Guest Writers

The Summer Reveal

webmaster@vertexfitness.com (Vertex Fitness) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 16:00:00 GMT

I drove past an advertisement for a gym the other day that I thought was exactly spot-on. It simply read, �It's so amazing how all your clothes from last summer seemed to shrink." That's one clever copywriter and probably someone who has also had an experience with the battle with the bulge.

I'll admit when I was picking out clothes to wear Memorial Day weekend in Avalon I asked myself (unfortunately more than once), �I thought I wore this last summer and I remember it actually looking good? What happened?"

Then reality set in. The reality of a winter filled with excuses of why I couldn't get to my training sessions. The nights I went straight home to my couch after a tiring day instead of getting an extra workout in or doing some much needed cardio. You can't hide behind summer clothes�they reveal every excuse and every time you chose to put something in your mouth that you know you should have passed on.

The past is the past and now it's time to stop the complaining and start doing what's needed to get back into those white skinny jeans or those shorts that you swore buttoned last year. And when (that's right I said when, not if) you stay on track imagine how many fabulous clothing options you'll have to wear Labor Day weekend.

Tara Behan

Senior Editor

Main Line Today Magazine

There's No Quick Fix

webmaster@vertexfitness.com (Vertex Fitness) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Once Again. . .There's No Quick Fix

I work in an office with a female to male ratio of 10:2. So naturally the office chatter among the women�when we're not talking about each other�always seems to come around to the subject of weight loss and food. Here's a recap of one such conversation with a fellow co-worker and myself:

Co-worker (with a super-excited look that I've never seen her have at work): Oh my God, my hairdresser lost a ton of weight. She looks fabulous! She said she got a weight loss pill from her doctor.

Me: Yep, my friend got the same prescription right before her wedding. She wanted to fit into her form-fitting gown. She lost about 25 pounds and looked amazing, but. . .

Co-worker (cutting me off mid-sentence): We have to get it. We have to get on that pill. I have a vacation coming up in two months and I need to get into a bathing suit.

(***At this point I'm afraid she's going to start hyperventilating she's so excited.)

Me: In addition to taking the pill, my friend also barely ate and worked out twice a day. She said the pill made her really moody and once she stopped taking it, she gained all the weight back. Your hairdresser seemed to leave out those facts.

Co-worker (with a devastated look on her face): Oh, I was afraid there was a catch to it.

Me: We know better than to think there's a magic weight-loss trick. All we have to do is watch what we eat and exercise.

Co-worker (still with that �You just kicked my puppy" expression on her face): I know, I know: eat healthy and exercise regularly. Why don't we just do it then???

And that, my friends, is the million-dollar question!

Happy New Year!

webmaster@vertexfitness.com (Vertex Fitness) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:00:00 GMT

No, I'm not crazy. I do realize that we're already six weeks into 2010. And I had great expectations for this year, but life got in the way. I was sidetracked from my fitness resolutions by things like unexpected family deaths, upheavals at work, never-ending deadlines, and snowstorms (and more snowstorms, and well you get the point).

I realized that there's always going to be something that could keep me from getting to Vertex, working out and eating healthy. I have to do something that I've never done before: make being healthy and active a priority.

So when Fat Tuesday rolled around a few days ago my first thought was, �Well isn't this appropriate I'm feeling quite large today" followed by my second thought, �I'm giving up making excuses for not working out for Lent." (Believe me, giving this up will surely be a sacrifice for me.)

Today is my January 1. All the things I wrote about in my previous blog I will master. That's all for now, I have an appointment at Vertex I have to get to.

New Year, New Me?

webmaster@vertexfitness.com (Vertex Fitness) — Thu, 7 Jan 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Questionable. That's how I've been feeling about making resolutions for 2010. I could easily relate to what one of my friends wrote on his Facebook status New Year's Eve, �I don't make New Year's resolutions because I prefer not to set myself up for failure."

It's now January 7 and after the past week of being bombarded with non-stop commercials, emails, segments on the Today Show and web advertisements taunting me about making, and more importantly, keeping fitness resolutions. . . I'm finally ready to start my new year.

I'm not going to fail because I'm not setting unattainable goals. Instead of taking an all or nothing attitude, I'm taking small steps toward a healthier lifestyle that I will build upon. The first three that I'm instituting include:

1. Drink more water. I'm getting off the sugary stuff (bye-bye to two of my favorites Coke and Snapple Lemon Ice Tea) and replacing it with the recommended daily intake of eight, 8-ounce glasses of water. I actually love an ice-cold glass of water. Room temperature water, not so much.

2. Start eating breakfast. This is something I never do. I can barely get to work on time as it is let alone taking the time out to eat in the morning. This will be an adjustment, but I know I can do it. I'll pack my breakfast and my lunch if I have to.

3. Exercise three times a week (at least). I'd like to build this up so that by June I'm doing some kind of physical activity five days a week. I'll be here at Vertex twice a week strength training and the third day I'll do another type of exercise like yoga or cardio.

I think these �resolutions" are more than attainable. What's that saying��Slow and steady wins the race"? Well, I'm slowly and steadily going to make this my fittest year yet!

What fitness resolutions have you made this year? Comment below and we can motivate each other!

Cheers to a New (and fitter) Year!

The Perfect Day of Eating: Part 2

webmaster@vertexfitness.com (Vertex Fitness) — Fri, 5 Jun 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Here's the continuation of my previous blog. Following is a breakdown of a recommended daily diet from the opinions of nutritionists from a Prevention magazine article. I'm going to try following it for at least a week. I'll report back and let you know how I made out.

6:30 to 7 AM: Wake Up with Water

�Before you put coffee, tea, or food into your body, it's best to first break your fast with a glass of water with lemon," says Ashley Koff, RD, a nutritionist in Los Angeles and founder of ashleykoffapproved.com. When you sleep, Koff says, your body isn't just abstaining from food but from water too. �Because many vitamins are water-soluble, having a glass before you eat will help your body better absorb nutrients from food." The acidity of the lemon helps rebalance your digestive tract by making it alkaline, allowing �good" bacteria in your intestines to thrive and facilitate optimal nutrient absorption.

7 AM: Short Walk

This is your ideal fat-burning window, says Koff. A light bout of cardio soon after you wake up and before you eat-a 20-minute walk with the dog, jumping jacks, or running up and down stairs in your home, etc.-taps into your body's energy reserves.[more] �I don't mean a 2-hour hike or an intense 45-minute spin class on an empty stomach," she says. The idea is to fit in some easy activity and try to eat within an hour or so of waking up.

7:30 AM: Breakfast

All of our experts loved oatmeal for breakfast. Have one-half cup of uncooked oats or a packet of instant. �Your body digests the fiber slowly, so you stay full for a couple of hours," says Brooke Alpert, MS, RD, founder of B Nutritious, a private nutrition counseling practice in New York City. For protein, add a glass of fat-free milk, yogurt, or a hard-boiled egg. Or stir some nuts (almonds or walnuts) into your oats. For fruit, Alpert recommends one-half cup of mixed berries for vitamins and antioxidants and more fiber. You can also pour a small glass of OJ, which has nutrients like vitamin C, folate, and potassium.

Bonus Tip: Whatever you do, don't just sip coffee all morning and wait to eat until lunch, says Alpert. �You'll be so hungry, you won't make healthy choices."

Calorie Count: 300 to 400 calories.

9 AM: Water

You know you're supposed to have multiple glasses a day. But it's better to sip a little water all day long instead of chugging a giant glass when you suddenly feel parched. �If your tongue feels dry to the touch or your pee is bright yellow, you're dehydrated," says Alpert.

10 AM: Stretch and Walk

Get up, stretch, and stroll every hour to hour-and-a-half, says Heidi Skolnik, MS, a nutritionist at the Women's Sports Medicine Center at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. Walk to a coworker's cube instead of shooting off an e-mail or take the internal stairs when you head to another floor in your office.

10:30 to 11 AM: Small Snack

Eat every 3 to 4 hours to keep energy up and avoid big mealtime binges. For fiber and protein, try an apple with a string cheese or a handful of nuts (especially if you didn't have them at breakfast). �Everyone should have an apple in her desk drawer," says Alpert. �They're the perfect take-along snack-they don't bruise in your purse and they're easy to eat anywhere." Or try yogurt (Koff likes the nonfat Greek kind) with some berries.

Bonus Tip: Sit whenever you eat, says Koff. Take small bites and try to drag out your snack for as long as possible (ideally 10 to 15 minutes). Research shows the more chewing you do, the more nutrients your body absorbs.

Calorie Count: 150 to 300 calories

11:30 AM to Noon: Water, Vitamin, and a Walk

Finish your glass, refill it, and swallow your multivitamin. �I recommend clients take their multi shortly before lunch because the B vitamins and certain minerals help your body utilize carbs so you have more post-meal energy," says Koff. Then get up and stretch at your desk. These moves also help keep energy up, so you're not tempted to snack out of boredom or fatigue. Plus, some movement before lunch jump-starts your digestive system, Koff says.

1 to 1:30 PM: Lunch

Build yourself a rainbow salad, says Alpert. Start with dark, leafy greens and pile them high with a mix of colorful veggies, protein, and good-for-you fats. Try tomatoes, carrots, peppers, and mushrooms for a healthy mix of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Add 1/4 cup of avocado for healthy, monounsaturated fat, and _ cup of protein, like tuna fish, grilled chicken, turkey, beans, or lentils. �Get adventurous with different veggies every day," Alpert says. �The more color and variety, the better." All of the nutritionists gave the okay on dressing, but don't drown your salad in it, and choose a light version or an olive oil-based one. �You want some fat in your salad because it helps your body digest fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K," says Skolnick. Wash your meal down with water.

Bonus Tip: If you want, have a slice of whole grain bread on the side. �People love bread," says Alpert. �If you'll feel deprived without it, I'd rather you have the 100 or so calories here than risk going overboard later."

Calorie count: 400 to 500 calories.

2 PM: Water and a Walk

Doing this now will help you make a sensible choice when those 4 o'clock cravings strike. �Get outside if you can, especially if you didn't go out for lunch," says Koff. �The fresh air and sunshine will boost your spirits and stop you from overeating because of a bad mood."

3:30 to 4 PM: Afternoon Snack

Welcome to the witching hour: Almost everyone needs to snack between lunch and dinner, says Alpert. For a fiber-protein mix, try a 6-ounce yogurt (the natural milk sugars help with sweet cravings) and a handful of high-fiber cereal. Have a banana with a tablespoon of peanut or almond butter. �Or pick something fun," says Koff, like an ounce of dark chocolate (70% cacao). It's packed with polyphenols, a type of antioxidant shown to help lower blood pressure, keep your brain sharp, and more.

Bonus Tip: Let your appetite be your guide here-you may not need the same type of snack every day. If you had a big lunch, you may only need a small nibble. If you plan to hit the gym after work, you may want to eat more or save some of your snack until closer to your workout (an hour or so beforehand).

Calorie count: 150 to 250 calories.

6 to 7 PM: Walk or Work Out

If you didn't walk in the morning, now is a good time to squeeze in some exercise. �When you're home waiting before dinner is when the munchies happen," says Alpert. She recommends some kind of regular predinner activity to all her clients, whether it's just circling your block a couple of times or going to the gym. �When you have something scheduled, you're less likely to float in and out of the kitchen." It's also a smart to try to include walking in your commute. If you drive to work, pick a far-away parking spot, says Alpert. If you take a train or bus, hop off a stop earlier than your usual and hoof it the rest of the way.

7:30 PM: Dinner

Start this meal off with soup, recommend our experts. Studies show that people who do end up eating less overall. Have a cup of a low-fat broth-based kind, like minestrone, miso, or gazpacho. For the main meal, �I'd like to see a nice portion, 3 or 4 ounces, of grilled wild salmon because it has lean protein and provides healthy omega-3 fats," says Alpert. Add cooked vegetables like sautéed broccoli or spinach and 1/2 cup of brown rice.

For a nonfish option, try turkey meatballs (roll in some whole oats for extra fiber and spices for antioxidants) over a bed of spaghetti squash, which has the texture of pasta but counts as a veggie serving. Use 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, and sprinkle a handful of pine nuts on top for extracrunchy texture. Have water with dinner, ideally, but a small (4 ounce) glass of wine is fine from time to time, our nutritionists concurred.

Bonus Tip: Stick to proper portions, especially when it comes to your proteins and carbs. For a realistic perspective, try our portion control quiz.

Calorie count: 400 to 500 calories.

9:30 PM: Dessert

Wait an hour or so after dinner for a before-bed snack. You don't have to strictly follow the fiber-protein rule, but it should be more than just empty calories. A few options: A tablespoon of chocolate drizzled over 1/2 cup of berries, apple slices with honey, or coconut water or orange juice ice pops.

Calorie count: 100 to 150 calories.

10:30 to 11 PM: Head to Bed

Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night; less than that, and you up your risk for a host of health problems, including weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, and more, not to mention the odds that you'll feel more tired, frazzled, and likely to overeat the next day. Drink another glass of water shortly before bed, and give yourself plenty of time to wind down with a calming routine, such as a bath or reading in bed.

Parting Thought: The higher your energy level, the more efficient your body. The more efficient your body, the better you feel and the more you will use your talent to produce outstanding results. - Anthony Robbins

The Perfect Day of Eating�Part 1

webmaster@vertexfitness.com (Vertex Fitness) — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:00:00 GMT

One of these days I'm going to go to a nutritionist and have them outline an eating plan for me. A very specific eating plan where they tell me what I should cut out and what I should be adding into my diet. Since I haven't gotten around to making this happen, I was happy to see this article in Prevention magazine: The Perfect Day of Eating. The writer interviewed three nutritionists who counsel real women on the simple secrets of smarter meal planning.

Here's what they found out: 1) Have a meal or small snack every 3 to 4 hours. This fuels your metabolism and helps prevent binges and blood sugar crashes. 2) Combine protein (meat, fish, beans, nuts, eggs, dairy) and fiber (whole grains, fruits, vegetables) at every meal. When eaten together, these foods take longer to digest than simpler carbohydrates, so you stay fuller, longer. 3) Get up, move around, and drink water often. This daily meal plan has a wide range of calories (from about 1,550 to 2,100); if you're active you can go toward the higher end of the range.

Finally, remember that even the �perfect day" isn't perfect if you eat the same thing over and over again. Use creativity to mix and match your own delicious, healthy meals.

***My next blog will continue with an hourly breakdown of what you should eat throughout the day from the Prevention article.

Parting thought: �Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." � Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ditchin' the Cola

webmaster@vertexfitness.com (Vertex Fitness) — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:00:00 GMT

I once thought I had an addiction. It was an addiction that I couldn't even fathom kicking: drinking soda. Drinking a 20-ounce Coke (I'm definitely not a Pepsi gal, it has to be Coke) at least twice a day was part of my routine for the past couple of years. Sometimes I would substitute a regular lunch for a 20-ouncer and a soft pretzel. . . .ahhh, carbs and caffeine can't get healthier than that, right? Wrong.

I knew with each bottle of Coke I consumed that I was pumping more than 300 calories into my body. Empty calories that weren't doing anything remotely near healthy for my diet. One soda contains 10 teaspoons of sugar (that's 100% of our recommended daily intake) and plenty of high fructose corn syrup. What I loved about Coke though was that it made almost everything I ate taste better whether it was popcorn at the movies or a sandwich at lunch. I also loved how full it made me feel. I stupidly convinced myself that drinking a Coke was curbing my appetite.

When I would tell people how much soda I drank they would cringe. I got lectured on how it ruins your teeth, leads to the breaking down of your bones and especially how it packs on the pounds. One friend went so far as to emailing a list of websites devoted to how bad soda is for your health. One fact in particular from these websites made me pause: soda can clean your toilet, eliminate rust from a car bumper and remove grease from clothing. Yuck!

The bottom line was if I wanted to lose weight, I'd have to cut my ties with Coke. It wasn't easy at first. I got headaches that I'm assuming was from not having the caffeine. I felt lost without saying �I'll have a Coke with that" when I went out to lunch. Day by day it got easier and after almost three months of breaking my daily routine of guzzling Coke, I'm happy to admit I don't miss it. The cravings are long gone. I'm certain a percentage of the weight I've lost so far is due to changing my beverage choices. Now my beverage of choice is water �something I never believed I would crave, but I do now.

So if you're reading this and you're thinking I'd never be able to give up soda, think again. Try it and you just may surprise yourself.

Parting thought: Be not afraid of going slowly; be afraid only of standing still. � Chinese Proverb

New York State of Mind

webmaster@vertexfitness.com (Vertex Fitness) — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:00:00 GMT

When you eat out in the Big Apple the menu clearly states how many calories are in each dish. So if you're at Burger King and you're craving a Triple Whopper with Cheese you'll know that you're consuming 1250 calories. Or if you are a fan of the fried macaroni and cheese at The Cheesecake Factory, you'll know that if you clear the plate you'll have eaten 1570 calories (and even though it doesn't say it on the menu this dish has a colossal 69 grams of saturated fat which is more than you should eat in 3 1/2 days).

Public-health advocates and the Senate are trying to pass nationwide laws that all chain restaurants put the calorie counts on the menu. Currently only New York City, West Chester County, NY and King County, WA, have mandatory calorie counts on menus. A recent study confirmed that 82% of New Yorkers said the new in-your-face nutrition data have affected their ordering.

When can mandatory calorie counts on menus be implemented on the Main Line? I know that I would definitely think twice about ordering some of the (ahem) not-so-healthy stuff I order if I knew how many calories came along with it. Would chomping down the Quesadilla Burger at Applebee's at 1440 calories really be worth being on the treadmill for hours working it off? I don't think so. Sometimes I have to be shamed into making the right decision and staring back at calorie counts definitely would make me think twice before placing my order.

Parting Thought: �We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."� Aristotle

Wise man, wise words

webmaster@vertexfitness.com (Vertex Fitness) — Fri, 8 May 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Although I've been doing well so far I know from past experience of trying to lose weight and exercise that it usually goes well for a few weeks then things start slipping.

It starts with a missed workout here, then a chocolate donut there and then it's one big slippery slope of being off the track of healthy living.

So I started to research advice on how to stay motivated and I came across this quote from Czech Olympian Emil Zatopek which I think sums it up quite succinctly:

"If one can stick to the training throughout the many long years, then willpower is no longer a problem. It's raining? That doesn't matter. I am tired? That's besides the point. It's simply that I just have to."

I'd add just one thing to this great Zatopek thought for myself: Just stop whining and get moving.

****Eight weeks into my training and eating modification (I think this term sounds better than diet) I've lost 11 pounds. I think they say the average is two pounds a week, which means I should be at 16 pounds, but I'm down more than10 and I'm going to be happy with that. Plus, muscle weighs more than fat and I know I've had to gain muscle after almost two months at training at Vertex. I can't wait to see what the next few months bring.

Working the Whole Body

webmaster@vertexfitness.com (Vertex Fitness) — Fri, 1 May 2009 16:00:00 GMT

I love working out at Vertex Fitness. Dwayne, Chris and Corinne and the whole staff are phenomenal personal trainers. They're encouraging, patient, knowledgeable, and somehow know what my body is capable of (even when I'm not even sure myself). There's been days I've walked through the door at Vertex and have totally not been in the mood or felt like I've had the strength to get through five minutes let alone 30 minutes of a workout, but one of these guys have gotten me through it and I've left every time feeling re-energized.

I do have one complaint: I wish spot training problem areas really worked.

At Vertex they train the whole body: you work both your upper and lower body during the same session. The entire body responds to the weight training and since every body is unique, every body reflects the effects of the weight training differently. Exercising the entire body is the proper, and only, way to achieve an overall stronger and fitter body.

So I'm glad I'm not wasting my time doing 100 crunches for those flatter abs I'm dying for or spending precious time performing countless lounges for the perfect butt. I'm lucky to be working with professionals that understand the body and know how to properly train it. I can, however, continue to hope that my �problem" areas start responding faster to all my hard work. There's nothing wrong with wishful hoping, right?

Parting Thought: A man who wants something will find a way; a man who doesn't will find an excuse. �Stephan Dolley Jr.

Don't Ignore Meals

webmaster@vertexfitness.com (Vertex Fitness) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:00:00 GMT

My Most Ignored Meal of the Day

A �Speed Up Your Metabolism" article in Women's Health magazine caught my eye the other day as I was flipping through the current issue. My metabolism could definitely benefit from a little boost so I kept reading.

Of course, the first tip I didn't do: eat a good breakfast. I've read a 100 times how breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But I'm not a morning person. At all. I can barely get myself out of bed, showered and to work on time every day. Adding time in to make a healthy breakfast would require getting up even earlier, which I'm not so sure I could do.

Until I read this fact: according to a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology, volunteers who reported regularly skipping breakfast had 4.5 times the risk of obesity as those who took the time to eat. That statistic made it suddenly more appealing to lose some precious sleep time to prepare breakfast.

So I'm going to try to not be so much of a night owl and get to bed earlier so I can get up earlier and get some breakfast time in. (There was also an article in the magazine that stressed the importance of getting eight hours of sleep a night�another thing that I never do.)

Beware, co-workers, I may be extra cranky from sleep deprivation the next few weeks. At least, now, I'll have an excuse for my crankiness!

Parting Thought:

"You've got to say, I think that if I keep working at this and want it badly enough I can have it. It's called perseverance." - Lee Iacocca

Say Something Nice

webmaster@vertexfitness.com (Vertex Fitness) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:00:00 GMT

If you don't have something nice to say . . .

I'm a few weeks into working out at Vertex and eating healthier and I'm feeling good. I've lost a few pounds; averaging about a pound or two a week (although I know not to be too worried about what the scale says because I'm gaining muscle through the strength training).

I've been through the weight loss process before so I know it's not instantaneous. It took time to put the weight on and it's definitely going to take time to get the weight off. Rational thinking like this, however, doesn't always work for me. I want it to show right now that I've been really working hard. I want to fit back into the jeans I used to love to wear before my weight shot up�tonight! I want people to start noticing today that my body is changing.

I'm learning that along with will power and determination you also have to have patience when it comes to weight loss. As much as I want it to, the weight is not just going to fall off of me. I just have to keep working hard and eating right and patiently wait to see the results that I'm dying to see.

In the meantime, I'll find solace in the little things like when a friend sent me a text message saying that she saw pictures of me on Facebook and thought my face looked like it had thinned out. So even though I'm not trying to lose weight in my face, I'll take that compliment for now and be happy with it. Which brings me to another point�if you know a person who is working out and trying to lose weight pay them a compliment. Even if it's just a �keep up the good work" a few kind words of encouragement can go a long way when you're on the long road of weight loss.

Parting Thought:

If you don't have confidence, you'll always find a way not to win. � Carl Lewis