Mission 5

Your four-part mission, should you choose to accept it is:

Fitness (Mission sponsors: Premiere Trainers)

•    Try a new type of workout and think about a workout without walls.  Start to use all the different rooms of the fitness center in a cross training approach that will break down the barriers of traditional training.

•    Keep your pace of workout quick with little or no recovery at all.  Do a 1-minute upper body exercise followed by a 1-minute lower body exercise, followed by a 1-minute interval of moderate to high intensity on a cardio machine.  For a more advanced approach, supplement full-body exercise (See example below)

•    Do this for 2 rounds per mini-circuit, for 1 hour.  You should do about 10 (3) exercise mini-circuits.  Select a weight that is manageable for the minute, it should not be too heavy where you cannot complete the minute or too light where you could go for 2 minutes.

Mini-Circuit Example:

o    Forwarding alternating Lunge with Press on Kinesis (Alpha)
o    Lat Pull on Free Motion Cable Cross in a Squat Position
o    Treadmill sprint

•    To maximize your results and truly grab the essence of this training concept, hire a trainer for an hour to take you through this workout after you have tried it on your own.  Notice the difference in both workouts.  Which was more intense?  Which felt more like the way a workout is supposed to feel?  Invest in your health by allowing a SMC professional show you how to get the results you want and need.

Nutrition (Mission sponsor:  Amy Peck, MS, RD, CPT, Master Personal Trainer)

SMART SNACKING

•    Are you trying to lose weight by eating less often? Many people fall in to that trap, thinking if they cut down on the number of times they eat each day they’ll lose weight faster. The reality is that eating less often usually results in less weight lost, and can even be a recipe for weight gain. The reason is that your body runs out of fuel every 4 to 6 hours, leading to a drop in energy levels. If you ignore hunger signals because you are busy at work or running around doing errands, those hunger signals will temporarily subside but come roaring back later. This scenario most often happens late in the day after a skipped afternoon snack. When you finally get around to eating dinner, you’ll find yourself eating faster and making less healthy choices.

•    It’s smarter to plan a nutritious mid-afternoon snack to take the edge off your appetite and help you eat better at dinner. In order to avoid spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels it is important to include a little protein with your snack and to keep the calories to about 200 – 300. Your nutrition mission this week is to try some of these easy suggestions for balanced and healthy snacks that fit the bill:

o    Apple & 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
o    Carrots & 2 tablespoons of hummus
o    1-cup whole grain cereal & 1% or skim milk
o    Low or non-fat yogurt & 1-cup berries
o    Whole grain crackers & 1 ounce of low fat cheese
o    1 ounce of nuts & 1 pear
o    ½ cup low or non-fat cottage cheese & fresh fruit
o    2 – 3 cups popcorn (no added fat) & 1 string cheese

•    For other snack ideas and further nutrition information please contact
Amy Peck, MS, RD, CPT, Registered Dietitian & Master Personal Trainer, [email protected]

Personal Coaching (Mission sponsor:  Heidi Michaels, Professional Life Coach)

•    This week’s mission addresses procrastination!

•    Instead of describing the things you want to do or the places you want to go, you’re going to describe what you actually do with your time, and you’re going to keep a written record of the places you actually go.

•    In other words, you’re going to keep a diary of your activities.  And you’re going to be surprised by the distractions, detours and downright wastes of time you engage in during the course of the day.  All of these get in the way of achieving your goals.  For many people, it’s almost like they planned it that way, and maybe at some unconscious level they did.  The great thing about keeping a time diary is that it brings all this out in the open.  It forces you to see what you’re actually doing, and what you are not doing.

•    The time diary doesn’t have to be anything elaborate.  Just a little spiral notebook that you can carry in your purse or pocket.  When you go to the gym,  to lunch, to work, when you stop at the dry cleaners, when you spend time talking to a friend, or checking emails – make a quick note of the time you began the activity and the time it ends.  Try to make this notation as soon as possible; if it’s inconvenient to do it immediately, you can do it later.  But you should make an entry in your time diary at least once every thirty minutes, and you should keep this for at least a week.
•    This is a powerful technique to help end procrastination.  It also builds your awareness and gives you choices on how you would rather spend your time.  We must also never forget to celebrate where we are spending time in ways that nourish our body and soul!

•    Email me ([email protected]) and let me know what you discover and what action you will take to spending your time in alignment with your goals!

•    As always I am here to support you in your Missions, please feel free to contact me anytime with your concerns, to share an accomplishment or for a dose of motivation!

Skillful Living Tip (Mission sponsor: Merv Tugendhaft, Assistant Fitness Director)

•    “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”

•    When it comes to fitness and wellness the above statement is true as well.
I know there is a lot of marketing regarding weight loss products in which they show incredible results in a short period of time.  In most cases when it sounds too good to be true….it is not true!  Therefore, if you make goals for yourself, such as to be fit, to live healthy, to lose weight, or to build muscle mass; there are no short cuts.

•    You have to make sure that you set realistic goals!  However, make sure that you have a plan so that you do take the shortest road to success.  For example, understand the importance of your cardio program, understand the importance of your resistance training, understand the importance to refuel your body with proper nutrition (and yes you can use supplements to improve the recovery), and understand the importance of mental fitness.

•    All these elements combined do not give you a shortcut, but it makes it more efficient to reach your goal!