Before and After: Eric

Lemon Basil Shrimp & Pasta

As the temps continue to heat up I find myself craving fresher, lighter meals- opposed to hearty stews and heavy pasta dishes.  This recipe certainly fits the test and calls for consumption on my patio!  It's a zesty one-pot pasta dish is complete after tossing with capers, basil, olive oil, and lemon juice. Serve with focaccia or crusty baguette.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3  quarts water
• 8  ounces  uncooked spaghetti
• 1  pound  peeled and deveined large shrimp
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh basil
• 3  tablespoons  drained capers
• 2  tablespoons  extra virgin olive oil
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 2  cups  baby spinach

Preparation

Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add pasta; cook 8 minutes. Add shrimp to pan; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done and pasta is al dente. Drain. Place pasta mixture in a large bowl. Stir in basil and next 4 ingredients (through salt). Place 1/2 cup spinach on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 1/2 cups pasta mixture.

Nutritional Information

Calories:  397 (22% from fat)

Fat:  9.6g (sat 1.5g,mono 5.3g,poly 1.8g)

Protein:  31g

Carbohydrate:  44.9g

Fiber:  2.4g

Cholesterol:  172mg

Iron:  5.4mg

Sodium:  666mg

Calcium:  88mg

Nancy Hughes, Cooking Light, APRIL 2007

Camper P.O.V.

Welcome to our Camper P.O.V. series.  We'll be following a camper's journey through one of our many locations.  Check back weekly for updates on their goals, successes and challenges.  

Week 2: Half Way There

It's Week 2 of Operation Boot Camp at Chastain Park and the mornings have been fabulously warm (thanks Spring!) which has been such a wonderful change.

I am already seeing some fabulous results, with the big increase in my cardio workouts and the targeted strength exercises we've been doing - haven't lost much weight but of course don't care because I am seeing the results all over. It was good timing, as I had a fitting for my wedding dress on Tuesday!

This week has been a revolutionary one for me. We have such a wonderful mix and large group of campers this month - and the thing that has truly motivated & inspired me this week is the campers around me. Some are younger, some older; some in better shape, some not; some faster, some slower; some who are out here after facing life changing circumstances and getting back in the swing of things; and some with fabulously inspirational goals. I am surprised at how motivating the campers around me have been, though I shouldn't be, and at how much extra push I've been able to give this week by paying attention to them. It has allowed me to push myself harder and keep focused on what my goals are, and what I can accomplish. So THANKS to all my fellow campers!

This week I was able to squeeze in an extra run one night after work (thank goodness for the AM camp!) on top of my AM workouts, and Thursday of camp was the most intense workout I've done in as long as I can remember. At the end I was really felt that I had given all I could - and that was a great feeling at 7AM!

My meal plan has been so impressive - I thought this would be one of the hardest things for me to really stick to so I am very pleased that I have been able to completely eliminate my sugar intake, reduce my caffeine intake considerably, and focused this week on adding in more veggies to my diet.  I am still not getting enough water, so that will be another big focus as I go into Week 3. I saw a fellow camper at the Publix this week while grocery shopping and it was a great feeling to have all "red book approved" foods in my cart ... not the case a month ago!

Thanks again to all my fellow campers for continuing to push & inspire me this week. It's been a great one and I'm hopeful as we go into the weekend that my motivation (and will power) will stay strong!

Ashley is a camper at OBC's Chastain Park location.  She loves boot camp, her dog Kona, and her awesome fiance Shane.

Eating Before Exercise

Athlete Scenario 
The day of a football game, I often feel nervous and sometimes skip 
lunch, only to feel hungry later. Games are usually in the afternoon so 
I know I need to eat something beforehand. Playing both offense and 
defense, I rarely get a break. What foods can I eat and at what times to 
supply me with enough energy to perform well the entire game? 

Goals of Nutrition Before Exercise 


• Consume a carbohydrate-rich snack or meal before exercise to top off  muscle
 stores. With pre-competition jitters, liquid meal replacements may be a better
 choice than whole foods.
• Include small amounts of protein in your pre-exercise meal(s). Protein helps
 build and repair muscle tissue. Adequate protein before exercise may help
 reduce post-exercise muscle soreness.
• Choose pre-exercise meal(s) that are low in fat and fi ber to ensure
 optimal digestion.

Pre-exercise Foods & Fluids 

3–4 Hours Before Exercise 
• Peanut butter & honey on toast + instant breakfast drink
• Fruit and yogurt smoothie + low-fat granola
• Oatmeal with brown sugar and almonds + skim milk + banana
• Low-fat cottage cheese + apple butter + crackers + fresh grapes
• Lean hamburger on bun with lettuce & tomato + side salad +
 yogurt-fruit parfait
• Turkey and Swiss sandwich + fruit  + sports drink
• Low-fat tuna melt sandwich + fruit cup + fat-free yogurt

30–60 Minutes Before Exercise 
• Sports drink or water
• Sports gel, sport beans or gummies, sports bar
• Piece of fruit or jam sandwich

Tips to Take With You 
1. Experiment with foods and drinks in
 practice and lower level competitions
 to determine the best timing and your
 tolerance for pre-exercise foods.
2. Practice! Figuring out what works best for
 you will boost confi dence in eating
 before exercise.
3. Fuel muscles early with easily digestible
 carbohydrate-rich foods and beverages
 for training or competition later in
 the day.


Nutrition Fact Sheet | Issue 3 | April 2009

Written by SCAN registered dietitians (RDs). The key to optimal meal planning for athletes is individualization. For personalized nutrition plans contact a SCAN sports dietitian or Board Certifi ed Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) by accessing “Find a SCAN Dietitian” at www.scandpg.org | 800.249.2875.Web site: www.scandpg.org 

Basic Smoothie Recipe

One of my favorite kitchen gadgets is my stick blender because it is so easy to use and clean and is perfect for smoothies, dressings, fruit spreads and any other item you might need to blend!   Here is a very basic smoothie recipe - you can really use any fruit you like, but using frozen fruit really makes a huge difference in the consistency of the smoothie.  they greatest thing about smoothies is that they are easy to take with you and a great breakfast when you add yogurt and/or peanut butter.

Ingredients

• 1  cup  frozen sweet cherries
• 1  cup  plain yogurt ( I like using Stoneyfield farms or a Greek yogurt for the pro-biotics or the extra protein!)
• 1  cup  pomegranate or cherry juice (such as pom, but any type of juice will work) 
• 1  (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained  (you can also use fresh pineapple as well)
• 1  banana, peeled and sliced crosswise

Preparation

Place all ingredients in a blender; puree until smooth.

Nutritional Information

Calories:  142 (13% from fat)

Fat:  2.1g (sat 1.3g,mono 0.6g,poly 0.1g)

Protein:  3g

Carbohydrate:  28g

Fiber:  2g

Cholesterol:  8mg

Iron:  0.3mg

Sodium:  38mg

Calcium:  95mg

Camper P.O.V.

Welcome to our first installment of our Camper P.O.V. series.  We'll be following a camper's journey through one of our many locations.  Check back weekly for updates on their goals, successes and challenges.  

Week 1: Back in the Saddle

I decided it was time to join Boot Camp. A friend through work had done the program for a month and dropped his mile time by an impressive amount, in just one month. I was interested. This was April of 2008, fast-forward two years, and here I still am. A Boot Camp addict, loving every minute.

I'm a Vet, yes, a Vet who planned to do just one month of Boot Camp to kick-start my boring gym treadmill routine. It has been a life changing experience for me and I can say absolutely it is the best workout / nutrition, overall healthy lifestyle program I have experienced. I'm faster & stronger, eat better and have become quite the morning person.

So, here I am two years later with a refocused goal in April 2010. I am getting married in a mere two months and have a wedding dress to fit into (and look great in), so here I am recommitting myself to a strict "First Time Camper" month this April. Attending every workout, following the food plan - no sugar, no alcohol, doing encouragement and doing my homework.

Here we are in Week 1, at Chastain Park, 6:00 AM camp. We have a huge camp this month, and a lot of returning Vets that haven't been back in awhile, our park is very much like a family! There is a great energy about our camp this month.

Our PT & workouts this week have been tough for a Week 1 schedule. I can only imagine what the first-time campers are feeling!  At Chastain, we've deemed this "Ab April" which is a much-needed focus with bathing suit season and a wedding coming up! The workouts have been high-cardio and strength, with a lot of focus on strengthening the core. I can definitely say I have come away each day feeling great, with a focus to push myself every minute of the workout.

Sticking to the food plan has been good one week in. Accomplished my goal this week of no sugar or alcohol, and I'm proud to say my six-meals each day have been absolutely by-the-book. I'm amazed at the little things I was eating each day that really added up (coffees, snacking ,etc) and that I'm not really missing them. I decided to cut down significantly on my caffeine intake this month as well, but notice I still need to focus on drinking more water! It helps me to keep track of my water in my "red book" too. My other food "fail" this week was the need for more veggies in my diet. I am lucky because I love vegetables - just need to make it easier & more accessible for me to include them in my meals.

So in this Week 1, I will share with you my PT results and my goals for the month as I get ready to get in wedding dress shape!

PT Test Results

Mile  - 8:13

Sit Ups - 39

Push Ups - 54

Dips - 52

Goals:

- Perfect attendance

- Weekend homework

- Stick to a strict red book plan all month

- Drink more water

- Drink less caffeine

- Decrease my mile time to 7:30

- Fit into my wedding dress!!

Ashley is a camper at OBC's Chastain Park location. 

Five Things

Hey there!  How are you doing?  As your running progresses, I hope you find yourself settling into your groove out there on the road.  My new runner friends and I always joke about that first 7 to 10 minutes.  Some days it just hurts and is hard to push through, but you push through it and suddenly it is almost effortless.  If you’ve experienced that already, woohoo!  If you haven’t yet, be diligent, that moment is waiting for you to discover it.

As I worked my way back from being overfat, unhealthy and unfit, I used Bill Phillips, Body For Life book for inspiration and his journal to keep myself in the groove.  I benefitted tremendously from completing that journal every single day.  I especially found a great deal of support and encouragement in the practice he teaches of listing Five Things every single day that will make tomorrow a day you can count as a successful day in your walk to the healthiest, fittest you.

I find that our society, our culture has trained us to look for the train wrecks, the explosions, the negative things that occur around us and has moved us away from looking for the positive, good and beneficial we are surrounded by.

Here’s an example of what I’m referring to with regards to changing your lifestyle practices.  You decide you’re going to change.  You line out your game plan, your eating and exercise, and your goal date.  You’re on track taking baby steps, hesitantly, quietly making different choices and doing well, until it’s someone’s birthday at the office and you give in to the birthday cake.  Then you feel so guilty you beat yourself up about it so badly, you completely defeat yourself before lunch is even over.  “I can’t do this”  “I don’t have any self control”, and then my favorite, “Oh well, I’ve blown it already today, might as well make this a cheat day and eat whatever I want.”  By the time you get home, your “diet” is over as you’ve brow beaten yourself into submission and you give up.

Does any of that sound familiar to you?  I’ve done it myself!  The way that I found to help turn that around is with the Five Things.  Here’s what to do.  Every evening write down Five things that if accomplished tomorrow, you will have had a day that has brought you that much closer to accomplishing your goals.  It will be a day that can be counted as a success.   Then, at the end of the day tomorrow, look at those Five Things and see how you did.  Did you accomplish them?

In reviewing your day, find three things that you did really well and one to improve upon for tomorrow.  If you focus on doing this every day, you will begin to shine floodlights on the Good Stuff you are doing, the positive changes you are making and you’ll peel that flood light away from the place where you may have stumbled.

I personally found that my Five Things always lived within the following areas:

1.    Eat Cleaner
2.    Drink Water
3.    Work Out Harder
4.    Plan Ahead
5.    Believe in my bodies ability to change

I will choose a different element about each item to focus on each day.  For example, within my Work Out Harder focus one day may be to really hit my intervals hard, the next day it may be to focus on my strength more.  Does that make sense where I’m in the same realm, but tweaking my focus?

In camp, it’s pretty common to have a new camper sheepishly hand their daily log book to me kind of digging their toe on the ground ashamed that they ate something the day before that wasn’t their “best” choice.  After reviewing their book, I’ll find that they planned ahead, paired at all five meals good carbs and proteins, they worked out hard, drank water and stay focused.  That’s amazing progress!  We celebrate that instead of beating on the bite of cake or pizza or whatever it may have been.  By shifting the focus and helping them see where they’ve made tremendous progress, made terrific and positive changes, they keep their head in the game.  They discover that they are stronger and more capable of controlling themselves when faced with potentially detrimental choices when they arise in the future.

If we begin to embrace that great things can be accomplished in spite of speed bumps, know that it’s not going to go perfectly, we can grant ourselves room to be human and still get the job done.  Injuries will happen.  Birthday cake will happen.  You can still accomplish your goals even with those things being part of the story.  I don’t know of anyone who has accomplished any great feat that had everything go perfectly as planned.  Learn to focus on what you’re doing that’s great and you too will be great!

I have to tell you, embracing the Five Things was about the most powerful new practice I committed to when turning my life around.  Please give it a shot.  I’d love to hear how it works for you!

In Fitness and In Health,

Melanie