Can You Have A Flat Stomach

Yes You Can!   This past weekend UC Fitness conducted a seminar at For Sister's Only (FSO) called "Do Food Labels Lie."  The answer was yes and no.  Some lie, some don't and most are miss-leading!  The secondary idea concerned how to have a flat stomach and how can you achieve one.   First the disclaimer:   25% of your body is determined by your genetics and 75% by your environment.  If you've had multiple stomach surgeries, having a flat stomach will be very difficult.  Also some medical conditions will make it more difficult to flatten your belly (ie Hyperthyroidism), but if you haven't been checked, you cannot claim it!   The first item to be covered in this article concerns abdominal exercise.  You can do all the crunches in the world and buy the latest and greatest infomercial equipment and none of them will give you flat abs.  I can't tell you how many people have come to me wondering why their abs are not flat and they ab exercises everyday.  What I always show them is that they've built some great abs, but the great abs are hiding beneath the fat.  Basically losing fat is the answer to how to have great abs.  Drum roll please; the SECRET to burning belly fat is not in a pill nor is it in doing incredible amounts of cardio.  The SECRET is in how, what and how often you EAT!   Here's the second and final item of this article.  How do I eat to have a flat stomach.  I know some of you are saying shouldn't I do allot of cardio to burn fat?  Two things.  One, you'll burn more fat by lifting weight than doing cardio.  Two, cardio builds very little muscle (even the weighted cardio classes)   Muscle requires 25x the amount of calories to survive.  To all the women, you will not bulk up unless you're taking steroids or a ton of certain supplements or you produce a huge amount of testosterone.    Since leaving the USMC in 1998, I do a moderate amount of cardio (about 3 hrs per week).  Next time you're in the gym, notice the women who are doing mostly cardio and then the women lifting weights.  Then tell me which are soft and which are firm.  IT'S THE WOMEN LIFTING WEIGHTS!  The cardio instructors spend more time lifting weights than doing more cardio.   Finally, what should your meals consist of to have a flat stomach?   1. 4 oz of a lean protein (fish, chicken, turkey, beans, dairy and lean cuts of steak).   2. 1 cup of a starchy carb (wheat pasta, wheat breads, brown rice, corn, nuts and red or sweet potatoes).  Do not add brown sugar to to the sweet potatoes!  You can not have more than one of these during a meal.   3. 2-4 cups of a fibrous carb (all other fruits and veggies).   Breakfast Sample:  2 eggs, 2 slices of turkey bacon, 1 slice of whole wheat toast, 1 apple, 1 grapefruit and 8 oz of water   Snack Sample:  4 oz of sliced turkey, 1 cup of almonds, 1 orange, 1 cup of sliced peppers and 16 oz of water   Lunch or Dinner Sample:  4 oz baked fish, 1 cup of brown rice, 1 cup of carrots, 1 cup of broccoli, 1 apple and 8 oz of water   You must eat 5-6 six meals per day to have a flat stomach. This seems like allot of food, but your metabolism will increase and you'll lose FAT!  My clients and members who have had the most success in the shortest amount of time eat this way!

 

Larenzo Reid
UC Fitness

What is That!

-Larenzo Reid

 

A few weeks ago a conversation was being held at UC Fitness concerning when do you say this is where I want my health, energy and body to be?  It's a question that every trainer has to figure out with each client.

 

The true question is, at what point do you say I'm happy where I am?  This is actually a very difficult question.  Often people will have an idea of what they want to feel like and look like, but what they don't consider is what it takes to get there and what it takes to stay there!

 

So the real question is are you willing to do what it takes...What are you willing to give to have and maintain fitness happiness?  In my book "How to Escape Mental Welfare" there's a sub-chapter on defining success.  Essentially, the definition of success is relative to the person with the intent upon a goal.  One woman may find success at a size 12, while another may deem success to be a size 6.  Each can have success, but their ideal level of success is quite different.

 

Personally I can acquire the washboard abs, but am I will to give up eating out weekly to have it or if I eat out do I refrain from the baby back ribs, Colorado chicken or Italian platter.  Just as one of my previous article "How to Have a Flat Stomach" explained, to have a those kind of abs require a very healthy diet.  I love the Italian platter!  So, I guess I'm not willing to have the washboard abs, but I will settle for a mostly flat stomach with a 4 pack.

 

That's the kind of decision you will have to make when concerning what are you willing to give, to have what you want.  Truthfully, I've begun my commitment to have the washboard abs by summer.  This means you won't see me eating out much and I will be exercising like a mad man!  Having an 8 pack has become my goal, so I now have determined what I'm willing to do to have them.  This may also mean working out 2x per day and being strict on my food and liquid consumption.

 

Ask yourself what will you give up and take on to have the health you desire?  How hard will you work to fit into the next size down or 2/3/4 sizes down?  What kind of help will you get to ensure your success to lose weight by this summer?

 

This is a question that only you can answer and you can only do it for yourself.  So what is Fitness Happiness for you?

 And how to repair the damage caused by bad diets with Omega-3  

Advice to get you eating right, looking good, and feeling great in the year ahead with health educator Stuart Tomc

 
60 percent of American adults either overweight or obese, and with heart disease, diabetes, and cancer on the rise, it's clear the majority of us needs to adopt an eating plan that not only helps us shed pounds, but, more importantly, enables us to live long, active, and healthy lives.

But with hundreds of "diet plans" on the market, how does one differentiate between diets that are sensible, and diets that are just-plain-dangerous?


The 7 Signs of a Dangerous Diet

1. Does the diet focus on rapid weight loss, but not health? 

Skipping meals and eating only fruit or protein shakes can drop pounds, but the right diet needs to promote total wellness by ensuring the body has sufficient nutrients to build and repair cells, organs, and glands, which is the key to a sustained, natural weight loss.

2. Does the diet emphasize one particular food?

If your diet demands you eat grapefruits or coconuts all day long, you're not getting a correct balance of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates and other building blocks for good health.

3. Does the diet omit an "essential nutrient"?

A nutrient that cannot be synthesized by the body but which must be derived from a dietary source is called an "essential nutrient". Amino acids, essential fatty acids, and most vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients. Diets that neglect sufficient intake of these essential nutrients lead to poor health, degenerative diseases, and ultimately, death.

4. Does the diet neglect exercise?

Exercise will keep metabolic activity at a proper level and ensure calories are used and not stored as fat. Physical activity is a must for overall health.

5. Does the diet leave you constantly hungry?

A good diet will stabilize your blood sugar and prevent hunger attacks.

6. Does the diet make you feel tired or miserable?

A diet should not give you headaches, make you feel fatigued, or constantly constipated.

7. Does the diet fail to mention supportive clinical trials, and/or case histories?

Any nutritional program should be based on research data obtained through clinical studies and recent case histories.

So what's the best way to get from here to there? How do you get to fit from fat, to active from lazy, to healthy from hopeless? I suggest you begin with the idea that you would like to become fit, not just lose weight.
There is a very big difference - fitness, unlike when people go on a diet to lose weight, is a lifelong goal. So, you are not going to be looking for immediate and dramatic results, but rather long-term, life-changing benefits. If this is not thrilling to you, that's ok. It doesn't sound exciting to me either. You will have to trust me on this one, though - the small steps toward total (mind and body) fitness will bring grand benefits in the end.
You will see that if you practice the steps I am about to lay out for you, immediately you will feel better. Soon after, your body will change, and then you will be hooked.

Step 1: Embrace small, subtle changes
Be more compassionate and gentle with yourself. If you are not insistent on immediate results, you can allow yourself to accept, and even embrace, small, subtle changes - rather than only being satisfied with dramatic, instantaneous shifts. Take it slow and easy, implement realistic and doable changes.
Take one or two things out of your diet each week, and add as little as 10 minutes of walking per day, three times a week, to your exercise routine.
Step 2: Make minor changes to your diet  
Here's how to set yourself up for success with dietary changes:
Step 3: Do not allow yourself to fail  
No berating, no condemning and no starting over. This is a program that will have its good days and bad. Accept that there will be times when you won't live up to your own expectations, but remember, this is a long-term, life-changing, life-benefiting program, not a quick sprint. And in life, life happens, and sometimes it gets in the way of what you had planned. Have a sense of humor and rearrange your schedule when necessary, instead of giving up, accepting failure, pigging out and eliminating exercise for a week, and then promising to begin again on Monday.
Step 4: Visualize your success
Use your mind as much as you use your body by mentally projecting into your life exactly what it is you want. This is a very important piece of the puzzle, one that most people forget to use entirely. Picture yourself in your new body, and living in your new life. See yourself enjoying healthy meals, stopping when you have had enough to eat, and exercising regularly (with a smile on your face).
See it, feel it, get it. You don't have to be a student of meditation or committed to a method of mind conditioning to make this work. Just remember to see yourself in a positive light. In your thoughts, imagine the shifts that you are working toward and soon, you will be the consummate positive thinker that projects good things into your life and others.
Step 5: Don't wait to get started 
You need not wait until your doctor tells you that you should lose weight or begin a walking program. You certainly do not want to wait for a medical scare to get your body moving, or change your diet. Do the right thing now. Take responsibility for your health, your fitness, your happiness and your life by taking that important self-assessment now.
Simply ask yourself, and answer honestly, do I eat well? Do I overeat? Am I overweight, and unhappy with the way I look and feel? Have I been promising to change my diet, stop smoking, or start an exercise program for months/years? Well, now is your time, right now - do not put it off any longer.
Make minor adjustments to experience life changes, little by little, week by week. You really do have everything you need to live a happy, healthy and fulfilling existence. Make some shifts, take note of your efforts, and reap the rewards.

The Challenge

Exploring longevity is truly the ultimate scientific quest, and researchers are spending billions of dollars to unlock the secrets
to living longer. In laboratories around the world, researchers are attempting to
slow down the aging clock. The biological changes related to aging may start
as early as birth or later in life, after we finish growing, leading to an
accumulating loss of bodily functions through changes at the cellular level.

Emerging research reveals we may be able to influence these biological aging processes in positive ways. This has to do with how efficiently cells repair and replicate themselves, which affects your health, well-being, and the aging
process in various ways. However, we don't live in a perfect world and our
bodies face the daily threats of the four key mechanisms of cellular aging:

Every cell in the body is bombarded daily by up to a million »»DNA-damaging assaults that can harm the cell's genetic database, creating a "typo" that may compromise cell function and longevity.

Genetic regulators contribute to age-related cellular »»deterioration by
controlling the dynamic balance between damage and repair, including whether a cell will live or die.

Mitochondria in our cells create energy we can't live without. »»As mitochondrial efficiency decreases, cell function declines.

Excess accumulation of Advanced Glycation End Products »»(AGE) can
cause cellular damage that can compromise cell integrity and longevity.

In laboratory studies, Vivix™ ingredients have been shown to impact the four
key mechanisms of cellular aging.*

3,000 glasses of red wine
A 30-day supply of Vivix delivers the equivalent amount of resveratrol found
in 3,000 glasses of red wine. One daily serving delivers the equivalent amount
of resveratrol provided in 100 glasses of red wine.
10X more powerful
In laboratory studies, Vivix ingredients have been shown to be 10 times more powerful than resveratrol alone at slowing the formation of AGE proteins.*

Exclusive to Shaklee
The most complex product in Shaklee history,
Vivix took years to develop-first to create and isolate a unique profile of
polyphenols shown in laboratory studies to fight cellular aging, then to develop
a patent-pending extraction process to harness the polyphenol profile of one of
the key ingredients, and finally to secure the entire output from the largest and
best growers in the world. These comprehensive product development steps
make these cellular anti-aging benefits available exclusively to you.*

All Natural, Patent Pending
Multiple patents have been filed to protect this innovation. No artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners, or preservatives have been added

Find it at UC Fitness Vivix

5E Moment:  The Pain of Change
UC Fitness 10 Roswell St Alpharetta, Georgia 30004 404-281-5451
	The Pain of Change Increase Your Value Value Heated gold becomes ornament.  Beaten copper becomes wires.  Depleted stone becomes statue.   So the more pain you get in life you become more valuable.   -Cynthia Jean Although true, what is missing from this statement is the change that must occur for you to increase your value.  The difference between elemental things and human beings is our free will to remain in our pain. Some people would like nothing more than to find "Misery Partners", who will sit with them, complain with them and justify their pain daily, weekly, monthly and yearly! Our bodies natural response to pain is to make a change to our environment that alleviates the pain.  Often times our mind will become more fearful of the change that we hope for, than the pain we are currently in.  At that stage all things remain the same and this is what we call a rut!  Pain is not our natural state of being and in order to increase your value you must use every pain to make an adjustment to better you state of mind.  It is in our thought that we gain or lose our ability to be all that we where created to be.  Once your thoughts change your habits will change, which will give you a change in your results!  The answer...to change requires massive action over an extended period of time to become part of your being!  You must create an action plan and do it out loud, then you will see the greatness of who you really are.  That action begin with how you relate to yourself and all things around you.  If those relationships are toxic you will need to remove yourself from them completely or learn how to not let them affect your being.  Then seek relationships with people or environments that move you closer to you being a prosperous you! Larenzo Reid

B.L.A.S.T. Boot Camp
Where & When 10 Roswell St Alpharetta, Georgia 30066 Month , Year 8:00AM-5:00PM

What is supportive eating...It's eating in a format that supports the burning of calories/fat, the development of lean muscle and the feeling of satisfaction (not hunger or being stuffed). <br> <br>Most people will eat less than 3 meals a day in an effort to reduce their body fat, but this will only cause their bodies to go into starvation.&nbsp;&nbsp;Even if they are consuming 1 or 2 huge meals their metabolism will be slower and cause them to store fat...Is that what you want? <br> <br>Everyone needs to have at least 5 meals a day (6 would be perfect).&nbsp;&nbsp;That's breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner (evening snack for perfection).&nbsp;&nbsp;These are small meals which consist of a lean protein, starchy carb and a fibrous carb.&nbsp;&nbsp;A young lady that I don't work with told me that she started eating 5 to 6 small meals a day and lost 2lbs the first week.&nbsp;&nbsp; <br> <br>Supportive eating is the foundation of the triangle.&nbsp;&nbsp;The sides consist of Developing Lean Muscle and Modera

One of the most difficult aspects of eating healthy and supportively is "snackage"! <br> <br>One issue is planning.&nbsp;&nbsp;To put it simply PLAN FOR SNACKAGE!&nbsp;&nbsp;Look you have to do it.&nbsp;&nbsp;I know you're busy and you have to keep it in a carry bag or a fridge at work, but having that meal between breakfast and lunch and lunch and dinner is vital to boosting your metabolism.&nbsp;&nbsp;You wanna boots your metabolism right, RIGHT!&nbsp;&nbsp;Good. <br> <br>But the biggest issue is what do I eat for snackage.&nbsp;&nbsp;Here's a short list and concepts to guide you. <br> <br>Remember a supportive meal consist of a lean protein, fibrous carb and a starchy carb.&nbsp;&nbsp;You snackage doesn't have to have each element, but it would be better if they did.&nbsp;&nbsp;Therefore a combination of the following will work magic! <br> <br>Protein:&nbsp;&nbsp;slices of turkey, chicken and roast beef, nuts (almonds are best), peanut butter (natural is best), beans, dairy (yogurts and yogurt fruit smoothies, cheeses