Hope this finds you healthier then the day before. Today is National ‘start eating healthy day’. So I ask you, what changes are you going to make to eat healthier? Me, I started eating breakfast again. I discovered I like Greek yogurt with frozen fruit and a little granola for some crunch. Greek yogurt is packed with protein! I also have 1 cup of skim milk with a scoop of my Designer Whey Protein Powders. I mix up the flavors for a variety. Some days I have chocolate, some day’s vanilla, some day’s strawberry and some days The Biggest Loser brand. I like the variety. I find that when I do this I have fewer cravings for sweets and for me that is a major plus! I have been packing my lunch and snacks. Lately I been packing whole wheat 100 calorie bagel with good turkey slices and just a smidgen of low fat mayo (I don’t like mustard) along with fruit and a string cheese for my snack. My kids love the 100 calorie bagels.  They think they are cute! Hey, if cute has them eating better… Go for it!

Did you watch the Biggest Loser this week? Wow, they were at The White House this episode.

At The White House

All the people who came out to exercise with Bob and Jillian and the contestants were amazing! This proves Americans are not lazy we just need a plan and guidance. I am disappointed our President did not come out with his family that would have been the frosting on the cake. I felt bad for Tracey for all the havoc she took for doing what she did to remain in the game. I probably would have done the same. Did you see Tracey’s “How are they doing now” segment? Holy cow! She looks great. I cried when she re-ran that mile that the contestants ran on their first challenge. And Daniel almost at the 200 pound mark, Shay under the 400 pound mark! Wow, what opportunity! Like Bob said, this is the “Biggest Loser Movement”

I recently bought the Biggest Loser Jump Start book and Jillian Michael’s Master Your Metabolism; still have to read them. But one cool thing is you can look up the old contestants and request to be their friend on Facebook. Designer Whey has a Facebook fan page as well. You will want to add Designer Whey to your friends list because they will let you know when coupons are available or special promotions. They have recipes, encouragement and lots of great people to support you. Plus it can save you a few bucks and that is always good!

I got the Biggest Loser Wii game and so far my kids are doing the game and they love it. I need to find time for my time to play too! The other day my 9 year old sweetheart got my Jump Start Book out and my Biggest Loser music CD. She went in our living room popped in the CD and was reading how to do the exercises. Then got a towel for her mat and was doing the exercises. So I asked her what made her just start doing the exercises and she said, “well, mom first of all its fun and second I want to stay fit. Why don’t you come do some of these with me sometime”, bless her heart! Maybe it’s that easy, think exercise as being fun and wanting to be fit… hmmmm OK, Note to self… Exercise is fun and keeps you fit.” end of note.

Have a great one friends, today day a great day to drink your whey and start eating healthy.

Camille

Phase Thirteen of “appropriate behavior at the gym: the do’s and don’ts, according to a guy with an opinion about anything and everything.”

   Don’t: attempt to complete a life altering business merger or try to get your life together over the phone at the gym.

   All three of the aforementioned phone conversations seem a little extreme and maybe even far fetched for an everyday workout at the gym, but at least once a week while I’ m working out I notice one of these three occurring. Now, I work out at three different gyms in three different areas every week and I have seen this at least once a week since I started noticing these “do’s and don’ts of the gym world.” Even more disturbing is the fact that I go at sporadic times and I am only at the gym usually for an hour to an hour and a half. That in itself isn’t the disturbing part, the disturbing aspect of all of these statistics is that if I am catching this at least once a week, at any of the three given gyms that I go to at an of the given times that I am at them, then holy hell this must be happening a lot.
And with this one it’s not just mainly a male phenomenon. Ladies, you in no way are exempt. I have seen women trying to setting up high powered business appointments, trying to change cable accounts and of all things attempting to organize their finances all while mid workout in the middle of the gym floor – guys I see the same things go on with you as well. I say of all things, because isn’t the gym a place you can go to leave all of that other crap behind for a hot minute. You go to the gym to get the day started on a good foot or to break the day up or to work the day out of you. These financial, business and personal conundrums are all very important and are all matters that should be high on your priority list but you need to make them their own priority. Just like people make going to the gym a priority. They do so because it is its own entity and as such it should not engulf or encompass any of these other entities or priorities. In simple terms make the business mergers at the office or step outside of the gym if it is absolutely that important. Change your cable plan when you want a break from the everyday or when you want to step away from your desk. And above all things don’t try and maintain your financial stability at the gym. Do you really think it is a good time and place to talk Wells Fargo while Bruno does squat thrusts next to you? This one is just plain annoying, not disturbing. This is more of a heads up for your own well being. Leave that crap for some other time and leave it outside of the gym. If you want to work out at your own home gym with a Bluetooth in your ear in front of your own T.V. be my guest – that is a power play in a half. But most of us cannot afford that and that is why we go to our gym, where we pay fee’s to work out, to shape our selves into someone else for a brief period of the day. Enjoy the workout that you went to the gym for and leave life’s stresses at the office when you leave or at home, don’t bring it into a place that is supposed to relieve stress.

   I am holding all of the do’s for the last phase of this second mini series because they will apply to all three of these. And like so many of these offences do… I don’t want to waste your time. Although, I probably already do by posting this mess. Just kidding…but seriously. Once again this is simply my opinion, take it or leave it.

I hope this finds you healthier then the day before. I have been extremely busy. Too busy and that stresses me out! There never seems to be peace in our house, something is always going on. I even have had to record my favorite show and watch it later. Which I don’t like because then I hurry through it and miss a lot of valuable info.

Oh, I discovered a great new mix using Designer Whey 100 Calorie Strawberry protein powder . I bought a bag of frozen fruit mix which has pineapple, strawberries and mango. It mixed up in a blender so creamy it was like ice-cream… A very good combination. 

 The last two Biggest Loser shows have been so emotional. Man, its draining. But I am happy to see the contestants break through difficult emotions that they have carried in their lives. I am blown away by Abby’s break through. She’s an amazing person to give up her spot. She said in her ‘how are they doing now spot’, ”Even in your darkest hour, there is always hope.” I love that saying. I counsel people addicted to crack cocaine and tell people who I am working with, ”No matter how low you go there is always hope and sometimes hope is all we have left” As long as we are breathing, we can change, we can make a difference, we can overcome, we can try new things. Go to new places and if we embrace each day with that attitude we can make our own break throughs.

Take Care Friends,
Camille

Phase Twelve of “appropriate behavior at the gym: the do’s and don’ts, according to a guy with an opinion about anything and everything.”

Don’t: talk on the phone and try to work out for extended periods of time

I see this one happen on a regular basis on so many different fronts with so many different levels.

Level one: the “What is happening tonight call.” This call at the gym always seems to come when others are waiting for your equipment. Rightfully so, you yourself might have waited for the equipment and that with that being said are in fact initialed to use it how you see fit. But that does not include making people wait an extra five to ten minutes because you want to find out what club your bro Chad is going to be at tonight. A lot of people are pressed for time at the gym, and while I know that is a personal issue there should be a medium. Now if I am in a hurry and I go to the gym and equipment is simply not readily available because others are diligently using it and I am not able to get a full work out in, then it is my own fault for trying to squeeze in a work out when I didn’t really have enough time to begin with. But if I am in a hurry and want to use a machine but the person on the machine tells me to hold off because they just have a few more sets, and then they answer there phone to talk for another 5 min and then do their sets then I am entitled to be a little pissed off. Why do I have to wait for you to wrap up your phone conversation so that I can use the equipment? Most people who answer the phone at the gym realize this and are at least decent enough to let you work in or move away form the equipment and let you use it. But there is that 25% in this category that instantly transform themselves into the power tool isle at Home Depot. And yes, I do mean the whole isle. By doing this you are going past being a singular tool, you are stepping into a whole new realm where your tool-ness is pissing others off and is no longer just something that other people laugh at your expense. I feel so bad for people that are actually nice and wait for these H.D.’s to not only finish up their sets but also their telephone conversations. I have no patience when it comes to crap like this, which probably makes me an ass and which probably puts me on someone else’s “gym offender’s type cast list.” But on this one I don’t care because I am not budging on my stance regarding this issue. I have only had this happen to me personally once and at first I was cool about it. I said to myself “ok this guy told me to wait because he is almost done… for sure I will just wait for him to finish up.” But then I see him answer his cell, and again I think to myself “I will just wait for him to wrap up this call. He will probably tell whoever is on the other line that he is in the middle of working out and that he will call right back.” Wrong. I waited for about a minute until I realized that he was not about to end the conversation, and then I signaled the old “can work in with you.” And he so toolishly gave me the wait one sec gesture. At this point I was still patient, but yet another minute went by and he had yet to commence in doing a set or getting off of his phone. So I literally hopped on the machine and started doing my own sets. He looked at me like I wasn’t wearing pants, like he could not believe what he was seeing. He was like I am still on that…so I did what any normal person pushed to the brink of being an a-hole by someone else would do…I gave him a taste of his own medicine. I told him “hey man that’s cool you can work in if you want.” That irked him to no avail, but who the hell cares…I certainly don’t. And like I said, in some regards that makes me a hypocrite. But what is he going to do. Is he going to pick a fight with me? Is he going to just walk away still talking on his cell? Or is he going to hang up and finish his sets in between mine? And for that matter what m I supposed to do. Go tell on you like a little child? Sit their and wait another ten minutes? End my work out short? Or do what I did and then bitch about it three weeks later in some off the top blog? I am going with the last option on this one.

I am holding all of the does for the last phase of this second mini series because they will apply to all three of these. And like so many of these offences do… I don’t want to waste your time. Although I probably already do by posting this mess. Just kidding…but seriously. Once again this is simply my opinion, take it or leave it.

Phase Ten of “appropriate behavior at the gym: the do’s and don’ts, according to a guy with an opinion about anything and everything.”

 Don’t: listen to your IPod or music device at ungodly levels

First and foremost, by listening to your IPod way louder than you should be you are destroying your inner ear (75% of the parts included). The thumping kicks of drum beats, the “audiotisticle” rampage of harrowing guitars, the high thumping bass of digital audio and even the bongo drum in a acoustic college radio song all severely damage the ear and effect the proficiency of one’s personal hearing abilities, if amplified at loud volumes.  This is especially prevalent and in many cases much worse when it happens with head phones, magnifying sound with a greater immediacy to the inner ear – according to several studies done by the Swedish. Ok, now that my attempt to make myself sound more academically profound has concluded – it’s bad for your hearing to listen to loud crap. But where this comes into play in our little realm of fitness is its invasive nature on the hearing of others around the “soon to be hearing-impaired” gym goer with his or her head phones turned up full blast. I don’t mean to sound crude (ok who am I kidding, that is why I write these rants) but me being able to hear your Tom Jones – over not only the music already playing at the gym, but the clinking sounds of the equipments, the ongoing conversations, and the loud grunts of our other offenders – is kind of ridiculous in it’s own right. I’m half and half on this situation. In some regards the invasive nature of me that sometimes likes to rear its head about from time to time, likes to be able to match a song to a face. Meaning that I find it interesting in some regards to see if the behemoth with the tattoo’s on his face is listening to an old slayer album or is in fact getting his Britney on or if the tiny little girl doing leg extensions is listening to an indie Conor Oberst track or in fact kicking it old school with Andre and Big Boi with an “Atliens” track. But the other half of me is like, what if it is “afternoon delight” set to repeat? Should I have to hear that all work out long because I forgot my IPod and I can’t focus on the gym’s music or my workout because I keep thinking of Ron Burgundy or the actual nature of the song itself? Of course I don’t typically run into people at the gym who bump afternoon delight, but I do run into people at the gym all of the time who have music that I hate blaring out of their head phones to a point that I am forced to listen if I want to use a machine. And then there is also the guy, who I see from time to time at the gym who forgot to bring his IPhone head phones and is just listening to his music from the speakers – wow that is annoying. I have only seen this happen four times but it has definitely happened four times too many.

 Do:  Listen to your IPod at a reasonable level and make sure that you do in fact have head phones in, in the first place.

The same mentality as the person in the movie who knowingly doesn’t put their phone on silent, or the person that lets their cell phone ring so they can get to the good part of the their ringtone, or the person that bumps Tupac while stuck at red light in front of a kindergarten cross walk, applies here. What you listen too or what you like applies to you and should only apply to you and not to others around you – unless of course you are prompted and invited to share. Why should I be subject to your personal tastes unless I want to be. In general when out in public, in a shared communal setting, people in this shared space should not be able to hear what you are playing on your IPod because it is too loud or because you are using your speakers and just can’t go with out “PYT” for that hour that you are in the gym. I find also that this seems to be the culprit of the trio. Having your IPod too loud leads to you singing loudly and also leads to you dancing around. In fact of these three IPod trio occurrences this one is the least harmless, the most offensive to the general public surrounding it, and it leads to other occurrences that disturb one self as well as others around them. With this definition I would say it is like marijuana in the “Nixon/refer madness era,” it is the gateway drug that is difficult to lead to anything good. Ok I’m just kidding about that one, but just do us all a favor and be mindful of the volume of your personal music device. Once again this is simply my opinion, take it or leave it.

Phase Ten of “appropriate behavior at the gym: the do’s and don’ts, according to a guy with an opinion about anything and everything.”

 Don’t: Play the drums or rock out profusely at the gym (with or with out an iPod)

    Now I thought that this was completely harmless (and damn it if I don’t catch myself doing it once in a blue moon) but I saw first hand what can happen when this gets out of control. Drumming and head banging ravenously or jumping around and flailing your arms about is just not meant for the gym – or for the public eye in general (but sometimes it’s hard to help). I personally think it makes you look like an idiot, but that alone should not matter to anyone – who cares if you look like an idiot, right? But it isn’t looking like an idiot that puts people out with this distraction; it is the actual physical disturbance that can derive from the air band performance itself. This one is actually funny because it happened to me for once, as opposed from me always seeing it occur to others – I got to experience first hands the ill effects of this lord of the dance “C. Diddy” air guitar uproar. I was in mid set of doing military pull-ups on the bar between the cable-cross over machine, when I felt someone strike me in the right leg, rather close to my groin. It immediately made me stop my set, let go of the bar and hit the ground with a rather pissed off look on my face. The guy to my right had this look on his face like when Smalls (from The Sandlot) realized that he hit his step dad’s “Sultan of Swat” autographed ball into The Beast’s lair. He instantly became apologetic, and exclaimed, “holy shift I am so sorry.” He then took the two little white head phones out of his ears and told me “dude I lost my balance…this song is incredible.” I was of course like, “no problem man” but I had no idea what the hell he was talking about. Then I saw him walk to the drinking fountain like two minutes later with his head phones back in, swinging those invisible drum sticks like he was Travis freakin’ Barker. I then realized that he had hit me in the midst of a, unaware of his proximity to me, rock out session. I wasn’t pissed off or hurt from this encounter, in fact I got a chuckle out of it, but I can’t say that it is not annoying to be sporadically perturbed mid set.  I then saw the same thing happen the very next day to a guy doing some shadow boxing dance moves and definitely getting seven shades of hyphy to whatever song he was listening to. He was not aware of how close he was to a guy doing hammer curls and bumped into the back of him. The guy looked a little more pissed off than I did about having to interrupt his set. Meaning things: one that this can be hazardous to people around you if you are doing this, because in some rare occasion you can loose your balance from doing something moronic in a place you shouldn’t be doing it in, and bump into someone doing some strenuous activity and end up causing them extreme frustration or in some cases injury. And two that this can be hazardous to you if you continue to do it, because judging by the look on the dumbbell man’s face, he was about two seconds away from doing his own shadow box dance on that guy’s face.
 Do’s: Just work out without dancing around, rocking out or shadow boxing or take a pilates, dance, or personal workout class where you can dance about

    This stuff proves its hilarity to me on a regular basis but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t frustrate the likely hood’s of others to no avail. Just remember this the next time you feel compelled to strum an air chord to ‘Master of Puppets’  or jump around to an old school “Red and Meth ” joint or scratch the wind turntables. I still have not had a chance to talk to people that actually commit these so called offences at the gym only the phones who look peeved that these offences occur in their presence. So with that being said I don’t truly know the psyche of our air band heroes at the gym who feel it is still appropriate to continue on with these prancing antics even after they have knowingly disrupted other’s around them. Maybe they just listen to music that they can absolutely not resist the urge to get down and boogie to, I don’t know. What ever the reason though, they or you or me – whoever finds themselves dancing around, drumming along, or boxing forward at the gym – should be mindful that it can lead to negative effects upon others.  Once again this is simply my opinion, take it or leave it.

AMP1 Stand up amputee basketball team took the time to create this fantastic video letting us know why they enjoy Designer Whey so much. We really want to thank them and wish them luck with all their games. It’s hard to imagine a more inspiring bunch of guys than these. Their spirit of never giving up and going all out is exactly the kind of influence that’s needed out there today. Whey to go guys!

The idea behind AMP1 Basketball started with two amputees looking for a place to play competitive stand-up basketball. It has now evolved into a team of athletes doing something that has never been done before. For the first time, amputees are playing organized stand-up basketball, traveling the country and raising money for charity to help provide financial relief to amputees and cancer patients of all kinds.

Please take the time to check out their website and if you can donate to this amazing cause!

www.amp1basketball.com

Hope this all finds you on your whey and doing healthy things for yourself. It’s getting cold here in Michigan the fall colors are getting close to peek already; time sure passes fast.

Well, as you all know I am a huge Biggest Loser fan. I am facebook friends with a lot of the players past and present. It’s exciting reading the contestants postings, seeing their success and challenges. Oh, this Saturday Helen Philips season 7 winner will be in my town! I am going to try and get to meet her maybe even lucky enough to get my picture with her. She lives in Michigan about 2 hours away from me.

I like to write down good things people say while watching the show and like to share with my fans. Words have powerful healing truths in them and you never know what you say may change another persons life.

Make it conscious; why you do the things you do. If you are not aware you can not fix it.

The only failure is not trying.

When losing: eat berries for your fruit, no cheese, use cauliflower for a mash potato fix, steam or roast your veggies, avoid sautéed or pan fried foods

Bring your calorie counter where ever you go

When going out to eat look at the restaurants online menu and pick out your food before you go. Don’t be afraid to ask how the food is prepare and don’t be afraid to put in a special request

Control your environment

Choices have to have a purpose behind them

How about those beans, friends. Something to think about.

Oh my gosh…Biggest Loser has a resort where anyone can go! Look it up biggest loser resort. What a dream that would be to go. Unfortunately unless we win the lotto or someone pays for me it just does not seem possible at this time. If I did get the chance, I think I would have to go for 8 weeks, because I have never been thin. I do not even know what it feels like. I was a fat baby, a fat child a fat teen, a fat adult. I was fat all through my pregnancies; I got married fat and am still fat. Granted, I did lose 30 pounds this pass year using Designer Whey great protein powders. I generally stick with the weight control powders and the biggest loser powders which are all great and have really helped me. But it’s not enough for me. I have to learn how to be a thin and healthy person because I have never been there. My best efforts have not been good enough. No matter the effort I end back where I started. It’s frustrating. I am 41 and have never jumped on a trampoline with my kids…and they have asked since they were little munchkins. I have to say no…because I am over the weight limit for the trampoline. I am seriously thinking about trying out for season 10…we shall see.

One thing the trainers keep saying is to control your environment. I have never been in a “controlled” environment when it comes to health. My parents owned a restaurant, my grand parents owned a party store; I never saw my parents exercising. Food and junk were always around me and no one taught me healthy ways. Sure I can read about it, I can watch videos on it, I even can blog about it but I have never lived it. I need to live in a controlled environment to experience how to live and keep my environment “controlled”. The Biggest Loser show or resort has that controlled environment. Having a controlled environment is not easy. You can not even go to a gas station or grocery store, to the movies or restaurant and be in a controlled environment or could you… I was discussing this subject with my Chiropractor and said; about the “I can’t even go to a gas station and have a controlled environment. There is candy, chips, sodas, junk every where in a gas station”. He said…pay at the pump! HA! Something as simple as that. Now why didn’t I think of that?

Have blessed day friends! Can’t wait for next weeks show!

Camille

Phase Nine of “appropriate behavior at the gym: the do’s and don’ts, according to a guy with an opinion about anything and everything.”

Don’t: sing at the top of your lung while you listen to your IPod
It does not take a genius to realize that when you have your IPod volume cranked past “turn it the f’ down already,” your voice seems to project itself at higher decibels than usual. Why is this you ask, well it’s a matter of simple physicality’s really. You see the Lady Gaga Technocratic remix ft. Soulja Boy or whatever other god awful song you are blaring, is playing directly in your ear drum at a high level of capacity sound waves. This in turn blocks out external as well as internal interior sounds, like your own William Hung-like voice that makes you yourself want to cry whenever your head phones aren’t embedded in those tiny little ear drums of yours. And it’s perfectly ok that you have a dreadful singing voice, hell my own car radio tells me to shut up when I’m alone with it, that’s how bad my singing pipes are. Its not the signing itself that irritates others or makes me laugh, it’s the fact that everyone can hear you singing and on top of that everyone has to hear you at very high and extremely putrid levels. I do not want to be mid bench and have to hear your tone deaf acapella version of “loving you.” Last week I will have to say that I got a huge kick out of this exact scenario. I am in between a set of bicep curls just relaxing when out of no where this dude, this gargantuan of a human being actually, just bursts out into song (but of course only for a couple lines at a time). The dude next to me on the cable cross over machine  is in mid motion and completely falters and gets thrown off balance by this man’s startling yelp. It actually isn’t all that funny because the guy on the cable cross over machine totally almost rips his shoulder out of the socket when he was thrown off balance because of the tremendous singing talents of Baby Huey on the lat pull downs (waiting to start a new rep).

Do: keep it to yourself and sing in your head or under you breathe like the rest of us
Personally I could care less, I think it is hilarious. But after speaking with a couple of people at the gym and seeing its destructive effects on cross cable man, I realize that it is certainly a nuisance when people sing at the top of their lungs when they are listening to their IPods loudly at the gym. Listen – if you can hear me over your obnoxious singing voice – please just keep it in the voice box. There’s really not much else to say other than it is a spectacle or a distraction or in some cases a health hazard. So for the well being of others ear drums and limbs, try your best to not to let your inner Pavarotti out while in the gym. Once again this is simply my opinion, take it or leave it.