Fitness Together client gets magazine cover!

Longtime Fitness Together client, David Hotle, was
recognized as one of St. Louis' fittest CEO's by
Small Business Monthly. Even better, they chose
him to flex his muscles for the cover!!!

It's a great accomplishment for David. But with or
without it, he's truly living a high quality of
life. And his health and fitness are a big reason
for that.

David's health and fitness success began with his
decision to change some of his habits. He noticed
himself slipping with his diet and exercise. And
he didn't like the way that limited him.

When I first met David he was soft and "flabby."
I could tell he wasn't working out. That was over 5
years ago.

Now, David is one of the fittest 65 year olds I've
ever worked with. Every time a new trainer takes
him through a workout I hear how impressed they
are with his fitness level. He pushes hard. But he
also pushes smart. He's very tuned-in to his body
and knows his limitations.

David has seen his fair share of speed bumps along
the way too. He's taken vacations, been very busy
with work, dealt with a few nagging physical
issues, but if it's one thing this guy is, it's
consistent.

And that is one of his biggest secrets!

As he says, "When you're health conscious, you
have a better quality of life."

Being health conscious doesn't happen for 3
months. It's a decision you make each and
every day. It's a way to live your life.

It's also important to note David's mental
attitude.

I've never seen David have a bad day. His
family, friends, and colleagues would say the
same. I'm sure he has them. But it's just another
choice he makes toward living a high quality life.

As David finishes a hard set of exercise, his
heart rate pumping, sweat dripping and breathing
heavy, his response is, "Good, good!" My entire
training team, including myself, now says, "Good,
good!" through training sessions. His positive
energy is contagious.

Congratulations David! I'm glad your hard work and
commitment to a fit and healthy lifestyle were
recognized.

Good, good!

Live by David's example and make a decision to be
fit and healthy. Decide to be positive. If you do,
I assure you, you will live greatly.

To your health and fitness,

Tim Chudy

P. S. If you read the article (linked at the top)
you saw that David and I traded training for
training.

I was 25 when I opened my business. If you can
imagine, I needed some guidance. His coaching has
been worth its weight in gold.

If you're an owner, executive, or in any type of
sales I'd encourage you to give David a call.
He'll take your business life from flabby to fit
and healthy!

Can you drink alcohol and still lose weight?

You might think this post is timely with the
holiday. Or maybe not so timely. Just depends how much
you want to drink over the Thanksgiving
holiday.;-)

Regardless, it will be helpful to know what the OK
amount of alcohol is. So keep reading and learn
something to help your weight loss efforts.

Or bookmark this and come back after Thanksgiving.
(Or the New Year if you really plan to imbibe).

Can you drink alcohol and still lose weight?

Yes, you can. But don't go and make yourself a
martini just yet. There's more to it than that.
You still have to be smart about it.

I always laugh when I see beer commercials touting
3.2 grams of carbs in beer. Or when they compare their beer to a martini served in a thimble. It's cute and obviously resonates with the weight conscious drinker. But that shouldn't concern you.

There are two things to consider when drinking
alcohol. Calories, specifically those from carbs,
and alcohol content. Which one do you think
matters more? Let's take a look at both.

Calories - All drinks have calories; beer, wine,
and liquor. But it's the cocktails that should
scare you the most. Any popular mixer will contain
most of the calories and ALL of the sugar.

Take a daiquiri for example, or any fun colored
frozen concoction. An 8 oz. glass will have almost
500 calories and over 20 grams of sugar! You can
see the damage you could do by drinking just a
couple of those.

Alcohol - It won't make you fat. Yes, read it
again. Try throwing back shots of tequila and see
if you gain weight. You won't. But add in some
sweet and sour mix, a salted rim, and 4 baskets of
chips and salsa. Now we're talking weight gain. Bienvenidos body fat!

I have an alcohol rule for losing weight. 1 drink
2x/week OR 2 drinks 1x/week. You get to choose.

Why is that my rule? Because of this one very
important fact... Concern yourself less with the
calories or sugar of what you're drinking but
think about the metabolic priority drinking does
to you.

You see, alcohol is metabolized before anything
else in the body. So have a few drinks with dinner
and you're body will go after the alcohol first
before the carbs, protein, and fat.

This is exactly the opposite of what exercise does
to your metabolism. An intense workout will create
that afterburn effect which keeps the metabolism
ramped up after the workout helping you burn calories long after your workout.

So stop thinking about carbs or even calories and
think metabolically.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when drinking.

==A glass of wine should be 5oz. A typical red
wine glass holds 12-14oz. Although you might think
you're getting lucky when the bartender tops off
your glass, you're not.

==If you're drinking a cocktail opt for real
mixers. Use real lime juice, lemon juice, and diet
tonic or soda. Most if not all pre-made drinks
will be chalk full of sugar and calories.

==If you're really trying to be aggressive with
weight loss, keep your drinks for special
occasions. Get out of the habit of having a glass
of wine with dinner or winding down for the night
with a drink. Make it more of a treat than the
norm.

The FT Team and I would like to wish you and your
family a very Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!!!

Cheers,

Tim Chudy

P.S. If you're struggling to lose weight I'd urge
you to schedule a nutrition consultation. Andrew,
our client of the month in October has lost 30lbs.
Lucinda, our client of the month this month has lost
70 total lbs! And Cindy, who'll be featured in December
has lost 32lbs in 8 weeks. This program flat out works.
Request your consultation here.

Fitness Trends for 2012

The fitness industry is one of the fastest growing industries today. And it has continued to be over the last 20+ years. Americans are heavier, less fit, and unhealthier more than ever. Thus giving rise to a myriad of fitness, nutrition, and
weight loss solutions. Some good. Some not so good.

The American College of Sports Medicine released
it's survey results for the top fitness trends of
2012.

I listed a few of the top 20 here with my comments.


Educated and experienced fitness professionals.
This trend will never fade. Trainers aren't looked
upon just for the Hollywood elite anymore.
Trainers are for everyone. Just as plumbers,
accountants, and dentists are too. Smart people seek solutions to their problems from experts.

Strength training.
Jack LaLanne and Au-nold helped introduce this to
the American landscape. It's changed a bit but the
foundation is still the same.

Fitness programs for older adults.
Research shows baby boomers to have made more
income leaps than any other generation before. You
can retire with all the money in the world, but if
you can't enjoy the fruits of it then what's the use? And you don't take any of that money with you when you die. Think about it... if you've managed to create financial independence then you want to travel, be active and get out and do things. Your health and fitness is vital for that.

Exercise and weight loss.
As I've said before, you can't outwork a bad diet.
You need both diet AND exercise to lose weight.

Children and obesity.
I've talked about this many times before. And my conversations with our clients that are Peditricians only bring home this problem even more. This problem continues to grow (no pun intended) and must be addressed.

Core training.
With the majority of Americans suffering from back
pain this is a BIG area of emphasis for us. We sit in front of a computer all day, are less active day to day, and have bigger waistlines. All
of these contribute to poor core strength, bad
posture, and back pain. It can be one of the
easiest fixes... IF it's done correctly.

Group personal training.
We realized this trend and is the very reason why we launched our Small Group Personal Training program with huge success last month. The same components of our traditional one-on-one programs, but with the energy, fun, and SAVINGS of a small group.

Zumba.
I can't say I've tried this myself, but my wife has and she really enjoyed it. We also participate in St. Luke's Spirit of Women Day of Dance expo.
There was an overwhelming turnout and I've never
seen that many ladies have so much fun! Zumba was
a clear favorite.

Functional fitness.
This type of training has exploded over the past few years. It's seeped its way into all areas of fitness. Functional training is ideal for the golfer wanting to improve his stroke to the stay at home mom wanting strength and mobility to carry kids and groceries.


ACSM lists these as trends, but some will NEVER die. If you've been reading my blogs and emails for awhile now then you know your program should consist of strength training, cardio training, and nutrition. Versions and modifications of these will come and go. But the foundation will never change. Real lasting results come from those three.

To your health,

Tim Chudy

P.S. If you'd like help from an expert - specifically with your fitness, nutrition, and weight loss - set up a consultation with me. Join the other folks that have totally changed their bodies and their lives.

5 Tricks To Keep Portions Under Control

Trick or Treat time is right around the corner.
Michelle Obama wanted me to tell you not to
let your kids get crazy with the candy this year.
And she's right.

I remember my Mom gave us a day and a half to eat
the candy we wanted. Then it went to the trash. At
the time I screamed child abuse. But, obvioulsy, I
thank her now.

These tricks are not portion guidelines. But moreso
tricks to sticking to the right portions. So, here
are 5 tricks, that you're not doing now,
to keep your portions under control.


1. Eat With Smaller Plates
Yes, it's really that simple. Eat your main meal
with a salad plate. Think about it... a lot of
restaurants, other than Golden Corral (it's always
humored me that they can get away with a name like
that) will have small portions on a normal plate.
They don't overload the plate and you can actually
see the white space.

Same goes with glasses. A serving size of juice is
4oz. That's very little than what most people are
use to. It's 4 or 5 sips. That beer mug you drink
OJ out of in the morning is enough for your entire
family.

2. Eat At The Table
Eating in front of the TV, while you're doing the
dishes, or any other activity can easily lead to
overeating. Eat at a table, sitting in a chair.

Case in point: A recent study in the American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that playing
solitaire while eating dampened participants'
memories of their lunch (and made them feel less
full), which, in turn, may have caused them to eat
125 calories more when they snacked later on.


3. Chew Your Food
We all eat on the go at some point during the day.
No one, and I mean no one, has ever told me they
sit down for every meal. Sadly the 50's are gone.
It doesn't exist in our society anymore. Since
we're in hurry, that also means we inhale our food
versus chewing it. Try to chew each bite 20 times.
Seriously, try it. It's a challenge.

Digestion starts in the mouth with the salivary
glands. They start digesting carbohydrates
immediately. Have you ever chewed on full sugar
bubble gum? It loses it's flavor and texture after
a few minutes doesn't it? That's because your
salivary glands are digesting the sugar.

Chewing also slows down your meal. It takes about
20 minutes for your brain to realize you're full.
If you inhale food fast enough you can continue
eat and eat and eat. If you slow down and chew
your chicken you'll give your hormones time to
alert the brain that you're full.

4. Turn Up The Lights
When you go out for a romantic dinner the lights
are low and the mood is intimate. Restaurants do
this for a reason. The same reason casinos don't
have clocks and easy exits. They want you to stay
longer and eat more. Studies have shown the
lighting in a room can affect one's appetite. Make
sure the lights are turned up and you keep dinner
to one hour.

5. Eat At UN-Healthy Restaurants
Yes, you read that right. According to research
done by Brian Wasinak, author of Mindless Eating,
"We found that when people go to restaurants
claiming to be healthy, such as Subway, they
choose additional side items containing up to 131%
more calories than when they go to restaurants
like McDonald’s that don't make this claim."

Wansink calls this the "halo effect". When you eat
at a healthy restaurant you don't feel as
indulgent were you to eat at say, McDonald's. This
caused customers to underestimate calories by 21%.
So don't feel so proud by eating at Subway.
Regardless of where you eat be mindful of what and
how much you're eating.


Implement these 5 tips today and you will lose
weight. I say that with confidence because these
aren't just 'drink diet soda' kind of tips. I bet
you're not doing the majority of these. And as I'm
sure you know, big doors swing on little hinges.

Best,

Tim

P.S. Last nights game was by far the best sporting
event I've ever been to! And I have a feeling the
Cards will steamroll the Rangers tonight. Let's go Cards!!!

3 Ways To Fall Into Fitness

You can argue that Missouri weather is some of the
most erratic in the country. One day it's 90
degrees and humid. The next it's in the 50's and overcast. So it's temperamental. But I still appreciate the seasons. And now that Fall is upon us the weather is great and the scenery even better.


1. Get outdoors

This time of year is great to get outside for
fitness. Certainly there is something you can do
outside and get fit while doing it.

Walking - There are a myriad of walking trails and
paths in St. Louis. A quick Google search for
Parks or Walking paths will pull up hundreds of
options. And Forest Park is rated as one of the
top city parks in the country!

Hiking - Although we don't have mountains or ocean
cliffs to hike, we do have beautiful landscape.
There is hiking on the outskirts of St. Louis or
even a short 45 minute drive will take you into
the Ozarks.

Biking - If you're not into walking, running, or
hiking, then maybe cycling fancies you. Ever heard
of the Katy Trail? Miles and miles of bike trails
are all around the city. Grab your helmet and go!

2. Try something new and different

There is nothing like adding some spice to your
fitness routine. Trying something new can really
stimulate your exercise routine and keep you
engaged. It's very easy to fall into the same
treadmill workout, at the same time, at the same
speed, watching the same dumb TV show.

Try yoga, spinning, work with a personal trainer
or try another type of fitness class (our small
group personal training, called Pack Training,
just launched last month!). Adding in a new change
will stimulate not just your muscles, but also
your mind.

3. Try seasonal foods

Ok, so it's not a fitness tip per se. But fitness
and nutrition go hand in hand. Fall brings upon a
ton of delicious healthy foods. Try any of the
following for a delicious seasonal meal.

Apples - eat as is or include them in a recipe.
They're peak harvest is August through November

Squash - With a slightly sweet flavor it can be
paired with Fall flavorings like cinnamon, nutmeg
and ginger.

Pumpkin - The obvious Fall food. And don't think
it's only good for pie and seeds. Try soup,
fillings, or pudding!

Sweet Potatoes - With only 25 grams of carbs these
are much more nutritionally dense than their white
counterparts.


Regardless of what you do, make great use of the
Fall season. Use the weather and food to your
fitness advantage and put momentum in your favor
as we enter the holiday season.

To your health,

Tim Chudy

P.S. I mentioned our brand new Small Group
Personal Training program called PACK Training as
an option for you. Clients are raving about it!

How To Train Like A Pro

There's a great article from the editor of Men's
Health interviewing Todd Durkin, trainer to many
top NFL athletes.

There is A LOT of useful, and applicable, fitness
advice for you to follow. Just because you don't
take snaps from a 300lb lineman, or even play a
sport, doesn't mean you can't apply these secrets to your fitness program.

As you may have heard we've launched our new Small
Group Personal Training program, called PACK
Training, where you and 2 or 3 others train at the same time in a newly equipped, fully functional training room. It is of NO surprise that most if not all of the secrets Todd mentions in this article takes place in each and every Pack session. I encourage you to take a few minutes and read the article in full, but I've outlined some of his main points that dovetail perfectly with Pack Training.


Secret #1: Work Your Weaknesses
"You would be surprised that some of our workouts
don't involve a lot of traditional "weight"
training. I like to emphasize speed, agility,
quickness, acceleration, power, and metabolic
conditioning along with my strength and
flexibility work."

This is well said. The days of doing bench press
on Monday, Squats on Wednesday, and curls on
Friday are long gone. A total body, metabolic
conditioning workout complete with core, balance,
and flexibility is where results lie. And to no surprise, one of our Pack Principles is "Train movements, not muscles."

Do you still train like Au-nold did in the 80's?

Secret #2: Pick Up Your Pace
"For me, tempo is king. I love to keep the heart
rate up during the workout...You don't need to
train all day - the intense part of my clients'
sessions is approximately 45 minutes. Get in, do
your work, and then recover."

You shouldn't have time for water cooler talk during your workout. If you're chatting with your buddies you're likely not working hard enough.

Our workouts, again, to no surprise, are 45 minutes. Come to a Pack workout and you'll see what Todd means to keep your heart rate up. He lists 8 components for a workout all of which take place with Pack Training.

Is your heart pumping so fast it's hard to talk during your workout?

Secret #3: Don't Skip The Big Three
"Pullups. Pushups. Lunges."

He's right. These exercises will never go out of
style. They're like the old pair of jeans you have
that you refuse to throw out because you'll ALWAYS wear them.

We do these 3 exercises in so many different
varieties... with weight, with jumps, one leg, two leg, decline, incline, partner... it'll blow your mind!

Are you incorporating the Big 3?

Secret #4: Avoid These Common Mistakes
1. Too much emphasis on big weights
2. Not enough total-body training and conditioning
3. A lack of variety
4. Overtraining
5. Inconsistent nutrition
6. Not getting enough sleep

I was very happy to see he mentions nutrition and
sleep. You cannot out-train a bad diet. And poor
sleep or no sleep at all is often overlooked when it comes to your health and fitness. Both VERY important.

Is your health and fitness program balanced?

Durkin gives you a lot of great information to
follow. And I, your humble fitness trainer,
encourage you to heed ALL of his advice.

Again, the article is timely with the launch of
our breakthrough small group personal training
program we refer to as Pack Training.

I invite you in to try a week of Pack completely free. I guarantee you haven't experienced anything else like it. And clients are raving about it!

"PACK training is absolutely awesome. I can’t get enough."- Erin T.
"I love the added accountability of knowing that I’m a part of something bigger than myself."- Kelly A.
"The only thing better than hearing "GREAT JOB!" is hearing it 4 times!" - Anna N.
"You guys are annoyingly good at what you do." - Ed S.
"I love it. What the heck took you guys so long?" - Marty M

But you need to take action on this. Our launch obviously won't last forever so this invitation is only good until October 31st. Call the studio today or for more details click here.

In fitness,
Tim Chudy

This Food Is Keeping You From Weight Loss

A recent Harvard study published in The New England Journal of Medicine looked at long term weight gain linked to specific foods. Participants gained on average 17 pounds over the 20 year span the study was conducted. A lot gained more.

What's interesting about this study is they looked at how much specifc foods led people to gain weight over four year periods.

Can you guess what food contributed to the most weight gain?

It wasn't candy. It wasn't ice cream or cookies.

Potatoes.

Fried, boiled, mashed... any way you like 'em.

Dr. Mozzafarian, an professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, said this is likely due to starches and refined carbohydrates producing bursts in blood glucose and insulin levels. This leads to an increase in hunger and thus upping the total amount of food people eat at their next meal.

Everyone I sit down with in our consultation process hears me address this problem. I call it the 'Viscous Carbohydrate Cycle'.

And the consequences don't stop with eating more food. It's also responsible for energy highs and lows, lethargy, dizziness, and depression. And there's more. Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and a slew of other bad stuff.

Are you safe?

If you pass on the potato chips at Bread Co. and opt for the apple or whole grain baguette, don't think you're in the clear. Because there were plenty of non-potato foods too.

The simple fact is this... we eat too many carbs.

We're a carb laden socitey. And if you continue to eat as you do, you will not lose weight, you will not get healthy, you will not pass Go, and you will not collect $200!:-)

In all seriousness, you must control your carbohydrate intake. I'm not saying start the Atkins diet. But you must drastically cut your carbs and increase your protein and veggie intake.

This is one of the reasons why our clinically proven, done-for-you nutrition plan works so well. It's a low glycemic, higher protein, precisely designed diet.

Ronni is down 14 pounds in 8 weeks, Anne Marie is down 11 pounds in 8 weeks, Annie has lost 3 inches in her waist in 4 weeks, Kathy lost 31 total pounds and has remained at her goal weight for over 2 years! And the list goes on.

If you would like more info on our nutrition plan and find out how much weight you can expect to lose click here.

To your weight loss,
Tim

P.S. I haven't posted in a while and there's good reason for that. We're currently in the midst of launching a new service here at Fitness Together. I can't release all the details just yet, but it's pretty exciting! This service will make personal training much more appealing and affordable for a lot of people. Stay tuned!

P.P.S. Cut the carbs!