heart disease, certain forms of cancer, respiratory diseases), increase your longevity, be stronger and improve your sex life (really!!)
Do it for your loved ones...do it for yourself

You are what you eat

Next time you're in a grocery store, check out the calorie counts on a few items, some "healthy" iteams and some "junk" items. That total number of calories are based on these numbers:
1 gram of fat: 9 calories
1 gram of carbohydrates: 4 calories
1 gram of protein: 4 calories
Think about that the next time you pick up a snack cake at the 7-11. Example:
A honeybun: 1 serving: 510 calories
grams of fat: 40 (360 calories)
grams of carbs: 25 (100 calories)
grams of protein: 12 (48 calories)
Total calories (roundd off): 510 calories
If most of the calories are coming from fat, I'd think again about that bun, no matter how tasty it is.
Think about those numbers (9,4,4) the next time you're at the grocery store. What you find might suprise you.

Next: Nobody likes to exercise...here's why you should

What Does It Mean To Be FITT??

I sat down with a new client the other day and I asked, as I always do " Why are you here"? His reply: "I want to be fit". I asked him what he meant by that. He said he wanted to lose weight and look better. I took a mental note of that and we did our workout. But I couldn't get that answer out of my mind. So, what does it mean to be fit?
To me, being fit starts from the inside out. Start with your heart. Improving your Cardio-Respirotory (CR) endurance will result in changes in body composition. How long can you walk before you get tired? The more you walk, the more calories you burn which means more fat lost.
Muscular stregnth and endurance are fitness components. How much weight can you move?? How long can you do it?? Working on this can improve body composition by building muscle (which in return burns fat)
Flexibility is the final factor in the fitness equation. Keeping your joints able to move in a proper range of motion will help you with functional movement as you get older.
So, if you combine all of the above with a nutritional balance, then you're on the road to improving your health and well being.

Next: You are what you eat

Facts And Figures

I was doing some research on obesity and came upon some startling figures.Did you know that obesity is the #2 casue of preventable death in the United States? The good old U.S of A. is the FATTEST nation in the world. 58 million Americans are classified as overweight, 40 million as obese and 3.5 million as morbidly obese.
The health risks associated with obesity are many and they add to the skyrocketing cost of healthcare. Some of these include:
Type II Diabetes
Sleep Apnea
Osteosarthritis
Hypertension
Stroke
Heart Disease
Colon Cancer
Breast Cancer
Last year, the cost of treating Type II diabetes and the other ailments associated with it (blindness, liver and kidney disease, amputations, coma) was a staggering 63.1 billion dollars. 80% of Type II Diabetes cases are brought on by obesity and it's the #1 health risk for children 5-18.
Last year, obesity was responsible for 80% of Type II diabetes cases, 30% of gallbladder surgeries, 26% of high blood pressure cases, 42% of breast cancer diagnosis in post-menopausal women and 70% of heart disease cases.
Over 112 billion dollars was spent last year on medical costs associated with obesity. The cost of workdays and productivity lost was over 100 million dollars.
With the rising cost of healthcare, investing in your health is the best insurance you can get. Studies have shown that moderate exercise can prevent the onset of Type II diabetes, osteoporosis, hypertension and heart disease... but exercise alone can't do it. Diet and exercise work hand in hand . You can exercise all you want but if you're still eating a cream cheese bagel for breakfast, a burger and fries for lunch,steak and potatoes w/ red wine for dinner, you're not going to lose weight.
With this blog, I want to share exercise advice, how to eat healthier and adopt a lifestyle devoted to health and well being.