Everyone knows to lose weight, we just need to shut our pie holes and move, right?
Well, even as an exercise guru of sorts, I have to call ballyhoo on this concept. Right along with the idea the notion that all calories are created equal. Those of you who know me and familiary with my own FAT to THIN transformation, know how I feel about those insidious sugar calories and the havoc they wreak in our bodies. The fact is, our country is fat and getting fatter not because of the red meat, fat and fiber we consume, but the sugars in our diet! That lead one of my clients, Mary Ann, who recently dramatically transformed her body with our Pilates Fat Loss Formula program to comment— It’s the Sugar Stupid! I couldn’t agree more!
And, as it turns out, so does Gary Taubes of Newsweek Magazine. Check out his illuminating article from this week’s NEWSWEEK magazine….
Why the Campaign to Stop America’s Obesity Crisis Keeps Failing
The government has spent hundreds of millions telling Americans to exercise more and eat less. But the country is getting heavier every year. It’s time to change the way we think about fat.
Most of my favorite factoids about obesity are historical ones, and they don’t make it into the new, four-part HBO documentary on the subject, The Weight of the Nation. Absent, for instance, is the fact that the very first childhood-obesity clinic in the United States was founded in the late 1930s at Columbia University by a young German physician, Hilde Bruch. As Bruch later told it, her inspiration was simple: she arrived in New York in 1934 and was “startled” by the number of fat kids she saw—“really fat ones, not only in clinics, but on the streets and subways, and in schools.”
What makes Bruch’s story relevant to the obesity problem today is that this was New York in the worst year of the Great Depression, an era of bread lines and soup kitchens, when 6 in 10 Americans were living in poverty. The conventional wisdom these days—promoted by government, obesity researchers, physicians, and probably your personal trainer as well—is that we get fat because we have too much to eat and not enough reasons to be physically active. But then why were the PC- and Big Mac–-deprived Depression-era kids fat? How can we blame the obesity epidemic on gluttony and sloth if we easily find epidemics of obesity throughout the past century in populations that barely had food to survive and had to work hard to earn it?
These seem like obvious questions to ask, but you won’t get the answers from the anti-obesity establishment, which this month has come together to unfold a major anti-fat effort, including The Weight of the Nation, which begins airing May 14 and “a nationwide community-based outreach campaign.” The project was created by a coalition among HBO and three key public-health institutions: the nonprofit Institute of Medicine, and two federal agencies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. Indeed, it is unprecedented to have the IOM, CDC, and NIH all supporting a single television documentary, says producer John Hoffmann. The idea is to “sound the alarm” and motivate the nation to act.
At its heart is a simple “energy balance” idea: we get fat because we consume too many calories and expend too few. If we could just control our impulses—or at least control our environment, thereby removing temptation—and push ourselves to exercise, we’d be fine. This logic is everywhere you look in the official guidelines, commentary, and advice. “The same amount of energy IN and energy OUT over time = weight stays the same,” the NIH website counsels Americans, while the CDC site tells us, “Overweight and obesity result from an energy imbalance.”
Dr. Mark Hyman on obesity-related disease prevention.
The problem is, the solutions this multi-level campaign promotes are the same ones that have been used to fight obesity for a century—and they just haven’t worked. “We are struggling to figure this out,” NIH Director Francis Collins conceded to Newsweek last week. When I interviewed CDC obesity expert William Dietz back in 2001, he told me that his primary accomplishment had been getting childhood obesity “on the map.” “It’s now widely recognized as a major health problem in the United States,” he said then—and that was 10 years and a few million obese children ago.
There is an alternative theory, one that has also been around for decades but that the establishment has largely ignored. This theory implicates specific foods—refined sugars and grains—because of their effect on the hormone insulin, which regulates fat accumulation. If this hormonal-defect hypothesis is true, not all calories are created equal, as the conventional wisdom holds. And if it is true, the problem is not only controlling our impulses, but also changing the entire American food economy and rewriting our beliefs about what constitutes a healthy diet.
Oddly, this nutrient-hormone-fat interaction is not particularly controversial. You can find it in medical textbooks as the explanation for why our fat cells get fat. But the anti-obesity establishment doesn’t take the next step: that fat fat cells lead to fat humans. In their eyes, yes, insulin regulates how much fat gets trapped in your fat cells, and the kinds of carbohydrates we eat today pretty much drive up your insulin levels. But, they conclude, while individual cells get fat that way, the reason an entire human gets fat has nothing to do with it. We’re just eating too much.
I’ve been arguing otherwise. And one reason I like this hormonal hypothesis of obesity is that it explains the fat kids in Depression-era New York. As the extreme situation of exceedingly poor populations shows, the problem could not have been that they ate too much, because they didn’t have enough food available. The problem then—as now, across America—was the prevalence of sugars, refined flour, and starches in their diets. These are the cheapest calories, and they can be plenty tasty without a lot of preparation and preservation. And the biology suggests that they are literally fattening—they make us fat, while other foods (fats, proteins, and green leafy vegetables) don’t.
Look! What’s In a Twinkie Photograph by Dwight Eschliman
If this hypothesis is right, then the reason the anti-obesity efforts championed by the IOM, the CDC, and the NIH haven’t worked and won’t work is not because we’re not listening, and not because we just can’t say no, but because these efforts are not addressing the fundamental cause of the problem. Like trying to prevent lung cancer by getting smokers to eat less and run more, it won’t work because the intervention is wrong.
The authority figures in obesity and nutrition are so fixed on the simplistic calorie-balance idea that they’re willing to ignore virtually any science to hold on to it.
The first and most obvious mistake they make is embracing the notion that the only way foods can influence how fat we get is through the amount of energy—calories—they contain. The iconic example here is sugar, or rather sugars, since we’re talking about both sucrose (the white, granulated stuff we sprinkle on cereal) and high-fructose corn syrup. “What’s the single best thing I can do for me and my family?” asks one obese mother in The Weight of the Nation. The answer she’s given is “stop drinking sugar-sweetened beverages.” But the official wisdom—that all we need know is that a calorie is a calorie is a calorie—doesn’t explain why that might be so.
Left unsaid is the fact that sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup have a unique chemical composition, a near 50-50 combination of two different carbohydrates: glucose and fructose. And while glucose is metabolized by virtually every cell in the body, the fructose (also found in fruit, but in much lower concentrations) is metabolized mostly by liver cells. From there, the chain of metabolic events has been worked out by biochemists over 50 years: some of the fructose is converted into fat, the fat accumulates in the liver cells, which become resistant to the action of insulin, and so more insulin is secreted to compensate. The end results are elevated levels of insulin, which is the hallmark of type 2 diabetes, and the steady accumulation of fat in our fat tissue—a few tens of calories worth per day, leading to pounds per year, and obesity over the course of a few decades.
Last fall, researchers at the University of California, Davis, published three studies—two of humans, one of rhesus monkeys—confirming the deleterious effect of these sugars on metabolism and insulin levels. The message of all three studies was that sugars are unhealthy—not because people or monkeys consumed too much of them, but because, well, they do things to our bodies that the other nutrients we eat simply don’t do.
The second fallacy is the belief that physical activity plays a meaningful role in keeping off the pounds—an idea that the authorities just can’t seem to let go of, despite all evidence to the contrary. “We don’t walk, we don’t bike,” says University of North Carolina economist Barry Popkin in The Weight of the Nation. If we do exercise regularly, the logic goes, then we’ll at least maintain a healthy weight (along with other health benefits), which is why the official government recommendations from the USDA are that we should all do 150 minutes each week of “moderate intensity” aerobic exercise. And if that’s not enough to maintain a healthy weight or lose the excess, then, well, we should do more.
So why is the world full of obese individuals who do exercise regularly? Arkansas construction workers in The Weight of the Nation, for instance, do jobs that require constant lifting and running up ladders with “about 50 to 60 pounds of tools”—and an equal amount of excess fat. They’re on-camera making the point about how the combination is exhausting. “By the time the day’s over,” one tells us, “your feet are killing you; your legs are cramping. You can’t last as long as you used to.” If physical activity helps us lose weight or even just maintain it, how did these hardworking men get so fat?
There are two obvious reasons why this idea that working out makes you skinny or keeps you skinny is likely to be just wrong. One is that it takes a significant amount of exercise to burn even a modest amount of calories. Run three miles, says Cornell University researcher Brian Wansink in the documentary, and you’ll burn up roughly the amount of calories in a single candy bar. And this brings up the second reason: you’re likely to be hungrier after strenuous exercise than before and so you’re more likely to eat that candy bar’s worth of calories after than before. (When the American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine jointly published physical-activity guidelines back in 2007, they described the evidence that exercise can even prevent us from growing fatter as “not particularly compelling,” which was a kind way to put it.)
Finally, the anti-obesity establishment embraces the idea that what are really missing from our diet are fresh fruits and vegetables—that these are the sine qua non of a healthy diet—and that meat, red meat in particular, is a likely cause of obesity. Since the mid-1970s, health agencies have waged a campaign to reduce our meat consumption, for a host of reasons: it causes colon cancer or heart disease (because of the saturated fat) and now because it supposedly makes us fat as well. The lowly cheeseburger is consistently targeted as a contributor to both obesity and diabetes.
But when David Wallinga of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy tells us in The Weight of the Nation that the USDA has established the cause of the obesity epidemic and it’s “an increase in our calorie consumption over the last 30, 35 years,” he also tells us where those calories come from: a quarter come from added sugars, a quarter from added fats (“most of which are from soy”), and “almost half is from refined grains, mainly corn starches, wheat, and the like.” What Wallinga doesn’t say is that the same USDA data clearly shows that red-meat consumption peaked in this country in the mid-1970s, before the obesity epidemic started. It’s been dropping ever since, consistent with a nation that has been doing exactly what health authorities have been telling it to do. (Frank Siteman / Science Faction-Corbis)
At the moment, the government efforts to curb obesity and diabetes avoid the all-too-apparent fact, as Hilde Bruch pointed out more than half a century ago, that exhorting obese people to eat less and exercise more doesn’t work, and that this shouldn’t be an indictment of their character but of the value of the advice. By institutionalizing this advice as public-health policy, we waste enormous amounts of money and effort on programs that might make communities nicer places to live—building parks and making green markets available—but that we have little reason to believe will make anyone thinner. When I asked CDC Director Thomas Frieden about this, he pointed to two recent reports, from Massachusetts and New York, documenting small but real decreases in childhood-obesity levels. He then admitted that they had no idea why this had happened. “I’m doing everything I can do,” he said, “to assure that we rigorously monitor the efforts underway so we can try to understand what works and what doesn’t.”
If the latest research is any indication, sugar may have been the primary problem all along. Back in the 1980s, the FDA gave sugar a free pass based on the idea that the evidence wasn’t conclusive. While the government spent hundreds of millions trying to prove that salt and saturated fat are bad for our health, it spent virtually nothing on sugar. Had it targeted sugar then, instead of waiting for an obesity and diabetes epidemic for motivation, our entire food culture and the options that go with it might have changed as they did with low-fat and low-salt foods.
So what should we eat? The latest clinical trials suggest that all of us would benefit from fewer (if any) sugars and fewer refined grains (bread, pasta) and starchy vegetables (potatoes). This was the conventional wisdom through the mid-1960s, and then we turned the grains and starches into heart-healthy diet foods and the USDA enshrined them in the base of its famous Food Guide Pyramid as the staples of our diet. That this shift coincides with the obesity epidemic is probably not a coincidence. As for those of us who are overweight, experimental trials, the gold standard of medical evidence, suggest that diets that are severely restricted in fattening carbohydrates and rich in animal products—meat, eggs, cheese—and green leafy vegetables are arguably the best approach, if not the healthiest diet to eat. Not only does weight go down when people eat like this, but heart disease and diabetes risk factors are reduced. Ethical arguments against meat-eating are always valid; health arguments against it can no longer be defended.
If The Weight of the Nation accomplishes anything, it’s communicating the desperation of obese Americans trying to understand their condition and, even more, of lean (or relatively lean) parents trying to cope with the obesity of their offspring. Lack of will isn’t their problem. It’s the absence of advice that might actually work. If our authorities on this subject could accept that maybe their fundamental understanding of the problem needs to be rethought, we and they might begin to make progress. Clearly the conventional wisdom has failed so far. We can hold onto it only so long.
What are your thoughts on this article? Will you watch the HBO documentary? I’d love to hear about what has worked and not worked in your own battles of the bulge.
For me, it’s been eating Paleo since last Summer- that means forgoing starchy and simple carbs as well as dairy in favor of protein, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. It did help me lose some additional body fat, but what really kept me focused on eating this way was how good it makes you feel. And that, in the end, is what we are trying to accomplish. To be healthy and to feel better, in the process, look better.
This Mother’s Day is especially meaningful to me this year.
Some of you who know me better know that the past few weeks have been especially hard for me as my Mother has slipped into another realm, becoming more confused and less predictable. This has forced a change of living environment that while difficult for both of us, I have to say I think my Mom is handling it better than I am.
I know I’m not alone. This is what you do at my age. We Baby Boomers are also entering a phase of life called the “sandwich generation,” which means you’re often taking care of your kids and your parents at the same time. It’s not that I’m complaining. Taking care of my Mom has turned out to be one of the greatest gifts of my life; a relationship that was challenged from the start, mellowed to take on a new dimension as the child became the parent and the parent became the one cared for. It has been a humbling, if uneven, blessing. Thank you Mom for trusting me.
So for all you Mother’s out there who may be a part of the “Sandwhich Generation,” or for those children, husbands, and friends who love them, here are some of my favorite gift ideas for Mother’s Day 2012. It’s always good to have help with ideas, so please feel free to add your own to this list by posting at the bottom of the page or joining us on our facebook page.
1) Give the gift of unconditional love.Numerous studies have shown that companion animals — whether cats or dogs — are good for our health. They can help lower blood pressure as well as the level of stress hormones in the body, and they also encourage social interaction. For the right mother, adopting an animal can be the ultimate Mother’s Day gift, says Ruth Goldstein, a spokeswoman for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
“Studies indicate that owning an animal reduces stress, petting lowers blood pressure, and [a companion animal] is company, it’s a member of the family, and its unconditional love.”
“For empty nesters, it gives an outlet for affection,” she says. However, “If you are interested in giving the gift of a dog or cat for Mother’s day, we advise that you talk it over so there is no element of surprise.” After the initial conversation, present your mom with a dog care book, a leash, or accessories on Mother’s Day. “Then come in [to a shelter or pet shop] with your mom and go through the selection process together. There are millions of homeless… healthy, and loving animals available at shelters across the country, and we have a pet overpopulation in this country,” she says, adding that many animals find themselves in shelters through no fault of their own. If your Mom is healthy and willing, contact Wayside Waifs for more information! I have two fabulous mutts that I rescued- one of them from Wayside Waifs.
2) Make her smile all year long with bright white teeth, suggests Jay Hodges, DDS, my Mother and my dentist who specializes in all kinds of dental health including restoration. Having a healthy mouth is essential to having a healthy body so give your Mom the gift of a bright smile and healthy digestion with a gift certificate to Dr Jay Hodge Cosmetic Dentistry - conviently located in Brookside.
3) Give the gift that gives back. Mother’s day is the perfect time to give your mom something special as well as make a donation to a charity in her honor, says Alayna Kassan, co-founder of Presents for Purpose, a gift and accessory company that donates 25% of proceeds to participating charities including the Lymphoma Research Foundation, Strang Cancer Prevention Center, Grassroot Soccer, First Candle, CancerCare, and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
This year, Kassan is launching a trendy hot pink watch in honor of Mother’s Day. “The proceeds go to the shopper’s charity of choice, and we are offering free shipping for the occasion,” she says. “One of the most special things about gifts that give back is that they not only touch someone you know, but they also touch someone that you don’t.” Other gifts include tote bags, vanity sets, and luxury bathrobes. “Mom’s gift will arrive packaged with information about the donation and the benefiting organization,” Kassan says. For more information on the presents and the purposes, visit presentsforapurpose.com
4) Treat her feet. Consider getting your mom a foot massage, foot reflexology, or a relaxing pedicure, says Kansas City Podiatry Center for Footcare. ”People pay so little attention to their feet and they are always cramped in shoes. Moms are usually running around after kids all day long, and the last thing they do is take care of themselves and their feet.” I suggest contacting our own Katy B at The Massage Studio KC located inside 1901. She’ll treat your Mom’s feet and the whole body with a fabulous massage. Prefer a pedicure? I recommend Anna and her staff at West Plaza Nails.
5) Meals on Wheels - Give your mom a break from the kitchen by ordering custom meals prepared by two of my favorite services, A friend that Cooks and Conveniently Natural. These are both wonderfully healthy options- A friend that Cooks is exactly that- a personal chef that comes to your home and prepares recipes that you choose. They even do the grocery shopping for you! Conveniently Natural delivers gluten free and vegan meals weekly to your doorstop. Whatever your preference- these two delicious services cover it all.
6) Dress Up Day- Two of my favorite locally owned boutiques Imagery and In Clover will be offering great itmes and specials for Mother’s Day. Run, do not walk to the Garment Distrcit this Friday (May 11th) evening (in the Power & Light District) for DRESS TO IMPRESS, a fahion filled night to benefit The Dave Anders Scholarship Fund.
7) Help Her Get Organized! Don’t Miss Jill Tupper and my workshop Spring Cleanse- Body Mind Closet this Saturday, May 12th from 1-4pm. This Dynamic Workshop is Designed to Clear Mom’s Clutter & Create the Clarity she Wants… We will walk her through a simple 1 week cleanse of your body, while detoxing your mind & de-cluttering your closet. The Perfect workshop to align yourself with the energy of spring. Sign up now. Space is limited!
Last but not Least- Give Mom some Pilates! There’s never been a better time to upgrade Mom’s 1901 membership! That’s because all 3x/week members now receive our Pilates Fat Loss Formula Fat Loss Program Free! Click here for more information!
And have a Happy Mother’s Day this Sunday! We’re giving all our Mom’s the day off, so Pilates 1901 will not hold classes. So do something outside this Sunday and celebrate your all amazing Mothers!
Herb and I are taking my Mom to Booneville to see his 99 year old Mom, Lorene. Does it get any better? We may even eat at the casino! Now that’s living it!
Brothers are doing it for themselves. That’s right ladies, when it comes to health, men are representing in three key areas that as women, we so often fail on…
Because exercise, sleep, and stress can be determining factors in keeping your weight in check, we take our hats off to the guys for doing better than we have been in the past. In case you’re wondering, here are some ways we can benefit from thinking like a man when it comes to health. I thought this article from Caloriecount.com was worth sharing. What can we learn from our men about self care?
Men Exercise More
Researchers from Oregon State University found men exercise almost twice as much as women. They outfitted over 1,000 men and women with accelerometers that measured their daily activity. The study published in Preventive Medicine found women got 18 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity to men’s 30 minutes. You may know that the USDA recommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise a week in addition to two days of strength training. If women use the same amount of time to measure up, they’ll have to use their 18 minutes a day doing vigorous activity, such as high impact aerobics, jumping rope, or water joggi
That should get us to the alternative of 75 minutes of vigorous activity. However, to prevent weight gain, the guidelines require 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity most days. If you’ve lost weight and are looking to keep the weight off, you’re looking at 60-90 minutes of moderate activity. Both men and women in America are a far cry from that. So you know, the USDA found that accumulating approximately 8,000 steps a day is associated with obtaining 30 minutes of activity, while accumulating 7,000 every day of the week is consistent with obtaining 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity weekly.
Men Shoot First
While it would seem that women are under more stress than men, according to a number of studies, this is not the case. In fact, according to the American Psychological Association, men and women report similar average stress levels. The reason why women may seem to be more stressed is because we’re less apt to fight our way out of it. A study by University of Southern California researchers found men who are under stress take more risk than females. Where exercising more or changing our eating habits is needed, women may take the safer route in making the switch. But sometimes drastic matters are needed. Changing dinner or wake times, being away from children a little longer, or staving off cleaning by a day may seem like big risks. But, because higher risk is associated with higher reward, men may be more apt to just go for it anyway to reap the benefits. While women do report more social support, we may ask questions first and be slower to sacrifice our current stressful circumstance to get to a healthier, happier existence.
Men Get Sleep
The National Sleep Foundation reports 49 percent of men sleep well most nights compared to just 34 percent of women. Their Sleep in America poll found women are more likely than men to have difficulty falling and staying asleep as well. Reports also show that women have a higher incidence of insomnia. Yet women need more sleep. A report by Dr. Jim Horne, sleep science expert explains on average women need twenty more minutes of sleep than men. He points to the fact that women tend to multi-task more and use more of their brain than men. That’s not slight to men who know how to shut it down after a hard day.
Where Men Need Improvement
Okay, men are not perfect when it comes to health. We’ll start with the big one, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, men are 24 % less likely than women to have visited the doctor in the past year and are 22% more likely to neglect preventive care, such as their cholesterol tests. Women are also beating men out when it comes to healthy eating habits. A report by the International Food Information Council suggests women are more likely than men to eat foods to maintain overall health and wellness.
So, all in all, men have the wherewithal to make changes decidedly to be healthier, but women hold the key to maintain good behavior. (like we didn’t know that already)
Your thoughts? Who’s wearing the “healthy pants” in your family? You? Him? Nobody at home???
Thank you for your interest in the Pilates Fat Loss Formula Program! You are about to embark on your own fat loss journey with the help and support of your friends at Pilates 1901.
No one said being successful at the “losing game” was easy. If that were true, there would be no need for this program. But no one said it had to be complicated either.
I guarantee you, if you follow the simple steps detailed in this program and allow yourself to being accountable for those choices, you will see a dramatic transformation in your body, your tone and your energy. I know, because I’ve seen this happen time and time again with clients in my studio who have followed this same program with amazing results! The first step is to create your personal user account. Click on this linkto add the Pilates Fat Loss Formula Membership to your shopping cart basket. If you’d like to upgrade to a 3X week membership or if you are currently coming to the studio 3X week, send me an email at tina@pilates1901.com and I will send you a Free Instant Access code.
Once you are on the site, spend some time on the “Tools” section. This is where you will upload your PFF Paleo Cookbook & Pantry Guide, PFF Food Journal & Success Handbook, 10 Day Paleo Jumpstart as well as Metabolism 101 and Nutrition 101 workshops. This will provide the foundation for you to begin your personal Pilates Fat Loss Formula program.
As a participant, you will also be receiving daily emails to keep you on track for the first 2 weeks. After that, the emails stay regular but not as frequent. You’ll also gain huge support by joining our Private Pilates Fat Loss Formula facebook page. To do so, simply friend me, Tina Sprinkle on facebook, and I will add you to our private group. I cannot underestimate the power of our community.
Last but not least, your program includes nine “Do anywhere-Do anytime” Pilates based home workouts for when you can’t make it to the studio. We want your Pilates to be as portable as you are- once you develop a strong core connection, it makes all movement more efficient, powerful and graceful. Pilates, you will soon find out, gives you a sense of being ‘at home’ in your body.
Thank you for joining the Pilates Fat Loss Formula community. You are about ready to change your body and your life! Let’s get this party started!
At Pilates 1901 we are commited to your best health and well being. We specialize in strong, lean bodies and help our clients achieve healthy, lasting fat loss even when they have failed in the past. Our clients results speak for themselves.
But just how are we so successful? We know that nothing will change in our bodies unless and until we change the way we think. When we become aware of our thoughts, we can then change our behaviors.
One of the most stubborn thoughts we work on first, is banishing the concept of fat loss by “dieting.” In fact, at Pilates 1901, the last thing we want you to associate your transformation with is going on a “diet.” That’s because ”diets” just don’t work, and in many instances, cause great harm to a body.
Here are our “Top 10 Reasons Not to ‘go’ on a Diet”
The only thing growing faster than the $65 billion diet industry is the American waistline. If you think your goal is to GO on a Diet, the only place I guarantee you will go….is up in weight.
It’s a Fact – Diets will only make you fatter.
When it comes to the latest in Diet fads, we are quite gullible and easily tempted by a Diet’s empty promised. Reason being….the diet industry KNOWS we are in search of the “quick fix” and will only play with our emotions – our desperation for the quickest way to relieve looking and feeling fat.
Diets are nothing more than a Temporary Solution with many lingering, negative side effects.
1. Diets Do NOT Work! Have you noticed a pattern yet? Dieters lose weight, then quickly regain it. Over time, studies show if you diet you are more likely to be overweight than people who eat normally and make small gradual changes to their lifestyle.
2. Dieting can be dangerous Each year dieting is related to injuries and sudden deaths from electrolyte imbalance, malnutrition, and heart arrhythmia’s. Weight cycling, or yo-yoing weight, is associated with higher death rates. 3. Dieting Destroys your Metabolism When you restrict what you eat, you are causing your weight to quickly cycle up and down. The reason you lose weight quickly is the fact that you are not eating enough. This causes your body to lose water weight and lean muscle. If you are losing more than 3-4 pounds a week, you can be sure this is what is happening. As you lose lean muscle, your metabolism also slows. You cannot survive very long on very low calories (1200 or less) and eventually will eat more – with a slower metabolism. All those excess calories will be stored as fat – causing rapid weight gain.
4. Dieting is Exhausting! Diets are typically reduced calorie fad disguised by the latest clever gimmick. Not eating enough or cutting out certain food groups means your body may not be getting the energy it needs, or may lack certain nutrients. You will feel exhausted and moody.
5. Dieting disrupts normal eating Dieting can lead to binge eating, overeating and chaotic eating patterns. It is common for dieters override their internal signals, trying too use willpower or resist the urge to eat or going as far as taking appetite suppressants. This results in the dieter being unable to know when they are hungry or when they’re full. 6. Dieting can lead to eating disorders Experts state that the high rates of eating disorders in the U.S. are due in part to people dieting, losing weight, rebounding, and becoming chronic dieters. 7. Dieting causes food Obsessions Those who diet and deprive themselves spend more time thinking about food and their weight.
8. Dieting diminishes women Dieting reduces women to objects, with attention focused on their appearance, and keeps them playing the anticipation game. It subverts dreams and ambitions. It erodes confidence and self-respect.
9. Dieting intensifies size prejudice Dieters are more judgmental of themselves and others. 10. Diets put your life on hold Does this sound familiar….”I’ll be happy when I weigh ______”
Live the life you want now. Accept and respect yourself as you are. Don’t wait for improvement. You deserve the best — now.
Take responsibility and take back control of your life. Decide to be happy now and do what it takes to live a lifestyle that reflects your priorities.
We’re looking forward to celebrating Spring and the success of our Pilates Fat Loss Formula clients this Saturday, April 21st from 1-3pm at the studio!
We’ve got lots of our favorite local vendors on hand too so you can shop til you drop, nibble on delectable treats, and enjoy an adult beverage as well as do FREE Pilates reformer demos.
That’s why we call this the ULTIMATE Cross-Training event!
Thank you to our fabulous event sponsors… You could win a door prize from…
(click on logo to access their websites)
We’ll be crowning the top 3 Winners of our Pilates Fat Loss Formula contest and making a huge announcement about this program for the future!
So please invite your friends and family to this event by sharing this link on your facebook page!
The more the merrier people! It’s about having fun at Pilates 1901!
That’s right ladies and gentlemen, Pilates 1901′s very own Cara Cockrill ran 45 miles on April 1st in the Boulevard Brewery’s 12th Annual Brew to Brew run from Kansas City, Missouri to Lawrence, Kansas! This event was a fundraiser to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Not only did Cara run this event as a solo competitor (most run in teams of 4 to 10 to split the run up), she won FIRST PLACE in the Women’s Division! If anyone deserves to wear the Pilates 1901 “Cardio Tramp” shirt, it’s this lady!
That’s because in addition to keeping a full book of clients, teaching classes and juggling two small boys, Cara still managed to train for the past 12 weeks running between 35 and 55 miles per week. She credits the strength, efficiency and resilience that Pilates has added to her training; she is less prone to injury, recovers better and has more energy for her runs
Cara also adopted a Paleo nutrition program which she swears helped her speed, recover and overall performance. She credits her new Paleo lifestyle with stronger faster runs and quicker recovery.
“The week before I upped my high glycemic fruits and veggies sweet potatoes, bananas, dried fruits, good fats and proteins basically tried to stockpile glycogen in my body, stayed paleo!” says Cara, “I ran 45 miles on Sunday and I wasn’t even sore on Monday! I honestly felt like I had a little left at the end, I think I need to try for a 50 miler next time! That’s definitely something new since I started eating Paleo.”
Cara’s not slowing down either. Her next marathon is this weekend! She’s back on the road again, running a measly 25 miles in the Hogeve Marathon in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Click here to find out more about training with Cara doing Pilates and running for your next 5k, 10K or Marathon! She’s the bomb folks! The real deal and she knows how to make it happen. That’s why she works at Pilates 1901! Hello!
If you missed the segment last night on 60 minutes, you really missed an amazing news peice. 60 minutes featured Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, who believes the high amount of sugar in the American diet, much of it in processed foods, is killing us. And as Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports, new scientific research seems to support his theory that sugar is toxic, including some linking the excess ingestion of sugars to heart disease.
Americans are now consuming nearly 130 pounds of added sugars per person, per year. Those include both sugar and high fructose corn syrup. And while many vilify high fructose corn syrup and believe it is worse than sugar, Dr. Lustig says metabolically there is no difference. “They are basically equivalent. The problem is they’re both bad. They’re both equally toxic,” he says.
Dr. Lustig treats sick, obese children, who he believes are primarily sick because of the amount of sugar they ingest. He says this sugar not only leads to obesity, but to “Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and heart disease itself.” Something needs to be done says Dr. Lustig. “Ultimately, this is a public health crisis…you have to do big things and you have to do them across the board,” he tells Gupta. “Tobacco and alcohol are perfect examples,” he says, referring to the regulations imposed on their consumption and the warnings on their labels. “I think sugar belongs in this exact same wastebasket.”
A recent study supports the idea that excess consumption of high fructose corn syrup is linked to an increase in risk factors for heart disease by increasing a type of cholesterol that can clog arteries. The University of California, Davis, study also indicated that calories from added sugars are different than those from other foods. Subjects had 25 percent of their caloric intake replaced with sweetened drinks. Nutritional biologist Kimber Stanhope was surprised to see that after only two weeks, “We found that the subjects who consumed high fructose corn syrup had increased levels of LDL cholesterol and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease,” she tells Gupta. “I started eating and drinking a whole lot less sugar.”
What happens says Stanhope, is the liver gets overloaded with fructose and converts come of it into fat, which gets into the bloodstream to create “small dense LDL,” the kind of LDL that forms plaque in arteries. The irony here is that for precisely that reason – avoiding heart disease – a government commission in the 1970s mandated that we lower our fat consumption. “When you take the fat out of food, it tastes like cardboard,” says Dr. Lustig. “And the food industry knew that, so they replaced it with sugar…and guess what? Heart disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and death are skyrocketing,” he tells Gupta.
And other scientific work shows that sugar could also be helping some cancer tumors to grow because sugar stimulates the production of the hormone insulin. Nearly a third of common cancers such as some breast and colon cancers, contain insulin receptors that eventually signal the tumor to consume glucose. Lewis Cantley, a Harvard professor and head of the Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Center, says some of those cancers have learned to adapt to an insulin-rich environment. “They have evolved the ability to hijack that flow of glucose that’s going by in the bloodstream into the tumor itself.”
What does the sugar industry have to say about this? Gupta spoke with Jim Simon, a member of the board of the Sugar Association. “To say that the American consuming public is going to omit, eliminate sweeteners out of their diet, I don’t think gets us there,” he says. Simon points out that the science is “not completely clear” and it’s wrong to single out one food because the real emphasis should be on long-term reduction of calories, balanced diet and exercise.
Watch what Dr. Sanjay Gupta says about sugar and your kids…
Pilates 1901 is lucky to have Cara Cockrill on our team. Not only is she an intense and dedicated instructor and trainer, she is a phenomenal example to each of us what we can do when we have a dream, a goal, focus, and the plan to make it happen. Cara truly is the Pilates 1901 poster girl for going for her goals!
Occasionally, Cara will ask to borrow my ipod on a sunny afternoon. She’s going on a training run and it’s nice to have the music. I get that. What’s so unusual about Cara’s runs is that they might last for 30 miles! That’s right, Cara Cockrill will run a marathon to train for a marathon on nice Spring afternoon!
That’s because Cara is currently in training to run the upcoming “Brew to Brew” Race, to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation on April 1st.. This 45 mile race from the Boulevard Brewery in Kansas City to Lawrence Kansas is generally run by 4-8 person teams, but Car run the event on her own! That means she’s had to carefully carve out an ultra marathon training schedule between teaching, training, and being a Mom to her two small sons.
When I asked Cara if she was ready for the reace, she said, “Yeah-I’m ready because I’ve committed to it like another part time job. I love running, but this type of training takes by it’s very nature, sucks up a lot of time. I am looking forward to getting on with it!”
I’ve known Cara for a long time. She’s always been a hard worker and extremely dedicated to her family, clients and employers. Her clarity and focus help her manage her busy life to accomplish her many goals. She has already run marathons in New York, Dallas, Olathe, Omaha, Oklahoma City, Kansas City (twice), and Chicago (twice.) Her goal is to run a marathon in all 50 states! That’s on her “Bucket List” and my money’s on her!
I asked Cara how her body can take all that training and she said, “I really credit my Pilates training for helping keep me strong and flexibile. Pilates is great for runners and endurance athletes because it addresses many of their needs: tight hamstrings, lower back, and hips- weak posture and compensation, and injuries such as piriformis and IT band syndrome and plantar faciitis. “Pilates helps me limber, strong, and connected enough to reduce my chance of injury, improve my body awareness and increase my muscle efficiency. It’s really the magic bullet.”
That and the special training diet Cara uses to fuel her body for her runs. “This time I used a Paleo based nutrition program and the difference was night and day. When I was eating the traditional high carb, low fat runners diet, my recovery from my long runs was poor and I was sore and tired all the time. By eating a Paleo diet (lean proteins, nuts, seeds and fruits and vegetables), everything improved!
“My training is dramatically different now that I’ve switched my nutrition plan. I’m not sore after runs, my recovery is amazing, my performance and times have improved and my energy is constant. Sometimes I’ll take a long run (up to 20 miles) during the middle of my day between clients, come back and teach a class and train clients all evening and I’m fine. That would have never happened before I started Paleo.”
Cara’s expertise in training will allow her to turn around after the 45 miles Brew to Brew to running another marathon just two weeks later! She’ll travel to Arkansas to run the Hog Eye Marathon (whatever that is!) “I just feel like I’ve trained this hard to get into shape, so why not take a couple weeks to recover and go for it!” Now that’s a positive attitude!
When I see Cara’s commitment to her “personal best,” I am reminded that we are all capable of great achievements if we first believe. My bucket list may not include marathons but there are some personal firsts I plan to accomplish.
In the meantime, if you are a runner, or want to be, and would like help training for your own personal best, Cara is available to write personal training and nutritional programs to help you safely and efficiently reach your running goals. She has the unusual combination of being well versed in endurance training, Pilates training and CrossFit to help you determine the best plan for your succes
Contact Cara at cara@pilates1901.com to start your running program today. It’s Spring and the running is good!
To celebrate Cara’s inspiration, Pilates 1901 is going to form a team to do this years 24th Annual Trolley Run on April 29th! Click here to join the fun! You too can be a “Pilates 1901 Trollup!” This is a walk, run, skip kind of 5K so all are welcome. Questions? Email tina@pilates1901.com
Hi! My name is Tina Sprinkle and I am the owner of Pilates 1901, a Pilates fitness studio in Kansas City. As someone who has been in the health and fitness business for nearly 30 years, and as someone who now practices Pilates, I am often asked, “What exactly is Pilates and what can it do for me?”
Well, the short answer is A LOT! Pilates is core based movement that focuses on total body connection and conditioning. Simply stated, Pilates is all about creating movement, rather than reacting to movement. I am amazed how many people have absolutely no awareness of their core muscles, despite the fact that all functional movement is enhanced from a stronger core connection.
For example, I train the artistic director of the Kansas City Ballet, Bill Whitener. He knows that dancers require a deep level of strength and connection to execute the precise and graceful movements the art demands. A ballerina is able to stand on point with the opposite leg in the air not just from great flexibility in her legs, but from strong abdominal, back and gluteal muscles- all connecting and firing at the same time to create the stability needed to perform extreme movement.
While we may not all aspire to become dancers, the benefits of Pilates training offer the same opportunities to each of us. Based on five basic principles, Pilates enhances our breath, mental focus, body awareness, core connection, strength, flexibility and stability.
At Pilates 1901 we work with professional athletes, geriatrics, rehab clients, equestriennes, fat loss participants, aging golfers and teenage athletes: and despite the discrepancy in age, fitness level and goal, they all receive the same benefits:
stronger, longer and more toned muscles
enhanced metabolism and energy for daily life
greater core strength, connection and tone
improved joint stability, flexibility and balance
greater sense of body awareness, connection and control
The fact is, Pilates truly is appropriate for everyone! That includes people who think they hate to exercise! I can’t tell you how many people start out feeling they will never be able to commit to an exercise program because of this only to find out they love Pilates because “it doesn’t feel like exercise!” Why is that?
Probably because Pilates doesn’t hurt. That old adage of “No pain, No gain” simply does not pertain to getting stronger through Pilates training. That does not mean once you’ve built a solid foundation on the basic principles that Pilates cannot be extremely challenging and make you sweat- to the contrary! It simply means that you don’t have to feel beat up, over trained or sore to be doing effective work! You will actually leave your workouts feeling better, more energized, motivated and centered! How’s that for a concept?
The very nature of Pilates is to build a strong foundation through the five basic principles. These are the building blocks on which your new Pilates body will be built.
breathing – to focus your mind, attention and relax hyperactive muscles
shoulder stability- to decrease tension and over use of our neck and shoulders and improve posture
rib cage placement- to learn to connect to our core muscles for greater functional stability and power
pelvic placement- for greater strength, stability and balance in our body and movements
head nod- to finally be able to curl forward without hurting our necks and learn to use our core muscles
All Pilates movements, from mat work to equipment work are based in these five basic principles. You might learn them on some of the equipment first (for instance, the Cadillac or Reformer) because it may be easier to feel with some assistance provided by the machine, but they are always the foundation for your Pilates practice. Many people have tried Pilates mat classes and felt frustrated and I don’t blame them. Depending on the teacher and the students understanding of the work, it could be a nightmare. In fact, I believe mat Pilates to be the most challenging introduction to Pilates as it demands the deepest connection: it’s just you and the mat. That’s why we start most of our clients out with Pilates equipment training.
The most popular piece of Pilates equipment is called the Pilates Reformer. The Pilates Reformer has a sliding platform attached with springs at one end and it can be moved by pulling on ropes or pushing off from a stationary foot bar. The machine is weighted by springs which glide smoothly or move back and forth on the rollers. The springs are used for resistance instead of weights. These springs provide variable or measured resistance — from light to heavy — to the muscles while exercising. The springs offer more resistance at the strongest point of muscle contraction and less resistance at the starting and finishing point. This type of resistance reduces stress on the tendons and ligaments in the body.
The swivel pulleys allow variable angles of resistance as you can pull the ropes easily in any direction. The rope length adjusts swiftly and easily with nautical cam cleats. The curved head and shoulder help to stabilize your body and refine breathing patterns. The adjustable straps allow you to locate the proper arm and leg positions. The wheels move in vertical and horizontal way. The three-position headrest is upholstered with synthetic leather and helps in making the movements smooth. While the headrest can usually be set in two positions, the foot bar could be kept in four positions. The non-slip frame caps keep the strong steel frame in place when you are performing exercises.
You can perform a wide variety of exercises in different positions: standing, sitting, kneeling or lying down on the Pilates Reformer. In fact, the variety of movements and their abiity to be modified for each client’s needs and goals is what keeps them mentally and physically challenged. Remember, while the original repertoire was created using just the body weight and the mat, you also have the Pilates Reformer, Chair, Arc Barrel, Spine Corrector, Ladder Barrel and Edge to provide variations and new twists on the original work. The combinations, exercises, application and RESULTS are limitless!
Pilates is a unique and effective exercise system that can work for everybody regardless of age, fitness level or ability. Mindfulness is the first step towards any real, lasting change. At Pilates 1901 we know, you must change your mind before you can change your body. That’s because we don’t just change bodies- we change lives.
For more information on our Pilates ON Ramp Intro to Reformer Classes or Private Pilates Training, email tina@pilates1901.com or call the studio at 913 499 7510 today.
At Pilates 1901, we are not just into Pilates but also offer Kansas City’s premier Pilates Fat Loss program. As part of our efforts to educate and motivate true lifestyle change, we take a look at not only how exercise effects our bottom line, but the way we manage stress, our sleep habits and of course our nutritional choices.
As a sometime Sugar Addict myself, I think it’s always a good reminder to look at the full effect that consuming sugar has on your mind and your body. This excellent article, published on Dr Mercola’s blog site mercola.com, aptly details the ramifications of indulging in sugar. Let’s just say, the real cost is anything but sweet!
“You sprinkle it on your cereal. Add it to your morning cup of coffee. Lovingly bake it into your children’s birthday cakes…
And then, of course, it’s a key part of some of our most favorite “treats” and comfort foods — cookies, candy, soda pop, ice cream, all those “yummy” foods meant to be reserved for a special indulgence — but which many consume on a daily basis.
Then it’s hidden in most processed foods—from bologna to pretzels to Worcestershire sauce to cheese spread. Even most infant formulas contain it.
I’m talking about sugar, of course, and to put it all into perspective, based on USDA estimates the average American consumes 12 teaspoons of sugar a day, which equates to about TWO TONS of sugar during a lifetime.
Why we eat this much sugar is not difficult to understand — it tastes good, and it gives us pleasure by triggering an innate process in your brain via dopamine and opioid signals.
What it is doing to us on both a physical and emotional level is another story entirely, and when you delve beneath the surface even slightly you’ll begin to see that eating sugar may not only be making you unhealthy but also unhappy.
If You Eat Sugar, There’s a Good Chance You’re Addicted to It
When you eat sugar it triggers production of your brain’s natural opioids — a key ingredient in the addiction process. Your brain essentially becomes addicted to stmulating the release of its own opioids as it would to morphine or heroin.
As written by Dr. Robert Lustig, professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, in The Atlantic:
“… the war on drugs has taken a back seat, but not because it has been won. Rather, because a different war has cluttered the headlines — the war on obesity. And a substance even more insidious, I would argue, has supplanted cocaine and heroin. The object of our current affliction is sugar. Who could have imagined that something so innocent, so delicious, so irresistible — just one glucose molecule (not so sweet) plus one fructose molecule (very sweet) — could propel America toward economic deterioration and medical collapse?”
Researchers have speculated that the sweet receptors (two protein receptors located on your tongue), which evolved in ancestral times when the diet was very low in sugar, have not adapted to the seemingly unlimited access to a cheap and omnipresent sugar supply in the modern diet. Therefore, the abnormally high stimulation of these receptors by our sugar-rich diets generates excessive reward signals in your brain, which have the potential to override normal self-control mechanisms, thus leading to addiction.
Dr. Lustig continues:
“The brain’s pleasure center, called the nucleus accumbens, is essential for our survival as a species… Turn off pleasure, and you turn off the will to live… But long-term stimulation of the pleasure center drives the process of addiction… When you consume any substance of abuse, including sugar, the nucleus accumbens receives a dopamine signal, from which you experience pleasure. And so you consume more. The problem is that with prolonged exposure, the signal attenuates, gets weaker. So you have to consume more to get the same effect — tolerance.
And if you pull back on the substance, you go into withdrawal. Tolerance and withdrawal constitute addiction. And make no mistake, sugar is addictive.”
Like many types of addictions, sugar addiction can in fact be deadly. Evidence is mounting that sugar is a primary contributing factor causing not only obesity and diabetes, but other chronic and lethal diseases. There’s really no doubt anymore that sugar is indeed toxic to your body, and it’s only a matter of time before it will be commonly accepted as a causative factor in most cancer, in the same way that now we accept without question that smoking and alcohol abuse are direct causes of lung cancer and cirrhosis of the liver, respectively.
Sugar’s Pleasurable Effect is Only Fleeting…
Sugar may taste good in the moment it is consumed, but its cumulative impact on your health may leave a bad taste in your mouth…
Of all the molecules capable of inflicting damage in your body, sugar molecules are probably the most damaging. Fructose, in particular, is an extremely potent pro-inflammatory agent that creates harmful advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and speeds up the aging process. It also promotes the kind of dangerous growth of fat cells around your vital organs (visceral fat) that are the hallmark of diabetes and heart disease. Sugar/fructose also increases your insulin and leptin levels and decrease the receptor sensitivity for both of these vital hormones, and these hormonal abnormalities are a major factor in premature aging and age-related chronic degenerative diseases such as heart disease.
Keep in mind that while it’s perfectly normal for your blood sugar levels to rise slightly after every meal, it is not natural or healthy when your blood sugar levels become excessively elevated and stay that way — which is exactly what will happen if you’re eating like the typical American, who consumes a staggering 2.5 pounds of sugar a week on average!
And when you add in other low-quality carbohydrate-rich foods such as white bread, sugar, pasta, pastries, cookies, and candy, which also break down to sugar (starch is broken down into glucose) in your body and often contain added sugar as well, it’s not so difficult to see why so many Americans are in such poor health.
This high-sugar (high-carb) diet is what’s driving the obesity epidemic—not diets high in fat, as is commonly assumed. An infographic created by Column Five for Massive Health, based on Why We Get Fat by science writer Gary Taubes, explains why. In short, carbs, like fructose and other sugars, destroy your insulin and leptin sensitivity, which in turn cause your cells to accumulate more fat, and makes it more difficult to get rid of the extra weight as well.
Dr. Lustig was spot on when he called sugar “the most unhappy of pleasures.” Because if eating sugar leads to poor health, and poor health ultimately leads to unhappiness, where will those few short-lived moments of artificial pleasure get you? They won’t get you happiness, that’s for sure. But they will perpetuate the addiction cycle, making you crave more and more sugar, and ultimately (and ironically) speed your journey to potential misery.
So what can you do about all of this? Stop eating sugar, for one. Dr. Lustig writes:
“As we have spent the last 30 years pursuing sugar for pleasure, we have become most decidedly unhappy. Our society has lost sight of the difference. Coca-Cola’s most recent marketing tagline is “Open Happiness.” Couldn’t be further from the truth. As our obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer, and dementia rates continue to skyrocket due to our sugar over-consumption, the idea that a bottle of Coke holds the key to happiness is nothing short of pulp propaganda.”
How to Kick Your Sugar Cravings
I realize that, due to its addictive nature, cutting down can be a real challenge for some, especially if you’re consuming very high amounts.
Exercise: Anyone who exercises intensely on a regular basis will know that significant amounts of cardiovascular exercise is one of the best “cures” for food cravings. It always amazes me how my appetite, especially for sweets, dramatically decreases after a good workout. I believe the mechanism is related to the dramatic reduction in insulin levels that occurs after exercise.
Drink Organic, black coffee: Coffee is a potent opioid receptor antagonist, and contains compounds such as cafestrol — found plentifully in both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee — which can bind to your opioid receptors, occupy them and essentially block your addiction to other opioid-releasingfoods.1,2 This may profoundly reduce the addictive power of other substances, such as sugar.
Avoid Processed Foods: Remember that in order to minimize your sugar intake, you need to avoid most processed foods, as most contain added sugar. Even savory foods like salad dressing, soup, and bread often contain sugar. For optimal health, eat natural whole foods primarily, and limit your fructose consumption to below 25 grams per day.
If you still want to use a sweetener occasionally, the sweet herb stevia makes a good sugar substitute. (Avoid ALL artificial sweeteners, which can damage your health even more quickly than sugar.)
Thank you Dr Mercola! As usual, your blogs educate and inspire us!
What are your thoughts about sugar and getting off the Simple Carb Rollercoaster?
What about this? Can you really target your belly, hips or thighs for fat loss?
This is a question I get asked over and over again. It’s important to revisit because the question keeps getting asked. The short answer is No. The longer explanation is bit more inspiring.
I came across this excellent blog by Dr. Pamela Peeke, one of my very favorite health and fitness authors. She has written several books that I like, but one that changed my life was “Fighting Fat after 40.” (which I read in my 40′s). Read what she recently wrote in an article originally posted webmd.com
“Any new exercise regimen like this always needs to be supported by a holistic program that includes healthy nutrition and effective stress management. No one can ever expect to achieve their healthiest, most fit body by executing a few exercises every week. This is a team effort on the part of your mind, nutrition, and physical activity.
This brings up another issue. Most people would love to drop weight in one or more particular body regions. Heck, wouldn’t we all! From bouncing belly to thunder thighs, men and women are constantly seeking ways to “spot reduce”. Well, there’s no such thing. Here are some facts to keep in mind on your journey to a healthier, fitter body.
Muscle and fat are two different tissues. Exercise will strengthen and even increase the size of muscles. However, these muscles do not have any direct control over the fat around them. If you start to exercise on a routine basis, combining both cardio and strength training, you’ll be decreasing the amount of fat throughout your body. Some areas may drop fat first. That’s because where you store fat is highly influenced by your GAGA— gender, age, genetics, anything else.
1) Gender and Age: Look at your body shape and where your prime fat depots are located. If you’re a woman, this is highly associated with a pear or hourglass figure, where your fat is primarily deposited in your chest, hip, thigh and buttock regions. Once you’re perimenopausal, typically as you pass through your 40’s, due to the combination of hormonal fluctuations and lifestyle habits, women notice that fat is now localizing in the abdominal area, resulting in a more apple-shape appearance. Men, on the other hand, were born with more fat cells in the belly area and more active fat storage enzymes in this region. Therefore, all of their lives they are more prone to gain and shed fat in this region. Once men reach 40, their male hormone testosterone begins to decline, making it even easier to pack on the girth-expanding pounds.
Suggestion: It’s very important to consider your gender and age as you create goals and expectations on your fitness journey. Women, most men at any age will most probably drop more weight more rapidly due to their increased muscle mass and the higher circulating levels of male hormones. Everyone needs to take their patience pill and shed any excess fat pounds by gradually incorporating healthy nutrition and consistent physical activity.
2) Genetics: Take a moment and look at yourself in a full-length mirror. Regardless of your age, just observe what your body shape looks like. Then, grab a photo album and look at pics of yourself over the years. Now look at other members of your family. Note any similarities. If many women in your family had a larger behind or thighs, and you look like them, then you know that’s going to be a place on your body that will likely be more of a challenge for fat reduction. It’s usually not possible to actually shape change. That is, if you’re a pear, you’ll become a leaner, fitter pear. As you pass into your 40’s, you may accumulate more fat around your belly, but relatively speaking, you’re still likely to keep more fat on your bottom half.
Suggestion: Take a reality check. Look at your family members and honor your genetics. Happily this genetic effect is very positive as well. You may have inherited some great muscularity, so put that to good use to rein in your body fat.
3) Anything Else: From pregnancy to medical conditions in which weight was gained and/or shed, the body will make shape-related adjustments. Many women note the “jelly-belly” related to pregnancy, the magnitude of which depends upon how much weight was gained, the number of pregnancies, and the genetics of skin elasticity. Yo-Yo dieting with significant swings in weight shed and regained will influence body shape. As well, when people drop large amounts of weight through any intervention, there are changes in body shape due to the resultant excess skin and primary fat deposits during weight gain.
Suggestion: Women planning to become pregnant should optimally be fit and keep their weight increase to 25 pounds, unless there are multiple fetuses (check with your obstetrician). Any shedding of pounds, and especially people shedding at least 50 pounds of weight or more, really need to strive to exercise consistently for a more fit body composition and optimal re-deposition of muscle and fat.
I recommend you incorporate the basics of optimal nutritional quality, quantity, and frequency. You cannot drop excess weight and get fit if you eat well and then don’t exercise, or exercise and don’t pay attention to what, how and when you’re eating. You need both. That’s the essence of the energy balance equation.
At Pilates 1901, we’ve got both your exercise and nutrition needs covered! Find out more about our wildly successful Pilates Fat Loss Formula program.
With over 65 group classes per week, it’s no wonder we can get …Real Results for Real Women!
Since we have a lot of new peeps in the studio recently, I thought it might be a good idea to do a brief refresher on some frequently asked questions.
If I haven’t addressed your question here, please click here for more information for new clients. And Welcome to Pilates 1901!
Is Pilates Right for me?
Pilates is for everyone, from young to old, sedentary to athletic. It is for people who are strong or weak, flexible or inflexible. It is for pregnant women, is great for rehabilitation from injury, and is often recommended by doctors, physical therapists and chiropractors. Pilates can be used as a complete fitness program as well as a supplement to other methods of fitness, or as a tool to educate the body to have better posture, or to move in a more effective way.
Do men do Pilates?
The answer to this question is a resounding YES! In fact, more and more men are discovering the benefits of Pilates for golf and other athletic activities. We have trained professional athletes at the studio including players from the Chiefs and the Wizards. We’ve also trained professional dancers and musicians- including David Bryan of Bon Jovi. He has been a Pilates fan for years as he discovered it helped his piano playing and posture.
At least half of my personal training clients are men who want to continue playing golf, and tennis, and feel better. Since Pilates is builds core strength and flexibility, two areas many men are lacking, once introduced, most are hooked.
What’s the difference between Pilates Mat and Equipment Training?
Pilates 1901 offers both mat and equipment training because we think both are necessary for optimal Pilates training. We offer a large variety of classes, both mat with props, cardio classes that are grounded in the Pilates principles, and equipment based workouts to keep our clients in the best shape of their lives. We know that muscles need many types of stimuli to train most effectively, and offer that kind of variety on a daily and weekly basis. (Click here to access our online schedule)
Many people start with mat classes before they move into equipment training, but at Pilates 1901 we want to make both programs accessible to you. That’s why we’ve added the Pilates On Ramp Intro to Reformer workouts at a mat price level. These 29 minute classes will teach you everything you need to know to participate in our Cardio Tramp Plyometric Pilates workouts, as well as our Reformer, Tower and Pilates Circuit classes. While the mat provides a foundation for your Pilates practice, equipment workouts will take your training to the next level. Sign up for an On Ramp class today if you have not already done so!
Why do you offer Kettlebell Training at Pilates 1901? Is this Pilates?
At Pilates 1901 we know that Pilates improves all functional movement. If you are connected to your core and are working from your best neutral postion, you are going to be able to all things better- including athletics and sports.
We offer our cardio kettlebell, fusion, tramp and sculpt workouts because they challenge you in different ways than our mat and equipment classes. These high intensity workouts are all based on the Five Basic Principles of Pilates training, so we are constantly cuing these in your workouts: scapular stability, rib cage placement, core connection and power, pelvic placement and breathing.
Most of these workouts are 29 minutes. That’s because we know we can get you twice the results in half the time! If you’ve ever taken my 10am Saturday Cardio Kettlebell class, you know you don’t want it to be any longer than 29 minutes!
What is a PilatesTower Class?
This class is taught using a piece of equipment that functions as both a reformer and a cadillac (meaning it has a upright tower at one end). This enables exercises from the mat, reformer and cadillac repertoire to be used. These classes are currently offered early am, pm, and sat mornings. Check it out!
Is Pilates effective for Fat Loss?
Yes! Yes! and Yes! Please don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Pilates is a fabulous way to build muscle, lose fat, look longer and taller. Our Pilates Fat Loss Formula has proven this time and time again. Men and women just like you have taken the PFF Challenge and lost pounds and inches in our 12 week program. Click here for more information on the amazing program.
Can I do Pilates if I’m pregnant?
There is a lot of debate on the subject of Pilates and pregnancy and exercise in general. Generally speaking, moderate exercise is safe through a normal, healthy pregnancy and many gentle Pilates exercises are appropriate. However, keep the following cautions in mind:
Do not over-exert the abdominal muscles.
Take care of your lower back, which can be strained by the weight of the fetus.
Avoid Pilates exercises that require you to lay on flat your back. The American Council of Obstetrics and Gynecology cautions women past the second trimester of pregnancy against doing any exercises that require this position as it can compromise the vascular system of both the mother and fetus. But don’t worry, we are used to working with pregnant people and have many modifications to allow your participation for as long as you like!
Do not over-stretch, as relaxin and progesterone levels increase during pregnancy causing the ligaments around the joints to become lax, loose and vulnerable.
Be aware that your center of gravity and therefore your sense of balance has changed.
It’s best not to start a brand new exercise regimen in the first trimester, but if you have been doing Pilates before your pregnancy, there is no reason not to continue! It will help your labor, delivery and most of all, your recovery!
What happens after my introductory sessions at Pilates 1901?
We’d love to keep you as a client after your Groupon or intro series is over, In fact we’ve created a very special deal for Groupon clients only. Click here to learn more.
Now I’ve heard everything! This afternoon, one of my Pilates Fat Loss Formula clients, Peggy Peterson told me the latest news: Sitting on your behind can actually be as unhealthy as smoking!
When I heard this finding, I had to look it up for myself. Sure enough, it’s all over the news. Check out this Healthwatch post from CBS News San Francisco…
Smoking cigarettes is the cause of so much preventable, deadly disease. But now new research shows sitting for long stretches of time may be just as dangerous.
“Smoking certainly is a major cardiovascular risk factor and sitting can be equivalent in many cases,” explained Dr. David Coven, cardiologist with St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York.
Dr. Coven said several new studies show prolonged sitting is now being linked to increased risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and even early death.
The fact of being sedentary causes factors to happen in the body that are very detrimental,” said Dr. Coven. “When you sit for long periods of time; your body goes into storage mode, and when that happens, it stops working as effectively as it should. What’s worse, the more hours a day you sit, the greater your likelihood of developing one or more of these diseases, just as with smoking.
Linda Caufield has a desk job. She sits nearly seven hours a day. “I’m on the computer, I’m on the phone, I’m doing paperwork so all that stuff has to be done at my desk,” she said. Linda had no idea her desk was so deadly, noting how “sitting is probably killing me.”
Paul Golin says he was sitting up to eight hours a day. But after a recent heart health scare, he bought a “stand up” desk. It’s a contraption that rests on a treadmill. “I turn on the treadmill and walk for about an hour a day,” said Golin.
Golin’s measures may seem extreme but so are the consequences of sitting. Dr. Coven recommended to just get up and move when you can. “Any time you get the blood pumping, the blood moving, it stimulates the organs to do things that are healthier,” said Coven.
If you think that hour of cardio you do every day negates the effect of your desk job, think again.
A second study at the International Diabetes Institute in Melbourne concluded that even two hours of exercise a day would not compensate for “spending 22 hours sitting on your rear end”.
Professor David Dunstan told Australian Doctor magazine: “People who break up their sitting time – walking to a colleague rather than emailing him, for instance – have a lower risk of diabetes.”
So get up at the office at any chance you get, don’t send emails when you can deliver the message in person, take the stairs, stand up when you take a phone call. And don’t forget to take your breaks, and take a walk.
The 80/20 rule is a principle created by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. This is a mathematical formula he used to describe the unequal distribution of wealth. Pareto observed that twenty percent of the people owned eighty percent of the wealth. Now, don’t worry- I’m not going to get political here, but I do have strong feelings about what I feel is an an all too common approach to fat loss – and one that keeps people immobilized- and that is that ALL OR NOTHING kind of thinking.
You know, thinking that if you mess up on your day with a bad food choice, the day is blown so you might as well go off the deep end and eat every thing is sight? Or, because you missed your Pilates workout once or twice, you’ve failed and derailed, and give up on ever making it to class again.
I know this may sound silly, but I hear it again and again from folks who come to the studio and it really can keep a person deflated and afraid of making lasting changes in their lives. My partner Scott often reminds our clients that even to get an “A” on your report card, you generally just need to get 90%. You do not have to make perfect choices 100% of the time to get incredible results! In fact, you can get amazing results with much, much less!
Think about it. Pareto’s 80/20 principle was used in economics, but it’s now been shown to be true in a number of other areas—including personal development.
For instance, it’s commonly known that 80% of your outcomes come from 20% of your efforts. In other words, you only spend a small amount of time on the actions which bring you the best results in life.
How Can the 80/20 Rule Apply to You?
Why is the 80/20 rule important? You can use it to simplify your life and help you move towards your personal best. First off, when thinking 80/20 in regards to your fat loss program, I recommend that you follow your nutrition plan strictly for 80% of the time and “cheat” 20% of the time. This gives you plenty of room for real life (that glass of wine or occasional indulgence), BUT it also holds you accountable for 80% of the time.
Based on simple math, this GUARANTEES your success in losing the fat you want while still enjoying your life! The other way to use the 80/20 rule is to use it to examine other areas of your life. Take a good look at what actions/relationships are creating the most success, and which actions/relationships are holding you back. Once the two are separated, you can begin to eliminate the bad and duplicate the good.
80/20 in your daily activities
Perhaps you’ll come to realize that you have a number of small habits that are complete wastes of time. When I applied the 80/20 rule, I was really shocked at how much time I wasted doing things which did nothing to help me grow as a person. Taking a hard look at how you’re spending your time each day and assessing how it supports your stated goals can be a powerful tool in finally achieving those goals.
How Do YOU Use the 80/20 Principle?
The benefit of applying the Pareto’s Principle is you can identify the activities which bring you the most success and fulfillment. You can also identify things and ways of thinking that are preventing you from fulfilling your goals. Here are a few questions you might use to help you examine your own world:
What tasks in your job bring the best results?
Which personal relationships provide the most fulfillment?
What activities and hobbies make you the happiest?
Do you have mundane activities that can be delegated, outsourced or deleted?
How might your thoughts be limiting you from achieving your goals and being happy?
Applying the 80/20 principle can have an incredible impact on your health and your life. Once you start using it, you’ll discover just how much easier it is to get more out of each and every day.
Your thoughts? How do you plan to incorporate the 80/20 principle in your world? Or what results have you already achieved by doing so? Post below or share with us on www.facebook.com/pilates1901
* The source for this post was: Stevescottsite.com
By now you’ve no doubt heard about Paula Deen’s Dirty Little Secret.
It’s been in the news, all over TV and the social media. Turns out, Deen, who has risen to stardom on the popularity of the high-fat, high-calorie southern-style comfort foods she has un-apologetically promoted on television for years, went public about her Diabetes on NBC’s ‘Today Show’ Tuesday, but she was diagnosed with the conditions over 3 years ago!
Just days before her 65th birthday, Deen told the audience she kept her diagnosis private while she wrestled with how to broach it “I really sat on this information for a few years because I said, ‘Oh, my gosh, what am I going to do about this? Is my life fixing to change? Am I no longer going to like my life?” she asked. “I had to have time to adjust and soak it all in and get up all the information that I could.”
Moving forward, she said she’s making changes in her personal life, but doesn’t think her three television series will change much. “I’m not cooking and eating that way every day,” she said, noting that it takes just 30 days to tapes the year’s episodes.
But for an audience accustomed to seeing Deen demonstrate recipes for deep-fried cheesecake or quiche crammed with a pound of bacon all year long, the fact she’s not eating that way everyday might get lost in translation.
In the meantime, Deen has added support for Danish drug-maker Novo Nordisk’s once-daily non-insulin injection to a list of endorsements that already includes ham and cream cheese.
I don’t know about you, but it seems wrong to profit from endorsing a drug for a disease Ms Deen’s recipes may certainly be contributing to.
Like Food Network fan Judd Dvorak said in an associated press article, “It would be like someone who goes on TV and brags about how wonderful it is to smoke two packs of cigarettes a day and then when he or she gets lung cancer becomes a paid spokesperson for nicotine patches….I feel it is in very poor taste- if she chose to become an unpaid spokesperson for the American Diabetes Association, that would be a better way for her to make a difference and help fight this horrible disease.”
More than 20 million Americans are believed to have Type-2 diabetes, the most common form of the condition in which patients’ bodies are unable to produce or use insulin efficiently. Poor diet, being overweight, being older than 45, smoking and being inactive are all risk factors for developing the disease.
Paula Deen checks all those boxes.
On this recent Today Show Interview, she was asked whether she will make changes in how she cooks on her show, “Paula’s Best Dishe.”
Deen didn’t give a direct answer, instead encouraging viewers to “practice moderation.”
You all know I believe you can be healthy, lose and maintain weight loss and still have your splurges along the way- I am all about the 80/20 path to Fat Loss Freedom.
But Deen’s recipes, like Twinkie Pie, Deep Fried Lasagna, Chocolate Cheese Fudge and Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding are really just recipes for disaster, or diabetes, obesity and heart disease.
I want Paula Deen at Pilates 1901! She could really use the Pilates Fat Loss Formula! I’d really love to see Paula Deen’s Southern Style Paleo Cookbook.
as well as the level of stress hormones in the body, and they also encourage social interaction. For the right mother, adopting an animal can be the ultimate Mother’s Day gift, says Ruth Goldstein, a spokeswoman for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
5) Meals on Wheels - Give your mom a break from the kitchen by ordering custom meals prepared by two of my favorite services, A friend that Cooks and Conveniently Natural. These are both wonderfully healthy options- A friend that Cooks is exactly that- a personal chef that comes to your home and prepares recipes that you choose. They even do the grocery shopping for you! Conveniently Natural delivers gluten free and vegan meals weekly to your doorstop. Whatever your preference- these two delicious services cover it all.
Last but not Least- Give Mom some Pilates! There’s never been a better time to upgrade Mom’s 1901 membership! That’s because all 3x/week members now receive our Pilates Fat Loss Formula Fat Loss Program Free! Click here for more information!
Brothers are doing it for themselves. That’s right ladies, when it comes to health, men are representing in three key areas that as women, we so often fail on…
Thank you for your interest in the Pilates Fat Loss Formula Program! You are about to embark on your own fat loss journey with the help and support of your friends at Pilates 1901. 
At Pilates 1901 we are commited to your best health and well being. We specialize in strong, lean bodies and help our clients achieve healthy, lasting fat loss even when they have failed in the past. Our clients results speak for themselves. 
gradual changes to their lifestyle.
6. Dieting can lead to eating disorders
We’re looking forward to celebrating Spring and the success of our Pilates Fat Loss Formula clients this Saturday, April 21st from 1-3pm at the studio!
You are invited to Celebrate Spring, Good Health and Community at Pilates 1901′s Carrots & Cocktails Event this Saturday, April 21st from 1-3pm
That’s right ladies and gentlemen, Pilates 1901′s very own Cara Cockrill ran 45 miles on April 1st in the Boulevard Brewery’s 12th Annual Brew to Brew run from Kansas City, Missouri to Lawrence, Kansas! This event was a fundraiser to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
If you missed the segment last night on 60 minutes, you really missed an amazing news peice. 60 minutes featured Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, who believes the high amount of sugar in the American diet, much of it in processed foods, is killing us. And as Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports, new scientific research seems to support his theory that sugar is toxic, including some linking the excess ingestion of sugars to heart disease.
A recent study supports the idea that excess consumption of high fructose corn syrup is linked to an increase in risk factors for heart disease by increasing a type of cholesterol that can clog arteries. The University of California, Davis, study also indicated that calories from added sugars are different than those from other foods. Subjects had 25 percent of their caloric intake replaced with sweetened drinks. Nutritional biologist Kimber Stanhope was surprised to see that after only two weeks, “We found that the subjects who consumed high fructose corn syrup had increased levels of LDL cholesterol and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease,” she tells Gupta. “I started eating and drinking a whole lot less sugar.”
Pilates 1901 is lucky to have Cara Cockrill on our team. Not only is she an intense and dedicated instructor and trainer, she is a phenomenal example to each of us what we can do when we have a dream, a goal, focus, and the plan to make it happen. Cara truly is the Pilates 1901 poster girl for going for her goals!
Cara’s expertise in training will allow her to turn around after the 45 miles Brew to Brew to running another marathon just two weeks later! She’ll travel to Arkansas to run the Hog Eye Marathon (whatever that is!) “I just feel like I’ve trained this hard to get into shape, so why not take a couple weeks to recover and go for it!” Now that’s a positive attitude!
Hi! My name is Tina Sprinkle and I am the owner of Pilates 1901, a Pilates fitness studio in Kansas City. As someone who has been in the health and fitness business for nearly 30 years, and as someone who now practices Pilates, I am often asked, “What exactly is Pilates and what can it do for me?”
For example, I train the artistic director of the Kansas City Ballet, Bill Whitener. He knows that dancers require a deep level of strength and connection to execute the precise and graceful movements the art demands. A ballerina is able to stand on point with the opposite leg in the air not just from great flexibility in her legs, but from strong abdominal, back and gluteal muscles- all connecting and firing at the same time to create the stability needed to perform extreme movement.
The most popular piece of Pilates equipment is called the Pilates Reformer. The Pilates Reformer has a sliding platform attached with springs at one end and it can be moved by pulling on ropes or pushing off from a stationary foot bar. The machine is weighted by springs which glide smoothly or move back and forth on the rollers. The springs are used for resistance instead of weights. These springs provide variable or measured resistance — from light to heavy — to the muscles while exercising. The springs offer more resistance at the strongest point of muscle contraction and less resistance at the starting and finishing point. This type of resistance reduces stress on the tendons and ligaments in the body.At Pilates 1901, we are not just into Pilates but also offer Kansas City’s premier Pilates Fat Loss program. As part of our efforts to educate and motivate true lifestyle change, we take a look at not only how exercise effects our bottom line, but the way we manage stress, our sleep habits and of course our nutritional choices.
What are your thoughts about sugar and getting off the Simple Carb Rollercoaster?
What about this? Can you really target your belly, hips or thighs for fat loss?
album and look at pics of yourself over the years. Now look at other members of your family. Note any similarities. If many women in your family had a larger behind or thighs, and you look like them, then you know that’s going to be a place on your body that will likely be more of a challenge for fat reduction. It’s usually not possible to actually shape change. That is, if you’re a pear, you’ll become a leaner, fitter pear. As you pass into your 40’s, you may accumulate more fat around your belly, but relatively speaking, you’re still likely to keep more fat on your bottom half.
Pilates FAQ
Why do you offer Kettlebell Training at Pilates 1901? Is this Pilates?
More questions? We’d love to answer them. Please email me at tina@pilates1901.com or post them on our Pilates 1901 facebook page!
Ambra Cosentino, who is one of my clients, and owner of Bellezza Salon in Brookside, has just added renowned make up artist Silvia to her staff.
Got 29 Tiny Minutes? We can help you get long and lean! 
Now I’ve heard everything! This afternoon, one of my Pilates Fat Loss Formula clients, Peggy Peterson told me the latest news: Sitting on your behind can actually be as unhealthy as smoking!
*What is the 80/20 Principle?
How Can the 80/20 Rule Apply to You?
How Do YOU Use the 80/20 Principle?
By now you’ve no doubt heard about Paula Deen’s Dirty Little Secret.
