Weight Loss Specialist

I just finished and passed my WLS exam, and am now a Certified Weight Loss Specialist through the N.A.S.M. This helps me deal with physiological and psychological issues that clients may experience, and are associated with weight loss.
A major part of keeping my certification current as a Certified Personal Trainer is continuing education. Personal trainers do NOT have to be certified in all states, and Ohio is one of them. I would not let just anyone teach me proper self defense, exercise, investing, or any number of skills simply because they can. My life, money, time, and body are valuable.

In fitness, Bob

Advertisement

Seaweeds and Eggs

   Seaweed is actually a sea vegetable. It has been used for thousands of years for it’s ability to prevent disease, prolong life, and for overall health and beauty. In biology and myth, it is the sea that all things begin and return to. We begin life in the womb in a saline solution.

Seaweeds are classed by color. Their particular color depends on the depth at which they grow, the tide, temperature, light exposure and region. They contain up to twenty times more mineral content than land plants, and are a source of vitamins and fiber. Each seaweed has it’s own nutrient profile as well.

Seaweeds are used for lowering cholesterol, reducing fat in the blood, and in weight-loss programs. Other uses include the reduction of inflammation, as a diuretic, and the treatment of cancer and fibroid tumors.

I received Paul Pitchford’s book; Healing with Whole Foods, as a gift from my wife this past Christmas. It is a vast resource of information such as presented here, along with uses and recipes as an addition to whole body health.

Due to the high salt content of seaweed, you may need to rinse or soak, before using it. I have been using the roasted, shredded Nori as an addition to soups and eggs, and enjoy the flavor as a hot tea. Mixed with a little garlic, ginger and cayenne, it is helpful in treating congestion, (Head cold). Nori has the highest protein content and is the most easily digested of the seaweeds.

  I am not sure how the thought popped into my ever wandering mind, but I added some Nori and garlic to scrambled eggs. The flavor was what I would describe as a seafood omelette. Not that it tasted fishy, but the sea salt, roasted flavor was good. An exotic twist to a spinach omelette if you will. Additions to this could easily be any variety of mushroom, chilies, onion, whatever you choose.

   For one serving, I used 1 whole egg, 2 egg whites, 1/4 t minced garlic, and whisked it together along with approximately 1 1/2 Tablespoon crushed, shredded Nori. The Nori is easily crushed in the palm of your hand, as it is already dried. I only did this step so I did not have longer strands.

I poured the mixture into a skillet with olive oil, and cooked as I normally do my eggs.

    This was served with fresh tomato and was very good! As I mentioned, you could add many different ingredients and top with a sprinkling of cheese. Try adding some seaweed to an Asian style salad, stir-fry, soup, casserole or recipe of your choice.

In fitness, Bob

Feel the Burn

Typically, when someone is talking about , ‘Feeling the burn’, they are referring to the euphoric high of an intense workout. The one that makes each breath of oxygen fuel your muscles, so that you can continue to get in one more set, one more rep, or maybe just one more step. The burn is the production and build up of lactic acid.

High intensity exercise can cause an endorphin rush much like the intake of Capsaicin, which is an active component in chilie peppers and is said to promote weight loss. It is also an anti fungal.

I am known as a chili head. I enjoy the burn of hot peppers, sauces, seasonings and all things chili. I have been busy grinding dried Mulato, Ancho, Ghost, New Mex., Chococlate Habanero, and Fatali chilies. I mix this with a few seasonings and use it as a topical addition for eggs, soups, meats, you name it.

These Fatali peppers are one of my favorites for their citrus like flavor. I am wearing gloves due to the oils that are present on these chilies. The vast majority of the heat is not in the seeds, as some people think, but in the membrane or placenta, that holds the seeds.

I recently took a stab at making my own pepper sauce. It turned out rather well. I made my first batch with Jalapenos and Poblanos. These were fermented in a brine solution with yogurt culture to help create the process. After about six weeks, I added vinegar, a few final seasonings, ran half the batch through a berry strainer, and my first bottle of hot sauce was born.

There was a point where we had to vacate the premises and air it out, due to the overwhelming fumes. This gave us ample time for some great Mexican food at my favorite restaurant.

Whether you choose to explore the use of capsaicin as a topical for pain relief, the ingestion of more spice for health reasons, (circulation), or just grab a bottle of chipotle sauce for flavor, I hope you enjoy your experience as much as I have enjoyed sharing mine with you.

Feel the Burn!

In fitness, Bob

Recipe for Exercise

If you took some commitment, added in some perseverance and sweat, a dash of willingness, and then tossed it gently with your favorite goals, would you be happy with the outcome?

I would like your feedback on exercise. Don’t stop reading yet, I’m not asking for money. I know everyone in the blogging world puts their thoughts and/or ideas out to share, or to invoke an interest. That is what this is for me. This will take no more time than reading and replicating a recipe, so think of this as your recipe for exercise. As with all good recipes, please share this with your friends or reblog if you wish. Not everyone exercises, I get that. If you fall into that category,  please send me your families most guarded recipe. (Lasagna, cookies, pie, soup, you get the picture:)

Being relatively new to blogging and writing exercise prescriptions, I am looking for advice from my fellow bloggers and Facebook followers. What would your ideal recipe for exercise be? A recipe that you would make again, or commit yourself to. I have written a list of questions for my curiosity, but am also open to your personal creativity as well. I will be most grateful for your time and input.

Remember, this does not have to involve a gym or kitchen, you can exercise and cook outside. Just be careful to leave a safety zone around the grill. Of course I’m kidding, but seriously, be safe.

What do you do for exercise? Do you have a favorite routine or piece of equipment that you prefer? Is there an exercise or piece of equipment that you have always wanted to learn but for whatever reason have not? If you hired a Personal Trainer, what would you expect from him/her? Would you incorporate a guideline for your nutrition/eating habits? Would you dedicate a certain amount of time to working out, and if so how often? If you became comfortable with an exercise, would you be willing to try something different? You stayed with me this far, you might as well let me know what you think. Go ahead, I can take it.

Thank you, Bob

You can email your recipe to me at;  bob@guidancefitnesspt.com

Weight Loss Plateaus

Have you ever started a diet or weight loss plan, only to hit a plateau or hump that you just couldn’t get over? Were the goals that you set for yourself reachable in the time frame you allotted? Did you find yourself cheating occasionally or skipping workout days.

Some of you may know that in order to lose weight you must expend, or use, more calories than you take in. You will need to workout a little more to get rid of the extra weight that you have put on as well.

When beginning an exercise routine, most people experience their best results, however the body adapts to the exercise routine and is no longer challenged the way it was before. If all you monitor is the scale, you may not even see the results. This is due to the fact that you are burning fat and losing mass. You may even see an increase in your weight because you are building muscle. This new muscle growth will help you achieve the results you want.

You must hold yourself accountable with every bite you take. If you consider how much movement is required to burn the food energy you ingest, you may achieve greater results. This is not to say that you should starve yourself either. In a starvation mode, your body will adjust by storing the food it takes in as fat, so that it does not burn it as fuel. You will actually begin to lose muscle mass.

Try to keep an honest journal of what you consume and how you were feeling at the time you ate it. Were you angry, happy, with other people or alone? Condiments and drinks will add to your intake of “invisible” calories quickly. I love eggs, but at 70 calories each or 17 for the white only, sometimes I sacrifice a yolk or two. This helps my cholesterol as well.

Change up your workout routine. As I said, the body will become accustomed to the exercise, and your nutrition needs will change. Do you fidget? Maybe you should. Movement uses energy. Sing to yourself and tap your foot, or get up for a quick walk to a friends cubicle, the restroom even if you don’t need to use it, just start moving more. And if you increase your water intake, (hint hint), you will have the need to get up and move.

Don’t fall for for rapid weight loss pills, gimmicks, machines, or diets of whoever is famous at the time. If you do not make this a lifestyle change, then you won’t have a life changing event. Consider hiring a Certified Personal Trainer that will help guide you through your journey. Stay motivated, accept that you may have setbacks, and overcome them.                                                                          In fitness, Bob

Are you hungry?

Have you ever thought about the difference between hunger and appetite? You might think they are one in the same, however they are not. Hunger, quite simply put, is the need for food. Appetite is a desire for food.

If we did not listen to the demands of mood and had no external stimuli to suggest we were hungry, our brain would let us know when to eat. Thanks to marketing strategies, suggestions are around every corner. Marketing works. We see advertisements on TV, in magazines, on bill boards, buses, taxis, you name it, it is out there. How many times have you ordered something to eat because of the smell, sight, or a description of the pleasure you will experience?

Melting, gooey cheese, slowly dripping from a hand tossed, authentic pizza. Or how about a fresh cinnamon roll,  hot steam escaping the first piece as it is pulled away. Maybe it is the visibly fresh char marks in the final glaze of a sweet, tangy and mildly spiced piece of meat that is cooked to perfection over an open, smokey flame. This is appetite.

These wants, or desires, can and will occur at anytime, not just when you are hungry, and may not disappear after eating unless you have overindulged. At this time, you may feel good about what you ate, or you could feel guilty and ashamed.

Now let us look at hunger. Hunger is the biological response to what we need due to energy demands, low blood sugar, an empty tank, (stomach), or a need for warmth. Food should primarily be an energy source, not an excessive luxury.

If you have read my bio, then you know I like to eat. There is however a huge difference between need and want. All I am trying to do is to have you consider why you eat what you do, how often or how much. Do not get into the habit of rewarding yourself with food. Animals are trained this way, and if you are not careful , you may be training yourself for failure.

In fitness, Bob