Pump up the bump: Working out while pregnant

Pump up the bump: Working out while pregnant

Pump up the Bump!

You don’t need to exercise while pregnant! Stay on the couch, put those feet up and eat all the Cheetos, Doritos, and burritos you want. In fact, here are a few good reasons NOT to exercise while pregnant:

1) You like being an emotional wreck. Exercise is known for canceling out those wonderful stress hormones (hormones that are especially heightened during pregnancy). Why exercise when you can cry?

2) You are embracing pregnancies feel good side effects of backaches, water-retention, weight gain and difficulty sleeping. If you work out, you will not only calm your brain down but calm down those side effects.

3) You aren’t training for a marathon or trying to lose weight. Also, isn’t it dangerous to work out while pregnant? Were you planning on pulling a fire truck while pregnant? If not, most exercises don’t pose a risk to pregnancy. Many expectant moms are cleared by their doctors to try a new form of exercise (as long as that exercise isn’t fire dancing, flying trapeze, and our favorite, fire truck hauling). And no one expects or wants you to lose weight while pregnant. You need to keep that little person with the nine month lease on your uterus well nourished and happy. However, many women tend to gain too much weight (sometimes reaching to obesity levels). Exercise helps keep your weight gain to a healthy amount.

4) You love those cankles, the sexy body part that results from when your calf and ankle become one. Okay, no one really loves a cankle. Exercise is known for keeping those pesky varicose veins and bloated feet and ankles from taking over.

5) You are okay holding onto that baby weight post-pregnancy. Up till now, my mom loves to point out that she was in no rush to lose the baby weight. In fact, she had a personal timeline of not shedding the weight until the baby was in school. We didn’t know that by “school”, she was actually referring to when my brother left for college. Studies show that new mamas who worked out consistently during pregnancy fit into their pre-pregnancy jeans quicker than moms who stayed away from exercise. Also, new moms who worked out pregnant had a much easier time sticking to a consistent workout routine after the baby was born.

If you are reading this part of the article, you have caught on to us. We lied. Unless you are ordered by your doctor to stay on bed rest (but bed rest does not mean a Cheetos, Doritos, and burritos buffet), we at CalFit encourage you to exercise and get moving. Exercise not only sets apart the hot mamas from the mamas but will make you feel good on the inside. An active mom-to-be usually has an easier time in labor, and who wouldn’t want that for herself and her baby?

Come down to CalFit Martinez and make working out part of your pregnancy experience. If you are too intimidated to work out on your own, sign up for personal training with Ben or Stacey today. Stacey loves new moms because she is one herself. Unfortunately, you can’t shortcut any of your workouts with the excuse, “You don’t know what it’s like to work out while pregnant!” Stacey knows exactly what that’s like because she worked out all throughout her pregnancy. Obviously, Ben doesn’t know what it’s like to be pregnant but he’s trained plenty of expectant moms, including Stacey, Ben will adjust your workout to your specific needs and his workouts are proven to decrease your stress (for example, why yell at your husband when you can yell at Ben during your training session?).

For membership inquiries and personal training appointments, contact Ben at CalFit Martinez today at (415) 246-5191.

No Fries Needed With This Shake

Hey CalFitters! It’s been awhile since our last post, but we have exciting news. Due to numerous requests from CalFitters, we are proud to announce that we are an official Body by Vi Distributor!

Body By Vi is the most delicious health shake on the market. Regular Body By Vi users are busy moms constantly on the go, fitness competitors, athletes, are folks trying to lose weight. It doesn’t matter if you have a weight loss goal or a weight management goal, Body by Vi is for everyone.

CalFit Martinez is so excited to partner with Body by Vi and bring these great tasting shakes to you. If you are already enjoying Body by Vi and need some recipe ideas or if you are just getting started, here are some quick and easy recipes for you:

1. Butterfinger – Almond milk, 2 scoops Vi, 1 teaspoon of peanut butter, and 2 teaspoons of non-fat butterscotch pudding mix

2. Pumpkin – Almond milk, 2 scoops Vi, 1 or 2 teaspoon(s) of cinnamon, and ¼ cup of canned pumpkin. If you want to make it thicker, use ½ pumpkin.

3. Strawberry/Pineapple – Almond milk, 2 scoops Vi, ¼ cup of frozen strawberry, ¼ cup of frozen pineapple

4. Peanut Butter Cup – Chocolate flavored almond milk, 2 scoops Vi, 1 teaspoon of peanut butter, 2 teaspoons of non-fat butterscotch pudding mix

5. Oreo Cookie – Almond milk, 2 scoops Vi, 2 teaspoons of Oreo cookies and cream non-fat pudding mix, 2 teaspoons of cheesecake non-fat pudding mix

6. Mocha Coffee – Almond milk, 2 scoops Vi, ½ cup of cold black coffee

7. Snickers - Chocolate flavored almond milk, 2 scoops Vi1 teaspoon of peanut butter, 2 teaspoons of non-fat butterscotch pudding mix, ½ of Snack Pack pudding cup in Caramel flavor

8. Blueberry cheesecake – Almond milk, 2 scoops Vi, ½ cup of frozen blueberries, 2 teaspoons of non-fat cheesecake flavored pudding mix

9. Pistachio – Almond milk, 2 scoops Vi, 2 teaspoons of pistachio flavored non-fat pudding mix

Blend all ingredients together in your appliance of choice (traditional blender, hand blender, Magic Bullet). For a more milkshake or smoothie consistency, add 4-6 ice cubes. If you want to make your shake feel indulgent without the guilt, add a dollop of non-fat Cool Whip.

Enjoy!

If you are not yet participating in Body By Vi, come down to CalFit and talk to Ben today. You can also call or text him at (415) 246-5191 or through CalFit’s Body by Vi page http://calfit3.bodybyvi.com/.

Stereotypes that Stop Us From Exercising

The purpose of this article is let everyone know that a gym is for one reason, and one reason only, to maximize the level of physical fitness that you are at; that entails muscle strengthening, core stabilization, flexibility, weight loss, weight gain, rehabilitation, and even stress relief at times. I know that the gym has a lot of stereotypes that can be very distracting and intimidating at the same time. But whenever you enroll at a gym to exercise, it’s for that reason, just to exercise. Now what exercise can do for you personally is a whole other ballgame. I’m merely just trying to talk to the biggest reasons that people don’t join a gym, which ironically are the same group of people that may need it the most; but everyone needs to exercise regardless.

Let’s talk about some of the stereotypes. As fitness has changed over the years since the time of Jack Lelane, so has the technology of equipment; so the new-age equipment is intimidating. Gyms can still have a lot of men/women that think they are bodybuilders or power lifters; I like to call them muscleheads, in which the name speaks for itself. There are a lot of women that wear tight, new-age, revealing clothing aka spandex princesses, which can be intimidating. Typically the muscleheads like to hit-on or flirt with the spandex princesses, which can give the gym a “pick-up” place stereotype.  Gyms are too crowded to exercise is another common intimidating factor. All of these are factors that can stop you from exercising and getting back into great shape, but they can all be explained and overcome.

Fitness has been brought to the mainstream by such great fitness icons as Jack Lelane, Arthur Jones (Nautilus), Augie Nieto (Life Fitness), and John McCarthy (Cybex). These are some of the founding fathers that pioneered a fitness movement that you and I experience every day. The technology of equipment has definitely been upgraded since their beginning days. New discoveries about the body are being made daily by such groups as National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), Aerobics & Fitness Association of America (AFAA), and American Council on Exercise (ACE), so fitness equipment is being modified all the time to be safer for you, but it has the same general movement. But because some of these new age equipment machine designs, they can look like you need a college degree to operate them. Most machines in a gym have instructions of operation, pictures of the muscles to be worked, and pictures of starting and stopping positions posted right on them. If you still have questions, then you can ask a gym attendant for help. It’s that easy.

Too many people can be distracting to you and your workout. From the muscleheads that do nothing but lift heavy weights and drop them which is usually accompanied by a lot of grunting to the spandex princesses that wear nothing at the gym just to run on the treadmill and look at themselves in the mirror. But what you have to realize is that the muscleheads and princesses are there for the same reason as you are, to better themselves, whether it be looking better, feeling better, getting stronger, or getting leaner, rehabilitation; they all have a goal, like you should. What is your goal?

Let’s be honest, gyms can be packed now. If you look at the amount of motivated people that there are now compared to just a couple of months ago, it’s almost tripled. New Year’s resolution people are still there, some have fallen off, but some do stay. And, we are only four months from summertime. Some people don’t like overcrowded places and that includes their gym. Just merely ask a gym staff member when the busiest times and try to go at another time. It’s that easy. Tight revealing workout clothing is being sold at all sports stores now and some people like it, and some people don’t. And it’s ok if you don’t, and it shouldn’t stop you from exercising. Not everyone wears what you wear to the gym i.e. sweats and a loose fitting shirt.

With all of these things addressed, there is always going to be something that is going to try to stop us from exercising. I didn’t even address how a majority of the senior population says that they are too old to exercise or how a common excuse for not joining a gym is, “ I have to get back into shape before I go to the gym. “ Ironically, senior fitness is a great way to keep muscles active, joints stronger and more stable, and protect bones from being so fragile. And to not join a gym because you feel like you’re too out of shape is no reason. The only way to get back into shape is to join a gym of some sort because maybe all of your other start-up ideas to get in better shape aren’t working. But if you have questions, just ask a gym staff how you want to get started and what start-up programs they offer for people, like yourself, who haven’t exercised in a long time. It’s that easy.

I hope this helps you further along in your fitness endeavors. Make the choice today. You can do it.

For a complimentary consultation or questions, e-mail Ben Borsellino at Borsellino.Ben@gmail.com, call 925-293-4097, or visit www.californiafitness247.com.

Weight Loss Made Easy? Yes, it's possible!

There are several things in understanding weight loss. The most important thing that everyone needs to believe is that; it can happen. Yes, it can happen! You can lose weight, fit into smaller clothes, be healthier, and have the body that you always wanted or told you were not destined to have. You won’t have to look at those fitness magazines, or at the people in the gym, or those people on TV and think that they are surreal. Some of them started out just like you did; whatever your weight is. If there is no belief that you can do it, then the discipline and hard work that comes with it will seem impossible

Weight loss is completed by daily tasks being fulfilled. Daily tasks being fulfilled chop away at the long-term end result, whether it be 20 lbs. or 100 lbs, or completing a marathon, or getting off High Blood/High Cholesterol medication. Everything has to be done in small increments. Reading a book, paying off debt, and even relationships is worked on over time. But why is it whenever we think of weight loss, we think we can do it in a week? It’s no mystery why people get so frustrated and fall of their new year’s resolution kick. People, including you, have to realize the weight gain that has happened over the last couple of months or years, will not come off in a week. If I had to give you a time frame of how long; it just depends on how much you believe.

There are thousands of levels of support, including this article, that are here to help you achieve your fitness goal. And I mean thousands i.e. weight loss websites, centers, support groups. There are gyms everywhere close to your work, home, and school. Calorie counter books, websites, even applications on your phone are available. Walking groups are being formed at lunch at work. Running groups and Bootcamps have started at your local gym. Healthier cooking classes are being offered by schools, gyms, personal trainers, even by family members. And these are only a few options, there are still more out there to motivate you. But if you haven’t even tried anything, then you haven’t gotten past the first step.

Being in the fitness profession for almost a decade, I’m finding that people have become a little more educated on what they are supposed to do, in general. Everyone has heard, or saw on TV, or read somewhere that you’re supposed to eat five small meals a day. We all know that alcohol is bad for us, including wine. We all know to stay away from sweets and big meals. How to cut down or out carbs and trans-fats have been the talk of the town for years. A portion size is not supposed to be bigger than the size of your hand. Fast food is bad. Smoking is bad. A dinner plate at almost any restaurant is too big.

We know all of these things, but when it comes to applying it to our own lives, we give up so quickly. Why is that? Why did you give up? Just remember small increments, and believing. If you mess up one day, you’ve got the next day to try it again. But if you don’t try at all, even with all of the support that is offered to you, you’ll never get there. And that happier, healthier life will be something you only read about, or watch on TV. And the next New Year’s will come….

Lastly, it’s not just one thing, it’s everything. If it was only eating one thing that got you out of shape or overweight, then everyone would just avoid their “one thing” i.e. rice, pastas, or breads, and everyone would be healthy. But it wasn’t just one thing that got you there it was everything. It was not exercising, overeating, snacking, all the parties, restaurant dinners, sitting all day, too much of this and that, so on and so forth. So if it wasn’t one thing that got you there, there is not one thing to get you back. There is no magic pill for weight loss. There is no super sit-up to make your stomach go away. And there is not just one butt or leg exercise to tone them up. It is all of the things that you know you’re supposed to do i.e. exercising 3-5 days per week, eating small portions, cutting out all of the things you already know to cut out etc. Just believe you can do it, and the hard work and discipline will turn into a lifestyle.


Good luck in your fitness goals. I believe you can do it!

For a complimentary consultation or questions, e-mail Ben Borsellino at Borsellino.Ben@gmail.com, call 925-293-4097, or visit www.californiafitness247.com.

All Hail the Kale!

Ever wonder how CalFIt general manager and trainer extraordinaire, Ben, manages those long hours at the gym? Isn’t it amazing that Ben never calls in sick, doesn’t get the sniffles and hasn’t had the flu in over 5 years? Is Ben a robot? Nope, he just makes smart choices about food and always includes nutrient-rich vegetables in his diet.

One of Ben’s favorite vegetables is kale. Even though kale has high nutritional value (it’s chockfull of vitamins A and C), it’s one the more underrated and underused vegetables. Basically, kale is the Jan Brady of the veggie world (hmm, I guess spinach would be Marsha). Here are some reasons to give kale a chance:

·         Diet and Digestion – Kale only has 36 calories per cup and helps promote regular digestion

·         Antioxidants - Kale contains high and powerful antioxidants

·         Anti-Inflammatory – Kale helps regulate the body’s inflammatory process

·         Cancer – Kale’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities work together to prevent and combat cancer

Add kale to your diet today. Here's a yummy recipe for turkey, kale and brown rice soup from Ben's own kitchen. At only 270 calories a serving, it's low fat and high in fiber and protein.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 to 6 large shallots, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/3 cups)
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 8 ounces ground white turkey meat, broken into small chunks
• 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
• One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice, drained
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 small bunch kale, coarsely chopped (about 4 packed cups)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Directions

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, carrots and bell pepper and saute, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to brown and soften slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the ground turkey and stir until the meat turns white and begins to color very slightly around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the herbes de Provence and stir, 1 minute. Add 4 cups broth, tomatoes and rice. Bring to a boil. Stir in the kale and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and the freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle each serving with parsley and Parmesan, if using, and serve. Enjoy!

Questions about nutrition, personal training or how to change those channels on the CalFit televisions? Call Ben at (415) 246-5191.

Nom nom nom nom

Hungry Eyes: Practicing Portion Control

Growing up, my mom’s major complaint about my brother and me was that we always ordered food with “our eyes.” Meaning, we always ordered huge amounts of food based off of what looked good. My brother’s stomach seemed to never be as hungry as his eyes and he could never finish what he ordered. I, on the other hand, would not only eat everything I ordered but I usually finished what my brother couldn’t. I’d also end up finishing what my mom didn’t eat and I think I ate my dad’s leftovers too. Come to think of it, I don’t think my parents needed to use their garbage disposal until I left for college.

When I went away for college (which was the same time my parents’ had to start using their garbage disposal) I was overweight.  My weight was a mystery to me. I worked out at the school gym every day. I walked everywhere because I was (ironically) too lazy to drive and find parking. I also climbed the three flights of stairs to my dorm room because I was too impatient to wait for the slow elevator. I was active, so why wasn’t I losing weight?

I had the same attitude about portion control (or lack of) that I had as a kid. I didn’t want to hoard leftovers, so I always made sure that I ate all the food off my plate. I didn’t want to appear rude when eating the homemade dinner of a friend, so I asked for seconds. And if I was at a buffet, I needed to make sure to get my money’s worth and eat as much as humanly possible.  Sure, I was strong and could haul thirty pounds of text books a mile across campus (yep, these were the days before iPads). I could climb flights of stairs with little effort and I worked out at the gym every day. However, the numbers on my scale refused to go down because I wasn’t paying attention to how much I was eating.

The answer to my inability to lose weight came down to one simple formula made up of diet and exercise, both necessary components in losing weight. However, diet accounts for 80% of the weight loss and exercise accounts for 20%. When I became serious about losing weight, I stayed active but I stopped visiting the buffet and went to the movies with friends instead of having seconds with them at dinner. I ate the same types of food but in much smaller portions. Here are some simple tips that I have used to help me with portion control:

More smart eyes and less hungry eyes - For a meal, eyeball your food and mentally measure your servings. The recommended serving for raw vegetables is about one cup or the size of your fist. A single serving of meat is about 3 ounces, or about the size of a deck of cards. A single serving of cooked pasta is one cup or about the size of a tennis ball.

Don't eat everything – If you’re like me, you’ve asked yourself the question “Do I really need to eat this?” And if you are really like me, you know you don’t but you gobble it down anyway. Next time, ask yourself this, “What’s going to happen if I don’t eat this?” The answer to that question is that the buffet at Sizzler is going anywhere, so you can put that extra baked potato back. You aren’t going to die of starvation because you ordered the 300 calorie kid sized ice cream instead of the 1,500 calorie extra large order from Cold Stone.  And more than likely, that chocolate candy bar you want to munch on isn’t the last one on Earth. So put that second serving down because it’s not the end of the world if you don’t eat it.

Sharing is Caring – Don’t be shy or, in my case, greedy. Share your meal. Popular restaurants, such as Cheesecake Factory and Elephant Bar, are notorious for serving humongous mountain-sized platters of food (which is equal to a humongous mountain-sized amount of calories). Before you even take the first bite, divide the meal in half and enjoy with your buddy.

Nice effort, but not really what we had in mind in terms of sharing a meal

For more tips on portion control, nutritional advice or exercise tips, visit CalFit Martinez today, Call Ben at (415) 246-5191 for more details.

Pump up the bump: Working out while pregnant

Pump up the Bump!

You don’t need to exercise while pregnant! Stay on the couch, put those feet up and eat all the Cheetos, Doritos, and burritos you want. In fact, here are a few good reasons NOT to exercise while pregnant:

1) You like being an emotional wreck. Exercise is known for canceling out those wonderful stress hormones (hormones that are especially heightened during pregnancy). Why exercise when you can cry?

2) You are embracing pregnancies feel good side effects of backaches, water-retention, weight gain and difficulty sleeping. If you work out, you will not only calm your brain down but calm down those side effects. 

3) You aren’t training for a marathon or trying to lose weight. Also, isn’t it dangerous to work out while pregnant? Were you planning on pulling a fire truck while pregnant? If not, most exercises don’t pose a risk to pregnancy. Many expectant moms are cleared by their doctors to try a new form of exercise (as long as that exercise isn’t fire dancing, flying trapeze, and our favorite, fire truck hauling). And no one expects or wants you to lose weight while pregnant. You need to keep that little person with the nine month lease on your uterus well nourished and happy. However, many women tend to gain too much weight (sometimes reaching to obesity levels). Exercise helps keep your weight gain to a healthy amount.

4) You love those cankles, the sexy body part that results from when your calf and ankle become one. Okay, no one really loves a cankle. Exercise is known for keeping those pesky varicose veins and bloated feet and ankles from taking over.

5) You are okay holding onto that baby weight post-pregnancy.  Up till now, my mom loves to point out that she was in no rush to lose the baby weight. In fact, she had a personal timeline of not shedding the weight until the baby was in school. We didn’t know that by “school”, she was actually referring to when my brother left for college.  Studies show that new mamas who worked out consistently during pregnancy fit into their pre-pregnancy jeans quicker than moms who stayed away from exercise. Also, new moms who worked out pregnant had a much easier time sticking to a consistent workout routine after the baby was born.

If you are reading this part of the article, you have caught on to us. We lied. Unless you are ordered by your doctor to stay on bed rest (but bed rest does not mean a Cheetos, Doritos, and burritos buffet), we at CalFit encourage you to exercise and get moving.  Exercise not only sets apart the hot mamas from the mamas but will make you feel good on the inside. An active mom-to-be usually has an easier time in labor, and who wouldn’t want that for herself and her baby? 

Come down to CalFit Martinez and make working out part of your pregnancy experience. If you are too intimidated to work out on your own, sign up for personal training with Ben or Stacey today. Stacey loves new moms because she is one herself. Unfortunately, you can’t shortcut any of your workouts with the excuse, “You don’t know what it’s like to work out while pregnant!” Stacey knows exactly what that’s like because she worked out all throughout her pregnancy.  Obviously, Ben doesn’t know what it’s like to be pregnant but he’s trained plenty of expectant moms, including Stacey, Ben will adjust your workout to your specific needs and his workouts are proven to decrease your stress (for example, why yell at your husband when you can yell at Ben during your training session?). 

For membership inquiries and personal training appointments, contact Ben at CalFit Martinez today at (415) 246-5191.

CalFit's own Stacey: From Knocked Up...

...To Knock Out