weight loss

What’s on the Menu – Quick & Easy Protein

I’m a big believer that increasing your intake of whole sources of protein will reduce your feelings of hunger & increase your chances of maintaining a healthy diet. In fact, numerous scientific studies suggest that that foods containing a significant amount of protein will help you stay fuller longer and hold back that pesky hunger hormone gherlin.

One of my go-to sources for protein as of late is “just grilled chicken” from Trader Joe’s. Three ounces contain 14 g of protein and the only ingredients are chicken, spices and potato starch, which prevents freezer burn.

It only takes a few minutes to defrost in the pan or microwave. It’s great on its own or you can add it to a vegetable medley like Shannon and I love doing. If you’re having trouble curbing your hunger cravings, I’d suggest adding something like this to your daily meal plan.

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Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – An Interview with the Founder of the Corporate Warrior Podcast & Blog Lawrence Neal

We are super excited to be bringing you this week’s of Addicted to Fitness mainly because it features an interview with author, podcaster and blogger Lawrence Neal. Lawrence reached out to us via email and after I did my research, I knew I wanted him on the podcast.

Lawrence has been producing the Corporate Warrior podcast & blog since 2014 and has spoken to a laundry list of luminaries from the world of health and fitness, many of which we frequently mention on ATF.

During our interview, Lawrence shared that his approach to fitness was altered after watching a specific video from Dr. Doug McGuff in 2012. This video inspired him to read Dr. McGuff’s book, Body by Science, and reach out to the doctor to request an interview.

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This request turned into the first episode of the Corporate Warrior podcast and has now lead to him recording over 100 episodes. Lawrence mentioned that his interviews with Dr. McGuff are some of his favorites and ones he’d recommend to ATF listeners. He also mentioned that his interview with board-certified family medicine physician and “Diet and Exercise 2.0” creator Dr. Ted Naiman was a great one to listen to.

Lawrence and I also discussed the ebook he wrote on fat loss. His experience & research has shown him that diets higher in quality protein and lower in processed carbohydrates have the most potential to provide individuals with a sustainable way to lose weight. The ebook also provides information on Lawrence’s perferred form of strength training.

Lawrence is a big proponent of High Intensity Training (HIT). There are different variations of HIT, but Lawrence explains that it generally consists of performing a single set of an exercise, for every muscle group, to muscular failure in a single workout. The goal of HIT is to find the minimal effective dose needed to stimulate the most physiological benefits. This allows the user to optimize his or her time in and out of the gym.

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These are just a few of the topics Lawrence and I discussed on this week’s episode. I encourage you to listen to the entire episode and check out all of Lawrence’s content at corporatewarrior.org. You can also subscribe to his podcast by searching for “Corporate Warrior” in the same app you use to listen to Addicted to Fitness.

If you use Apple Podcasts in iTunes to listen to your podcasts, please give Addicted to Fitness and rating & review. It only takes a few minutes but can help us spread the good word of fitness to a broader audience.

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We’d also love for you to like & follow the Addicted to Fitness Podcast Facebook page. We have exclusive content up there including an upcoming Facebook Live plank challenge. You can also post topic suggestions for future episodes of the podcast.

Last but not least, please visit our sponsor’s website, hempcoffeeexchange.com, and when you buy some of their sustainable super coffee, use the code “ATF” at checkout to get 20% off.

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/addicted-to-fitness-podcast/id1121420986?mt=2&i=1000400947934

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/an-interview-with-the-1

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/an-interview-with-corporate-warrior-podcast-blog-founder-lawrence-neal

 

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – From the Vault: Our Very First Fitness Podcast

We take the Addicted to Fitness DeLorean all the way back to the very first podcast I every produced almost two years ago. The podcast was known as the ETT Wrap Show in those days and in this week’s throwback episode my cohost at the time, Tyler Knox, and I describe what we would be “rapping” about on a weekly basis.

You will hear how the development our current format of recapping our previous week’s training and debating pertinent health topics. You will also get to hear about the evolution of ETT from weekend bootcamp outfit to concierge personal training business. It’s amazing to see how much ETT and the podcast has grown in just two years.

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One of the topics discussed on this old school episode is how I developed my approach to fitness. I encourage you to go back and check out the very first post on elementaltampa.com to hear all the details, but the short version starts at Amir’s Academy of Martial Arts. Upon graduating from college, my physical & mental health began to wane due to lack of activity and motivation. I finally got fed up with the way I looked & felt and walked into Amir’s. That’s where I regained my fitness and learned that helping others recapture their fitness was my passion.

We also debated the news article involving the World Health Organization’s (WHO) listing of red meat & processed meats as possible carcinogens. It should be noted that even the WHO mentions that their listing, especially for red meat, is based on limited evidence. However, that didn’t stop news outlets & plant-based diet promoters from shouting their listing from the roof tops. I believe Chris Kresser does a great job explaining how weak the link between red meat and cancer in this article on his site. I recommend you read it and make your own conclusion.

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After the red meat discussion, we touch on more dietary recommendations including my own. I mention that due to my own personal experience and through the nutrition research I’ve gathered, a low-carb approach to nutrition is the best way to lose weight/keep weight off. If you reduce that amount of sugar and grain products you consume you can reduce the production of insulin and other digestive hormones that play a large part in helping you maintain a healthy weight.

The final topic of our very first podcast is one that Shannon and I recently talked about in our 2018 Biggest Health Trend Predictions episode, which is the importance of dietary fat. This marks the start of my dedication to being “fat fueled” and ultimately led to Tyler and I taste testing bulletproof coffee in a later ETT Wrap show, which was one of our past “from the vault” episode, if that makes sense.

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Speaking of coffee, please check out our great sponsors, The Hemp & Coffee Exchange. Visit hempcoffeeexchange.com to learn about their awesome products and WHEN you buy some of their coffee, use the code “ATF” to get 20% off your purchase.

If you haven’t done so already please give us a rating and review in iTunes and/or on the Addicted to Fitness Podcast Facebook page. Thanks in advance and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/addicted-to-fitness-podcast/id1121420986?mt=2

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/from-the-vault-our-very-first

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/from-the-vault-our-very-first-fitness-podcast

 

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Exercise Benefits for Mothers

This week we’re talking about the benefits of exercise for a specific segment of people – mothers.

But first, let’s kick it off with a quick training recap.

For the both us os, the majority of our exercise revolves around caring for the baby (holding, soothing, carrying, etc.).

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However, Nick continues leading Title Boxing classes which have allowed him to not only develop and lead classes but also participate, serving as an outlet for his own training. His additional training comes from what he’s been doing at Tampa Strength, which most recently has been learning in-depth training with sandbags, an innovative training modality that is full of a variety of exercises for people of all fitness levels.

While I have been trying to get some kind of activity (even just some stretching) in every day, the result is more just a handful of actually workouts each week – usually a mix of cycling rides and some yoga. The best thing I have been doing for myself is a 10 min morning yoga routine that provides the morning energy I need to tackle childcare and work.

Now we get into our primary topic today – Mom Fitness!

As we all know, moms have a limited amount of time to dedicate to fitness, but carving out time for it is being proven to have benefits beyond just the health of the mom!

Here are the top points and resource links we discussed:

  • 11 Benefits of cardio training from this fitwirr.com article include losing weight, easing depression, improving heart health and boosting sex life
  • Exercise can help moms battle postpartum depression according to this research
  • Benefits of strength training for women, especially moms, from this healthline.com article include a short list include preserve muscle mass, control weight and decrease injury risk
  • According to an article in Science Daily article, 30 min long 2x per week of high-intensity training will improve the function density of your bone structure, especially for post-menopausal women
  • Moms who exercise are more likely to inspire their kids to exercise according to this Parents magazine article
  • In addition to keeping themselves healthy, moms who exercise also promote a more positive body image for their kids, especially their daughters

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There are only a limited number of spots available in our FIT MOMS program so head to tsfitmoms.com and enroll TODAY! – – – Repost from @tampastrength – Current Tampa Strength Fit Mom @juicybjules working with on our TRX. If you join our FIT MOMS program you’ll definitely be using this piece of exercise equipment. Head to tampafitmoms.com to learn more about this affordable personal training program. ⠀ ⠀ •⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ •⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ •⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #personaltraining #semiprivatetraining #health #fitness #fitnesscommunity #fitmoms #momfitness #fitfam #grouptraining #womenfitness #abs #active #core #weightloss #motivation #workout #Tampa #tampabay #tampafl #tampafitness #southtampa #healthytampabay #igerstampa #ETTampa #tampastrength

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Introducing the Tampa Strength FIT MOMS program…

Nick and the other trainers at Tampa Strength are proud to announce that a new training program, designed specifically for moms will be starting in the first week of January. This program is a 21-day jump-start fitness program that will include:

  • INITIAL GOAL SETTING SESSION AND CONSULTATION
  • UNLIMITED SEMI-PRIVATE PERSONAL TRAINING SESSIONS (SUBJECT TO TRAINER AVAILABILITY)
  • BIWEEKLY FIT MOMS GROUP TRAINING CLASSES
  • IN-HOME WORKOUTS FOR THOSE DAYS YOU CAN’T MAKE IT TO TAMPA STRENGTH
  • NUTRITION INFORMATION AND COUNSELING

If you’re a mom that lives in the Tampa Bay area, head to tampafitmoms.com to enroll in this program. All you need to do is provide your contact information and a Tampa Strength trainer will contact you as soon as possible to setup your initial consultation.

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Please give us a rating and review in iTunes and visit the Addicted to Fitness Podcast Facebook page.

Links to this week’s episodez;

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/exercise-benefits-for-mothers/id1121420986?i=1000397017439&mt=2

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nick-burch-702220833/exercise-benefits-for-mothers

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/exercise-benefits-for-mothers

What’s On The Menu is this Weekend’s Workout

I didn’t get my weekly “What’s on the Menu” post done for its normal Thursday post date, but I still wanted to share it with you. Read about my experience with intermittent fasting then enjoy another effective weekend workout.

I was first introduced to the idea of fasting during my formative years in Catholic elementary school. Every Friday during Lent (the 40 days leading up to Easter), all Catholics were encouraged to fast during the day and then finish the day with a “meatless” dinner. Thankfully the Bible didn’t consider seafood meat, which meant I enjoyed a lot of McDonald’s fish sandwiches and pizza for dinner during Lent.

I’ll admit that my dedication to daylight fasting during Lent was spotty at best and, as devoted to Catholicism as my parents were and still are, they didn’t send my brother and I to school without lunches.  I was extremely grateful to them at the time, but with what I know now, periodic fasting could have been extremely beneficial.

The origins of fasting date back to ancient Greece and it’s inclusion in numerous religious doctrine make it one of the oldest weight loss/control methods. Even though its been used for several millennia, the extent of fasting’s metabolic benefits are just starting to be discovered (source).

One of my go-to sources for the latest health research, Dr. Rhoda Patrick, has been promoting the benefits of intermittent fasting, which she refers to as time restricted eating, for some time now. The basic concept is that you have an eating window everyday that syncs up to your natural circadian rhythm. The research suggests that the most metabolic benefits occur with a eating window of no more than 12 hours and, unlike my Lenten fasts, occurs during the day (source).

Studies have shown that adherence to this way of eating may save you from a number of the leading causes of death. Several recent discoveries about the death-defying benefits of intermittent fasting include:

  • Every other day fasting found to reduce obesity and insulin resistance by changing gut bacteria (source)
  • An 11-hour eating window associated with a significant reduction in breast cancer risk & reduction in recurrence (source)
  • Frequent fasting has been shown to reduce the insulin-like grown factor 1 (IGF1) which has been show to proliferate the growth of cancer cells (source)

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I’ve been partaking in time restricted eating for the past 3 weeks and I’ll admit it’s pretty tough for someone like me. I have a very active job and some days I leave the house before 7am and don’t return till 8pm. Thankfully I’ve been very good at packing a lunch full of nutritious and satiating foods that help me get enough fuel in during my eating window.

Even though I started my current intermittent fasting plan with no desire to lose weight, I’ve lost nearly 5 lbs in 3 weeks. I know that doesn’t sound like a lot but when you’re 5’11” and 160, losing 5 lbs without really trying is pretty significant. As great as the weight loss is, I’m more excited by the possibility that this way of eating can help me prolong my life.

Another way to prolong your life is with regular exercise, which is why you should try the weekend workout featured below. This workout includes several variations of one of the most beneficial exercise there is, the squat.

Squats are considered a compound exercise, which means they are multi-joint movements that require the use of various muscle groups. Try to knockout these various forms of the squat and make sure you let us know in the comment section below or on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter) how you feel the next day. Don’t forget to warmup and modify the workout to match your fitness level. ENJOY!

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What’s on the Menu – Cauliflower: The Veggie Drawer’s Utility Player

If you all are anything like me, you knew when your mom or dad was cooking cauliflower for dinner. Hell, you could probably smell it before you even walked in the house. In today’s post, we’re going to go over several reasons why you should eat cauliflower, but I get why kids don’t exactly go crazy when they see it on the dinner table. The smell, the stark white appearance and the overall bland flavor would turn off any 8 year old. The beauty of this “blank canvas” of a veggie is in its versatility and the fact that it is a nutritional “powerhouse“.

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Cauliflower belongs to the cruciferous vegetable family, which includes other highly nutritious veggies like kale, broccoli and turnips. One cup of cauliflower contains 5g of carbs with over half of those carbs coming from fiber. The phytonutrients contained in cauliflower include a significant amount of Vitamin C, K and folate. It also contains an organic compound known as glucosinolates, which when broken down during the cooking process produces cauliflower’s less than appetizing smell, but also produces several other compounds that have been found to have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects (source).

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You know me, I’ll sacrifice taste for a nutritional payoff (e.g. sardines). Luckily, cauliflower is so adaptable that you can use it to make some of your favorite carby side dishes. Instead of white rice, try riced cauliflower (pictured above). Instead of tater tots, try cauliflower tots. Instead of a wheat based pizza crust, try a cauliflower pizza crust. Yes that’s a real thing! Former guest of the Addicted to Fitness podcast Anna Vocino has an awesome cauliflower pizza crust recipe on here website. Give her recipe a shot and let me know how it comes out. We’d love to see pictures of how you dress up your cauliflower.

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Our Favorite Smartphone Fitness Apps

Written by Shannon, aka Cassandra. 

Sometimes you simply can’t avoid getting sick. This week I caught a cold which resulted in a husky alter-ego that Nick named “Cassandra.” So don’t mind the raspy co-host for today’s episode.

Ironically, we’re talking about health & fitness apps today! Specifically, Nick and I share our favorite apps that we use every day, then we go through apps from listeners and friends who submitted their picks.

Following up on our previous episode where I reviewed the Fitbit Charge 2, I dive into the user-friendly mobile app that serves as the real power behind any Fitbit. This free app is where you setup your actual Fitbit device, establish your goals, and even where you can track a few other handy health and fitness items.

The Fitbit app includes a very easy user interface, with a main screen that highlights some of your main daily metrics like: steps, floors climbed, miles covered, calories burned, activity and water consumed. You can also get info on your resting heart rate, calories consumed, sleep, etc.

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Picture courtesy of fitbit.com

The best part is the integration with other apps, including Nick’s food log app that he breaks down further, and the peloton app, which sends workout info from the bike to your Fitbit app.

Nick provides a review of the Lose it! app, which is a food journal. While neither of us are big on counting calories, we do like holding ourselves accountable and it’s easy to lose track of what you’re eating. This app is a great way to ensure you’re truly seeing how much macronutrients you’re taking in each day, your calories consumed and your calories burned.

The food catalog for Lose It! is truly impressive with millions of food items, ingredients and meals alike, already logged into the database. You can even scan barcodes with a built-in barcode scanner to make it easy to identify specific food items.

Snap it!, which is an extension of the Lose It app, even gives the option of identifying food by snapping a picture, which it then tries to match up to corresponding nutrition information. It’s just not incredibly accurate, so it’s more effective for simple items (e.g. piece of fruit, protein bar, etc.).

There is a premium version of the app, but the free version offers great options and even integrates with other fitness apps to provide information like steps and exercise.

Getting into the listener’s favorite fitness apps, we list them off for ya:

At the end of the day though, it doesn’t matter if you use fitness apps or not. Use whatever tools you need to hold yourself more accountable and help you to reach your fitness goals.

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We wrap up this episode getting amped up for the new Facebook Live workout that is now available on the ETT Facebook page. Perfect little 25-min workout video that includes a warmup, 15 min HIIT workout and an ab-centric cooldown.We’ve got exciting episodes coming up; please reach out at elementaltampa@gmail.com and let us know what topics you’d like us to discuss on a future episode. Thanks for listening!

Links for this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/our-favorite-smartphone-fitness/id1121420986?i=1000380559728&mt=2

Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/rss

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/our-favorite-smartphone-fitness-apps

What’s on the Menu – Butter is back!

We’ve been told for decades that this particular food item can be a major obstacle to losing weight and being healthy. I’m talking about the ingredient that is making the dish below glisten like a newly shined automobile.

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That’s right I’m talking about BUTTER!

It seems back in the 1960’s, butter and other saturated fats (e.g. cream, coconut oil, lard) were labeled as unhealthy by our government. This was most likely due to some possibly-bias research provided by Ancel Keys. Keys and his Seven Country Study asserted that individuals that had a higher intake of saturated fat were more apt to develop heart disease. We’ve recently discovered that his research may have been swayed by the Sugar Association and that higher mortality rates were most likely due to the higher consumption of saturated fat in conjunction with sugar.

The debate of who’s right still rages on, but scientists and researchers like Dr. Mark Hyman, Nina Teicholz and Gary Taubes have discovered that saturated fat is not the villain, it was once painted to be.

Now, I don’t want anyone to think they should start eating sticks of butter like Homer Simpson or Paula Deen, but I think it’s safe to say you should feel comfortable to cook eggs, melt and drizzle on steamed veggies, or create a sauce for a delicious salmon dinner (like the one pictured above) using butter.

One tablespoon of butter contains 100 calories and 12 g of total fat (8 g saturated) with no carbs or protein. Not exactly a complete food, but the fat it provides is essential for the production of hormones, energy, and cell membranes (source).

Also, in a world of processed foods with mile-long ingredient lists, a quality butter has AT THE MOST 2 ingredients: cultured pasteurized cream and salt.

It’s important for me to state that I’m not a doctor. Shocked as you all may be, I would never recommend taking my dietary suggestions over those from a medical professional. However, I’m pretty confident that if Shannon, the chef for the meal above, made this dish for a medical professional, they’d agree that butter is BETTER!

We want to see the delicious dishes you’ve made with butter. Tag your photos on social with #ETTampa or leave comments below on how you’ve ditched manufactured vegetable oils for the real thing.