January 15th... a significant day

Today is January 14th. Just about half way through the month. They say it's the day to determine whether or not you'll stick with your New Year's resolution.

Are you still following the diet? Have you stuck to your new budget? Are you still going to the gym?

If yes, then bravo!

If no, there's one thing you need to do IMMEDIATELY before you chalk up a failed resolution.

It's not something you have to buy. You don't have to follow any instructions. It's very simple really.

Focus.

You must focus your time and energy toward your resolution.

There are 10,080 minutes in a week. Take out a 7 hour slumber and you're left with 7,140 minutes. Then subtract a 50-hour work week, maybe more maybe less, and you're left with 480 extra minutes a day.

If you workout for 45 minutes that's less than 10% of your free minutes. And that's not taking into account the days you don't exercise. Not much when you look at it that way, huh?

How much are you focusing?

Sure, there's other little stuff in there; getting your gym bag ready, warm-up... but ask yourself...

What amount of focus will help me achieve my goal?

Is what I'm giving it now enough?

Maybe you just need to tape a Nike running ad to your fridge to remind and motivate you of your workouts. Maybe you need to enlist the help of a friend or coach.

Whatever it is find out what will help you increase your focus. Do this and you'll surely succeed this year.

To a successful 2013,

Tim Chudy
Fitness Together

P.S. If you tried joining a gym and found out you need more help, please call me, 314.909.9565. Regardless of your situation I know we can help. Give me a chance to prove it to you.

SERIOUS Weight Loss Warning Released Today

A study released today contains a serious warning with it:

"Severe toxicity" to your internal organs.
 
Sounds terrible doesn't it

The study warned of kidney, liver, and other organ damage from the most popular weight loss drugs on the market.

Orlistat, called Xenical in prescription and Alli in over-the-counter drugs, can cause "severe toxicity" of your internal organs.

A study funded by the National Institutes of Health worried respected pharmacologist, Bingfan Yan, enough to report the findings immediately to the FDA which approved the drug in 1999.

As if organ damage wasn't bad enough, they also found Orlistat's metabolic actions can reduce the effectiveness of many medications. They even reported cancer cells multiplied faster on the medication.

The FDA warned of liver toxicity for Xenical and Alli in 2010, but glossed over the seriousness of it.

This is another case on our continued search for a magic little pill. But this situation begs the question...

Is it worth it?

Believe you me, I know the importance of losing weight. I know what looking good and feeling good can do for you. I know what that can do for your mind, for your health, and your overall outlook on life.

I know it's important.

But at what cost?

Believe it or not, I realize that exercising and sticking to a diet is not easy or much fun. I realize that you have to sacrifice some of your time and pass on some really good foods. But the only side effects to diet and exercise are burning body fat, improving your health, and feeling good about yourself (among a myriad of others).

No liver toxicity. No internal bleeding. No complications with medications.

None of that.

But regardless of those facts, we will continue to search for that elusive, magic little pill. My hope is you end your search quickly and realize the only little pill that truly works is diet and exercise.


To your health,

Tim Chudy
Fitness Together

P.S. You should really check out the "pill" our clients are popping. You can see the list of side effects they're experiencing too.  

5 Key Strategies for Staying Healthy this Winter

Americans get more than one billion colds a year. And we still haven’t found one solid medicine for it.

Viruses are smart. Any one of hundreds of viruses could launch a cold or flu attack. And chances are that this year's flu virus won't be the same as last year's. That's because viruses have the uncanny ability to constantly morph into new variations, making it nearly impossible to develop a simple cure.

But medication isn’t always the best answer anyway. There's still a lot you can do to stay strong and healthy this winter. Here are 5 strategies to staying well.

1. Wash Your Hands: Washing hands remains the most effective way to protect yourself and your family from colds and flu. Lather, rinse, repeat throughout the day. Can’t get to a sink? Use antibacterial hand sanitizer.
2. Get Enough Sleep: According to recent scientific research, less than 7 hours of sleep a night made people three times more likely to catch a cold than those who got 8 or more hours of zzzs. Skip Letterman and get to bed.
3. Exercise: While high intensity/metabolic physical activity can put a damper on your immune system, most scientists agree that moderate physical activity actually helps boost the immune cells that fight off invaders. A good rule of thumb is if you’re sick above the neck, workout. If you’re sick below the neck, take a day of rest. 
4. Fuel Yourself with Good Nutrition: An orange a day (along with strawberries, bell peppers, potatoes, and other vitamin C rich fruits and vegetables) can help keep the doctor away. Lean meat, fish, and other protein sources also provide the amino acids needed to help maintain your immune system. Don’t forget to fill in nutritional gaps with immune supporting nutrients like zinc and vitamins D, A, C and E. Harvard scientists even suggest vitamin D supplements may help reduce the occurrences of colds. The scientists found low vitamin D levels in nearly 20,000 Americans increased their cold and flu risk.
5. Power up with Plant Extracts: Scientific research has led to the discovery of a combination of plant extracts that naturally boost the body’s own production of interferon, a component of the immune system that helps fight off viruses. Other plant compounds found in elderberry and echinacea extracts can help, too. 

A common mistake is to start taking these once you're sick. Think preventatively. At the first sign of a tickle or a sniffle, start taking these and continue taking them for about a week as needed.

On a personal note, my wife Joella use to get sick ALL the time. And it was never just a head cold. It might start there but get much worse. She was sick once for 6 solid weeks! Once I started her on Nutriferon she stopped getting sick. Completely.

If you get sick often - 2 or more times a year - give this a try. It works.

And then don't forget the first four!

To your Winter health,

Tim Chudy
Fitness Together

A Crucial Catch

Unless you’ve been asleep this entire month, you’ve  noticed our Ram’s players, as well as other NFL teams, sporting pink with the Crucial Catch campaign. Pink gloves, shoes, towels, even mouthguards.

It’s not just a mass movement of football players getting in touch with their feminine side. But an effort to support Breast Cancer awareness. (You can find out more about the NFL's campaign here.)

Even as big as the Komen walk is every year, I think having NFL athletes sporting pink has a much broader reach. It's one of the smartest marketing partnerships I've ever seen.

Today I have a suggestion for you and a way to support Breast Cancer awareness (as well as other deadly cancers).

As a fitness professional for over 12 years I’ve always encouraged everyone and anyone to exercise more. Doesn’t matter what your motive is. Just get moving.

Recently, the medical community has further supported the importance of encouraging adults to be more physically active, especially for individuals who have or are at high risk for life-threatening diseases such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes.*

I think that is the very first line of support for Breast Cancer awareness. Yes, you should wear pink, participate in the Komen walk, and support the cause in other ways. But there is no better way to start than with yourself. Especially if you have specific risk factors associated with breast cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), more than 572,000 Americans die of cancer each year, with 1/3 of the deaths linked to poor diet, physical inactivity and being overweight.* The most important things you can do to help reduce cancer risk for you and your family include:

• Establishing and maintaining a healthy weight. 
• Incorporating regular, consistent physical activity into your lifestyle. 
• Making healthy food choices with a focus on plant-based foods. 

The latest recommendations from the ACS in regard to healthy physical activity levels for adults include 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activities each week.

As I tell our clients make sure you distinguish between exercise and activity. Walking your dog while she stops to go to the bathroom and sniffs the bushes is NOT exercise. Brisk walking, biking and hiking would be moderate while vigorous activities would be a Fitness Together workout.:-) There's no time for Fido to distract you here!

In addition to adding regular workout sessions into your daily schedule, you also can begin incorporating more active habits into your normal daily routine. Starting today, try incorporating as many of the following approaches (suggested by ACS) as possible to support an active and healthy lifestyle.

• Use the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Walk or bike to your destination. 
• Be active at lunch with your co-workers, family, or friends.
• Take a 20-minute activity break at work to stretch, or take a quick walk.
• Walk to visit co-workers instead of sending an e-mail message.
• Go dancing with your spouse or friends.
• Plan active vacations, rather than driving trips.
• Wear a pedometer every day to increase your number of daily steps.
• Join a sports or recreation team.
• Use a stationary bicycle or treadmill while watching TV.
• Plan your activity routine to slowly increase the days per week and minutes per session. 2

Breast cancer is a deadly disease that continues to take the lives of too many mothers, sisters, wives, grandmothers, aunts and best friends in our community every year. And it doesn’t have to be this deadly (remember, 1/3 of the deaths are linked to poor diet, lack of exercise and being overweight).

But it’s gotta start with you.

Before  you point your finger elsewhere, point it at yourself. Not only will you help yourself, but you’ll set a positive example for your kids, siblings, friends, and others.

My mission in life is to help people get healthy and fit. I don't care what your reason is. But supporting breast cancer is a great way to get motivated and help reduce the risk of this life-threatening disease.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Make a point to not only support awareness in our community, but take a step to a healthier you. If you're struggling with motivation visit the Komen website. They have an awesome series called "31 Days of Impact". It highlights women and their stories behind this disease.

In health,
Tim Chudy
Fitness Together

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." Mahatma Gandhi

*Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov.
*American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org. 

How To Curb Nighttime Snacking

In this blog post you'll learn a simple strategy to curb nighttime snacking. But first, a question...

Did your Mom or Dad ever say - after your pleading for a curfew extension - "Nothing good happens after midnight. Be home by 12."

Mine did. And I never understood why they couldn't see it from my point of view. (Until I became a parent!:-)

For the most part, nothing good does happen after midnight. So here's the link to nighttime snacking.

During a nutrition consultation the other day I discovered one of our clients was struggling with nighttime snacking.

When she's up late, either working on her laptop or watching TV, she wanders into the kitchen. Sometimes she's hungry. Other times bored.  But she always ends up in either the fridge or the pantry.

Ever happen to you?

Well, just as you had a curfew for going out in high school, so too do you need one for eating.

Because for the most part, "Nothing good happens (in the kitchen) after 8 o'clock."

Once dinner is over, that should be it. Kitchen closed. Shut 'r down. That's all she wrote.

A few years back I bought some yellow CAUTION tape and gave it to a client telling her to literally close down the kitchen and string the tape across so no one can get by.

Sometimes it takes a little bit of ridiculousness to get a point across. But she did it. And you know what? It worked!

When dinner ends, make it official. Close the kitchen. For YOU and your family. Plus, wouldn't it be great to see your spouse's face when they see a padlock on the fridge!;-)

To your health and fitness,
Tim Chudy

P.S. This is a BIG benefit to you. But an even bigger benefit to your kids. Teaching them how to eat (when, where, etc...) is just as important, if not more, than what to eat. Time to close the kitchen.

P.P.S. Nighttime snacking is just one of the deadly sins of diet failure. There are more. Wanna find out how many you're committing and how to fix them? Let's talk.

Common, Serious, and Costly

Wanna guess what's common, serious, and costly to Americans?

Car accidents, unemployment, or heart surgery? Those are all good guesses. But not the right one this week.

The correct answer is obesity. The CDC released new statistics on the obesity epidemic in our country and said it's common, serious, and costly.

Common: More than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese.

Serious: Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, some of the leading causes of preventable death.

Costly: In 2008, medical costs associated with obesity were estimated at $147 billion; the medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal weight.

Houst....America, we have a problem.

And what's more important for us (since most reading this blog live here in St. Louis) Missouri falls in the top 25% of states with over 30% of the population being obese.

But by now, you probably know it's a problem. You've seen the news, watched a documentary on fast food, or read a book claiming a cause for the state of America's health.

But with everything talked about on obesity, little is spent on fixing the problem. People love to talk about the problem itself. But what about fixing it?

In the recent article, Are Americans Ready To Solve the Weight Of the Nation? published in The New England Journal of Medicine they talk about individual, societal, even political reasons and responsibilities for obesity. It's a well written article. But it doesn't solve the problem.

So I'm not going to slop around about whether low or high income, ethnic background, or 1 and 2 parent households are more prone to becoming obese. I'm going to spend time on how to fix it.

And know this - it IS in your control to fix the problem. 

I've helped non athletic people lose weight. I've helped "big-boned" people lose weight. I've helped emotional eaters lose weight.

We all have issues. But YOU CAN take control and lose weight. If you want to.

How To Lose Weight

(There are numerous entries throughout this blog on weight loss. No need to jump back into ALL of the info. I'm keeping it simple.)

1.) Eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day. By now, everyone's heard this advice. But few heed it. No more skipping meals. No more big, bigger, and biggest meals of the day. 5-6 balanced meals. Period.

2.) Cut your carb intake. A lot. A good way to start is cutting the carbs from your dinner time meal. No more baked potato, no more rice, no more french fries. And puh-lease, stop eating fruit when you're trying to lose weight. I don't care if it's in season. Don't eat it!

3.) Exercise. A high school friend of mine recently asked me for an exercise plan. He's never really been a "workout" guy. So I said, "Listen, I'll create a workout plan for you ONLY if you follow through with it." Nothing fires me up more than spending time on something he'll just set aside for later.

He's been diligent over the past 6 weeks and is  starting to see some very positive changes. His excitement and commitment have grown tremendously. And I dare see he's caught the "workout bug"!

He shared with me what he tells himself during his 6am workouts. When he feels like quitting or if the set is getting hard he says, "Don't be a wuss Andy." He says this to himself and pictures me standing over him. It motivates him and he finishes every time without fail.

A saying like that can be VERY powerful. Because we're human. We easily tell ourselves to stop short. (That's why having a coach is so effective.)

Don't worry about what type of exercise you do in the beginning. Dance, run, jump, lift... Just start! And do it with intention and intensity.


If you have to lose weight realize this will be a challenging journey. If you wanted to learn a second language or how to water ski, it would be hard too. This is no different. You will have to make sacrifices and likely do things you don't necessarily want to do.

But losing a lot of weight will be much much more rewarding. And completely worth the sacrifice and hard work. Cindy is a terrific example (4th person down).

I'm currently working with a select group of individuals right now that need to lose 50 pounds or more. A serious commitment is required and I only have the ability to coach 7 more . If you'd like more details please email me with Weight Loss in the subject line.

To your weight loss,

Tim Chudy
Fitness Together

P.S. If you don't know whether you're obese or not, see the BMI table below. I've been saying for years how BMI is not the best way to determine obesity. But the government hasn't listened to me yet.;-) We'll discuss this when I go over the details of my Weight Loss coaching program. Remember to email with Weight Loss in the subject line.

P.P.S. A quick look at Missouri's Policy Tracking System for obesity, nutrition, and physical activity shows that just under 75% of the policies are dead in the water. That means the government won't help you out as much. YOU need to take more responsibility. But YOU and you alone, CAN make the change.

P.P.P.S. The CDC also reported that childhood obesity has almost tripled over the last 30 years. And that trend does not seem to be slowing. Our friend Jean Huelsing is championing the fight against childhood obesity. If your child struggles with their weight Camp Jump Start is worth investigating.

Barefoot Running: Good or Bad?

If you've registered in any race over the past few years you've seen someone wearing what look like water moccasins with toes. Or maybe even someone just running with no shoes and socks at all like the guy pictured at right. I haven't seen any runners forgoing their shoes in the Olympics, but I'm sure there's one or two out there.

Barefoot running has been gaining popularity over the past few years in part from the book Born To Run. Author Christopher McDougall touts the benefits of barefoot running and bases the book on the Tarahumara, Native Americans to Northwest Mexico.

But even before McDougall's book an Ethiopian runner made barefoot running popular after winning Gold in the 1960 Olympics. Abebe Bikila was a late entry and the shoes he was given for the race didn't fit properly. (No shoe contracts back then.) So he ditched them and decided to go barefoot. After all, that's how he trained for the Olympics back home. Bikila went on to win back-to-back Gold medals and set the world record in the '64 Games.

After McDougall's book and the resurgence of barefoot running (there's now a national association solely for barefoot running), shoe manufacturers have been quick to develop shoes that mimic barefoot running. People are flocking to this style of running for the main reason of preventing injuries, but also as a way to better run times and performance.

"The research is really not conclusive on whether one approach is better than the other," says Carey Rothschild, an instructor of physical therapy at the University of Central Florida. "What is clear is that it's really a matter of developing a good running form and sticking to it, not suddenly changing it."

She surveyed over 6,000 runners and what she found was very interesting.

Most people, as mentioned, turned to barefoot running in the hopes of improving performance and reducing injuries. Ironically, those who said they never tried it, avoided it for fear of injury and slower running times.

However, research shows that there are risks to running no matter what someone puts on his or her feet.

With barefoot running you tend to land on your forefoot rather than on your heel as with shoe running. Shoes try to absorb the shock of the heel strike by the extra cushioning.

One camp will tell you barefoot runners will suffer more stress fractures and calf soreness, while the other will tell you shoe runners will suffer more knee and hip injuries.

Clearly, "There is no perfect recipe," says Rothschild.

She published a paper in this month's issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning reviewing the research and providing a guide for barefoot running.

"The bottom line is that when a runner goes from shoes to no shoes, their body may not automatically change it's gait. But there are ways to help make that transition smoother and lower the risk of injury," says Rothschild.

So there you have it - barefoot running is neither good nor bad. It's just a way to run. Whether you run barefoot or in a new pair of Nike's, proper training and conditioning is essential.

So put on a pair of shoes - or don't - and go run somewhere!

Tim Chudy
Fitness Together

This is Abebe Bikila running barefoot in the 1960 Olympics! He was the first runner to ever win back-to-back Gold medals in the marathon.

Have you tried running barefoot? What's your take? Post it below.