congratulations to David who has now lost 40 pounds... /  by Stephen Cooper

This makes my day.

David from our morning class notified me today that he has now lost 40 pounds...and this is since January. Incredible!

Just like I say in the video below, there is no magic to losing fat.  

It takes:

Hard work, tenacity, persistence, a no excuse attitude, a smart and frequent training program, strategic eating, and rest and recovery.

David is doing all of these.

What have you done since Jan. 2010? 

And another diet makeover /  by Stephen Cooper


Coop,
Thanks for the feedback!
Quick question on eating - do you have a particular opinion on calorie counting?
I prefer not counting calories.  It's a pain in the butt and makes each meal an ordeal.  If you had to lose a certain number of pounds by a certain date, then counting calories would be the way to go...but long term no. 
I've been sticking with a Paleo-ish diet (ie: no bread/grains), but not counting calories at all.  I'm starting to wonder if perhaps I should start doing so.  Particularly when it comes to good fats (nut consumption, primarily).  I find myself grabbing a handful of unsalted almonds or walnuts (anywhere from 10-30) when I need a little snack.  I try to do this only time a day, but know there are days I'll do this twice a day and am thinking perhaps I'm overdoing it from a calorie/fat perspective.  I haven't been dealing with many cravings - but find myself drawn to the nuts as my cheat/snack food.
You may be right.  Stick to 10 or so for a snack. 
Here's my typical day:
8:30am B'fast:  1 fried egg (in olive oil or nothing), steamed green beans or carrots, 16 oz water.
10:00 am Mid morning: 1 cup coffee, w/ a little nonfat or lowfat milk, no sugar.  
11:00am - Mid morning: Yesterday & today, I added a tangerine in - but usually nothing or about 10-15 almonds or walnuts.
2:00 pm Lunch:  Reduced Calorie Chinese Chicken Salad from Trader Joe's - it's 3 oz chicken breast meat, romaine, cabbage, scallions.  I throw out the crunchy noodles and use about 1/4th the dressing.  (I just read all the ingredients in the dressing and corn sweetener, soy sauce, soybean oil, molasses & sugar were in the mix - yuck!!) 16oz water
6:00pm After work/Pre-dinner: almonds/walnuts (20-ish) - this is when I'm prone to overdoing it on nuts!
7:30pm Dinner: 1/2 avocado (some days), 6-8oz grilled chicken (or pork/fish), sauteed chard/spinach/carrots/onions/garlic, 16oz water
10:00pm+ Post-dinner: sometimes more nuts, but not typical (since I should be asleep!)
Maybe too many nuts.  If need be, maybe switch to a protein shake.  If you feel hungry that late at night, and you may try to skip eating completely. 
I've been sticking with the same routine for b'fast and lunch because it's a no-brainer for me.  
As of tomorrow, I plan on swapping out the lunch salad dressing with a homemade dressing.  Is Grapeseed oil ok?
I'm not sure on the Grapeseed oil.  I'll investigate and get back to you. 
 Or should I stick with olive oil?  If so, I plan to use: oil, vinegar (either balsamic or white wine vinegar), mustard & maybe some lemon.  
Any thoughts on my fat (nut) consumption?  Am I overdoing it?  Should I be swapping out for some sort of protein instead?
Your diet looks pretty good overall.  If you have an iPhone, and easy way to track stuff is via Daily Burn food scanner.  There are many out there, but this one is the one I use. 
Thanks a bunch!
Name removed

 

more diet makeover ideas /  by Stephen Cooper

Here's a "makeover" I just suggested for one of our boot campers.

Her diet is in black, my suggestions in blue.

Day 1:

Breakfast at 8:30am: 1 hardboiled egg. 1 cup coffee – no sugar or creamers

Snack at 10am: 1 apple Add some protein and fat, sliced turkey/almonds.

Lunch: salad w/no dressing. 1 pork tamales Cut out the "masa" or outer shell of the tamale...could be very high in calories depending on the brand of tamale.

Snack at 3pm: 1 orange  Once again, add some protein and fat.

Dinner: grilled chicken salad. No croutons.

Drank about a liter of water throughout my day

 

Day 2

Breakfast: 2 hardboiled eggs.   1 cup coffee – no sugar or creamers

Snack:  10:30am - 1 apple Once again, add some protein and fat.

Lunch: Mediterranean food – three beef kabobs, hummus, small salad and 1 pita bread Totally hardcore is to cut out the pita bread.

Snack: 4:30pm – 1 grapefruit  Once again, add some protein and fat.

Dinner at 7:30pm – sushi

Drank a liter of water throughout my day

 

Day 3:

Breakfast at 8:30: 1 hardboiled egg.  1 cup coffee – no sugar or creamers

Snack at 11:00am:  1 orange  Once again, add some protein and fat.

Lunch: foot long turkey sandwich from Subway. Filled with vegetables. Light mayo & mustard. Ditch the bread.  Keep the protein and vegetables.

Snack at 4pm: 1 orange and 1 apple

Dinner: chicken and beef bbq’d.  Over small portion of white rice. (About the size of my fist)  The BBQ beef...Was that made with a sugary based sauce???  Cut out the rice.

Drank a liter of water throughout my day

From the client..."I think what's hard for me is to cut the bread.  Even though I eat whole wheat bread I feel like I still need to eat it."

My response..."Cut out the bread, rice, etc., for 2 weeks straight.  Your cravings will be strong for about 4 days, and then you should be over it.  Increase your good fats too. Olive oil, avocados, etc.."

Today's newsletter mar 15 /  by Stephen Cooper

The "life is good" edition.

Wow, it's a been a busy few weeks here.

Last week our boot camp class had a special visit from my buddy Mike Michels.  His name might not ring a bell, but most recently he was on Access Hollywood giving workout tips on how to "Get Oscar Ready Arms".  He visited my boot camp last week as part of an experiment.  He will be introducing a product very soon with Polar Heart Rate Monitors whereby he has provided a formula to burn fat most effectively.  He and I have been discussing ways in which my boot campers can get the best workout possible for burning fat.  I'll keep you posted on our discoveries and also when his product is released.

Here's the link to his "Oscar Arms" workout in case you'd like some tips.

Over the weekend I went with my wife and kids down to San Diego where I met with my fitness mastermind group.  I'd say that there were about 50 or so fitness professionals from all over the U.S. and Canada.

We talked about much of the usual fitness stuff but this is what really shocked me…

I couldn't believe how many of these fitness professionals were feeling stressed out and overwhelmed, just like my clients.

Here were some of their complaints.  See if any resonate with you: 

"I work too much."

"I'm not getting enough sleep."

"I don't work out consistently."

"My diet isn't what it should be."

"My relationship is suffering because I'm not spending enough time with my partner."

"I'm overwhelmed with all this internet stuff like Facebook, email, etc.."

I was really shocked.  I guess that I was expecting these men and women to be different, but I saw them struggling with the same things like you and my other clients struggle with. 

How do we have the time to do the important things in life? 

I was just talking to my wife the other day and told her that in one morning alone, I had four emails from clients who were at their wits end.  Their lives were filled with stuff, and they were extremely frustrated with their inability to lose fat. 

Being at that conference and seeing those emails got me to thinking.

Since the beginning of 2010 one of my most important goals has been to simplify my life.  I've been reducing a lot of the clutter, and getting a chance to really live the life I desire.  My eating is simple, my training is usually 15 minutes or less maybe 4 days a week at the most, and I feel fantastic.

Beginning in April I'm going to be opening an online coaching program where I will be coaching a small group of people just how I do this.  This will be a virtual group where I will be leading you into creating what I believe is a very simple and doable way of simplifying your life while improving your health and losing fat.

This will be a small group so if this is something that you might be interested in drop me an email. .

Rather than trying to solve the problem by adding stuff, I will help you to reduce the unnecessary to finally lose that dreaded fat.

the eating plan really works /  by Stephen Cooper

I received this email just a few days ago form one of the current boot campers.

"I have to tell you, I've been AMAZED at the lack of hunger I've had the last 3 days.  Normally, if I workout in the morning and try a low-cal diet, I need several snacks throughout the day.  But, changing up my diet to meals of lean protein, veggies and some good fats (zero grains or fruit) has really floored me.  I haven't been hungry until 4-5+ hours after I've eaten."

The eating plan which I suggest really does work.  Give it a serious try, and if you have any questions please contact me.

a don't quit attitude /  by Stephen Cooper

Each morning when I teach my boot campers I am always focusing on their faces.  Faces don't lie when it comes to showing me how hard they are working.

What I see are both the body and the mind struggling.  These are physical as well as mental struggles.

There is a huge desire in the client to ease back.  Their body is telling them, "whoa I haven't done this in a long time and this is scaring me."  Of course our bodies try to warn us of overheating and over exerting which is helpful and often life saving, but for the most part there is a grey area in which we need to push ourselves.

To those who are overweight, this is a particualary hard area to push through.  I've never been overweight so I cannot pretend to understand what it's really like.

What I can tell you though is that as you push forward and fight through the discomfort your body will respond in positive ways.

Little by little with consistent effort, smart eating, and enough rest and recuperation your body will thank you by becoming lighter, leaner and it will respond better to your commands.

Right now being overweight maybe you cannot count on your body to do one more push up, do squat jumps for a minute,or run a little further...but don't give up.  Just as you body has responded to poor food choices and lack of exercise, it will respond to training.  Just stick with it and don't give up.  

Be the best you can be today.

Don't compare yourself to others.

Train hard today.

Eat smart today.

Get enough rest and recovery today.

Take care of you today.

Boot Camp Pasadena's friend, Mike Michels on Access Hollywood /  by Stephen Cooper

Remember last week when my buddy and fellow trainer, Mike Michels came to our boot camp?

Mike gave me and a couple lucky clients a peak into a brand new product which he will be introducing to the market probably in April.

I can't say much about it now, but I can tell you that he is working with Polar heart rate monitors, and I am certain that his product is going to be awesome.  You guys saw it here first at Boot Camp Pasadena.

Here's our buddy on Access Hollywood this weekend talking on how "How the Stars Get Their Oscar Arms". 

Breakfast makeover and more... /  by Stephen Cooper

A very common question is "what should I eat for breakfast?"

Breakfast is often a challenging meal as we are rushing to wake up and hustling to get to work on time.

One of our boot campers sent me her typical menu for the day and I've made my recommendations to tweak her diet for faster fat loss.

I know that I'm going to hear it from the general public and probably registered dietitians alike that the boot camper's diet is healthy and that she doesn't need to make changes to lose weight.  It may be healthy, but will you or she lose weight eating this way...I doubt it.  If we had better sleep, and did physical jobs most of the day rather than sitting on our butts, yes then we might lose some weight.

I will gladly put my eating plan up against the dietician or other so-called experts and see who loses the weight faster while improving his or her blood work too.  (Yes, I realize that certain people have medical conditions and need to eat specific diets, but I am not advising anyone...this is merely my opinion and what works best for me.)

Here is our camper's typical daily meals and my suggestions in blue:

This is what I would eat on a normal basis.

 

Breakfast: small size bowl of special k cereal. 1 cup of coffee with 2 flavored creamers.  1/2 cup of V8 juice and 1/2 cup of Orange juice mixed together = 1 full cup

Scrap the cereal.

I would exchange some type of protein such as eggs, bacon, protein shake, or other protein sources.

What's in those flavored creamers?  Artificial colors, fake sugars, or sugar.  Ditch it.

Change the juices to eating the whole fruit and real vegetables.  You could eat a whole orange for example and toss in some vegetables such as different colored peppers into a frittata or something similar. 

Snack at around 10am:  1 Yoplait Yogurt

In looking at the Yoplait website (http://www.yoplait.com/products_original.aspx) I see 27 grams of sugar in the yogurt.  Don't snack on this if you want to lose fat. 

Lunch: half subway sandwich - usually ham or turkey with everything except onions. Light mayo and mustard on wheat bread.  No soda or chips. Just water

Fair.  For some of us not eating the bread may be a better way to go.

Snack around 3pm: 1 apple or some celery

Good.  Maybe add some almonds or almond butter on the celery. 

Dinner: 1 medium size grilled chicken breast salad. Topped with tomatoes, bell peppers, black olives, some croutons, and light dressing (about 2tblspn)

Ditch the croutons. 

And I drink about 1 liter of water every day.

Perfect.

 

No Saturday Boot Camp Feb 27th /  by Stephen Cooper

It's about 7:10 as I write this and the rain is coming down, so I am am going to cancel today's class.  I wanted to wait as long as possible, but I know that some people drive from L.A. so I wanted to give them a head's up.

New client orientation is still on at 9am.

New campers... I will open the driveway gate on Woodbury Rd.  Pull in, and park next to my bright yellow mini-Hummer.  We will meet next to my truck, and I will then lead you to where we will be meeting on the school campus.

Foam Rolling by Michael Boyle /  by Stephen Cooper

Coop, Todd Durkin, Alwyn Cosgrove, Mike Boyle

I know that some of you have asked more questions about foam rolling.  We started this Feb session with come rolling and I hope that you are continuing it on your own.

I've posted this link to and article by well know trainer, Mike Boyle.  There are some very helpful videos in his article too.

Foam rolling is one of those things that we should be doing, but often don't get around to it.  My advice is to make it a habit.  I especially enjoy foam rolling right before bed.  So for me that's about 8:00pm :)

Foam rolling is one part of the "recovery" piece of the pie...which I always stress to you.

Here's the link: http://www.strengthcoach.com/public/1303.cfm

Easy Paleo Eating Tips /  by Stephen Cooper

Here's a short and sweet round up of Paleo eating, from Paleo Brands...

By the way, this is the way I eat about 90% of the time.

Fat Loss

Effective, lifelong fat loss is easy with Paleo foods. We recommend the majority of your meals look something like this:

  • 4-8 oz of lean protein such as chicken, lean beef, turkey, pork loin or seafood.
  • Then add several servings of multicolored vegetables, either raw, steamed or lightly cooked.
  • Finally, round out the meal with good fats from Avocado, olive oil or a handful of un-salted nuts such as almonds, pecans, macadamias or walnuts.

Make sure to have 3-4 meals like this each day. Give it 30 days and then let us know how quickly and easily it is to lose unwanted body fat, all without hunger and cravings. Until you reach your desired level of leanness we recommend you keep your fruit intake to 1-2 servings per day and make these choices mainly from berries and melons. Keep in mind, you will be eating plenty of nutritious fresh vegetables, we just want you to see the fastest, most effective results you can. This is why we limit your fruit in the beginning to help you change your metabolic engines to a mode of “fat burning”.

No Saturday Boot Camp /  by Stephen Cooper

In looking at the various weather sites, it looks like it is going to rain hard tonight, and into tomorrow morning...

So NO BOOT CAMP THIS SATURDAY MORNING.

I'm going to cancel it know, so you can sleep in.

Enjoy your weekend, and I'll see you back on Monday.

Simplify for Fat Loss Success /  by Stephen Cooper

I've written about this before, but I believe that this is critical if you want to stay lean and healthy.

Find ways to simplify your life.

Our lives are getting way more complicated and there is no "off button".  Everyone seems to always be on and connected.  I too am guilty of this.  Checking email, scanning Facebook...it never ends.

My challenge for you today is to find 3 things that are preventing you from being at your desired weight or fitness level and to eliminate them.

  • Things like watching 2 hours of TV at night and not going to bed early enough. 
  • Not planning your meals and having to grab fast food.
  • Surfing the internet and then not having time to home cook a healthy meal.

There are many more, you just have to choose 3 and eliminate them.

The second part of this exercise is to add 1 good thing.

  • Eating 2 fruits today.
  • Eating 4 vegetables today.
  • Walking around the block with your family or dog.

Once again there are many and you just have to add one.

Let me know what you come up with in the comment section below.

Here are my changes...

1.  Eliminated checking email, Facebook, etc. to 2x a day.  This is way down for me.

2.  Streamlined my "to do" list to something very basic (low tech).

3.  Finish work by 4p so I can cook dinner and spend time with my family.

Added...

1.  Riding my bike for short errands.

P.S.  Two of my favorite sites for simplifying life are:

Zen Habits

Minimal

 

 

2010 Winter Olympics /  by Stephen Cooper

 

I'm not much of a team sport type of guy.  I much more appreciate the one to one battle.

I do love the Olympics though, and I'll probably watch quite a bit of it.

I just found a video of some of the Swiss skiers and what they call their "Torture Chamber".

I love the quote from their coach...

"Well, there are no secrets. It is hard work. It is lifting weights."