If You Really Want to Lose the Fat, Start With Asking Yourself Why /  by Stephen Cooper

Image by Silvia de LuqueIf you don't know your "why" the chances of you losing weight, specifically fat will be slim.

When I interact with my clients I am always interested in why some have lost the weight and kept it off as compared to others who never quite make the changes that they were hoping for.

After some digging I've found that the successful "losers" have a deep conviction for getting the fat off.  Their's is a specific reason which they tackle head on.  They realize that hard work and sacrifice will have to be put in, but with a strong "why" the obstacles are simply stepping stones towards their goal.

On the other hand, I can't remember a client who ever just lost weight "for the heck of it".

Suggestion:

Don't make this a hard or complicated psychology assignment.  Simply take some time and "meditate" on why you really want/need to lose weight.  Write it down somewhere.  If you need to, post it where you can review it.  I prefer that it becomes stuck in your gut.

Each time you feel like eating bad, or skipping your training, just remember your why, and stay on track.

Times for Monday, Memorial Day /  by Stephen Cooper

The AM session will be start at 7am.

Evening session will remain at the regular time of 6p.

Boot campers are welcome to attend either class.

Special Wedding Congratulations

Please send your love and best wishes to Melissa Huerta and her fiancé Alfredo, who are getting married today. Melissa put in some hard training with us a few months ago, to get her ready for this wedding day. 

Memorial Day Times /  by Stephen Cooper

Memorial Day, May 31

As discussed in this morning's boot camp session, our meeting time for Monday the 31 morning class will be at 7a rather than our regular time of 5:45.  Nice...we get to sleep in.

Regular time for the evening session, 6p.  

Wisdom:

(Even though this quote is about Aikido, I still think that it applies just as well to our approach to exercise.)

"In your practice, you must always maintain a good provenance of your Aikido, always coming from goodness, friendship and the desire to harmonize with others. This kind of Aikido has great appreciation and deserves the admiration of others. Aikido which comes from a spirit of envy, jealousy, competition and rage has no beauty and does not deserve respect." - Rev. Kensho Furuya

Correspondence:

Hi Coop-

I have a sort of random question for you...

I've been working really hard on getting enough sleep (it's just as
challenging as keeping my eating on track!).  But, as with all things,
life sometimes happens and late nights occur occasionally.  Last night
was one of those.  I probably got 5 hours of sleep, if that.  So, this
morning, when it was time to get up for bootcamp, I pondered if it was
better for me to sleep a few more hours - or, if was better for me to
stick with the schedule and workout.

I was definitely dragging in the beginning of the workout - but, by
the end of it, I was completely energized and so glad I worked out.
Those results answered the question for me.... but, I'm still curious
what your thoughts are on the matter.

btw, I'm officially 20 pounds down from my starting point in March.
My waist has been the most significant loss - 5 inches!!  Thank you
for all the eating tips, feedback and encouragement - it's really made
a difference.  Joining your workout sessions has been the absolute
best thing I've done for myself in a very long time.

H.P.

My response...

If you could sleep in and then train in the evening that would be better.  If you could train in the morning and then take a nap, that would probably be second best.  Hope that helps.

NASA Researchers Say Omega-3 May Help Bone Loss /  by Stephen Cooper

Image credit: NASAOne of the best things about my profession is that I get to hang around and learn from a lot of interesting people.  One of my boot campers is a Geophysicist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena,CA and she just passed along the latest newsletter from NASA.  How cool is that.

From: NASA News date: May 10, 2010 10:42:55 AM PDTTo: NASA NewsSubject: NASA Studies Find Omega-3 May Help Reduce Bone Loss

May 10, 2010

Michael Braukus/Ashley Edwards Headquarters, Washington

William Jeffs Johnson Space Center, Houston 

RELEASE: 10-108

NASA STUDIES FIND OMEGA-3 MAY HELP REDUCE BONE LOSS

WASHINGTON -- NASA-sponsored studies have found that omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil may play a role in mitigating bone breakdown that occurs during spaceflight and in osteoporosis. Ongoing research for decades has looked for ways to stop bone density loss in astronauts. The solution could have significant implications for space travelers and those susceptible to bone loss on Earth.

The studies' results are published in the May issue of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. The paper reports on four types of cell culture, ground-based bed rest, and data from both space shuttle and International Space Station crew members. NASA studies bone density loss because it is one of the main effects of exposure to the weightlessness of space. Scientists hope to find ways to counteract the problem for astronauts on long-duration space voyages.

In a series of cell-based studies, scientists documented that adding a specific omega-3 fatty acid to cells would inhibit the activation of factors that lead to bone breakdown. This was true in both typical cell cultures and those designed to mimic weightlessness. The inhibited factor is known as "nuclear factor kappa B" or NFKB. NFKBis involved in immune system behavior and the inflammation process.The activation of NFKB in different tissues can lead to bone and muscle loss.

In a study of astronauts returning from short-duration shuttle missions, researchers found that NFKB activation was increased in blood cells collected at landing, and remained elevated for two weeks. These data provide evidence that inflammatory processes may be involved in some of the adaptation to microgravity and suggest that reducing NFKB activation could serve as a countermeasure to bone loss.

A ground-based bed rest study was conducted on 16 subjects with the evaluations performed after 60 days. Bed rest simulates some of the effects of weightlessness, including muscle and bone loss. During the study, higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids was associated with less bone loss.

Based on these studies, the investigators evaluated bone loss in astronauts and compared their findings to reported fish intake during spaceflight. Researchers found that astronauts who ate more fish lost less bone mineral after four-to-six-month spaceflights. Tracking fish consumption is not as accurate as determining exact diet and omega-3fatty acid intake, but these data were not available.

"These results are very exciting, and provide initial evidence that nutrition may be a key factor in mitigating bone loss in astronauts."said Scott Smith, a nutritionist at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and one of the paper's authors.

The studies were conducted by a team of scientists across multiple disciplines at Johnson. Smith and Sara Zwart lead the center's Nutritional Biochemistry Laboratory. Duane Pierson and Satish Mehtawork for the Microbiology Laboratory and led the shuttle-based studies. Steve Gonda, a NASA scientist and a co-author, died before publication of the studies.

To view the paper on the Internet, visit: 

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123210043/abstract

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit: 

http://www.nasa.gov

Would you like this? /  by Stephen Cooper

Current boot campers, I have a question for you.

I know that some of you miss sessions.  Some times for good reasons, and some times you just sleep in.  When you signed up for my camp my main goal was to help you reach your goal...which in most cases was to lose weight.

I am considering putting the days workout up here on my site so that you can complete it on your own.

What do you think?  Would this help?  Would you do the workout on your own?

Please leave me your thoughts here in the comments.

 

New Boot Camp Session in the Pasadena Altadena Area Begins April 26 /  by Stephen Cooper

Remember way back on January first when you set those new years goals of "this is the year that I'm really going to lose the fat", and all of the others we toss around.

Well, we are coming to the end of April already.  Hard to believe.  So what have you done since Jan.?  Have you begun your exercise program?  Have you stopped already?
Each day is a new day...and you can start today.  

Why not join us this Monday as we begin a new boot camp session.  

One boot camper, David, who started with us in January has now lost close to 50 pounds. Imagine 50 pounds since Jan..

You may not need to lose 50.  Maybe it's just 10.  Or you are tired with your current routine.

Join us on Monday the 26th.  Like the past camps, there are a handful of openings.  Details are here  on the website.  www.BootCampPasadena.com

Here's something that may interest you too.  We had a teleseminar for the current boot campers where they could have their questions answered by our registered dietitian.  The replay is available here.

Make the most of today,
Coop  

The Paleo Diet is Becoming More and More Popular...Learn More About it in This Teleseminar /  by Stephen Cooper

I've posted the link to our very first teleseminar about the Paleo diet.  Our guest on this call is Amy Kubal, our registered dietitian who specializes in the Paleo way of eating.

Eating right is critical in your desire to lose fat.  Paleo happens to be my choice for staying lean and healthy.  i realize that there are many ways to keep off the fat, and this is one option.

The call is about 45 min. long.

Amy mentions frozen meals which are paleo friendly. 

Let me know you thoughts here in the comment section below.  If you have ideas on more guests or topics please let me know.

Show #1 Amy Kubal, RD Paleo Diet

Important Teleconference with our Registered Dietitian Amy Kubal /  by Stephen Cooper

Proper eating is critical for fat loss and fueling your training here at boot camp.

Amy specializes in the Paleo style of eating, which is the way I eat about 90% of the time.  I've found it to be a pretty simple method of eating, plus it keeps me lean and energized for my own training.  Best of all I used to get colds almost every other month, and since I've been eating this way, I rarely get sick.

The call will be live on Thursday April 15th at 5pm PST  (I will be emailing all active boot campers the call in number and code...please look at your email.)

If you can't make the live call and have questions for Amy please submit them to me via email.

The call will be recorded too in case you can't attend the live one.

So think up all of your diet questions and have them ready or submit them to me ASAP.

what to eat for maximum fat loss and performance /  by Stephen Cooper

A big thanks goes out to Nancy Meenen of CrossFit Seattle for sharing this...

Leaning Challenge Guide to Eating
SUMMARY
• All of the lean meat, fish, seafood, eggs you can eat
• All of the non starchy vegetables you can eat
• Plenty of fruit
• Moderate healthy fats
• Moderate nuts and seeds
• No grains or cereals at all
• No legumes
• No dairy products (eggs are meat)
• No processed foods – make it yourself!
• No sugars. Agave, organic honey, molasses, pure spun golden sunshine….it doesn’t matter.
They are all equally bad for you.
• No artificial sweeteners. These are not food! Creepy laboratory products with sketchy safety
records, artificial sweeteners have been shown to produce an insulin response.
MEAT:
“In order to get enough protein and calories you should eat animal food at almost every meal” (Cordain,
Page 101)
Many different kinds of meat will work well for you. Here are some guidelines:
-
Animals, including fish, raised in commercial farms are not healthy so try to get
 Grass fed beef
 USDA certified organic meat
 Wild fish
 Locally raised animals
-
If unable to do any of the above, then eat the leanest cuts you can and trim visible fat.
-
Eating the fat of healthy fish, birds and animals is good for you. Eating the fat of unhealthy
creatures is not.
-
Eggs are good. Eggs from birds allowed to forage and run around are better.
-
Buffalo, elk, venison and other types of wild game are excellent choices if you can get them.
VEGETABLES:
Time to get creative. Non starchy vegetables should be a big part of each meal. Virtually all vegetables
offer excellent nutritional value.
-
When possible choose organic, locally grown vegetables that are in season. Each of these factors
will improve nutritional value.
-
Experiment with sautéing, roasting and grilling your veggies. Try different recipes and different
ethnic foods. Learn to use herbs and spices. This stuff should taste good!
-
Peppers, squashes, eggplant, garlic, leeks, onions broccoli, cauliflower, avocado, carrots, green,
cabbage, celery, kale, dandelion (yes! dandelion) spinach, tomatoes, radish, parsnips,
mushrooms….
-
Avoid starchy vegetable – potatoes, etc. If you must eat starch (it happens) try yams and sweet
potatoes.
-
Avoid legumes. Peanuts, beans, peas, lentils and soybeans should be avoided.

FRUIT:
A paleo diet allows and encourages lots of fruit consumption. There are a few issues with fruit
consumption though. We need to consider how the fruit was grown as well as the type of fruit to evaluate
nutritional value. We also need to consider pesticide exposure.
-
If you can grow your own fruit or pick wild fruit – go for it!
-
Scavenge the local farmers market for fresh local seasonal fruit. Organic is best.
-
Try to avoid fruit from far away. Flying in kiwis from New Zealand is not really helping our
health.
-
Avoid GMO (genetically modified organism) fruit. Period.
-
A little fruit juice occasionally can be okay but, fruit juice is really candy.
-
Wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly to minimize pesticides.
-
Some fruits like bananas have a high glycemic load and should be avoided if you are trying to
loose fat.
Berries! Eat lots of berries!
NUTS & SEEDS:
Filling and nutritious. Nuts and seeds are packed with protein, fatty acids, enzymes, antioxidants and lots
of vitamins and minerals, especially potassium and magnesium. It is possible to screw up your fat profile
with nuts though. Lots of nuts have an unacceptably high omega 6 / omega 3 ratio. Here are the best
choices:
Walnuts
Macadamia nuts
Pecans
Nuts in moderation are very healthy but overeating them can stall weight loss. Cashews especially are
delicious but surprisingly high in carbohydrate and contain too much omega 6.
Peanuts are not nuts. Do not eat peanuts or peanut butter. Peanuts contain lectins and other anti-nutrients
which can cause some real health problems.
Note: Lots of packaged, shelled nuts are covered in trans fats! Read the label! Best to buy raw, unsalted
nuts and spice them at home. When in doubt, buy walnuts and/or macadamia nuts.
FATS:
Fat is good for you. Fat is essential to your well being and happiness. (This is not hyperbolic writing.
Having the proper fat profile makes a huge difference to your mental outlook and moods). Fat is a great
source of energy. Fat triggers our sense of being full. Fat is an essential part of many of your cellular and
hormonal processes. We sicken and die fairly quickly without adequate intake of essential fats.
However….there are many bad fats in our food supply.
Fat from healthy animals is good for you! Chicken, duck, goose, lamb, beef and pork fat can all be eaten
and is an excellent choice for cooking because of heat stability. Lard is internal fat from around the
kidneys. Lard from naturally (not grain) fed pork and beef is a very good choice. Lard from grass fed
animals is hard to find though, so butter can be used instead.
Butter. Not really paleo, butter contains milk solids and water as well as fat. Butter from grass fed cows
is very good for cooking and enhancing the flavor of steamed vegetables.
Making butter better! (More paleo)
Melt butter in a sauce pan over low heat. Remove butter from heat and let stand for a few minutes,
allowing the milk solids to settle to the bottom. Skim the clear yellow liquid from the top and strain into
a container. You have just made Ghee! Ghee stores well frozen.
Coconut oil is good for you and a good choice for cooking. Choose organic, cold processed coconut oil.
Olive oil is very healthy. Go for the extra virgin, cold pressed and use liberally. Olive oil does not have
great heat stability so use something else for high heat frying.
Flaxseed oil is very good but…it should not be heated at all and oxidizes rapidly. Store flaxseed oil in the
refrigerator and use quickly.
Fats to Avoid:
Trans Fats – fats damaged by heat. Trans fats can be extremely destructive to our health. Trans fats can
be made at home!! Start with a healthy, unrefined oil, naturally high in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids –
apply excessive heat and presto! Health wrecking trans fats. Easy!
Hydrogenated and/or partially hydrogenated oils. Terrible! Reread the last paragraph.
Canola – should be avoided. Canola has a very good omega 6/ Omega 3 ratio. However, to be used
commercially it has been genetically modified, highly refined, partially hydrogenated and deodorized.
Yikes!
Margarine – see trans fats.
Peanut, cottonseed, soybean and wheat germ oils…Not good!

 

8 suggestions for succeeding from john wooden /  by Stephen Cooper

Winning wisdom from the great John Wooden, as sent to me from my coach and mentor, Todd Durkin...
8 Suggestions for Succeeding
1. Fear no opponent. Respect every opponent.
2. Remember, it's the perfection of the smallest details that make BIG things happen (ATTENTION TO DETAIL)
3. Keep in mind that hustle makes up for many a mistake.
4. Be more interested in character than reputation.
5. Be quick, but don't hurry.
6. Understand that the harder you work, the more luck you will have.
7. Know that valid self-analysis is crucial for improvement.
8. Remember there is not substitute for hard work and careful planning. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
9 Promises That Can Bring Happiness
1. Promise yourself that you will talk about health, happiness and prosperity as often as possible.
2. Promise yourself to make all your friends know there is something special in them and that you value it immensely.
3. Promise to think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best in yourself and others.
4. Promise to be enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
5. Promise to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
6. Promise to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements in the future.
7. Promise to wear a cheerful appearance at all times and give every person you meet a smile.
8. Promise to give so much time to improving yourself that you do not have time to criticize others.
9. Promise to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit trouble to press on you.
 

 

How to Maximize Boot Camp Fat Loss: 4 Foundations for Success /  by Stephen Cooper

Morning at Boot Camp, Altadena,CA

Today we begin a new boot camp session.  Most of you are here to lose fat, so I'd like to give you 4 foundations which I believe will help you to get the most from your boot camp workouts.

Foundation 1 - Sleep and Recovery

These days getting enough sleep is harder and harder.  With our "always on" society we often don't power off and get the proper amount of rest and recovery.

So how much is "enough"?  In general somewhere between 7-9 hours.  You have slept enough when you wake up feeling rested.

I used a Sleep Cycle application from iTunes to track my sleeping and it was very interesting.  It senses your movement during your nights sleep and reads your different phases from deep to light sleep.  It may be helpful for you to track your sleeping for a few weeks to see just how much sleep you are really getting. 

Recovery

Recovery is critical in order for you to lose the fat you are hoping for.  Recovery may consist of:

  • Foam rolling (video)
  • Massage
  • Time spent away from training 

Foam rolling.  I've posted a video about this before, but to keep it simple, think of foam rolling as a way of self massage.  You'll likely be sore from your boot camp workouts so by having an inexpensive foam roller you'll be able to massage out those sore points.  If the rolling is new to you, start slowly and be careful when putting your whole body weight on the roller.  Certain points on your body will be tender, so proceed slowly.

Massage.  Massage will be extremely helpful in clearing your body from the stresses of the training session. Ideally once a week would be perfect...but do is as often as you can afford.  Don't think of it as a luxury, consider an important part of you reaching your fat loss goal.

Time spent away from training.  You are probably anxious to get the fat off, but you should be aware that "more is not always better".  I have designed your workouts to not only burn fat during your workout, but they are designed to cause an "after burn" effect.  We are training with resistance such as the kettlebells which will challenge your muscles and support a fat burning effect after your workout.

If you are just beginning, these three session per week may be all you need to lose a considerable amount of fat, so don't think that you should be supplementing your workout with extra stuff outside of our sessions. Ask me first.

Foundation 2 - Train Smart

I am now assuming that you have gotten enough sleep and you are ready to show up to our training session well rested and focused to work out.

This is something that is somewhat difficult to describe, but you can see it in the faces of people who are focused or not.

Imagine an Olympic athlete as she is getting ready to get into the blocks before a sprint.  There may be smiles just before she steps in but when those feet are in place there is a certain heightened level of awareness and determination that enters her.

Now of course we aren't training for the Olympics and we can joke around a little more than a professional athlete, but I challenge you to focus and dig deep.  We only have forty five minutes during our session, so get the most from you can during the exercise part of our workout.

Arriving on time, and not skipping sessions should be a given here...but this is just a remeinder.  You can't train smart unless you first show up.

Foundation 3 - Eat Well

I will try to keep this section as simple as possible.  People can nit pic and argue about diet, being a vegan and so forth, but I want to lay out what works for me and many other professional coaches. 

Base your eating on garden vegetables, especially greens, lean meats, nuts and seeds, some fruit, healthy fats, and no sugar.

Having said that  I know already that the comments will start to fly.  (You are welcome to enter your comments below, but please realize that this is what works for me and many others.  If you are lean, fit, and happy doing your own thing, then have at it :) )

With the addition of our special consultant and Registered Dietician, Amy Kubal, we'll be getting into more specifics very soon.

(Here's my breakfast for this morning which I ate right after boot camp.)

3 whole eggs with salsa, one sausage, papaya, banana, and coffee. 

Foundation 4 - Interact and Support

Lastly but also very important is to interact with the rest of the other boot campers.  You'll soon discover that we have a great group of people here who are very supportive of each other.

You may want to make comments or ask your questions here on the site, or you may want to interact on our Facebook page.  I encourage you to share your questions with me and the group, you are definitely not alone, and by asking here, you will be helping the entire group.

The more often you interact and ask questions, the faster you will see results.

I purposely keep the classes small so that you can get the support you need.  Contact me with your questions. 

Concentrate on these foundations.  Don't let your mind wander or search for a too good to be true solution. Right here and right now, you have what you need to achieve incredible results.  I've seen it with so many clients...and you could be next.

upcoming fat burning boot camp in pasadena /  by Stephen Cooper

There are just a few spaces for our next boot camp which runs from Mar. 29 - Apr. 23.

If you are interested in losing fat and toning up, you can get the details here:
http://www.bootcamppasadena.com/

I'm really proud of my boot campers this year.  So many have lost 10, 20...and our best client has lost 40 pounds of fat since January.  Imagine 40 pounds lost in less than 3 months.  Incredible!

The weather is perfect for exercising outdoors.  Grab your spot here:
http://www.bootcamppasadena.com/

See ya,
Coop

P.S.  This session we'll be introducing our bi-weekly teleconference calls where I'll be interviewing other fitness pros and experts on diet and fat loss.  I can't wait.