• I have the power to control my health.
• I am in control of my health and wellness.
• I have abundant energy, vitality and well-being.
• I am healthy in all aspects of my being.
• I do not fear being unhealthy because I know that I control my own body.
• I am always able to maintain my ideal weight.
• I am filled with energy to do all the daily activities in my life.
• My mind is at peace.
• I love and care for my body and it cares for me.

Week after week friends complain to me that they “can’t lose weight,” that they are doing “EVERYTHING!” and their weight just won’t budge.  These same people go out and drink five or more drinks at least one to two nights a week.  You might think–what’s the harm in a little social drinking?  You should be allowed at least one “cheat” day a week where you can eat and drink whatever you want, right?

Alcohol contains calories (I promise—all alcohol contains calories!), 7 calories per gram to be exact and they add up quickly.  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cites that the average alcoholic beverage is 13.7 grams, or about 96 calories.

In addition to drinking alcohol, you must consider the food choices that result from the late night out and the potential hangover the next day that keeps you from hitting the gym.  I think it is safe to make the generalization that most people are not going to choose an apple over pizza, or workout after a heavy night of drinking.  It’s a snowball effect.

Let’s consider a typical night out for the average person with friends:

• 8pm: Makes a drink while waiting for friends to arrive
  • Vodka (one 80 proof shot) + Club Soda = 96 calories

• 9pm-11pm: Friends arrive; Drink socially until its time to go to the bars
  • 3 light beers (12oz each) = 288 calories

• 11pm-1am: Hang out and drink with friends for a few hours
  • 2 light beers (12 oz each) = 192 calories

• 1:30am: Hungry upon arriving home; Share frozen pizza with friends
  • 1/3 of frozen pizza = 300 calories

• Total Calories Consumed Between 8pm-1:30am = 876

Don’t get me wrong—I love to go out and have a good time like everyone else.  However, I know that if I am going to be serious about losing weight then drinking more than a drink a day is not a possibility. Try to find alternatives to going out to bars and stay focused on your goals.  Eventually, it will all fall into place.

The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s Annual Meeting held in San Diego was the site of a presentation on July 10, 2011 of the finding of Michael Shindle, MD of Summit Medical Group and his colleagues of a higher incidence of vitamin D insufficiency among National Football League players with muscle injuries.

The current study included 89 NFL players aged 21 to 32 years. Fifty-eight subjects were African American and 31 were Caucasian. Sixteen of the players suffered from a muscle injury. Vitamin D levels were tested in the spring of 2010 during routine pre-season evaluations.

Vitamin D deficiency, defined as a level of less than 20 nanograms per milliliter, was identified in 27 participants and insufficient levels of 20 to 31.9 nanograms per milliliter were observed in 45 subjects. Caucasian players had an average level of 30.3 nanograms per milliliter, while African Americans averaged 20.4 nanograms per milliliter. Among those with muscle injury, vitamin D levels averaged 19.9 nanograms per milliliter, which is considered deficient. “Eighty percent of the football team we studied had vitamin D insufficiency,” commented Dr Shindle. “African American players and players who suffered muscle injuries had significantly lower levels.”

“Screening and treatment of vitamin D insufficiency in professional athletes may be a simple way to help prevent injuries,” added coauthor Scott A. Rodeo, MD, who is Co-Chief of the Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service at the Hospital for Special Surgery.

Joseph Lane, MD of the Hospital for Special Surgery, who also contributed to the study, concluded that “Further research also needs to be conducted in order to determine if increasing vitamin D leads to improved maximum muscle function.”

Carrot Salad

1 pound carrots, shredded (3 cups shredded)
1 cup pineapple, finely chopped
1/2 cup raisins
4 ounces plain lowfat yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Makes 6 Servings
Serving Size: 6 ounces
Nutrients per serving:  Exchanges per serving:* 
Calories:  109      Starch/Bread 0
Total fat:  1 gram (4% of calories)   Lean Meat 0
Saturated fat:  trace     Vegetable 1 1/2
Cholesterol:  1 mg     Fruit 1
Sodium:  40 mg      Non-fat Milk 0
Carbohydrate:  26 grams (88% of calories)  Fat 0
Protein:  2 grams (8 % of calories)   Other Carbohydrate 0
Dietary fiber: 3 grams

Beef Fajita Wrap Recipe

1 tablespoon minced onion
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup water
1 pound lean beef (sirloin or tenderloin)
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 medium red onion, sliced
1 large tomato, seeded and sliced into thin wedges
8 leaves Romaine lettuce
8 large flour tortillas, warmed to soften

In a small bowl, combine first 8 ingredients, mix well and set aside. Pierce steak several times on each side using a fork. Spoon a small amount marinade onto both sides of steak, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Combine remaining ingredients (except tortillas) with reserved marinade and toss to coat. Grill or broil steak until desired doneness. Slice into thin strips. Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat until hot. Add vegetables and marinade and stir-fry until crisp-tender. Add sliced steak and heat through..

Place 1 leaf lettuce on each warmed tortilla. Divide steak and vegetable mixture between each tortilla, placing the ingredients in the upper portion of the center of each tortilla (leaving some room to fold). Fold one side of the tortilla over the filling, followed by the “bottom” of the wrap and tightly roll to seal.

Makes 8 Servings
Serving Size: 1 wrap

Nutrients per serving:  Exchanges per serving:* 
Calories:  338     Starch/Bread 2 1/2
Total fat:  9 grams (24% of calories)  Lean Meat 1 1/2
Saturated fat:  3 grams    Vegetable 1/2
Cholesterol:  30 mg    Fruit 0
Sodium:  378 mg     Non-fat Milk 0
Carbohydrate:  44 grams (53% of calories) Fat 1
Protein:  19 grams (23% of calories)  Other Carbohydrate 0
Dietary fiber: 3 grams

The list of people who could afford personal trainers used to be a short one: pro athletes, gym buffs, rich celebrities, and maybe – if they were really dedicated to it – supermodels. Now, however, as a life of fitness and health continues to enter the mainstream, and as gyms continue to multiply throughout the country, the demand for personal trainers has grown. The scope of fitness has also broadened: these trainers aren’t just here to offer bodybuilding guidance; they are also offering average people plenty of help on things like their diet, conditioning, yoga and Pilates exercises, and so much more.

Looking to develop a lifestyle that promotes fitness, health, and well-being? Take a step in the right direction by hiring your own personal trainer. Here are only some of the benefits of having one.

Motivation and accountability

Let’s not forget that fitness training requires significant physical work – work which you, if you were on your own, might be prone to put off. Having your own personal trainer not only gives you the motivation and encouragement needed to stay committed to your program; he or she will also provide a good measure of structure and accountability in your workouts. Believe us: it’s good to have someone who’ll scold you the minute you start cheating on your reps. And while it has gotten so much more affordable to have your own personal trainer, there is still a good financial motivation in showing up at the gym each week for a session with the trainer you just hired.

Program tailored to your individual needs

 Personal trainers are equipped with the professional knowledge necessary to tailor a fitness program that’s right for you. Do you have a health condition but still want to stay in good shape? Are you looking to improve a set of skills that allows you to excel at your favorite sport? Training for a marathon? A personal trainer will look closely at whatever your needs are and develop a safe, efficient program based on your workout objectives. He or she might even work with your healthcare provider to ensure that you can reach your goals in training – without posing unnecessary health risks.

Doing it right

 Information on how to keep yourself active and fit is best acquired from personal trainers – not from mere “Googling”. That way, you waste no time and effort performing workout routines that don’t do you any good. With the help of a personal trainer, you’ll be able to do things right – right at the very outset. You’ll learn the fundamentally correct ways of using gym equipment. All this will give you the knowledge and confidence you need to keep going. He or she will look at your form, your thresholds, your limits and strengths. A personal trainer, moreover, will also plan for training efficiency, so that every single day, with every single rep, you are able to work closer toward achieving your goals. A trainer is also someone you can count on to give expert advice on basic nutrition, training, and health.

Results-driven training and progress tracking

 Sometimes, you may find yourself working extremely hard only to discover that you are not close to seeing the results you envisioned for yourself. A personal trainer can fix that. He or she will look at your diet, as well as other aspects of your life (in and out of the gym) where you can make changes, so that you can perform more effective workouts or set more realistic goals for yourself. A trainer will also track your progress – thus giving you an objective look at how you’re doing while keeping you away from the temptation of cheating.

Safety

 We’re not just talking about the freakish things that can happen when you’re doing solo work at the weight room. Personal trainers are there, too, to make sure your workout routine is safe, and to determine whether you’re pushing far beyond your abilities or giving up too easily. He or she will know when to push you hard or when to slow you down.

Refreshing new routines

 Bored with the same old workout? Looking for a more interesting routine? You will certainly benefit from having a personal trainer who will introduce new exercises into your workout. Your trainer will also help sharpen your mental focus, as well as come up with new ideas on how to challenge your body and your mind more effectively.

Starvation Syndrome

The effects of starvation on the human body are well documented. When starved of calories, the human body responds in a way known as “Starvation Syndrome”. People with Anorexia Nervosa suffer from starvation as a result of severely restricting their calorie intake. In Bulimia Nervosa, purging and restricting behavior can also result in a depletion of caloric absorption, which can therefore lead to self-starvation.

The Minnesota Experiment

In the 1940s, there was an experiment involving a group of fit young men who had been drafted into the US army. They were conscientious objectors to military service and they had volunteered to be in a humanitarian program.  The Minnesota Experiment required them to reduce their calorie intake by half. After six months of this planned starvation, the men experienced not only the expected physical changes, but mental changes too.

• • Decrease in physical strength.
• • Giddiness and momentary blackouts.
• • Pale, cold, dry, and marked skin.
• • Tiredness.
• • Decrease in mental alertness.
• • Hair that is thin, dry and/or falling out.
• • Preoccupation with food, including persistent thoughts and dreams about food.
• • Change in mealtime behaviors. This can include toying with food, or being ritualistic about the way in which food is eaten.
• • Decrease in self-discipline.
• • Decrease in comprehension.
• • Loss in concentration.
• • Apathy.
• • Depression.
• • A loss of ambition.
• • Moodiness and irritability.

These symptoms are experienced by anyone who is starved of calories. If you recognize these symptoms in your own life, it is important to remember that they all stem from one thing: starvation.

Recovery from Starvation

The men in the Minnesota Experiment recovered from their physical and mental symptoms when they began to eat again.

The physical and mental changes you have experienced will also be reversed when you increase your food intake and supply your body with the energy it needs.

Through regular and healthy eating, your body can regain its strength and fight these symptoms of starvation. You may need to consult a medical practitioner or other health professional for support with this.

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Resource: http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/docs/starvation.pdf

Persist Until You Succeed
 

The most important single quality of success is self-discipline. Self-discipline is having the ability within yourself, based on your strength of character and willpower, to do what you should do when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not. Character is the ability to follow through on a resolution after the enthusiasm with which the resolution was made has passed.

Persistence is Self-Discipline in Action

Perhaps the greatest display of self-discipline is persisting when the going gets tough. Persistence is self-discipline in action. Persistence is the great measure of individual human character. Your persistence is, in fact, the true measure of your belief in yourself and your ability to succeed. Each time that you persist in the face of adversity and disappointment, you build the habit of persistence. You build pride, power, and self-esteem in your character and your personality. You become stronger and more resolute. By persisting, you become more self-disciplined. You develop within yourself the iron quality of success, the one quality that will carry you forward and over any obstacle that life can throw in your path.

Get Going and Keep Going

Orison Swett Marden wrote in his book, “There are two essential requirements for success. The first is ‘go-at-it-iveness’ and the second is ‘stick-to-it-iveness’” Referring to the quality of persistence he wrote, “There is no failure for the man who realizes his power, who never knows when he is beaten; there is no failure for the determined endeavor, the conquerable will. There is no failure for the man who gets up every time he falls, who rebounds like a rubber ball, who persists when everyone else gives up, who pushes on when everyone else turns back.”

By Brian Tracy

Peppermint Mocha Grande

Nutrition Facts Per Serving (16 fl oz)