Weight Lifting Clinic

Jim's Gym will be hosting a weight lifting clinic on Saturday December 12th at 11:00 A.M. We will be covering technique and form for both of the Olympic Style lifts including the Snatch and Clean and Jerk.

The coach will be Jim Storch, Senior Coach for USA Weight Lifting. Jim has over 20 years experience as a weight lifting coach. He has been the coach for the Central Region Empires for 10+ years. He has also completed course work and all the athletic production requirements for a Regional Level coach.

Jim is a 3 time Gold Medalist at the Empire State Games. He has also coached numerous Gold Medalist at the Empire State Games as well as being a National Record holder.

The cost will be $25 for members and $25 for non-members.

Anyone interested can call or email me to get on the list for Saturday.

What's new at Jim's Gym?

Gym Kids
Classes For Kids 4-16

We launched our Gym Kids Classes last week. We are now offering classes
for kids 4-16 years old 3 times per week. The classes are 45 minutes long
and will include such things as push, pull, run, jump, throw, climb and
lift. They will be taught to apply these core techniques safely and
effectively. Gym Kids will have healthy bones, muscles and joints, they
will be able to achieve and maintain a health weight. Gym Kids will be more
attentive in school and learn a healthy habit that will last a lifetime.
Stop on to check out the classes the first week is free. The classes are
being held Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 5:30 P.M.

Functional Fitness Classes
Classes for anyone 16-99

Functional fitness focuses on building a body capable of doing real-life
activities in real-life positions, not just lifting a certain amount of
weight in an idealized posture created by a gym machine. The main purpose
of functional fitness is to teach the muscles to work together rather than
isolating them to work independently. We are seeing phenomenal results
during the testing of this system which began in August of this year. These
results include, weight loss, fat loss, muscle gain, increased endurance
and many other positive results. The first 3 classes are free so stop in
for more info or to try a class.

Gift Certificates
Now Available!!

Gift certificates are now available for regular gym memberships as well
as our Functional Fitness Class and Gym Kids program. Stop in before to get
your today!!

In This Issue
Gym Kids Classes, Functional Fitness Classes, Gift Certificates

The Danger or Muscle Imbalances

I usually write my own stuff but this was a great article and wanted to share it with you.

The Danger of Muscle Imbalances and the Importance of Symmetry

The Danger of Muscle Imbalances and the Importance of Symmetry. Symmetry is a beautiful thing. It seems to be nature’s preferred state, at least in the structure of organisms: two eyes for stereoscopic vision (the better to hunt you with), two legs of equal length for injury-free traversal of the environment, two hands, two arms. For all intents and purposes, the two sides of the body are approximate mirror images of each other, with corresponding muscles and ligaments and tendons. Our anatomical symmetry is obviously a product of evolution, because a balanced body simply works better. Kids born with right legs an inch or two shorter than the left are more prone to injury, just as cars with bigger wheels on the left will be more prone to disrepair. Objective human beauty is determined by symmetry of the facial structure, as if we’re innately drawn to balance. A balanced body structure, too, is objectively attractive, because it connotes strength and competence in matters of survival (war, hunting, protection). It becomes clear that if symmetry weren’t important for survival in this environment, it wouldn’t have been selected for, we wouldn’t be drawn to it, and plants and animals would have assumed entirely different forms. Maybe we’d be amorphous blobs just kind of oozing around (as opposed to the amorphous blobs with legs and arms that presently populate our planet).

But we’re not all amorphous blobs (not yet at least – the American populace sure is doing its darndest). Our bodies want to be perfectly balanced. They function best when everything – muscles, tendons, bones – are equally healthy and strong. When we make a movement, every muscle has to pitch in and do what it can (to the best of its ability). If a single muscle falters, the others have to pick up the slack, and the entire production is compromised. Sounds a bit like Communism, eh? It may not work in government, but it’s definitely the best way to govern your body.

Art de Vany talks about the X-look: a “symmetrical balance of mass in the shoulder girdle, upper chest and back, the calves and lower quads.” The X-look indicates muscle balance – a very, very good thing. Balanced muscles allow our bodies to function the way they’re supposed to function. Injuries become rare, strength and performance optimize, and you start to give off the positive evolutionary cues that say, “Hey, strong, capable human here! I can hunt, slaughter, and haul a deer back to camp, then pass on my superior genetics to my kids!”

But despite the obvious importance of maintaining muscle balance, people seem to have missed the memo. Oh, sure, things are getting better, and “functional fitness” is growing by leaps and bounds (take Crossfit, for example, which only gets more popular), but the average gym goer is still woefully ignorant of muscle balance. And if he or she is familiar with the term, they’re probably just focused on keeping their biceps symmetrical with no consideration of overall function. Just how prevalent are imbalanced muscles, really? Well, take a quick look at your gym’s inhabitants. You’ve got the old guys pouring buckets of sweat everywhere despite languishing on the chest fly machine for hours at a time. Or how about the over-the-hill bodybuilder who has somehow managed to keep up with some semblance of a routine while failing to keep up with the regular waxing and deodorant applications (there’s nothing quite like discovering a cache of curly black hairs in your gym bag upon returning home). Then there are the frat boys twisting their bodies into unnatural contortions just to target their medial tricep and get that pump going.

But my absolute favorite has to be the top-heavy, dreidel-shaped buffoons sporting massive chests and bulging biceps along with bird shoulders, chicken legs, and the back development of young boys. These guys are the perfect pictures of muscle imbalance. Still, they thrust these chests proudly forward and strut around the gym, pausing only to scratch their arms in contrived positions that show off their biceps whenever there’s a nearby mirror. Oh, and they love doling out unsolicited advice. They now know better than to accost me (especially when I’m lifting) with that nonsense, but I see at least a few guys fall for their “charms” daily. It might actually be funny if it weren’t so damn dangerous. For every newbie they pressure into working out their way – isolation exercises, for the most part – that’s one more human who’ll be plagued with chronic muscle imbalances, possibly for life.

Muscle imbalances can manifest with devastating consequences. Take lordosis, an abnormal inward curve of the spine, which is sometimes caused by weak hamstrings. Heavy squatters who focus solely on the quads without engaging the posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings) often fall prey to lordosis of the spine. In fact, squats that ignore half of the lower body aren’t technically even squats; they are fundamentally flawed free-standing quad presses. Continue to overwork your quads without including your hamstrings, and you’ll probably end up with poor posture.

Muscle imbalance is also terrible to look at. The guy with huge arms and skinny legs might impress his buddies at the gym, but most casual onlookers will be horrified. The balanced, symmetrical X-look is far more aesthetically pleasing – even if we aren’t quite conscious of it, we are attracted to that body structure.

Muscle imbalances set you up for injuries. Like the boy with a shorter left leg, the guy with weak hamstrings is setting himself up for tattered cartilage and bad knees. The knee is designed to work with everything working in perfect harmony, but when your muscle balance is out of whack, undue stress is placed on the joint. Same goes for other areas of the body, too. In the real world, functional movements require the enlistment of multiple muscles. Carrying a buddy who sprained his ankle and is unable to walk requires leg, core, and shoulder strength. If you’re lacking in one area, the rest of your muscles will try to make up for it. That means muscles that are designed for one thing will have to do another (in addition to performing their original task) – and you know how opposing one’s natural inclinations usually goes.

What causes muscle imbalances? For one, poor form. Taking the squat example from above, it doesn’t mean much if you’re squatting (or deadlifting, or pressing, or doing any of the compound lifts) with poor form. At worst, you risk injury, and at best, you risk favoring one muscle group over another. A true squat is supposed to be a total body effort, with the quads pushing, the hamstrings pulling, and the glutes activating (not to mention the torso-lever supporting it all, which requires equally competent abs and lower back muscles).

Isolation exercises also contribute to muscular imbalance. As a rule, the leg extension machine doesn’t work anything but the quadriceps. Unless you’re a bodybuilder going for ridiculous quads, you should avoid this machine at all costs. Even if you supplement your “leg day” (arm, chest, back, and leg “days” are another pet peeve of mine, but more on that later) with some hamstring curls, calf raises, and glute pushes, you’re still contributing to muscle imbalance. Each individual muscle might be strong in its own way, but they don’t work together. Try to lift a heavy rock after a year of leg extensions, hamstring curls, and calf raises, and you won’t know how to coordinate each muscle to complete the movement. Isolation exercises don’t improve your performance in functional activities (sports, hunting, lifting heavy things in real world terms); they increase your ability to only perform that specific isolation exercise. A machine lover who can leg press a thousand pounds can’t squat the same amount, but a guy who squats a thousand pounds can probably double that amount on the leg press. The woman who curls a ton and loves the reverse back fly may have big biceps and a defined back, but I bet she can’t do fifteen pull-ups like the devoted Primal fitness buff might.

The very idea of “leg days” or “arm days” is counterproductive to real fitness and contributes to muscle imbalances. Did Grok have “leg days”? Did he ever spend a few hours just curling a heavy rock so his biceps would grow? No! The body is meant to function as a machine of interlocking parts, every single one of which is integral to overall performance. When we mentally separate our lifting days and focus on specific body parts, we start to think of our muscles as islands unto themselves, and eventually they’ll start to function like that – imbalanced and totally cut off from the rest of the muscles. What’s ironic is that the people who do this really think they’re balancing things out. If they only knew…

How do we promote muscle balance and fight muscle imbalance? Pretty simply, by exercising the right way. Luckily, Primal exercises are all about promoting proper muscle balance. Big, compound movements force us to use every muscle in our bodies correctly, and the best way to train for these big, compound movements is to just do them. Even if you’re worried about the size of your biceps, resist the urge to curl. Instead, just do a few more pull-ups and know it’ll all work out in the end. Also, be aware of your form, and get coaching (either in person or via videos/info on the web) on the more complex lifts to ensure you’re actively engaging all the requisite muscles.

And so, perfect Primal muscle balance is about symmetry on the micro level, between opposing muscles – the hamstring/quad, the bicep/tricep, the abs/back – and on the macro level – the entire body working in concert to perform a task. Total body muscle balance, then, requires individually balanced muscles. To isolate our muscles and go for an imbalanced look is to reject our essential natures – that of symmetrical beings constantly searching for balance in all areas of life – and invite ruin and chronic injury. To use our muscles as a cohesive, united force is to promote optimum health, freedom from injury, and better results.

Functional Fitness

Things are going great for you and your workouts, you are lifting more than ever before, going nuts on the cardio machines and able to leg press a half a ton. You go home from the gym and you are taking the garbage out and your back goes out on you. What happened? More than likely your training is not geared toward functional fitness. You might look great, ripped and toned but your not prepared to carry a case of water into your house, carry a load of fire wood or many other everyday activities.

Functional fitness focuses on building a body capable of doing real-life activities in real-life positions, not just lifting a certain amount of weight in an idealized posture created by a gym machine.

The main purpose of functional fitness is to teach the muscles to work together rather than isolating them to work independently.

A good example of a functional exercise is the squat. Not a leg press but a real squat, the kind of squat where you break parallel. We should be bending at the knees to pick things up and unfortunately things are on the floor a lot and not above parallel. If you train your body to squat in a partial range of motion when you go to lift something heavy below that range your risk of injury greatly increases.

For example the leg press, you may be strengthening certain muscles but your body is learning very little because you are not activating core stabilizer muscles.

In a good functional fitness class you should push, pull, run, throw, climb, lift, and
jump, effectively and safely.

Functional exercise is much more neurologically demanding than machine exercises. For this reason people jumping into functional fitness may be startled as it is harder than working with machines. But this is not a bad thing!!

Functional fitness classes are now available at Jim's Gym!! Contact us for more info. Your first week is free because it is something that has to be experienced. Hope to see you soon.

10 Delicious DIY Salad Dressings

10 Delicious DIY Salad Dressings

So without further ado, we present our top 10 tastiest, most nutritious salad dressings:

1. Raspberry Vinaigrette

While we’d usually pass on honey, this salad dressing was too darn tasty and refreshing to forgo – especially when paired with a salad of mixed baby greens, feta cheese and toasted walnuts. If you’d prefer to steer clear of honey altogether you can replace it with one packet of Splenda if you are so inclined. (FYI – 1 tbsp of honey is about 64 calories and 17 g of carbs)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
1 tbsp of honey
1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

Method:
Pour vinegar in a mason jar or other container with a tight lid. Add honey and chopped mint, cover with lid and shake. If still too bitter, add in a bit more honey or Splenda to even out the flavor.

2. Citrus Vinaigrette

Liven up a regular salad with this crisp and refreshing summer-inspired salad dressing.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
2 tbsp grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Again, in a large mason jar or container with a tight lid, combine the vinegar, orange juice, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and lemon juice. Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking vigorously. Once mixed, add the walnuts and cheese and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste

3. Dill Vinaigrette

This salad dressing is so tasty, you’ll want to double the recipe so that you can have it again when dinner time rolls around!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey (or 1 packet of Splenda)
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp dry mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
In a blender, combine the oil, vinegar, sugar, dill weed, onion powder, garlic powder, dry mustard. Blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

4. Balsamic Vinaigrette

Although this makes a great, simple salad dressing, it is equally delicious as a marinade for meat or when drizzled on steamed vegetables.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
In a mason jar or other container with a tight lid, combine all the ingredients. Shake until all ingredients are combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

5. Basil Vinaigrette

Delicious year round, this salad is especially tasty when paired with an Italian-themed salad laden with fresh mozzarella and ripe tomatoes.

Ingredients:
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil (it’s very important here to use fresh – it’s not nearly as good with dried leaves!)
2 cloves garlic, minced

Method:
In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, basil, and garlic. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

6. Parsley Dressing

Try this flavorful dressing on a salad of mixed greens or other mild-flavored salad combination.

Ingredients:
3 tsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp onion powder
2 tsp chopped parsley

Method:
In a bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice and onion powder. Once combined, add in the chopped parsley, mix thoroughly with a whisk and serve.

7. Lemon Caesar Dressing

Try this citrus-infused spin on this popular salad dressing option.

Ingredients:
1 tsp lemon peel (finely grated)
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp anchovy paste
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbsp sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
In a bowl, whisk all ingredients except oil and sour cream. Once combined, slowly add oil, whisking constantly until smooth (if you stop, the dressing could break). Once combined, whisk in sour cream until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

8. Asian Dressing

Add a taste of the orient (without the sugar) with this tangy Asian-inspired dressing.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup orange juice (about 2 large oranges)
1/3 cup white vinegar
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp Asian mustard (should be easily found in the ethnic food aisle of your local grocery store)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 medium garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp sesame oil

Method:
In a bowl, whisk together orange juice, vinegar, sesame seeds, mustard, sugar, salt, and garlic. Once combined, slowly whisk in sesame oil.

9. Ginger-Asian Dressing

A second spin on the Asian dressing theme, this dressing is delicious on salads as well as steamed or grilled veggies.

Ingredients:
1 carrot, fresh, small, peeled and shredded
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp minced onion
1 tbsp hot mustard
1 tbsp fresh ginger root, grated

Method:
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

10. French Style Dressing

Looking for a way to get the kids to eat their greens? This tasty recipe is sure to wow ‘em!

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp white pepper, ground
1 tsp unsalted tomato paste
7 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup red or white wine vinegar
2 tsp water
1/2 tsp fresh chopped onion

Method:
In a large mason jar or other container with a tight lid, combine all ingredients, shake it up and serve.

Flu/Swine Flu/Heart Disease

The seasonal flu is responsible for 200,000 hospitalizations each year and approximately 36,000 deaths each year. So far this year the swine flu has been responsible for 4,958 hospitalizations and 292 deaths. Of the people hospitalized 70% have had pre-existing conditions. These are not made up numbers, they are directly from the CDC website. Now I am in no way trying to minimize the risk some people are at of becoming very ill from the flu. I just wanted to put these numbers out there because the media has caused an enormous amount of panic and it's nice to actually see some solid statistics.

On to my next subject, Cardiovascular Disease. Cardiovascular Disease is STILL the number one killer!! In fact it kills more people per year then the next 3 causes of death combined including all Cancers, Alzheimer's and Accidents, yet a lot of us still don't seem to be concerned about it. The old it won't happen to me mentality comes into play with this. . A few more startling facts are 910,000 Americans have cardiovascular disease, a person dies of cardiovascular disease every 35 seconds from the disease. For those people fortunate enough to survive a Cardiac episode, there life will be forever changed. They may live in fear of having another episode. The average number years of lost life due to heart attack is 14.2 years. Cardiovascular Disease in large part is a preventable disease. The top nine risk factors for Cardiovascular Disease in order are as follows, over consumption of alcohol, lack of exercise, lack of vegetables, obesity, hypertension, physiological index, smoking, diabetes and cholesterol ratios. Now almost every single one of those top nine are life style choices. Many of them could be corrected by exercise alone.

The point I am trying to make is, many people are in a panic over this flu season and while we need to be aware of it there is no need for panic. We all should however take a long hard look at these facts and decide whether or not we can make some changes in our lifestyle. I know that it is not as simple as going out and getting a flu shot but you can do a lot to help prevent Cardiovascular Disease. Remember your risk of dying from Cardiovascular Disease is over 30 times your risk of dying from the flu. Also a lot of the things you need to do to help prevent Cardiovascular Disease also helps prevent the flu.

ABS

I am sitting here today in the gym and was asked for probably the billionth time how do I get ABS. My next question is always what exactly do you mean? Do you want to increase the muscle tone or do you wanna lose the layer of fat that has taken over?

Usually they are looking to lose the fat. I blame television and magazines for the misconception that you can simply buy an ab machine or do crunches to rid that layer of fat. Could not be further from the truth. Crunches are not going to burn fat at least not that much fat from the mid-section without proper nutrition and exercise.

It's a pretty simple concept. You have to eat less calories than your burning. Now there is a little more to the science end of it including your resting metabolic rate and so on but we do not need to go into that here for this purpose.

So let's break this down a little bit. What burns calories? We all know that cardiovascular exercise burns calories but is it the best option? Many people forget or don't realize that working with weights burns calories. Just because there is no calorie counter does not mean that you are not burning calories. In fact weight training can burn more calories than cardio alone. When you are done with cardio your done burning fat...when you get done weight training you continue to burn fat for many hours to follow. Another point to make is the more lean muscle mass you have the more calories you burn.

So let's put to rest some common myths. Will weight training make me bulky? No..not unless that is your goal and you are eating appropriately to make this happen as well as taking supplements to speed the process. This is a big fear for many women...bottom line is women do not have the correct hormones to build muscle effectively. Will weight training make me less flexible? Again...no. As long as you are training using a full range of motion for every exercise you will not lose flexibility in fact you should gain flexibility.

So the bottom line is...get in the gym and work hard and go home and eat less. Again I am making this simple on purpose because we don't need to concentrate on fancy programs or diets especially in the beginning. This is what you need to do to find those elusive abs.

That is all for today!!!

Have a great week!!

Weight Loss Challenge

Join the Get Slim Contest and change your life while winning great prizes! Just like Slim, it’s easy to take part in the contest. Simply register, provide your measurements, a photo, and start using Bios Life Slim™!

The Get Slim Challenge will be ongoing and winners will be selected at the end of each quarter and six month period. Participants can join at anytime. Your 90 and/or 180 days will run based on the date you joined the Challenge. Your results will be compared with participants who end their period in the same quarter and six month period.

The Prizes!
90 Day Challenge
- One 1^st Place Winner - $5,000
- Two 2^nd Place Winners - $2,500
- Five 3^rd Place Winners - $1,000
- Sixteen Honorable Mentions - $500 Product Credit

180 Day Challenge
- One 1^st Place Winner - $15,000
- Two 2^nd Place Winners - $10,000
- Three 3^rd Place Winners - $5,000
- Sixteen Honorable Mentions - $1000 Product Credit

Please contact me with the details on how to get started on the Get Slim Challenge. Also anyone who is interested in personal training to go along with this challenge contact me as well. Anyone who hires me as there personal trainer to go along with this program is going to have a huge advantage over the competition. I have seen the results and I know we can win!!

Below are the finalist for June. Take a look!

Scott Wiggins

“At 255 pounds, I felt sluggish and lifeless,” said Get Slim Challenge finalist Scott Wiggins. “I had reached the point in my life where I was fed up with being heavy. I often avoided mirrors and my clothes didn’t fit well. I wasn’t motivated and my weight always seemed my excuse for not living life.” Scott was constantly overeating due to stress but he finally decided it was time for a slimmer, happier and more fulfilling life. He gave Bios Life Slim a try and was able to lose 23 pounds in only 90 days! “After using Slim two to three times a day for 90 days and making a commitment to myself to live the Slim lifestyle, I feel more fit and excited for each new day! Now I have more energy, greater focus, and better appreciation for living healthy and being fit.”

Scott added, “I’m more engaged with life, participating in a myriad of sports and taking my family on trips I wouldn’t have done before. Because I have more energy, I’ve been able to connect with my children through outdoor activities such as biking, hiking and Frisbee golf.” “Slim helped satisfy my hunger, cravings, reducing my binge eating and getting the exercise recommended in the Slim Lifestyle guidelines has helped me reduce the stress in my life,” he said. Scott is excited about life again and he shares his confidence and increased self-esteem. “As I continued to drink Slim, I began seeing the inches disappear and then the scale begin to go down. I have had the most fun pulling out clothes that I have not worn for a couple of years only to have them fit better than when I bought them. I feel more confident and I also enjoy my wife looking at me again like we were newlyweds.” Scott urges everyone to try Slim. “Try it for at least a month and commit to it. Don’t let the weight continue to be an anchor in your life. I feel fantastic now thanks to Slim!”

Gilbert Mena

Suffering from high blood pressure and high cholesterol, Gilbert Mena was concerned with his health, especially with a family history of obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. For the past 90 days, Gilbert committed himself to drinking Slim and was able to achieve a great body transformation! By losing most of his abdominal fat, Gilbert is decreasing his risk for heart disease and with the help of Slim he hopes to live a longer life. “After drinking Slim, my blood pressure has dropped to the normal healthy range as well as my glucose levels and I have more energy. The Get Slim Challenge is a great opportunity for someone to improve their eating habits and to become healthier and now I’ll hopefully live longer,” he said. Slim has helped Gilbert to make better decisions when it comes to food and exercise. “Slim helped to

curb my cravings for unhealthy foods and sweets, and has become a lifestyle changing habit for me. Soon after I saw the progress I made, I began choosing more physical activities like riding my bike to work several times a week. I may not have lost a lot of weight very quickly but my life has changed and I know that it is just a matter of time before I look and feel exactly how I want, thanks to Slim!” Gilbert emphasized, “Slim is a great product! Unlike many other weight loss supplements out there, it doesn’t contain unhealthy chemicals and Slim has helped me be more active, leading me to a more fulfilling life!”

Teresa Winters

Since she was a teenager, Teresa Winters struggled to lose weight despite her countless attempts to diet and exercise. At age 47, she decided to use her competitive spirit to her advantage and joined the Get Slim Challenge as a motivation to keep her on track with her weight loss. It’s no surprise that with the help of Slim she lost 30 pounds in only 90 days! “I perform better if there is a challenge to meet. I have found that drinking Bios Life Slim has been the easiest weight loss program I have ever tried and I have tried them all! Slim helps me to not feel hungry and I no longer think about food all the time,” she said. Teresa shares how Slim has improved her quality of life. “I have much more energy now and I feel better about myself. I’m proud that I have found a plan that works for me. My story reflects the struggles of most

American women. We’re always looking for some help when it comes to weight control. The girth of the nation is increasing and I’m proof that there is a product that can stem the tide!” Teresa is taking Slim to the next level and since she has been so successful with her weight loss, she became a Franchise Owner and has been trained by her sponsor Cheryl Straub. “I wanted to get the weight off and I have lost weight with Slim. People stop me and ask, “Have you lost weight?” It’s the perfect segue into telling a potential client about Slim. I’m spreading the word to others who desire to improve their health. I’m thankful to Cheryl Straub and her availability to answer my questions about Slim. Slim is easy to use and effective if taken consistently.”

Tyson Chamberlain

Raised in the Polynesian culture, Tyson Chamberlain explained that food plays a big part in his family tradition and he was always referred to as the “big” guy throughout his life. At 340 pounds, Tyson was tired of the stereotype and wanted to improve his eating habits and have a healthier life. “I finally woke up one morning and I could barely get myself out of bed and I broke down crying in front of the mirror. I told myself: ‘No more magic pills, no more “I’ll start on Monday,” no more eating food just to eat, and no more excuses about how I’m Polynesian. I then started to eat healthier and to exercise. I was able to get down to 290 pounds in four months but then I hit a plateau and I couldn’t get past that no matter what I tried. I was frustrated and I almost gave up again until my wife introduced me to Bios Life Slim,” Tyson said.

After his wife introduced him to Slim, he researched the website and read former Get Slim Challenge winners’ testimonials and was ready to try it for himself. He was able to lose 43 pounds in only three months! “Slim helps me get through my workouts and gives me the extra push to finish one or two more extra weight lift reps. I love the extra energy I get from using Slim and how much better I feel overall. I had quick results drinking Slim and I don’t have the desire to splurge and eat whatever I want anymore.” He emphasized, “I used to think that because I’m Samoan, I should be content with weighing about 290 pounds but I look at food a lot different now and I have a better understanding about food, dieting and working out. Slim has helped me discover that I can do this and I can change my life. Not just physically but mentally too. All I did to lose the weight was to incorporate Slim three times a day, 15 minutes before breakfast, lunch and dinner. I also hit the gym four to five times a week. With the help of Slim, you have no reason to delay your own journey to success!”

Maria Almengor

When Maria Almengor’s travel agency business went out of business last October, she decided to take some time off and decided to stay home for a few months before looking for another job opportunity. With her free time, she had an increased appetite and couldn’t stop eating. Her family hinted that she was gaining a few pounds but reality only hit her when she saw herself in a picture taken during Christmas time. “I had my family over at Christmas but my daughter only sent me the pictures on January 25th and I couldn’t believe how much weight I had gained! First, I thought there was something wrong with her camera but then I realized I needed it to take action,” Maria said. After researching online for colon cleansing products, she found Franchise Owner Prudencio Ramirez and started using ClearStart and then Bios Life Slim.

Joining the Get Slim Challenge in March, Maria was able to lose 19 pounds and two dress sizes! “I feel great now! I never want to go back to how I was. I was a size 18 and now I’m a size 12/14. Slim really works but you have to commit yourself to drink it every day. I don’t get as hungry anymore. I drink Slim twice a day, 15 minutes before my lunch and my dinner. I also make sure to eat a light dinner. It’s so nice to try on clothes that fit me!” She added, “I recently went to a family party and everybody told me, “Wow, Maria you look great! What are you doing?” It feels good to hear that from people and I’ve gained back my confidence.” “We’ve had a treadmill for the past eight years and nobody in my family has ever used it. Slim gives me energy and I’ve been using it every day for at least 20 minutes for the past three months. My husband was so impressed with my levels of energy that he said, ‘Wow, this product really works!’ If I can do it, anyone can!”

Carl Pellillo

After he had two coronary artery bypass surgeries, Carl Pellilo’s wife was desperately looking for a solution to improve her husband’s health. It was her sister— Franchise Owner Donna Bryant, that suggested Carl start drinking Slim and enter the Get Slim Challenge to motivate him. “My sister-in-law gave me my first container of Slim as a birthday gift and since I’ve been drinking Slim I have been able to lose 23 pounds so far, I have more energy, and I no longer have shortness of breath,” Carl said. He added, “Before Slim, I didn’t have energy to exercise and that plays an important part for my health since I have had two bypass surgeries. Slim absolutely works and everyone should try it!”

At age 63, Carl is feeling younger and has more energy than ever! “I feel and look great! I’d like to say thanks to Donna for introducing me to Slim. She believes in all the Unicity products and now I know for myself that Slim works. When I started I weighed 220 pounds and now I’m down to 197 and I hope to drop to 180 pounds as I continue with the 180-day challenge! Both my family doctor and my cardiologist are very happy with my results at this time.”

Nadia Hikert

Before Slim, Nadia Hikert was suffering from high blood sugar, fatigue and increased appetite. After three months of drinking Slim, Nadia dropped 25 pounds and now she is proud of waking up early in the morning full of energy and ready to start her yoga class. “Slim gives me energy and I don’t feel like I’m starving. My blood sugar levels went down as well as my cholesterol. I’m the proof that Slim does work! Slim has helped me change my eating habits. Now I don’t crave food late at night and I eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies.” Nadia said Slim not only helped her lose weight but gave her life back. “I feel happy now and my friends and my family are very impressed with my results. I noticed that losing the weight has improved the relationship with my husband. Slim has helped me

focus on improving my health. My mom died at age 49 and I’m 50 now and I was scared to die and not see my grandchildren. Life is short and it’s important to take care of myself and my health to prolong my days with my husband and my children.” As a Bios Life Franchise Owner, Nadia does not miss an opportunity to introduce Slim to others. “Slim is a natural product with no side effects, very handy and I’m the proof that it works. I don’t keep this secret from my friends and family and I always show my before and after pictures to share my success with them.”

Jorge Lavayen

Four years ago, Jorge Lavayen got a job at a 7-Eleven store and started to drink an excessive amount of soda, slurpees or anything with lots of sugar and caffeine to keep him awake since he would work 12-hour shifts. He then got married and there was no time to exercise. Jorge was shocked when he realized he had gained about 80 pounds. Jorge was ready to begin a new chapter of his life and after reading Ryan Barnett’s story, he was inspired and motivated to join the Get Slim Challenge. “Before Slim, I was always tired and I had no energy. I was depressed that I had to buy bigger size clothes because nothing that I had would fit me. After reading Ryan’s story, I decided to drink Slim. After drinking Slim, I was amazed that I no longer craved sugar!” He added, “I started to lose weight fast and then I knew it was possible for me to turn my life around.

Before Slim, I didn’t think there was any product out there that could work for me to help with weight loss. Slim really works and I was a size 46-48 and now I can fit into pants that are size 38.” Jorge recommends Slim to anyone who is serious about weight loss. “Believe it or not, Slim really works! The only way to find it is drinking it! If you drink it, you’ll see results immediately!”

Tips and Ideas!

I have been telling people for years to journal everything from there diet to there workouts.

I was having a conversation with my brother the other day and he brought to my attention an idea that he saw on T.V. A lady on the show was telling her clients to take pictures of the food they ate every day for a month.

Wow! This is a great idea. Not only will you know what you ate without having to take the time to write it down which a lot of us fail to do but it puts it right out there for you to see the amount of food you have consumed.

This is something I think anyone who is struggling with weight issues weather it be trying to gain weight or lose weight should try.

I also think everyone who exercises should keep a journal as well. How else can we track our progress? This will allow us to see where you may need to make changes in your regimen.

Things that get tracked get done!

Give some of these ideas a try and see what happens. I think you may be happy with the results.