Wilson Personal Training

Interesting Experiment involving snack foods!

2010-11-08T16:29:00.000-08:00

Twinkie diet helps nutrition professor lose 27 pounds

By Madison Park, CNN

November 8, 2010 8:40 a.m. EST

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Nutrition professor's "convenience store diet" helped him shed 27 pounds
Haub limited himself to 1,800 calories and two-thirds come from junk food
Haub said it's too early to draw any conclusions about diet

(CNN) -- Twinkies. Nutty bars. Powdered donuts.

For 10 weeks, Mark Haub, a professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University, ate one of these sugary cakelets every three hours, instead of meals. To add variety in his steady stream of Hostess and Little Debbie snacks, Haub munched on Doritos chips, sugary cereals and Oreos, too.

His premise: That in weight loss, pure calorie counting is what matters most -- not the nutritional value of the food.

The premise held up: On his "convenience store diet," he shed 27 pounds in two months.

For a class project, Haub limited himself to less than 1,800 calories a day. A man of Haub's pre-dieting size usually consumes about 2,600 calories daily. So he followed a basic principle of weight loss: He consumed significantly fewer calories than he burned.

His body mass index went from 28.8, considered overweight, to 24.9, which is normal. He now weighs 174 pounds.

But you might expect other indicators of health would have suffered. Not so.

Haub's "bad" cholesterol, or LDL, dropped 20 percent and his "good" cholesterol, or HDL, increased by 20 percent. He reduced the level of triglycerides, which are a form of fat, by 39 percent.

"That's where the head scratching comes," Haub said. "What does that mean? Does that mean I'm healthier? Or does it mean how we define health from a biology standpoint, that we're missing something?"

Haub's sample day

Espresso, Double: 6 calories; 0 grams of fat

Hostess Twinkies Golden Sponge Cake: 150 calories; 5 grams of fat

Centrum Advanced Formula From A To Zinc: 0 calories; 0 grams of fat

Little Debbie Star Crunch: 150 calories; 6 grams of fat

Hostess Twinkies Golden Sponge Cake: 150 calories; 5 grams of fat

Diet Mountain Dew: 0 calories; 0 grams of fat

Doritos Cool Ranch: 75 calories; 4 grams of fat

Kellogg's Corn Pops: 220 calories; 0 grams of fat

whole milk: 150 calories; 8 grams of fat

baby carrots: 18 calories; 0 grams of fat

Duncan Hines Family Style Brownie Chewy Fudge: 270 calories; 14 grams of fat

Little Debbie Zebra Cake: 160 calories; 8 grams of fat

Muscle Milk Protein Shake: 240 calories; 9 grams of fat

Totals: 1,589 calories and 59 grams of fat

Despite his temporary success, Haub does not recommend replicating his snack-centric diet.

"I'm not geared to say this is a good thing to do," he said. "I'm stuck in the middle. I guess that's the frustrating part. I can't give a concrete answer. There's not enough information to do that."

Two-thirds of his total intake came from junk food. He also took a multivitamin pill and drank a protein shake daily. And he ate vegetables, typically a can of green beans or three to four celery stalks.

Families who live in food deserts have limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables, so they often rely on the kind of food Haub was eating.

"These foods are consumed by lots of people," he said. "It may be an issue of portion size and moderation rather than total removal. I just think it's unrealistic to expect people to totally drop these foods for vegetables and fruits. It may be healthy, but not realistic."

Haub's body fat dropped from 33.4 to 24.9 percent. This posed the question: What matters more for weight loss, the quantity or quality of calories?

His success is probably a result of caloric reduction, said Dawn Jackson Blatner, a dietitian based in Atlanta, Georgia.

"It's a great reminder for weight loss that calories count," she said. "Is that the bottom line to being healthy? That's another story."

Blatner, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, said she's not surprised to hear Haub's health markers improved even when he loaded up on processed snack cakes.

Being overweight is the central problem that leads to complications like high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, she said.

How well are you managing your diabetes?

"When you lose weight, regardless of how you're doing it -- even if it's with packaged foods, generally you will see these markers improve when weight loss has improved," she said.

Before jumping on the Ding Dong bandwagon, Blatner warned of health concerns.

"There are things we can't measure," said Blatner, questioning how the lack of fruits and vegetables could affect long-term health. "How much does that affect the risk for cancer? We can't measure how diet changes affect our health."

I was eating healthier, but I wasn't healthy. I was eating too much.
--Professor Mark Haub

RELATED TOPICS

On August 25, Haub, 41, started his cake diet focusing on portion control.

"I'm eating to the point of need and pushing the plate or wrapper away," he said.

He intended the trial to last a month as a teaching tool for his class. As he lost weight, Haub continued the diet until he reached a normal body mass index.

Before his Twinkie diet, he tried to eat a healthy diet that included whole grains, dietary fiber, berries and bananas, vegetables and occasional treats like pizza.

"There seems to be a disconnect between eating healthy and being healthy," Haub said. "It may not be the same. I was eating healthier, but I wasn't healthy. I was eating too much."

He maintained the same level of moderate physical activity as before going on the diet. (Haub does not have any ties to the snack cake companies.)

To avoid setting a bad example for his kids, Haub ate vegetables in front of his family. Away from the dinner table, he usually unwrapped his meals.

Study: U.S. obesity rate will hit 42 percent

Haub monitored his body composition, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose, and updated his progress on his Facebook page,Professor Haub's diet experiment.

To curb calories, he avoided meat, whole grains and fruits. Once he started adding meat into the diet four weeks ago, his cholesterol level increased.

Haub plans to add about 300 calories to his daily intake now that he's done with the diet. But he's not ditching snack cakes altogether. Despite his weight loss, Haub feels ambivalence.

"I wish I could say the outcomes are unhealthy. I wish I could say it's healthy. I'm not confident enough in doing that. That frustrates a lot of people. One side says it's irresponsible. It is unhealthy, but the data doesn't say that."

Back to School Special

2010-07-27T16:21:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

It is almost August and time for school to start again. Every year I have a Back to School special because many people start getting back into a workout routine. The kids are back in school and family vacations are coming to an end, so it is a great time to start thinking about taking care of your body and health. The holidays will be here before you know it and wouldn't it be nice to lose some inches before the temptations of holiday parties and Mom's great food.

SPECIAL:
Save $10 per session on all packages purchased between 10 sessions and 36 Sessions!

Save $15 per session on any package of 48 or more sessions!

If you know of anyone who needs some fitness help or advice please send them to my web site, www.wilsonpersonaltraining.com

Interesting article on Eye Yolks and their Benefits!

2010-06-29T19:38:00.000-07:00

HELLO YELLOW!
When it comes to the egg, think more than just white
By Jim Stoppani, PhD Senior Science Editor
October 29, 2009

Almost every bodybuilder knows about the useful role of egg whites as a protein source. An egg white contains 3.6 grams (g) of protein, with only 17 calories and no fat. But the yolk of the egg, which is high in cholesterol, is often tossed out — along with its valuable nutrients.
Egg yolks contain omega-3 fatty acids in the form of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the same healthy fat that's found in fish, such as salmon. DHA is essential for communication between cells in the nervous system, for brain and eye function and for regulation of the fat profiles in blood. The eating habits of most people cause them to be deficient in omega-3s, and this deficiency can result in joint damage and muscle loss, in addition to a host of other problems. One egg yolk contains 18 milligrams (mg) of DHA; DHA-enriched eggs contain a whopping 120-150 mg per egg. These are eggs produced by hens fed a special DHA-rich diet. A dozen large grade AA eggs that are enriched with omega-3s can cost a dollar or two more than a dozen unenriched eggs of the same size and grade.
Another valuable nutrient you probably don't get enough of — one that is also found in egg yolks — is lecithin. Lecithin enhances cell membrane dynamics, which dictate control over what goes in and out of your body. It also helps keep fats and cholesterol levels in line, and it aids the gastrointestinal system in healing from the use of painkillers. Every cell in the human body needs lecithin, yet it is difficult to find lecithin in wholesome foods — aside from whole eggs. They are your best bet for meeting your quota of lecithin. Adults need at least 6 g of lecithin daily; bodybuilders need even more. One large egg contains a little more than 1 g. So, don't forgo the yellow nutritional powerhouse in the center of the egg. Next time you have a 4-6-egg white omelette be sure to leave two yolks in the mix. Not only will it taste better, but you'll turn a high-protein yet nutritionally wan meal into one that will benefit more than just your muscles.

Short article about Stress Relief from Cardio. Training

2010-06-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

Stress relief is another solid reason why working out is so beneficial for your body and health.

Cardio Training for Stress Relief
by Shirley Archer, JD, MA

If you or your clients want to improve your resilience against stress, cardio workouts may be the way to go. Regular aerobic training reduces the heart rate response to psychological stress more than either resistance training or no training, according to a study published in the journal Psycho physiology (2004; 41 [4], 552–62. Forty-five sedentary, nonsmoking male and female participants aged 18–30 participated in aerobic training, resistance training or no training for 6 weeks. Outcome measures included blood pressure and heart rate, among other variables.
Researchers at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland, reported that participants in both the aerobic training and resistance training groups had lower systolic blood pressure levels than the group who did no training. Aerobically trained participants had lower heart rate levels during psychological stress after training than did either of the other groups.
The researchers suggested that since aerobic training can lower heart rate response to psychological stress, it may offer a protective benefit over the long term against an increase in the risk of coronary heart disease.

New Web Site is Ready for viewing!

2010-06-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

The updated web site is done and ready for viewing. Please checkout out the new and improved web site and send all your family and friends for a look! Their are new before and afters, testimonials and fitness videos to be viewed.

Fitness Videos

2010-06-03T11:25:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/user/ptclw1973

Please click on the above link to view and comment on my new videos about fitness!

Annual Body Composition Change Contest

2010-01-07T07:26:00.001-08:00

Wilson Personal Training
Highest % Fitness Contest
2010
Hi Everyone,
Every year I put on a fitness contest for all my clients. It is a mini biggest loser type of
contest. The goal is to change your body fat % by more than the other competitor. This can
be accomplished by losing body fat, gaining muscle or a combination of both. The contest
runs from February 1st, till April 1st.
There are only a few rules for the contest.
-You must have your measurements taken at the start and the end of the contest.
-You must train two sessions a week with me for the duration of the contest. That means
you must purchase 16 sessions during the two months of the contest. I will also include
clients that attend two bootcamps per week.
Prize:
-The prize for 1st is 10 training sessions. Value $600
-I will have some small prizes for runners up.
-Their may be some more prizes announced at a later date. Anyone who may be interested
in donating a prize for the contest please contact me. I will put up and advertisement in my
studio for businesses that donate a prize.
This contest is great fun every year and for you really competitive people, it is great
motivation to change your body.
If you have any questions please contact me and I will be glad to answer them.
Casey Wilson
Wilson Personal Training
www.wilsonpersonaltraining.com
(916)871-8422

Little Testimonial from one of my Clients.

2010-01-01T12:57:00.000-08:00

Great Trainer‎

I have been training with Casey for about a year. He pushes me harder than I am willing to push myself, and it has paid off. I have increased muscle mass, core strength, and have improved my hill climbing capacity on my mountain bike. I have type 2 diabetes and rely on the training to extend the length and quality of my life. Thanks Casey!‎

Tim Lorenson

End of the Year Special and Gift Cards!

2009-11-19T07:10:00.001-08:00

Wilson Personal Training
End of the Year Training Special!
It is that time of the year again. Thanksgiving is only a couple of weeks away and Christmas will
be here before you know it. Every year I have a big training special that is my best training
special of the year. The special will be good from now until the end of the year. January 1st
regular prices will go back into effect. The special is simple this year, all session packages
purchased below 30 sessions are $50 per session and all packages purchased above 30 sessions
are $45 per session. My regular base rate for training sessions is $60 per session. If you want to
get into shape now or after the first of the year, now is the time to buy.
If you want to give the gift of fitness as a Christmas present, I also sell gift cards. If you
would like to get a gift card for Christmas just give your family and friends my contact
information and we can take care of the rest. You can buy as little as one session or up to 72
sessions.
Thank You,
Casey Wilson
www.wilsonpersonaltraining.com
916-871-8422

Easy to Understand Article About the Core

2009-11-13T19:53:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share this short article because is gives a very nice and simple explanation of why your core muscles are important. I have a new blog that I should have up by Monday, so keep an eye out for it.

Casey

Online Fitness & Health Articles
Why Core Fitness is ImportantAbdominal Training Program

If you’ve listened to the buzz around the fitness world lately or perused the latest workout books, you’ve probably heard the experts referencing core fitness in some shape or form. Traditionally, strength training has been dominated by exercises focused on isolating the muscles of the arms and legs. In fact, if you look at many of the weight machines that have become popular in modern gyms, you’ll notice that they require you to sit or recline while you use them.
While these machines will effectively help you build the muscles that they target, the problem is that, in real life, we don’t use our muscles that way. We lift a box from the floor to a shelf, swing a golf club, push our children on the swing set, or climb a rock wall. In fact, the vast majority of the things we do require all of the muscles in our bodies to function together and be coordinated through our mid-sections, or our “core.”
While those activities may make the use of core muscles seem very obvious, this area, made up of the muscles of our midsection, are actually responsible for quite a few of the more subtle functions as well, including posture, balance and stability.
A weakened core will often result in poor posture and stability, yet we don’t necessarily feel the results of it in areas that show us a direct cause and effect correlation. For example, poor posture, due to a weakened core, might allow our hips to slip out of alignment resulting in knee pain. In fact, quite a few of the chronic muscle and joint pain issues that Americans are suffering with today stem from a weakened core.
It is no wonder, then, that exercise science has taken a dramatic shift in recent years to include the core in strength training regimes. Now, rather than using a machine to first exercise your legs and then your arms, trainers are suggesting that their clients use free weights or bands to combine exercises such as a squat to overhead press. By linking the two, people are forced to transition the exercise movement through their core, and the core muscles in turn help to maintain good posture throughout the exercise. The end result is that we are exercising in a fashion that mimics the movements that we use in everyday life, while creating better posture and increasing our stability and balance.

Training For Your Goals!

2009-10-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

When you begin a training program, you will have some goals that you want to achieve. If you do not have any goals, then you probably will not achieve much success. Goals can be combined into multiple categories. Some of the most common categories are weight loss, muscle gain, general health, enhanced athletic performance and training for a specific event. How you train should be directly related to the goal that you have set. You must also have a proper nutrition program to accompany your training program. I will cover nutrition in a future blog.

Training for weight loss is the most common of all training goals. Obesity is a major problem in our society. There are many options for dealing with weight loss. I personally feel that the best way to change your body is to work with a good fitness trainer, but I am a little biased. The best way to train for a weight loss goal is usually cardiovascular training. Cardiovascular training for weight loss most commonly starts with walking or riding on a bike. This is a good safe way to start your training program. I would recommend 30 minutes of cardiovascular training when you first start. In addition to your cardiovascular training program, you need a beginning core strengthening and weight training program. I will not go into specific exercises, but your core and weight training programs are basic and light. Basic and light does not mean easy. You must be pushing yourself to progress in your program, at every workout.

The #1 failure of people who try and lose weight is the lack of progression in their program. Walking on the treadmill at a fast pace, with an incline is good for a start. A month into your training program, you should not be doing the same thing. For example, I have taken new clients that start out walking at 3.0 mph on the treadmill. Within two months that same client is jogging a mile at 4.5 mph. That client did not get there over night: every week they made small improvements that contributed to a big improvement. The main idea I try to get into the clients' mind is the belief that they can do it. So much of success is believing that you can do it!

Next Blog I will cover the goal of building muscle!

Casey Wilson

A good explanation about body composition!

2009-10-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

I read a lot of fitness related materials, so from time to time I will post informative articles and studies. I have explained body composition many times to clients. Weight on the scale is never more important than your body fat %. This article gives a good explanation about body composition.

Casey

Body Composition - Body Fat - Body Weight
Learn why body weight and body fat are not always an indication of health
By Elizabeth Quinn, About.com
Updated: May 08, 2009
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board
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sports nutrition
exercise physiology
body fat
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Body Fat Index Chart Lose Weight Fast Diet Body Fat Percentage Formula Ideal Weight Healthy Way to Lose Weight
Body composition is the term used to describe the different components that, when taken together, make up a person's body weight. The human body is composed of a variety of different tissue types including lean tissues (muscle, bone, and organs) that are metabolically active, and fat (adipose) tissue that is not.
Body Weight Measurements Standard body weight scales provide a measure of total weight, but don't determine the lean-to-fat ratio of that weight. Standing on most scales can tell you only if you weigh more than the average person, but not if that weight is fat or muscle. Based only on scale weight, a 250-pound athlete with 8% body fat may be considered "overweight" by a typical weight chart. Such charts are not a good indication of ideal body weight for general health or for athletic performance.
Compare prices: Body Weight Scales
Body Composition Body Fat Measurement
There are many methods of assessing a person's fat and lean mass. The most common methods include the following.
Underwater Weighing - Hydrostatic Weighing
One method of body composition analysis in which a person is weighed while submerged in a large tank of water is called underwater or hydrostatic weighing This method of determining body composition relies on Archimedes' Principle of displacement which states:
The density of fat mass and fat-free mass are constant
Lean tissue is more dense than water
Fat tissue is less dense than water.
Therefore person with more body fat will weigh less underwater and be more buoyant. Underwater weighing has been considered the gold standard for body composition assessment, however new, more sophisticated methods may make underwater weighing obsolete in the future.
Skinfold Thickness MeasurementsBecause underwater weighting it is complicated and cumbersome and requires special equipment, most exercise physiologists use simple skinfold measurements to determine body fat percent. The American College of Sports Medicine says that when performed by a trained, skilled, tester, they are up to 98% accurate.
Compare prices: skinfold calipers
Bioelectrical ImpedanceBioelectrical Impedance is another method of assessing body fat percentage. There are a variety of body composition and body fat analyzers and scales available for home use that provide more than just total weight measurements. These devices determine total weight, the percent and amount of body fat, muscle mass, water, and even bone mass. While the readings can be affected by hydration levels, food intake, skin temperature, and other factors, if you follow the directions and take the reading under similar conditions, you will obtain the best results.
Compare prices: Body Composition and Body Fat Analyzers and Scales
BMI - Body Mass IndexBMI or Body Mass Index, is another method of estimating a person's body fat percentage based upon simple weight and height measurements. While the BMI calculation is an indirect measurement, it has been found to be a fairly reliable indicator of body fat measures in most people. Although some studies still question the accuracy of the BMI method of body fat measurement, especially for athletes.
Ideal Body Weight and Body Fat Percent
The ideal weight and fat-lean ratio varies considerably for men and women and by age, but the minimum percent of body fat considered safe for good health is 5 percent for males and 12% for females. The average adult body fat is closer to 15 to 18% for men and 22 to 25% for women.
Athletes tend to be at low end of this scale due to their increased lean weight (muscle mass). While low levels of body fat seem to be related to improved performance, body composition alone is not a great predictor of sports success. A linebacker needs to have enough body mass (lean and fat weight) to generate high forces and avoid injury. Body fat among elite athletes vary largely by sport. There is little evidence of any benefit when men drop under 8% and women drop under 14 percent body fat.

New Fitness Blog

2009-10-28T16:37:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

I am starting a fitness blog. My intent is to bring you valuable fitness, nutrition and supplement information. I also want my blog to be interactive, with a lot of questions to be asked by the readers. I will draw on my 9 years of experience and multiple certifications to answer any questions you may have about living a healthy lifestyle. If I do not know the answer, I have a wealth of resources to draw on to get an informative answer. I would also like to help the readers of this blog dispel myth's and falsehoods about all things fitness related. Trust me, their are plenty of myth's and falsehoods to be dispelled.

I had a common question asked by a client today, "when am I going to start enjoying the workouts". He relayed the example of people who just love the actual workout, that make the gym their second home. My response to him was, "they are a rare group of people". Most people don't like to workout. Most humans try and find the path of least resistance to all things in life. Most people that workout regularly do so because it is a necessary evil to stay healthy and looking good. I also related to him that getting in shape is the hard part of the process. Once you have achieved your desired level of fitness, then your maintenance program is not nearly as difficult.

Their is not magic pill or magic machine that is going to bring you a fit and healthy body. Their is no easy way to get truly healthy and fit. Hard work and discipline are the true keys to getting fit. Their are many more things you will need to get fit, but if you are willing to work hard and be disciplined you will be successful. One of the other key components is knowledge and that is what I am here for. A good personal trainer will have all the knowledge you need to get you fit and will have a lot of tools in their tool box. If a trainer is for some reason not the path for you, start researching fitness yourself through reading and watching video. This can also help you gain fitness knowledge. Unfortunately those sources are no substitute for a good trainer, all my clients will second that premise. Their are many path's you can go down to get fit and only you will know the right path for yourself. The bottom line is, that you may or may not enjoy the journey, but the final results will be worth it.

Keep an eye out for my upcoming posts and please send me any questions you may have about fitness.

Casey Wilson

http://www.wilsonpersonaltraining.com/