A San Diego Valentines Love Story: Pita and Marco

Proof that changing your life for the better can lead to love………………

Pita’s life took a big turn in 2011. After a visit to the doctors she realized her health had to take priority and she invested in joining an exercise group, SGO Fitness in San Diego. She says, “One can feel “good” and accepting of your weight issues but when you are told that your actions are putting your life in danger, you see the numbers and something just clicks and you have to take action. I’ve struggled my entire life with weight, finding a caring, supportive, strong, fun, accountable group like SGO Fitness made a big difference in my journey to a healthier me.”

By October 2011 she had lost 45lb bringing her life to a healthier point.  With her new confident outlook on life a couple of her Bootcamp friends encouraged her to sign up on match.com and on her first date she found the love of her life Marco.

Little did Pita and Marco know their lives had been destined to be together. When they were toddlers they lived in houses facing each other in Tijuana. On their firsts date which lasted 5 hours they knew they had found someone they wanted to get to know better.  Pita found a man that shared her love for old cars.  On their first date Marco took Pita to Balboa Park’s Automotive Museum, she fell in love with his passion for cars and the way he treated her from day one.  After 9 months of dating Marco asked Pita to be his wife, share her life with him and be his girlfriend forever.  On Sept 29, 2012 Pita and Marco became husband and wife and they are counting on a happily ever after story.., till death do us part….

 

Top 7 Tips for Weight Loss Success and Long Term Wellness

Top 7 Tips for Weight Loss Success and Long Term Wellness

by Sarah Gogarty ACE-CPT

 

1.       Focus on Behavior changes.

Why do exercise programs and nutrition plans fail? Usually because the person doing them doesn’t follow through with the major life and behavior changes involved. It’s not as simple as “Eat X number of calories per day.”  What we put in our mouths and how much we exercise is linked to the way we behave & think. But when we can change the behavior, the success rate can be monumental.

Here’s an example – Let’s say you’re the person who always snacks in front of the TV. Well reduce or eliminate watching TV and you eliminate the behavior. Or you could try to change that habit by adding a positive behavior such as getting up and doing an exercise during the commercial breaks.

2.       Establish a Support Group.

Remember that feeling? The Peer Pressure you experienced in school? Well believe it or not, social pressures and the urge to feel accepted does not go away post teen years! When you surround yourself with people making poor life decisions, you are more likely to participate in those poor choices too. Get involved or surround yourself with people who have like-minded goals, or participate in healthy social activities. Join a fitness community or weight loss group to get you started!

3.       Make your Fitness FUN.

Why the heck do they call it a “Workout?” Does it have to be such hard “WORK” for it to count as decent exercise?  The answer is NO! As long as you’re bringing up that heart rate and working up a little sweat, then you are exercising. If everything inside you screams THIS SUCKS! – even after exercising – then find a different activity to do that you actually like! There are so many different ways to exercise-from traditional training to group fitness, sports and rec, to dancing the night away. Chances are you plan to spend a lot of your time doing these to reach your goals, so make sure you enjoy it! Life is too short to torture yourself.

4.       Eat Intuitively.

Food journaling has been a proven way to successfully achieve weight loss. But if that’s just not for you – that’s ok! You can still be successful! As long as you are MINDFULLY EATING, then you’re probably eating well enough. This essentially means to THINK about WHAT you are putting into your mouth. Eating intuitively means not to eat in front of the TV, or in the car. Paying attention to portions and balance your plate with lean protein, healthy carbs & fats; or, planning your meal and snacks ahead. Keep in mind that being prepared in advance with healthy options will significantly aid in your nutritional success.

5.       Live Upright.

It’s simple. The more you are on your feet, the more calories you burn. Finding small ways to get on your feet more throughout your day really adds up over the course of a week. In fact, we sit so much as Americans that they’ve given the hazardous practice a medical term. They call it “sitting disease,” and most people who work desk jobs are at risk. “A desk-bound man or woman takes only 5,000 to 6,000 steps a day. That compares with about 18,000 steps a day for the average man and 14,000 for a woman…” Try adding more upright activity in your day to avoid “sitting disease.” For example, get up from your desk every 20 minutes. Park further away from the building and walk. Walk to the local market for milk. Take the stairs, etc. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2009-01-21-fidget-activity_N.htm

6.       Think Well – Be Kind to Yourself.

Our emotions generate hormonal responses that play significant roles in what we do. Therefore it is SO important to get your mind “thinking well.” This is arguably an even more important step than the rest. Without the right mindset, we can’t implement behavior changes and thus achieve goals. Must try tips on how to reach emotional wellness include practicing meditation, using affirmations, visualization tactics, implementing unconditional “Self-Love,” and eliminating personal “FEAR,”  or “False Evidence Appearing Real.” ~Gabrielle Bernstein, page 16. “May Cause Miracles.”

7.       Give Back!

When it comes to staying positive, staying the course in weight loss, and generating emotional wellness, giving back is a major player. As per Huffington Post article written by Betty Ann Heggie, “Giving detaches us from our obsessive thinking about ourselves. It breaks down loneliness by creating a human connection. Giving and happiness feed one another — both are intertwined. Giving to others is a gift to yourself.” Try adding a little Gratitude and Charity to your schedule for a wellness boost! http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/betty-ann-heggie/positive-effects-of-giving_b_4418893.html

Weight Loss tip: Live you life, Not your Loss.

I cannot bear to hear another person tell me they are going to wait until they lose weight before they can travel, date, take a dance class…(do the things they love or want to try).  What has our society done to us that we feel like we can’t live life until we look a certain way.

Don’t you understand that you’ve put on the weight because there’s not enough joy, pleasure, treat, and enjoyment in life.  Because those things have been lacking, we often gravitate towards a quick food treat.  But…it’s so temporary, then we have to keep going back for more.  You keep searching for more food in your pantry hoping to satisfying some crazy cravings that never subside. We are full of responsibilities that our balance is completely screwed and the body is crying out.  Weight gain is only a symptom and a biological response to the stressors you’ve accrued.

If you fall in this category, I’d say “go and do it.”  Whatever “IT” is that you can’t do because you’re waiting to lose the weight.  You’ll find that once you get started, you’ll build relationships, move your body, and love life so much that you no longer need to eat the junk to feel satisfied, attract positive people who will delight you, and end the neglect of your body.

I see it constantly!  The people who finally embrace finding more and more joy in their life and not feeding the “I must lose the weight” fire, are the ones who truly succeed.  As my boyfriend says about his child’s tantrum, “if there’s no audience, there’s no concert.”  Ignore your “need to lose weight” tantrum and you will be free to fit into your skinny jeans again with ease and with so much fun.  Stop the torture and your body will start responding.

Join me.  Cheers to living and to life!!!

For more support, contact me:  http://www.HappyFoodHealth.com   

For easy cooking tips and recipes:  http://www.healthy-cooking-videos.com

 Samantha Hua

The Key to Weight Loss Success from Samantha Hua

I cannot bear to hear another woman tell me she’s going to wait until she loses weight before she can travel, date, take a dance class…you fill in the blank.  What has our society done to us that we feel like we can’t live life until we look a certain way.

Don’t you understand that you’ve put on the weight because there’s not enough joy, pleasure, treat, and enjoyment in life.  Because those things have been lacking, we often gravitate towards a quick food treat.  But…it’s so temporary, then we have to keep going back for more.  You keep searching for more food in your pantry hoping to satisfying some crazy cravings that never subside. We are full of responsibilities that our balance is completely screwed and the body is crying out.  Weight gain is only a symptom and a biological response to the stressors you’ve accrued.

If you fall in this category, I’d say “go and do it.”  Whatever “IT” is that you can’t do because you’re waiting to lose the weight.  You’ll find that once you get started, you’ll build relationships, move your body, and love life so much that you no longer need to eat the junk to feel satisfied, attract positive people who will delight you, and end the neglect of your body.

I see it constantly!  The people who finally embrace finding more and more joy in their life and not feeding the “I must lose the weight” fire, are the ones who truly succeed.  As my boyfriend says about his child’s tantrum, “if there’s no audience, there’s no concert.”  Ignore your “need to lose weight” tantrum and you will be free to fit into your skinny jeans again with ease and with so much fun.  Stop the torture and your body will start responding.

Join me.  Cheers to living and to life!!!

Samantha Hua

For more support, contact:

http://www.HappyFoodHealth.com

THE Perfect Diet!

Hello Blog!

Sorry its been so long since our last post. Life has been a little crazy in the SGO Household….but I’ll fill you in on that later.

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to meet and talk with Samantha Hua, founder of Happy Food.

Samantha is a Holistic Health Coach with a passion for her clients and their journey. She has been gracious enough to pass some of her wisdom on to you here at our SGO fitness blog. Check out what she has to say below!

THE Perfect Diet!

It does not exist. Let it go. Stop the search. Why, you ask? The reason is because our body is constantly changing and so is our lifestyle.  I learned that: “Each second, ten million red blood cells are born and die. The stomach lining completely regenerates in a week, a healthy liver in six weeks, and the skin surface in a month. Scientists postulate that 98 percent of all atoms in the body are replaced within a year, 100 percent within seven years.” The only constant we have is change.

We all have different body types.  In my office, we work towards finding the combination that’s best for that person at that time. The best thing to do is learn how to listen to your body.

So…where does this leave us? How do we get healthy and thin? First thing we have to do is get rid of barriers that get in the way of success and often lead us to make poor choices. The common barriers I see in my office are stress, imbalance, lack of boundaries, years of bad habit, over-worked, and most importantly—a lack of pleasure and enjoyment in life.  We don’t do enough to include joy and excitement in our DAILY life.

When we live our life full of joy and we learn how to feed our body what it needs, the weight drops off automatically. That’s my definition of a true, sustainable diet.  NOT calorie counting, point system, discipline, torture, or exercises you hate.

Get support and learn how you can become successful like the people here.

http://youtu.be/UG4do6iA-Lc

http://www.HappyFoodHealth.com

 

Weight Loss, Peer Pressure and Holiday Pitfalls

With Memorial Day come to a close and the BBQ’s and long weekend celebrations coming to an end how did you do? Did you stick to your goals? Did you get your exercise in? Did you keep track of how you ate?

Holidays and parties are some of the hardest times to keep on track with your weight loss goals. Here’s a few reasons why:

1)  Unhealthy Food in large supply

2) Unhealthy Portion Size

3) Alcohol in large supply.

4) Social Pressure to be part of the party

5) People who don’t understand what you’re trying to do.

The first thing we need to address is if you fell off the wagon this weekend, get back on. You have not failed, it’s not all lost, and you haven’t destroyed everything you’ve worked for these past few weeks. A single weekend of bad choices won’t kill you. A lifetime of them will.

Second, how do we deal with these pressures and temptations? This past memorial day weekend Sarah and I visited the in-laws while participating in a 30 day Primal/Alcohol free challenge. It was tough at times to keep on track but we succeeded. Lets go through the above list and see how we can overcome some obstacles.

1) Unhealthy Food: Pack healthy food for yourself. For our challenge we had limitations on what we could eat so we packed up what we needed and brought it with us! Feel uncomfortable bringing your own thing? Bring enough to share and make it part of the weekends eats! You just might help someone else choose healthy too!

2) Unhealthy Portion Size: All those bowls of potato salad and other tempting dishes spread out before you! How to survive? Grab the smallest plate you can and stick with it. Being forced to go back to the table to get another serving will help you think twice. (Only have big paper plates? Rip it in half!)

3) Alcohol…..ooooh! A tough one. The majority of calories consumed on long weekends come from what’s in your glass. If you really feel uncomfortable when everyone around you has a beverage, substitute! Get a bottle of club soda and fill your glass with ice and some lime. The bubbles and taste will give you enough kick to keep you sated and keep your thirst in check and the act of having a drink in your hand will keep people from badgering you to have another.

4&5) Social Pressure: When people question why you’re not having a drink, helping yourself to the buffet, taking part in Dad’s famous bacon wrapped burger, or make remarks about the choices you’re making remember:

You are on a journey to improve yourself and your life. It is your journey and no one else’s. You make the rules and you pay the consequence when you break them.

If someone puts down your choices it is only because you are holding a mirror to their own shortcomings and bad decisions. When someone feels bad their natural reaction is to try and make you feel bad so they feel better.

We have to live like no one else now so We can live like no one else later.

Food Trivia Answers

Here are some of the trivia answers from last nights Food Trivia Adventure Friday’s Dinner   out:
Mozzarella Sticks		1 Full football Game	760
Club Sandwich		Run for 1 hour	860
Sweet Potato Fries		wash the dishes for 2 hours	390
Brownie Obsession		< 2 hours of working out with SGO	1222
Glass of beer		2 hours of heavy petting	243
Total:			3475

Food	vs	Exercise & Activity	Calories
1 pound of Fat		Run a Marathon	3500
Big Mac Meal		Hike Cowles Mountain Twice	1000
Chilli’s Texas Cheese Fries		2 full NBA Basketball Games	1960
Chilli’s Cobb Salad		Chop 240 Pieces of Wood	430
Mixed Salad with Oil & Vinegar		8 minutes of “Quickie” Sex	47
8 oz T-bone Steak		1 hour of Cycling	402
11 Nacho Doritos		Waching Dishes 1 hour	150
Banana		Shopping at the Mall (22 minutes)	72
Starbucks   Venti Frappuccino (pumpkin spice)		1 30 minute Zumba Class	375
Home made mashed potatos		Run 2 Miles	237
Outback Garlic Mashed Potatos		25 Minutes of Bootcamp	305
Friday’s Dinner out:		4 1/2 NFL Football Games	3475

Calories in Food vs. Calories in Exercise

Recently we ran a trivia quiz for a group of high school students participating in our fitness program. We gave them a list of fast food and restaurant meals and had them guess what the approximate calories from exercise they’d have to burn in order to earn their favorite meals.

We had so much fun I thought I’d share with you the same list. Remember, diet is as important and exercise! Are any of these foods in your diet? If so, you decide whether they’re worth the punishment.

Earn what you Eat!  

Fast Food Hamburger  540 calories = Run 5 miles

Can of Coke  150 calories = Stand for 1:30 hours

Chef Boyardee Mini Ravioli  239 calories = 30 minutes of or 600 Pushups

Lean Cuisine spaghetti & Meatballs  299 calories = 2 hours of Washing Dishes

Twix Bar 284 calories = 1 hour of Stretching

Big Mac Meal  1350 calories = 2 hours of Martial Arts

Starbuck Mocha Frappaccino  500 Calories = Walk 5 miles or Shop for 4 hours

Carls Junior double 6$ burger  1520 calories = 3 hours of Soccer (non-competitive)

Carls Junior Fries 470 Calories = 4 hours of Studying

Carls Junior Shake 610 Calories  =  2 hours of Situps (3600 situps)

Total Carls Junior Meal : 2600 calories = 7 hrs of wood chopping (4200 pieces of wood)

Chips & Salsa: 250 & 72 = 322 calories = 1 hr Coaching Sports & 1 hr on the Phone

Fish tacos: 400 calories  =  One 30 minute Class Workout  (Full Effort)

On the Border Fish tacos: 2100 calories =  One Month of 30 minute classes (6 classes)

Outback Steakhouse Aussie Cheese Fries 2900 Calories = 8 hours of Hiking

Chilli’s awesome blossom: 2710 calories  = 10 hours of Frisbee

Chilli’s brownie sundae: 1290 cal  =  2 hours of Hockey

Chilli’s Texas Cheese Fries: 2120 calories  =  30 hours of sleeping ( 4-5 days)

Chilli’s Ribs: 2170 Calories = 21 hours of making out

Total Chilli’s meal: 8612 calories =  2.5 Marathons

SGO Fitness

9 Inspirational Tips to Keep Your New Years Resolutions

Well…It’s Jan 18^th!  We are fast approaching February.  And how are you doing with your New Year’s Resolutions?  Most likely many of you are just now starting to face the music.  It’s getting tough right?!  Well DON’T GIVE UP!  Here’s 9 Great Inspirational Tips to keep you on track:

 

1)      Set Realistic Fitness Goals: This is such an important tip.  It can be very overwhelming, and people are more likely to fall off the wagon, if they’ve set unrealistic large goals.  This doesn’t mean you can’t eventually accomplish a large goal.  But you should think about setting your goal plan to a smaller scale.  For instance, make reasonable small goals that will lead up to your main goal, (such as lose 5 pounds in 4 weeks, or finish a 5K in a month, etc.)  Please, consult your Trainers if you need some help setting some realistic goals.  That is what we are here for!

2)      Get Pumped:  Always go back to your original goal and keep that in focus.  Try to remember that where you will be in 6 months has everything to do with what you are doing now!

3)      Get Inspired by Others Success Stories:  Look to your fellow Bootcampers.  Watch weight loss shows like “The Biggest Loser.”  Or check out some Fitness Magazine articles.

4)      Reward Yourself:  How do you reward yourself without giving in to your previous vices, or throwing your healthy diet out the window?   It’s called MASSAGE!  It not only feels amazing, but is recommended for better performance and injury prevention!  Schedule one once a month, if you can or, if massages aren’t your thing, maybe another form of rewarding yourself might drive you such as a movie night out, or get yourself a new book, or maybe go to the next tip: number 5!

5)      Buy New Workout Gear: This gets me every time!  Once I buy a pair of kicks, I can’t wait to lace em’ up and take them for a few test drives!

6)      Find a workout buddy:  You are more likely to show up for your Saturday workout if your Bestie is expecting to sweat with you.  You are also more likely to stick to a program when you exercise with a friend!

7)      Try a New Physical Activity: Open your mind and don’t be afraid of the unknown.  You may discover new things that bring you joy!  Go hiking, take a dance class, go for a bike ride.  You may love it!

8)      Sign Up for a Race:  Registering for a 5K Run, Sprint Triathalon, or Obstacle Course Race is a great motivator.  Not only are we all inherently competitive, but it gives us a deadline to work towards.  The proceeds benefit a good cause, and they are super FUN!

9)      Get your Mind Right & Lose the Excuses: We have all heard the saying, “misery loves company.”  If you are a “Debbie Downer” you are only hurting yourself, keeping yourself from achieving your goals and reaching your full potential.  Eliminate all of those negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones.  Positive Energy is a must for success!

REMEMBER…You can accomplish anything with the right attitude, hard work, & dedication.  Your friends at SGO Fitness are here to support you every step of the way!

Have a great rest of your week everyone!

Dedicated to your success,

 

Sarah Gogarty,  ACE-CPT

Founder

SGO Fitness

Top 5 Reason to Join a Bootcamp!!

SGO Fitness

Reason #5: They’re Affordable

If you were to go to the gym and pay a personal trainer to plan your workout every day it would cost you at least $50-$70 a session. Bootcamp memberships usually run around $100-150 for a month of classes. That’s like getting a trainer’s expertise for $13.00 a session! Big Box gyms would go bankrupt if they offered you those prices!

Reason #4: They’re Functional

For years people trained in a very simple and functional way. They stood up, picked heavy stuff up and put it over their heads. Then all of a sudden someone invented a machine where you sat down and moved one muscle at a time and the gym as we know it today was born. Bootcamp programs use the environment around them as their equipment. This means you train using movements you’d do in everyday life, making you a more efficient and functional human being.

Reason # 3: They make you look good naked

You’ll accomplish more in 1 hour during bootcamp than 3 hours at the gym. Bootcamp programs are designed to give you the biggest workout in the shortest amount of time. You show up and the trainer whips your butt! By using bodyweight, high repetition workouts and equipment such as medicine balls, resistance bands, and agility ladders, the trainer is able to help you build strong lean muscles rather than huge muscles. You’ll look more like a lean and sexy athlete, rather than a hulking Arnold.

Reason #2: Team Work!

Working out with a motivated group of people feels so good! From the time we were little kids we’ve done things in groups. From swimming lessons to learning CPR we learn and work in teams. So why should you work out alone? Nothing feels better than pushing yourself to succeed and having the person next to you cheer you on. You’ll build friendships as well as muscles.

Reason #1: They’re FUN!!

The simple question is: “When was the last time you went to the gym and laughed during your workout?” I guarantee during your first bootcamp, you will work hard, sweat like crazy, but most of all you will have one of the best times of your life! Remember how fun it was as a kid to run around and play? Get ready because its playtime. Get out there and join your local bootcamp!!

SGO Fitness