Hype-Free Fad-Free Fitness By Pete

I have something very important to share with you today that
could be the one thing that gets you over the fitness hump
or like me, has added fuel to my current fitness fire.

Even we fitness pros need a little something to help us get
back on track or take our fitness to new levels.

Personally it's perfect timing for me.  You haven't heard from me
in a while because I was the key note speaker at a two day
seminar in Boston and I am writing you right now from Denver
where I have been helping develop Fitness Together's plan
for the future.

Speaking for two days, high level thinking and traveling can
sure be exhausting. I'll be 34 in October, but the last few
weeks can sure make that number seem higher. If fitness and
healthy eating were not part of my lifestyle I can't imagine
how I would feel. 

Then I caught a story today in USA Today about how USA Olympic
athletes ages are at the highest ever.  Dara Torres, the
41 year old Olympic swimmer is really the one who has helped
me work a little harder in my workouts and inspired me to reach
to new heights with my fitness. If you're not familiar with Dara
watch this video: 

Let's look at a few more facts about Dara:

-- She's 41 years old - a generation older than most of her
competitors. She was medaling in her first Olympics in 1984...
before many of them were even born.

-- She will go to the Beijing Olympics as the oldest-ever member
of the US swim team.

-- She's a mother - and still has maybe the most impressive
abs I've ever seen on a women.

-- She's considered to have the purest and most efficient
swimming stroke...of any woman in the world.

-- She's medaled in four consecutive Olympics...Beijing will
be her fifth, and she's favored to at least medal, possibly win
the 50 meter freestyle.

-- She owns 8 Olympic medals

-- She retired from swimming after 2000 Olympics in Sydney...
and now she's BACK!

-- And she is amazingly fit.

If you're 40 or older, not happy with your body and have
accepted your weight, de-conditioned body, low energy and
physical appearance because of age, then I am hoping Dara
and the many other "older" Olympians are changing your
paradigm.

This is the biggest secret to getting age defying results.
If you don't change your beliefs about what is possible
you will never get your body back.  Subconsciously you'll
always sabotage your attempts because psychologically
your telling yourself it can't be done.

This is why I'm bringing this to you today.  I could stand
up on my fitness soap box at 34 and say anyone can do it
at any age - which I know is a fact.  But the only way I can
help change your beliefs is showing you the proof. 

We've seen the same type of "amazing" results from many of
our clients, achieving results they didn't think were possible.
From a few clients we have that are 85+ to the majority who are
50+. 

Am I saying that your fitness or nutrition should be the
same as a 20 or 30 year old?  Absolutely not!  In fact, a
disturbing trend I am seeing in personal training is group
personal training and boot camps lead by personal trainers
(glorified group exercise classes).

If you want results like Dara Torres you can't participate
in an exercise program that is one size fits all.  Not too
mention you increase your exposure to injuries because with a
workout not tailored to your fitness level or current physical
limitations (I'll have more on this trap coming soon).

I don't mean to brag, but personally I believe we are the experts
in getting phenomenal results for the baby boomer and there are
very specific reasons why. They are many of the reasons
Dara Torres is getting the fitness results she is and we'll
get to the nitty gritty details of 'why' next time, so stay tuned...

In good health,

Pete Piranio BS, CSCS
Owner/Fitness Consultant
Fitness Together
www.FitnessTogether.net
Brookfield 262-780-6350
Delafield 262-646-5444
Wauwatosa 414-453-9800

I don't want to make the above statement without showing you
proof. If you're skeptical about our claims go to:
www.FitnessTogether.net/real_people.html

Would you like more information on our programs and hear
what other greater Milwaukee residents think about our program?
Request our complimentary DVD and information package and we'll
also send you a voucher for three free sessions and a consultation:
Go here: http://www.fitnesstogether.net/FreeDVD.html  

If you have any questions or comments about this course, our services
at Fitness Together, or anything at all having to do with health and
fitness, just call us at 262-646-3055 or reply to this blog.

All content provided for information purposes only. This is not intended to
treat or manage disease. Be sure to check with your doctor before engaging
in any dietary or fitness changes and/or routines.

Copyright 2008 Piranio Fitness Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved

’ll never forget when I was working with a client that looked like he was going to have a heart attack.  No this guy wasn’t extremely overweight or out of shape.  In fact, I had helped him lose 40 pounds and we were really starting to have some fun because his fitness level was terrific.  We had come a long way.  He was looking great and enjoyed the new fitness challenges I brought to him in each session.

What was the problem?

He was really laboring with every exercise I had him doing and sweating profusely.  This just wasn’t right for him.  Then he started looking worse so I had him stop and get some water.  He wanted to push ahead so I checked his heart rate and blood pressure – it was through the roof!  I said no way pal! 

I had him sit down and continued to monitor his heart rate and blood pressure making sure it was dropping.  During this time I asked him, “Did you eat today and if so what?”  I also asked him about his water intake.

Then it struck me! 

He had to have ingested some sort of stimulant.  He was a busy and driven professional always squeezing hours out of the day.  So I asked him, “How many cups of coffee have you had today?”  “What about soda?”  He said he had only one cup of coffee in the morning.  

Then he realized I was asking about any kind of stimulants (caffeine) he might have taken.  We had talked a lot about minimizing caffeine because of its dehydration effects and other reasons in the past.  So he mentioned, “You know Pete, I did start taking a pill today that’s for increasing my metabolism.”

WHAM!  We found our problem.  I told him unfortunately we were done for the day and I need him to do two things:

1. Drink a lot of water.

2. Throw that crap away!

You see, this gentleman was looking for another edge to get that last bit of fat off.  He wanted to increase his metabolism and didn’t realize all these metabolism boosting pills are all the same.  They are a bottle full of stimulants that jack up your heart rate.  Add an already increased heart rate to exercise and you get a fit individual gasping for air and sweating profusely.  This is a dangerous combination!

If you don't increase your body's burn rate or metabolism, you won't be able to burn the fat you want to get rid of, but you don’t get this through a pill!

So what can you do to boost your metabolism, lose inches, and eliminate that belly fat?

But doesn't your metabolism slow down with age?  Yes, it can, But...if you follow the tips I outline below you'll stop your metabolism from slowing down.

Heck, you'll actually increase your metabolism, thanks to your new fat burning habits.

However, some heavily marketed metabolism boosters are BS...so here's the truth about the top 4 metabolism booster and how you can use them to burn fat.

Strength training should be at the core of any fat loss program. It boosts metabolism up to 10% after a training session.   Muscle is metabolically active.  Therefore, every pound of muscle you add will increase your bodies calorie needs by 30-50 calories.  In addition, you will have an increased metabolism for 48 hours after a weight training workout.    The fact is you lose lean muscle with age if you don’t do anything to maintain it.  A decrease in muscle is a major contributor to the slowing metabolism people experience with age.   Metabolism is not a mystery or magical thing.   The lean muscle that strength training helps you build will firm and tone your body like nothing else out there.  Strength training must be a part of your fat-loss workout routine.

Research shows eating breakfast is associated with successful weight loss. Breakfast increases metabolism because it breaks your overnight fast.  So make it a habit to consume some protein, fiber,& fruit (& even veggies) at this time. This will keep your appetite in check till your next meal.

Eating 5-6 small meals per day boosts metabolism and helps create hormonal changes that support fat loss.   Infrequent meals are the classic mistake that slows your metabolism, because your body perceives its starving.   Try and split  up your meals into smaller meals that can be eaten over the course of the day. This one simple tactic can be the difference between becoming a fat burning machine or storing fat.

Interval training causes a greater increase in post- exercise metabolism than regular (steady state) cardio.  It’s important to burn calories during a workout, but what matters most is how much you burn after the workout.  Interval programs burn more calories during and after a workout, leading to more weight loss than a long, slow cardio training program.

Hard work and proper nutrition burn more calories and help you lose fat. On the other hand, magic pills and potions just don't work, but that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

My advice?

Add strength training, intervals, mini-meals, and breakfast to your weight loss plan and you'll burn body fat fast thanks to your increased metabolism.

Are you ready to increase your metabolism with weight training, but find it intimidating or you just don’t know what to do?  Not sure how to do interval training that boost your metabolism?  Or is nutrition you biggest hurdle?  Call any of my offices and greater Milwaukee’s best degreed and certified fitness consultants will be glad help or go here: www.FitnessTogether.net

In good health,

Pete Piranio BS, CSCS

Owner/Fitness Consultant

Fitness Together

www.FitnessTogether.net

Brookfield: 262-780-6350

Delafield: 262-646-5444

Wauwatosa: 414-453-9800

P.S.  If you're ready to stop wasting your time on false promises and solutions that go nowhere and start getting serious health, fitness, and weight loss result now then request a complimentary introductory session and consultation at www.FitnessTogether.net/freeconsult.html 

Not Ready Yet?  No problem, request our free DVD and information package here: www.FitnessTogether.net/FreeDVD.html

The evil sweet tooth is a common problem our clients are asking for solutions to. 
Today I'm going to share multiple solutions and one very tasty one!

First, it's important to understand that sweet tooth cravings are not
genetic or a disease.  Too often I have conversations with people that make
excuses for not eating to support their goals.  "I've always had a sweet tooth
problem" or "My mother had a sweet tooth and so do I".  We make "sweet tooth"
sound like something that should be listed on the CDC's (Center for Disease
Control) top ten list. 

I know this may sound a little unsympathetic, but in order to make lifestyle
changes that support our goals and the quality of life we want, we have to
identify our obstacles and come up with the solutions to over come
them - not excuses.  It's human nature for our mind to come up with an excuse or
no effort rationale behind our behaviors, but this is what keeps people
locked up in a body they don't want. So let's look for solutions instead of excuses:

Sugar cravings often come from skipping meals and not eating frequently enough. 
Infrequent eating creates low blood sugar levels and when blood sugar is low your
body calls for sugar.  You end up eating high sugar foods because your body
craves sugar to raise blood sugar levels, your insulin spikes in response to
elevated blood sugar, which in turn slows your body's secretion of Glucagon.

This is a big problem because Glucagon is a hormone that helps release fat
cells for oxidation and energy use.  In other words, it's what helps you
"burn fat".

If you want to reduce sugar cravings and lose body fat, you have to implement
frequent meals and snacks in to you nutrition plan.  The goal is to stabilize
sugar levels throughout the day.  This will not only have a positive fat loss
effect, but you'll notice tremendous energy increases.

Don't reach for caffeine when your energy is low, reach for a quality protein
and carbohydrate snack or meal.

Does this mean that I can't have a treat or enjoy ice cream on a summer day?

Absolutely not! 

In our EAT! Nutritional program we teach the use of a "Throw Out Day", which
is a day you can eat anything you want.  In previous e-mails I've explained
the benefits to implementing this strategy. If you missed that e-mail, shoot
me an e-mail and I'll resend it to you.

Here's the tasty tip that can also be a great solution to the evil sweet tooth:

Did you ever think that chocolate ice cream could be healthy, taste delicious,
and promote fat loss? It can, and I think you're going to love this recipe.

The finished product tastes great and has a smooth and creamy texture that's
similar to brand name ice cream, but instead of an overload of fat, sugar,
calories, and chemicals, you'll get 12 times the protein, 3 times the fiber,
half the calories, a lot less fat, and only 1 gram of sugar.

This recipe is for a very large batch (you're going to need a very big
bowl), though you could certainly cut each ingredient down by half.

1.) 12 -14 cups chocolate protein powder (I use Optimum Nutrition 100%
Whey)
2.) 10 cups water
3.) Two 2.1 oz. boxes of instant Jell-O sugar free, fat-free choc. pudding
mix.
4.) Two 29 oz. cans of pumpkin (I use Libby's)
5.) 1.5 to 2 cups of all-natural peanut butter

Mix the first three ingredients together in a VERY large bowl and then add
in two large cans of pumpkin and continue mixing on high. Then add peanut
butter and mix well on high for about 3-5 minutes until completely blended
and smooth. Pour into Tupperware containers and freeze.

I realize that the pumpkin might sound strange, but trust me, after letting
it freeze over night, it is very good. I'm not sure why, but the longer I
allow this to freeze, the better it tastes.

You can leave the pumpkin out if you'd like and it'll be thicker and richer,
but have less fiber and other beneficial nutrients. I personally like the
taste and texture (and nutritional profile) better with pumpkin included.

You can modify the above recipe to fit your personal preferences. For
example, you might like a thicker and richer taste. Try adding a little
more pudding or peanut butter...or use a little less pumpkin and/or water.

Because this doesn't have any additives, preservatives, and other gums and
junk that ice cream does, it'll be hard as a rock right out of the freezer.

So, I always take it out of the freezer for an hour or so before eating it
so that it gets nice and soft. (Or you can microwave it for 30 to 90
seconds, depending on container size).

Here's how I use it each day:

I've yet to meet someone that doesn't like this recipe (even my kids and
"junk-food junky" friends enjoy it). It's a pretty forgiving recipe, so if
it doesn't taste right, you may have skipped something. Let me know and I
can offer tips or clarify any confusion.

We share a lot of these health recipe treats in our EAT! Nutritional Program
and we are constantly updating recipes and done for you meal plans as we
find new ideas our clients like and I personally enjoy.

If you've got the exercise habit down and don't need our expert exercise
program design, but need work on your nutrition? No problem, schedule a
complimentary nutrition consultation to see if our EAT! Nutrition
program is right for you and if any supplementation is needed to fill holes
in your nutrition plan. You don't need to be a personal training client
to participate in our nutrition coaching programs.
 Go here now: Nutrition Consultation

In good health,

Pete Piranio BS, CSCS
Owner/Fitness Consultant
Fitness Together
www.FitnessTogether.net
Brookfield 262-780-6350
Delafield 262-646-5444
Wauwatosa 414-453-9800