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6 Tips to Picking the Right Diet for you

by Integrated Fitness on May 17, 2012

 

  1. 1.    Find a diet that makes sense with your lifestyle-  First and foremost a diet has to make sense for you and your lifestyle. For example if you are a vegan you might want to stay away from the Aktin’s diet  ( an all meat diet). Also, make sure that the diet you choose is one that you will be able to abide by with your budget and schedule.  If you have a health problem like diabetes or high blood pressure make sure that you consult your doctor to make sure your new diet is safe and healthy for you.

 

  1. 2.    Too good to be true is likely not true- If you see a diet that seems just too good to be true it probably is not true. Some examples are diets that claim you can eat “Cookies” on the diet or sprinkle some magic powder on your food that claims to eliminate fat. In order for a diet to be effective it must consist of eating healthy food in reasonable quantities no matter what the diet.

 

  1. 3.    Count more than calories- Picking a diet should be about more than just losing weight but staying healthy. While a diet with low calories and low sugar will likely make you lose weight make sure the diet has a balance of essential nutrients like vegetables proteins and fats so that you will be healthy while you lose weight.

 

  1. 4.    Consider the goals of your diet when choosing the diet- Not every dieter has the goals of losing weight. Some want to increase performance; others may want to gain muscle weight. Even if you want to lose weight, you may want to maintain performance in sports like running, CrossFit, wresting or adventure racing. Bottom line; if you are involved in sports make sure that your diet gives you enough energy (calories) to help you keep up your performance.

 

  1. 5.     Go for lifestyle changes not fads- Don’t pick a diet that has no chance of working for more than a few weeks or months. Pick one that has a healthy and livable lifestyle that you can stick with for the long haul

 

  1. 6.    Do your research-  Don’t just pick a diet, pick a diet that has good standing and works well for others who are like you. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to scour through medical journals. A quick look at the reviews on amazon (for a diet book) can be enough to give you some base research.

 

 

  1. 7.    Cheaters never win- No matter how good a diet is you have to stay on it. Might sound silly but going out drinking 2 nights a week can absolutely kill your diet. Same goes with late night snacks, pizza, ice cream and even soda.

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Josh Bobrowsky

 

 

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What’s The Point?

by Integrated Fitness on May 14, 2012

There is a changing of the guard occurring in the world.  With the advent of the internet and a myriad of other technology we are able to see the accomplishments of many thousands of people around us.  We know when they work out, we know how they are working out, and we know how it makes them feel to accomplish their goals.  This has been a majorly powerful step towards helping a huge number of people regain an interest in fitness and health.  The problem for many people is still the age old question that has always faced people trying to take their fitness into their own hands:

Why am I doing this?

It is wonderful to see what others do or watch elite athletes on television doing incredible workouts with intense precision but I have seen firsthand that new fitness enthusiasts dive in too fast they sometimes do it without thinking about a longer term goal.  Many people want to be fit NOW!  They want to be strong NOW!  They want to look great NOW!  There are a few inherent problems with these thoughts:

  1. Life results don’t happen overnight
  2. What happens after you achieve your NOW goal?

It is crucial that you understand these two problems if you want to have long term positive results with any fitness and nutrition program.  I see too many people who want results right away.  They jump in head over heels into their program and many of them see results quickly but they open themselves up to one of two things: injury from overtraining and a reversion back to their previous ways.  It is noble to see people want to work as hard as possible but I see people working hard in the gym then going home and working out again.  Results come fast but they don’t give their bodies a chance to recover properly and over time they will fatigue their muscles and joints.  When their bodies don’t have the proper time to recover eventually their body will give out.  Also, no matter how strong of an athlete you were before you began a workout program it takes some time to really understand how to properly move your own bodyweight let alone weight such as a barbell.  If you jump in too quickly or move too much weight incorrectly you fatigue your body to the point of exhaustion and injury very similarly to overtraining.

The problem with reverting back to your previous lifestyle is very real.  If you have spent years being out of shape what makes you think that you can take 30 days and get into shape?  And, if you drop weight fast why do you think that you will stay in shape if you don’t continue to stay zoned into your workouts and your nutrition.  If I have learned anything about habits it’s that they take time to truly sink in.  You can’t change 15 years of sedentary lifestyle in 30 days.  You need to learn what it is about fitness that drives you and you need to take those deeply engrained emotions and search them.  You need to have real reasons for changing your life and those reasons need to remain driving forces as you progress through your program.  Without proper goals and motivations you will struggle to stay enthusiastic and that can lead to results being erased.  You have to take time to work up to an aggressive training plan.  You will be happy having done so.

At the end of the day take your time, learn the proper form, be patient before you move higher in resistance, enjoy the process, and remember…it is not about today, it is about the progress of being better tomorrow.  You can do it!

 

By Jim Crowell

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The Fire

by AK on May 8, 2012

 

 

 

 

 

As we all embark on the Summer Shred-Out challenge, I want to share one of my favorite dieting analogies, The Fire.

I presume everyone, at some point in their life, has taken part in starting a fire (we don’t need to discuss details). When analyzing the basics of building, and maintaining a fire, I find an uncanny relationship to the human metabolism.

So, our basic ingredients for a fire are wood (food) and some heat/flame (our metabolism). Now to start the fire would you throw ten longs into a big pile and try to light it with a match? Not a chance, the match would burn out within seconds, bringing us back to square one. You’d start off with some small twigs, catch them on fire, then progressively add larger logs as the fire got hotter and hotter…no secrets there.

Now, to maintain that nice, warm fire, we wouldn’t want to toss half a tree onto it, that would completely suffocate it, forcing us to start all over. No, instead we would add a log or two at a time, when needed, when the previous logs are all but gone.

Our metabolism works the same way as the fire, it will burn more efficiently with one log at a time. Unfortunately the norm we’ve all been raised with is to eat three meals per day, which is less than optimal. In fact, we are suffocating our metabolisms with too many ‘logs’ during these meals. It would be a better plan to break those three meals into six smaller meals,  distributing
the ‘logs’ more evenly throughout the day, to keeping the fire burning hot.

Here are some ideas on how to break up our three traditional meals into five or more smaller meals:

Breakfast;
Traditional – 1 banana and a bagel @ 7am.
Modified – 1 banana as soon as you wake up, 6:30am. Half of the bagel at 7:30am, the other half at 9am.

Lunch:
Traditional – Foot long Subway @ 12:00pm
Modified – Half of the foot long @ 12:00pm, and the other half at 2pm

Dinner:
Traditional – A protein, veggie, and starch @ 6pm
Modified – light snack (fruit) @ 4pm, protein and veggies @ 6pm, light snack (yogurt) @ 8:30.

Breaking up the meals will also prevent your body from feeling famished, and thus you won’t be as tempted to pig out when it comes to time eat. So remember, the goal is one log at a time, keep the fire burning, and don’t forget to add a little gasoline to it with a workout at Integrated Fitness!

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Tough Mudder Training Video

by Integrated Fitness on May 8, 2012

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Bob Harper talks CrossFit and Biggest Loser

by Integrated Fitness on May 2, 2012

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Upcoming Boxing Event at Mountaineer

by Integrated Fitness on April 23, 2012

After the recent MMA fight with Bones Jones and Rashad Evans You might be looking to check out some local boxing talent.

 

Here is the Press Release below so you can check out any details.

 

8-Time World Champion Roy Jones Jr. in association with TNT Promotions Presents “Live Championship Boxing from The Harv at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort” on Saturday April 28th.  A Double Feature is planned for the evening’s headliners when Youngtown, OH’s Jake “The Bull” Giuriceo(15W-0L-1D, 3KO) battles former WBC Latino Super Lightweight Champion Juan “Chago” Santiago (14W-8L-1D, 8KO) and power punching sensationJoel Diaz Jr. (8W-0L, 7KO) takes on Russian native Georgi Kevlishvili (10W-3L, 3KO).

Giuriceo is looking to fight his way into the world rankings when stepping in with the rugged Santiago, a proven contender with multiple national television appearances.  Diaz Jr. gained national recognition earlier this year after rising from the canvas to score a stunning TKO victory over previously undefeated Guy Robb televised on SHOWTIME.  Kevlishvili is coming off of SHOWTIME appearance himself dropping a hard fought split decision to unbeaten Casey Ramos. Kevlishvili’s three losses were to opponents who had a combined record of 34W-0L at the time he fought them.

In the evening’s “Special Attraction”, former WBO World Title Challenger Brian “The Beast” Minto (35W-5L, 22KO) returns to face vs. 6’4″ BehemothMatt “Hurricane” Hicks (13W-6L, 12KO).

This blockbuster event will include a full night of exciting action and entertainment.  In store are matchups involving fighters such as Super Middleweight“Big Chief” Morgan Fitch, Light Heavyweight Jaque “Lights Out” Lutz, Welterweight Billy “The Boilermaker” Hutchinson, Junior MiddleweightSammy Vasquez Jr., and the special introduction of Cruiserweight Josh “The Handsome Hitman” Himes, Beaver County, PA’s New Face of Boxing, and more.

Base ticket prices are VIP $100, Section A $50, Section B $35, and Bleachers $25. Tickets can be purchased at Mountaineer Casino’s Players Club in person or by calling the Players Club at 1-800-804-0468 Ext: 8297, online at www.MOREatMountaineer.com or www.Etix.com  Exclusive Platinum VIP available by calling 724-840-0249.

1st bell is at 7:30 PM.

All Ages

Bouts subject to change.

About Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort
Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort, located in Chester, WV, is owned and operated by MTR Gaming Group.  Mountaineer Casino features slot machines, table games, live poker tables, a thoroughbred racetrack, an upscale hotel with amenities, golf course, fine dining and entertainment, a theater and events center, and a convention center.  Visit Mountaineer at www.MoreAtMountaineer.com or call 800-804-0468.

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Mortty Ivy Steelers Training

by Integrated Fitness on April 13, 2012

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Dieting 101

by AK on April 11, 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I find that many people have unmatched enthusiasm when starting a new
workout routine or diet, but can soon find themselves frustrated from
a lack of expectation fulfillment.  It is easy to see why we have such
high expectations, flip through any magazine and you’ll be sure to
come across countless ads promising dramatic weight loss in a bottle,
or ripped abs in just 38 seconds a day.  Now, why might one fall for
this trickery?  Simple, a lack of basic diet education.

Dieting is all simple math:  Calories Eaten – Calories Burned =
Calorie surplus or Calorie deficit.

Using myself as an example, at 6’2 188, I need roughly 3250 calories
to maintain my current weight.  That caloric number does factor in my
daily exercise, take away the exercise and I would only need 2250
calories a day to maintain.

Now that I know my caloric numbers, the next question to answer is
‘what are my goals?’  If I want to lose weight, then I need to have a
calorie deficit at the end of the day.  Ex:  2750 calories eaten -
3250 calories burned = -500 calorie deficit.  A 500 calorie deficit
seems like a lot, right?  Well, not so fast, 1lb of body fat = 3600
calories!  I would need to keep a deficit of 500 calories. each day
for a week, to lose 1lb of body fat.  Yes, welcome to the real world,
make sure to chuckle at the next ad you see promoting ‘I lost 30lbs in
2 weeks’.  Right about now you are thinking, ‘I wonder what the daily
calorie deficit would be to lose 30lbs in 2 weeks?’  Answer: A 7714.29
calorie deficit per day…ZING

Now that expectations are in check, let’s talk about how to accomplish
your goals.  The first rule, a must, start reading labels…all of
them!  It is mandatory to know what kind of, and how many
calories you are putting into your body on a daily basis.
Pay particular attention to portion size, they vary from product to
product, and can be very deceiving.  The best example I can think of
is the love of my life…chunky peanut butter.  Two measly tablespoons
per serving, and each serving is 190 calories.  Any guess on how many
meters I’d have to row to work off one serving of peanut butter?
Approximately 2000m.  So, the question is, what is easier, to row the
2000 meters or pass on the peanut butter?  Ah life’s dilemmas.  This
is critical though, it would take me 30 mins to burn 500 calories, and
all of about 30 seconds to consume that much, or MORE.

So, what is the take away here?  Well, dieting isn’t easy, and it
isn’t a short term thing.  It is a lifestyle change, a concerted
effort to continually put your health first, one calorie, one label,
and one exercise at a time.

-AK

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Coping With Stress At Work

by Integrated Fitness on March 29, 2012

Coping With Work Stress:

Does work stress you out? Does even the thought of rolling out of bed in the morning to go to work make you cringe? Work can be stressful. In fact, work can be one of the most stressful aspects of your life. In fact, nearly one fourth of all individuals indicate that work is the primary cause of the stress in their lives. Job stress can cause even more stress in your life especially when you are unable to leave work at work and find yourself constantly stressing out work at home. The good news is having a stressful job does not have to mean a stressful life. There are plenty of ways to cope with the stresses of work.

  • Keep track of what stresses you at work. Think about the situations, events and individuals that cause you to experience stress. You should also take note of how you handle the things and people that cause you to experience stress. Identifying the causes of stress can help you better cope with stress.
  • Use your problem solving skills to think about how these stressors can be avoided or resolved. Identifying the problem, coming up with a solution and implementing a solution can make a much more enjoyable place.
  • Take time to exercise this can be one of the most helpful ways to relieve stress and get you back to feeling good. This can be running, hitting the gym, playing tennis or a pickup game of basketball. It doesn’t have to be 3 hours long a solid half hour of exercising per day can really change your mood in a positive way.
  • Learn how to manage your time. If you are constantly stressing about not having enough time at work, create a schedule and stick to it. Time management can help to reduce stress.
  • Ask for the opinions of others. If you are having a hard time adjusting to different changes at work or a new job, ask a trusted co-workers how they handle the job.
  • Take a break. When work gets difficult or stressful, get up and walk around. A little fresh air may do you some good.
  • Have an outlet. Pick up a hobby that is enjoyable and will allow you to forget about work.

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Bill Kazmiare Interview with Josh bobrowsky

by Integrated Fitness on March 13, 2012

The man the legend Bill Kazmiare takes time to talk about the greatest achievements he has had, and gives a really great positive message to kids out there who look up to him.

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