Taco Bell: A Love Affair

An oldie but a goodie reposted for our new readers....


In 1994 I started a relationship which would last over a decade, though an unhealthy relationship it was one I was hesitant to end.  There are still moments of weakness when I wonder what it would be like to rekindle our romance, but alas I know it was for the best that we parted when we did.

Two Double Decker Tacos and their ever so complimentary side dish, Nachos Supreme, were my Scarlet Letter.  Dripping in intoxicating hot sauce created by perfect evil geniuses, I devoured dozens, even hundreds of these meals.  Each clocking in at a staggering 1030 calories, 51 grams of fat and over 2200 mg of sodium, its no wonder I broke into a sweat unwrapping each hefty taco.

Step One of Weight Loss:  Stop Eating Garbage
Though Taco Bell didn't taste like garbage it provided little to no nutritional value, over 70% of my required daily calories, my entire daily fat intake and more than the recommended sodium intake...in one meal.  Did I mention I'd wash this down with a large Dr. Pepper? Add another 300 calories. In order for me to burn off this meal I'd have to run 15km at a pretty good pace, at this time in my life it would have taken me the better part of a day to walk 15km.  So the fast food had to go, insert melodramatic music, tears and one sordid farewell meal. http://tacobell.ca/Nutritional-Information

Exercise is encouraged as a part of any weight loss program for a number of reasons, it burns calories, improves cardio fitness, improves bone and muscle strength, improves mood etc...but no matter how much you exercise you cannot exercise enough to undo the damage of a poor diet.

 The guys at Turbulance Training did an interesting experiment proving exactly that:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rULrxuiqU2I

Killer Workout

We've discussed my love of working myself into the ground so I'm going to share some tricks with you to spend as little time in the gym as possible and still get an amazing workout. Puke bags are $2 each.

1. Cut your cardio time by doing intervals. They can be any duration but instead of spending an hour on the treadmill spend 30 minutes...ie. 1 min sprint, 1 min jog....you'll torch more calories than you will at your usual slower pace in half the time. And yes I know people talk about that magic fat burning zone of 60-70% heart rate, well that doesn't mean squat if you aren't creating a calorie deficit everyday. So get your ass moving.

2. Add cardio to your weight training. Skip, do jumping jacks, jump on a bike, run etc. Instead of standing around for 1-2mins between sets pump out some cardio. If you do 10 exercises and do cardio between each set you can sneak in almost 20 mins of cardio in the same amount of time you would have spent sitting on a weight machine. FYI do you know what infuriates me? People who sit on the weight equipment between sets!

3. Up the weights. Don't be delusional ladies you are not going to bulk up. If you are lifting 5lbs 15-20 times no problem try lifting 10lbs and do 8-10 reps instead. Cut your time lifting weights by lifting heavier weights. Fatigue your muscles, stop wasting your time!

4. Doing 100 sit-ups takes a long time and only build up the muscles on your abdomen, yes I said build up the muscles...do you want a larger midsection? I didn't think so, switch to planks which engage deeper muscles that act like a girdle and narrow your stomach. Hold a plank for :10 to a minute and you'll accomplish more than those sit-ups.

5. Try something new. Our bodies are like very intelligent machines...they adapt quickly. If you always get on the elliptical get on the rower, treadmill junkie, get your ass on the stair stepper. You will use new muscle groups and see results faster.

Ignore all of the above if you love hanging out at the gym.

Groundhog Day

It's Groundhog Day and only Bill Murray finds it funny. Is it the start of February and your New Year's Resolution is a faint memory and you are back to your old habits?  Maybe make this Groundhog Day different from every other Groundhog Day and decide to make a change and stick to it! They say it takes 28 days to make a habit stick, well look at that, February has 28 days...if you start today on March 1 you'll be the one laughing.

So get your sweet ass off the couch, make a plan and get moving!

Don't Let the Door Hit You in the Ass on Your Way Out!

I don't know about you but I am so happy to see January in the rearview mirror. We only have seven weeks of Winter left and I couldn't be more excited. February is going to be an awesome month!

So what are your plans for the month? I'm going to finish up my training program on Feb 11 then hightail my ass to Hawaii. Woohooo. When I return it will be a new month and warmer temps. I'm looking forward to relaxing, giving my weary muscles a chance to rest and come back home tanned, healthy and ready to welcome spring with open arms.  My goodness I am waxing poetic today. I can't help it, I feel change in the air...and the sun is shining!

Set an intention for February, one thing you want to accomplish this month. My intention for the month of February is to put things into perspective. Stop stressing the small stuff and learn to cut myself some slack. Maybe that's three things.