Read the Labels

Being in the fitness industry, we spend alot more time helping people lose fat than anything else. It amazes me how the majority of people come in with preconceived ideas on fat loss tactics. Where do they get their information? Diet books, media, friends or the often deceiving packages on foods at the grocery store? Just because it says HEALTHY, it still has calories and should be eaten according to portion size. ” The boring message is when it to food that there are two variables: what you are eating and how much,” says Dawn Blatner, R.D., and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

An average adult woman should consume about 1600 calories a day, says Deanna Hoelscher, director of the MIchael & Susan Dell Center for the advancement of Healthy Living and a professor at the University of Texas, Austin, School of Public Health. It’s not jus counting calories, eating a variety of foods in proper portions will also help maintain a healthy weight.

Imagine a plate: One quarter should be a lean protein ( like fish or chicken ), another quarter should be grains ( oatmeal or brown rice ), and the last half should be fruits and vegetables. How you prepare your foods is also a very important. Improper cooking methods can rob foods of their nutritional value.

READ THE FOOD LABELS: Don’t be fooled by the NO-FAT or LOW FAT versions. When something is taken out, something else takes it’s place. Yogurt with fruit is labeled low fat, for example can have more sugar than two scoops of ice cream. In fact, some fats are healthy, for instance avocados, walnuts and salmon, these fats stave off hunger and can keep your arteries from clogging. Still, just because something is good for you, it doesn’t mean you can eat all you want. It’s not a food industry conspiracy. Marketers follow the trends, for instance the Atkins Diet, foods all over the store were labeled low carb or no carb. ( FYI: Atkins has been critisized by by just about about every medical organization known to man ). A 2008 study Arizona State University and the University of Kentucky showed that dieters will actually eat more if the portions are presented in small packages because of the reduced sizes are perceived to be diet food. Marketers and the trends, that’s why we now see 100 calorie packages of Oreos, it’s still a bag of sugar and fat filled cookies that you don’t need. Even the fast food industry is claiming to add healthier choices on their menus. They maybe healthier than other items on the menu but, that does make them healthy. It’s all in how it’s presented and just another marketing trick. Give the public what they think they want and they’ll buy it. It’s like saying light cigarettes are okay. Give me a break.

The Bottom Line: Eat less and exercise more, this is a proven method that works. Let us design a fitness and a nutrition program just for you.

Michael Joe Wilkerson, CFT, SPN
The Dang Gym

Andrea Grafa, A Dang Super Mom

Andrea Grafa joined The Dang Gym over three years ago after having her daughter. “I like the younger crowd (at The Dang Gym), a lot of them are moms and are here for the same purpose,” said Andrea. Our free childcare, the “Dang-a-roo Club”, provides a safe place for her daughter to play so she can get her workout in. Andrea said that it is not only the free Dang-a-roo Club but also the “wonderful” staff that helped make her decision to join The Dang Gym.

She is now looking forward to delivering her son in just 1 ½ months and is not about to use motherhood as an excuse not to be fit. “I make it a priority to workout and multi-task for everything else. But my family is my main priority,” said Andrea.Let’s face it, things change when you’re expecting and exercise is no exception. “Well, because I’m pregnant right now everything is modified,” Andrea said. Her workout consists of 30 minutes each on the bike and weights, 10 minutes each on the elliptical and stairmaster and finishes up with lunges. “During pregnancy it makes me and the baby a lot healthier (to exercise) but overall I love the way I feel after a great workout.”

She stays motivated because she wants to be healthy and keep her weight down. And that’s important for this very busy mother of two (well, almost). She is self-employed at “Up-Close Photography” and sells Scentsy as well. With such an active lifestyle, she has to take care of herself, to stay strong and healthy for her family.

We are so proud of Andrea! She is an inspiration to us all! Keep up the great work!

Melinda Prater
TheDangGym.com

Family, Friends, Fun and Fitness At The Dang Gym.

Lucy joined The Dang Gym 18 months ago and went right to work. She dedicated herself to a workout program and found that many of her friends were ready to start exercising too. Now they workout together, inspiring and encouraging each other while making fitness look so fun. Lucy and her friends benefit from a variety of aerobic classes 2-4 days a week and also do strength training in our women’s only room. “I really enjoy Lori’s classes. She is a very good instructor, especially Zumba and Kickboxing!” Lucy said.

When The Dang Boot Camp began in January, Lucy was so exited that she began to encourage her husband Benigno to join up with her. “My wife said, ‘Come on! You will like it!’ She loves The Dang Gym. So I came with her and tried it out. I met the friendly staff and decided to join and do the Boot Camp too!”

Benigno is a runner. He runs about six miles on the treadmill, as well as circuit training. “I feel stronger and faster. Now bad weather is no excuse not to exercise.” he said. His fellow boot campers know how fast he is, they call him “Speedy Gonzalez.”

It wasn’t long before Lucy and Benigno realized that their son Benny would also benefit from an early morning workout before school. Benny is 13 years old and follows his parents’ example of a healthy active lifestyle. He is already was active in sports like football, basketball and running so Boot Camp was a different kind of a challenge for him. “He stuck with it and made us so proud!” said his parents.

Lucy can see how exercise improves the health of our older members. She wants to do all she can to live as healthy and as long as she can. “Exercise helps me feel like new and relax.” she said. Her hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed by Benigno either, “I think she’s beautiful!” he said. (And so do we!)

The Dang Gym Spring Boot Camp begins May 17th. Come in and sign up now! Everyone’s welcome, so don’t wait another day to get your family on their way to fitness!

Melinda Prater

Hello again. This is Talon from the massage therapy department here at the Dang Gym hoping that this article finds you and yours well. Another month has passed and things are going well here at the gym. However, there is something that has been on my mind recently that I would like to discuss. The other day I had a client who was under considerable stress as well as various medical anomalies and had the muscle aches to prove it. She said something that I hear a lot, “Massages really help manage my pain but it’s such a luxury that I don’t get as many as I should.”

Therein lies the problem, the stigma associated with massage. People seem to think that massage is only for the overindulgent or over privileged. In all actuality my client base is not made up of those people. Massages that come through here include the stress ridden mother of three or the overworked teacher. It is for the sufferers of depression and anxiety. It is for the sore and tired. Massage is here to help the physically and emotionally burdened. Massage is for those who work hard and for those that play hard. The juggling act that is our way of life seems to have permanently tensed our shoulders and riddled us with knots. We give our all throughout the whole week so what is wrong with one hour of healing for ourselves?

I am not implying that massage is a replacement for proper health assessments or psychotherapy; however, it can reduce any number of symptoms and ailments you have. It will allow you to live a more relaxed and fulfilling life with less pain and stress.

Many people come in for one session and then wait a month or more before their next session. The knots that I worked out the last time come back and the person is frozen with pain. On the other hand I have clients that come in every two weeks or more whose muscles show real signs of improvement, and those adhesions don’t have a chance to reform. They also report less stress and an overall sense of wellness.

It’s time to start viewing massage as “preventative maintenance.” Stress and obesity top the list of culprits of manifested diseases. My treatment is easy. No one is asking you to go on a diet, exercise and lose weight, or exert any kind of will power what-so-ever. I am inviting you to come in, lay down, take a deep breath and let the healing begin one knot at a time.

Talon W. Thompson
Licensed Massage Therapist
The Dang Gym
817-202-8015

Portion Control

Some simple steps to control portion sizes. As kids we learned not to eat between meals to avoid “spoiling our dinner”. Well it’s time to forget that rule.

Step 1, Feeling hungry between meals, have a healthy snack, a piece of fruit or a small salad will help you avoid overeating at that next meal.

Step 2, People tend to overeat while watching TV put the amount you plan to eat in a bowl instead of eating from the package. You often lose track of how much you are eating when focused on something else.

Step 3, Avoid the temptation of over eating at meal time by not putting the dishes on the table. Keeping excess food out reach reduces the temptations of second helpings.

Step 4, When eating out, split the entrée with someone, not only will you eat less, it’s also easier on the budget. You can also ask for a “to-go” box. (Hint: divide the meal before you eat, not after).

Get rid of the candy dish and replace it with a fruit bowl. People to eat more when food is readily available so, make healthier snack choices to leave around the house.

Decorate the front of the fridge and cabinets with healthier foods and put the more tempting choices in the back, (out of sight, out of mind).

Avoid large containers; people seem to consume more without even realizing it when food is in a larger container. Instead, divide foods into smaller containers.

Remember it takes the stomach approximately 20 minutes to let the brain know it’s had enough. Food labels can help you understand more about portion sizes and nutritional contents.

Michael Joe Wilkerson
Certified Fitness Trainer
Certified Specialist in Performance Nutrition
mwilkerson@thedanggym.com

WHY should senior citizens exercise?

Here’s why: if you don’t use it you’ll lose it.

Maybe some don’t care if they lose their strength and flexibility. Maybe they don’t mind if they can’t do daily activities like going up and down the stairs, tie their shoes, or just get around in general. I personally do care and want to do these things. They matter to me and my active lifestyle will bring more activity.

A lot of seniors seem to think that because they are older and have various conditions such as osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity, and whatever else, that they are prohibited from exercise. They seem to think that they can’t, that somehow their condition will become worse because of it. Nothing could be further from the truth. Excuses are just that, excuses. Starting an exercise program promotes health, your health. Any exercise can be modified to fit the needs of a senior citizen.

Sometime it takes a major event like a heart attack or a stroke to make one decide to change his or her lifestyle and add an exercise program to their daily routine. Sometimes these events could have been prevented by a more active lifestyle choice from the beginning.

Here at The Dang Gym many seniors just like you are taking advantage of having more free time on their hands and have made exercise a part of their lifestyle. If you’re interested in taking the first steps (literally) toward a better, healthier you, consider starting a walking program. This simple addition to your day helps to get your body moving again and puts the heart (the most important muscle you have) back to work. To facilitate your needs we provide an indoor walking track as well as treadmills and exercise bikes to completely take the weather out of the equation.

Also, consider a strength training program that will wake up those muscles that haven’t been used in a while. Give yourself three months and you will start to feel the results. You will also be healthier for your efforts. Here at the gym our knowledgeable staff of trainers are ready to help you get started and are well versed on the do’s and don’ts regarding our senior members.

The picture above is of one of our valued senior members, Keith Peck. He’s been working out regularly for the last twenty-five years (since he retired). He has been a member of The Dang Gym since we opened five years ago. You can catch him at the gym every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. He will be ninety-three on his next birthday. He’s a testament of what a senior can accomplish through exercise and an active lifestyle.

Bob Ed Watson
Senior Trainer
The Dang Gym

This year’s Biggest Dang Loser contest has proved to a be a worthy challenge for our groups. The teams were made up of pairs, then put together with anywhere from 8-20 pairs. Our winning team this year was the Maroon team. Team Captain John Dang was a driving force for this team. Each pair was held accountable for themselves, their partner and the team as a whole. The team was made up of John & Staci Dang, Sally Smith & Amy Herrington, Michele Fowler & Bobbie Robison, Anita Noriega & Cynthia Najera, Kelli Suratt & Terri Lay, Ofelia Ibarra & Jennifer Choate, Glenna Bell & Lisa Marconi, and Kenneth & Glenna Bell. The Maroon team lost a total of 217.5 lbs, with a total percentage of weight loss being 7.11%.

The Maroon team accomplished this by working together and supporting each other. Each Monday they would have team meetings and fix a healthy dietary meal together for the day. They would come in groups to work out at the Dang Gym. They also attend the many of the classes (Spin, Yoga, Aerobics, Muscle Pump, etc.) that are offered at the gym. Each person was responsible for keeping a daily food diary, which include what they ate, how much they ate and the amount of calories and carbs that were consumed. Team members had daily snacks at 10am and 3pm which helped them to eat smaller meals at regular meal times. This group worked very hard to accomplish their weight loss. Not only was this the winning team but they also had the 5th place winners also. Bobbie Robison and Michele Fowler lost a total of 10.41%. Great job team and you go Bobbie and Michele!

Rex joined The Dang Gym in January of this year and has made a real commitment to his new exercise routine. “My daughter Annie is almost 9 years old, so the trick to managing my workouts is getting to the gym right after I take her to school.” said Rex. The key to his success was finding a schedule and routine that works best for him.

“Morning, morning, morning, the earlier the better. I walk on the (indoor) track every day (I need to feel like I’m getting somewhere rather than stuck in place on a treadmill) then I alternate upper and lower body machines every other day. I don’t listen to music or read; I like to pay attention to everything going around me,” said Rex.

We are so glad Rex chose The Dang Gym to begin his quest for fitness. He said The Dang Gym has, “Great people with smiling faces, a great environment, and discounts for teachers, which I am one.” The Dang Gym offers corporate discounts to many of our local businesses and organizations, including teachers.

“I’ve been a writer for 25 years, so I work at my home studio, but I’ve also taught creativity workshops at SMU for the last 10 years,” said Rex who has deep roots in this area. “I was born in Cleburne at the old Memorial Hospital on North Main, grew up in Fort Worth and Burleson, went to college in L.A., then I inherited my family’s hundred-year-old homestead in Cleburne twenty years ago. So here I be.”

Like many, Rex has recently gone through the stress of divorce. Working out is a great way to cope with stressful situations. “Exercise will help your body fight stress by releasing your natural endorphins,” said Dr. John Dang, MD. Through it all, Rex has still managed to maintain his sense of humor while still enjoying the benefits of exercise. “It’s the key to losing weight. Working out coupled with my new Divorce Diet has lowered my weight by 20 pounds. The Divorce Diet consists of berries and a few twigs,” jokes Rex.

Rex is a great example of how to reduce stress and reap the benefits of a healthy active lifestyle. He has found a workout program that works for him and is on the right path to achieve his fitness goals. Come in today and see how The Dang Gym can help you feel and look better too!