The conversation may go something like:

You: “5:30 in the morning, five days a week?!!!!”
Buddy: “It’s well worth it. You get used to it after the first week.”

You: “I don’t know. That’s early.”
Buddy: “Just try it. It’s the most effective time to workout throughout the day.”

You all see where this is going- you try to talk yourself out of it, your buddy try to convince you to become part of it. You’re still skeptical because your buddy have been working out for two weeks and  visual results aren’t as obvious, even though he/she’s making significant improvements.

But the truth of the matter is: Boot Camp works!!

Changes for you
In the course of the 20 workouts (depend on your effort level) you find yourself getting fitter and stronger. You also tend to lose weight but more importantly you lose inches and make significant strides in your performance improvements. In the meantime, while all these awesome things are happening at boot camp, a dwindling social life can be the result of all this.  But that’s little to offer when you’re on the road to your fitness and health goals. And before you know it your boot camp session is winding down, by this time 5am wake up calls are second nature and there’s a something that seems to come upon you.

Not so fast

http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Healthy-Outdoor-Eating/Detail.aspx

Metabolism is the amount of energy (calories) your body needs to burn in order to function.  No matter the activity, your body is constantly burning calories in order to maintain itself.  Metabolism can also vary depending on the activity and when its being performed.

Difference in Metabolism

Metabolism is affected largely by your body composition and your level of activity.  Your body composition is the amount of muscle versus the amount of fat in y0ur body.  Muscle require more calories (energy) than fat to maintain itself.  Therefore, people who are more muscular (greater percentage of muscle) tend to have a higher metabolism (faster) metabolism.  These tend to be the more active, lean body types.

Metabolism & Weight Loss

First off, metabolism affects how fast you’re able to burn calories- 3,500 calories equals one pound of body weight.  So for every 3,500 calories you burn, in excess of the calories your body needs to function, you will lose one pound of fat.  The faster (higher) your metabolism, the faster you’re able to burn those 3,500 calories (one pound of body weight).

To put things in perspective, if you eat an extra 350 calories of food a day, which is about equal to a large piece of cake or a medium milk shake, you could gain an extra pound every 10 days (350×10).  Or you would gain a pound in about 20 days if you eat or drank an extra 175 calories a day (175×20).  However, on the other hand, eating 175 fewer calories a day would mean that you could lose a pound every 20 days.  I know it doesn’t seem like much but over time those pounds (and calories) will add up.

Ways to Increase your Metabolism

The best way to increase your metabolism is to stop dieting and to exercise.  Dieting isn’t necessary, just watch what you eat and have a balanced nutritional intake.  When dieting (cutting your calories) too much, it causes your body to go into “starvation mode” where it slows your metabolism to conserve calories and store fat.  When exercising, aim to increase muscle mass, as muscle requires more calories to function than fat.  You can do so by doing some type of resistance training (weight lifting, using resistance bands, calisthenics, etc…).  You can also decrease your body fat by doing some form of aerobic exercise (jogging, aerobics, cycling, swimming, hiking, etc.) at least 4 days a week for at least 20 minutes, which will help you attain lean muscle mass.  While building muscle, your body will in turn increase its metabolism to make sure your “new” muscles are functioning their best.  Meanwhile, your entire body reap the benefits because your body will begin to target fat first in order to turn into energy to give to your “new” muscles.  When this happens, your body is burning extra calories, which in turn translates to greater weight loss.

Hope this helps! JCF Boot Camp – where fitness is a way of life!

Ingredients:

*1 pound red snapper fillets, cut into 3-inch cubes
*2 teaspoons powdered rosemary
*1/2 teaspoon black pepper
*Two fresh lemons, peeled and finely diced
*1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

*Sprinkle fish generously with powdered rosemary and black pepper.
*Arrange in a nonstick baking pan.
*Bake at 325-degrees 15-20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
*Remove to serving plate.
*Cover with lemons. Sprinkle with parsley.

Recipe makes four servings.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 135
Fat: 2g
Protein: 28g
Carbohydrates: 3g
Sodium: 62mg

• for people who sleep less than the recommended seven to eight hours, the fewer sleep they get, the more obese they tend to be according to a 2006 Institute of Medicine report.  Insufficient sleep can cause hunger hormones to go out of whack.  For example, leptin- hormone that suppresses appetite is decreases while gherlin, which stimulates hunger is increased when you do not proper amounts of sleep.
• according to a study published by the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, those skimping on sleep are more apt to make bad food choices i.e. diet higher in cholesterol and fat.
• diabetes may be more likely.  A study found that people getting five or less hours of sleep each night were 2 1/2 time as likely to be diabetic

Ok, ok so you may not be “sleeping”  sooner than you want to but these affects are worth taking note of.  So make sure you get a good night’s sleep….JCF Boot Camp will!

Those who improved during the study were told to eat about three whole walnuts, seven or eight whole hazelnuts and seven or eight whole almonds.  According to the study, participants of the study did not lose weight on average but rather reduced belly fat and improved cholesterol and blood pressure.

Nuts help people feel full while also increasing the body’s ability to burn fat.  They are also rich in antioxidants and high in unsaturated fat- a healthier fat known to lower blood triglycerides and increase good cholesterol.

JCF Boot Camp….Where fitness is a way of life!

JCF Boot Camp…let’s get fit!!

During the study, which lasted 4 years, 200 overweight and obese women were told to eat between 1,200-1,500 calories a day and do one of four different exercise programs, which all varied in intensity and variety.  According to researchers, after 6 months, all women lost up to 10% of their body weight, but only a small percentage was able to maintain it- the women who kept the weight off exercised an average of 275 minutes per week. Researchers pointed out that a combinbation of exercise and calorie control are the key essentials to weight lost.

Although the research seems to be a bit vague and inconclusive, as it didn’t give details of exercise regimens or the “diets” these women adhered to, I believe it’s safe to say that exercise and nutrition are the key components to reaching most fitness goals, not only losing weight. Here are some essentials of your training that should be included in your regimen: cardiovascular training, strength/weight training, resistance training, and flexibility. Check avoiding the exercise plateau for sample cardio and weight training progams.

JCF Boot Camp…let’s get fit.

Remember, switching it up doesn’t mean to throw your current routine out the door. Nor does it mean to change everything about every workout everytime. It simply means to diversify! For example, if all you like to do is cardio, try to incorporate the following: jumping rope, swimming, cycling, hiking, sprinting, jogging, elliptical, and/or roller-blading.

If you only run, you still can incorporate variation. Here’s a weekly plan:

Day 1: Resistance training- run up hills for 30-45 minutes

Day 2: Interval training-if you have access to a track, you can sprint the straights and jog the curves. If no access to a track, you can sprint for 30 seconds and then jog for 2 minutes for a total of 30-45 minutes.

Day 3: Endurance running- jog 30-45 minutes at a steady pace

Day 4: Sprint-endurance running: similar to gassers or suicides but a longer distance. Mark out 50-55 yards. You start at one end. Sprint the 50-55 yards, touch the ground, sprint back to where you started, touch the ground, and finish at the opposite end of where you started. Each one should be ran in 42-60 seconds with about 30-75 seconds rest in between (depending on fitness level). Repeat 4-6 times

Same goes for strength training. You can do several things to switch it up. For example, change the number of repetitions, change the kinds of sets, or just simply switch the way you hold the weights.

Changing the reps will have different outcomes. To bulk up, do heavier weight and fewer reps. To build definition and build lean muscle, do more reps with lighter weight.

You can also change the kinds of sets. For example, you can do circuits, single sets, super sets or giant sets. Now a description of each:

Circuits: one set of each muscle group.Then repeat each circuit 3 times

Single sets: Do 3-4 sets of same muscle group before moving on to next muscle group.

Super sets: Workout multiple muscle groups in a set, back to back, and with little to no rest in between.

Look to change your grip on the weights as well. It can have a different effect on your muscles. For example, try doing an under-hand grip when doing bench press. Obviously, you want to decrease the weight while still getting a challenging workout.

Bottom line, don’t be afraid to be creative and challenge yourself while doing so. If you go to the gym, don’t be afraid to get outdoors and give yourself some variation. We did it!! JCF Boot Camp…let’s get fit!!