Archive for August, 2010

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. She felt she had tried everything but nothing seemed to give her lasting results.   She hated to exercise.

Then she found Kansas City's premier Pilates based fat loss program,  LEANER STRONGER SOONER!  Just listen to what she has to say now!

 

"When Matreena, my coach first called and  suggested I try 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 workshop is FREE so bring a friend and find out WHY WE ARE FAT, and HOW NOT TO BE!

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!

Click here to upload your flyer...

In our last post we discovered the truth about your food: if  your dinner comes in a box,  through a drive in window or from the local restaurant chain, there's a good chance it's full of trans fats,  high fructose corn syrup and wasted calories.  It's much healthier to eat at home, but many of us are loathe to take the time to plan much less prepare wholesome meals because it just seems to damn hard!

At Pilates 1901, we are not just into helping you get stronger and longer from Pilates training but healthier in every aspect of your life.  That's why we're focusing on the healthy, down to earth eating and cooking tips outlined in the book series EAT THIS, NOT THAT.    This excerpt revels that when it comes to cooking great, healthy food, you don't need a whole lot.  In fact, all you need is a few sturdy pots and pans and a handful of reliable kitchen staples.  Sure, you can spend all the cash you want on outfitting your kitchen with the finest equipment and fancy ingredients, but meals don't cook themselves.

That's why they've outlined the following 8 kitchen commandments to keep the process simple and do-able. It's all about honest, simple food. These 8 simple rules will make your home-cooked meals delicious and healthy - what more could you ask for?

Treat yourself
Not just when it comes to calories (which is indeed important) but also with the quality of food you buy. Americans spend less of their income on food than any other country in the world, so adding a few dollars to your food budget in order to secure omega-3-rich grass-fed steaks or glistening wild Alaskan salmon fillets is money well spent.

Think about it; if it's something that will help you look, feel, and function better, isn't it worth it to spend a few extra bucks for the best?

At Pilates 1901 we believe everyone is capable of living their healthiest, most fulfilling life.  That's why we give personal attention to each of our clients and support them through every goal, whether it's weight loss or rehab or simply gaining more flexibility for the golf course.

We have a busy Fall lined up for you, starting with the kick off of our LEANER STRONGER SOONER FAT LOSS PROGRAM. We want you to come and learn more about your metabolism and all the things we can do to to set a fire under it at our METABOLISM 101 Workshop,  Saturday, Sept 18th at 1pm. The workshop is FREE but we'd love you to reserve your spot so we can plan the event!

To learn more about our programs please call 913 499 7510 or email tina@pilates1901.com today!

Pilates 1901 is using David Zincenkdo and Matt Goulding's excellent book series, EAT THIS, NOT THAT as part of our upcoming LEANER STRONGER SOONER FAT LOSS PROGRAM. We chose these books because they are packed full of nutrition nuggets that are not only easy to assimilate but easy to implement. And that means you are one step closer to making the lifestyle changes that add up to a leaner, longer, healthy sculpted body.

It really doesn't have to get complicated. And that's what LSS is all about: combining the fitness benefits of regular pilates and cardio exercise with informed food choices. It works. And we have the clients results to prove it. I want to tell you more about our Fall session of LSS but first, this excerpt about the food we are eating and why we need to become more aware of what we are putting into our mouths.

"When we were little kids, having dinner was simple three part process:
1. meat and potatoes
2. take all the green stuff and feed it to the dogs
3. ask for dessert.

This system worked great for generations of kids- although not so great for a generation of dogs. We grew up pretty happy and healthy, and Mom and Dad were right; when we go older we actually tried, and liked, some of the green stuff.

But then, a couple of things happened:
1. a lot of people in our neighborhood started to get fat.
2. a lot of people in the government developed an opinion about why all the people were getting fat.

And suddenly food go really complicated. Something that ought to be easy as pie (literally), became fraught with challenges, shrouded in myth, and obscured by a combination of complicated government regulation, marketing mystique and dietary hysteria.

How something EASY got so COMPLICATED

There's an old saying that 'a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing.' And nowhere can that point be illustrated more clearly than in the American dietary attitudes- in particular our attitudes about fat.

In an effort to help its citizens eat more healthfully, the USDA issued guidelines back in the 1970's that recommended against eating too much saturated fat because saturated fat can raise cholesterol, and high cholesterol can lead to heart disease. Pretty simple, right?

The USDA's recommendation drove people to abandon saturated fat, like butter and replace it with substitutes that seemed pretty harmless: transfats (the kind you find in many margerines.) Indeed food marketers scrambled to take advantage of the healthy properties of transfat- and what a coup that was! Unlike normal fats, transfat stays solid at room temperature so you can turn it into cookies, muffins, cupcakes, and hundreds of other supermarket staples... and it will never leak into its cardboard box container- GENIUS!

But the case closed before all the evidence was in and it turns out that saturated fat isn't quite as bad for you as our 'government experts' decided. While it does raise bad cholesterol, is also raises good cholesterol. So the link between saturated fat and heart disease is less clear cut that originally thought.

There's still a case against saturated fat- it doesn't do a whole lot for your body nutritionally and it's easily stored in your belly, your butt or the handbags where your triceps used to be. But it's not the time bomb for your ticker that it's been made out to be. What can really damage your heart, raise your cholesterol and increase your risk of stroke? You guessed it: Trans fat.

Yes, as it turns out trans fat, the 'heart healthy' alternative you ate in your margarine all these years is the deadliest fat known to man! It's not even natural- it's a substance concocted, marketed, and consumed by people and it's caused alot of damage.

Today the USDA recommends limiting transfat to less than 2 grams per day. But it's not as simple as looking for those "No Transfat labels" on the packages of your favorite supermarket. In fact the US government ruled that convenience foods can claim the no trans fat label if it carries less than .5 grams of trans fat. In other words, you could eat four servings of convenience foods that say "no trans fat" on the label and still come close to exceeding your daily value of trans fat! Even if you ate nothing else all day. That's how much it has become part of our food industry landscape.

Try a simple test. Put a stick of butter and a stick of margarine on the kitchen counter. Wait an hour. Now look-the butter is a bit runny and soft; which is what natural fat is supposed to look like. The margarine looks unnaturally firm- and plastic... because it is. Anything with partially hydrogenated oil or shortening is cursed with the stuff.

Wow! Did we get the shaft or what? Here's the actual good news. So much of the confusion about what to eat and how much to eat surrounds the stuff that's pre-packaged or cooked up in restaurants. COOK AT HOME and you'll automatically put a damper on your trans fat consumption. At home you are in full control of your food. No secret fats, no hidden sugars, no misleading menu descriptions: Just you and the simple building blocks of your next meal: REAL FOOD."

Stay tuned for more from the EAT THIS, NOT THAT book series. Next week, we'll be detailing what every healthy cook needs to have in their pantry and kitchen. Being prepared is 80% of any successful program and we want all of you to be successful in your fat loss goals.

Our FALL LEANER STRONGER SOONER program begins . This is a FREE workshop open to anyone who wants to know why we are fat and how not to be! And it is the first in our FALL LSS Workshop series- a 14 part educational series for our LSS Clients to keep them motivated and inspired to reach their weight loss goals.

Click here to upload the complete Fall workshop schedule.

Call Tina at 913 499 7510 for more information or drop her an email at tina@pilates1901.com The kids are back in school - isn't time for a little ME TIME? We can help you with that and get you incredible results too! And there's not a thing wrong with that!

We know you're working hard juggling your job, the kids schedules, taking care of the house and oh yeah, trying to maintain that relationship. It's perfectly natural for all of us to opt for dinner out rather than getting organized enough to make dinner happen at home.

But from a health and weight loss perspective, our most important food decision isn't just what to order from a menu. It's whether to hop into the car, drive to a restaurant, wait for a table, and pick up that menu in the first place. By the time you've made the trip and scored a table, you could be sitting down at home to a meal that tastes better, costs less, and is much healthier than the caloric bombs you'd tip a waitress to bring you. The restaurant world is hazardous for anyone hoping to control their weight. If you're looking for a burger, a plate of pasta -- or even just a salad -- it's difficult to find a entree that comes in under 1,000 calories. What's worse, you could end up ingesting a few days' worth of sodium, bad fats, and refined carbs.

There's a better way. In this excerpt from David Zinczenko & Matt Goulding's new book, Cook This, Not That!, we'll show you how to whip up the kind of food typically go out for. But you can make it better! Best of all, these meals are easy (dare we say fun?), to make! Here are just a couple examples of the calories you can save by cooking at home.

We love this book so much, we're using it as the cornerstone to our Fall Leaner Stronger Sooner fat loss program. It's an excellent reference not only for delicious time saving, money pinching, calorie whittling recipes, but how to stock your kitchen and pantry to be motivated to feed yourself and your family healthy meals every day!

Yogurt Parfait
Fruit flavored yogurts are essentially glorified ice cream. Read the label of any fruit on the bottom brand you'll see what we mean: odds are high fructose corn syrup is considerably higher on the ingredients list than actual fruit.  That's why it's always better to buy plain, protein rich Greek yogurt and add the real fruit yourself.  Do this by layering for visual appeal and tossing granola in for some crunch.  Decadent enough to be dessert but exactly what you need to start your day: protein and fiber.

You'll need:
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup blueberries
2 tb sugar
4-5 mint leaves
8 oz plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup granola

How to make it:
Combine the fruit, sugar and mint in a bowl and allow to sit for 3-4 minutes.  Spoon half the yogurt into a bowl or glass, top with half the fruit and granola, then repeat with the remaining yogurt, fruit and granola.  Pour any accumulated juice from the fruit over the top!

Makes 1 serving - 330 calories - about $2.72 to create

Sure, you can buy the same thing at Au Bon Pain.... but their large Blueberry yogurt with blueberries and granola.... but it costs $3.26 and has 700 calories!  You just saved 370 calories and .54 cents!  And it's only breakfast!

Warm Goat Cheese Salad
If you want to drop 15 lbs this year replace every restaurant salad you eat with a homemade version.  This warm goat cheese salad with pear will make a believer out of everyone!

What you'll need:
4 oz fresh goat cheese
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp dried thyme or Italian dressing
salt and black pepper to taste
1 egg slightly beaten
1/4 cup walnuts
1 6 oz bag cups mixed greens
1 pear peeled, cored and sliced
Low fat balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

How to make it:
Slice the goat cheese into 4 1/2 inch disks (using dental floss makes this easy).  If cheese crumbles just pat back together into shape. 
Pour the bread crumbs onto a plate and add seasonings.
Dip the goat cheese into the egg, then through the crumb mixture to coat evenly.
Place them on a plate and put into the freezer for 15 minutes>

Preheat overn to 450 degrees.  Place the goat cheese on a baking sheet coated with non stick spray and bake for 10 minutes until the cheese is soft and the crumbs are toasted.  While the oven is still hot, toast the walnuts.

Toss the lettuce with vinaigrette and pear and divide among 4 cold plates.  Top with walnuts and cheese. 

Makes 4 servings - 370 kcals  - about $2.89 to make

Now you could have driven down to the Plaza to the California Pizza kitchen and picked up that healthy sounding Field Greens salad from them.  But it has a whopping 1372 calories and costs $10.29!  You just saved 1002 calories and $7.40  and it's only lunch!

Grilled Mahimahi
Menu descriptions can be so misleading.  On the Border's "red chili seasoned fresh fillet of mahimahi grilled to perfection" sounds like the healthiest dish ever devised by a chain restaurant but eat it and you'll be chewing through nearly half a day's calories!   Try this Cook this, not that version at home tonight and save 660 calories!

What you'll need:
1 jar of roasted red peppers, drained
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and black pepper to taste
4 mahimahi, sea bass or halibut fillets- 6 oz each

How to make it:
To make the sauces combing the red peppers, cayenne, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and cumin in a blender and puree until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.
Lightly oil a grill or stovetop grill pan and heat until medium hot.
Lightly season the flesh side of the fillets with salt and pepper and place them, skin side down, on the hot grill.
Cook for 4-5 minutes until the skins are lightly charred and crispy.  Turn them over and cook another 2-3 minutes.
When they're done the fish should flake with gentle pressure from your fingertip.
Serve with mango or other fresh fruit relish and top with red pepper sauce.

Makes 4 servings - 310 calories - about $5.64 to create

You just saveed 660 calories and $9.35 by making this meal at home.  Better yet, you saved a whopping 2362 calories and $22.36 by making these simple meals at home!  Do the math!  That can really add up over the course of a week, much less a year!

Look for more healthy eating tips and recipes from Pilates 1901 as we get you ready for our Fall session of Leaner Stronger Sooner.   This unique fat loss program is Kansas City's only pilates based fat loss program guaranteed to get you back in your skinny jeans fast!  For more information, click here or call Tina at 913 499 7510 today!

Imagine for a moment that you were offered you a potion that would magically strip away pounds from your body, improve your overall health, lengthen your life, make you more attractive to the opposite sex and keep you lean forever!  And imagine you could have a lifetime supply of that potion for FREE!    You'd probably think it was too good to be true.  But the reality is, it is true.   DRINK THIS, NOT THAT, a book in the Eat this, Not that series, explains.....

You CAN have all the magic weight loss potion you want for free, and start stripping away pounds - perhaps even dozens of pounds this year alone without exercise, without dieting, without even visiting the neighborhood surgeon.  You can by drinking this magic elixer called WATER.

Once you begin to see that alot of America's weight problem is linked to not just what they are eating, but what they are drinking, you'll become aware that you may have developed a bit of a drinking problem yourself.  Follow these 5 steps from DRINK THIS NOT THAT to drink up and slim down, starting today!

Step #1   - GET RID OF THE SODA AND ICED TEAS. (Annual weight loss up to 20 lbs!)
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a government nutritional study measured among other things where most of our calories come from.  Researchers broke up America's food intake into 143 categories and discovered, to their horror, that the category making up the largest percentage of our caloric intake (7.1%) was not food at all- it was soda. (this beat out vegetables, chicken and fish! at 6.5 and 5.7% respectively).  This means if you are consuming about 3000 calories a day and you cut that by 7% (2790 calories), you'd automatically save about 1.8 lbs per month- you could be 10 lbs smaller in just 6 months without changing anything else!   That makes me want to drink water right now!

STEP TWO:  DRINK 8 CUPS OF ICED WATER EACH DAY! (Annual weight loss up to 26 lbs!)
Yes, the magic elixir really does have magic powers!  In one study, 173 overweight women were put through a diet and nutrition training using mainstream diet programs.  Researchers followed them for 10 months with diet and body composition being documented for up to 12 months after the classes were over. All women in the program lost weight but those drinking more water lost more weight.  Drinking 1 lieter of water per day (nearly 4.5 cups) was associated with over 5 lbs more weight lost in 12 months!   Just when you think this doesn't sound like much, think about how long you've been trying to get those last 10 lbs off!  5 lbs is 1/2 way there!  5 lbs could be a pant size!

Researchers at the University of Utah found that people who drink the most water have higher metabolisms!  In a study, subjects drank 4, 8 and 12 cups of water each day.  Those who drank at least 8 cups reported better concentration and higher energy levels- and they were burning more calories than the 4 cup per day group!

While drinking water will help you look, feel and burn better, drinking that water on ice will up the ante again!  Studies suggest that just making that water cold will force your body to burn up to 64 more calories per day just warming up the water to use.   Other studies show folks who drink a full glass of water first thing in the morning (before coffee, before breakfast)-  cut their daily caloric intake by up to 13 percent!

STEP #3  ENJOY 1,2 OR 3 YOGURTY DRINKS A DAY! (Annual weight loss up to 10 lbs!)
A combination of ice, dairy and fruit does more than just make your blender rattle.  It also helps you strip pounds from your body!  They're packed with nutrition (especially if you start with greek yogurt and add berries, some whey and flax seeds) and their thick consistency takes up alot of space in your belly, so they're filling!  Researchers at Purdue University found that people stayed fuller longer when they drank thick drinks than when they drank thin ones.  People that drank yogurt shakes that had been blended  until they doubled in volume ate 96 fewer calories per day than those consuming thinner drinks.

A University of Tennessee study found that men who added 3 servings of yogurt a day to their diets lost 61%  more body fat and 81% more belly fat than men who didn't consume yogurt.  The reason: researchers think that calcium helps your body burn fat and helps limite the amount of new fat your body can make!  That makes me say MOOOOO!

STEP #4  DON'T DRINK JUICE DRINKS (Annual weight loss up to 19 lbs!)
Imagine a world where we called products what they really are!   Sunny D would be called Obesi-D because there's nothing sunny about a drinke marketed to kids that looks and tastes like juice but is 95 percent water and corn syrup.  While even 100% juice has it's problems (dense in calories and no fiber) , juice drink and their ilk are the worst offenders.  On 16 oz bottle of Sunny D packs a whoppoing 180 empty calories and 40 grams of sugar!  If you drink one per day and stop- you'll lose 19 lbs in one year!

STEP #5  DRINK COFFEE, NOT COFFEE DRINKS! (Annual weight loss up to 18 lbs!)
Researchers studied the drinking habits of Starbucks customers and found they opted for blended coffee drinks over regular brewed coffee 2/3 of the time. The average caloric impact of the blended drinks was 239 calories.  The regular coffee about 63 with added cream and sugar.   So even if you like your coffee like mine (coffee milkish) you can save 176 calories a day, just by making this one swap!

Of course, unless you're currently engaging in all of the bad habits listed above, you probably won't have 93 lbs to lose this year.  But this does illustrate how easy it is to shed extra weight, lots of it, just by watching what we drink!  And that, says DRINK THIS NOT THAT , is something worth raising a glass to!

NEXT WEEK:  WE ARE WHAT WE DRINK:  Cocktails 101 and other interesting facts about the booze we love most......

Why wait one more minute to look and feel your best?  Lose weight, lose fat, build muscle and get the best body of your life!  Pilates 1901 has Kansas City's best pilates based fat loss program!  We kick off the FALL SESSION on Saturday, September 18th with our METABOLISM 101 WORKSHOP!  It's FREE!  Come find out more!  913 499 7510.

The STOTT PILATES® Intensive Certification Program has been carefully developed to prepare you to teach STOTT PILATES® contemporary approach to the original Pilates repertoire effectively with confidence. The solid training you gain through STOTT PILATES® hands-on approach, relevant case studies and attention to detail ensures the success of your clients and your business

Check out our Fall Certification programs and our City Wide OPEN HOUSE to learn how  STOTT PILATES® the area's only INTERNATIONAL certification program can help you improve your income and bottom line!

Intensive Reformer Training TM - Coming in September

Course Description: This course prepares you to teach a broad range of exercises, variations and modifications performed on the Reformer - the key piece of resistance equipment used in Pilates exercise. The IR course also teaches you how to combine Matwork® and Reformer based workouts for increased variety and intensity. Upon completion of this course you are able to further motivate group classes and customize personal training sessions for a range of clients. In addition to the general course objectives you learn: 50 hours of instruction, 10 hrs. observation, 30 hrs. physical review. 15 hrs. practice teaching. Cost: *$1450.00 *(does not include materials Dates: September 17-19, October 15-17 and November 11-14, 2010 12:00- 5:30pm on Friday & Saturday and 11:00am - 4:30pm on Sunday

Please join us for a very special Open House to learn how STOTT PILATES® training will improve your bottom line! Friday, October 8th   6pm - 9pm during the John Garey workshops! Bring a friend!  Snacks and adult beverages provided!

Athletic Conditioning Workshops with John Garey Friday, October 8th - THREE FUN AND CHALLENGING WORKOUTS WITH JOHN 5:30pm- Mat Mania 6:30 pm- Reformer Challenge 7:30pm - Jumpboard Blitz These spots will go fast! Reserve your spot in one workout for $40 or all 3 for $105 Saturday, October 9th - EXPAND YOUR REPERTOIRE WITH THESE TWO DYNAMITE WORKSHOPS! These 3 hour workshops may be taken for ACE and STOTT cec's 11:00 am- Athletic Conditioning II on the V2 Max 2:30pm - Advanced Pilates Circuit Training Workshops are $99 each or both for $175- Sign up early. They will fill! John Garey is the owner of John Garey Pilates in Long Beach, CA, a STOTT PILATES* Licensed Training Center. He has been a fitness presenter for 15 years and has taught and motivated instructors throughout the world. John has contributed to and appeared in numerous publications such as Shape, Men's Fitness, Pilates Style, the Chicago Tribune, the LA Times, and ePregnancy and more. John is a 1995 United States National Aerobics Champion. He holds an MA in Adult Fitness from New York University. He has been described by American Fitness Magazine as "one of the best instructors in the country." John has helped develop and promote numerous fitness programs for such prestigious companies as Schwinn, Avia, Reebok, Urban Rebounder, BOSU, and STOTT PILATES. John has studied the work of Joseph Pilates since 1992 and is a STOTT PILATES Master Instructor Trainer and International Presenter. In addition, he is Pilates Method Alliance Certified and serves on the Ethics Committee of the PMA. He's a very dynamic and positive presenter and his energy is contagious. John is a regular Master Presenter at prestigious Fitness and Pilates Conventions such as IDEA, East Coast Alliance, DCAC, Can Fit Pro, Pilates Method Alliance, and Body Mind Spirit. Contact Tina at 913 499 7510 for reservations today!

Continuing Soon....

IMP - Intensive Mat Plus TM Course Description: IMP provides you with the solid foundation and skills you need to develop effective and motivating personal and group training programs. At the end of the course you are qualified to design and teach essential and intermediate level matwork classes, integrate small equipment to add variety and meet the specific needs of your clients-from post rehabilitation patients to elite athletes. 40 hours of instruction, 10 hrs. observation, 30 hrs. physical review. 15 hrs. practice teaching. Cost: *$1250.00 *(does not include materials) Dates: Coming January 2011 12:00- 5:30pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday 11:00am – 4:30pm on Sunday

* All course materials must be purchased separately from STOTT PILATES®. Please access this information at www.stottpilates.com These workshops fill quickly. Please reserve your space early. You may register online by accessing our online scheduling system. Just click on Schedule an Appt above or call the studia at 913 499 7510. Questions? Email us at info@pilates1901.com Our expert staff is trained by internationally recognized STOTT PILATES® and other disciplines to insure our students achieve their goals effectively and safely.

In preparing for our Fall session of Leaner Stronger Sooner Fat Loss program, I picked up the book, DRINK THIS, NOT THAT (of the Eat this, Not that book series).  I was absolutely floored by what I read!

It seems, over the past 50 years or so, we Americans have developed a severe drinking problem. That's right.  We stopped making our own iced teas and lemonades (recipe: water, lemon, sugar) and started buying them in bottles or mixes, with ingredients like "high-fructose corn syrup" and "ascorbic acid" on the labels.

We stopped thinking of a soda as a treat - akin to an ice cream or a candy bar - and started seeing it as the equivalent of a glass of water, drinking two, three, four, or more a day. Then we stopped drinking water out of the tap and started demanding that it be artificially flavored and put into bottled with the words "vitamin" or "energy" stamped on their labels.

And, in just the last decade or so, many of us stopped brewing our own coffee and started buying things with vaguely European names, like "mocha latte." And the result of all this beverage evolution is that, today, walking into a convenience store or a beverage distributorship has become dangerous to our health.

America’s supermarket aisles and drive-thru menus are now awash in empty liquid calories.   And so today, you and I and the rest of America will drink about 21 percent of the total number of calories we're supposed to eat in one day!  Liquid calories now account for a whopping 400 calories per day!  (This is more than twice as much as we drank 30 years ago.)

A recent study at John Hopkins University found that people who cut liquid calories from their diets lose more weight and keep it off longer than people who cut only food calories.  Simply cutting your drink calories in half, (cutting back to what we used to drink 30 years ago), could mean shaving off more than 23 pounds in just one year!

Part of our required reading for LSS will be the Eat this, Not that series.  Here are 5 of the top WORST drinks from DRINK THIS, NOT THAT top 20 Worst drinks.... And we're not even talking about alchol here folks!  We're talking about water!!!

Worst Water :  Snapple Agave Melon Antioxidant Water (1 bottle, 20 fl oz)

150 calories   0 g fat    33 g sugars

Sugar Equivalent: 2 Good Humor Chocolate Éclair Bars

While “Worst Water” may sound like an oxymoron, the devious minds in the bottled beverage industry have even found a way to besmirch the sterling reputation of the world’s most essential compound.

Sure, you may get a few extra vitamins, but ultimately, you’re paying a premium price for gussied-up sugar water.

Next time you buy a bottle of water, check the recipe: You want two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen, and very little else.

Worst Bottled Tea :  SoBe Green Tea (1 bottle, 20 fl oz)

240 calories    0 g fat   61 g sugars

Sugar Equivalent: 4 slices Sara Lee Cherry Pie

Leave it to SoBe to take an otherwise healthy bottle of tea and inject it with enough sugar to turn it into dessert.

The Pepsi-owned company’s flagship line, composed of 11 flavors with names like “Nirvana” and “Cranberry Grapefruit Elixir,” is marketed to give consumers the impression that it can cleanse the body, mind, and spirit. Don’t be fooled.

Just like this bottle of green tea, all of these beverages are made with two primary ingredients: water and sugar.

Worst Energy Drink : Rockstar Energy Drink (1 can, 16 fl oz)

280 calories   0 g fat   62 g sugars

Sugar Equivalent: 6 Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnuts

None of the energy provided by these full-sugar drinks could ever justify the caloric load, but Rockstar’s take is especially frightening. One can provides nearly as much sugar as half a box of Nilla Wafers.

In fact, it has 60 more calories than the same amount of Red Bull and 80 more than a can of Monster.

If you’re going to guzzle, better choose one of the low-cal options. We like Monster; it offers all the caffeine and B vitamins with just enough sugar to cut through the funky extracts.

Worst Bottled Coffee : Starbucks Vanilla Frappuccino (1 bottle, 13.7 fl oz)

290 calories   4.5 g fat (2.5 g saturated)   45 g sugars

Sugar Equivalent: 32 Nilla Wafers

With an unreasonable number of calorie landmines peppered across Starbucks’ in-store menu, you’d think the company would want to use its grocery line to restore faith in its ability to provide caffeine without testing the limits of your belt buckle. Guess not.

This drink has been on our radar for years, and we still haven’t managed to find a bottled coffee with more sugar.

Consider this—along with Starbucks’ miniature Espresso and Cream Doubleshot—your worst option for a morning pickup.

Worst Soda :  Sunkist (1 bottle, 20 fl oz)

320 calories   0 g fat    84 g sugars

Sugar Equivalent: 6 Breyers Oreo Ice Cream Sandwiches

Wait . . . but aren’t all sodas equally terrible? It’s true they all earn 100 percent of their calories from sugar, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still varying levels of atrocity.

Despite the perception of healthfulness, fruity sodas tend to carry more sugar than their cola counterparts, and none make that more apparent than the tooth-achingly sweet Sunkist.

But what seals the orange soda’s fate on our list of worsts is its reliance on the artificial colors yellow 6 and red 40—two chemicals that may be linked to behavioral and concentration problems in children.

Stay tuned for Thursdays post this week as we examine how to DRINK UP AND SLIM DOWN....  5 simple habits that can have you dropping dress sizes and lbs faster than you can say White Hot Chocolate Carmel Latte!

At Pilates 1901 we want you to have all the information and support YOU need to lose fat, gain muscle and walk around feeling great in your own skin!  Call us about our Fall session of Leaner Stronger Sooner!  Our revolutionary Pilates based weight loss program starts September 18th with our FREE Metabolism 101 Workshop!   913 499 7510.

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!

Like spare change and catchy lyrics, bad eating habits are easy to pick up and nearly impossible to shake. Especially if you've practiced them at every meal since you were a kid.

To help you overcome your table tics, we've rounded up expert advice from EAT THIS, NOT THAT on how to quit wolfing down your food and sidestep other diet pitfalls.

Follow it, and you may end up with a new habit: buying all of your clothes in a smaller size.

# 1 OLD HABIT: RUSHING THROUGH YOUR MEAL.

New habit: Hitting the brakes. In a study, women who were asked to eat quickly consumed more food (and in less time) than those who were told to eat slowly. The reason? When you pace yourself, your brain has more time to register fullness and tell you to stop eating.

Try this: Count your chews. The women in the study who were told to slow down chewed each bite 15 to 20 times and paused before taking the next bite.

#2 OLD HABIT: EATING WHILE YOU'RE DISTRACTED

New habit: Meditating on your meal. Researchers at the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University studied mealtime multitasking and found that most people underestimate how much they eat by 30 to 50 percent if they're distracted.

Try this: Measure your food up front. People are significantly more aware of how much they're eating when they pay close attention to their serving sizes, says Brian Wansink, Ph.D., director of Cornell's Food and Brand Lab. So before you zone out in front of the tube with a plate of stir-fry, scoop out just half a cup of rice rather than piling a heaping mound onto your dish.

# OLD HABIT: EATING WHEN YOU'RE STRESSED OUT OR BORED

New habit: Noshing only when you're hungry. Having a high-carb snack when you're feeling anxious will produce a tension-relieving serotonin rush, says Joan Salge Blake, R.D., a nutrition professor at Boston University. Problem is, it will be followed by a blood sugar crash that will leave you craving more.

Try this: Keep a clear container on your desk. Every time you resist buying a snack, put money into the box, Blake says. The growing pile of dough will be a reminder that you can overpower those urges. When you have enough money saved, use the cash to splurge on a nonfood reward like a facial or a new bag.

#4 OLD HABIT: CLEAN PLATE CLUB

New habit: Leaving half of your meal behind. Studies show that when it comes to chowing down, Americans rely on external cues ("Is the plate clean?") instead of internal ones ("Am I still hungry?"). In his studies, Wansink found that even when he served mushy pasta in watered-down sauce, people still ate every last morsel. To make matters worse, in recent years the average plate size has grown by two inches in diameter.

Try this: Split an entree with your date. Or order appetizer-size portions, or have half of your meal wrapped up before you dig in so you'll avoid temptation entirely. Research shows that just seeing and smelling food can trigger the release of hormones that make your tummy growl, even if you aren't actually hungry.

#5 OLD HABIT: MAKING MEAT THE MAIN EVENT AT EVERY MEAL

New habit: Using meat as a garnish. Cut back on your carnivorous ways and you'll cut back on total calories as well. Blake's rule: Eat twice as much produce as meat at any given meal. (Think veggie stir-fry with a few chicken strips, or a big salad with a small piece of beef.)

Try this: Treat veggies like meat— marinate, season, and grill them—and you can enjoy the same flavors that come with a juicy steak. Or designate one day a week for a meat main course and cut back on the other six.

So there you have it. Five simple ways to break bad food habits. Being aware how these choices can sabotage your health and fitness goals is an important step towards putting your mouth where you say your goals are.

At Pilates 1901, we know how important your nutritional fitness is in addition to your physical fitness. You can't do one without the other.

Mark your calendar for our METABOLISM 101 WORKSHOP on Saturday, SEPT 18TH at 1:00pm.  This workshop is the first in our Fall Session of LEANER STRONGER SOONER fat loss program.   Call Tina at 913 499 7510 or click here for more information!

Meet Miriam Feingold.  She is a new face at Pilates 1901 and in addition to being passionate about Pilates, Miriam is passionate about art.

An artist herself, Miriam got involved in a project, the Argentine Ambassadors,  to help boost the confidence and self esteem of the youth of the Argentine district this summer.

On Friday, August 13th, Miriam, her students and project organizer Paige OConnor will host a very special Argentine Ambassadors Celebration to showcase the art, photography, and writing projects of the participants this Summer.

The event takes place at the Argentine Center at 2100 Metropolitan in Argentine, KS KS.   For more information check out this video and call Paige at 913 722 5504.  The event is FREE to everyone!  Come out and celebrate these brave and creative people!