Archive for January, 2010

It's the weekend and we want a cocktail!  Is it really so bad to have a drinky poo now and then?  Let's take a look at the naked truth about that liquid diet...

Alcohol & Nutrition

The key to determining whether you need alcohol is to understand what alcohol is and how it is processed in your body. Calories provide energy for our bodies to function. We get calories from carbohydrates, protein, fat, and alcohol. For each gram, you get a set number of calories.   Protein and carbohydrates have 4 kcal per gram,  while fat has 9 kcals per gram.  Alcohol sits in the middle weighing in at 7 kcal per gram.   Each of these provide energy, but not all are equal when it comes to nutrition.

A food is considered to be a source of "empty calories" when there are no other nutrients present besides the nutrient that provide the calories. Alcohol is considered to be a source of empty calories because it provides only negligible amounts of vitamins and minerals. Due to the fact that alcohol often replaces nutrient-rich food and directly interferes with the body's absorption, storage, and use of nutrients, it has also been called the "antinutrient nutrient."

Alcohol & Metabolism

The nutrients protein, carbohydrates, and fat can be stored in our bodies, but alcohol cannot. For this reason, it takes priority over everything else in order to be metabolized.  The enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase begins some of the metabolism of alcohol in the stomach.

Women have less of this enzyme, so alcohol passes through their stomachs and into their bloodstream quicker than in men. Once alcohol is absorbed, it spreads rapidly into the body water spaces, so the smaller size and higher body fat content of women increase its levels. Women metabolize about 10% of the alcohol ingested, while men metabolize about 30%.  Your liver can metabolize about 1 oz of alcohol per hour.

Alcohol is considered a poison by your body, and all efforts are made to excrete it, including the cessation of maintaining healthy blood glucose levels. Studies have shown that alcohol interferes with all three sources of glucose and the hormones needed to maintain healthy blood glucose levels.

Alcohol can also negatively impact blood sugar levels each time that it is consumed, regardless of the frequency of consumption. Research has shown that acute consumption increases insulin secretion, causing low blood sugar, and can also impair the hormonal response that would normally rectify the low blood sugar. Drinking as little as 2 ounces of alcohol on an empty stomach can lead to very low blood sugar levels.

Alcohol and Weight Gain

Your body has a set number of calories necessary that must be consumed to maintain your weight. This need is based on your height, weight, age, gender, and activity level. When you consume more calories than your body needs, you will gain weight. Alcohol provides many calories in a small volume and can end up being a source of unwanted extra calories and weight gain. One study showed a 20% increase in calories consumed at a meal when alcohol was consumed before the meal. There was a total caloric increase of 33% when the calories from the alcohol were added. These additional calories can very easily contribute to weight gain over a short amount of time.

Studies have shown that in the short term, alcohol stimulates food intake and can also increase subjective feelings of hunger. Other studies have shown that the stimulatory effects of alcohol on food intake are controlled by hormonal regulation of satiety and satiation, such as the hormone leptin.  Regardless of the cause, the outcome is the same; people consume more food when they have consumed alcohol.

What type of alcohol is best to drink when I drink?

While there is some evidence that wine may have more beneficial effects than beer and distilled spirits, these results are still controversial and may be confounded by personal characteristics and other lifestyle factors such as diet.

Beer contains more B vitamins than wine and comparable levels of different antioxidants. The antioxidants in beer come from the barley and hops used to make the beer, while the antioxidants in wine come from the grapes.

Regardless of the kind of alcohol consumed, moderation remains the key. Excessive intakes of wine, beer, or distilled sprits will detrimentally affect your health.

So when toasting to your health, remember this....  one martini, two at the most, over three and your liver (and diet) are toast....

Ask Bev Leonard how she lost almost 24 inches and learned to love her body again and she'd say one word" METABOLISM.

Bev, like many women our age, tried various diet plans and gyms but none of those efforts ever gave her the results she was looking for. Although she knew she needed it,weight training wasn’t even on her radar. The truth was, she really didn’t enjoy working out and she didn’t like going to a large gym where she didn’t feel she fit in. Like many of us, she bought various work out tapes, and tried them at home on her own. She'd do them for awhile and then lose interest. She simply had a hard time motivating herself. She also tried walking- in fact she walked four to five miles every day but became discouraged because the extra pounds around her waist and core area simply would not budge. She was exercising but wasn’t getting the results she wanted.

It seemed she had tried everything but nothing seemed to give her lasting results. She hated to exercise. With The Leaner Stronger Sooner program, Kansas City's premier Pilates Fat Loss Program, Bev worked with her personal coach, Matreena to change the way she ate and the way she looked at exercise. The first time she came to the studio (to buy a gift certificate for her daughter), Bev took one look at the reformers and strange looking equipment, little knowing she'd soon be looking forward to her own workouts and the magnificent results she was to get!  Listen!

"When Matreena first suggested trying Leaner Stronger Sooner, I wasn’t sure this was for me. I agreed to Leaner Stronger Sooner a week after the program started. We started to work out and talked about healthy eating. I began to take other classes...

By week 6 I couldn’t believe how the inches had fallen off. The exercise technique I was learning was working magic. I was gaining the upper body strength I never had. Amazingly I began to lose that post- menopausal belly that women my age often posses. I continued to see changes in my body. Leaner Stronger Sooner has truly been life changing. I have learned so much!

I highly recommend Leaner Stronger Sooner to anyone who wants to lose and keep off inches and weight. This is a lifestyle and it works. You see, I now enjoy working out. I feel leaner, stronger and this happened sooner than I ever imagined. Losing 23 inches and 9 pounds in 11 weeks has been amazing. I can’t go more than a day without wanting a workout!"

You too can learn to change METABOLISM and your BODY!  Come find out more Saturday, September 18th at 1:00pm.

The LEANER STRONGER SOONER PROGRAM has worked for our clients and IT WILL WORK FOR YOU!   Call 913 499 7510 to reserve your space today!

The LEANER STRONGER SOONER PROGRAM  helped Sara "Sulli" Sullivan lose 22 lbs!   " The Leaner Stronger Sooner program definitely was not easy and cardio workouts will probably always be my least favorite thing to do. But as time went on, I started seeing results and other people started pointing out changes in my body - that felt fantastic and kept me fired up to keep going. Eventually my clothes stopped fitting me. A few weeks ago I had to get four pairs of pants altered because they wouldn’t stay up on my hips. Read more... I have lost a total of 22 pounds, which means I have taken about three-and-a-half years of weight off of my body. Since the LSS program began, I have changed my body fat from 39% to 17%! I think what made LSS successful for me is that the program is something I enjoy. The studio is a warm and welcoming environment, and everyone is very encouraging of my progress. I like all of the teachers, I like the classes, but what I like even more is that this is something that I did for myself. I am excited by the compliments I am getting, but I did this for me. I feel stronger and more confident, my skin looks better, I am sleeping better - the results are impressive. And I’m proud of myself."

 

You can get the same results!  All you have to do is pick up the phone.  Call 913 499 7510 and begin your own transformation today!

Word of Kansas City's most successful weight loss program is spreading fast!  We're selling out fast! Our Winter session of our fabulous Fat Loss program begins with our Metabolism Workhop on Sat Jan 23rd. This workshop details how we are able to combine pilates, personal training, nutritional counseling and cardio workouts to get the AMAZING RESULTS you've witnessed with our participants! Just listen to how Judy W went from a size 12 jean to a sleek size 6 in just 12 weeks!  She's a walking testimony to our program and the fact that 'Jeans truly don't lie!' Congratulations Judy!  You can do it too!  BUT HURRY! WE ONLY HAVE A FEW SPOTS LEFT! 913 499 7510!

ONE TWEAK A WEEK CAN HELP YOU DO IT!

If your goal this year is to lose fat, tone up and get the results you are finally looking for, forget the deprivation diet and marathon workouts. We've got GREAT NEWS FOR YOU!

New research shows that taking baby steps - not giant leaps - is the best way to get lasting results. A recent study found that participants who made one small, potentially permanent change in their food choices and/or physical activity each week (such as drinking one fewer can of soda or walking 5 more minutes each day) lost more than twice as much belly fat, 2 1/2 more inches off their waistlines, and about 4 times more weight over 16 weeks, compared with those who followed traditional calorie-restriction and physical-activity guidelines.

At Pilates1901 our trainers are committed to helping you make those little lifestyle changes you need to succeed in your weight loss and personal training goals. As Kansas City's premier Pilates and Personal training studio, we have proven results from our clients who have lost 10, 20, 30 and even 50 lbs on our program! And you can too. But first take a look at our top ten fat busting choices that can turn your muffintop into a flat, taut belly! You can do it! WE KNOW BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN OUR CLIENTS DO IT!

#1 Pick up a pen after your meal. The most powerful tool in your reach is a food journal. You have to get real before you can change your body. We offer our clients an online food journal that also functions as a nutritional counselor. It's not only effective but educational!

#2 Say no to processed foods. Kathy Hale, our LSS Chef teaches you how to cook flavorful, nutrient dense meals that are simple and delicious. More than 5 ingredients? Put it back on the shelf. Say no to processed goo.... say yes to whole foods that feed your body and keep you satisfied!

#3 Walk 5 more minutes a day. We're not kidding! By adding 5 minutes a day each day for 6 days you'll be walking 30 minutes- enough time studies show to burn 120 kcals a day which adds up to a whopping 12.5 lbs per year! If you are starting a walking program, pick up a pedometer. Studies show folks who wear them walk significantly MORE than those who don't. As we know, it's all about BEING MINDFUL!

#4 Don't Resist RESISTANCE! A little bit of strength training goes a LONG WAY toward combating that jelly belly and dragging behind. Lisa Looy's 12 minute DIRTY DOZEN workout uses your own body weight and pilates based movements to wake up your metabolism, build muscle and burn fat. And this is just one of the extra workouts included in our LSS FAT LOSS PROGRAM!

#5 Extra Extra, Hear all about it! Sharing your goals and your mission with others is proven to be almost twice as effective as successful weight loss alone. Our program pairs you with your personal coach to help you each step of the way. You'll set goals, develop a plan and work together throughout the program. More than that, you'll become one of our LSS Fat Loss Family- a wonderful community of folks just like you who have lost tons of lbs, changed their bodies and love the way pilates makes them feel.

You can make 2010 just another year of missed oppportunites OR you can pick up the phone and call the studio today. Space is limited and this program will sell out. Don't wait another moment to change your body and your life forever! Call 913 499 7510!