Posted on January 13, 2012 by admin
From Mike!
As with everything motivation is first and foremost the main ingredient. In the past most of my failures have been through taking on to many things at once and not being able to finish or follow through an any of them because of the overwhelming amount of new work i heaped on myself. Generally, when I chose to do one thing and stick to it I don’t have much of a problem. This is the approach I am taking with getting back into shape. I have no other major projects going on and I will try to keep it that way.
Obviously, the first workout is the hardest and it is important not to get discouraged by it. The second and third get easier and that is precisely why you have a slave driving trainer to kick you in your ass and make the 4th one in week two harder again. Then 5 and 6 go easier and boom it’s ass kicking time again. As I said, I am seriously dedicating myself to getting this done, so I have also asked the Terminatrix (my new name for Larysa) to ramp stuff up by my third workout of the week as well if I felt I could handle it without ill effects. I feel it is important to listen to your body and not your mind. Your mind can tell you to deal with pain that sometimes is to much or sometimes your mind can tell you you are dying when you haven’t done much. This is why I wait and see how my body feels the next day after a work out and I then know if I can step it up a little or not.
Food wise the Terminatrix’s diet has been fine. I still get to eat meat which to me is key and I get to keep one cup of coffee in the morning which is also sweet. I have added stuff to my diet that I should have added years ago like more fruits and more veggies so in that sense it is great. I am eating more often but in much smaller portions. Sure, there is stuff that I love that is gone from my diet but you have to make certain sacrifices if you want to see results. The protein shake is fine, I thought it would be nasty as hell but with the strawberry flavor and adding a half cup of berries it winds up tasting a bit like an egg cream when beaten up in a blender (for those of you who remember egg creams). Dinner is good since I get my protein in any form I like as long as it’s not deep fried and I eat the veggies first to get them out of the way, though a nice splash of pepper and a bit of mustard can make most anything palatable for me.
I feel good. I am happy with my first week’s results and am moving on to week two of Dad On Fire…Below you can see my “before” pic and after “Week 1″. Mike
Posted on January 12, 2012 by admin
Making headlines this week is Georgia’s new controversial campaign to help end childhood obesity in their state- which ranks #2 in pediatric obesity (2nd to Mississippi). The campaign is a $25 million, 5 year effort to shock families into recognizing and acting on the severe problem (which is a major understatement). It launched this week with disturbing posters around Atlanta of obese kids asking questions like, “Mom, why am I fat?” Many are outraged by the posters calling them “horrifying” and “majorly disturbing”. Rodney Lyn of Georgia State University’s Institute
of Public Health claims, “This campaign is more negative than positive and the ads can hurt the very market they’re targeting. We know that stigmatization leads to lower self-esteem, potential depression. We know that kids will engage in physical activity less because they
feel like they’re going to be embarrassed.”
Wake up and smell the Skinny Latte Mr. Lyn! It’s a major stigma for kids to be fat! These kids are already depressed, embarrassed and hitting rock bottom. The most immediate
consequence of being overweight as perceived by the children themselves is social
discrimination. Remember how you felt being picked last for the kickball team? Magnify it
by like a million. And I can tell you from over 20 years of experience in working with obese
kids that they are screaming for help. The whole point of the ad campaign is to reach the
only target audience that can help these kids…their parents! Most parents of these
children are: 1. In denial that their kids are fat 2. Have no idea how being obese is
affecting their kids psychologically.
As for #1, most of these parents are overweight themselves and in denial about their own
weight. Statistically, if one parent is obese a child has a 25-50% chance of being fat, if
both parents are overweight the number jumps to a staggering 75%! Chalk it up to genetics
but I have yet to see a child obese from eating too many carrot sticks. Realization is the
first step in helping these parents and quite frankly, the pamphlets in pediatrician’s offices on normal bodyfat percentages and weight in children are doing bubkas. These
parents need a good shaking and these ads are accomplishing just that.
In regard to #2, this is not necessarily a parent’s fault (although as a parent myself I’d
have to have my head buried under some boulder to not realize my son or daughter was depressed or hurting). Children are so embarrassed by being ridiculed and harassed at school and out in society that they hide it…internally and physically hide their bodies. Most kids that I work with are home schooled because they were so badly teased because of their weight that they couldn’t face going to school. The ad campaign succeeds in making a parent put him/herself in their kids’ shoes and to actually feel the ostracism that their kids feel. Tell a parent that her kid will develop Diabetes by age 20 and you’ll be met with a blank stare…tell that same parent that their child is hiding in the bathroom crying because kids just called her a “fat pig” and see how fast it hits home. Which is what it needs to do. In my experience, this is the catalyst that causes parents to finally make permanent changes in unhealthy habits and lifestyle.
According to Linda Matzigkeit, vice president of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, “It has to be harsh. If it’s not, nobody’s going to listen. Parents are in denial. Nearly 1 million Georgia kids are overweight or obese. This is a medical crisis, and I say if you don’t believe me, come visit our hospital and see the kids we are now taking care of — that more and more have Type 2 diabetes, have hypertension, need knee replacements — and it’s breaking our heart to see these adult-type diseases in the children that we serve.”
Absolutely, 100% agreed. Overweight kids aren’t offended by these posters…it’s what they’re thinking in their heads everyday, all day. And to the parents who are offended…good. Mission accomplished. Apparently they’ve had their eyes closed to the 1 million kids walking around their state suffering on a daily basis. Now it’s time to really help these kids.
Posted on January 8, 2012 by admin
Hi! I believe in making changes to your diet week to week as opposed to giving you a diet to follow, cold turkey, off the bat. When you make small changes, it ensures that you change not only your habits but your entirely lifestyle. It takes away the rebellion aspect of dieting and is the most successful way to diet. So here we go!
Mike has been writing down his food and he likes to eat lots of high fat meat (like a lot of you guys), beer, fattening condiments and fruits, vegetables and complex grain are almost totally absent. He does drink lots of water and has started drinking green to so that’s a big plus! I believe in a moderate fat diet, filled with lots of protein (I’m definitely a carnivore), fruits and veggies with whole grain carbs. I also believe in eating every 3 hours to keep your metabolism moving! Mike chose to ditch alcohol altogether but on this program you can have 3 glasses of wine or 3 beers a week. So plan them out!!
Here’s his program for this week:
Breakfast: 7am
Water
Coffee with milk
3 fried egg whites, 1 slice cheese, 1 piece of Rye bread, 1/4-1/2 Cup broccoli or asparagus
Snack: 10am
Choose 1: piece of fruit and handful of nuts (almonds or cashews) or piece of fruit and 1 part skim string cheese
Lunch: 1:00
Open faced sandwich on whole wheat bread with lite mayo, mustard or lite Russian dressing. 4-5 slices of turkey, lettuce and tomato. Water or seltzer. Green tea (with 1T honey if you’d like)
Snack: 4:00
Whey protein shake (1 scoop of Whey protein powder, 8 oz skim or 1%, almond or coconut milk, 1/2 cup frozen berries, 1 T peanut butter or almond butter)
Dinner: 6:30
(no white flour…so no pasta, bread or pizza)
8 oz of protein (prepared any way except deep fried–you can sautee in a little butter or olive oil), 1 Cup of Veggies (steamed or boiled…you can add 1 t of butter if you’d like or a little grated 2% cheddar cheese), 1 Cup of grain or potato (rice, brown rice, potato, sweet potato, quinoa, cous cous….you can add a little butter or olive oil). Water or seltzer.
After dinner:
If you’re thinking you need a little something after dinner decaf coffee or tea with 1 T of honey is great. If you need something sweet, 1 serving size of pudding (snack packs rock)
Please write me with any questions! Below is a picture of Mike’s food shopping for the week. Totally a workout carrying this home!! Lol.
Good luck!!
xoxo
L
Posted on January 8, 2012 by admin
Hey you guys!! For all of you following along I’m hoping that you took your measurements and are keeping them in a safe place. This is Mike’s workout for Week 1. It’s a beginner’s workout. I’ll be increasing the intensity and duration of the workouts week to week. I’ll post the schedules every Sunday night. Here’s this week’s workout:
Monday, Wednesday and Friday:
Treadmill 15 minutes at an RPE of 6 (RPE means a rating of perceived exertion. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the hardest, he needs to exercise at a 6)
You guys can walk/jog outside for the same amount of time or do the elliptical on Level 1 for the same time. Should be equivalent to about a mile.
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday:
Treadmill for 10 minutes and strength workout. Do this as a circuit (meaning you do each exercise once and quickly move to the next with minimal rest). After you do the whole circuit, rest for about 3 minutes then perform the whole circuit twice more for a total of 3 circuits. After you finish the circuits, move on to the stretch.
1. Step Ups (step one leg up to every other step keeping chest high)….1o on each leg
2. Modified Push Ups (on floor, above the knees, hands slightly wider than chest, feet off the floor, butt in alignment with body)….10 reps
3. Sumo Squats (legs slightly wider than hip distance apart, toes facing out, sit your butt back)….10 reps
4. Reverse dips (sit on chair, place hands next to hips, lower body toward floor until elbows are at 90 degrees, straighten and repeat)….10 reps
5. Crunches (chin up and look toward ceiling)….10 reps
6. Crunches with knee in (keep one knee toward your chest and crunch up and down, repeat other leg)….10 reps each side
STRETCH (hold each for 15-20 seconds)
7. Hip Flexor….lying on your back extend one leg out and bring opposite knee to chest..repeat other leg
8. Upper Back….lying on back reach arms up past head and stretch
9. Inner Thigh.…sit with legs straight and apart and reach forward
10. Butterfly….sit with soles of feet together and knees out to side and reach forward
11. Psoas….on your knees place one foot forward with knee bent in front of you and other knee on the floor behind you..lean forward with chest up
12. Chest….stand in a doorway and place your hands and forearms on the frame, elbows slightly lower than shoulders and lean forward from chest
The sequence is below in pictures. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!
xoxo
Larysa
Posted on January 6, 2012 by admin
So you wanna be a buff dad?! Splendid!! We’re so psyched you’re joining us!
The first step Mike and I did was take his “before” pictures. Here’s a link to a fun blog I wrote about taking the right pictures, before we get you buff. http://www.larysafit.com/blog/uncategorized/how-to-take-the-right-before-picture/. In addition, you need to take your measurements. Here are Mike’s:
1/4/12
Wt-266.6
Chest-45
Abs-47
Quads-27
Arms-14.5
Should-51.5
Forearms-12.5
Calfs-15
We’re going to be weighing Mike every Wednesday in the morning. Pick a day and time that you want to weigh yourself weekly. You can write it down in a journal, or if you have an iPhone, iPad or Droid download the TargetWeight app. It’s awesome at keeping a record and graphing your weight. Lol yes there’s an app that graphs your weight! When you take your measurements take them around the “belly” of the muscle. For example, for your calfs it’s the part that sticks out the most. For your stomach, take it around where your belly button is. Pull firmly but not too tight. Keep a record of your measurements because we’ll take them again in 4 weeks!
You’ll be keeping a food log which is really the only way to keep honest and achieve your goals. It’s about accountability. So you can write them down, put them under “memo” in your blackberry or email them to yourself. You can also download the “My Fitness Pal” app for the iPhone and Droid. It rocks. I like keeping my journal where I can see it. Even on your calendar!
Post your “before” pictures on FB or send them to me at larysa@larysadidio.com and I’ll keep them under lock and key until your “after” pics. Or you can keep them in your iPhone with a crazy ass password that no one will ever guess 
. But sharing helps everyone else doing the program! Follow us to keep up with the program!
www.facebook.com/LarysaFitClub
www.facebook.com/michael.hnatyshyn
www.twitter.com/LarysaFit
www.twitter.com/MichaelHnatyshy
See Mike’s intro video on my hosting site by clicking this link!
http://resultswiki.com/1137/thelab-7-dad-on-fire-mikes-measurements/
Send me any questions that you have. I’m so pumped to be your trainer!
Yours in health and buffness xoxo,
Larysa
Mike’s “before” picture!
Posted on January 6, 2012 by admin
I have been a HUGE follower of the Zone diet for years. I’m one of those fitness experts who has followed much of Dr. Barry Sears’ advice like a Hari Krishnah disciple marching the streets of NY banging on my tambourine (as I measure my snacks to make sure that they are in proper 40-30-30 ratio). I have reactive hypoglycemia which means my body produces lots of insulin when I eat too much sugar or simple carbs. The Zone Diet, a diet that promotes the proper balance of protein, carbohydrate and fat is perfect for me, and I have found, it is for most people. It makes sense. Avoid processed carbs which have a high glycemic index (your body runs through them), add monounsaturated fat, avoid artificial sweeteners (they boost your insulin) and include high quality protein in every meal. My clients, and thousand of people in the US have been extremely successful in using Dr. Sears’ program. So you can imagine my delight when I was asked to review The Zone’s new program, The Zone Fast Weight Loss!
The packages arrived in a huge box and I ripped them open like it was Christmas! What I found was a package full of processed, white flour products like bagels, flat breads, pretzels and cookies. Surely they had mistakenly sent the wrong food to me? Nope, the package label was right. “Eat the food you love and not feel hungry.” But wait! The food I have grown to love not only because it has kept me fit and trim, but because I knew how good it was for my body was now replaced with a glutinous, processed, and chemical laden substitute. I felt cheated. Like catching my husband with a buxom, red head only this red head came in the form of “popular food” that I’d been scoffing at for years. The exact “popular” food that has US healthcare spending $96 billion on Diabetes a year. Disappointment prevailed. Like the time I found out that Dr. Weil (another one of my gurus), who had been preaching to only consume the liquid form of Omega 3 (which, if you’ve ever tried, is less than palatable), was selling the pill form in huge quantities. Scoundrels! Ok one may call it adapting to the times, but come on! We, the people, look to our gurus and our experts to hold steady to their beliefs and programs that they have most effusively screamed to the world and we have responded, faithfully. Especially in times of chaos…that chaos being 30% of the US being overweight or fat.
So hears the skinny (haha pardon the pun) on the program. Dr. Sears added whey protein (which I love) to foods that are normally crappy for you and your health, to slow the absorption of them into your system. Which works! And if you’re going to consume pretzels and bagels in large quantities, this is the way to go. I’m not particularly thrilled that he added sucralose (Splenda) to his food to make it taste sweeter and better. Sucralose is chlorinated sugar molecules. Aside from being a chemical with many side affects, It still boosts your blood sugar and as a side note….chlorine consumption has been linked in some studies, to bladder cancer. I would have preferred that he use a more natural sweetener like Stevia or agave. But, again, if one desires to continue with a program that would include processed food, this would be the best one to choose.
I continue to be a devout ORIGINAL Zone follower and can’t praise The Zone Delivery food and program enough. The food is yummy, high quality and great for dieters and those wanting to just get healthy. I’m bummed that Dr. Sears “sold out” in his new program, but, like a jaded lover watching over her beau, I will continue to see the good in him and his program….and keep one eye open.
Posted on January 2, 2012 by admin
Happy New Year’s Resolution time!! If you’re like 90% of Americans, your Resolution is to lose weight this year. Let me help you be successful! As the “Makeover Queen” with over 20 years of personal training and experience in the fitness industry, my programs have gotten thousands of people to not only reach their goals, but to keep them within 5 lbs of their goal weight, permanently. Here’s the deal:
1. It’s all about math (mostly). It’s true. When losing weight you must burn more calories than you take in. Once you reach your goal you can reset you daily caloric intake to a higher amount but you have “get a little uncomfortable (with your diet) to get comfortable (with your body).” And honestly, the only thing that has proven to work is calorie counting and measuring your serving size. If you’re like me, you’ll slightly er lie to yourself about how many calories you THINK you ingested or how many calories you THINK you burned on the treadmill (“I ran 3 miles that’s got to be good for 500 calories burned” hehe). The only way to successfully do this is to be accountable or record your daily food intake and exercise. Apps are great for helping you do this and my favorite is www.myfitnesspal.com. You don’t have to have an iPhone or Droid to participate…you can do everything online. Even if you’re not the type of personality who likes to write things down, try it at least for 2 weeks. It’ll give you a feeling for what your eating habits should be to attain your desired weight.
2. The more you move, the more you can eat (and the more you’ll lose-eating more) .I’m not just talking about general exercise but also every day movement. The people who move more not only burn more calories during the movement but also burn more at rest because they have more muscle (muscle burns more calories than fat). The key is to not only move more, but to include traditional strength training in your weekly workout….especially if you’re over the age of 35. A small percentage of muscle mass is lost every year above that…causing our metabolisms or calorie burning mechanisms to slow down.
3. All calories aren’t created equal. So MyFitnessPal says that you can consume 1200 calories and you think “Perfect! I love Scooter Pies so I’ll just eat 1200 calories of them.” Remember what your momma said? “You are what you eat.” Not only will eating a high sugar/high fat diet leave you feeling like crap, nutritionally deficient and at a risk for developing maladies like Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease or worse, it will make you look awful. This is where body fat percentage comes in. You can be 150 pounds and 15% body fat and you can be 150 pounds and 30% body fat. There’s a big difference aesthetically. The key is to eat a balanced diet that includes protein, complex carb and a little fat at every meal (this includes snacks). This will give you a healthy, toned look at your goal weight.
I’ll be back with more blogging on which programs are best for which body type, age and gender. Good luck and happy dieting!!
Xoxo
Larysa
Posted on December 28, 2011 by admin
The holidays can be a bit challenging for your diet because if your house is like mine, you’re surrounded by sugar and yummy treats given to you by loving, well meaning family members, friends and co-workers. Although 1 or 2 days of feasting isn’t bad for you (I am the queen of preaching moderation) consuming a lot of sugar over time can do some crappy things to your body. You probably know that eating excessive sugar can cause you to be overweight, have cavities and leave you predisposed to getting Type 2 Diabetes. But here are some daily, tangible things that you may not realize sugar does to your body:
1. It can make you koo koo. The key to losing weight and feeling energetic is keeping your blood sugar stable. You can accomplish this by eating well balanced meals (protein, carb and fats together) that have lots of fiber and cause your body to take longer to digest. Your body runs through sugar which causes your blood sugar to spike, which in turn causes insulin to be released. As soon as insulin is released your body is triggered to store excess calories as fat. Which is not good. In addition, because sugar is a simple carb it gives your body a quick dose of energy. Which feels good initially, but as your body uses the energy up, you start to crash (ever watch a kid after eating candy? They go nuts then fall on the sofa). So raised blood sugar levels make you fat and drain you of your feel good energy.
2. It can give you a cold. When there is excess insulin in your body, your immune system goes on high alert. Hormones are released as your body fights the inflammation caused by the excess insulin. Unfortunately, if your body is constantly fighting this war, it leaves you susceptible to other issues and maladies like colds, viruses, etc. People who consume more sugar and have poorer dietary habits are known to have more sick days than those who eat healthier.
3. It can cause you to break a bone. Sugar causes your blood pH to be acidic which is an unnatural state. Calcium and minerals are drawn from your bones and teeth to lower acidity which can predispose you to bone density issues and teeth problems (this is in addition to decay). In addition, cancer and tumors are known to thrive in acidic environments (it’s one of the reasons why cancer patients are put on macrobiotic diets). A test for certain cancers is to feed the tumor a sugar solution and see how quickly it grows.
So what should you do? As I said, sugar in moderation is ok but it’s excessive, daily consumption that really does the damage.
1. Eat natural forms of sugar when you can. I love honey, agave and maple syrup.
2. When you consume sugar, eat it with protein and a little fat to buffer the blood sugar boost.
3. If you’re going to eat sugar, eat it later in the day so as to not set up a craving for it throughout the day (sugar is known to be addictive)
4. If you’re a sugar addict, ditch it slowly. For example, if you’re used to putting 3 teaspoons of sugar in your morning coffee, reduce it to 2 for a week, then 1 the next week, then eliminate it completely.
As for artificial sugar substitutes, they cause more harm than good and still boost your blood sugar (which is why they’re not allowed on the Atkins Diet). Ditch these completely from your diet and don’t look back. I’ll blog about how horrible they are in a subsequent blog.
So, now, what to do with the leftover fudge, cookies and candy that are staring you from your kitchen counter? Bring them to work, freeze them for future company or hand them out to neighbors. They’ll be happy, you’ll be happier and your body will be happiest!
Xoxo
Larysa
Posted on September 10, 2011 by admin
Most of you know how important I think whey protein is to getting a hot, lean body because of it’s high protein content (typically 25+g per serving) which is essential for building muscle, which boosts your metabolism and it’s portion control (typically 200-300 lowfat calories per serving)….but recent studies have shown that whey protein can enhance weight loss because of it’s high branched-chain amino acid content. BCAAs can improve insulin sensitivity (stabilizes your blood sugar which is important to weight loss) and keep you feeling full longer. Whey protein has a higher content of BCAAs than other proteins like chicken, beef or fish. It’s also been shown that whey protein modulates hormones that help weight loss.
Who should drink whey protein? Everyone in my book. Moms trying to lose weight who need an easy, portable snack or meal; guys trying to put on muscle without the fat; kids who don’t eat enough protein; vegetarians and anyone over the age of 40. After 37 your body starts to lose a small percentage of muscle every year. Muscle is what is responsible for most of your metabolism. The less muscle you have the slower your metabolism. So as you get older your metabolism slows down as a result of muscle loss. It’s the reason why your 85 year old grandma can only eat 800 calories or else she’ll gain weight.
How do you incorporate it into your daily life? Substitute it for a meal or snack. I have mine for breakfast. I make it in a blender and put it in a “to go” container and run to work. It’s perfect!
What kind should you get? A preservative, artificial sweetener free kind. What you don’t want to do is do something great for your body and then sabotage your effort by adding extra crap that you don’t need or isn’t good for you. You can get “clean” whey protein at any GNC or health food store. Costco and Sam’s Club are now carrying whey protein also. I prefer the powder form that you make yourself but there are “ready to drink” varieties that are great. If you make your shake you can add yummy additions like fruit and nut butter. Ice always makes it festive! In addition you can make it dairy free by using coconut milk, almond, rice or soy milk. I LOVE coconut milk!!! Here’s a recipe that I created that makes my mornings fun!
Pina Colada For Breakfast
1 cup coconut milk
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
1/2 cup pineapple
1/2 cup ice
VOILA! Blend for a minute and go!
Happy sipping!
xoxo
L 
Posted on July 22, 2011 by admin
Dancing can be a great self-esteem builder for girls…and you all know how passionately I feel about helping them feel confident and healthy. I’m encouraging all girls between the ages of 9 and 18 to enter the Best Bones Forever! Let’s Dance Contest featuring Savvy. This is a contest for every girl regardless of her dancing abilities. It’s about having fun and getting active with friends!
I was so psyched when I was asked to be the newest ambassador of Best Bones Forever!, a national bone health campaign of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health. We’re teaming up to encourage girls everywhere to “grow strong together, stay strong forever” by getting plenty of foods with calcium and vitamin D and 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Check out the Best Bones Forever! website for yummy bone healthy recipes and fun activities.
One of my favorite (and girls’ favorite also) bone-building activities is dancing. Dancing works the whole body, so encourage all the girls you know to participate in the Best Bones Forever! Let’s Dance Contest! The contest invites girls ages 9-18 to grab their friends, choose one of the five Savvy songs, choreograph a dance routine, record their routine and then upload the video to the contest website all for a chance to win a trip to appear in a Savvy music video! This is also an activity moms can do with their daughters! Burn some calories and give your bones a boost by helping your daughter and her friends choreograph their dance routine. Learn more at www.bbfletsdance.com.
Good luck!!
xoxo
L
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