The "Eff" Word ...

In case you're wondering, "eff" is for "effort" and to those of you who like to moan and groan about how overweight and out of shape you may be, please take a gander at my friend Mike's blog posting today and ask yourself ...

Am I really doing all that I can do?

For my workout today I went back to my circuit with a slight modification since I did these at home. Had to remove the medicine ball chops and replaced those with the addition of adding a Farmer's walk at the end of the workout. I also shortened the length of the rest period between sets:

10 jump squats
20 medicine ball chops
10 push ups
30 bodyweight squats

90 second rest; repeat for a total of 5 sets.

Farmer's walk - 50 lbs.

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

Keep On Truckin'

Maybe I'm aging myself, but the phrase "keep on truckin'" was to my childhood what Nike's iconic "just do it" was to the 1980s.

With my health issues giving me a hard time last week I got myself back on track this past Sunday with a pretty fun workout that I feel has really put me on track mentally with pushing my limits.

My circuit went something like this:

- 10 squat jumps
- 20 medicine ball ball chops
- 10 push ups
- 30 bodyweight squats
- 10 medicine ball slams

I took a 2 minute break between sets and completed a total of 5 sets.

Following this workout I hit the incline trainer for 30 minutes.

Best of all, while I was exhausted after the workout I didn't feel the need to spend the remainder of the day in bed. Something I haven't experienced in quite a while.

Monday I took a rest day and Tuesday I went back to the Turbulence Training Hardcore Fat Loss Beginner Workout A.

Another awesome find this weekend was a wonderful review of Catapult Fitness Blog by Mary Ward from the Do You Digg It! Blog Review Team.

Thank you Mary!

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

Special Notice: Managing Weight After Breast Cancer

To any women living in the Philadelphia, PA area, join Living Beyond Breast Cancer for their next free networking meeting, Managing Weight After Breast Cancer at the Philadelphia Marriott West in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.

Katrina VB. Claghorn, MS, RD, CSO, LDN will discuss dietary and fitness recommendations for women affected by breast cancer, the impact that changes in bone density can have on your body after treatment, ways to manage your weight using different types of exercises and how to incorporate healthy eating and exercise into your regular routine.

This program is free and a light dinner and refreshments are included. Register at lbbc.org or call (610) 645-4567.

Date: February 9, 2010

Time: 6pm - 8pm

Place: Philadelphia Marriott West

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

Nicole's Journey: Part 3

Start date: 12/27/2009
Starting weight: 240 lbs
Current weight: 242 lbs

Hi everyone. I don't have much to share this week. In all honesty, the results have been extremely frustrating but Susan is helping me work through that and shake things up a bit with my caloric intake and exercise in hopes to confuse my body into cooperation!

She has also suggested that I get a heart rate monitor in order to monitor my intensity during workouts to see if there may be room for improvement. I did purchase one and am going to see if it helps. I burned 544 calories in my HIIT session yesterday. Today is my rest day.

I will say that I had no idea what to share as a result of my frustration until a read a post that Heather left on the blog with such encouragement. It was encouragement I honestly needed to hear and am very grateful for. Thank you, Heather.

She mentioned the book "The Last Lecture" by Professor Randy Pausch and a reference he made about "romancing the brick wall" and how we encounter them on any journey for a reason. They allow us to understand how badly we want something and how much it's worth the hard work. I have been struggling with my own brick wall(s) in getting my body to respond the way I want it to.

I think that maybe stress has been my brick wall thus far. I don't know. I don't want to excuse away the fact that I have not lost any additional weight and that my body weight seems to be swinging in a not so favorable way. I just know that I will find what allows my body to respond with Susan's help and learn to accept that I may not like what the scale says.

I'm going to take my frustration and do my best to channel it into something I can use. I will continue to follow the advice given, work hard with the Turbulence Training workouts at home and add in the HIIT exercise sessions as well. I WILL DO THIS as Craig with Turbulence Training says.

By saying I will "try" gives me a loop hole, an out so to speak. I don't want loop holes, I want results by way of self satisfying, good old fashioned healthy hard work. I will do this...I will do this......Say it with me, I WILL DO THIS!

Have a great week, everyone and I will have better results to share with you next week, I'm sure of it!

Nicole.

Do This, Not That

Do This: Start each workout session with a plan that clearly outlines what exercises you will be performing, what the goal is for each exercise, and how long your workout will take.

Not That: Go to the gym and wander from machine to machine for 60 minutes.

This particular blog posting really hits close to home because before I started using Turbulence Training workouts, I fell in to the "not that" category. I literally spent countless hours at the gym each week yet could not get my weight to budge from 138 lbs.

Once I had a plan in place, change happened.

Step 1: Determine what goal you are trying to achieve. Are you looking to increase your 1 rep max, train for your first marathon, lose 20 lbs, or lower your body fat to 10%? Without having a concise goal in place you are setting yourself up for failure.

You also need to make sure that your goals are not conflicting. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard someone say that they wanted to gain muscle while getting lean.

If you're new to strength training (or returning from an extended layoff) or are significantly overweight, this is possible. However, once you attain a certain level of leanness and/or muscle mass, your ability to gain muscle while getting lean is significantly reduced.

Pick one goal, achieve it and then move on to the next.

Step 2: Choose a plan that is designed to help you achieve your goal. For me it was Turbulence Training. For you it may be Jillian Michaels Shred, a 5x5 hypertrophy program or another modality.

Whatever program you choose, stick with it so that you can determine whether or not it is actually working for you.

Step 3: Stay focused. There is ALOT of conflicting information available via magazines and the internet - some credible, some not so much. Do not become sidetracked by some other workout that you read about in a magazine, on a message board forum, or infomercial.

Stick with your chosen program for 3 - 4 weeks and closely monitor your progress. Only then can you assess whether or not your plan is working.

When you do make changes to your plan, base those decisions on empirical evidence.

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

Mayor Bloomberg's War On Sodium

Last week, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Health Commissioner, Dr. Thomas Farley, announced a campaign to cut the quantities of sodium in packaged and restaurant foods by 25% over the next five years.

This is a highly aggressive goal and is modeled on a program enacted in the United Kingdom to lower sodium in 85 food categories. The UK initiative resulted in a 9 percent drop in sodium consumption over nine years.

This voluntary program already has some major food manufacturer's on board including Kraft and Pepsico. Pepsico has committed to reducing the salt in Lay's potato chips by 25% over the next 18 months (taking a 1 oz serving from 180 mg to 135 mg of sodium).

Most importantly, since this initiative includes packaged foods, this program does not simply impact NYers, but rather the entire nation.

No big surprise, the Salt industry is lashing out claiming "There's a certain arrogance when the New York City Health Department is setting policy for the rest of the country," said Salt Institute spokeswoman Lisa Roman. "These are decisions that should be made personally."

Ms. Roman seems to be sticking her foot in her mouth. With 75 - 80% of a typical person's daily sodium intake coming from processed and restaurant foods, it seems that this initiative DOES just that -- allows people to make a decision on just how much salt they want in their food.

You want more salt? Grab a shaker and feel free to choose hypertension (or in my case, a vertigo attack).

Today, that decision simply doesn't exist.

I applaud this campaign and the food manufacturers' and restaurants willing to make this commitment.

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

Nicole's Journey: Part 2

Start date: 12/27/2009
Starting weight: 240 lbs
Current weight: 235 lbs

Hi everyone.

This is just a quick update to let you know how my week has gone.

I have not struggled as much to get my calories in this week, but I did have a little difficulty with a sweet tooth earlier in the week. Susan suggested I try a sweet potato since I was lacking in carbs and that seemed to help greatly!

I did manage to have my first meal at a restaurant since beginning this journey and did well since I planned for it. I was able to choose baked salmon and a double helping of veggies. I left the meal feeling good about my choices and not over indulgent. I felt really satisfied and not at all deprived.

My workouts have gone well. I'm really happy with the Turbulence Training workouts as they allow for a busy mom like myself to get in a full workout with little disruption to my other responsibilities and time with my daughter.

My workout schedule this week did not deviate greatly from last week with the exception of adding a second rest day, per Susan's advice. Here's a peek:


As for the weight loss, I struggled some here and was somewhat frustrated when I weighed in on Friday. According to the scale, I didn't lose any weight this week.

At the beginning of the week I had been experiencing water retention and my weight was fluctuating about 5 lbs (upwards!) as a result. By Friday I managed to get that under control and back down to 235, but that's where I was last week so I was definitely a little frustrated.

Even though, I'm not going to let this derail my work nor am I going to give up on my journey. I'll keep plugging away at this - eating clean and working out hard.

If at the end of this week I still have not lost any weight, Susan mentioned shaking things up. She has also advised me not to be "ruled" by the scale and rather to focus on smaller victories and the consistency with my workouts and nutrition.

Again, the comments and support I received from everyone has been so wonderful and encouraging. Thanks again. I hope everyone has a great week!

Nicole

Working Out In A Topsy-Turvy World

Slacked this week on posting my workouts on CFB, but happy to say that at least I didn't slack on the workouts. I was really pleased to have completed my second full week on a planned exercise regime. It's been 8 months since I've been able to do this, so it's a long time coming!

Decided to work on the incline trainer yesterday but lost my head and started to run intervals a good week before I planned on giving that another try.

The HIIT intervals definitely taxed my vestibular system and ended up needing all of last night to re-coup, but at some level it was worth it. I was sprinting all out and it was nice to see that I could do that and not go in to a full vertigo attack (hence the Topsy-turvy comment).

So, this week panned out as follows:

Sunday: Light cardio
Monday: Turbulence Training Hardcore Fat Loss Beginner Workout B
Tuesday: Core
Wednesday: Turbulence Training Hardcore Fat Loss Beginner Workout A
Thursday: Light cardio and Core
Friday: HIIT
Saturday: Turbulence Training Hardcore Fat Loss Beginner Workout B

Two more weeks on the current Turbulence Training program and then I hope to move on to a more aggressive workout.

My reason for posting these updates is two-fold

1. It does help to keep me accountable. It's difficult to get thru any given day without experiencing symptoms of the Meniere's disease. I can let those symptoms render me incapable of exercise or I can take advantage of the times I'm feeling well to keep myself moving. I choose the later.

2. There may be someone reading this who feels that they are unable to exercise for one reason or another. I hope by reading my postings that they realize that they can always do SOMETHING. Get outside and take a walk, turn on Exercise TV and follow along with a yoga or Pilates workout or start with simple bodyweight exercises. Most importantly, start today!
   

Remember, the journey to better health starts one step at a time!

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

The Taco Bell Drive-Thru Diet

If you've turned on your television lately you have likely seen the Taco Bell Drive-Thru Diet commercial. If not, here you go:



Christine lost 54 lbs by "Replacing my usual fast food with Taco Bell's Drive Thru diet." Apparently Christine needed this solution because in her words, "I didn't want to cut out my fast food."

I decided to check out the Taco Bell Drive-Thru Diet Menu website and see what goodies were available. Unfortunately, the "diet" menu choices are high in fat and loaded with sodium.

A couple of examples include the Fresco Burrito Chicken Supreme which has tons of unhealthy fat (21%) and a whopping 1,140 mg of sodium. The lower calorie Fresco Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco (130 calories) had an even a higher percentage of fat (27%) and 740 mg of sodium.

I would really like to have said bravo Taco Bell, but the fact is that these items have been on their menu for years. The only change is that Taco Bell is now making them available through their drive-thru window.

The reality is that Christine lost 54 lbs over 2 years because she counted her calories. Yes, you can eat junk, um I mean fast food and lose weight.

From an advertising perspective, it was a genius move to launch this campaign around New Years when everyone is trying to stick to their resolution to lose weight. Over 70% of Taco Bell's business comes from Drive-Thru, so it will be interesting to see how this impacts their Q1 revenues.

As a side note, Taco Bell's last big advertising campaign was FourthMeal, where they encouraged consumers to grab Taco Bell late night, before heading off to bed.

What's your opinion on the Taco Bell Drive-Thru Diet campaign? Is this a small step in the right direction or irresponsible advertising?

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

Do This, Not That

Do This: Compound exercises
Not That: Isolation exercises

If your primary goal is weight and fat loss, your time would be much better spent focusing on compound exercises versus isolation exercises.

Let's start by defining each type of movement.

Compound exercises are multi-joint exercises that involve more than one muscle group. Examples of compound exercises are squats, deadlifts and pull-ups.

Isolation exercises are exercises that focus on one muscle group. Examples of isolation exercises are bicep curls, leg extensions and tricep kick-backs.

So, why focus on compound exercises? There are 3 distinct benefits:

1) Because compound movements stimulate more muscle fibers, they provide you with a better bang for the buck, lessening the length of your workout,

2) Due to the fact that you are incorporating more muscle groups to lift the weight, you are going to expend more energy. This translates in to burning more calories than you would burn doing isolation exercises and,

3) I don't want to scare off the gals but yet another benefit to compound lifts is that the extra load (you can lift heavier weight since you are incorporating more muscle groups) increases lactic acid production which helps boost the powerful fat loss and muscle building hormone, Growth Hormone (GH) in the body. No ladies, this doesn't mean you are going to bulk up and look like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Bottom line, you are going to see weight and fat loss results quicker by incorporating compound exercises into your workout routine. Ultimately, isn't that everyone's goal?

Some of my favorite compound exercises include:

• Squat variations
• Lunge variations
• Deadlifts
• Bench Press
• Push-Up variations
• Bent Over Rows
• Pull-Ups (assisted is ok)
• Overhead Presses

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

Nicole's Journey: Week 2

Nicole has just finished her 2nd full week in the Turbulence Training Transformation contest.

Start date: 12/27/2009
Starting weight: 240 lbs
Current weight: 235 lbs

Here's her update!

So, this week I struggled to get all my calories in. It was so easy to consume 1700 calories when I was eating junk food. Now that I'm eating 1700 calories/day of good, "clean" food it sometimes feels that I'm eating non-stop.

I can honestly say that I am never hungry. I've been very satisfied and have not struggled too badly with cravings. I did want something sweet last night and ended up having half a grapefruit and that seemed to suffice.

I am really enjoying the Turbulence Training workouts. I had been doing the Intermediate Level Turbulence Training for Women workout but moved to the Advanced version on January 6.

Here's a peek at what my exercise program looked like this past week:


My legs have been especially sore, but sore in a good way. I know my body is responding and it has really felt good. I love the Turbulence Training workouts. They enable me to fit in a great workout into my already hectic schedule.

I have already seen a loss of 5 lbs, but more importantly I feel good. I haven't felt bloated with the exception of a day where I accidentally ended up with a little too much sodium in my diet. Susan helped me over that hurdle.

I'm hopeful that I am on the right track with this journey and to better health. I'm feeling good about it.

Also, thanks for all the kind comments and encouragement!! It really does make a difference.

Nicole

Blog Upgrade

One of my personal goals in 2010 is to continue to upgrade Catapult Fitnesss Blog's (CFB) functionality.

I have received several request from readers in regards to adding "print" functionality so that they can easily print out workouts and recipes included on CFB.

That functionality has just been added!

At the end of each article you will see the following button:


Click on that button and a pop-up will appear that enables you to print the posting directly to your printer, create a PDF file, email or tweet the blog posting.

It's super simple and free courtesy of PrintFriendly (you do not need to register to use this service)!

If you have any other functionality you would like to see added to CFB email your suggestions to AskTheTrainer@CatapultFitnessBlog.com

Susan

Jump For Health

Personally, I've always been a bit on the uncoordinated side when it comes to jumping rope, but based on the stats I've been reading I may have to spend more time working on my skills.

According to Dr. Kenneth Cooper, author of the 1968 best selling book Aerobics, and the man given the title "The Father of Aerobics", jumping a rope at 120 turns per minute produces the same cardiovascular results as jogging for 30 minutes, running 1 mile in 12 minutes, cycling 2 miles in 6 minutes or swimming for 12 minutes.

So, for those of you who claim not to have time to exercise, can you spare 1 minute per day?

My workout Wednesday didn't take all that much longer.

Still recovering from my HIIT protocol from Monday I decided to do a split routine with the TT Beginner strength training program on Wednesday and light cardio with additional core exercises yesterday.

I modified the TT Beginner Workout B by replacing step-ups (not the best exercise for anyone with a vestibular disorder) with jump squats.

It's now official - jump squats are my most dreaded exercise. Guess that means they must be good for me! The more I hate doing something, the better the results I see from doing it. Go figure.

Total workout time on Wednesday: 22 minutes.

Today it's back to Workout A with 45 minutes of slow cardio.

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

What Happens When You Educate Consumers On Nutrition?

They make better food choices!

It has been about a year and a half since food chains in New York have been required to make calorie information available for all standardized menu items.

The health-care reform bill that President Obama hopes to sign in to law in the near future contains a menu labeling provision that will require all chain restaurants with 20 or more locations to post calorie information in menu's and on menu boards. The provision will also require restaurants to provide additional information upon request, although I have not been able to pinpoint what specifics will be made available. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that sodium content is included.

While restaurants have fought long and hard against such government regulation, it seems that ultimately this provision can be a win-win situation for both consumers and food chains.

A study out of Stanford University entitled Calorie Posting In Chain Restaurants measured the impact the NY State law had on consumers' Starbucks purchases.

Research methodology:

Starbucks agreed to provide transaction details for Starbucks stores in NYC from January 1, 2008 to February 28, 2009, with mandatory calorie posting commencing on April 1, 2008. To control other factors affecting transactions, the study also observed every transaction at Starbucks stores in Boston and Philadelphia, where there are no calorie postings.

Findings:

When calorie information was available to consumers, the average calories per transaction fell by 6%. The effect was almost entirely related to changes in consumers' food choices - there was almost no change in purchases of beverage calories. There was no impact on Starbucks profit on average.

The study also estimated that revenue actually increased by 3% at Starbucks stores located within 100 meters of a Dunkin Donuts (an important competitor to Starbucks in NYC). Hence, there is evidence that calorie posting may have caused some consumers to move away from Dunkin Donuts toward Starbucks. The fact that Starbucks profitability is unaffected by calorie posting is consistent with the finding that consumers' beverage choices are unchanged, which is of course Starbucks core business.

According to an article this week in The Washington Post, next week Starbucks will introduce 4 sandwiches with 400 calories or less. Of more interest is the fact that all Starbucks locations will launch a campaign to promote beverages under 90 calories. This is a welcome addition to the current beverage line-up which includes "light" frappucino's with as many as 210 calories per 16 oz serving, and regular frapp's edging up to the 500 calorie range per 16 oz serving.

The Stanford study brings to light the fact that consumers are truly interested in making healthier food choices.

Need more proof? Fitness portal DailyBurn.com released the FoodScanner iPhone App in September 2009 and it has already generated in excess of 30,000 downloads.

The FoodScanner allows you to use your iPone camera to scan UPC barcodes and using DailyBurn's nutritional database, track how many calories you eat throughout the day.

These are strong indicators that the public has a need and desire to be educated. One can only hope that the government will eventually amend the soon-to-be-law to include a real investment in public education to teach people to prevent disease through nutrition.

Education is key and consumers are clamoring for it.

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

Michael Pollan On Health-Care Reform

Author Michael Pollan (In Defense of Food, and The Omnivore's Dilemma) sat down with John Stewart this week and made some interesting points in regards to how health-care reform could change the food industry.

If the government mandates that everyone must have access to health care, the insurance industry could take a bigger interest in what we actually eat.

You know from my previous postings on CFB that I'm open to the government getting more involved in an effort to thwart the current obesity epidemic in the United States. I know that many of you feel differently.

Let the discussion begin!

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

My Journey Starts Anew

After a 7+ month layoff from regular training due to illness, I'm ready to get back to work.

With the realization that I have lost all the gains I made previously in regards to muscle mass and neural training adaptions, I'm coming to grips with the fact that I am once again a "newbie". It's frustrating to know that I'm back at square one, but stuff happens and you just need to deal with it and move on.

What I'm also learning to accept is that as a result of my vestibular disorder there are certain exercises that I will simply need to forgo, at least for now. For instance, step ups on to my 18 1/2 inch bench is just an accident waiting to happen. Hopefully I will be able to re-introduce these exercises back in to my program as time progresses.

Balance issues aside, I also want to make sure to proceed in a manner which will minimize my chance of injury. So, after much contemplation I decided to start my new journey with the Turbulence Training Beginner Workout.

Trust me, this was NOT an easy decision to make. My heart was telling me to go for it and throw myself in to Craig's 2K10 Fat Loss Workout, but I know that taking a few weeks to ease back in to a regular program is the logical progression to minimize the risk of injury.

I completed Workout A yesterday followed by a HIIT session on my exercise bike. HIIT may need to be on hold for a while longer, as that effort did set off some symptoms, but overall it felt great to be back working out!

While I am still getting used to some of the limitations that I have, I'm hopeful that pushing the envelope will enable the healthy part of my vestibular system to compensate for any weaknesses.

My plan is to do the TT Beginner Workout for 4-weeks to re-acclimate my my body to a regular exercise routine. My workout schedule will be as follows:

Monday: TT Beginner Workout A/HIIT (I'll re-attempt HIIT in a couple of weeks)
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: TT Beginner Workout B/Light cardio
Thursday: Rest
Friday: TT Beginner Workout A/Light cardio
Saturday: Light cardio
Sunday: Rest

I'm hopeful that one month will be enough time for my body to re-adapt after which I will take another look at tackling the 2K10 Fatt Loss Workout! If all goes well month 1 I also plan on re-incorporating Spin classes back in to my schedule come late February/early March.

So, what's your plan for this month? Remember, having a firm plan in place is the only way to achieve your fitness goals!

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

Nicole's Journey: Part 1

With a full time job, an energetic 7 year old daughter and an active social life, Nicole is one busy gal.

A health set-back in 2009 has made it increasingly difficult to lose weight, so when Nicole saw my birthday challenge a few weeks ago she made the decision to enter the 7th Turbulence Training Transformation Challenge and change her life in 2010.

Nicole will share her experiences with CFB readers over the next 3-months and I hope you will all cheer her on along the way!

In today's posting you'll learn more about Nicole and what has led her on this journey.

Question: Nicole, can you tell CFB readers a bit about yourself and why you decided to take the plunge and join the 7th Turbulence Training Transformation Contest? Did you have a specific reason for deciding now is the time you want to lose weight?

Answer: In addition to a full time job I am a busy 34 year old single mother of an even busier 7 year old little girl. By the time I get off work, commute home, help my daughter with homework, play with her and our mini-dachshund, make dinner and do a little housework, I'm exhausted and ready for bed.

I also have a boyfriend with 2 children that we spend as much time with as possible. On the weekend its time with the kids, family and friends. The first thing to suffer when I am lacking time is exercise.

Unfortunately, as busy women I think we sometimes sacrifice our own needs to try and fulfill the needs of those we love. I have learned that by doing that I cannot give 100% of myself to anything as I lack the health and energy it takes to give my all.

I hope that by taking better care of myself and putting my own health and fitness at the top of my "to-do" list, that I will be a better mother, girlfriend, employee, friend and all around happier person, with more energy to devote to those I love.

I have been struggling with weight loss, especially over the past year when I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and had to undergo two surgeries.

Prior to my diagnosis I exercised regularly and while my nutrition wasn't perfect, it was pretty good. Recovering from the operations and battling with the symptoms of Crohn's disease including severe arthritis and vitamin and mineral deficiencies, I have had a difficult time getting my nutrition back on track, which is now more magnified due to the Crohn's disease.

I read your post looking for someone to enter the Turbulence Training Transformation Contest and share the process via your blog and thought that it was just what I needed to keep me accountable. I felt as though a door opened showing me that I can still do this but need to pull all the facets together to achieve the results that have eluded me to this point.

Question: Has your weight always been an issue?

Answer: Yes, my weight has been an ongoing struggle for me. Prior to March 2009, while I wasn't where I wanted to be, I was happy with the direction in which I was heading. Since my diagnosis I have taken a step backwards. I know I need to put all the pieces in place - exercise and diet - to achieve my desired results.

Question: Being that your weight has been an ongoing issue, I'm assuming you have tried other weight loss/exercise programs in the past. Yes?

Answer: Goodness Y-E-S!!! Yes, I have. I think I've tried everything I could find out there - Weight Watchers, The South Beach Diet, Atkins. I've been to Curves, tried fat burners, diet pills - anything that boasted any sort of result. Everything worked for a time but eventually I would gain the weight back plus a few extra pounds for good measure.

In retrospect I believe the problem was that I was searching for a quick fix and not truly focusing on my long term health.

Question: What will be most challenging for you in regards to weight loss - changing the way you eat, following a workout program or a combination of the two?

Answer: I think the most challenging part for me will be learning to stay away from foods that will not help me to achieve my goals and working exercise in to my already hectic schedule.

Basically, pulling all the pieces together to create healthy habits for a lifetime.

I enjoy exercising and feeling strong, but I have learned that when I don't watch my nutrition I am canceling out all my hard work and sabotaging my efforts.

Question: The TT Transformation Contest is a great way to kick off a healthy 2010! What are your overall transformation goals? Do you have a specific target weight or body fat percentage goal that you are looking to achieve?

Answer: My short term goal is to create those healthy habits I referred to. Consistency in both my diet and exercise program are key as my long term goal is to lose an additional 80 lbs.

When I began this journey several years ago I weighed 331 lbs. Today I weigh 240 lbs.

I have watched my weight fluctuate over the years and while I'm not as heavy as I was at 331 lbs, I am still FAR too heavy and unhealthy. I know that I can achieve amazing results if I am willing to put fourth the effort by utilizing the Turbulence Training workouts while learning healthy eating habits.

My ultimate weight goal is 160 lbs. We will see how far I get in these first 12 weeks!

Another goal I have is to be a role model to those in my life; showing them what one can achieve in regards to health and fitness if they go about it in the right way rather than taking unhealthy shortcuts. I want to show my daughter and family that it can be fun and rewarding to take the time to take care of oneself.

Question: Which Turbulence Training program will you be starting out with?

Answer: I am beginning with the Intermediate Level Turbulence Training for Women.

At the time this blog posting will appear, Nicole will be well on her way to transforming her body! She officially entered the 7th Turbulence Training Transformation Contest on 12/27/2009. Nicole's starting weight at the time of entry was 240 lbs.

Stay tuned for updates from Nicole!

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan

Achoo!

Like many folks I know, I'm kicking off 2010 with a cold so I decided to use this opportunity to concoct a healthy, cold-fighting meal.

Of course, the best cold medicine is Mom's chicken soup, but my Mom lives 1000 miles away and being that I'm on a sodium restricted diet, chicken soup sans salt tastes kind of blah.

Yesterday I decided to go the Chinese Hot Pot route and include lots of health promoting ingredients!

Ginger - Ginger is one of those super-foods that provide a multitude of benefits across a variety of ailments from upset stomach to arthritis. It also happens to be a natural decongestant as well as an antihistamine, making it the perfect remedy for colds!

Garlic - The sulfur compound allicin is responsible for garlic's unique odor, and has been shown to be effective in fighting common infections like colds and flu.

Scallion - Scallions, like other members of the onion family, have several anti-inflammatory agents that render them helpful in reducing the severity of symptoms associated with respiratory congestion.

Cabbage - My cabbage of choice in this instance was baby bok choy. Cabbage is loaded with Vitamin C and as we all know, you can never have enough V-C when battling the sniffles!

Shitake Mushrooms - Shitake mushrooms contain lentinan, a compound that has been shown to fire up the immune system.

Chili Peppers - Nothing opens up the nasal passages like some good hot chili peppers. The capsaicin in chili's act as a decongestant for upper respiratory symptoms.

Susan's Cold-Fighting Soup















3 cups Imagine Organic Low Sodium, Free Range Chicken Broth
4 scallions, sliced
3 long slices of ginger (for flavoring the broth)
8 baby bok choy, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 shitake mushrooms, halved
8 large shrimp, cleaned and tail removed
Black pepper, to taste
Red chili pepper flakes, to taste

Combine first 6 ingredients and let simmer on stove for 15 - 20 minutes. The ginger and garlic will help flavor the broth. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp turn pink, approximately 5 minutes.

Dipping Sauce

1 Tbsp House Of Tsang Less Sodium Soy Sauce (the lowest sodium soy sauce I've found)
1/4 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp fresh ground chili paste

Serves 2

I use chopsticks to grab the shrimp and mushrooms out of the broth to dip in the spicy sauce, and eat the rest with a spoon. I kept the broth simmering on the stove top and revisited it throughout the afternoon. It did a pretty good job keeping my congestion under control and to make the dish more filling, I mixed in a little brown rice later in the afternoon.

Nutritional information, per serving (not including the brown rice): 163 calories; 5 grams fat (1 gram saturated fat); 24 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams protein; 340 mg sodium

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan