Jamcore Training Blog

The easiest way to cheat on your diet starts out innocently enough. It’s a colleague’s birthday, an anniversary, or a night out with friends. You’re at a restaurant, and all of the dishes just look so good. How can you avoid the tantalizing pasta or sizzling sirloin and stick with a boring salad?

Don’t be miserable while your friends indulge. Order what you want, but avoid the hundreds of extra calories prepared foods will cost you. Order the HALF SIZE portion. Most restaurants do not have this option on their menu, but if you simply ask, most are glad to prepare it. Best of all, this can cut costs as well as calories. It may also be noted as the appetizer portion in the menu, but check to see what size it is – sometimes the appetizer portion can be nearly as loaded with calories and fat as the main event. In case the restaurant does not offer half sizes, just ask to be served only half of the meal, and for the other half to be boxed to take home with you.

Popularity: 98% [?]

So, you did it – you finally busted through that frustrating plateau, achieved a new personal best, or fit into those skinny jeans. That’s great, but the battle isn’t completely over – you’ve got to maintain your new physique. Unfortunately, that’s a lot easier said than done over the holiday season. Everyone complains about the binge-friendly family celebrations, calorie-laden holiday treats, and booze-heavy office parties, but it’s time to do something about it. This year, take control of your eating habits – and chances are, you’ll have an even more memorable holiday.

1. Stay active! Of course you’ll pack on a few pounds if you overindulge in homemade sweets and spend a ton of time in front of the tube. Yet tons of normally fit, active people fall prey to this cruel holiday tradition each year. Just because your routine is a bit different doesn’t give you an excuse to skip the gym. By setting a schedule – and sticking to it – you’re setting yourself up for success. With time off work, you may even be able to fit in MORE gym sessions. Go for a run while cooking a side dish, or while the prized Thanksgiving turkey roasts. Make a deal with yourself that you will squeeze in one hour of physical activity per day.
2. Involve the whole family. Visit a farm and chop down your own Christmas tree. You can start a new tradition and get exercise walking around and inspecting all the different pines. Take a weekend ski trip, or just visit the local ice rink. Even if your family members have health complications or problems that prevent them from partaking in more high-impact sports, you can always try to take a walk around the neighborhood (caroling, anyone?). After all, every little bit counts!
3. Track your calories. You may have to do some creative estimation with complicated recipes, but just keeping a simple log of everything you eat will help you stay aware of all the calories you’re consuming. Remember, the less aware you are, the more you eat. You can safeguard yourself from common ‘mindless eating’ habits by steering clear of nut or pretzel bowls, cookie trays, or cheese and cracker platters. Sit far away, and grab a big glass of water to stay hydrated and satiated.
4. Don’t deprive yourself of your favorites. When we restrict ourselves too much, we’re more likely to binge later. If you want a piece of Grandma’s famous pumpkin pie, by all means, go for it. It may be hard, but try to skip the whipped cream and ask for a smaller portion. Allow yourself to indulge your cravings, but do it in a conservative manner.
5. Don’t take a vacation from the scale. Be honest with yourself. Just because you’re on holiday doesn’t mean your weight is. Instead of getting a big fat January surprise, weigh yourself each week and adjust your eating patterns accordingly. This way, when New Year’s rolls around, you won’t be making a resolution that has anything to do with weight loss!

Popularity: 98% [?]

By Dr. Sean Hashmi

We all know what a nuisance the common cold can be. For over 60 years people have thought that Vitamin C was a great defense. In fact, Vitamin C’s popularity in treating the common cold rose greatly in the 1970’s when the Nobel Prize winner, Linus Pauling stated its effectiveness based on an earlier trial. But the question remains that whether or not there is any evidence to support the efficacy of Vitamin C?

To answer this question, I turned to the Cochrane database. Their systematic review of thirty (yes thirty!!!) trials involving 11,350 participants showed that regular ingestion of Vitamin C had no effect on the common cold incidence in the general population. However, in a subgroup of 642 marathon runners, skiers, and soldiers on sub-arctic exercises had a reduction in the incidence of the common cold by almost 50%.

Bottom line is that for most people megadoses of Vitamin C is not beneficial for fighting the common cold.

Popularity: 94% [?]

By Lauren Showers

Virtually everyone has something they would like to improve on whether it’s their diet, endurance, or even public speaking skills. Most improvements in our life require discipline, which takes us out of our comfort zone and into a new way of doing things. As the saying goes, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”

We have all been there, a spark of inspiration occurs, a rush of motivation, and we are determined. In our minds at that moment, there is no turning back. Tomorrow, we will start our more focused, driven, and goal oriented lifestyle. How quickly that energy fades and we soon find ourselves back in old habits feeling a sense of failure once more, awaiting the next surge of enthusiasm.

As a personal trainer, I see many of my clients ride this very roller coaster. The problem is that many of us rely on the emotional drive of motivation to keep us going. The reality is that life is unpredictable and situations we come across can sap our energy and emotional “oomph”. As a fitness motivator, I strongly understand how motivation can only take you so far. While it is essential in the beginning to have an intrinsic motivation to accomplish your personal goal, it is not the only piece of the puzzle. It is the consistency in discipline that will manifest the results you are looking for.

“Motivation is what gets you started, habit is what keeps you going.” – Jim Ryun (3x U.S. Olympic Champion)

The challenges of consistency are plenty and so we must prepare for the battle by becoming aware the obstacles ahead. The first problem in the art of consistency is our ability to be kings and queens of excuses. If your goal is to lose weight through eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly, don’t allow yourself to say it’s okay to skip out on your morning cardio because you are “too tired this morning”, or “you’ll do more tomorrow” or “it won’t happen again”. This type of deception will lead to more exceptions in the future despite any self-assurance otherwise. Whenever actions are performed, tendencies are reinforced. Then they are nurtured into full-blown habits. Keeping our actions on track with our goal is essential for them to become healthy habits that will lead us straight to success. There are no excuses!

Another issue is self-deception. Lying to yourself, whether stretching or twisting the truth, distorts your grasp on the reality of your goal. Being able to realize your weaknesses and admit to them is important when making a lifestyle change. For example: If your weakness is social events where the treats are free and plentiful, you must prepare to either eat a healthy meal before going so you are not tempted to indulge, or take along a healthy dish that you know is safe and will allow you to socially eat with your friends. Being aware of your weaknesses and temptations will help you prepare a strategy of resistance.

The third obstacle is the deep belief that your goal has importance. Who would work hard for something that is not important? If you don’t have a deep-rooted understanding of why you want to accomplish your goal, it is likely to get lost in the chaos of life and forgotten. Something that is truly important takes precedence over other things when a decision must be made. When that piece of birthday cake gets passed your way you will know that your fitness goal is more important than your taste buds; the decision will be simple. You’ll pass on the sugar rush and opt for the veggie platter with a smile.

Every person holds the potential to succeed and be great at whatever his or her life mission may be. However, in order to unlock that potential an everyday decision must be made to continue down the path towards achieving that goal. It is an ongoing process towards success and it requires consistent focused energy and zeal. So find that passion and determination inside of you, somewhere that the ever changing circumstances of life cannot touch. Go back to that place every day and refocus your energies with an unwavering mind and you are on your way to amazing victory at whatever you put your mind to.

Popularity: 25% [?]

Hey parents! How do you make the time to work out while juggling life, work, and your kids? A new study from the University of Pittsburgh found that having kids made both men and women less likely to exercise. Though it’s intuitive that new mothers have less time to work out due to demanding infant feeding and sleeping schedules, new dads also must fight the battle of the bulge because of dwindling workout time. Although new fathers got about two hours more exercise, on average, than new mothers, the fathers’ workout time was cut in half after their children were born. New moms, on the other hand, lost approximately one-third of workout time.

Do you use a jogging stroller, take a swimming class with your toddler, or go for walks and runs with older children? Experts agree that the best way to combat the stress of new parenting is by continuing to get healthy, regular workouts whatever way you can. For example, although 30 minutes is recommended three to four times per week, if you can only get 10 minutes of uninterrupted time, work out for 10 minutes, then sneak another 10 later, and the final 10 minutes whenever you can. Three brief workouts is far preferable to zero workouts. As your kids age, one of the healthiest examples you can set for them is by making exercise a priority. So though you might need to cut back on computer time, play dates, or television viewing, remember that what you are doing is not only in your best interest – it’s in the best interest of your kids.

Popularity: 25% [?]

By Bonnie Pfiester

Traveling can be tough for dieters; convenience store junk food, the infamous airline snack box, and combo meals all add up to a diet disaster.

There is something about traveling that makes us think we’re hungry. Let’s start with road trips. I don’t know about you, but Steve and I have the worst snack attacks when driving long distances. Although the need to feed mostly stems from boredom, the million billboards showcasing juicy hamburgers don’t help either.

Once a billboard convinces you to stop and eat, you find yourself driving down an unknown road with restaurant after restaurant calling your name. Taco Bell, McDonald’s, Denny’s, Dairy Queen, Applebees – they all have a special, or menu item, to capture your attention.

Once you decide where to eat, you have to battle the menu. No matter how many times I’ve been to a restaurant, and even if I know what I should order, I still feel the need to read the entire menu. What in the world am I thinking? I’m just welcoming temptation. Before you know it, I’ve justified why I can afford to eat a hamburger and fries.

If you are not traveling on the ground you have a different set of problems. Opposite of having too many choices, airline passengers have very few food choices. You’re trapped 35,000 feet in the air when a stewardess offers you an unappealing selection of nuts, cookies, crackers and cheese surprise. While first classers eat their high-calorie mystery meal, coach passengers get a sorry selection of the most boring sandwiches, bagels, or salads they’ve ever wasted calories on.

In any case, the answer to the dieter’s traveling blues is planning ahead. You’ll pack your toothbrush, so why not pack your food? It’s not like you don’t know you’re going to be stuck in a car or plane for several hours.

First, pack healthy snacks like pretzels, whole fruit, yogurt, cheese sticks, beef jerky, lunch meat, nuts, rice cakes, or protein bars to prevent you from getting hungry and making poor choices. Second, learn to say no – plain and simple. Third, keep a calorie book on you. It’s much easier to cheat when you don’t know what you are eating. Lastly, bring other things to entertain you besides food, like a good book or magazine.

Traveling will always be tough for dieters, but with a little planning you can beat the need to feed.

Popularity: 35% [?]

By Bonnie Pfiester

Choosing the right fuel for a workout depends on the workout you’re fueling up for. It’s like fueling up a car. The fuel used for drag racing is totally different than fuel used for Nascar. Dragsters just need to get to the finish line as fast as possible, which is only about a thousand feet away. Nascar fuel needs to help you go fast, steady, and strong so you can go the distance. In many ways the same principles apply to fitness.

Fueling up for fitness and weight loss can be very different. For instance, if you need to make it through an intense workout, like weight training or a boot camp style class, you’ll need something that can power you through your entire workout. Lifting a weight or powering a jump requires blood sugar readily available.

Unfortunately, if you choose the wrong fuel, or don’t fuel up at all, you’ll end up broken down on the side of road for sure. Every time someone falls out in boot camp or weight training it’s because someone either didn’t’ eat - or didn’t eat right. A sugary Slim Fast drink or a 100 Calorie breakfast bar won’t last through 15 minutes of intense training. That’s like putting dragster fuel in a Nascar. It’s simply not made to go the distance.

A dragster can go through more than twenty gallons of top fuel from warm-up to finish line. The same thing happens when you fuel up with high-processed foods or foods high in sugar– you simply burn through it too quickly. Once your body uses it all up, your blood sugar drops, leaving you dizzy, light-headed and often nauseous.

You need a fuel source that will help you go the distance. Low Glycemic foods like oatmeal, long grain rice, nuts and many vegetables take longer for the body to break down, releasing glucose more slowly and steadily. This means a steady and reliable energy source for your workout.

On the other hand, a fat-burning workout doesn’t require the same fuel source for energy. As a matter of fact, you want to force your body to use fat stores for energy instead of food. Since low-impact aerobics, jogging and walking don’t require instant power, you can wait for your body to make the blood sugar needed to keep you moving. Much like a hybrid, you can use stored up energy, or fat stores, for fuel.

When it comes to fueling up for fitness, choosing the right fuel for the right exercise is key to success. Now that you’re all fueled up, like Darrel Waltrip says, “Boogity, boogity, boogity! Let’s go racin’ boys!”

Popularity: 20% [?]

You constantly hear about America’s notorious cholesterol problem, but did you know how prevalent it actually is? Many people are shocked to learn that a whopping 50% of Americans have high or borderline-high cholesterol levels, putting them at risk for a host of ailments, including heart disease. Although the situation is serious, it’s fortunately quite easy to fix – if you’re committed to a healthier lifestyle, just follow these five steps.

1. Eat heart-healthy foods: Try the Cheerios challenge to lower your cholesterol in just weeks. The soluble fiber found in Cheerios and other whole-grains, fruits, and vegetables has been linked to reductions in cholesterol in clinical studies.
2. Slash saturated fat intake: Cut out red meats and instead rely on protein with lower saturated fat content, such as grilled chicken or salmon. People trying to reduce their cholesterol should aim for no more than 16 grams of saturated fat per day.
3. Ignore Daily Values: One frequent mistake cholesterol-counters make is to rely on the percentage of daily values displayed on nutrition information labels. These amounts are based on an average person WITHOUT high cholesterol – in other words, this person doesn’t need to be very careful about saturated fat intake. To reduce your levels, you’re going to have to dip below the recommended daily values. It may be a difficult habit to break, but figure out your own recommended daily values – you may want to consult a nutritionist or physician.
4. Learn to love sterols and stenols: Try to eat two servings of sterols and stenols each day. What exactly are they? Plant-based compounds found in oils, nuts, and seeds.
5. Limit (or at least moderate) the junk: Many people who love to work out also love to eat. Hot Cheetos, extra-cheese pizzas, and Big Macs taste good, but they can do some serious damage to your cholesterol levels, especially when they are a consistent part of your diet. Even thin people can have high cholesterol levels, which puts them at a heightened risk for heart disease and other illnesses. So either cut out the overly-processed junk, or set limits and eat favorite foods sparingly, or in moderation.

Popularity: 27% [?]

What Eating Personality Are You?

I have found there are several common eating personalities that can sabotage a diet in a heartbeat. No matter what eating personality you are, you can still succeed with a little self-examination and planning. Which eating personality are you?

1. The Entertainment Eater: Are you at every social event and dinner party? Since dining out and eating hors d’oeuvres can ruin any diet, you must learn to prepare. Prevent overeating or making poor choices by eating a small snack or meal prior to your engagement. Once you are at the event, choose beverages you can sip on like coffee or wine rather than soda, beer, or high-calorie cocktails. If you have a say in where to dine, don’t be shy and suggest a place that offers healthy alternatives.
2. The On-the-Go Eater: Are you always on the go? Do you eat more fast food than you’d like to admit? If this is you, you just need to plan ahead for your busy day. If you have a microwave or fridge at work, bring your lunch and stock up on healthy snacks. If you are on the road, research restaurants ahead of time so you know what fast foods fit your diet plan. Always carry a healthy snack to tide you over in case you get in a bind.
3. The Boredom Eater: This is SO me! I could go all day without thinking about food and then come home, watch TV, and suddenly all I can think about is eating. So, to keep my weight from getting out of control I make sure I’m always stocked up on low-calorie treats I can eat or drink while watching my favorite show. I also avoid stocking up on bad foods because if it’s in my pantry, I’ll eat it! The best way to avoid temptation is to simply not have it around to tempt you.
4. The Emotional Eater: This is a popular one. Some people look to food for comfort. Whether they are sad, mad, stressed, angry, happy or confused, people often turn to the fridge or restaurant for their favorite high-calorie fix. When we are happy we tend to celebrate with food and drinks. When we are sad we are also just as likely to turn to food and drinks. If this sounds like you, the first step is recognizing the pattern and repercussions. If you are sad, you’ll just be more upset when you can no longer fit into your jeans. The bottom line is we need to learn to react in a healthier way. Treat yourself to a new outfit or a massage as a calorie-free reward or pick-me-up. If you are stressed out or having a difficult time, keep busy. Do some spring cleaning, start a hobby, exercise or invest in a project that will bring you a lot of joy when it’s complete.

Popularity: 30% [?]

By Jamie Yu

A lot of our jobs these days involve sitting at a desk, glaring at a computer screen sometimes up to 8 hour a day and beyond. The result of this over a long period of time can create tension and stiffness in our backs, wrists, neck, and legs which can only be detrimental to our overall health and wellbeing not to mention cause a decrease in productivity in the work place. As I have mentioned in another article, some of us even find our lives far to hectic to even exercise outside of work.

Here are couple of simple stretches/exercises you can do whilst seated at your desk that should bring some welcome relief:

• Shoulder Rolls: This exercise is helpful for those that sit in any one position for any considerable length of time as part our work. It’s fantastic for stress in the muscles of your back, and can also help relieve tension in the area where the trapezius is located.

  Sitting upright, breathe in as you lift your right shoulder to your ear. Then exhale as you slowly roll your shoulder around and back, dropping it away from your ear. Do 3 revolutions on the right side before alternating to the left shoulder.

• Spinal twists: A lot of us hunch whilst we sit, thus placing stress on our lower back. This exercise is simple in method, but highly effective.

  In a seated position with the feet flat on the floor, contract the abs and gently twist the torso towards the right, using your hands to help deepen the stretch. Only twist as far as you comfortably can and keep the back straight while keeping the hips square. Hold for 10-30 seconds and repeat on the other side.

• Wrist Stretches: RSI, or Repetitive Strain Injury, is common with people who use a keyboard quite frequently. The main symptoms of RSI are weakness in the joint, recurring pain, tingling, and numbness.

  Try this simple wrist stretch to keep your joints in this area supple and flexible. Face the edge of the desk. Lean into the wrists and flatten your palms as much as possible. Stand up. Then turn your hands so that the wrists face your computer and then your fingers.

• Leg Lift with an ankle twist: Your legs are a large part of your body and need as much focus as your upper body, lower back, and wrists. Your circulatory system doesn’t end at the waist so this is another great exercise to keep the blood flowing around the extremities and also to keep stress and tension at bay.

  Sit forward on the chair so that your back is not touching the chair’s back. Place feet flat on the floor. With a straight leg, lift one foot a few inches off the floor. Hold momentarily, and return your foot to the floor. Repeat with the other leg. Alternately flex your ankle (point your toes up) and extend (point your toes down). Now Repeat with the other leg.

You can do 3-4 circuits like this of the 4 stretches/exercises listed here.

Popularity: 19% [?]