Fit For Life Newsletter Sample

Fit For Life Fitness Center Newsletter for March 2010

Slacker of the Month

– Larry Gleim

Nooooooo… it is not a ‘typo’ members; it is what it says it is, SLACKER of the Month. And before you start calling and sending me hate e-mails telling me how ‘insensitive’ I am you should read on. After all, we are the Health Educators. It is our job to tell you about the importance of regular exercise. That may be a bitter pill to swallow for a lot of you but swallow it you must. The research is conclusive. Exercise is medicine and our boy Larry has not been taking his meds!

Larry ‘the cable guy’ Gleim is like a lot of you out there. Day after day, he makes the same old excuses for not showing up at the gym. “No time Monica”. However; he has plenty of time for hair appointments, shopping trips, antiquing and hitting balls at the driving range. He means well but Larry is slacking and it’s starting to show.

My little rant, I hope will get him and others like him, back on track and back in the gym.

At 30 years, 5’11” and 210 lbs, Larry is only 5 lbs shy of Class 1 Obesity. Wakey-wakey Larry-a lot of health risks are increased with obesity. Larry’s beautiful wife Aminta is a little concerned to say the least. “Larry’s ‘MY man’ says Aminta and a ‘fine man’ he is but things have got to change here.” May I suggest and remind all you Larry’s out there the purpose of a gym membership is to actually show-up and exercise regularly, preferably at least three times a week.

Larry and Aminta have 3 wonderful daughters, Emily, Sara, and Anna. The Research says that children most often take after the eating habits of the mother and the exercise habits of the father. Better get moving Dad because right now the kids aren’t seeing much in the way of physical activity.

Larry works out when he can. For real! This may not be as frequent as others, but according to Larry, he has better work outs. Explain please: Larry says he imagines he is fighting for the honor and love of his wonderful bride when he is working out. I told you this guy was funny. Says Larry, “The more you put into imagining it, the more you get out of it.” Now, it has taken months and weeks of diligent imagination and it is very apparent the only ‘highs’ our man Larry is reaching is high blood pressure and a high risk for diabetes – should he not change his ways soon.

In his free time, and he has plenty of it according to sources close to him, Larry likes to show friends and family his little ‘Animal farm’ in the woods. Larry has about 60 chickens, 5 pheasants, 3 sheep, 3 goats, 2 turkeys, and a peacock. Any regular guy would have a dog and a few cats but then again…see the picture in the upper right corner!

Larry and all you other Larry’s out there who frequent the gym about once a month, listen-up! Your health is your most personal treasure. To keep your heart strong, you need to do Cardio and get your heart rate elevated. Your muscles would appreciate a bit of toning and strengthening too so hit the weights about twice a week. Visiting the chickens and feeding Tom Turkey is not exactly what I’d classify as weight training.

Fit For Life has the most knowledgeable, most patient, most caring staff in Gator Town. Please come in and let us help you get moving and get back on the road to feeling better again.

Meanwhile, should you happen to catch a glimpse of Viking Larry in the gym, please tell him how his slacking-dog ways actually guilted and motivated you to get back on a regular gym schedule. He’s the big guy (see picture) with the wooly beard and big jack hammer boots – actually pretty hard to miss him when he does show up!!!

7 Reasons Why You Can’t Lose Weight

Frustrated with your weight loss efforts? You want a slimmer toner body, but your weight won’t budge.

Read the following 7 Weight Loss Blockers to discover what is standing in your way and how to quickly begin your weight loss journey.

Blocker #1: Your Mind

Your mind is your number one ally when it comes to achieving your goals. However, until your mind has been programmed for success, it will do more to derail your efforts than to help you.

* Take a few moments each day to visualize yourself at your ideal weight. Imagine how it feels to look the way you’ve always wanted.
* Protect your mind from any negative self talk. If a negative thought comes to mind, immediately reject it.
* You want to be healthy and fit, and yet you think of yourself as out-of-shape and fat. Re-program your mind to think of yourself as fit and attractive, and you will be well on your way toward achieving your goal.
* Give up the belief that you can’t achieve the body you’ve always dreamed of. See it first in your mind, and then in the mirror.

Blocker #2: Your Fear

Change makes most of us nervous – even if it is a change in the right direction. You may not be consciously aware of the fear you have of getting into shape. Until you conquer this fear, your weight loss efforts will be blocked by self sabotage.

Professional speaker and author, Anthony Robbins, has outlined three specific beliefs that you must have in order to conquer your fear and instantly create a lasting change.

* Believe that something MUST change. You can’t be wishy-washy about it. You can’t be considering it. You can’t even be pretty sure about it. You’ve got to be rock solid.
* Believe that YOU must change it. You can’t pass the buck of responsibility and expect to lose weight. It’s on your shoulders. Other people will prove to be great assets in your journey, but in the end you are the one who is going to make it happen. You have to want this weight loss enough to make it your personal mission.
* Believe you CAN change it. You may have failed in the past, but that doesn’t matter. When you put your mind to it, you’re able to do amazing things. Do you believe that you are capable of losing weight? Once you own the belief that you can, you’ll be unstoppable.

Blocker #3: Your Excuses

Your excuses for being out-of-shape are getting old. An excuse takes less immediate effort than an action, but in the long run the action taker always has the advantage. Don’t allow excuses to ruin your life any longer.

* Don’t skip out on your responsibilities with excuses, instead expect more from yourself.
* Focus on the big reason why you are losing the weight. Make a list of the benefits you’ll enjoy once you achieve your goal, and read them first thing each morning.
* Remember that you can only have two things in life: excuses or results. Which do you want?

Blocker #4: Your Commitment

How many times have you tried to lose weight, only to give up a week or two later? We live in a commitment-phobic world, so it’s no wonder that you routinely abandon your goals. If you truly want to lose weight then your commitment to the process is a must.

* The margin between success and failure is bridged by your commitment. Don’t give up until your goal has been achieved.
* Treat exercise with the same importance as a work meeting, and you’ll never skip it at the last minute. Find three available 60-minute time slots in your schedule and mark them (in pen) on your calendar. Now stick to your schedule.
* If you don’t give up, then you’ll never fail.

Blocker #5: Your Diet

If you consistently eat the wrong food, then you’re weight loss efforts will all be in vain. To put it bluntly, you need to stop eating junk. Processed foods, refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup do not belong in your diet if you want to be in great shape. Cut these items out of your diet and replace them with real whole foods like lean meats, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and fruits.

* Don’t eat processed foods. Even though processed foods are accepted by our society, they contain tons of chemicals and empty calories that will make you sick and fat.
* Fat contains twice the caloric density of protein and carbohydrates, so make sure to limit the amount that you consume. Eat lots of lean proteins and wholesome carbohydrates from plants and whole grains.
* Vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts and seeds are filled with fiber and antioxidants which are vital for healthy weight loss. Snack on these instead of packaged treats.

Blocker #6: Your Patience

It takes time to transform your body from fat to fit, even though you want it to happen overnight. Remind yourself that it took time to put the weight on, so it will take time to take the weight off. When you find your patience wavering, or when you encounter a frustrating plateau, do the following:

* Review your goal. Is it specific and measurable? Is it small and attainable, rather than monumental? Focus on your goal when the going gets tough.
* Make each workout a new experience. Challenge your body with different resistance, new exercises and a varied pace.
* Remember that anyone can have one great workout, but that won’t get you the body you want. The only way to achieve your goal is by consistently exercising and eating right, plain and simple.

Blocker #7: Your Support

People who exercise alone are less challenged, less accountable and are more likely to fail.

* Find a workout partner who is in better shape than you, or better yet, work with a Personal Trainer. Let one of our staff or Trainers coach you each step of the way, keeping you accountable to workouts and giving you that dose of encouragement when you need it most.

Get serious about your results and begin the last weight loss program that you’ll ever do.

Call or email today to schedule your first workout. You’ll find my contact info in this newsletter.

Write & Review

You could be making a valiant effort to lose weight, but if you eat too much each day then the number on your scale will not budge. Even if you think that you’re limiting calories, you won’t know unless you do a little research.

Get a small notebook to carry with you and jot down everything you eat for an entire week. Be sure to include the exact amount that you eat of each food item. At the end of the week do a tally of each day, and then figure out how many calories you eat on an average day.

Review your daily entries for items that are filled with empty calories – like cookies, candy or soda pop. These should be the first things that you cut out of your diet as you transform your body.

White Bean Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a dish of cooked vegetables that originated in southern France. It is hearty and satisfying, like comfort food, with none of the guilt. This version contains white beans which add protein and have a wonderful texture. Serve it hot or cold, either way this dish is sure to please.
Yield: 8 servings

Here’s what you need:

* 1 large-size globe eggplant, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
* 1 tablespoon water, for sautéing
* 2 medium-size red onions, sliced
* 3 medium-size zucchini, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
* 2 red bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch squares
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/4 cup dry white wine
* 1 cup vegetable stock
* 4 tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped (or 2 cans – 15 oz each – fire roasted diced tomatoes)
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 2 bay leaves
* 2 (15oz) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
* Salt and fresh group pepper, to taste
* 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil

1. Steam eggplant cubes for 10 minutes. Heat the water in a large-size sauté pan, add onions and cook, for 5 minutes.
2. Add zucchini and bell peppers and cook, stirring often, for another 5 minutes. Add steamed eggplant and cook another 5 minutes, then add garlic.
3. Add wine and stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-high and stir in tomatoes, parsley, thyme, oregano, and bay leaves. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add beans to skillet, stirring well to combine. Cook, uncovered, until vegetables are tender but not mushy and liquids have thickened, stirring occasionally for another 5 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
5. Remove skillet from heat, remove the bay leaves, and stir in chopped basil.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 195 calories, 1g fat, 38g carbohydrate, 11.5g fiber, and 9.5g protein.

Fit For Life Fitness Center 4031 NW 97th Blvd., Gainesville, FL 32606.