Bathing Suit Chronicles

My Muffin Top and Bagel Bottom

So, what’s the big deal about FAT? Is it a trap? The New York Times article (published January 1, 2012, New Year’s Day, oh my) stated that the propensity for being FAT was in our genes. No matter how we cut calories out of our diets (why is this word mean two opposite things at once – deprivation and daily bread?) we couldn’t do anything about it. Period.

The letter that appeared last Sunday, January 20, signed by 250 medical experts, shot holes in the Fat Trap article. It merely stated that fat is regulated ‘primarily by insulin; we secrete insulin in response to the carbohydrates we consume.”

So, it’s those nasty carbohydrates. Grains; farewell my waffles, breads, graham crackers, shredded wheat and turkey stuffing (thank goodness we don’t have to worry about stuffing for another ten months). Right up there is Gatorade, and baked potatoes.

For space considerations – and to speed up this very sad subject so we get to the end – peas and carrots appear to offer the least available carbs per serving.

So, the 250 people who signed the letter swear that it’s carbs, not calories, that pack on the body fat.

If you cant' stay away from them, run a marathon after that Belgian waffle.

Gotta go and eat my peas. Of course, I’m going to have to get to the gym first. Before I go, Almaden Valley Athletic Club is installing Kinesis, from Technogym. A wall of training choices, Stay tuned. We also have a TRX Party coming up.

TRX and party, two words that go together just fine.

So, how are those resolutions coming along?

If you're still on track. Congratulations. Please share what's making you keep to the goal. For those of us who need a little push, here are some thoughts:

1. Did you list some steps as to how you were going to accomplish your resolutions? No? Well, go back to square one. Set a SiMPLE goal and list three steps to get there.

2. What has kept you from taking the first step? Completing the second step? What will keep you from moving ahead? If you know what these little stumbling blocks are, then you can plan how to overcome them. For example, if you've vowed to cut back on salt, can you sit through a movie WITHOUT popcorn?

3. Track your progress on a weekly basis. DO NOT WEIGH or analyse yourself every day. This will frustrate you and let the little negative thoughts into your consciousness.

4. Have you asked for help? Or, are you keeping the fact that you want washboard abs by Easter? Share your wishes and dreams. They might come true sooner.

5. Try something new. Variety is spice. AVAC is offering some awesome ways to kick start those resolutions.

Friday, January 27. Ladies' Training for Life. Taught by male and female police officers, San Jose's finest, you'll learn how to avoid bad situations and what to do if you find yourself involved in one.

Friday, February 2. TRX Party! Yes, a party to celebrate this fabulous workout. If you've never felt like 'this move isn't doing me any good' then this is the workout for you. And, we'll reward you afterward with snacks! (Healthy, of course!)

Now, there. Good luck. If you live in San Jose, you're lucky. You're close to Almaden Valley Athletic Club and AVAC Swim School. Now, get on with those resolutions.

Looking Back. Looking Forward

Wow. What a year for Almaden Valley Athletic Club members. We started 2011 filled with good intentions, vowing to lose weight, gain muscle and what did we get?

Friends.

Anyway you look at what happens here at 5400 Camden Avenue, it is a fact that more acquaintances are formed than weight is lost.  Although, peeking into a GroupFit class – or looking out over the members on our Fitness Floor, you’ll find we are a bit more in shape than we were in December 2010.

We lost some dear members. Tony Faraone and Steve Sokol, come to mind right now. Tony’s talent for encouraging morning activities to include coffee and exercise, will forever be remembered as legion. And, Steve, the Fittest Man in America, how empty the deep end of our pool seems, yet the wave of wellness he spread throughout the community will always be felt.

That’s what we are all about. As we begin a new year, with a new Web site, new Technogym Kineses equipment, new Boot Camps, new classes and adventures, we will always remember the best part of our AVAC life: friendships, family and, lest we forget, fun!

Changing Time

I subscribe to about five wheel-and-deal-of-the-day discount apps. I decided today that I would opt out of many, delete without reading a few, and only keep those I actually clicked through to ‘see for myself’ what the ‘news’ was all about.

I didn’t want to miss anything. Instead, I have wasted several hours a week, days a year, or weeks of my life looking at things I don’t need, really don’t want, and can do very well without.

If only there were a wheel-and-deal-of-the-day for time.

If not a way for me to get back the time I’ve taken looking at things, a way for me to arrange my future not to include this habit. Yes, it has become a habit.

Change. It is very hard to change. Just writing this, my email has ‘dinged’ three times. My change started as soon as I started this piece. I have not jumped to my ‘me’ mail. Earlier this week, I hand-wrote a note to my granddaughter, rummaged through a messy drawer and found some stamps. I walked to the post box and physically opened the iron-clad mouth of the box and watched as the little note disappeared into the darkness.

Can’t do that with an email.

The other point I’d like to make here is that the action involved a ‘walk,’ moving my feet along a path, outside, in the late afternoon heat, breathing fresh air. Impossible with an email.

I think changing the way I approach things is a good way to start to change. Lately, it’s been a little difficult to squeeze into my khaki pants. Did I shrink them? Did someone switch them on me (while hanging in my locked garage?). I think not. I think I have to change what I’m eating at night. And get some more exercise. Try a new sport.

I'll start there. Write another note to another friend or family. Walk to the mailbox.

Survival of the Fit. Test.

I’d like to take this phrase apart.

First, human beings were meant to move. We had to move to capture protein, protein  in the shape of bison, wild boar and other wild beasts. We had to move to get out of the way of slings and arrows of our enemies. We used to have to move at least once or twice a week in gym class. It used to be called ‘physical education’ but the no child left behind program has resulted in ‘no child left without a HUGE behind’ instead.

I really would love a word other than ‘survive.’ I want to thrive.

So, what’s the deal? The issue is that your body needs to move. You must get that heart rate to beat faster. You must get your muscles to burn the energy that resides as ‘fat’ in your body.

How, you ask?

Try a little competition. Take a survival of the fit . . . test.

The competition is you.

You cannot look in the rearview mirror at others. Others are not the measure you need.
Turn off this computer and get moving. If you live in the South Bay, you might want to try the great programs we have here at Almaden Valley Athletic Club. We have a TRX Boot Camp coming up in October, lots of Small Group Training that is open to non-AVAC members, and much more.

Whatever you decide to do, start to do it!

Fork U.

More on Plate Tectonics

I consistently try to find easy ways to help people achieve better health. A few months ago, I did a ‘plate tectonics’ piece in which I linked weight plates and dinner plates.

The smaller the dinner plate, the greater odds that people will eat less. The more one uses weight training, lifting, to build muscles, the greater the odds that the metabolic rate will increase and burn more calories.

Today, I add another ‘utensil’ to the mix: the fork.

Courtesy of RealAge®, a good way to get tips and tricks for not only living longer, but living better.

The piece is just in Tine . . . a larger fork will fool the brain into thinking that the holder of the fork has had enough to eat.

Check it out.

Work. Out. Up.

English is such an interesting language. Intersting in the Chinese curse sense: "May you live in interesting times."

Interesting times mean balancing on the edge, walking the wire between chaos and order.

Take the word "work." Did you know that a workout can help you stay in the workforce? Help you enter it, too. If you are being pitted against a fellow worker (or candidate for a job) and your posture is erect, your energy level is enhanced, you will win! It is suvivial of the fittest in the most Darwinian of essences.

Recent studies have found that people who exercise in midday are brighter, more awake and better thinkers for the remainder of their workdays. 

Breakfast is for champions. Filling your tummy with protein at 7 am can keep growls and ineptitude from your job performance at that 10 am meeting.

Now, get up and move away from the computer. Now!

Are you a Locavore?

Yes. You. If not, it's about time you became one.

No time to shop for the foods that are good for you at the local chain store? Can't find the "organic" section once you get there? Unsure if that label that begins with "9" is really organic? No budget for fresh produce, so you sneak out for lunch or dinner to one of those establishments adds five pounds of belly fat every time you walk through the door?

Locavores are people who frequent those Farmers’ Markets that have popped up in urban, and many suburban areas over the past year. Up 17 percent, according to an article in Reuters.

I visited the Locavores Web site and found the San Francisco Wheel, a graphic depiction of foods grown within the Bay Area, seasonal statistics, and items unique to this region.

We have Dungeness Crab, Oysters, avocados, and an abundance of citrus fruits. These are all things that the mega-worldwide corporate monopoly cannot touch. Did you know that Monsanto has developed seeds that self-destruct after one planting? Genetically altered with no known future consequences? Look out. That corn might have a hidden microphone!

That’s enough on the soap box for today. Speaking of the soap box, how about a quick workout? Set your timer.

Ready. Set.

Do 20 push ups, any way you want, on your knees, straight-legged . . .
Sit with your legs in front of you and flex your toes, up and down . . .
Sing “Happy Birthday” five times.

Was that hard? Now, do these actions five more times and you will get to have more birthdays!

The Heart That Matters

In my endless quest to maintain my shape, I will do anything to attain results.

I need to be reminded every day that it will not matter if I get the zipper to the top of my red, slinky holiday party dress. It matters how and what I make my body do.

So what exercise combo will lessen the odds of my pump giving me the thump?

“A combination of weight training and aerobic exercise might be the best prescription for overweight people at risk for diabetes and heart disease, a new study reported by Reuters suggests.”

The article goes on to embrace everyone, not just those with ‘a little extra’. Weights build strength. Aerobics increase stamina. Simple.
 
The study consisted of one group that did resistance (weight) training three days a week; a second group that did only aerobics on machines; a third group that did both.

Weight training people gained a pound and added an inch on the waist. The aerobic machine people lost three pounds and a couple of inches. The winners, however, were those who stuck with the program and used both the aerobics machines and weight training.

Draw your own conclusions. I think I’ll take cardio and weight. Take your dog (or cat) for a walk. Lift that grandchild and give a hug (isometrics). Join a club.

Do something just for the heart of it.

Plate Tectonics

I quote from Wikipedia “Assuming the plate boundary does not change as hypothesized, projected motion indicates that the landmass west of the San Andreas Fault, including Los Angeles, will eventually slide past San Francisco, then continue northwestward toward the Aleutian Trench, over a period of perhaps twenty million years.”

I wonder if I could be in shape by then. This brings to mind the concept of speed. Time, as one gets older, seems to fly. If there is a double-digit birthday that one dreads, the faster the day arrives when friends appear at the door bearing black-frosted cupcakes and mourning veils.

In this case, why doesn’t fat disappear as fast as my exercise, weight lifting and dietary adjustments would seem to justify?

It’s plate tectonics. I have found that minor adjustments can speed up desired results.

Plate Number One: The dinner plate. Make it smaller. Portions will seem larger.

Plate Number Two: Weight plates. The key concept here is weight. Add a little to your training to increase not just muscle building, but muscle maintenance. The older you get, the more chance you have to lose – muscles, not fat!

Plate tectonics, the movement of masses, can help. As for Los Angeles ending up in the Aleutian Trench, I reserve opinion. And would rather perish before the thought!

Remembering the world's fittest man, Steve Sokol.

Steve Sokol Memorial Run/Walk
Sunday, July 17 at 9 am
Almaden Lake Park

Perhaps you saw him. Floppy hat, either alone or with his son. Swimming endless circles in the deep end of the AVAC pool several afternoons a week.

He was Steve Sokol. At one time, Steve did one thousand sit-ups in ten minutes and cycled 500 miles form San Francisco to Los Angles without touching the bicycle seat. This, plus numerous other feats of stamina, earned him the title, “World’s Fittest Man.”

It also introduced him to his wife, Leslie, who wrote him a passionate letter after reading about him in Vanity Fair. The two started a long-distance romance, then married and now, their son, Alex, is following in his father’s footsteps.

Alex has to proceed alone, as Steve died in an accident early in March of this year.

Steve's business partners have established a fund in his name. And on Sunday, July 17, two hundred of his friends, and the people whose lives he touched, including many members of Almaden Valley Athletic Club, are invited to a 5K Run/Walk in Almaden Lake Park.

A longtime member of AVAC, Steve also coached, trained and served as an inspiration to hundreds of South Bay men, women and children. And AVAC members.

If you wish to join the event, entry fee is $35. For this, participants receive a T-shirt, goodie bag and the pleasure of knowing that they’ve contributed to the fund that will help his son Alex pursue his dreams of college and sports.

Registration is online only. Go to http://www.svetiming.com/events/Steve-Sokol-Memorial-5K.

Hope to see you there.