I figure one of two things have happened to our 2012 goals.  The first, we are right on track and finishing strong and we are ready to get through the Holidays with victory and set up for 2013.  Or second, we lost site of our goals and we off track.

If the first is you then congratulations and keep going.  Tell us how you kept on track with your fitness goals here or on Facebook.  If the second is you, then lets take a minute to reflect on what we wanted to accomplish in 2012 and see if your goal is salvageable.  If not, lets set a mini goal to finish the year strong and set yourself up for success in 2013.  We would like to hear your story either here or on Facebook of how your going to finish strong this year with your health and fitness.

If you need help with your program either by design or if you would like us to be more involved, call (520)318-3488, DM us, or email us at justin@betterbodiestucson.com.  We can help you finish strong.

All approved stories will be featured on Facebook and our website as well.  Video and pictures are welcome.  Lets stay healthy Tucson.

Sincerely,

Justin List
Owner: Better Bodies on Campbell

The key is to take the time to learn and to prepare properly. It would be wonderful to be able to press snooze twice and presto, have 6 meals pop up out of thin air. It is however super easy when you get the hang of it. I typically work about 12 hours a day and have a 30 minute commute each way to work and I do this routine every day.

What you will get out of this new routine is being more productive at work and at home, lose the weight you want and feel better with more energy, have more time in the day, and did I mention you will be saving money?

Things you will need; Tupperware, aluminum foil, and one of the bags you already get from the store when you buy groceries, off course you can upgrade any of these as you like, a pot, a baking sheet, water and seasoning, blender, protein powder, and the food you will cook.

The first thing you do when you wake up is go to the kitchen. Preheat the oven to desired temperature for what you’re going to cook, fish, boneless skinless chicken breast, or steak. Put enough meat on the baking sheet for 2 meals and season both sides. Now put enough eggs in a pot of water for 2 meals and put on high temp. Now make your 2 protein shakes in your magic bullet, one for now and one for later. Put the meat in the oven and set the timer for desired time. This should all take about 5 minutes.

Now go to your normal morning routine. When the timer goes off, turn the meat over and reset the timer. The eggs should be boiling now. It should take only a minute to flip the meat so now we are at about 6 added minutes to your routine.

Proceed with your normal routine again until the timer goes off. Take the meat out of the oven and turn the oven and the stove off. Rinse the eggs with cold water and leave them in the cold water. This again should only take about a minute. So we are at 7 added minutes now.

Now finish getting ready. When you are done getting ready, go to the kitchen and put the meat in foil or Tupperware, put the eggs in Tupperware or a grocery bag, and then put the protein shake, meat, and eggs in your lunch box or bag with your 4 servings of fruit. This should take about 3 minutes to give us only 10 added minutes to your routine.

Now let’s look at what we just did. We made 2 shakes, 2 meals with eggs and fruit, and 2 meals with chicken, fish, or steak and fruit. That is 6 meals with little effort or time. For the fruit, I generally buy fruit that does not have to be cut so I can just pack it and go.

So now you have 6 meals that are very low in fat. To go real lean if weight loss is your goal, use boneless skinless chicken breast or fish. Skip the steak and with the eggs, eat only the whites. For the shakes I recommend a high quality protein (don’t buy cheap protein), 60 calorie almond milk, Strawberries or a peach, and some ground cinnamon. You can use water instead of almond milk to cut more calories. I like to use the magic bullet because the blender is also the cup. This saves time and cleanup.

These meals are a much higher quality than something quick and you don’t have to wait at a drive through. The costs of these meals on average are about $5 or less. That is cheaper in price and better in quality than fast food or a restaurant and much less time consuming.

I like to go to the store daily on my way home from work. This way I am always eating exactly what I want that day and it tastes better than thawing something out which again takes time. If you don’t get a chance to prepare all of your meals, I go to the grocery store as opposed to fast food or a restaurant. I get the salmon or tuna in a bag and fruit.

Good luck and please let us know how you’re doing. Get fit Tucson.

Sincerely,

Justin List
Owner: Better Bodies on Campbell
(520)318-3488
justin@betterbodiestucson.com

Start with 5 minutes of stretching. Toe touches, hurdler stretches, butterfly, and calf stretches. Then go into 15 minutes of jump rope. If you don’t have a jump rope, just do the motion. You don’t need a rope.

You will elevate your heart rate, and get you ready for the day. You will be awake and have a fantastic day with increased problem solving and a great feeling that you already did some exercise.

Add a night routine too and double your results. With one workout a day, you will burn the equivalent to almost 20 pounds in a year. Do a morning and night routine and burn equal to almost 42 pounds of fat in a year.

The key is to not eat these calories back on. Couple this with smart eating choices and portion control, and you will be surprised at how easy it is over time.

For more questions call us at Better Bodies on Campbell at 520-318-3488. Email us at justin@betterbodiestucson.com. And new members can get a great summer start up package of 6 sessions for $99. Good through July 4th, 2011

Get started today and send your testimonial of your results to post on our new website. www.betterbodiesoncampell.com It is still in the works so we are looking for some good stories out there. They don’t have to be weight loss, it can be anything to do with getting more out of life.

Get fit Tucson,

Sincerely,

Justin List
Owner: Better Bodies on Campbell
(520)318-3488
justin@betterbodiestucson.com

Who:

What: Weight Training class

When: Open Class Sunday’s at 10 a.m. starting June 5^th. (Individual or private groups available. Call Justin at 318-3488 or email at justin@betterbodiestucson.com )

Where: Better Bodies on Campbell

Why: Injury prevention, Teach proper form of basic lifts, Basic anatomy and food knowledge.

Cost: $150 per person.

Working out is a great place to take control of your body, increase self awareness, develop self esteem, and to have a positive place to spend extra time. This class is a beginning weight training class geared towards the inexperienced lifter or to teens that may have never lifted before. (For advance classes call Justin at 520-318-3488 for information)

In this class, you will learn; proper form on 19 exercises, basic anatomy, injury prevention, food guidelines and getting over the fear of not knowing what to do in a gym. You will decrease risk of injury and get greater results from your workouts.

As of right now, I will be holding a class on Sunday’s at 10 a.m. starting June 5^th. Other times are available upon request. You can also have a private individual, or private group class as well. Just call Justin at 318-3488 or email at justin@betterbodiestucson.com You can also find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BetterBodiesonCampbell

The class will be taught by Justin List. Former; (Mr. Hercules California, Mr. Teen Tucson, First in class South West open, Southern Az. High school Champion)

Call and reserve your spot today as space is limited. This will be a great kickoff to summer and the rest of your lives.

It is next to impossible to put one short answer to fit all people with their different lifestyles, fitness goals, sex, age, etc. So I will try to give as much information without being too lengthy to help you make decisions for yourself as an individual. You are unique after all. I am always willing to answer any questions on an individual basis by phone (520)318-3488 or email justinlist1@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook at BetterBodiesonCampbell.

The first tip is, “eat until you are not hungry. Don’t eat until you are full.” It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to get the signals that you are full. So if you eat until you feel full, you have essentially overeaten for 20 minutes. This is why it is good to eat slowly.

Second, make your plate. You should make your plate according to how much your meal should be. Consciously tell yourself, “This is enough food”. Don’t go back for seconds and don’t set the serving dish on the table. When you set your plate, you’re minimizing the chance of overeating.

Third, plan your meals. You should have a meal plan in some shape or form. At a minimum, you should have a meal schedule. Skipping meals is detrimental to you overall success. So build a meal plan. Know how many meals you can get in a day. This should be 4-6 including snacks. Your schedule will generally dictate how many meals are in a day and days off of work are typically different from work days. There is less structure in terms of schedule so it is harder to eat all your meals and takes more effort. Your total food should be the same at the end of the day, so if you are eating 4 meals a day, your meals will be slightly larger than if you were to eat 6 meals a day.

Fourth, don’t let yourself go hungry. This coincides with planning your meals as you will not be starving if you are getting all of your meals in. When you get too hungry or go too long without a meal, you lose will power. Think about when you are really hungry, high fat and high sugar foods sound the best. Or when you go to the grocery store when you are hungry, you put all the bad stuff in the cart. If you eat your meals regularly, you will increase your will power and have a greater chance for success.

Fifth, don’t eat just for flavor. When flavor is first on your mind, you will have trouble eating healthy because all the flavor is in the fat and sugar. This is not to say that healthy food can’t tastes good, but when you set up a meal, you should be thinking in terms of getting sufficient amounts of protein, carbs, and fats. Over time your pallet will change and the “bland” foods will start tasting good. Don’t be afraid to deny yourself that indulgence. Also, when you are eating properly, you will find that it is actually a lot more food than you realize. For example, some latte’s can be up to 700 calories. That would be equal to 12 oz. of chicken (skinless light) and 2 sweet potatoes. That is two meals worth of food. So a latte is not a very good choice of using your daily calories. Especially since your body does nothing productive with the latte and the chicken and sweet potato meal will help to recover from a workout and build lean muscle that in turn increase metabolism. So think before you spend your calories.

I hope this helps and I am always appreciative of feedback and questions. I put my email and you can find us on Facebook if you would like to know more. And if you live in Tucson and are looking for a great personal training studio, give us a call. Better Bodies on Campbell 318-3488

In good health,

Justin List

Another one are the nuts. One cup of nuts, not a whole lot, is about 840 calories.

Stay healthy and stay fit.

Justin List | Tucson Fitness Expert | Personal Trainer

According to the N.S.C.A., you can lose 1% of your total body weight in a week. I usually will say that up to 2lbs. a week is what you can do on a healthy level and maintain until goal weight. I will give you the three components to healthy weight loss and some realistic expectations on weight loss.

It is not easy to lose weight and at the same time it is. If you are doing everything right, it will happen. If you fight it, it won’t happen. The formula for losing weight works but there are no short cuts.

There are three components to healthy and successful weight loss. The first and easiest is resistance training. I recommend resistance training anywhere from 2 to 6 days a week depending on your individual goals. If balance, core, joint strength, overall muscular endurance is your goal, then 2 to three full body workouts a week is sufficient. If weight loss, toning and shaping are your main goals, I recommend 3 to 4 times a week with different styles of workouts to fit you as an individual. If muscle and strength gains are your goals, then I recommend 4 to 6 times a week with a split routine. If you have a medical condition or are doing rehabilitation, I would only make recommendations on an individual basis.

Next is cardio. Cardio is the second hardest of the three, and sometimes it is the easiest depending on the individual and their personality. I recommend cardio 4 to 6 times a week, again depending on your individual goals. If weight loss is your most important goal right now, then you want to be closer to 6 times a week.

The third and final is the toughest. The eating. If you have a mind set that you want to be healthy and learn better overall eating habits, you will succeed. Because with this frame of mind, it is easy to say no to chips, soda, snacks, lattes, dessert, etc. Healthy people just don’t eat that stuff. So if your frame of mind is to eat a restrictive diet for a short period of time for a great result, well then we have changed nothing and we will gain the weight back. And often times even gain more weight because with a restrictive diet you may slow your metabolism. So I recommend adopting healthy eating habits.

So to give some numbers here on what to expect, as I stated you can lose two pounds a week in a healthy fashion. For this to happen, it is simply a math problem. 2 pounds of fat equals 7,000 calories. So that is 1,000 calories a day. We want to do this by 500 calories coming form caloric intake and the other 500 calories coming from exercise. So you can see that if you are missing on one of the three components, it makes the other two that much more important.

Remember that calories are cumulative so if you overeat by 96 calories a day, that is equal to 10 pounds over a year. Hmmm.. how much is in that latte or desert or glass of wine?

I hope this has been helpful to put some perspective to exercise program and weight loss. If you have any questions just DM me on Facebook, email me at justin@betterbodiestucson.com or call us at 520-318-3488

Justin List | Tucson Fitness Expert | Personal Trainer

This is how the N.S.C.A defines diet:

“Diet refers to the usual eating pattern of an individual, not a restrictive weight loss plan.”

Were we fall short of weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight is that we generally use just the opposite definition. We tend to use the fad diets, quick weight loss plans, etc. This I define as “a restrictive way of eating over a short period of time for a great result.” It is like a get rich quick plan. They don’t work and are not long lasting. When considering a “diet” always ask yourself, “Then What?”

The key is to adopt healthy eating habits. This comes first with knowledge. It takes time to learn so don’t get frustrated and allow yourself years to really eat well. You will find what works for you and your eating habits should be something that you can do everyday for the rest of your life without sacrificing health.

How long does it take to get through college or an apprentice program? It does not happen overnite, so allow yourself time to learn healthy eating habits. I have a few suggestions to get started.

First, get used to the grocery store. If you generally don’t go to the grocery store then this itself will take time to get used to. Try to stay on the outside of the grocery store. This is were the whole foods are. If you are reading labels, chances are you shouldn’t be eating it. I like to put it this way, “if it can last on a shelf for months without going bad, how do you expect your body to be able to break it down? The food company made it ‘indestructible’ so you generally are getting less out of what you eat.” This causes you to eat more because it takes more to get the nutritional value that your body is calling for. Now your body has to figure out what to do with this excess material.

Next, look for or listen for the parallels. What I mean by this is if you hear a news program about a certain food or eating habit, and then read the same idea in a magazine, then again in a book, then chances are this is a good eating habit. If I hear something once, I don’t think much of it. If I hear it twice, I start listening. If I hear the same philosophy three times, I am now asking questions and researching it and looking to adopt this eating habit as part of my diet. Ideas will change over time as with egg yolks and other food items that were once bad and now are considered good. But look at what the “experts” have been saying for 20 to 30 years.

Also, I always ask myself, “does it makes sense?” Does this eating habit or health claim that I am reading or hearing about even make sense. If it doesn’t, I usually disregard it.

Last, portion control. It takes your body approximately 20 minutes to send the message to your brain that you are full. So if you eat until you are full, you have really been eating for 20 minutes too long. A good example of this is when you were a kid and you finished your plate. You were still hungry so you asked your mom to make you more food. By the time your mom made the food, you were no longer hungry. So I give you two tips withing portion control. First is to make your plate of food as to what you know is a sufficient amount. Don’t make your plate as big as you possibly think you can eat. Second, eat until you are not hungry as apposed to eating until you are full.

I recommend to eat 4 to 6 times a day. Small portions; snacks and meals are both considered meals so don’t think you have to sit down to 6 big meals a day. Who really has time for that? I usually will make a large dinner and cut it into 3 meals. One is dinner, the next two are lunch for the next day. This give me three of my meals with only cooking once.

There are many more tips and plans that I could write quite a bit. I will leave this here for starters and if you have any question feel free to call Justin at (520-318-3488) email (justinlist1@gmail.com) or you can find us on Facebook at Better Bodies.

I hope this was helpful. I always appreciate feedback so that I can improve on communication.

Thank you,

Justin List
Owner: Better Bodies on Campbell
520-318-3488