“Baby Steps” in 2009

Posted by Scott - 12/29/08 at 11:12:21 am

So, you are about to make it through the holidays and you are figuring out your New Year’s resolution. Some of you may be giving up a vice or perhaps joining a gym on January 2nd. There are thousands of documented resolutions, but if yours includes losing weight and getting in shape I have a nickel’s-worth of free advice for you: make your goals reasonable, you don’t have to take over the world in one year; make your goals attainable and in stages. If you’d like to drop 30-40 pounds, don’t simply set that as your total goal and start running; cut that goal up into smaller reachable units. It is much less daunting to say that you’d like to drop 10 pounds in three months, then the whole 30 or 40. This will help keep you motivated and on track, you will have a tighter deadline and see your goal weight getting closer sooner rather than later.

How many times have you been given a task with a distant deadline and then ended up waiting until the last possible moment to do it? I did that all of the time until I finally sat down and wrote out my goals. I decided to go for it in 10 pound increments, and I found it was much easier to do. The next thing I knew, I was halfway to my goals in less time than I thought. I doubled my weight loss goals in the time I originally set. My results were due to hard work and strict discipline, but anything is possible if you keep it realistic. I have seen many friends and family members go full-boar towards a goal as lofty as losing 50 pounds during the year. The first 3 or 4 weeks they really try hard, but when they see that they still have so many pounds to go and they really haven’t made a dent they lose confidence and motivation. This is why if you set those goals in smaller increments you’ll feel great when you reach one and you will be excited to give the next one a go. Baby steps are the best approach. My favorite quote about this subject:

“He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying.” ~Friedrich Nietzsche

Best of luck and stay strong.

Scott Fitz

How Bad Do I Want It?

Posted by Scott - 12/19/08 at 09:12:28 am

This is the most important question most of us should ask ourselves during the most tempting time of the year. It is the holiday season again, apple pie, beer and wine, this and that — and lots more FAT! Many people fall off of the wagon now more than ever, and simply figure they’ll get back into it after the New Year. Many people gain 1-2 pounds per year of adult life, and these are usually packed on during the HO- HO- Holidays. If you are already overweight, you have an even greater risk of gaining 5 or more pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years.

 

It is so easy to just let things slide and eat that piece of pie. But do you really want to undo all of this year’s hard work? If it were easy to have an incredibly fit and trim body, everyone would, right? You have to ask yourself everyday: “How bad do I want it?” I hear people claiming that since they’ve worked hard they deserve a little treat. This is true to some extent, and it mostly depends on how close you are to your goals. But sometimes it can be no different than a former alcoholic having a drink because he or she has been sober for 11 months. A little treat that could undo the progress of the previous 11 months. The mental setback can be more detrimental than the physical.

It is the ultimate question to ask yourself when you are at the precipice: “How bad do I want it?” When you answer it, you can usually muster the strength to say “No thank you”. Just remember, there is no piece of pie, slice of cake or bowl of pudding that is so good, it can ever replace that feeling you get inside when someone says, “Wow! You look great! You’re so skinny!”

Happy Holidays and stay strong.

Don’t Panic, Here’s a Great Gift Idea!

Posted by derek - 12/14/08 at 02:12:22 pm

With Christmas less than 2 weeks away and the start of a New Year just around the corner, you’re probably beginning to panic as you try to think of what to get that special someone. There is no shortage of ideas but finding something meaningful is no easy task.

Wouldn’t it be great to give a gift that could change that special someone’s life?  Well, here is one idea…

How about giving the ‘Gift of  Health’ ?  The timing is perfect and armed with our new 1 year Gyminee PRO Membership, he or she can start fresh and begin that ‘Life Change’ in 2009!  Subscribing to PRO workouts, setting some achievable fitness goals, and participating in a Challenge are just a few of the small steps that lead to significant change.

Now if you wanted to impress them even more, you could add a cool Gyminee T-shirt from our Gyminee Store with that membership!. If you have a humorous side, go a size or two up or down as an incentive for them to reach their goals.

Healthy holidays from the Gyminee Team.

Milk Does A Body Good

Posted by Susan - 12/11/08 at 10:12:20 am

In his book In Defense Of Food, Michael Pollan suggests that we shouldn’t eat anything that our grandmother’s wouldn’t recognize as food.

The same can be applied to what we drink, which has resulted in my taking a very close look at my post-exercise supplementation.

I came across several studies comparing cows’ milk (whole milk, low-fat, skimmed and chocolate) to soy-based and commercial sports drinks (e.g, Gatorade, Powerade) and each supports cows milk as a good post-workout drink for both endurance and strength training.

In looking at the chemical make-up of milk, it contains casein and whey protein, carbohydrates, calcium, and a host of vitamins including D and B12. Compare that to Gatorade which is primarily composed of sugary carbohydrates, and already milk is looking pretty good.

But the news gets even better for cows’ milk as a post-exercise beverage:

- Research suggests that proteins in cows’ milk supports greater muscle hypertrophy post exercise than soy-based protein beverages.

- In addition to building more muscle, research has shown milk drinkers to lose almost double the amount of fat of athletes drinking a commercial carbohydrate beverage. Soy-protein drinkers lose no fat.

- One study found that when endurance athletes consumed chocolate milk as a recovery aid between exercise sessions, they were able to work out longer during the second round of exercise compared to when they drank a carbohydrate replacement beverage.

- Researchers have also found milk to be better at restoring hydration than other commonly used post-exercise beverages including water and Powerade

Personally, I’m not sure I can drink enough milk to reap the same benefits that I realize from using a whey protein supplementation, but I like the idea of mixing the whey powder with skim milk and adding a banana for extra carbohydrates, when necessary.

At the end of the day however, in a pinch, milk looks to be a good post-exercise recovery aid and certainly a cost-effective alternative.

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

www.catapultfitnessblog.com

Gyminee Wins Mashable Open Web Awards - Blogger’s Choice

Posted by Andy - 12/10/08 at 12:12:43 pm

We are pleased to announce that Gyminee has been selected to receive the Blogger’s Choice Open Web Award for 2008.  We were selected as the best in the “Sports and Fitness” category by a panel of over 100 Blog Partners.  The full announcement can be found on the Mashable blog.

The final round voting for the People’s Choice is still in progress.  You can vote for us once per day, per email address by using the following widget:

Voting closes this Sunday night at midnight!  Thanks for your support!

Staying Fit During the Holidays

Posted by Guest - 12/04/08 at 09:12:06 am

Matt Johnson, a professional trainer, is the fitness expert at DietsInReview.com, where he shares insight and guidance for staying fit and living a healthy, active life. DietsInReview.com also provides healthy recipes, weight loss tools, health news and reviews of more than 575 diet plans.

Wow, the holidays are here again and so are the parties and the surplus of food. Staying fit and healthy during this time is a tough task, but this year it is time for a change. Many people often find themselves eating way too much and lounging around for way too long. First off, if you don’t buy it, you won’t eat it. When grocery shopping only buy the foods that you need and leave the unhealthy snacks on the shelf. This will cut your costs and your waist size. Second, try not to eat large meals; eating smaller meals more often allows your body to metabolize and digest the food rather than store it as fat.

Another tough subject is exercising over the holidays. Being lazy and relaxing sounds so good during the break, but do your best to fight the urge. Take the family to the gym, on a walk each day, or to the park. Any physical activity is better than none. Being active for even a few minutes will increase the metabolism and burn some of those extra calories ingested, and will allow the body to burn more calories throughout the day as well. Remember that it is alright to take a break from working out; the body honestly needs it from time to time, but not during a time of buffet breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.

Top 10 Ways To Stay Fit During The Holidays

1. Eat smaller portion sizes
2. Be active for at least 30 minutes a day
3. Lay off the junk food
4. Spend more time outside away from the kitchen
5. Don’t leave food out on the counter (out of sight, out of mind)
6. Buy only the foods you absolutely need from the store
7. Take the stairs instead of the elevator while shopping
8. Drink more water (helps fight hunger)
9. Chew gym (helps fight hunger)
10. Refrain from being bored, do what ever it takes to stay active and away from the kitchen.

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