Leptin is a hormone that is produced by the fat cells in our bodies that gives us the sensation of being full.  This hormone prevents us from overeating and tells us when we have had enough.  As we sleep our bodies produce higher levels of  leptin, which will decrease the amount of time it takes to feel satisfied after each meal.

Ghrelin is a hormone that stimulates our appetite. Research has found that lack of sleep increases the amount of ghrelin produced in our bodies and causes us to crave food more throughout the day. So to win the everlasting  battle against cravings, all we have to do is close our eyes and get some sleep.

Sadly, for some, falling asleep doesn’t come easily. Getting enough sleep takes practice and involves some training of both the body and the mind. Here are a some suggestions that will help you fall asleep faster and get the most out of your sleep.

• go to bed and wake up at the same time each day
• Take 25-30 minute naps instead of reaching for a caffeinated beverage or snack
• Don’t do any exercise or strenuous activity 3-4 hours before bed
• No TV or computers in bed.  Make sure you bed is only for sleeping.
• No large meals before bedtime
• Avoid alcohol before bedtime. It may knock you out at first, but when it wears off it will wake you up
• Keep your sleeping environment dark, quiet and comfortable

Losing weight and staying fit is an around the clock task. Everything we do has an impact on how our body reacts to a weight loss plan.  Getting a good nights sleep is one of the most important things we can do to make sure our bodies react well to all the exercise and healthy eating .

Week 7 nutrition Goal: The Right Balance of Nutrients

DAY 35

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Calorie Cyclone Workout #1

DAY 36

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Metabolic Circuit

DAY 37

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Calorie Cyclone Workout #2

Day 38

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Metabolic Circuit

Day 39

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Calorie Cyclone Workout #3

Day 40
Active Stretch

Core Workout

Metabolic Circuit

Day 41 ( Rest )

This is the week where champions are made!  Things are heating up and it time to step up to the challenge! Work hard and remember to share with us your success.  Have a good week!

Week 6 Nutrition Goal: Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition

DAY 28

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Calorie Cyclone Workout #1

DAY 29

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Metabolic Circuit

DAY 30

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Calorie Cyclone Workout #2

Day 31

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Metabolic Circuit

Day 32

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Calorie Cyclone Workout #3

Day 33
Active Stretch

Core Workout

Metabolic Circuit

Day 34 ( Rest )

An Athlete’s Step by Step Guide to Meals that Maximize Performance

Like to cook? I hope so — but even if you don’t, if you’re an athlete, you need to take an interest in what goes into your mouth. You can’t put low quality fuel into your body and expect to receive high quality performance results. I like to tell athletes that they need to, in some sense, eat as if they were pregnant. Like pregnant women, athletes need to make every bite count. Every bite, if possible, should contain some nutritional value, because if you are putting your body through a punishing training regime on a regular basis, you will need to provide it with raw materials to repair damage and to build strong, pliable muscle tissues. Even if you don’t like to cook, you should be able to handle the following simple steps to a diet that will support your training:

Step 1. Base at least one of your meals each day — and preferably two — on green leafy vegetables, such as green leaf or romaine lettuce, parsley, spinach, kale, etc.

You could make a salad the basis of your meal, try making a green smoothie with LOTS of greens and some fruit, stir fry your greens, or add them to soup — whatever will get them into you on a regular basis. Green leafy vegetables contain nutrients that can help the mitochondria — the power generators — in your body’s cells work more efficiently, which means more energy, and better endurance, for you. Green leafy vegetables are also high in glutamine, an amino acid that helps the body to build more muscle mass. Green leafy vegetables, believe it or not, are excellent sources of protein. Think of green leafy vegetables, not bread, as the staff of life — and you’ll be off to an excellent start.

Step 2. Add a carotenoid-containing vegetable to every meal, if possible.

Carotenoids are the substances that add vibrant colors to foods. You can add carotenoids to a salad, stir fry or soup by simply dicing in some carrots, tomatoes, or sweet potatoes. Or you could try a serving of beets (if you’re into juicing your vegetables — a very healthful practice — add beets to the vegetables you are juicing). Why is this important? Adults who have plenty of carotenoids in their diets tend to have better hip, knee and grip strength as they get older. In addition, carotenoid-containing vegetables are high in potassium, a mineral that helps muscles to contract and relax more efficiently. Athletes who eat plenty of carotenoids tend to have higher concentrations of lean muscle mass in their bodies.

Step 3. Include high quality sources of protein in your diet, such as beans, nuts, lean meats, and the green leafy vegetables mentioned above.

You probably already know why — you need that protein to help you build muscle mass. If you are worried about intestinal gas caused by eating beans, try adding just a little bit of seaweed (kombu is a good choice) to the pot when you are cooking the beans. The enzymes in the seaweed will start to predigest the beans, so that they are a bit more digestible by the time they hit your intestines. Don’t look at me like that — seaweed is edible and delicious, but if you can’t stand the thought of eating it, add it to your cooking pot as a large piece instead of dicing it in like a spice. Then pull the whole piece of seaweed out before you dish out the beans — if you are cooking for guests, they need never know it was in there.

Step 4. Include complex carbohydrates, such as whole grain breads.

Carbohydrates are to an athlete what gasoline is to a car — an important source of energy that you simply must have. Have a slice of sprouted grain bread with your salad, have some brown rice with your stir fry, or have one of those new pastas that have bean flour mixed in (by using sprouted grain bread or a pasta that has bean flour mixed in, you can sneak a little more protein into your diet at the same time). But, if you are prone to irritable bowels, go gently on the whole grains, and opt for white rice or a slice of French bread instead.

Step 5. Make sure that you have a good quality fat, such as fish, avocados, nuts, olive oil, or even butter or cheese in your diet every day.

Remember, fat isn’t bad — you need it to fuel your cells, to provide your nervous system with the raw materials that it needs, and to help you feel satisfied from eating your meal — you’re only human. Moreover, many vitamins, such as vitamin A, are fat soluble, so you can add vitamin A to your diet by eating fish or putting butter on your bread. While you are at it, try adding nuts to your salad, or grate some cheese over it. When you stir fry vegetables, don’t skimp on the olive oil. You can add olive oil to soups and stews, too. Get in the habit of including a little bit of fat with every meal. Or, chase your meal with a nice piece of chocolate — one that contains 70% or more cacao — that much cacao is enough to make your chocolate bar into an antioxidant rich health food, so enjoy.

Why haven’t I added a step that says, “don’t forget the fiber”? Not because fiber isn’t important — but because if you complete the steps above, you will be getting plenty of it without even having to think about it. Likewise for vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients…you’ve got it covered!

Brett Warren is a biochemical engineer from Boston, Massachusetts who develops sports supplements for Force Factor. He has done extensive research on nutrition and is an expert on nutraceutical science. He also has a passion for fitness and health. Brett’s work at Force Factor is supplemented by an active family life with plenty of gym time and outdoor recreation.

Sweat hard and eat right this week. Make sure to let us know how you are doing!

Week 5 Nutrition Goal: Avoid Fast and Processed Foods

DAY 28

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Calorie Cyclone Workout #1

DAY 29

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Metabolic Circuit

DAY 30

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Calorie Cyclone Workout #2

Day 31

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Metabolic Circuit

Day 32

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Calorie Cyclone Workout #3

Day 33
Active Stretch

Core Workout

Metabolic Circuit

Day 34 ( Rest )

Week four is an action packed week full of amazing butt burning, ab sculpting, and fat melting demonstrations from our balding and beautiful trainers, Skyler and Chris. You are one third of the way done so don’t even think about giving up now!

This week, pay close attention to the progress you have made up to this point. If you’re not seeing any improvements in inches or weight, then set new goals and make some changes. You may want to consider making some changes in your diet, or maybe increasing your intensity during the workouts. Whatever your goal is, make sure you are writing it down and putting it somewhere where you see it often. It would also be a good idea to take another picture and compare it to the picture you took of yourself at the beginning of the program. You might be surprised at the differences that you will see.

Keep up the good work, guys and don’t forget to post your questions.

Week 4 Nutrition Goal: I Scream, You Scream, We all scream for Protein!

DAY 21

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Calorie Cyclone Workout #1

DAY 22

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Metabolic Circuit

DAY 23

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Calorie Cyclone Workout #2

Day 24

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Metabolic Circuit

Day 25

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Calorie Cyclone Workout #3

Day 26
Active Stretch

Core Workout

Metabolic Circuit

Day 27 ( Rest )

Exercise a considerable amount of damage to our muscles. To repair our muscles we need protein. Not only will protein repair damages in muscles, but it will also build more muscle to make them stronger, larger, and able to contract with greater force. Don’t worry protein isn’t going to make you bulk up into the Incredible Hulk, but it will help you stay lean and increase your metabolism making your body more efficient at burning fat.

To increase or maintain muscle mass it is recommended that you consume about .6 to .8 grams of protein per pound of body weight a day.  Bodybuilders will often intake 1 gram per pound of body weight.  For example, if an individual weights 200 lbs they should be eating between 120-160 grams of protein per day or between 480 and 644 calories.  It might seem like a lot of protein, but in a 2000 calorie diet,644 calories of protein is only 32% of calories consumed. You will be surprised how easy it is to reach your recommended dose, especially if you are supplementing your diet with a protein shake.

The best sources of protein are found in animals products such as whey, meat, cheese (cottage cheese) . When deciding what type of animal protein to eat a good rule to remember is, “The less legs the better”.  Fish have no legs and are probably the healthiest source of protein available, depending on how it is prepared. Chicken only has two legs and is also a good source of low fat protein, again, if it is prepared in the right way. Red meats from cows or pigs can also be healthy, but you need to make sure to buy the leaner cuts of meat.  There are proteins found in plant material, but these sources are usually lacking in essential amino acids and because of their fiber content, are not easily absorbed into the body.

To make sure you are getting the greatest benefits from your protein it is best to take  between 15 to 30 grams of protein 20-30 minutes before your workout or within 20 minutes after your workout. Pre- or Post-Workout shakes or meals should have both carbohydrates and protein. If your body doesn’t have enough carbohydrates your body will take protein from muscle to meet energy demands, which would completely destroy the purpose of eating protein in the first place.

You are doing a lot of hard work to meet your weight loss goals so don’t ruin your progress by not eating enough protein.

Week three of the shape up challenge is here! This week we are going to pick up the intensity a little more.  Don’t be afraid to push yourself. Go a little heavier with the weights and don’t be afraid to add an additional set or two if you have the time. Please! Please! Please! don’t sell yourselves short and just go through the motions. The harder you work the more results you will see. If an exercise just doesn’t seem to challenge you then add more resistance or add a couple of repetitions.

Hopefully by now you are beginning to feel stronger and more flexible. If you feel the exercises in week three are just too advanced for you, just keep doing the week two workouts until you feel like you are ready to move on.

Don’t forget to keep track of the nutritional articles. If you have any questions at all don’t be afraid to ask. We want to make sure you understand all the exercises and get the most out of all the workouts.

Here is the link to the Nutrition article for week 3-  Why is breakfast important?

DAY 15

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Calorie Cyclone Workout #1

DAY 15

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Metabolic Circuit

DAY 16

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Calorie Cyclone Workout #2

Day 17

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Metabolic Circuit

Day 18

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Calorie Cyclone Workout #3

Day 19
Active Stretch

Core Workout

Metabolic Circuit

Day 20 ( Rest )

Designing an effective workout regimen isn’t always intuitive. Sometimes, seemingly logical tweaks to intensify a session can have the opposite effect. If you’re aiming to improve results, or simply want to be in and out of the gym in less time, it’s time to reassess your routine.

Stick to the “fat burning zone” on the treadmill? No.

Crunches and sit-ups to get a six-pack? No.

Use the treadmill “fat burning zone”? Crunches and sit-ups to get abs? Craig Ballantyne, creator of Turbulence Training, and ACE’s Jessica Matthews dish on the top five gym time-wasters.

Read our U.S. News column:  Surprising gym time-wasters: 5 killers of a good workout

Other ways to spend less time at the gym:

• 5 Ways Exercise Can Earn You More Money
• The Best Time of Day to Exercise
• Does Cheating Give You an Advantage?

Congratulations you have made it to week two!  It’s time to turn up the intensity a little bit.  This week we are going to increase intensity by introducing resistance into the Calorie Cyclone portions of the workouts. You can use dumbbells or elastic resistance bands, which ever you have available to you. If some of the exercises in week two seem too difficult, don’t worry,  just refer to the exercises in week one and continue doing those exercises until you feel ready to move on.

Below is the recommended schedule for week two. If you don’t have time to do all three segments every day that’s okay, but do your best to do three Calorie Cyclone workouts and at least one core workout and metabolic circuit each week.

Here is a link to the nutritional article for this week.  “Eating Five Meals a Day”

If there are any questions feel free to email or post your question in the comment box.

DAY 8

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Calorie Cyclone Workout #1

DAY 9

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Metabolic Circuit

DAY 10

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Calorie Cyclone Workout #2

Day 11

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Metabolic Circuit

Day 12

Active Stretch

Core Workout

Calorie Cyclone Workout #3

Day 13
Active Stretch

Core Workout

Metabolic Circuit

Day 14 ( Rest )