Shake Up Your Snack

Next time afternoon hunger hits, think outside the 100-calorie pouch. Beyond granola bars, apples and vending machine junk food, there's an entire world of satisfying snacks out there.

Beans in a Pod

Boil 1 cup edamame and sprinkle with sea salt.
Eat while still warm (discard the pods).
179 calories, 7.5 g fat

Mini Chicken Fiesta

Fill 1 small corn tortilla with 3 oz chicken. Sprinkle on 2 Tbsp cheddar cheese and top with 2 Tbsp salsa. Warm in microwave if desired.
189 calories, 3 g fat

Better than Wings

Dunk 2 celery stalks in 2 Tbsp light bleu cheese dressing. Drizzle with hot sauce to taste.
90 calories, 6 g fat

Creamy, Crunchy, and Tangy

Toast 1 slice multigrain bread. Spread with 1 Tbsp goat cheese then cover with 1 sliced tomato. Add plenty of black pepper and a pinch of dried thyme.
133 calories, 4 g fat

Being fit will NOT make you happy, but being fat WILL make you miserable. Repeated psychology studies, billions of advertising dollars, the careers of Dr. Phil, Charlie Sheen, most politicians, more professional athletes, and the entire self-help industry all highlight the one simple truth: humans suck at figuring out what makes us happy. Be honest. If I could wave a magic wand to make all of your problems disappear, you would just go get new ones. I know I would. We all did. Think back to your first car. Before you got it, you had a list in mind of all the things it would be. Was it? Mine either. Over the years my list of “must haves” in a car has drastically changed (to the point that I once had a smack-down with a 7th grader over the sex appeal of anyone driving a minivan). How about yours?

What we wanted as a Jr. High-er and what we want NOW are wildly different. And it often changes once we get what we thought we wanted. That is when we raise our sights a little. Sure, some things I want are still the same; 6-pack abs, a ‘62 Corvette convertible, the ability to take a beautiful woman to a restaurant more upscale than the golden arches. But that car isn’t nearly as important as I once thought. We have to ask why we want these things. (Otherwise a guy could end up with a great body and a nice car while he eats dinner alone.)

This heart-healthy recipe not only shows how much you love your Valentine, but that you care about his or her heart, literally and symbolically.

Ingredients

•  2 - 4 oz. salmon fillets
•  2 tsp Fresh to Market Extra Virgin olive oil, divided
•  1 bag (9 oz.) fresh spinach
•  1 Meyer lemon, zested
•  2 cloves garlic, slivered
•  1 tbsp minced white onion
•  1 tbsp shredded fresh basil
•  ¼ cup dry white wine

Preparation

Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a pan; add onion.  Saute until onion is translucent. Add garlic and saute until garlic is fragrant (do not brown the garlic, or it will turn bitter).  Add spinach, toss, turn off heat and cover to wilt.  Season with salt and pepper. Add the juice and zest of ½ lemon and set aside.

Meanwhile heat ½ tsp olive oil in an oven-proof skillet until shimmering, but not smoking; season fish with salt and pepper.  Sear fish skin side up until golden brown, turn fish over (skin side down) and carefully pour in the white wine.  Place pan in a 350°F oven for 5–6 minutes or until done to your liking.

Make a bed of the sauteed spinach, top with one salmon fillet.  Finish with ½ tsp olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and fresh shredded basil.

I know the voices in my head aren’t real, but at least one of them usually tells me what I want to hear.

You know the anonymous “they” of “They say”? (They say the best way to lose weight is...”) Yeah, “Them”… “They” are all in my head.

I know I need to exercise and eat right to get the body I want; but who do I listen to? Seriously, it is like a presidential election; Lots of different opinions all arguing about the best way to do something.  And there is no way for me to tell which ones have a clue and which ones don’t.  There is always someone in there who will tell me that it is not my fault.  Someone will tell me I’m not that fat.  There is always someone in there to tell me there is a secret that will make it fast and easy.

There is always someone in here to give me permission.  “The all you can eat buffet is a great deal, right?”  (I think that one is Gingrich) “I don’t have to think about what I’m doing until Monday because diets and exercise programs only work when started on magic Mondays, right?” (I could never get the hang of Thursdays)

Though food is supposed to be one of life's simple pleasures, few things cause more angst and confusion. It's no wonder why. We're constantly being told which foods we should eat to be healthy, which diets we should follow to be skinny, which preparation methods we should use to be safe, and which chemicals and contaminants in food we should shun to avoid illness. It's enough to give anyone indigestion.

If you're confused about what to believe, you've come to the right place. All types of studies come with caveats. However, if interpreted properly, a body of research can allow us to make sound judgments about how believable a claim is.

To that end, I've carefully reviewed the relevant studies and assigned each claim to a category on what I call the Truth Scale:

• Good Evidence: This means the claim is believable because there's solid supporting evidence from at least several randomized trials or large cohort studies (the type in which people are asked about their dietary habits and then followed for years or decades). As a whole, other evidence points in the same direction.
• Half True: This indicates that a claim contains an element of truth because some aspect of it is supported by solid science. For example, the claim may be valid for a limited number of people or in limited circumstances. But overall, it's misleading.
• Weak Evidence: This means the claim is not believable based on the available evidence. The supporting research may be very limited or nonexistent. If there's a body of research, the bulk of it refutes the claim, or indisputable scientific facts shoot it down.

Let's start by looking at four very common weight-loss claims.

Acai Berries Help You Lose Weight: Weak Evidence
Sasha Conrad is a success story—or so it would seem. On her blog, the working mother of two children tells how acai berries helped her lose 25 pounds, and she's posted photos to prove it. Nadia Johnson achieved similar results, which she also documented with before and after pictures on her blog. More than 60 other women have posted similar stories, along with photos, on their blogs as well. Sounds impressive until you know this: The pictures are all of the same woman. Her photo was purchased from a stock photography library and digitally altered to make her look thin for the "after" pictures. What's more, many of these blogs contain identical wording. It's all a big scam to sell acai berries, which was exposed by a legitimate blog called Wafflesatnoon.com. As for claims that acai berries promote weight loss, they're no more believable than the bogus blogs.

I blame Walt Disney for the obesity epidemic in America.

 When I was a kid, every Disney movie I saw told me that with pluck, determination, animal friends, and Elton John lyrics, all my dreams would come true. There was always an evil villain or wicked step-mother plotting my downfall, and at just the right moment my singing animal friends would clear the way for me to take my rightful place as ruler of the kingdom, complete with beautiful princess and adoring in-laws.

As a teenager, I was convinced that I would be the next Jukebox Hero. I had visions of jamming with Eddie Van Halen, Boxing with Rocky, busting bad guys with Starsky and Hutch, jumping muscle cars with the Dukes of Hazard, and having Maverick as my wing-man. (it’s a generational thing)

And so, I waited. I drifted through High School with mediocre grades and sports while waiting for the heavens to part; waiting for a spotlight to shine down upon me, and for some omniscient narrator with a voice like James Earl Jones to proclaim, “This one...this one has value!”

Someone cue Pink Floyd to start playing “Welcome to the Machine.”

Here's a great abdominal video, based on bodyweight exercises - give it a try, tell us what you think!

 These ARE extreme workouts - if you are unsure of the correct form or need modifications come in and ask one our trainers to show you the ropes - We DO NOT want you to get hurt!

I think a better question would be, is a strange new place with people you have never met, in a building filled with odd fantastical objects that you have no idea how to work scary? Of course but, anything I don’t know everything about scares me at least a little. That is why we try to make the transition of stepping thru the doors and embarking on your fitness adventure as easy and smooth as a glass of cold water on a hot summer’s day.

How the heck do we as Gold’s Gym employees help make this transition from average Wenatchee citizen to Superhero Fitness Adventurer? Well we try to do so in a variety of ways. The first one is always providing a fun and welcoming atmosphere in the gym as soon as you walk thru the door. This helps ease people into doing the hardest part of fitness. WALKING THRU THE FRONT DOOR.