Some Great Grocery Store Buys...

Here are some great buys for healthier options! Make roll ups! Use lettuce instead of bread! Use a low carb or 100% whole wheat tortilla!

Best Low-Fat Cheddar Cheese
Cracker Barrel Reduced-Fat Extra SharpA crowd pleaser, this low-fat cheese tastes like the regular kind. Slice it for crackers, cube it for salads, or grate it for omelets.
Per ounce: 90 calories, 7g protein, 1g carbohydrate, 6g fat (3.5g saturated), 0g fiber

Best Low-Fat Swiss Cheese
Sargento Reduced Fat A full-flavored pick that won't wreck your diet even if you have two slices. Per slice: 60 calories, 7g protein, 1g carbohydrate, 4g fat (2g saturated), 0g fiber

Best Sliced Ham
Boar's Head Branded Deluxe Lower SodiumFull of flavor, this packaged ham tastes deli-fresh.
Per 2 ounces: 60 calories, 10g protein, 2g carbohydrate, 1g fat (0g saturated), 0g fiberBest

Peanut Butter
Smucker's Reduced Fat Natural Style Creamy "Thick and smooth without being too oily," one tester raved. This PB was a hit thanks to its fresh, peanuty aroma and easy stirring.
Per 2 tablespoons: 200 calories, 9g protein, 12g carbohydrate, 12g fat (2g saturated), 2g fiber

Have a great day!!!

July-August Circuit Trainers

I can't believe it has been 8 weeks already!!! We are doing the final weigh ins and measurement this week! So far it has been great! A lot of inches lost and as of today between 15 - 20 lbs lost. GREAT JOB! I wanted to remind you --for you to keep getting weighed in and measured you must pay for the both September and October ( 8 week program). If you pay for the 4 weeks only you can still work out when you want but will have to weigh and measure yourself. Please let us know by Aug 31st if you are doing the Challenge again or just the 4 weeks! Also we do have the caliper that will tell your BMI. Please stay after class to get your final weigh in, measurements, picture, and BMI. Have a great day!

One of my FAVORITE Soups- Sopa De Lima

When we were in Mexico I fell in love with this soup-Sopa De Lima- and I made my best batch yesterday so I thought I should share it with you!!! I hope you enjoy it.

Salt

1 Onion

4 Celery (chopped or thinly chopped)

1 cup shredded Carrots

1 Jalapeno finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon dried Mexican Oregano

can of peeled chopped tomato

2 cartons of low sodium chicken broth

3 large chicken breast-shredded

4 green onions

4 1/2 limes

2 avocados (chopped)

handful chopped Cilantro leaves

Mix chopped onion, celery, carrots, and jalapenos pepper in 1 tablespoon on olive oil. Cook over medium heat until veggies are soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, bay leaf, and Mexican Oregano and cook for about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and season with salt. Pour mixture in to larger Soup pan and add chicken stock and chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook chicken in broth until fully cooked, about 25 minutes ( the longer it cooks the easier to shred). Remove chicken from soup and set aside to cool enough to handle. Allow soup to continue to simmer.

When chicken has cooled a bit, shred in to fine shreds and return to pot with green onions and and lime juice. Cook for 5 minutes . Season soup to taste with salt and cilantro. Garnish with chopped avocado.

I really hope you enjoy the soup as much as we do!!!

Losing Weight and Alcohol

A lot of people have been asking me about alcohol and this, by the way is one of the number one questions I am asked! Well, my typical response is..."It depends, do you want to lose fat?......If you do, then alcohol has no place in a fat loss program." I am not going to sit here and say you can not drink again but when you are drinking, trying to lose weight, and that scale is just not moving I just want you to know why.

What I knew about alcohol, before writing this,was that it's not packed full of nutrition! It negatively affects estrogen and testosterone levels! It's loaded with empty calories! It stimulates hunger~ Poor food choices are made when drinking! With that said, I wanted a more "scientific" reason why alcohol is a poor choice. So on that note, here's the down and dirty on why alcohol makes you gain weight.

Alcohol first passes through your esophagus as it travels to your stomach, from there, 20% of the alcohol is absorbed immediately by your blood-stream. The remaining alcohol travels to your intestines and is absorbed from there.The alcohol in your blood stream then travels directly to your liver. It's here that the body breaks down the alcohol, something that is absolutely essential since alcohol is toxic to your body. Alcohol breaks down and IMMEDIATELY signals to your body to stop burning fat. Even worse, another waste product of alcohol, acetyl CoA, actually starts to make more fat.

What does that mean? It means your body can only effectively process 0.5 to 1 ounce of alcohol per hour. So, what's the damage? A 12 ounce beer contains about 0.6 ounces of alcohol. If you consumed 5 of these, your body would be inhibited from fat burning for up to six (6) hours.This is aside from the fact that your body will actually be storing fat during these 6 hours! The more you drink, the longer your body is inhibited from burning fat. That's in addition to a greater fat build up from all the excess acetyl CoA being produced.

As you can see, one day of binge drinking can set you back days if not a full week when it comes to fat loss! What's the worst case scenario? Mixing alcohol with sugary beverages promotes even further fat gain due to the resulting insulin surge that triggers fat storage. (i.e. regular beer or cocktails mixed with regular soda and/or fruit juice equals BAD NEWS!)

The Bottom Line.....If you want the most rapid and lasting fat loss around:DON'T DRINK ALCOHOL!!! Plain and simple. If you "want" to drink, because it's a want, not a must....

A - Choose wine or hard liquor (doesn't contain as many carbs) and "light" beer.

B - Limit alcohol consumption to 1 day per week and1-2 drinks max on that day.

So here it is --the bad news about drinking! I know Labor day is coming up and a lot of people are going our of town so I just wanted to give you something to think about.

Thanks for the GREAT Comments!

Thanks so much for all your great feedback and complements about our Circuit Training! We may have a great Circuit with some great trainers that work you hard:)-But YOU do the hard work and make it GREAT!!!

Here are a couple of recent comments...

"I have been to a ton of different classes and truly think I have found the best one yet, it's a great class and you guys make it "fun" to workout!! Thanks for the great workouts!!"

"For the first time ever I am seeing results, Thank you!"

"I am finally losing weight and my pants are falling off!"

"It is a hard workout but I love it! When it is over I feel so great and am excited to come back."

We love our job and are very happy to be a part of your healthy life style change and body transformation! Have a great night and THANKS again!

Fear Not Clinic

Once a Month there will be a "Fear Not Clinic" run by Master Jae Sims. This is a self defense class that you face your fears and learn some great moves to protect yourself! The moves will be great for piece of mind, balance, and core! You can do one class or you can go once a month and learn new moves each time. Bring a friend if you would like!

Place: 3404 S Minnesota Ave Sioux Falls (Our SF Location)

Phone Number: (605)371-9000

First Date: Aug 29

Time: 11:30 AM (I will check times for sure)

Price: $15.00 for Bruning Intense Circuit Training Clients (BICT) and $20.00 for non clients

(If you are paid but have not started--you are a client!!!)

If this is something you want to do please contact Jae Sims at the phone number above and tell him you are with Bruning Circuit Training. I will not be at this one because I will be out of town-but I will attend next month!

Woo Hoo to the Weightloss this Week!

Great job on the weight loss so far! You are doing great and we still have 2 days of weighing in! I will keep you posted! See if you are eating healthy, following the rules, and working out-You will lose weight!!! If you have not weighed in yet -don't forget we only have today or tomorrow!

Some of you have voiced your concerns about not being hungry or it is sometimes hard to eat because of work or other reasons. Here are some snacks and shakes you can try...

Almonds (unsalted preferably)

Cocoa Almonds

Mixed nuts (in moderation)

Sliced and bagged fresh fruit

Sliced and bagged fresh or grilled veggies

Celery with peanut butter

Apples and peanut butter

Banana with almond butter

Hard boiled eggs

Light string cheese or cheese wedges

Soy beans

Frozen grapes, raspberries or any berry

Turkey roll ups (cheese or light cream cheese)

Grilled chicken slided and bagged

canned chicken or tuna in a lettuce wrap

Any meal replacement (low calories and carbs)-protein shake (healthy whey protein shakes up well without the blender)

Try grilling, slicing, and portioning at the beginning of the weeks and then you can just grab and go for the rest of the week!

Hope this helps! Have a GREAT day and keep up the great work!

**PS Our shirts came in! Make sure you come and get one after your workout!!!

If your not losing weight...your doing something wrong!

Remember every ones body is different and we all lose weight at different speeds but if you are not losing weight you are doing something wrong! If you are working out at least 3 days a week and eating your 5 healthy meals a day you will lose weight, inches, and tone up!

IF you are not losing READ this:

1. You're eating TOO much. Even if you're carefully measuring and planning your meals, extra calories can sneak in during snacking. It's VERY common to significantly "under" estimate the number of calories you're consuming on a daily basis. Write down everything you eat for one whole week. That is why I gave you a log!!!

2. You're not eating enough. You need to create a caloric deficit by reducing your caloric intake slightly. If you go too far below your maintenance calories, your body goes into starvation mode; sheds muscle and stores calories as fat for a future energy source. You have to eat!!!

3. You're not lifting weights! Steady state cardio burns calories but it doesn't boost your metabolism. Resistance training is *critical* to maintaining your muscle and tone. If you're not lifting weights while trying to lose body fat, you will lose muscle and your body will not tone up!

4. You are simply not exercising anywhere near enough! VERY FEW people are successful at losing weight AND keeping it off without exercising almost everyday!! I still have to work out daily!!! Make it a rule to be active at the very least 30 minutes a day.If you're having trouble losing weight, 20 minutes of exercise three times a week isn't going to cut it! You have to come to at least 3 of my classes a week! If you can come to more -GREAT!!! I started at 3 and quickly moved up to five days a week when I was going through my weight loss!

Most people who tell me they are *really serious* about losing weight are not willing to do what it takes to get where they want to be. If you're not willing to make exercise a *serious* priority in your life, your chances of succeeding at losing weight and keeping it off are VERY small!

5. Are you impatient? Are you looking for *instant* results?It took a while to put that weight on and it will take a while to get it off! If you are doing the meal plan AND working out you will see faster results but you have to make the change!!! Focus on your goals and you will get there!

6. Are you skipping any meals? If so, do not expect to see results. Skipping meals slows your metabolism causing body to store calories rather than burn them. This is serious!

7. Are you eating sugary foods or simple / refined carbohydrates? White rice, white (non whole wheat) flour products, white pastas, soft drinks , sweetened drinks - like juice, and the hundreds of products. Check the labels!

8. Watch your Alcohol intake! Alcohol stimulates your appetite, slows your metabolism,and it's loaded with empty (sugar) calories!

9. Eat fruits and/or vegetables EVERY time you eat? Not only are vegetables and fruit healthy for you, but they provide you with the necessary co-factors in order to support your fat loss program. They also help fill you up while providing very few calories and they're full of fiber!

10. Plan and prepare your meals ahead of time? If you have not planned your meals, you are more likely to cheat and find yourself off track. Try it! I like to grill up meats and veggies at the beginning of the week and put them in little baggies that I can just grab and go.

As you can see, fat loss can be VERY difficult...if you don't want it bad enough to do what it takes. If you really want to change, quit playing around with it. Get serious about it and make it an absolute, non-negotiable priority in your life... and it will happen. YOU can do this! I will be here to help you through and to answer any and all questions!

I want PIZZA!

So you are trying to lose weight and you have a pizza craving that you can not stop thinking about! I have been there! I love pizza but I don't love what pizza does to my body! Get creative and make a yummy pizza that is good and good for you! Bonus- your family will love it too!

Here is one of my favorite Pizza recipes:

Arugula, Goat Cheese, and roasted Garlic Pizza

2 Portabella Mushrooms with out the stem OR 2 Whole Wheat Flat breads

1/2 cup pizza sauce

1 cup Arugula or Spinach

1/2 cup Goat Cheese

2 Tablespoons pine nuts

2-4 cloves roasted garlic

2 Tablespoons dried Oregano

Olive Oil to drizzle

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Drizzle Olive Oil over mushroom or flat bread. Bake mushroom or flat bread for 7 minutes. Add sauce to mushroom or flat bread top with oregano, arugula or spinach, goat cheese, garlic, and pine nuts. Bake for additional 12 - 15 minutes! Serve and EAT--super yummy!

I love arugula and goat cheese but you can add any of your favorite pizza topping! Make sure you are using light cheese and lean proteins. Turkey Pepperoni, Canadian bacon, and turkey sausage is always good! I hope you enjoy your pizza!

Saturday Morning--Aug 8th

Hi All!

I am so excited about the rejoiners and the new group of ladies! What a great week with a GREAT group of people! All of you did great this week and worked so hard--remember it does get easier or should I say "You will get stronger!"

Anyway, I just wanted to say that tomorrow morning if you are signed up for Brandon at 8AM we will be at the park. If you are signed up in Sioux Falls at 9:45AM, go to the building first-if it is not too hot we will head down to Tomar Park. Both Brandon and Sioux Falls please bring your mat or towel and your water! Have a great night and I will see you in the morning!

A Few Words...

Hello All,

It has been a crazy week and I hope all of you new comers and my veterans are enjoying your workouts! It has been crazy busy for Jeff and I but at the same time --very fun!

As for the Brandon Morning location--lets keep it outside UNLESS the weather is bad! Sioux Falls we will meet at the building and will use the park every now and then. Tomar is the park we will use when we go!

Make sure you always have a Mat or Towel for when we do go to the park!

For those of you looking for the Whey Protein and Soy milk- I use 100% Healthy Whey Protein and Slender Soy -Soy Milk (I think I told a few of you the wrong name--SORRY!). I love these brands because not only do they taste good but they are low in carbs and calories!

There will be a Fear Not Clinic coming up at the end of the month. It is a self defence class- you will face your fears and learn some great moves--these moves will be great for your core! I will let you know the date in the next few days. The price is $15.00 a class for clients in Bruning Intense Circuit Training and $20.00 for non clients. The classes will be held by Master Jae Sims at one of our locations. You can go to one class, 2 classes, or once a month-- whatever you like! Let me know if you are interested and I will pass the word on to Master Jae Sims! I will be attending so I wont be so scared setting up for that 6AM class!

For those new comers--If any of use want to check out the daily plate on line--it is another way to log your meals. It is great because it tracks calories, carbs, fiber, exercise.....It is great if you use this but please use the one I gave you also. If I don't see what your eating I can not help you if you plateau!

I have already been looking at the food logs and some look great and some could use some work. I am here to help you so if you have any questions--please ask!

I saved the best news for last! Jeff has joined Bruning Intense Circuit Training for sure! If you need anything don't be afraid to ask him--as well as myself! I will be adding his number to the blog so if you can not get a hold of me, you can try his line too. I am SO VERY glad he came aboard- he has a ton of fitness and business knowledge!

I think that is about it! Have a great day and keep up the great work!

TIPS for Working Out...

Welcome to all the new boot campers! You all did GREAT today and I am so excited to help you reach your fitness goals!

If is your first time working out or just your first time in a long time, LISTEN to your body!

I want you to challenge yourself but I also want to to be able to walk the next day!

During your workout remember these tips...

Go at your own pace and rest if you need it

Stay hydrated

Get lots of sleep

Please tell me if something feels wrong

Remember to stretch before or after if you need too

EAT at least 1 hour before workout--that early morning is EARLY so if your not up an hour before- eat the minute you get up. Meal Replacement work GREAT in the AM.

If you are feeling sore take a bath in some Epsom salt and take some Ibuprofen. If Ibuprofen does not work --R.I.C.E.

If you suffer from any sports injury, use R.I.C.E. The term stand for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.

REST- Take a break from any type of movement that may stress the injured area.

ICE-Ice the affected area. Icing can reduce pain, limit swelling, and encourages rapid healing. Wrap ice in towel to avoid direct contact with skin. OR use frozen veggies!

COMPRESS-Compress with a stretch bandage-not to tight!

ELEVATE-If possible elevate above the heart--at least higher than the hips

Also remember-you may be sore at first but you will get through it and you will get healthier and stronger!!!

AGAIN--GREAT JOB!

What is Orientation?

Orientation day!

I am so excited to meet all of you! If you are missing orientation please let me know so we can make other arraingements!

Orientation will be held tomorrow Aug 4th at Jae Ho Sims academy at the following times.

Brandon 6AM
Sioux Falls 7:30 AM
Sioux Falls 6:30 PM

The addresses of each location are listed on my blog under locations.

During Orientation I will tell you a little about myself, go over the program, meal plans, get contact info and get you registered in. After we go over everything you can decide if you want the 4 week program or 8 week program. If you want the 8 week program you will get measured, weighed in, and your photo taken for the before and after shots. Please have a checkbook with you as we will be collecting payment tomorrow.

If you are wondering what to wear to orientation...

We are not working out- but if you arenconsidering the 8 week program you should wear your workout clothes. A sports bra or tight fitted shirt and shorts would be great for the pics. That way you can really see results at the end! Don't worry we will take the picture in privacy! You can wear what you want but I am just suggesting that because it is hard to see results with a big T shirt on--it is totally up to you!

I hope you are ready for a CHALLENGING, HEALTHY, and FUN change! See you tomorrow!