The Truth About Whole Milk

When I am at the grocery store I have a habit of looking at what is in other people's carts. It is no surprise why Americans are so overweight when you look at what people pick up at the store. Most carts will be full of sugary cereals, processed cookies and chips, soda and juice, and other fun stuff. You might also see a few so called "healthy foods" like Lean Cuisines, Snackwells, or low/non fat items, and diet sodas. These really aren't healthy and most times aren't even classified as food.

We get so obsessed with calories and fat that we lose the big picture. The secret to losing weight is to eat primarily whole foods. For example of the misconception we have, look at whole milk. Many people will not even glance at it in the dairy section, but you should take a closer look. Here is the nutritional label for whole milk:

So one serving is only 150 calories. Really not that bad when we think about all the Vitamin A and D as well as calcium and protein we are getting. What scares people here is the fat content. Now let's compare it to 1% milk:

Ok so now we could out 30 calories which is good and kept the protein the same. But we actual increased sugar even though fat went down. We also increased the amount of sodium which is usually a major problem in the Western Diet. So to save a few calories and fat we increased so other issues. We also want to consider the Vitamin A and D. These are both fat soluble vitamins. Meaning without fat you cannot proper absorb these nutrients. So, just because it is on the label doesn't mean you are getting it.

My point to this article isn't to have you go out and get whole milk from now on, but you can if you don't have a problem with diary. It is more to look at the American diet. With all the new "healthy foods" and options out there, why is obesity on the rise. We are always looking for the easy way to get to our goals. The easy way is to eat more whole, unprocessed foods. Also, we need fat in our diet. We need more unsaturated Omega 3's in our diets. Stay away from low/non fat foods or sugar free. By giving up one you are increasing the other or something else that will not help you lose weight.

Here is a check list you can use the next time you are at the grocery store. If you have any of these items in your cart get rid of them:

• White Bread
• Cookies
• Crackers
• Enriched Flour Pasta
• Cakes
• Cereal made with refined flour
• Premade package/prepackage foods
• Corn Chips/Doritos/Fritos
• Diet Soda
• Fat Free Rice Cakes
• Slim Fast Shakes
• Refined Vegetable Oil

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

1 Simple Tip To Help With Low Back Pain

I have heard one statistic that over 80% of Americans will experience low back pain at some point in there life. I have no idea where this stat came from, but I would guess it is an understatement. I don't know if I have ever met someone that said they have never experienced and episode of low back pain (yes myself included).

There are a number of reasons why you might be experiencing low back pain, and it would take a professional to observe and diagnose it. I am willing to bet that most likely your back pain comes from a weak/dysfunctional core or it is from postural imbalances.

It is safe to say that if you have low back pain you probably are sitting too much. There might not be much you can do about this. Your job probably revolves around you sitting a lot, you probably have a commute where you are stuck sitting, and then you get home to sit and watch tv. It is inevitable, you are going to have to sit all day, so how can we do this and avoid back pain.

According to Shirley Sarhmann, a very well known physical therapist, there is one simple thing you can do that will dramatically help reduce pain associated from a seated position. The reason you have pain from sitting too much is because in this position you are most likely in a lumbar flexed position. This means your lower back is rounding. Our muscles and our vertebral discs have a memory. They stay in the position that you put them in for a long time. So when you stand up you will most likely stay in that flexed position. On top of this, the WORST position for your lumbar spine to be in is flexed and rotated. Think about when you are seated at your desk. You are probably already rounded and now you rotate to answer the phone, pick up a file, or any other reason. When you do this, you are dramatically increasing your risk for a bulging or compressed disc.

So how can we avoid this? Do not sit with a flexed lumbar. This is easier said then done if you have been sitting this way for awhile. Sarhmann recommends one simple thing to achieve this. When you are sitting keep your knees level or below your hips. When your knees are highly then your hips you will most likely sit with a rounded back. If you can raise your seat it will be much more comfortable sitting with a neutral spine. Just be careful. We want neutral spine. This means not flexed as we stated above and not hyper extended where you try and arch your back too far.



Give it a try while you are working. See how it improves your posture and your lower back pain.

You Stay Healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Ice Cream And Cocaine

These two things have more in common then you might think. Foods like ice cream affect the reward center of the brain. When we eat ice cream, a signal in our brain goes off and we see higher dopamine activity. Dopamine is a hormone that basically makes us feel good. When you eat certain foods, like ice cream, you will experience higher dopamine activity and you will feel good. This is where emotional eating can become a problem.

So this sounds pretty good. If you are feeling down or in a bad mood, just eat some ice cream and you will feel better. There are a few problems with this. The first should be obvious. If you are eating ice cream every time you are bummed you will probably start packing on some pounds. There is also another very big problem with eating ice cream frequently.

A new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at the brain's response to frequent ice cream eating. Previous studies have shown that weight gain leads to reduced reward-region responsivity to high calorie food consumption and reduced dopamine receptors. What they found was that those that consumed ice cream on a frequent basis had a reduce response in the reward center of the brain.

This means that the more you eat ice cream the less you will feel good from it. So to respond to that you will start to increase the amount of ice cream you consume to try and boost your dopamine levels. You just won't get the same response anymore from the same amount of ice cream. Sound familiar? Yes, drugs like cocaine work the same way. This is why people get addicted and need to take more drugs and more often to get the same feeling from them. We essentially build a tolerance to drugs and ice cream.

I do think there is something you can do to help prevent this. Well, the easy answer is to just stay away from ice cream. But for some, myself included, this is not an option. I'm not a big dessert/sweets person but I cannot pass up ice cream. The main point of this study I feel is the idea of frequency. It is ok to indulge in ice cream or other treats, but it should not be every time. Just me, it is worth the wait. If this is something you do just every now and then you will not risk reducing your dopamine receptors and you will still get that good feeling from it. So instead of having ice cream as a staple at the grocery store, just stick to it for special occasions or maybe to reward yourself if you have been really good with your workouts and diet.


You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

Newest Member of SDPT

Hey guys,

I know most of you have probably heard by now, but last Tuesday, Valentine's Day, we had our baby. His name is Davis James Deibler, weighed in at 7lbs 1oz and 19inches long. Davis and Mom
are doing great so far and it is well worth the lack of sleep. I don't normally post non fitness related blog articles, but I couldn't help myself. Plus a number of you have asked for some pictures so here you go.

Everything went great and I highly recommend to be as fit as possible before you get pregnant or pass this on to anyone you know who is thinking about it in the future. Here is a quick recap of the night. We went out to eat with Emily's parents who just got into town. Immediately after dinner her water broke. Luckily we didn't have too much to drink and we went home to grab our bags and off to the hospital. We got there around 11pm on Monday. Everything was going really well. No contractions yet so we were just playing the waiting game. To speed things along Emily tried a quick workout. I didn't think you would believe me so here is a short clip. She was doing squats before this and then finished with a moonwalk.




After a few hours she was put on medicine to help speed up the contractions and we got a few hours of sleep. Around 9am she was 5cm dilated and we were still just sitting and waiting. Let all of a sudden the contractions came hard and we then checked again a couple hours later she was at 10cm and ready to push.

The nurses got everything prepped for her and she started pushing. After two contractions she had to stop and wait for the doctors to come because she was pushing so well. When the doctor finally got there, which seemed liked hours, after around 4-5 contractions he was out (I will skip some of the details here).

The nurses and doctor were amazed with how quickly she got him out and kept commenting on how strong her core was. I took that as I huge compliment. Like I said before if you are thinking of going through this process get as strong as possible and you will save yourself a lot of pain.


He was a screamer when he first came.
But eventually settled down when he met Mommy.
He was definitely curious right from the start.
It looks like I found my replacement. Just need to get him trained and then I can retire.

5 Reasons Your Scales Not Moving

If you are like most people today, you might be recovering from a Superbowl party. It was a great game, especially is you are a Giants fan like myself. Now that the party is over you might be ready to hit the gym and get those extra pounds off. Or you might decide to go on a diet to make up for the chicken wings, alcohol, and guacamole.

Before you start whatever you are thinking about trying to lose weight, you might not want to use weight to determine how well it is going. I think this is one of the biggest mistakes people make when they go on a weight loss program. In fact you should not call it a weight loss program at all. You should be on a fat loss program. This is the problem with most diet programs out there. They focus on losing weight. When we just diet to lose weight you will lose fat, but you will also lose muscle, bone density, water, and your sanity. The scale is only one factor in the puzzle and it is not really a good one. I have seen people drop 2 or 3 dress sizes while only losing a pound or two on the scale. The important thing is to focus on is how you feel and how your clothes are fitting. Even if the scale isn't moving, it doesn't mean you are doing all the right things.

I know I could go on a rant all day about this but I will spare you the time. Instead here are 5 reasons why the scale isn't moving, because I know you are still going to check it anyway. Some are good and some are bad. Enjoy:

1. You have been on a low calorie diet for too long.

People tend to forget what low calorie diets can do to your body. Our body is a very efficient machine. As you decrease your calories ,your body starts to get rid of things that require more fuel so that it can survive with lower calorie intake. One of the first things it will get rid of is muscle. Muscle requires much more energy to function, which is exactly why the more muscle you have the more calories you burn and the easier it is to lose weight. When you drop your calories down for an extended period of time you will lose muscle among other things and your metabolism will start to slow down because of it. You body knows if you eat less it needs to conserve more. So if you been eating 1000-1200 calories for a while you will notice initially you will drop weight fast. Then it will start to slow down because your are not burning as many calories as you use to. Then you will plateau because you are no longer in a deficit. You then get frustrated and start eating more again because the program isn't working. But now you have a slower metabolism than when you started. This means you will gain weight faster and it will be much more difficult to lose it in the future.

2. You haven't given your program a REAL chance.

I know everyone, my clients included, want fast results. We watch shows like the Biggest Loser and see these people dropping hundreds of pounds like it is nothing. We need to remember that you are watching TV and can't believe everything you see. I'm not saying they aren't really losing the weight but you don't see everything that is happening on the program. We need to be realistic with our expectations. 1-2lbs a week may be fast for some people. I know that doesn't sound too exciting, but this is the truth. While it is possible to lose faster it is better to be conservative.

Avoid getting on the scale every day to see progress. It just is going to frustrate you. Instead find a pair of jeans that don't fit right now. I know you still have a pair somewhere. Once a week try them on. Stick with the program you are on for at least 2 months. If you can honestly say you have been doing everything the way you should be for two months and do not feel like the jeans are fitting better, you need to change up your program then.

3. You are losing fat but have gain muscle or bone density.

This is hopefully the case for most people. The goal of your workout/diet program is to gain some lean body mass and bone density while losing fat at the same time. When this happens you see very little change on the scale. This is fine though. Who cares what you weigh when you look better, fit into your clothes better, and get stronger. I know when we say build muscle it scares people out there, but do not be afraid of this. Make it as easy as possible to lose weight and gain some muscle. You are probably not training like a body builder (or eating like one) so you won't put on that much muscle mass. Most people will not train hard enough to gain more than a few pounds of muscle. If you have never done a strength training program before or if it has been a while since you have done one, you may notice you build more muscle than others initially but this will slow down.

4. You are not doing enough.

You may have made some changes to your diet and even your exercise program, but that may not be enough. Most people, when they look at the last few years they notice each year they have gained weight for the most part. Sometimes the initially changes you make are only stopping the bleeding. You are going in the right direction and it is a great start. You are at the point where you are no longer gaining weight. Again, I know that doesn't sound very appealing, but this is a good place to be. You are almost there. You just need to make a few more changes or additions to your program to start losing that weight.

5. You are not as good as you think you are.

If you watch House, you know that everyone lies. I find this to be pretty much right on. Everyone tells me how good they have been at certain meals, but always forget when they are bad. This is where food logs come in handy. Be honest with yourself. Are you really sticking to the program or are you cheating more often than you want to admit? When I have someone who is struggling to see changes, the first thing I often assume is that they are not being completely honest with me. Once we start to pry a little deeper we find that they were doing ok but had a few really bad days that are ruining the good ones. Just remember to be honest with yourself and have others look at what you are doing so you can get some feedback.

You Stay Healthy San Diego!

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

4 New Studies That Will Help You Live Healthier

I recently looked through the latest addition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and it seemed like one study after the next was extremely relevant for my clients and the readers on this blog. These studies aren't really related at all, but I figured I would just post the findings up to give you 4 EASY tips and behaviors that you can immediately start implementing to help you live longer, healthy, and lose weight easier.

Tip #1- Eat Foods High In Flavonoids.

A cohort study found that individuals who consumed diets high in flavonoids were significantly less likely to die of cardiovascular disease. Flavonoids are antioxidants that are found mainly in plants like fruits and veggies. Good sources are apples, apricots, blueberries, pears, raspberries, strawberries, black beans, cabbage, oinions, parsley, pinto beans, and tomatoes.

Tip #2- Don't sit down or watch too much TV.

Researchers found that time spent in sedentary behavior was positively associated with mortality and even those that participated in moderate to vigorous activity did not fully avoid the health risks associated with prolonged time watching television. It has been well documented that those who sit more have a much higher risk of health issues and even exercising may not completely reduce that risk.

Tip# 3- Eat More Often.

Another study found that they were able to predict a greater gain in stomach and waist fat in adolescent females who skipped meals. Those that ate more frequently were able to keep lower BMI and waist circumferences.

Tip# 4- Take a Fish Oil Supplement.

Here they found that in women aged around 65, saw better adaptations to strength training while taking a fish oil supplement when compared to a group not taking it. They saw improvements in both groups but the Fish Oil group saw better progress in developing strength and better functional capacity.

There you go. Four simple things you can start doing immediately to help make 2012 the healthiest year yet.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training

Keys To A Successful New Year's Resolution

Well believe it or not it is that time of year again. 2012 is just around the corner, which means it is time to set your resolutions. This is such a cool time of year. Everyone is super motivated, has a goal, and works hard to get there.

The problem is, how often does someone stick to their resolutions? I have been guilty of this many times in the past. You have great intentions, but you just can't stick to something for 12 months. In 2011 I set a goal for myself in January and I am proud to say that I have stuck with it 100%. In fact I accomplished more than I originally set.

My objective for my goal was to be a better trainer and a better business person. Now this goal is easy to say but tougher to go out and do. Instead of making that my actual goal I picked one thing that would help me improve in each. If I did this one thing I would have to get better. My goal was to read 1 book every month for a year. And not just read the book but apply what I learned. I picked books that were about fitness/nutrition or books about business(marketing, sales....). Here are the books that I made it through. You will see there are more then 12 too. It became such an obsession of mine that I didn't want to stop at just one a month.

1. Ultimate Back Fitness And Performance- Discusses the proper exercises to perform when dealing with low back issues and common reason for back pain.
2. Functional Training For Sport- Explains how to program workouts for athletes with functional exercises and how to progress and assess.
3. Advances in Functional Training- Similar to the previous book with a few new techniques thrown in there.
4. Athletic Body In Balance- Great book that showed how to assess movement patterns and create corrective exercises to improve performance.
5. Born To Run- Highly recommend this book even if you are not into running. Tells the story of the Greatest Race No One has ever heard of and why the human body was literally designed to run.
6. Think and Grow Rich- This book was written in the 30's but still holds true today. Discuss the proper way to goal set and follow through with your goals.
7. How To Win Friends and Influence People- Another book from the 30's that explains how to deal with people to persuade them to see your side and how to get others to want to be around you.
8. Anatomy Trains- An anatomy type book that shows how the body is made up of interconnected highways not isolated muscles like most people train them.
9. The New Rules Of Lifting- another recommended book for those into working out. Show the basic movements that should be trained and how you can eliminate unnecessary exercises.
10. Delivery Happiness- Recommended for anyone who works in customer service. This is the story of the CEO of Zappos.com and how he developed their company to be famous for amazing customer service and great corporate culture.
11. Total Body Breakthroughs- A compilation of a number of different fitness professionals explaining various issues in the fitness world.
12. In Defense of Food- Another high recommendation. A simple premise. Eat Food, Mostly Plants, Not Too Much.
13. Sway- A great book that looks into why people make irrational decisions.
14. Predictably Irrationally- Similar to Sway, but more in depth into the psychology of decision making and how you can use it to influence decisions.
15. Baby Wise- Had to through one baby book in there.
16. Ultimate Fat Loss Programming and Coaching System- The name here pretty much says it all.
17. Bigger, Faster, Stronger- A guide to designing a systematic program for young athletes.

So I ended up reading 5 more books then originally intended. I honestly really impressed my self with this goal. It may seem like I have a ton a free time to just sit and read, but if you know me at all you know this is not the case. I had to really figure out a way to commit this much time to reading, and by the end I really started to enjoy it. (Plus flying around the country all year helps).

So I thought about why was I so successful with this goal. I came up with a few tips that will help you create a good goal and stick with it for the whole year.

1. Pick an ACTION goal not a results goal.

For example, I mentioned I could have made my goal to be a better trainer. This is such an abstract goal that I would have never really known where to start. This is the same as saying I'm going to lose 15lbs. While it is ok if there is a certain amount of weight you want to lose, you need to make your goal and action to hit that number. Instead commit to following a cleaner diet program or perform strength training 3 days per week.

2. Tell EVERYONE what your goal is.

It is amazing how much more motivated you will be come when others know you are working towards a goal. You would be surprised how much people will check on you. We love seeing others be successful because it is contagious. Tell your family, friends, and coworkers what you intend to do. They may even join you.
3. Invest in your goal or have something to lose.

When there is nothing to lose if you do not success it really isn't a big deal if you don't make it. Make yourself commit to something. You might have to invest some money to stick with it. Paying a trainer is great motivation to show up for a workout. If you don't want to invest money then make some consequence for not completing it.

4. Reward yourself for completing the goal.

On the opposite end of having something to lose, you might be even more motivated by a reward. Promise your self something you really want if you hit your goal. This could be a vacation to show of the new bod or maybe a new toy like an iPad to play with if you make it.

5. Give yourself timelines.

A year is a very long time to stick with even a small goal like flossing your teeth. Instead of going for a whole year, try and break it down to smaller timelines. Instead of me saying I will read 12 books this year I said 1 book a month. This was a very reasonable goal and I new exactly when it ended.

6. One goal at a time.

Ambition can be a great trait, but be careful when setting new goals. It is hard enough to stick with one. You can have multiple goals for the year but it is best to work on them at different times. You could break the year up into quarters and pick a new goal for each quarter instead of 4 goals for the year. Once you make it the entire year, it has become a new habit. I plan on continuing my reading of one book a month, but plan on adding a new goal for 2012. I'm actually still working on it now, so I will get back to you on what my new goal will be.

Well that is it. Follow this 6 simple steps and you will be well on your way to reach your new goal. Feel free to comment below or write to me on Facebook to share your goal with me and others to see.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator