We've all seen the post on Instagram that says a Sunday well spent brings a week of content. We over here at Train It Right couldn't help but agree! Sunday's are a great day to relax, reset and get ready for the work week ahead. But like many, you're probably on a journey of health and fitness. Eating clean and sticking to a plan can be one of the hardest parts of your journey. The best way to combat failure in this is planning and prepping. Though there are many food prep companies (and they are great) prepping your own food can be simpler and easier than you think.

Here are a few tips to help you ease into prepping your own food:

* Create a grocery list based on your food plan and shop the day before prepping

It's the New Year!!!

SOURCE Iovate Health Sciences International Inc.

Drug for narcolepsy could help food addicts lose weight

Overweight people could be given help with the discovery that a drug used for sleep disorder could also reduce the impulse for food.

There are many factors that cause obesity but there is a growing weight of evidence that shows obesity is not just caused by a behavioural disorder, such as a lack of self-control, but that many overweight people are physically addicted to foods rich in fat and sugar.

When we eat food that tastes good we get a powerful release of dopamine in the pleasure/reward section of the brain, but food addicts have been found to have a deficiency in a certain type of dopamine so that their sense of reward and pleasure is diminished, thus they have to eat more to reach the same level of pleasure as anybody else.

Scientists have also found impulsive behaviour is a factor in leading to food addiction and Ivo Vlaev, of Warwick Business School, plus Myutan Kulendran, Laura Wingfield, Colin Sugden, and Ara Darzi, of Imperial College London, discovered that a drug called Modafinil, usually used for narcolepsy, shift work disorder and excessive daytime sleepiness, can reduce impulsivity and thus food addiction.

“We found Modafinil, which is already on the market, did reduce people’s impulsive behaviour,” said Professor Vlaev.

“It has been shown to reduce impulsiveness in a variety of disorders such as alcohol dependence, schizophrenia and ADHD. Food addicts suffer from the same neurobiological conditions so we believe it will help food addicts as well and our initial tests have backed up that theory.

“This could have important implications for people who are obese. There is mounting evidence to show that there is a substantial number of obese people who are food addicts because they have an inability to control their impulsive actions and this drug has shown it can give them more control, which will help overweight people lose weight and so improve their health.

“Food addicts know they need to lose weight, but the desire for more food is overwhelming, leading to a spiral of depression that can lead to psychological issues as well as health problems.”

The drug, which is sold under a wide variety of brand names around the world, was one of two drugs tested by researchers, the other being Atomoxetine. Both drugs have been used for impulsive conditions, including ADHD.

In the paper Pharmacological manipulation of impulsivity: A randomized controlled trial published in Personality and Individual Differences, the scientists conducted a series of trials on 60 men aged between 19 and 32, with 20 taking a placebo, 20 Atomoxetine and 20 Modafinil.

The tests revealed that those who had taken Modafinil had a significantly reduced level of impulsiveness, whereas Atomoxetine produced no difference compared to the placebo group.

“Modafinil was found to have an effect on impulsivity in healthy individuals and so would be able to have an even bigger effect on food addicts, who are lacking in certain types of dopamine,” said Professor Vlaev.

“This drug could be a real help to those people struggling to control their desire for food even though they know they should lose weight.

“The drug improves self-control, which is a key factor in determining obesity, so our hypothesis is that this drug should help in treating the disease.”

10  SURPRISING REASONS YOU ARE GAINING OR NOT LOSING WEIGHT THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH OVEREATING 

www.drcalapai.net

When we see people who are overweight, many commonly assume that the individual is overeating and not exercising.   Neither of these instances is cause for prejudice, fat shaming or other negatives.  There are men and women who seemingly do everything right when it comes to diet and exercise and they are either gaining weight or simply unable to shed pounds.  This can be incredibly disheartening and wreak havoc one one’s self esteem. Here are 10 surprising reasons provided by Dr. Christopher Calapai as to why this might be occurring.  Dr. Christopher Calapai D.O. is a New York City anti-aging and stem cell specialist, and long-time nutrition advisor to the New York Rangers hockey team.  

Lack of Sleep

There are two issues at work with sleep and weight gain. First, if you're up late, the odds are greater that you're doing some late-night snacking, which means more calories. The other reason involves what's going on in your body when you're sleep-deprived. Changes in hormone levels increase hunger and appetite and also make you feel not as full after eating.

Medication

“Many anti-depressant medications cause weight gain—so if you're depressed and taking pills for it, expect to see a bump in weight between 5 and 15 pounds, with continued gradual accumulation over the years,” says Dr. Calapai.  If you're not taking pills, there’s evidence that feelings of depression can correlate to weight gain. If patients are taking anti-depressants  that could be the culprit of their weight gain, they should see their prescribing doctor and be weaned off slowly. “There's a long list of medications that can cause weight gain: If you're taking birth control pills, excess hormones for hormone therapy, steroids, beta-blockers for heart disease and blood pressure, anti-seizure meds, breast cancer medications like Tamoxifen, some treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, and even some migraine and heartburn medications, you may notice pounds creeping on,” says Dr. Calapai.

Your gut is slow

Digestive issues, including slow bowel movements, may also account for excess pounds. "Ideally, you eat, and then, an hour or so later, you have a bowel movement," says Dr. Calapai. "But once or twice a day is still in the healthy range."  If you're not so regular, dehydration, medications, low fiber, or even a lack of good flora in your gut could be to blame. If constipation is your only symptom, then trying probiotics can help your digestive tract work properly.  If you're still having trouble, check with your doctor to rule out a range of disorders, including hypothyroidism or a neurological issue.

You're getting older 

It's the one condition that's unavoidable. "Often, I hear patients tell me they think their metabolism is slowing down," says Dr. Calapai. "This is real. We don't burn as many calories at 40 or 50 as we used to burn at 20. So we need more exercise and less foo to keep the metabolism going.  "Remember that all calories are not equal when it comes to weight," says Dr. Calapai.  "Eating lean protein will cause your body to burn calories more efficiently. On the other hand, carbs are something your body tends to burn more slowly and even store in your body more readily."

You have plantar fasciitis

"Many musculoskeletal conditions, including plantar fasciitis, but also osteoarthritis and knee or hip pain, can result in unintentional weight gain," says Dr. Calapai. "Plantar fasciitis certainly can force you to cut back on your activity enough to cause weight gain."

You have Cushing's Syndrome

Weight gain accompanied by high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and changes in your skin tone and quality, including purple or silvery stretch marks on your abdomen and ruddy cheeks, could be a sign that your body isn't processing nutrients the way it should, due to a cortisol-producing tumor on one of your adrenal glands. The syndrome affects only about 15 in every million adults annually, so proceed with caution before demanding a battery of tests. "Cushing's Syndrome is not terribly common," says Dr. Calapai, "but one of the telltale signs is that your fat distribution is more in the midsection of your body, leaving your arms and legs looking more slender."

LIQUID CALORIES

It is often overlooked that liquids have calories. Calories from juices and soft drinks can quickly add up and at restaurants where free refills are the norm, the calorie build-up can go unrecognized. Wright also explains that liquid calories have no satiety factor. “Satiety relates to how long we stay satisfied after we consume something. If you ate 500 calories of healthy solid food, he/she would be full and unlikely to eat anything for quite some time, but after drinking the same amount of calories in orange juice, cola or root beer, you might be hungry minutes later.”

WEIGHT TRAINING

Many people do not realize that weight gain is not just fat gain. Weight training can increase your muscle mass, therefore increasing your weight. When you gain muscle faster than you lose fat, your body mass is increasing.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS):

PCOS is one of the most common reproductive problems diagnosed in younger women, striking perhaps up to 10% of women who are of childbearing age (i.e. roughly 12-45 years old). It involves the development of many small cysts on the ovaries, as well as menstrual disturbances. The hormone disruption caused by PCOS has many unpleasant consequences, including unwanted weight gain (usually because of a higher resistance to insulin). If you also suffer from acne, find that you are hairier than most women and do not have regular periods, ask your doctor about being tested for PCOS. This usually involves blood tests and an ultrasound of your ovaries. If you do have PCOS then you can lose the unwanted weight, but the unfortunate fact of the matter is that you will have to adopt an attitude towards healthy eating and exercise that is substantially more diligent than that of your peers.

Quitting Smoking:

Although making the decision to stop smoking is extremely good for your body in a great many respects, most people who do quit smoking end up gaining around 7-10 pounds. Most of this is due to the fact that reaching for cigarettes tends to be replaced with reaching for snacks, but the new absence of nicotine in your body will also lead to a drop in metabolic rate (so you won't be able to eat as much as you used to without gaining weight).

“Carb intake makes it difficult for your body to burn fat as a primary fuel . Low carb diets work well to burn fat and lower cholesterol and lose weight, “says Dr. Calapai. If you suspect you are gaining weight that you can't attribute to your eating habits, medications, or lack of exercise, a few tests—including a blood test and urinalysis, to get an accurate check of your body's cortisol levels, will give your doctor the first clues to this condition. If the levels are deemed excessively high, then your doctor will order further tests, like a CT scan of your pituitary and adrenal glands, to determine if such a tumor exists. If the tumor is confirmed, doctors will likely perform surgery to remove the tumor (and possibly the affected gland), followed by a course of steroids to help regulate the remaining gland.

If you want to lose weight to become more healthy, you’re going to need to take action. It’s not good just doing nothing and hoping the problem will fix itself. You need to make sure you come up with as many different ideas and options as you can to help you lose weight. The good news for you is that there are plenty of ways to do this these days.

Image Source

Coming up with the best weight loss techniques is one of the best things you can do. It’s important to have different options and ideas you can use. You should take a look at the ideas and techniques listed on this post. They will help you come up with the best ways to lose weight and get you looking and feeling fantastic.

Boot Camp

To get serious about losing weight you need to make sure you take decisive action. You’ve got to immerse yourself in the process, and take it as seriously as you can. And one of the most effective things you can do is to attend a boot camp. Prestige Boot Camp is one of Europe’s leading fitness and weight loss boot camps. A visit to one of these is going to set you on the road to the perfect fitness regime. You’ll be in the ideal surroundings to work on losing weight and enjoy the motivation and facilities necessary. This is one of the best things you can do if you want to work on losing weight and getting fitter. Think about signing up for a weekend or a week of intensive boot camp training!

Personal Trainer

The next option would be to hire a personal trainer to put you through your paces. This is one of the most sensible options, and will really help keep you dedicated. A personal trainer can take care of all the difficult and strenuous parts of the process like devising fitness regimes. It’s important to have somebody who will keep you in line and motivate and inspire you. A personal trainer can provide you with an extra impetus to stay fit and healthy. They will be able to use some of the best bodyweight exercises, and come up with a personal fitness program. If you’ve never used a personal trainer before you might find it hard work. But it will all be worth it in the long run, and the end definitely justifies the means.

Fad Diets

As well as the exercise there are other approaches you can take to losing weight as well. For example, you need to look into what you’re eating. Dieting is closely linked to weight loss and a healthy body. That’s why it’s important to make sure you come up with sensible diets that can help you. Fad diets are very popular these days and provide a quick and easy way of losing weight. However, it’s worth noting that many fad diets act solely as short-term measures. And, as such, you need to make sure you have a sensible diet once you’ve reached the end of your fad diet.

Losing weight is an important part of the process of staying fit and healthy. That’s why it’s important to come up with as many weight loss techniques and tips as you can. Many of these will involve a balanced diet and regular exercise. But, there are more extreme examples like the ones listed on here.

THE LAZY GIRL’S HIGH TECH TRICK FOR LOSING INCHES BY NEW YEAR’S AND FITNESS HACKS

With just one month left until New Year’s Eve, it’s time to squeeze into a little black dress and stay up ‘til midnight, it’s time to prep. The good news is, if you don’t want to squeeze into your outfit, there’s still four weeks left to tone up and loose those few pounds or inches that make the difference between, “You look great!” and jaw-dropping silence. Here are some fitness hacks and one high tech “lazy girl’s trick for achieving your ideal NYE look.

THE HIGH TECH WAY- STRAWBERRY LASER LIPO

www.strawberry-laser.us

First introduced in London, the Strawberry Laser’s cold laser technology is now available in the United States. Already, over 5 million people worldwide have lost instant inches with Strawberry. There are now Strawberry systems installed in over 30 countries.

The Strawberry Laser is an FDA cleared, painless alternative to liposuction that achieves non-invasive inch-loss and body contouring by shrinking fat cells. With each 10-20 minute treatment, unwanted fat is naturally released from the body via the lymphatic system. The results are instant. Clients can lose up to 8 inches in 1 treatment and two areas of the body can be treated at once.

So how does it work?

Prior to each treatment, precise measurements are taken at multiple levels around a patient’s specific target area(s). During the treatment, low-level (cold) laser technology is used to painlessly melt fat within the fat cells. The process is similar to exercise. When a person exercises, triglycerides are released from the fat cells. With these being released, the fat cells reduce in size (adipocytes). The Strawberry Laser works in a similar way, pulling the triglycerides from the fat cells. This results in millions of fat cells becoming smaller, so inches are reduced off the waist, hips, thighs, arms, buttocks and male breasts. Exercising in conjunction with Strawberry Laser treatments further stimulates the fat reduction process. Surrounding tissues, such as blood vessels, nerves and skin cells are unaffected by the procedure.

Cost: Between $1,500 and $2,000 for a course of 8, 20 minute treatments.

THE TRADITIONAL WAY – FITNESS HACKS

www.franicohen.com

Franci Cohen is a NYC certified fitness trainer, nutritionist and exercise physiologist. Here she provides tips on how to hack your way to better fitness before New Year’s.

Strength with Cardio

For most, weight-training and cardio exercise are two separate events. However, mixing strength exercises with a cardio interval, like a 30 second sprint, will boost the metabolism and growth hormones.

Go Compound

Try multi-joint or compound exercises that engage multiple muscle groups at the same time. Replace isolated exercises, which only focus on one muscle group at a time, with movements like the squat or deadlift to burn more calories and increase your metabolic rate.

Train Like an Athlete

Huge biceps look great, but are unlikely to contribute to overall health. Instead of training like a bodybuilder try exercising like an athlete. Include plyometrics, kettlebell swings and sprints in your training plan to add intensity and variety to workouts while improving overall fitness.

Go Heavy

Lifting heavier weights for less repetitions helps to build strength and shed fat. Start with a weight that is manageable for 15 reps. Then add weight over time to find a weight that is doable for eight to ten repetitions. Remember, always practice perfect form, and try to work for an extra rep before calling it quits.
Bring a Friend

Working out with a partner improves results and makes the going-to-the-gym experience a more enjoyable one. Having a partner to provide encouragement during workouts can help you get the most out of a workout. And when you have someone relying on you to do the same, it makes you accountable and more likely to show up for workouts.

Don't Train, Compete

Turn workouts into a competition with yourself of a workout partner. Join a sports league, play pick-up basketball or sign-up for a 5K. Or create your own challenges in the gym by completing a circuit workout as fast as possible, pushing the pace and intensity.

Write it Down

Record the exercises, sets and repetitions performed during workouts. Keeping track of goals and progress will reveal what you have accomplished and where you can improve. With that knowledge on hand, it's then possible to structure workouts that play to your strengths and improve weaknesses.

Hydrate

Be sure to drink plenty of water during workouts and throughout the day. Heading into a workout dehydrated takes its toll on muscles, motivation and energy levels. Drink up and train hard, then don't forget to refuel with food and water after workouts to promote recovery.

Now accepting registration for the Train It Right Transformation Program Round 2

SPOTS ARE LIMITED

Initial payment will reserve your spot.

---

The Transformation Program Runs 12 weeks! (the next program starts in January. Exact date TBD). All entrants will be notified upon start date. YES we are in it for real change! 3x workouts with Alicia at OTC and 2-3 workouts provided for you to do on your own (dependant on your goals).

Why group transformations? It isn't for everyone but some people like the group atmosphere:

• Less Money than 1 on 1 pt: Small-group training offers clients a great way to split training costs for the same great personal-training experience.

• More Support: Clients are more motivated to train regularly and consistently, knowing they have like-minded training partners who push them and hold them accountable.

• Greater Adherence: Knowing that a partner is counting on them increases adherence and loyalty.

• More Fun: A shared personal-training experience is often more fun for clients.

• Avoids Burnout: Small-group training allows clients to xperiment with different equipment and different formats, which helps avoid boredom and burnout.

Where: https://www.facebook.com/otctoronto?fref=ts (A brand new facility in Etobicoke). 222 Islington Avenue. This is a studio there is no membership just trainers like myself with great clients like you!

When: Tuesday 7pm, 8pm Option, Thursday 7pm, 8pm Option, Saturday 8am, 9am Options (the odd occasion may be switched to a Sunday due to track and field coaching obligations). If you cannot make the odd switch to a Sunday you will get to make up for it in a bootcamp at the end of the 12 weeks.

What else?  We will do before photos and progress photos each and every week. We will also track your measurements along the way so we can adjust the program accordingly.

Why isn’t this for everyone? Because I am going to help you with your nutrition every step of the way. That means meal planning, meal prep, food journaling and tracking!!!!! Myself and the other ladies will be your support

You will also have 24hr access to an exclusive group Facebook where you can share questions, recipes or have open discussions and questions with me and the other ladies in the group.

Cost: The cost is $1000.00 plus HST for all 3 months of training 3x a week, nutrition guidance and off day workouts!

SIGN UP TODAY. SPACE IS LIMITED

Payments are non-refundable. If you miss sessions I will do my best to accommodate a finishing bootcamp at the end of 12 weeks to make up for the missed sessions but please do your best to attend them.

Instalment Plan #1

Instalment Plan #2

Complete minimally to perform maximally

Guest Blog by Steve Morley

It’s marathon season. Adult distance runners are a funny lot. They’ll declare sometime in the year “I’m going to run a fall marathon”. They may even commit to a training plan. What happens though is that they are like a dog that sees a squirrel. They focus on the squirrel. Then another squirrel goes by, and then that’s all they see.

For a distance runner the squirrel might be a local 5k race that happens the week before. It could be some event that happens like a corporate relay fitness challenge, or a charity 15k run. These are all great things to do, and can be incorporated into the training plan. That’s the key. If you get a training plan from an online source, and you print it off and put it on the fridge that’s good. What happens when life gets in the way? You have to drive the kids to track practice, or they have to stay late and band, you have a conference to go to, all these things can make you modify your training plan. You should modify it.

That’s not what happens though. You’ll do all of those things, and then you’ll try to cram in your marathon pace long run next Sunday. So as a result of juggling a full life you get hurt. Some people will muscle through the injury and they’ll do the workout, and get even more hurt.

Probably very few of these plans mention cross training, like non-impact activities like biking or inline skating, or even cross training by doing hill repeats or the occasional speed session.

The body of an adult distance runner is funny too. Even adults adapt. Those muscles that do the same thing over and over again adapt. They become more efficient and as a result they have to do less work to produce the same output. There is less overall muscle recruitment so therefore you need to change up what you’re doing, to trick your body into working harder.

Stare at the fridge, is your training diet in need of some super charging?

So what are you going to do about it?

You may not do anything – this time. Consider the principle of adaptation again. The training plan says you will do a 25 minute tempo run on Thursday. It’s in your plan, and you know from last Thursday that your tempo pace is X, so therefore this Thursday your pace will be X. What many people fail to consider is that their fitness improves with training. If it didn’t, everyone would perform the same and everyone would arrive at the finish line at the same time.

So given the principle of adaptation, your pace for any given workout throughout that plan your times will change. For the tempo run example, a far better indicator of how to perform, would be perceived level of exertion. In the example of the 25 tempo run it should feel comfortably uncomfortable and you should feel like you could do it at that effort for an hour.

How do you compete minimally to perform maximally when all these squirrels are around? It seems like every weekend brings on a new race, and you could jump into many of them, and while you might be fit and see some great results, if the marathon is your thing, then doing one of these events “out of season” will negatively impact your goal that you have set for yourself. A goal without a plan is just a dream.

Pick your events. A 5k doesn’t really fit, so pass it by. You might say “well I can just do this race as a tempo”. Then the gun goes off and you’re racing it, and then it takes 3 days to recover to get back on your training plan. Then the next weekend is a 10k, or a duathlon, the cycle perpetuates itself and you never get back to your plan, and then when race day comes you are so tired, that you don’t even want to be on the start line.

Remember what’s on the fridge needs to be modified as your life is modified. If you had the greatest of intentions to follow this training plan 100% of the time and life throws you a curve, take yourself off the hook and reboot your goal. Listen to your inner voice and trust what it is saying to you. Have a three tiered goal strategy. Have a goal that you can drive home after the race is done where you aren’t saying things like “I should have done”, or “I wish I had done”. Next have one that is a little more challenging, even if your training didn’t go as planned. Finally have one that is for when all the planets align and everything goes right.

On the day of the race, when you’re warming up, remember what you did to get to the day of the race. If doubts creep in on what you may not have done, refocus back to what you did do. The hay is in the barn. Go have fun.

Highly Innovative Pipeline Could Transform Obesity Treatment Landscape, says GBI Research 

NEW YORK (GBI Research), 8 October 2015

While the current obesity treatment market has a high level of unmet need, the therapeutic landscape could be transformed by a highly innovative and diverse pipeline that includes 248 products in active development, according to business intelligence provider GBI Research.

The company’s latest report* states that despite the current market’s clinical and regulatory challenges, the obesity pipeline is robust and contains a high level of diversity in both molecule types and molecular targets, with 39% of the pipeline products with disclosed molecular targets classified as first-in-class.

Angel Wong, Senior Analyst for GBI Research, says that while most pipeline products target gut hormone receptors, the remainder target a wide range of processes thought to be dysregulated in obesity, such as angiogenesis, insulin signaling, inflammation, fat absorption, lipid synthesis, and metabolism.

Wong comments: “The high level of innovation and diversity in molecular target in development is encouraging, with a number of these not only showing close alignment to the disease pathophysiology but also addressing multiple mechanisms underpinning the development of obesity.

“As obesity is a multifactorial disease, targeting multiple systems may potentially avoid compensatory mechanisms that lead to weight regain and achieve sustainable weight loss over the long term.”

The analyst adds that small molecules, accounting for 66% of the overall pipeline, are the dominant molecule type in all stages of development for obesity treatment. Biologic therapeutics, consisting largely of peptides, proteins, antibodies and vaccines, also feature prominently.

GBI Research’s report also states that the long-term treatment options for obesity remain sparse, including the dietary fat absorption inhibitor Xenical (orlistat), and appetite suppressants such as Qsymia (phentermine and topiramate extended release), Belviq (lorcaserin hydrochloride), and the two new market entrants Contrave (naltrexone and bupropion) and Saxenda (liraglutide rDNA origin).

Wong continues: “Prescription of these treatments is generally limited, primarily due to concerns over their long-term safety, with the past decade seeing a number of drug withdrawals in the market as a result of serious cardiovascular risks and psychiatric adverse reactions.

“The uptake of anti-obesity drugs has also been hindered by their modest efficacy in inducing sustained body weight reduction. All of these factors are driving efforts to address the significant unmet need for effective obesity therapeutics with favorable safety profiles,” the analyst concludes.

*Frontier Pharma: Obesity - Identifying and Commercializing First-in-Class Innovation