What do you really need to do to lose weight? The typical answer will include things like eating less and exercising more, both of which are correct. However, neither of those makes a bit of difference if you’re not actually doing them, a problem more and more of us are struggling with. What stops you from eating less and exercising more? Maybe you think it’s because you’re too busy, tired or stressed. Maybe you think it’s because you’ve tried everything—diets, gym memberships, weird workout gadgets or waiting for the planets to align correctly—and nothing seems to work.

Those are great excuses, but perhaps what really stands in your way isn’t your body, your schedule or your whip-cracking boss; it’s your mind.

The mental side of weight loss is the most important aspect of losing weight. Your mind is what drives all of your decisions and your choices and, if it isn’t in the right place, your choices won’t be either. With that in mind, what are the mental strategies you need to finally lose weight? They may not be what you think.

1.         Honesty. It’s amazing how easy it is to lie to ourselves. We lie about eating too much: “Oh, it’s just a few handful of M&Ms…there can’t be that many extra calories, right?” We lie about exercising: “I promise, I’ll workout tomorrow. I know I said that yesterday, but I really mean it this time!” Some people take it even further, avoiding looking at themselves in the mirror, stepping on a scale or acknowledging when they have to buy bigger clothes.

Being honest isn’t just about knowing what you eat and how much exercise you’re getting. It also means being honest about whether you’re really ready to make a lifestyle change.

Getting Honest With Yourself

• Decide if you’re ready to change – Taking a lifestyle change quiz may give you insight into what you really want for yourself. If you’re not ready, learn about how to enjoy exercise and healthy eating and simple ways to take better care of yourself. Even if you’re not ready for big changes, small changes make a difference.
• Start a Weekly Weight Loss Checklist – Each week, record your measurements, write down your goals and plan out how you’ll reach them.
• Create a Daily Check-In – Along with your weekly checklist, create a ritual where you check in with yourself to assess how you’re doing. Update your fitness journal before bed or first thing in the morning and make notes of what you did well and what you need to work on.
• Keep an Honest Food Diary – Self-monitoring is a must if you’re trying to lose weight. You should measure portions whenever possible, check food labels, look up nutritional information for restaurants and track everything you eat and drink. After practicing, you’ll be able to eyeball your meals without having to be as meticulous. You can keep an online diary using my online training software.
• Hold Yourself Accountable – During your daily check in, note what you did well and what you struggled with. New behaviors take time to catch on and there may be deeper issues to work through, like emotional eating, stress and other ways you may sabotage your weight loss.

Welcome to 5280 Fitness Consulting!  LivingSocial asked us to run a daily deal for the Denver north area using our performance bootcamps.  To take advantage of this deal, follow the link provided by LivingSocial.  After you purchase, please fill out the following form.  You will be asked to select a preferred bootcamp time.  I will be in contact with you shortly (email, phone or text) to get you started.

We believe at 5280 Fitness Consulting that everyone is athlete.  You will train like an athlete to get the body of the athlete.  Your body leaner and start to change due to our unique style of creating a metabolic workout.  All of our exercises are scalable by our certified/qualified staff so if you haven’t worked out in a while there is no need to worry.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email me.

Thank you

Check this out:

- Increased Protein intake triggers the hormone Glucagon.

- This in turn, prevents the spiking of your Insulin (which is also a hormone) levels.

- That simply means you minimizes the chance of storing blood sugar as fat.

In other words, eat more protein and you bust the belly flab. Sure, there’s more to it than that, but that is the crux of it. And so long as you understand the basics you can KEEP the belly flab from coming back.  

When you only eat carbs your Insulin levels go through the roof. And all that blood sugar (that’s what the carbs turn into after you’ve eaten them) which isn’t needed by your body MUST go somewhere. Yes, it goes to your belly; or your butt; or your hips; or your thighs…

The best part is, it’s not very hard to consume more protein. In fact, it’s pretty darn easy. A high quality protein powder will do just the trick.

Who is looking out for ya?

Russ Gallivan

5280 Fitness Consulting

Each of the five rounds is a blend of aerobic and anaerobic bouts of intervals and exercises. Virtually every exercise or movement incorporated into the CageFit program is scalable and the use of intervals allows class participants to quickly change modalities (example: from an upper body push movement to a lower body pull movement) and move at their own pace and abilities.

Class participants will get to lift, push, pull, slam, kick, knee, elbow, punch, roll and throw a grappling dummy without the need for a partner, a large amount of space, and without actually getting hit!

DETAILS

When:  Classes are on Thursday’s at 5:30pm and Sunday’s 10:00am  (30 minute classes)

Cost: $6 per session, 10 Session  Punch cards are available

Where: 5280 Fitness Consulting-475 W. 115th Ave, Unit 5

(Limited spots available..reservations accepted)

Please read the following from

Dr. John M. Berardi, PhD, CSCS at Precision Nutrition

The 90% Rule

100% nutritional discipline is never really needed to completely change your body. The difference between sticking to the rules 90% of the time and sticking to them 100% of the time is minor, really.

And that extra 10% means you can feel free to eat the food you like.

Follow the rules 90% of the time. The other 10%? Eat anything you want.

I’m not kidding around here. I actively encourage people to eat any food they like, because the reality is that good food can be one of the great joys of life.

But being overweight, unhealthy and lethargic are not. And certain foods eaten too frequently or in too large an amount will quickly make you all three of those things.

So Precision Nutrition clients are given a simple instruction: eat any food you like, in up to 10% of your meals; in the other 90% of your meals, eat the foods that will fuel your body to success.

That ratio will give you the body you want AND allow to enjoy the food you love.

But make sure you do the math.

But here’s the catch: make sure you do the math and determine what 10% of the time really means.

For example, if you’re eating 6 meals per day for 7 days of the week – that’s 42 meals. 10% of 42 meals is about 4 meals. Therefore you’re allowed to “break the rules” on 4 meals each week. If you skip a meal or eat something not on the plan, that counts as breaking the rules!

Make sure your 10% doesn’t become 20% or 30%. If you’re eating 42 meals a week (6 meals per day x 7 days a week), you’re allowed to eat 4 meals or snacks per week that aren’t part of the program (10%) and that’s all.

Don’t binge — schedule!

A caveat: your 10% meals shouldn’t include downing an entire pizza, followed by a full box of Krispy Kreme donuts. Binge eating can rapidly destroy your progress and make you feel like crap, let’s be clear on that. A daylong binge is not the equivalent of “one cheat meal.”

Rather, your 10% meals should include some foods, in reasonable quantities, that might not normally fit into your plan.

This might include a couple slices of pizza on a Saturday evening, a piece of cheesecake after dinner on Sunday, a beer or glass of wine after work on Wednesday, or some chocolate on Monday morning.

And the best way to make sure you don’t go overboard is to schedule your 10% meals. Pick a day and a meal and schedule it just like you’ll be scheduling your exercise days. This will keep you committed to your eating plan as well as have you looking forward to something different. Of course, if you simply must have one of your 10% meals outside of its regularly scheduled time, go for it. Just to make sure you don’t double up, cross it off your schedule.

Even better: learn how to incorporate the food you love into your 90% meals.

With a little expertise and ingenuity in the kitchen, you can often turn your favorite meals into healthy options that meet the criteria for a 90% meal.

For example, in the Gourmet Nutrition cookbooks (the first of which is included in the Precision Nutrition System), our expert chefs show you how to make delicious pizzas, snacks — even desserts, like cheesecake — all without breaking the rules of good nutrition.

It’s often as simple as learning a few tricks. Many clients are shocked when they learn how easy it is, and are so satisfied by the plan that they deviate even less than 10% of the time. In fact, on our private member forum, the cooking discussions are often the liveliest, and for good reason: once you can make good food taste great, reaching your goal is as easy as picking up a fork and spoon.

By Dr. John M. Berardi, PhD, CSCS

I know what you may be thinking.  You have put forth a lot of effort, sweat and tears but still not seeing the results you want.  Maybe you should not blame the workout but look at what you do before, during and after the workout.

Your personal habits and your social life can take away from you improving your body.  Needless to say eliminate these saboteurs and watch how your body will transform.

1)   Compound Movements

Compound movements’ forces a couple of muscle groups to work together, imposing more stress on your body when compared to isolation exercises.  That is why the movements in boot camp are so effective and we ask you to do them with as much effort as you can.  How about one more burpee?

2)   More is not better.

Muscles typically need 48 hrs of rest to adapt to the stresses placed on them during exercise.  It is for that reason; I advise you not come to boot camp on consecutive days.

3)   Smoking and Drinking

Why would anyone want to smoke?  It is dumb and it increases your risk for health problems exponentially.   It also deprives your muscles of oxygen, making them less efficient during muscle contraction, which in turn means you burn fewer calories.

Drinking on a regular basis can cover your abs in a layer of lard.  I know there are several studies out saying that a glass of wine or a beer or two is okay.  However, if you are trying to lean up stop adding the extra calories.

4)   Starvation

You need to eat, especially after each session.   If you don’t eat after each exercise session, your body will break down the muscle into amino acids to convert into glucose.  After each workout you need to eat a meal that is higher in carbohydrates with some added protein.  Meal replacement shakes are good, chocolate milk is good, and fast food is bad.

5)   Lack of sleep

Simply put, if you don’t sleep your muscles can’t recover.  If your muscles don’t recover then you can’t workout at a higher intensity to burn the fat.  Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends.  This will keep your sleep cycles regular and allow your body to recover.

6)   Sugar

Bottom line, it is everywhere and do what ever you can to avoid it.

Who is looking out for ya?

As promised, here are some money saving deals for this weekend. These deals are for all classes excluding the Fitness Co-op sessions.

I have also included deals for our popular 5280 Fit Kids program and our Combine360 assessment.

To take advantage of these great offers. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the corresponding paypal link.

Have a great weekend and don’t get ran over by any of those crazy shoppers out there.

Assessment Type

Adult $79.00 USD Youth $39.00 USD

1) By attending our “Burn The Fat, Not The Turkey” Thanksgiving Day workout or Zumba “Turkey Burn” at 8am inside of Gymnastics Unlimited.  If you want more information on how you can burn 1,000 calories in this class.  Be sure to contact me.

2) Following these tips.

3)Both

Short Cut #1: Eat a sensible meal before the party.

You should always arrive at parties with a full stomach. I realize that this goes against the popular trend of starving yourself before a party, and that’s exactly why most people gain weight. Since your stomach will be full, you’ll have the clarity to pick and choose the treats that you really want, rather than stuffing yourself with everything in sight.

Short Cut #2: Bring a healthy dish to share.

Don’t worry if the party that you’re going to isn’t a potluck – the hostess will love you for being so thoughtful, and you’ll have a healthy option to enjoy.

Short Cut #3: Never drink calories.

Do you realize how quickly calories add up when you’re slurping them out of a cup? Alcoholic beverages and sweet holiday drinks are simply packed with calories. These calories don’t take up much room in your stomach so you’re left wide open for even more calories.

Your best strategy is to avoid these beverages altogether, and stick with water. Aim to drink 2-3 glasses of water at the party.

Short Cut #4: Fill your plate, but only once.

I’m certainly not going to tell you that you shouldn’t eat anything at the party. By all means, go and fill up your plate. But only once.

That’s right, you heard me. No going back for seconds. Since you’ve already eaten a sensible meal before arriving, this rule is going to be easier to keep than you think.

Short Cut #5: Taste dessert, just a taste.

The holidays are all about sweet treats, so go ahead and partake. But just a taste. Look at desserts as something to savor, not something to fill up on.

And since you ate a sensible meal before you came, then you filled up your dinner plate once you’re probably going to be pretty full at this point anyway.

That’s it – all you need to know to not gain a single pound at holiday parties.

But what about the rest of the year?

Wouldn’t you love to make 2012 the year that you transform your body?

Wouldn’t it feel great to throw out all of your fat clothes? To look forward to bathing suit season? To be given a clean bill of health from your doctor? And to be showered with compliments by family, friends and that special someone?

It’s all more possible than you think.

But you’ll need to take action.  We have classes in Westminster, Thornton, Northglenn!

My programs are designed to quickly and efficiently get you into the best shape of your life.

Call or email now to schedule your first body transforming workout.

Go on, do it now and secure your spot before the New Year’s rush.

Who is looking out for ya,

Russ Gallivan

5280 Fitness Consulitng

The Refrigerator 
Let’s start with the fridge, the heart of your kitchen. If you find something in your fridge that is on the “Dump this” list, then you know what you have to do. Get that garbage bag ready. 



Dump this: Beverages with high fructose corn syrup or sugar. Drinking calories is one of the quickest ways to gain weight, so quickly rid your fridge of any beverage that lists HFCS or sugar on the ingredient list.

• Replace with: Water. It is a well known fact that most people are partially dehydrated, a condition that is harmful to your health and wreaks havoc on your weight loss efforts. Keep plenty of cold water on hand for proper hydration.

Dump this: Rich dairy products. I know that cream cheese tastes amazing, but fat-filled dairy products are extremely high in calories and should not reside in your fridge. Eliminate high-fat cheese, milk and yogurt from your kitchen.

• Replace with: Fresh Vegetables. The produce drawer in your fridge should be overflowing with colorful nutrient-rich veggies. In fact, your fridge should hold more veggies than the drawer can hold. Veggies are filled with fiber, vitamins and nutrients and are a vital part of a healthy well-rounded diet.

Dump this: Fatty meats. It is important that you be selective about the meats that you eat. I may tell you that chicken is a great source of protein, but if you take that as a license to eat fried chicken everyday then the benefit of the protein will be lost in all the extra fat calories.

• Replace with: Lean meats. Skinless chicken breast, lean ground turkey, white fish – there are numerous choices when it comes to lean meats.

Dump this: Fruit-flavored yogurt. I hate to break this to you, but that cute individually packaged yogurt is going to do more harm to your waistline than you think. More than 50% of the calories in fruit-flavored yogurt come from sugar. Check out the ingredient list and you likely find both high fructose corn syrup AND sugar.

• Replace with: Plain low-fat yogurt, Greek yogurt, or low-fat cottage cheese. If you love yogurt, then get the low-fat plain version. You can even chop up some fresh fruit and stir it in. Another option is to have a scoop of low-fat cottage cheese with chopped fruit on top.

The Freezer
 Next let’s take a look into your freezer. Anyone who has walked the freezer aisles at the store knows how plentiful frozen temptations are. How does your freezer measure up?

Dump this: Ice cream. We may as well get this one over with. Hiding a gallon or two (or even a pint) of your favorite ice cream “for a rainy day” is NOT a good idea. Save yourself from that temptation and don’t buy ice cream.

• Replace with: Frozen fruit. When your sweet tooth starts acting up, throw an assortment of frozen fruit into the blender and whip up a healthy fiber-filled smoothie.

Dump this: Frozen Pizza. This is another one of those items that is just too tempting to keep around. Why would you bother to make a healthy dinner when a frozen pizza is calling your name? Ban frozen pizza from your home and watch as your waist starts to shrink.

• Replace with: Turkey or Veggie Patties. For quick dinners keep your freezer filled with lean turkey patties and veggie patties. Serve on a bed of brown rice or on a whole grain bun.

Dump this: TV Dinners. I doubt that you need me to go into too much detail on this one. The next time that you are tempted to buy a pre-packaged frozen meal, please turn the package over and read the nutritional facts. You will be shocked by the staggering number of calories and less-than-healthy ingredients.

• Replace with: Home-made Portioned Meals. Spend some time on the weekends to cook up healthy meals, and then freeze them in portioned containers. Then throughout the week you simply need to reheat and enjoy.

Dump this: Frozen Breakfast Food. French toast, waffles and pancakes are popular items in the freezer aisle. Don’t fall for the pretty photos and tasty-sounding names. These items are highly processed and contain loads of unnecessary sugar.

• Replace with: Sprouted Whole Grain Bread and Muffins. It is just as easy to throw a slice of sprouted, whole grain bread into the toaster as it is a frozen waffle. Spread it with some natural peanut butter and pair it with a piece of fruit. Now that’s a much healthier breakfast.

That completes your self-guided fridge raid. I encourage you to raid your kitchen every couple of months as a way of keeping yourself on track. Talk with your family members about the healthy changes that you’re making, and try to get everyone’s support. 

You know that weight loss comes as a result of healthy eating and consistent, challenging workouts.

If you have not already signed up for one of our bootcamps there is still time.  We have space for the 6AM and 6PM classes but the midday class is FULL.  Learn more by taking a look at one of our performance bootcamps.

Here are 10 tips that will be sure to help you get back on track!

Enjoy.

1.  Forget the scale and use the mirror!

No matter what the scale says, how you look and feel is always more important than numbers.  You can reconfirm your progress by taking body measurements and taking pictures, but if you look good…you look good and it doesn’t matter what the scale says.

2.  Your BFF’s diet may  not work for you!

Listen, if you can have a bowl of ice cream every night and still look good then keep doing it.  Use your own body as your guide and let your results be your indicator of whether or not you’re doing what’s best for you. Always pay attention to what your body tells you, NOT what somebody else is doing.  What works for your friend in Denver may not work for you in Thornton!

3.  Omega 3′s are an absolute must for fat loss.

Make salmon, sardines, flaxseeds, walnuts and a high quality Omega 3 supplement a part of your daily meal plans.  The difference with and without them is incredible!

4.  You must be moving your bowels regularly in order to see your body lose fat (2 – 3 times per day, preferably 3).

If you’re not, sip on water with lemon and a pinch of cayenne pepper all through the day until you have reached 2-3 bowel movements per day.  You can not eliminate bad fat if your body is holding on to all that sludge in your intestines.

5.  You absolutely cannot out exercise bad nutrition.

Your workouts are 20-30% of the fat loss equation and nutrition is 70-80%.  If you’re exercising regularly and not seeing fat loss results, you must make an adjustment to your nutrition.

6.  Cheat days (or an off day) are absolutely essential to the fat loss equation.

Take one day out of the week and eat whatever you like but without gorging yourself.  It will not only give you a metabolism boost but it is a great mental break when following a proper plan.

7.  If you are eating wholesome, un-processed foods, you can eat massive quantities all day and still lose fat and get lean.

If your day is filled with natural proteins, fruits, vegetables, raw nuts and healthy oils, you’ll never have to count a single calorie ever again.

8.  Fat loss is not only about what you eat and how you train but also about the thoughts you have each day.

Stop your pessimistic talk and outlook and start to see things on the bright side and your success will be much faster.  If you need a little help read this post about taking out the trash

9.  Working out is not just about the exercises you do at the gym.

The leanest and most fit people lead active lifestyles…play with their kids, take dogs for a walk, keep busy around the house.  How do you spend your day?

10.  Finding a support system, group or partner almost doubles the rate at which you will see fat loss results (and maintain them).

Find and establish your own support system (spouse, co-worker, online group) and let them know EXACTLY (be specific) what your goals are.