The Forgotten

In the age of childhood obesity their is a group of boys that are invisible. Invisible to football coaches, invisible to the eye of girls, invisible, not because they are gone. But because they are SKINNY and UNDERWEIGHT!

I’m not going to drag this out because it doesn’t need to be too incredibly complicated or over analyzed. But I’m just going to list the things you NEED to do if you want to gain muscle as a skinny kid. Because face it, nobody cares that you've got a 6-pack if you get blown around like a leaf in a light breeze.

1. Look at what overweight people are doing and do it. Except add in some weight lifting to it.
2. Speaking of weight lifting, don’t spend all day in the gym. 45 minutes…TOPS!!
3. Because you’re on a time crunch in the gym, you’d better be doing exercises that use most or all of your muscles. More muscle usage = more testosterone and growth hormone
4. If you play a high activity sport such as basketball, soccer or swimming, gaining weight will be even TOUGHER. So if you aren’t practicing or lifting weight, you need to be eating. 
5. SLEEP... a lot.
   

Today I will just discuss the first point and I will address the others in future blog posts.

Step 1: try to become overweight.

            Granted we don’t want you to be obese and slothful, but we do want you to gain weight. And there is no better person to look at for gaining weight, than somebody who has…gained a lot of weight. What is it they do? Well, they eat a lot. They eat frequently. And they eat a lot of carbohydrates; which is what you need. But you also need to make sure you’re building muscle instead of adding fat to your belly.

            And the thing with most skinny kids is when they think they are eating a lot of food, they usually AREN'T eating enough. Put it this way, if you aren’t gaining weight, you need to eat more. 

Here is what a skinny guy’s day should look like if he works out in the morning

Wake up (0 hours) – eat 1 measured cup of oatmeal (300 calories), 2 cups of milk (244 calories) Total = 544 cal

Workout – have a protein shake (130 calories)

After workout ( + 1.5 hours after wakeup) – 2 pancakes (350 calories), 1 cup cottage cheese (204 calories), ½ cup orange juice (56 calories) Total= 600

Snack ( + 2.5 hours) – 1 bagel (270 calories), 3 tbsp peanut butter (300 calories) Total = 570

Lunch ( + 4.5 hours) – 1 can tuna (150 cal), 2 tbsp mayonnaise (200 cal), ¼” slice of cheese from block (200 cal), 2 slices of bread (140 cal), a salad the size of a boat (60 cal), balsamic dressing (enough, but less than you think)(150 cal) Total = 900 cal

Is this what you see in the mirror??

Snack ( + 7.5 hours) – 2 cups yogurt (200 calories), ¼ cup peanuts (300 cal), ½ cup granola (180 cal) Total = 680 cal

Dinner (+ 10.5 hours) – Meat the size of your hand (300 cal), [broccoli + raisins] the size of your hand (150 cal), glass of milk (200 cal) Total = 650 cal

Before bed meal ( + 12.5 hrs) – 2 Scrambled eggs or protein powder (150 cal) + spoonful of peanut butter (200 cal), apple (75 cal) Total = 425 cal

Total calories = 4500 calories*

For most kids this is going to seem insurmountable. But it can be done. And with a quality lifting program, it can add a significant amount of muscle to ANY kids frame.

First thing in the off-season...

Poor nutrition will minimize off-season gains

High school and junior league football seasons are either over or coming to a close. So now its time to start thinking about what to do in the off-season. Most people immediately think weight lifting. But there is something else that if not taken care of, will quickly reduce off-season performance:The first thing that needs to be done is to evaluate what your kids are eating.

Sure everybody wants to talk about sports training and weight lifting to get ready for the next sports season. But in honesty now is the time to look at the nutrition habits of your athletes, and even your family.

Here are some simple rules to follow when putting together a weekly menu for you and your young athletes.

4 days of lunch done.

1. Make sure your kids eat a breakfast of grains and protein. A quick and easy breakfast for them is to have some Wheaties, Cheerios or All-Bran with a sliced up banana or some berries tossed in for some sweetness.
2. Have them take their lunch to school. One thing you can do to spice up their lunches is to grill 4-5 pieces of chicken on Sunday afternoon and then they have a great source of muscle building, fat burning protein to take to school. Chicken is so universal you can do make a laundry list of great lunches using grilled chicken. 
3. Have a bowl of fruit sitting out around the house and challenge your family to eat it all before the week is up. Fruit is not meant to last weeks on end. So you should be shopping for fruit on a weekly basis.
4. Have mixed nuts in a small bag that your kids can take to school and munch on. Kids should be eating every 3-4 hours. If they have a healthy snack on hand they are much more likely to eat a healthy snack rather than the junk that's floating around their school.
5. Buy your kids an BPA free water bottle to take to school. Water is essential for the body to function. And most kids aren't getting NEAR enough. Again, if they have a resource on hand, they are much more likely to use it.

These tips will help ensure your young athletes stay well nourished during the day and are also fueled up when game time arrives. 

Check the link to the right for the "Athlete Nutrition BluePrint" from physical therapist and strength coach Jeff Cavaliere. He's put together an awesome program that will put your athletes on the path to success.

Your kids are eating themselves to death

Last night I got the privilege to watch a TV show featuring a famous British chef. His name is Jamie Oliver.

The show is called Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and it was amazing. I was hooked!! The premise is that Jamie is trying to change the way that American's, more specifically American kids, eat. So he started in the town of Huntington, West Virginia.

Why there?

Huntington has the highest mortality rate, the highest rate of obesity and the highest childhood obesity rates. So last night I watched the first episode and it was amazing.

• It was AMAZING how RESISTANT people are to changing the way they eat.
  
• It was AMAZING that kids in the elementary school were eating pizza for breakfast, chicken nuggets for lunch and the chicken nuggets again for dinner!!
• It was AMAZING how the school cooks did not want to change the way they made things.
• It was AMAZING how the USDA food nutritional standards were met by day old frozen pizza, but not by brown rice!!!
• It was AMAZING how the family whose house he invaded were eating golden fried food every night for dinner.

So what I want you guys to do either tonight or tomorrow night is to watch this first episode of Jame Oliver's Food Revolution on your computer, preferably with your kids. (Click on the link to go to the video.)

Yes, that's right...I want you to WATCH TV!!! You need to see what the government thinks is healthy food!! I'm not trying to bad mouth the government, but when you watch this video, you too will instantly think, "WE CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS!!"

Have a Hugely HEALTHY day!!

Rotating your diet

When it comes to nutrition for weight loss, it is often easy to overlook the fact that your energy needs will vary from day to day. Otherwise, some day's you might take in too much energy, and other days you may not take in enough. Some days you might take in the correct TYPES of energy and other days you may be eating the wrong foods! So the key is to plan your eating around your planned exercise.

1. After calculating an estimate of your resting metabolic rate (daily caloric requirement), use 80% of that total as your caloric goal for your non-exercise days. On your the days you are scheduled to exercise take in 100% of that number. Remember, your resting metabolic rate is your estimated number of calories required if you were to only sit all day long. If you are exercising and reducing caloric intake below that number you run the risk of your body breaking down muscle to use as energy.
2. The type of energy you take in should vary from day to day based on scheduled exercise. Because grains are primarily carbohydrates they provide a lot of usable energy. But if you are having a heavy grain day on a non-exercise day, where do you think all that energy goes? That's right. Your body stores it as fat. On the days when you are going to exercise, do not hesitate to include grains in your breakfast, lunch and/or dinner.
   
3. Protein intake should increase the evening of and the day after exercise because the resistance training you did earlier that day, broke down muscle and it needs to be repaired ASAP.

Below is an example of a schedule you could follow with each type of food as the primary food for the day.

• Day 1 - Resistance Training - Grains, Fruits/Veggies, Meat (Beef/Chicken), Dairy
• Day 2 - Cardiovascular training - Fruits/Veggies, Meat (fish), Dairy, Grains
• Day 3 - Rest - Fruits/Veggies, Meat (Pork), Dairy, Grains
  
• Day 4 - Resistance Training - Grains, Fruits/Veggies, Meat (Beef/Chicken), Dairy
• Day 5 - Cardiovascular Training - Fruits/Veggies, Meat, Dairy, Grains
• Day 6 - Recovery - Meat (Eggs), Veggies/Fruits, Dairy, Grains
• Day 7 - Rest - Fruits/Veggies, Dairy, Meat, Grains

This doesn't have to be exactly how you schedule your meals. But hopefully you can see how the kinds of macronutrients (fat, protein, carbohydrates) coordinate with your activity level. All of the food groups are necessary and the wider the array of foods you eat, the better your body will respond to the training methods you use.

Cereal that helps fight the flu??

Is it true??

Can Cocoa-Puffs really help fight off the flu? I don't know about it but apparently Kellogg's is gambling that you're going to buy - pun intended - that box of lies.

There are a few key reasons as to why I am not buying this and what you can do to TRULY improve the immune system of your kids!!

First lets cover the reasons why you should not believe the label for a reason.

1. TO BE HEALTHY YOU HAVE TO START WITH A HEALTHY FOUNDATION. Does it even make sense that a sugary, chocolaty cereal will HELP your kids fight off disease? Everything else we are told is that sugar, highly processed foods are bad for us. So what is so different about puffed white rice (which is void of just about any nutritional value on its own) is going to help us? The answer: Nothing is different. Except...

2. FAKE VITAMINS AND MINERALS DO NOT MAKE FOR HEALTHY CEREAL. Kellogg's added some lab made vitamins that research has proven is not absorbed nearly as well as natural vitamins and minerals. An example of this is comparing the durability of real natural wood furniture vs. plywood furniture. Plywood is less expensive, but also breaks down much quicker than say, Oak furniture, and is not nearly as strong. Which would you rather have? One may cost more, but the quality is what you are paying for. Except now your decision does not just effect how long your furniture lasts. Rather your decisions effect the health of your child.

3. HIGH SUGAR INTAKE HAS BEEN SHOWN TO INCREASE RISK OF THE FLU. You are doing your child no favors by adding more sugar to their diet. A lie mixed with a little bit of truth is still a lie. An unhealthy food mixed with a few extra "goodies" does not make for a healthy food. Put it this way, do you really think whole wheat donuts are healthy?

Want to know how to truly improve the immune system of your child? Check out the "Fuel Like a Champion" DVD. Let Dr. Chris Mohr show you how to fuel your young athlete to build strong muscles, bones and immune systems the RIGHT WAY!!

Upcoming Holiday Weight Loss

We are preparing to enter the holiday season. Unfortunately so many people have accepted the fact that their bodies will take a turn for the worse, that they have given up on trying to prevent it. One study showed Americans gain an average of 6-12 pounds during the holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year. However, it is possible to at least maintain your current weight and shape over the next 100 days!! It takes a little planning and dedication, but it is by no means impossible. Be the underdog and win the battle of the bulge during the holidays!!

Lets take a quick peak at things we can do.

1. Keep as much candy and sweets out of your house as possible. Nothing good can come out of us buying halloween candy a month prior to the actual event. Do you honestly think you can put it out and not eat it? Out of sight out of mind.

2. Stock up on fruits and vegetables. Some people say this statement is overstated, but i'll keep over stating until it actually sinks in. Stock up on fruits and vegetables. You don't like fruit? There are hundreds, there has to be one in there you can handle. 5-9 servings per day., heck mix them with some organic yogurt!!
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/food/fab-fruits/fruits.htm

3.Drink more water. Most of us, including myself, do not drink enough water. The other day I got 3 liters in. I was feeling pretty good. This month shoot for 1 liter a day. Buy a nalgene and watch your consumption soar!!

4. Exercise with a group. It is the easiest way to commit and that will increase the likelihood of you sticking with it immensely!! How about my Morning Hi-Five class? Starts at 5:45 and your done before everybody else is even awake.

5. Get to sleep. It allows your body to repair itself and attempt to fix all the damage you did it from you eating habits, poor watering habits, and your stressful job. Be in bed by 10:00, yes even on weekends, and try to get around 7-8 hours. Of course if you wake up earlier, you need to get to sleep earlier.

Hopefully these little tidbits help. Doing each one individually, you may not notice much of a change. But put these together, and you've got a flab blasting arsenal that will get rid of that shaking in your pants!!