Fit 231: Salt, Cravings and QuickFit Workouts

What you need to know about salt, what types of workouts get you in shape fast and a 5-step technique to change what you crave!

September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. This is to raise awareness about the childhood obesity epidemic in America and show people how they can help solve this problem.

I found it interesting because there was a video on YouTube by Nicole Arbor called "Dear Fat People" that offended many people. As a matter of fact, the people it offended complained to Google that the material in violation of YouTube's terms and got it yanked.

Those who complained said she was "fat shaming". Yet she mentions throughout the entire video the need for people to take care of themselves so “we can have you around longer.” You can probably still find the video via search.

Now, this video alone could be a whole episode or two of discussion! Yet, I wonder if she started out by saying it's “National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month,” if people would have viewed it differently or have been offended by that fact that there is a whole month “dedicated” to the awareness of childhood obesity. 

I want to know what your thoughts are on these topics:

• Childhood obesity awareness
• Fat shaming 
• If you had a morbidly obese relative would you talk to them about their weight? 

Comment on the Facebook page or email me your thoughts!

Reference article September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month:  http://www.aol.com/article/2015/09/09/september-is-national-childhood-obesity-awareness-month-and-here/21233060/

NUTRITION
I often get e-mails on my opinion on salt. There are a lot of listeners who are confused out there. No wonder they are, some say that salt is a plague to be avoided, and some say we need more. Of course it is different for each person because your salt intake should take into consideration your activities, health history and nutritional needs.

Here are some points to consider:

1. Today's "modern" salt is a very refined product and very far from its original form, making it less wholesome. 
2. Salt intake has to be individualized.  Restricting salt could be good for some people, but it can also be disastrous for someone trying to recover from adrenal fatigue. 
3. The higher protein intake you have, the more salt you need. Independent studies observed that sodium is low in high protein users. 
4. The more cooked foods you eat, the more salt you need to activate certain intestinal enzymes. 
5. Salt should have a color. Not white and bland looking. Salt should be either pink, red, beige or grey. What that means is that it contains trace minerals and has not been highly processed. Be aware that "real" salt shouldn't cost an arm and leg. It does not need to come from any remote location or extreme harvesting method! Good salt is readily available at any health food store.
6. If you sweat a lot you need more salt. A Sodium and Potassium imbalance can lead to all kinds of problems both in the gym and outside of the gym.  So, if you sweat a lot, you likely need more salt for performance and for health. 
7. It’s equally important to maintain a salt balance in your diet. If you have a "cheat" night or an "off diet" night, pay attention to how you feel. Many people who eat healthy throughout the week and then treat themselves to a “splurge” meal can feel nauseous and can even experience elevated heart rate and blood pressure and this is due to the body’s reaction to the sudden increase in salt intake. 
8. Low sodium diet is one of the main causes of dehydration and low blood volume. This leads to many negative effects for those seeking improvements in their physiques and overall performance.
9. If you are craving salty foods, that is indication number one that you need more sodium. Also, if your performance is starting to suffer and you aren’t as lean or hard or vascular as you used to be it could be because you are sweating more in the hot summer sun and need more sodium.

MOTIVATION
Change What You Crave, By Changing How You Think! Let's take another look at cravings and how to get rid of them. First, think about what foods are your greatest temptations. The probably aren't healthy ones, right?  Foods like ice cream, potato chips, pizza, or cake..... you get the idea.

In fact, in your mind right now, as you're listening, you may be thinking about a food that isn't healthy. Well, aren't you? Stop for a moment and think about that and how many times you crave certain foods or are tempted by foods. The point is that you can change what you crave by changing how you think.

Practically every new client I see for weight-loss has a “craving problem.” But I don't see it as a craving problem, it can be an overall nutrition and/or a mindset issue. Cravings can be caused by lack of certain nutrients, the power of suggestion, aroma or a combination of these. You definitely don't have to be controlled by them! You don't have to feel temped by ice cream, cookies or 20-ounce prime ribs. Instead, you can be tempted by healthier foods like watermelon, pineapple, oranges or apples. Think that sounds crazy? Well it's not!

Think about this...there exists at least one fruit and vegetable you like. Now, think about how often you eat these types of fruits or vegetables. Is it a lot less often than the unhealthy stuff? You really can enjoy your favorite fruits just as much as you enjoy your favorite junk foods, you just don't believe you can.

Change your minds images and you'll change your cravings!

Here's a quick 5 minute mental exercise you can begin doing right now to help you start changing the way you crave food.

Step 1: Find a comfortable, quiet place where there are no distractions. Begin breathing deeply until you are quite relaxed. Next, count backwards from 10-1, slowly. With each count, imagine that your mind is drifting deeper and deeper.

Step 2: After you have finished counting, imagine that you are relaxing by yourself in your favorite place. A secluded beach or a log in the woods will do the trick. Imagine yourself feeling so very relaxed and peaceful.

Step 3: Next, imagine a basket full of your favorite fresh picked fruit sitting right next to you. See it clearly in your mind, the color, the feel, everything about that fruit. Imagine taking a bite of that juicy fruit and enjoying it like never before.

Step 4: Repeat the following suggestion to yourself 10 times: "From now on, anytime I think of eating, I immediately feel a craving for fruit."

Step 5: Count from 1 to 5, slowly, and when you reach 5 open your eyes.

A good habit is to do this sequence before bed. Not only does it help with cravings, it helps you relax for better sleep.

TRAINING
What are QuickFit workouts? These are short workouts (15-30 minutes) that combine the best exercises for weight loss and sculpting. That means a combination of exercises specifically chosen to boost your metabolism, burn more calories and tone and tighten your whole body.

You don't have to do an exercise for every part of your body to see it change. For example, abs and core. Most people train that area directly, some people will do a half hour every day. The sad thing is that you 'll never see your abs if they are covered by a layer of fat. Yes diet has something to do with that, but so does your workout. When you do the right exercises, mostly free weights, and make them challenging enough to be working really hard the last few reps, then you are creating tone, tight muscle! The kind that permanently speeds up your metabolism, while making you look smaller (losing inches) and toned. Plus, the most effective exercises for weight loss are also ones that simultaneously train your abs and core!

Who wouldn't want to spend less time working out and get in shape faster? 

And did I mention cardio? Well, no......Exactly!

The QuickFit format is set up that you'll be doing cardio the whole time! Between the large muscles worked, the compound exercises (ie exercises that require to stand, balance etc) and the minimal rest, your heart rate will be up higher than your normal cardio.

 Did you wonder why we did the “no cardio” challenge last week? To get you to change the way you workout and think about weight loss!

If you are one of those who answered that you've been working on your shape up goals for over a year or forever, then you owe it to yourself to completely change what you are doing! Obviously it isn't working or you'd be in the shape you want!  Right?  If that sounds harsh, sorry, I just know what it feels like to work out, run 5 miles a day, bike 5-10 several days a week, eat “healthy” and still not “be in shape.” I certainly wish someone told me all this a long time ago! I always say, if it wasn't happening to me, I wouldn't believe it!

I can understand your reluctance to make such a drastic change. The no cardio thing was tough for me too, at least in the beginning. But then when I started to notice I was staying relatively lean and about the same weight despite NOT always eating (or drinking ) healthy and working out less (about 4 days a week) and doing NO cardio, then I was convinced.

 Of course, it makes sense that if you give your body a chance to recover from workouts, the added muscle boosts your metabolism so you burn more calories all day long, not just after exercise.  When you stay off the scale and only take measurements once a week or once every two weeks, then you see changes and stay on track.

A big reason why people fail at weight loss goals is because of the scale.  If you go to the scale, it messes with your head! If you gain weight, or don't lose weight, while weight training you automatically think you are bulking up.  

NO, not even close!

Remember very few women have the ability to gain muscle size quickly. (By the way,  I am definitely not one of them. It's not any easier for me than you!)

The problem with the scale is that you sabotage your self by stepping on the scale too often. If you get frustrated with the scale, you either give up on your weight loss goals, or you go the opposite way and do too much cardio and skip the weights. Bad idea!

The goal is to challenge your muscles. If you workout in a gym then you have a nice selection of weights to challenge yourself. But if you workout at home you probably have a limited number of weights, so you need to be sure your exercises are going to challenge you, physically,  in way that produces results.  There's different techniques to do this such as supersets, tempo training, balance training, to name a few.

This isn't a plug for QuickFit Club, it's a reminder that you can get in great shape with out cardio when you use the right type of exercises The best results come when you hit the muscle groups hard and fast! Four (4) times a week works great!

Remember, you can do the QuickFit Club workouts during the pre-reboot for free. Visit the QuickFit Club website to get a taste of this type of training. When we reboot the club, the workouts will actually be shorter and more specific on the weights to use.

Yes, you can still add your input at the survey!  It is now conveniently located on the fitnessmakeover site so go there and you will see in the main menu survey.  You input is important!


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Fit 231: Salt, Cravings and QuickFit Workouts

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