Last week I seem to have dejected a lot of you with my Chipotle article. That wasn't the intention. I was actually just trying to make you aware of how to eat healthy at the restaurant. I was also given a website by a few of you about where you can figure out exactly how many calories you are eating for your Chipotle meals. I'll have to share that with you sometime.
One of the points of the article was to show you how much sodium is in some of the foods at Chipotle. I told you that researchers vary in how much sodium they think you should have, but it ranges from 1500 - 2400 milligrams or 1.5 to 2.4 grams.
So how much sodium is a gram? A teaspoon of salt is approximately 1.5 grams. Just a teaspoon.
Now think about how much salt you add to foods. Then think about possibly how much salt is in a lot of the foods Americans consume on a daily basis. The average male consumes 10 grams of salt daily, while the average female consumes 7 grams of salt. So that is roughly 5-7 teaspoons of salt a day. About 8 pounds of salt a year.
This past week, researchers came out suggesting that a modest reduction in your sodium intake could lead to fewer heart attacks and strokes each year. The benefit of this would be that your blood pressure would decrease, thus reducing the chances of you getting a heart attack or stroke.
You have probably heard this before, but it doesn't mean you can't hear it again. 80 percent of the salt Americans consume comes from processed or prepared foods. The salt is used to increase the shelf life of these foods. So trying to avoid a lot of these foods and preparing your own would be the BIG first step.
So keep this in mind next time you want to add more salt to your next meal. This isn't glamorous information, but it is very important.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Alright I'll Admit I Like Chipotle
I'm not much of a Mexican food fan or a fast food fan. So, this craze of Chipotle didn't quite catch on with me. My employees loved the place and constantly would bring back food from Chipotle to the facility.
When we first opened our Dublin location 2 years ago, it was geared towards athletic speed training. We had an open house and as an incentive to get high school athletes to attend, I purchased a bunch of Chipotle gift certificates. We had a bunch left over that just sat on my desk for a long time. I'm talking months. The stack did lower because my staff was "borrowing" the gift cards, but not returning them. HMMM!
Anyway, I kept three for myself and bought my first Chipotle back in November, 2009. It was a chicken fajita burrito with some of their chips and salsa.
I was hooked. The stuff is good. Especially those chips.
I know a lot of my clients love chipotle, so I had to go look up the nutritional value of some of their menu items.
BEWARE:: If you do not want to see this information for it might ruin your dining experience, then skip to the Side Notes. But it isn't all bad. If you want to read all about the foods at Chipotle, you can click this link.
I'm going to talk about all the foods that have too much fat in them. That number is actually fewer than the healthier choices. My definition of too much fat is if there are 30% or more calories of that food coming from fat. So, if a food has 100 calories, no more than 30 calories should come from fat. I will also list in parentheses ( ) the grams of saturated fats and the sodium in milligrams. Experts say that no more than 7% of your total calories should come from saturated fat. So, if you eat 2000 calories a day, 140 should be from saturated fat which is approximately 16 grams of saturated fat. Experts vary about how much sodium (if you exercise you need to consume more), but they say a safe range is 1500 to 2400 mg.
So here is the list:
• A taco shell - 33% fat (1g SF, 10mg SOD)
• Barbacoa (4 ounces) - 35% fat (2g, 510mg)
• Chicken (4 ounces) - 32% fat (2g, 370mg)
• Carnitas (4 ounces) - 37% fat (2.5g, 540mg)
• Steak (4 ounces) - 32% fat (2g, 320mg)
• Cheese (1 ounce) - 80% fat (5g, 180mg)
• Sour Cream (2 ounces) - 75% fat (7g, 30mg)
• Guacamole (3.5 ounces) - 80% fat (2g, 190mg)
• Chips (4 ounces) - 42% fat (3.5g, 420mg)
• Vinaigrette (2 fluid ounces) - 85% fat (4g, 700mg)
• Flour Tortilla Burrito (make note of this) - 28% fat (3g, 670mg)
You should note the ounces for each of those items. Not only are they fat, but when they are presented to you at the restaurant, it is much more than their serving size. I do not order my food with the condiments like sour cream, guacamole, or cheese, but those are small serving sizes they have listed. I see the wait staff dip a nice sized serving spoon in that sour cream and pour it all over orders. It probably isn't 2 ounces.
I'm sorry to be a buzzkill, but an order of a burrito with condiments and chips could easily exceed around 1200 calories and I think I am being conservative.
So, be aware next time you go to Chipotle. I think you can eat healthy there, you just have to watch what you are putting in your food. You also might want to eat half of what you get and save the other half for later. Especially if you are watching your calories. I still eat my chicken fajita burrito though. It comes with their rice, onions, green peppers, the chicken, and I add some corn to it. Unfortunately, I don't get the chips too often. That is the sacrifice of practicing what you preach.
When we first opened our Dublin location 2 years ago, it was geared towards athletic speed training. We had an open house and as an incentive to get high school athletes to attend, I purchased a bunch of Chipotle gift certificates. We had a bunch left over that just sat on my desk for a long time. I'm talking months. The stack did lower because my staff was "borrowing" the gift cards, but not returning them. HMMM!
Anyway, I kept three for myself and bought my first Chipotle back in November, 2009. It was a chicken fajita burrito with some of their chips and salsa.
I was hooked. The stuff is good. Especially those chips.
I know a lot of my clients love chipotle, so I had to go look up the nutritional value of some of their menu items.
BEWARE:: If you do not want to see this information for it might ruin your dining experience, then skip to the Side Notes. But it isn't all bad. If you want to read all about the foods at Chipotle, you can click this link.
I'm going to talk about all the foods that have too much fat in them. That number is actually fewer than the healthier choices. My definition of too much fat is if there are 30% or more calories of that food coming from fat. So, if a food has 100 calories, no more than 30 calories should come from fat. I will also list in parentheses ( ) the grams of saturated fats and the sodium in milligrams. Experts say that no more than 7% of your total calories should come from saturated fat. So, if you eat 2000 calories a day, 140 should be from saturated fat which is approximately 16 grams of saturated fat. Experts vary about how much sodium (if you exercise you need to consume more), but they say a safe range is 1500 to 2400 mg.
So here is the list:
• A taco shell - 33% fat (1g SF, 10mg SOD)
• Barbacoa (4 ounces) - 35% fat (2g, 510mg)
• Chicken (4 ounces) - 32% fat (2g, 370mg)
• Carnitas (4 ounces) - 37% fat (2.5g, 540mg)
• Steak (4 ounces) - 32% fat (2g, 320mg)
• Cheese (1 ounce) - 80% fat (5g, 180mg)
• Sour Cream (2 ounces) - 75% fat (7g, 30mg)
• Guacamole (3.5 ounces) - 80% fat (2g, 190mg)
• Chips (4 ounces) - 42% fat (3.5g, 420mg)
• Vinaigrette (2 fluid ounces) - 85% fat (4g, 700mg)
• Flour Tortilla Burrito (make note of this) - 28% fat (3g, 670mg)
You should note the ounces for each of those items. Not only are they fat, but when they are presented to you at the restaurant, it is much more than their serving size. I do not order my food with the condiments like sour cream, guacamole, or cheese, but those are small serving sizes they have listed. I see the wait staff dip a nice sized serving spoon in that sour cream and pour it all over orders. It probably isn't 2 ounces.
I'm sorry to be a buzzkill, but an order of a burrito with condiments and chips could easily exceed around 1200 calories and I think I am being conservative.
So, be aware next time you go to Chipotle. I think you can eat healthy there, you just have to watch what you are putting in your food. You also might want to eat half of what you get and save the other half for later. Especially if you are watching your calories. I still eat my chicken fajita burrito though. It comes with their rice, onions, green peppers, the chicken, and I add some corn to it. Unfortunately, I don't get the chips too often. That is the sacrifice of practicing what you preach.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
How You Know When To Change Your Exercise Program
We are creatures of habit. Most people hate change. There is always an uproar when change comes around. Remember, the stir that was caused when that new Coke formula was introduced? But, when it comes to your health, changing your exercise program is a good thing. In fact, it is necessary for your body to see the gains it needs on a regular basis. That is why with our 13 week program, we are always changing something every 2 or 3 weeks - whether it be an exercise, a set, the number of repetitions.
If you are exercising on your own, here are some valuable clues that it might be time to change your exercise routine.
1. If you are feeling unusually tired. This is your body's way of saying you might need to change your routine. A lot of times, it is an indication that you are overtraining your body. When that happens, change is in order.
2. If your muscles are sore more than usual. When you first start a workout routine, it is normal that your muscles become sore. Exercise breaks down your muscles and then repairs them. That is how your muscles grow. So when you first start, you are obviously sore, because they haven't been broken down in awhile. But, once you get in a consistent routine, the soreness goes away, unless you change it up. But, if you haven't been changing it up, doing nothing out of the ordinary, and you are getting sore, once again, you might be overtraining and changing your routine would be very welcome.
3. If you can read just fine while you are exercising. Exercise is all about intensity if you want to see the results that I frequently hear from my clients. That being said, I will see individuals read thick novels while they are doing cardio. The only equipment I could try to read on would be a recumbent bike and even that gets tough. So, if you are reading while you are exercising, that is fine, but understand it is going to take longer to accomplish the results you desire.
4. If you aren't sweating during your workout. There are some gyms that control the temperature in their facility so that an individual doesn't show any sweat during the workout. But, most of us don't train in those environments. I had an aunt who said she did an hour of cardio daily, but never sweat. I hate to break it to you, but sweating is one way of showing your intensity. Even if you don't sweat that much, you should be breaking a little sweat during your workouts. If not, then I would question the intensity level, which could prolong your results.
5. If you aren't lifting weights. Weightlifting is essential no matter what your goals are - gain mass, lose weight, maintain a healthy lifestyle. I see a lot of people looking for weight loss who just do cardio. That is great! It helps the heart and lungs, but you need to strength train. As one researcher said it to me, cardio will help you live a long life, but strength training will help you ENJOY those years of living.
6. If you have been on an exercise routine for a long time and seen no physical changes that YOU like. Exercise works no matter what your goals. I know it does and I have seen it work. If you haven't seen the physical transformation that you have been desiring, then maybe it is time to change your workout program. It isn't your fault, you were just given some bad information. I see people doing the same workout, day in and day out, year in and year out. If they are happy, great, but if you aren't then change it up.
This would be the perfect time of year to recharge your workout program. Take this opportunity to redesign your exercise program so that 2010 will be your best year yet.
If you are exercising on your own, here are some valuable clues that it might be time to change your exercise routine.
1. If you are feeling unusually tired. This is your body's way of saying you might need to change your routine. A lot of times, it is an indication that you are overtraining your body. When that happens, change is in order.
2. If your muscles are sore more than usual. When you first start a workout routine, it is normal that your muscles become sore. Exercise breaks down your muscles and then repairs them. That is how your muscles grow. So when you first start, you are obviously sore, because they haven't been broken down in awhile. But, once you get in a consistent routine, the soreness goes away, unless you change it up. But, if you haven't been changing it up, doing nothing out of the ordinary, and you are getting sore, once again, you might be overtraining and changing your routine would be very welcome.
3. If you can read just fine while you are exercising. Exercise is all about intensity if you want to see the results that I frequently hear from my clients. That being said, I will see individuals read thick novels while they are doing cardio. The only equipment I could try to read on would be a recumbent bike and even that gets tough. So, if you are reading while you are exercising, that is fine, but understand it is going to take longer to accomplish the results you desire.
4. If you aren't sweating during your workout. There are some gyms that control the temperature in their facility so that an individual doesn't show any sweat during the workout. But, most of us don't train in those environments. I had an aunt who said she did an hour of cardio daily, but never sweat. I hate to break it to you, but sweating is one way of showing your intensity. Even if you don't sweat that much, you should be breaking a little sweat during your workouts. If not, then I would question the intensity level, which could prolong your results.
5. If you aren't lifting weights. Weightlifting is essential no matter what your goals are - gain mass, lose weight, maintain a healthy lifestyle. I see a lot of people looking for weight loss who just do cardio. That is great! It helps the heart and lungs, but you need to strength train. As one researcher said it to me, cardio will help you live a long life, but strength training will help you ENJOY those years of living.
6. If you have been on an exercise routine for a long time and seen no physical changes that YOU like. Exercise works no matter what your goals. I know it does and I have seen it work. If you haven't seen the physical transformation that you have been desiring, then maybe it is time to change your workout program. It isn't your fault, you were just given some bad information. I see people doing the same workout, day in and day out, year in and year out. If they are happy, great, but if you aren't then change it up.
This would be the perfect time of year to recharge your workout program. Take this opportunity to redesign your exercise program so that 2010 will be your best year yet.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
How To Get Back Into Your Exercise Program Without Killing Yourself
Well, it is that time of year where people start remembering where the gym is. They get that mapquest out and learn the quickest route back to the gym. Most people starting back have been out of commission for around a month now (I'm being generous), so consequently their bodies are a little out of shape.
That being said, you want to make sure that you approach your newly inspired workout regimen smartly. You don't want to overdo it and injure yourself in the first week. Thus, sabotaging any efforts on your part to get back on track with your exercise plan.
With that in mind, I'm providing these helpful hints to starting on the right foot. The first 30 days are the most crucial to any workout program. If you can maintain consistency through those 30 days and see some initial results, there is a good chance you will be able to continue on with your exercise and then see some REAL gains.
1. Expect soreness, but not a body lockdown. Basically, this means that no matter how conservative you approach your exercise program, there will be some soreness. Yes, it might be tough to move your limbs and they may be sore to the touch, but that is normal. What you don't want to have happen is the following:
Case Study - I was working a lady out whose sister was shadowing us. The sister kept piping in about how she had done this before and how she had done that before, but she hadn't worked out with a trainer in over a year and had put on 30 pounds. She asked me to work her out the next day. She wanted to do her legs and I started off with the leg press. I wanted to be conservative, but she insisted we throw on more weight than what her body was ready for. (I was a young trainer so I let her have her way. That wouldn't happen today.) Long story short, she did leg press, lunges, leg extension, and leg curls. 3 sets of 10 reps each at a pretty heavy weight for all of them. Two days later I get a call from her and she can't move her legs. Walking up and down steps was impossible. I told her the pain would subside, but she had to give it time. It took her nearly a week to recover. This leads me to my next point.
2. Whatever exercise program you are starting, be conservative. If you haven't been lifting in over 30 days, I probably would only do 2 sets of whatever exercise you are doing and high reps (10 - 12). Don't pick the weight you were doing when you were competing for the American Gladiators. Pick a weight that is comfortable for you to get the reps, not easy, but comfortable. You can gradually increase during your next workout.
3. Be realistic with your first 30 day health goal. You can't lose 30-50 pounds in 30 days. You aren't on the Biggest Loser. You are in real life. Safely, an individual should lose 1-2 pounds of bodyfat a week and if you are starting back that is what you should shoot for. Don't worry about being "perfect" with your exercise program. Just try to be better than what you were before.
4. Work your exercise program into your schedule at a time you know you can be consistent with. Exercise should become as routine as brushing your teeth, but to get there you first must start working out at a time that works into your schedule. If you workout at a time that causes you unnecessary stress then you will be more likely to quit your routine.
5. If you are unsure where to start, hire a trainer. A good trainer should be able to get you on a program that you could do on your own. The longer you are with a trainer, the faster you should see results though. The trainer will know how to push you, when to push you, and when to make adjustments. The trainer will also provide consistent accountability that sometimes you just can't get when you train with a buddy.
6. Once you start, you can gradually increase the intensity over time. You should only have soreness for the first week or so. After that, you can then start gradually increasing your intensity and pushing yourself with your exercises, either by increasing the weight or adding sets.
Those are some simple tips to help you get started. Ultimately, though it will boil down to you and your commitment. The benefits of exercise are too numerous to mention and what better time than now to start taking advantage of them. Remember, you can persevere and achieve your health goals. Many people are doing it so why can't you. Just do it!!
That being said, you want to make sure that you approach your newly inspired workout regimen smartly. You don't want to overdo it and injure yourself in the first week. Thus, sabotaging any efforts on your part to get back on track with your exercise plan.
With that in mind, I'm providing these helpful hints to starting on the right foot. The first 30 days are the most crucial to any workout program. If you can maintain consistency through those 30 days and see some initial results, there is a good chance you will be able to continue on with your exercise and then see some REAL gains.
1. Expect soreness, but not a body lockdown. Basically, this means that no matter how conservative you approach your exercise program, there will be some soreness. Yes, it might be tough to move your limbs and they may be sore to the touch, but that is normal. What you don't want to have happen is the following:
Case Study - I was working a lady out whose sister was shadowing us. The sister kept piping in about how she had done this before and how she had done that before, but she hadn't worked out with a trainer in over a year and had put on 30 pounds. She asked me to work her out the next day. She wanted to do her legs and I started off with the leg press. I wanted to be conservative, but she insisted we throw on more weight than what her body was ready for. (I was a young trainer so I let her have her way. That wouldn't happen today.) Long story short, she did leg press, lunges, leg extension, and leg curls. 3 sets of 10 reps each at a pretty heavy weight for all of them. Two days later I get a call from her and she can't move her legs. Walking up and down steps was impossible. I told her the pain would subside, but she had to give it time. It took her nearly a week to recover. This leads me to my next point.
2. Whatever exercise program you are starting, be conservative. If you haven't been lifting in over 30 days, I probably would only do 2 sets of whatever exercise you are doing and high reps (10 - 12). Don't pick the weight you were doing when you were competing for the American Gladiators. Pick a weight that is comfortable for you to get the reps, not easy, but comfortable. You can gradually increase during your next workout.
3. Be realistic with your first 30 day health goal. You can't lose 30-50 pounds in 30 days. You aren't on the Biggest Loser. You are in real life. Safely, an individual should lose 1-2 pounds of bodyfat a week and if you are starting back that is what you should shoot for. Don't worry about being "perfect" with your exercise program. Just try to be better than what you were before.
4. Work your exercise program into your schedule at a time you know you can be consistent with. Exercise should become as routine as brushing your teeth, but to get there you first must start working out at a time that works into your schedule. If you workout at a time that causes you unnecessary stress then you will be more likely to quit your routine.
5. If you are unsure where to start, hire a trainer. A good trainer should be able to get you on a program that you could do on your own. The longer you are with a trainer, the faster you should see results though. The trainer will know how to push you, when to push you, and when to make adjustments. The trainer will also provide consistent accountability that sometimes you just can't get when you train with a buddy.
6. Once you start, you can gradually increase the intensity over time. You should only have soreness for the first week or so. After that, you can then start gradually increasing your intensity and pushing yourself with your exercises, either by increasing the weight or adding sets.
Those are some simple tips to help you get started. Ultimately, though it will boil down to you and your commitment. The benefits of exercise are too numerous to mention and what better time than now to start taking advantage of them. Remember, you can persevere and achieve your health goals. Many people are doing it so why can't you. Just do it!!
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