On November 8th, 2014, Max L. of Maplewood, MN made a decision that would alter the state of his life forever.
Having struggled the previous three years with a series of health-related challenges, including emergency surgery for a kidney stone too large to pass, Max knew something had to be done, and soon. At the encouragement of his wife, Max decided to join LA Fitness with the hope of becoming physically active again. This was the first step back to reclaiming his quickly deteriorating health.
While Max had been very active in sports as a boy and young man, time seemed to have taken its toll. A worsening knee problem had deprived him of even the most basic of physical activities – walking. In June of 2014, Max was approved for arthroscopic surgery (a minimally invasive surgical procedure to help treat joint problems). At the same time, he found himself suffering from migraine headaches, a weight of over 200 lbs., and a waist that had expanded to 43 inches.
Max’s original goal was to lose excess belly fat. He hoped that by increasing muscle tone, combined with mild cardio, it would help shed the weight. He also knew from the start that he wanted a trainer to help guide and encourage him along the way to achieving his desired fitness goal. And even though Max had done some weight training in his youth, he had never been properly trained on technique, or, on how to build a properly balanced exercise regime. This is where the training came in; it offered both encouragement and accountability.
In April 2015, Max was partnered with personal trainer, Alex B. He originally started training once a week before increasing his sessions to double that. With the help of Alex, Max was able to achieve incredible results. In roughly a six-month period, Max went from benching around 140 lbs. to a maximum bench press of 265 lbs.! Not only did he start feeling better, but his waist had begun to shrink too. However, like so many others, Max had a hard time making the commitment to a total life change and found himself not noticing a difference in his overall weight.
“Get off of sugar. After a few weeks, your palate comes alive; the veggies you didn’t like become very tasty.”
January 2016
August 2016
Over the years, Max tried countless diets that failed to produce any long-lasting results. But in January 2016, Max found himself so disgusted with the way his clothes fit, that he made the commitment to radically change his nutrition. It was with that determination and focus that he noticed the weight and fat start falling off. Between January and August of 2016 Max lost roughly 30 lbs., his waist went from 41” to 36” and his total body fat fell from 29% to 20%! He also began developing noticeable muscle definition in his arms and shoulders. But what he found best of all was the fact that he could fit back into size 32 pants for the first time since his 20’s!
Max shared that his transformation has done wonders for his self-image. His dramatic change has also influenced members at his club who feel inspired to make positive changes themselves after seeing what he’s accomplished. Because of Max’s perseverance and drive, he is now off two of his blood pressure medications, his good cholesterol is up, and the bad cholesterol is down!
Where Is He Now?
Max continues to train twice weekly with Alex. His current fitness goal is to get his waist down to 34” and his body fat to 15%. Max thanks his trainer Alex for the progress he’s made and says, “I know I could not have done this transformation on my own.”
A Word From His Trainer
“I have trained Max for nearly three years. He’s had to overcome some obstacles along the way. At the start he was battling migraine headaches and vertigo and still hobbling from arthroscopic knee surgery. He could barely do pull-ups and only managed 140lbs on the bench press. But in time he started getting great results. In addition to losing nearly 30lbs his strength has increased, reaching 260lbs in the bench press and 25 pull-ups. I don’t recall ever seeing a 67 year old do that. He’s a great example that age is not a barrier or an excuse. Of all of Max’s successes I think the biggest is that he enjoys coming to the gym, and I believe he’ll stay at it for the rest of his life. As trainers our job isn’t just to take people through workouts but also to create a positive experience for the member in the gym so they will continue to train and develop. Max has been that guy and he is a great inspiration to other members who’ve watched his transformation.” – Alex B.
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I feel like I should probably ignore the calories in energy drinks and focus on all the chemicals in them that I can’t pronounce on the can. Are these drinks okay or should I avoid them? I feel like you’re going to say I should stick to water.
– Andrew G.
The calories from energy drinks almost always are from sugar, so you should be aware of that. The size of the drink matters greatly, as a 2 fl oz shot may have under 50 calories while a big 20 fl oz can may have 280 calories total (even though it says 120 calories per serving).
So on to the ingredients… The main stimulants are caffeine, guarana, and taurine. These serve to excite the central nervous system and have side effects including agitation, irritability, nervousness, restlessness, hyperactivity, insomnia, anxiety, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate and possible dehydration. Of course one’s response to these compounds depends on the dose and the person’s unique biochemistry. Another common ingredient is glucuronolactone which may have minimal effect on energy but is thought to fight fatigue and promote a sense of well-being. The typical dose of glucuronolactone in energy drinks is generally considered safe. Ginseng is often found in energy drinks and is also generally considered safe.
Nothing hydrates like water! But a cup or two of coffee is fine. If you feel that you need more “lift” from an energy drink – reader beware. Your tolerance of any particular energy drink can only be predicted by your body mass, previous experience and trial-and-error. Not the best way to go about it. Here are some guidelines to look for on energy drink labels.
– Debbie J., MS, RD
This article should not replace any exercise program or restrictions, any dietary supplements or restrictions, or any other medical recommendations from your primary care physician. Before starting any exercise program or diet, make sure it is approved by your doctor.
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Have a nutrition question? Our registered dietitian is ready to help!
Email nutrition@lafitness.com or submit your question below and it may be featured in an upcoming article!
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I am confused about macro nutrients. Can you clarify what this means and how I can use this to help lean out? Please help me understand what macro nutrients are and how it can help me lean down.
– Marlyn L.
Macronutrients are simply the classes of nutrients needed in large amounts, which includes carbohydrate, fat and protein. These provide energy in the form of calories (carb and protein 4 cals/gm, fat 9 cals/gm). Alcohol – not a nutrient – is the other food molecule that has calories (7 cals/gm). While the remaining 3 essential nutrients – water, vitamins and minerals – have zero calories.
Your current diet includes all 3 macronutrients. To say “use macronutrients” to help you lean out, seems to imply a structured ratio of the three. I will speak to this below, but first let me say that the overwhelming body of evidence regarding weight loss diets show that it’s a moderate restriction of calories, regardless of method, that achieves long-term weight loss.
What should your MACRONUTRIENTS intake be?
Each person’s effective macronutrient distribution for leaning out may be different. Are the changes required to meet a desired ratio sustainable for your lifestyle? How different is the proportion of macronutrients from what you’re currently eating? The US Dietary Guidelines recommend 10-30% calories from protein, 25-35% calories from fat and 45-65% calories from carbohydrate for healthy adults. You could reach your goals with 10% protein, 35% fat and 55% carbohydrate as easily as you might with 30% protein, 25% fat and 45% carbohydrate, assuming your activity level and energy intake are appropriate.
If you do decide to adhere to set percentages from each macronutrient, the act of tracking and analyzing your intake to determine your balance may be a major promotor of dietary change, thus caloric intake and weight loss. See our previous article: Keep a Food Diary, Log or Journal and Lose Weight Faster.
– Debbie J., MS, RD
This article should not replace any exercise program or restrictions, any dietary supplements or restrictions, or any other medical recommendations from your primary care physician. Before starting any exercise program or diet, make sure it is approved by your doctor.
Debbie James, RDN, helps answer a reader’s question about whether iron supplements are needed to maintain nutritional balance in vegetarians.
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If you’re a parent, it’s likely you have some picky eaters on your hands. Our Registered Dietician, Debbie James, gives you the scoop on healthy eating for your kids and teens.
Have a nutrition question? Our registered dietitian is ready to help!
Email nutrition@lafitness.com or submit your question below and it may be featured in an upcoming article!
Want more? SUBSCRIBE to receive the latest Living Healthy articles right in your inbox!
Volleyball Championship Recap: Can You Dig It?
The clock struck 7PM, on an otherwise typical Monday night, yet the air of the LA Fitness Irvine-Jamboree volleyball court was dense with anticipation for the night’s Club Leagues championship game. The sounds of sneakers squeaked against the polished court floor, as teammates started revving one another up with words of encouragement. Everyone was all smiles, undoubtedly excited for the big game that lay ahead.
After a quick warmup, suddenly, it was the moment everyone had been waiting for: Game time.
The teams took their places and got into formation – the blow of the whistle signaled the start of play. It was down to the top two teams: The Sea Otters vs. Polar Bear Sunshine. Both teams were hungry for the win.
The game seemed to be going favorably for The Sea Otters, as they led with a comfortable 2-0, but by the third set Team Polar Bear Sunshine brought their A-game and the game was suddenly 2-1, with good effort coming from both sides. As each team competed to be better than the other, the game heated up and took the players into the fifth set.
While both teams were still having fun, there was suddenly a more competitive dynamic to the game. An excited nervousness seemed to fill the room, as each team battled for victory. It was down to the final points – who would become this season’s volleyball champion?
With a strong serve from Team Sea Otters, they managed to win the championship! However, this result came despite solid efforts from Team Polar Bear Sunshine.
If you’re interested in joining an LA Fitness Club League, click here for more information.
We offer volleyball*, basketball and racquetball leagues and would like to welcome YOU on the court!
Our Club Leagues, both competitive & recreational, are open to members of all skill levels who are 18+.
*The average volleyball season is roughly 8-10 weeks long, including playoffs. Winners receive championship shirts and their team picture displayed on club TVs.
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Hi. I’m a teacher in the city and for an upcoming “project” I want my 7th grade students to create a healthy eating plan. I’m into fitness and eating healthy and want my students to learn about it. Seeing a kid eat a bag of Doritos for breakfast drives me nuts haha. I follow my own eating plan based on my weight and lifting 6 days a week. Mine focuses on the amount of protein, carbs, calories, and fat I consume based on my weight. I consume .5 g of fat per lb. of my body fat, 17 calories per lb., .5 g of carbs per lb., and 1.5 g protein per lb. I want something similar to use with my 7th grade students based on what they should do per lb. if they are not active, moderately active, and very active. I want them to be able to do math based on this so don’t want to use one of the calculators they have online. Would you have any ideas or recommendations for this?
– Drew
Hello Drew, the recommendation is to use a range of nutrient values, especially for adolescents, as there is not one “ideal.” Here are the nutrients you identified and the general goals for youth in the age range of 7th grade for sustaining a healthy body weight*.
Calories for 11-14 y.o. – sedentary 1600-2000 calories, moderately active 1800-2400 calories, active 2000-2800 calories. Girls at lower end of ranges, boys at upper end.
Fat – 25-35% of calories
Carbohydrate grams – 130 grams minimum, 1.4-2.3 gm/lb very light intensity training, 2.5-3.6 gm/lb moderate or heavy training. (45-65% calories)
Protein grams – base need 0.5 gm/lb, 0.5-0.7 gm/lb early training, [DJ3] 0.6-0.7 gm/lb endurance sports or restricting calories. (10-30% calories)
Target nutrient values are only meaningful if there is a way to measure intake against them. Otherwise, “X grams” is meaningless. A nutrition analysis program or tables (e.g. USDA Food Composition Database https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/) to determine each and every food can be cumbersome. It would be more practical to have students create a plan using known food group serving values. Standardized exchanges for meal planning have the following basic nutrient values:
· Vegetables – 25 calories, 0 gm Fat, 5 gm carbohydrate, 2-3 gm protein
· Fruit – 60 calories, 0 gm Fat, 15 gm carbohydrate, 1 gm protein
· Non-Fat or Low Fat Cow’s Milk/Yogurt – 90-110 calories, 0-3 gm fat, 12 gm carbohydrate, 8 gm protein
· Reduced Fat or Regular Cow’s Milk/Yogurt – 120-150 calories, 5-8 gm fat, 12 gm carbohydrate, 8 gm protein
· Very Lean or Lean Protein – 35-55 calories, 1-3 gm fat, 0 carbohydrate, 7 gm protein
· Regular Protein – 75 calories, 5 gm fat, 0 carbohydrate, 7 gm protein
· Starches – 80 calories, 0 gm Fat, 15 gm carbohydrate, 2 gm protein
· Beans (1/2 cup) – 100 calories, 0 gm fat, 20 gm carbohydrate, 8 gm protein
· Nuts/Seeds (1 oz) – 150 calories, 10-15 gm fat, 4 gm carbohydrate, 3-6 gm protein
· Fat – 45 calories, 5 gm fat, 0 gm carbohydrate, 0-1 gm protein
Serving sizes and descriptions can be found at https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/eat/fd_exch.htm.
For example, the target of 2200 calories, 50 gm fat, 275 gm carbohydrate and 100 gm protein, could be met with 5 vegetables, 3 fruit, 2 low fat milk/yogurt, 1 regular milk/yogurt, 3 lean protein, 3 regular protein, 8 starches, 2 beans, 2 nuts/seeds, and 3 fat, with calorie distribution of 25% fat, 52% carbohydrate and 23% protein. For an extra credit exercise, you can have students check my work!
– Debbie J., MS, RD
This article should not replace any exercise program or restrictions, any dietary supplements or restrictions, or any other medical recommendations from your primary care physician. Before starting any exercise program or diet, make sure it is approved by your doctor.
Sources:
*from the 2003 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommendations for young athletes; Dietary Reference Intakes: The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements (2006); 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Debbie James, RDN, helps answer a reader’s question about whether iron supplements are needed to maintain nutritional balance in vegetarians.
LA Fitness member, Nick L., shares how he dropped 102 pounds over the course of the last year! His piece of advice: “consistency is key!”
If you’re a parent, it’s likely you have some picky eaters on your hands. Our Registered Dietician, Debbie James, gives you the scoop on healthy eating for your kids and teens.
Have a nutrition question? Our registered dietitian is ready to help!
Email nutrition@lafitness.com or submit your question below and it may be featured in an upcoming article!
Want more? SUBSCRIBE to receive the latest Living Healthy articles right in your inbox!