It seems like the diet and weight loss hype these days tells us to avoid carbs because carbs are bad. The truth is carbohydrates are not bad. In fact, carbohydrates are the body’s preferred source of energy.

My lean eating habit for the next two weeks is to make smart carb choices.

Precision Nutrition talks about carbs on a continuum from better to worse instead of labeling them as good or bad.  Better means higher fiber, more nourishing, adding value to my body, and health-promoting. Worse means lower fiber, less nourishing, and health-harming. As much as possible we should eat foods that nourish us and make us feel better. This is why we should try to make smart carbohydrate choices. Doing this will make us feel fuller longer and give us sustained energy. It will also help us lose fat and make us leaner and stronger.

Smart carbs are smart because they give us stuff are bodies need, want, and will use in the right ways. Stuff like nutrients, fiber, water, and slow-burning energy.  Smart carbs include most vegetables and fruits as well as beans, and legumes.

PN puts smart carbohydrates into two categories, higher fiber and starchy whole foods. While both are healthier options, starchy carbs are more carb dense than those in the high fiber category. In general you can eat as much as you like of high fiber non-starchy vegetables. (Remember my last habit: eat at least 5 servings of vegetables a day?) However a general portion size for legumes, beans, fruits, and starchy carbs is about a handful at each meal. Again, eating slowly to 80% full still trumps all other habits so remember to pay attention to how hungry (or not) you are at each meal.

They listed 5 smart carbs that are full of fiber, nutrients and health benefits but often get overlooked.  These five include beans and legumes, winter squash, sweet potatoes, ancient grains(quinoa, amaranth, and teff), and steel cut oats. Dave and I eat a lot of beans, winter squash, sweet potatoes, quinoa, and steel cut oats, but have yet to try amaranth or teff. Maybe we will give one or both of these ancient grains a try in the next week or so. Perhaps you should give one or all of these 5 smart carbs a try too!

PN also discussed whole grains as a smart carb choice, but were very clear about the fact that whole grains are really just that, a WHOLE grain. If you process a whole grain it is no longer whole. They cautioned us about food packages these days because so many claim to be whole grain, but that really means they have been made from a processed whole grain such as flour.  Some examples of whole grains are the ancient grains I listed above, barley, brown or wild rice, spelt, and wheat berries.

Refined sugary carbs and processed foods are NOT smart carbs. This includes things like cookies, pastries, sweets, sweet drinks (including fruit juices), and dried fruits. If it comes frozen or in a box you can pretty much bet on the fact that it is highly processed and is not a smart carb choice. Refined carbohydrates have almost no fiber or beneficial nutrients and instead of adding value to the body they actually subtract value. These types of foods digest and absorb quickly which leads to a blood sugar rush and crash, insulin spikes, and often leave us wanting more and more. Yikes! This is why you should have as little as possible of these types of carbs.

This is something I constantly have to battle with because I do have a sweet tooth and love my treats. What PN teaches though is that it’s not that you or I should NEVER have a treat, but that we should save it for those special occasions and even then still enjoy them slowly, mindfully, and only in small quantities.

So this week the mission is to experiment with and enjoy some of these smart carbs.

Leave a comment and let us know what your favorite smart carb is! Also, try a new smart carb and let us know what you think of smart carbs and how you feel as a result of eating them.

Committed to Your Results,

The Fit Soldiers Family!

2100 East 112th Avenue #2
Northglenn, CO 80233

I have been heavy since pre-adolescence.  I remember eating salads in Junior High and being focused on weight loss. In High School I was still focusing on controlling my weight with salads. After having three children, my weight has been up and down, but over the years it has gotten harder and harder to get the weight off.  I have been a classic yo-yo dieter, never being able to find a balance between eating "regular" and eating healthy.

I hired a personal trainer when I reached 40 and loved the year that I had with her. But I focused only on getting stronger and more in shape, and avoided doing anything about my weight. I trained for and completed the Danskin triathalon, while being probably 25 pounds heavier than I am today. However, my life is busy as everyone’s is, and I stopped seeing her when circumstances changed and I felt I could not fit exercise into my day.  Over the years, I tried different exercise programs but never stuck with any. I would get bored. I would groan when I looked at the clock and see how little time had passed.

I joined Fit Soldiers December 21, 2011. I tried it once and fell in love with the structure. I also was so encouraged by the trainers and the other "soldiers."  Even though I was terribly out of shape, and much heavier, everyone encouraged and helped me along. I remember trying to do a regular plank, and Diane was next to me, talking me through it, believing in me. I didn't even know her. I started getting much stronger than I had ever been. I have only missed because of travel or illness, and try to come 5 days a week. I also do semi-private lessons. It has been easy because I have fun. I have a family here. I now schedule my day around my morning workout, because my mental health depends upon the workouts. I then shifted my focus to adding in the nutrition piece. I knew very well what to do. I am a lifetime member of Weight Watchers (another time when I yo-yo dieted down but bounced back up.) Last November I joined Fit Soldiers Maximize Your Metabolism class.  I found encouragement again with my fellow MYM'ers.  I knew what to eat, and have even finished a two year post-doc in nutrition, but I wasn't eating the way I should because it was hard to change my eating habits. I learned HOW to do it, how to plan, how to cook, how to make it a habit. Now, it is second nature. I have found that I can eat healthier, eat a wide variety of tasty foods (not just salads), and keep my weight steady, even when I am traveling and eating out 3-4 days some weeks.

I turn 50 this year, and I can honestly say I am healthier than ever. I am a good weight, I love my body for the first time ever, and I am eating healthy. And it has now been months since I tracked my foods or worried about weight. I check my calories only about one day every 2-3 weeks. I no longer need to, because I have made that lifestyle change. I could never have done this without Dave, Lesli and Joey, and the encouragement of my Fit Soldiers family. I'm looking forward to starting this decade off in the best mental and physical health I have ever been in!

Erin Ross

Fit Soldiers Fitness Revolution
2100 East 112th Avenue #2
Northglenn, CO 80233

720-382-5240
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My name is Nancy Condon and I am a single mother of two daughters who are 15 and 11. I am currently enrolled at Front Range Community College where I have been studying Human Resource Management. I will graduate with my associate’s degree in 2014 and will transfer to Regis University to earn my bachelors degree. In 2009 my children’s father and I divorced and it was a huge transition in all of our lives. Tragically in 2010, their dad committed suicide and our lives were changed forever. With amazing support from family, friends, and our faith, my girls are doing amazingly well.

Before I heard about Fit Soldiers I was an active member of Life Time Fitness going to the gym every day. However, I felt like a number and the sales pressure from within the organization was getting too much for me to tolerate. I felt that if I did not purchase personal training then I would not get the support I needed.

I heard about Fit Soldiers through an ad in Your Neighbor Magazine. I saw the FREE two week advertisement and immediately filled out the information. I was so excited I did not wait for Dave to call me I just showed up. I wanted to try it out because I had participated in a “Boot camp” class at Lifetime, but it was considered an extra on top of the regular membership.

What I love about Fit Soldiers are the people. Dave, Katie, Leslie and Joey are awesome!!! They all make me feel comfortable to ask them anything when it comes to nutrition and or exercise. I also enjoy the “High Fives” after our workout. I know that seems kind of silly, but if you think about it on a daily basis how many times a day does someone ever tell you “Good Job”? I love to workout and I find it cathartic for me, but I get a thrill when our main workout is completed and we are all celebrating one another for finishing another work out. I feel the support from everyone and I look forward to attending the next class.

One of my goals when I started Fit Soldiers was to be able to do a correct push up, which I am now able to do. I feel my strength has improved so much in a year. I feel my training at Fit Soldiers has helped me become stronger. I noticed this when I climbed a 14er last summer and I wasn’t as winded as I expected to be. Yes, it was challenging, but I felt strong.

Another thing I have changed is my relationship with food. I LOVE food and have used it for every emotion. However, I have come to realize it is only a temporary fix. My past sugary treats aren’t satisfying to me anymore. Now I really enjoy my apples and peanut butter as my treat!

My next goal is to be able to do a pull up without the band and to knock out at least 20 burpees without being completely burned out. I also plan to participate in the Survivor 5K in July. I have not run in years and it is something I would like to try again. The exciting part of that goal is that my daughters Allison and Clare will be running with me.

Nancy Condon!

Fit Soldiers Fitness Revolution
2100 East 112th Avenue #2
Northglenn, CO 80233

720-382-5240
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I started Fit Soldiers hoping to quickly tone and tighten for an upcoming vacation. I joined using one of the LivingSocial deals, thinking the six weeks would be enough to get me where I wanted to be for my vacation; not thinking for a moment when I began that this would be a program that I would commit to for any longer than the six weeks. That was nearly 19 months ago.

During my orientation, I found out what it meant to be skinny fat. I knew I wasn’t as in-shape as I used to be, but I never considered myself fat. I was floored to find out that my body fat percentage was only 4 % away from being considered ‘obese’. If being shocked by my body fat percentage wasn’t enough, it became very clear how weak I had become. Our group cheered when one of the girls could do one pushup on her feet, I could barely do one pushup on my knees. My fitness level was bleak. I knew for some time that I wasn’t as healthy as I should be. I love to run, and running had become difficult, I found myself walking far more than running. At the end of orientation, I was definitely motivated to get in shape…and if nothing else do one push up on my feet.

So my 6 week journey began…and I am not going to lie, it was tough, but I saw differences in my body after the first few weeks. My clothes were fitting better and as funny as it sounds, I felt muscles in my arms that I had never knew existed…seriously. I felt healthier and stronger. I immediately felt a difference in my energy level and also found myself motivated to learn how to eat and drink better. Of course, these are all changes that you’d expect to get by working out, but I also noticed changes in myself that were not physical. You think about committing to an exercise program and you think that the benefits of that program are purely to tone and tighten, but I gained so much more in the first six weeks. I was beginning to gain my confidence back. This is something that I did not expect. As a mother of two children and going through two pregnancies, it was an unexpected surprise to feel great in my skin again. With this, my results, and the fact that I was finally enjoying my workouts; I knew it was no longer a 6 week journey, but a life-long journey.

Now, nearly two years later, I am stronger, happier and healthier. I have reached my initial goals of working out and eating better to get into shape, and I no longer struggle to complete a push up (and can do so on my feet). I continue to see physical changes and know I still have a long way to go to reach my new goals which consist of unassisted chin-ups, and half-marathons. I have lost inches off my thighs, hips, and waist, and have gained muscle, strength and most of all self-confidence.

My favorite thing about Fit Soldiers is the TRAINERS!! I know, after years and years of ‘working out’ and not seeing results that I need someone to kick my butt. The Fit Soldiers trainers do just that. They push me just outside of my comfort level which in turn has resulted in continued progress. I can’t say enough wonderful things about this program; it has truly changed my life.

Shanna Haller

It was my wife that actually gave me the nudge to try something new. We were driving by Fit Soldiers one day and saw a bunch of folks outside working out. It looked like something totally different then what I was doing before. I was looking to try something new besides those big box gyms where you do the same thing over and over again. I was no longer motivated at those kinds of places and had stopped going. After my first Fit Soldiers workout of doing Spartacus, I was hooked!

Before I came to Fit Soldiers I thought I was in fairly good shape because I played soccer, hiked, and biked. But now I have a lot more stamina when playing soccer and I can run the whole game. Another thing I have noticed is that typical hikes used to tire me out and now a 5 mile hike is a breeze!

Since I started at Fit Soldiers I’ve dropped 10 pounds and 5% body fat. My fitness level has never been higher! I have more energy during the day, my stress level is a lot lower, and my core is solid. Also having great personal trainers has helped me work on my form, which has made my workouts a lot better.

Another thing that has changed since coming here is my nutrition. Dave did a grocery store tour that made me more aware of what is actually in food. Now I check the food labels and try to stay away

from fast food places. I’m eating more fruits, vegetables, and also eating at home more. I buy food that is good for me instead of ice cream and cookies.

My two favorite things about Fit Soldiers are the trainers and the people who are there. Everyone is in an upbeat mood and encourages each other to get better. I like the variety of exercises we do too. We focus on all the different parts of the body each workout. You never know what to expect when you walk through the doors!

Mike K.

KidFit Summer Camps

We are excited for Summer 2013! Our KidFit Youth Summer Camps are BACK!

You all know the impact our adult program is having on you in countless areas of your lives including your physical, mental, and emotional health. For many of you this has already begun to trickle down to your family. There is no doubt that your children will be impacted for the rest of their lives by the major lifestyle changes you have made for you and your families.

I get especially excited when your kids begin to play "Mr. Dave" in our kids room, at home, and in their classrooms. You have told us some awesome stories such as your kids designing a boot camp in your backyard, teaching other kids exercises, and doing their child like copy cat of jumping jacks, pushups, and other exercises.

Kids are learning, growing, changing, and absorbing information every single day. We are also growing, learning, and absorbing more information in order to help you and your child. We are backed with more support than ever. Since last year we have joined the Athletic Revolution and the International Youth Conditioning Agency (IYCA). We have been reading, watching, doing, and applying countless hours of training and education to help your child be the best they can be each and every day.

Our program is perfect for both athletic and non-athletic children. We will meet your child where they are at both physically and mentally in regards to age, coordination, and athleticism in order to maximize their development at their particular growth stage.

So what should you expect from our KidFit Summer Camps?

Your kids will:

• 

  Have fun interacting with other kids their age developing teamwork and sportsmanship
• Reinforce a foundation for athletic movement patterns such as squatting, bending, pushing, pulling, and twisting
• Develop speed, agility, quickness, strength, and power
• Increase mobility, range of motion, and flexibility
• Reduce the risk of injury
• Develop great character by teaching them confidence, discipline, humility, hard work, a desire to help others, to be courageous, to be inspired, and to lead by example.
• And So Much More...

Here are the details:

Discovery - Ages 6-9

Session 1 Start Date: June 4th - June 27th (4 weeks)
Session 2 Start Date: July 9th - August 1st (4 weeks)
Days: Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday
Time: 9:30AM - 10:30AM (1 hour)
Location: Fit Soldiers Fitness Revolution and Athletic Revolution Northglenn
2100 East 112th Avenue #2 Northglenn, CO 80233
Price: $109 per 4 week Camp
$199 for all 8 weeks

(Family discounts and limited scholarships available email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information)

Exploration - Ages 10-13

Session 1 Start Date: June 4th - June 27th (4 weeks)
Session 2 Start Date: July 9th - August 1st (4 weeks)
Days: Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday
Time: 10:30AM - Noon
Location: Fit Soldiers Fitness Revolution and Athletic Revolution Northglenn
2100 East 112th Avenue #2 Northglenn, CO 80233
Price: $159 per 4 week Camp
$299 for all 8 weeks

(Family discounts and limited scholarships available email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information)

Transformation - Ages 14+

Ongoing
Days: Mondays and Wednesdays
Time: 7:30PM - 8:30PM
Location: Fit Soldiers Fitness Revolution and Athletic Revolution Northglenn
2100 East 112th Avenue #2 Northglenn, CO 80233
Price: $109/month

(Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information)

Committed to Your Results,

Dave Mura

Fit Soldiers Fitness Revolution
Athletic Revolution Northglenn

2100 East 112th Avenue
Northglenn, CO 80233

720-382-5240
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Hello Fit Soldiers Family!

May is kicking off our Revolution for a Cause charity drive.

For the month of May we will be recognizing and supporting the Denver Rescue Mission.

If you are not familiar with the DRM (those are also my initials!) then you might certainly be familiar with their Lawrence St. sign downtown, a cross that reads "Jesus Saves". Although that is the most well known of their shelters it is certainly not the only one they have, nor is it all they do.

The DRM meets people at their physical and spiritual points of need, with the goal of returning them to society as productive, self-sufficient citizens. They provide multiple shelters and programs and no one is denied services because of gender, race, color, creed, national origin, religion, age, handicap, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, or marital, parental or military status.

Check out this story that is right up our fitness alley!

http://running.competitor.com/2010/10/features/running-for-their-lives_15119

You can also learn more about the Denver Rescue Mission by visiting http://www.denverrescuemission.org/

Here is how and we will be raising support for the Denver Rescue Mission

• Water - $1.00 - 100% of proceeds
• Foam Rollers - 100% of proceeds (I will also make sure I send you our 48 page Foam Roll Manual!)
• 10 Days for $10 trial membership - 100% of proceeds
• Charity Bring-A-Buddy Boot Camp - May 11th @9:00 AM - Details to come!
• ANY New Client - We will donate $10 from every May sign up to the CHCF.

We are looking forward to a great Revolution for a Cause with the Denver Rescue Mission.

Committed to Your Results,

Dave Mura
and the Fit Soldiers Family!

Hey there Fit Soldiers!

May 2013 is Bring-A-Buddy Month!

This is a prime time for you to share us with your friends, family, and co-workers and let them experience our award winning programs.

What do you get out of it? You get to win stuff!

Here's how it works:

• Bring A Buddy to a workout = 1 ticket
• Buddy enters a trial offer on ANY program = 1 ticket
• Buddy signs up for any of our programs = 3 tickets

You can receive up to 5 chances to win just for bringing in one buddy!

Each of the above must be completed in the month of May in order to receive the appropriate tickets.

All tickets will be entered into a raffle and winners will be selected from the raffle at the end of the month.

Here's what you can win!

• Free Month of Fit Soldiers 20 session month! ($180 value)
• 60 Minute Massage ($55 value)
• Weekend Warrior 5 punch card pass plus hand wraps ($80 value)
• Free entry to our next Kettlebell Workshop ($49 value)
• Prograde Platinum Package (VGF+ Multi, EFA Icon, Workout pre/post recovery) ($124.95 value)
• Resistance Band Training Single Band Package (Purple, Black, Red, Orange) ($52.99 value)
• 3' Foam Roller plus 48 page SMR Manual ($25 value)

Referral Bonus!

Even better news, you will still receive your referral bonus if your buddy signs up during the month of May! We want people just like you so start sharing us with your like minded friends that want to work hard, feel great, and see results!

Revolution for a Cause!

During our Bring-A-Buddy Month we are offering a 10 Day for $10 Trial. 100% of the $10(during the month of May) will go to our charity of the month, the Denver Rescue Mission.

Your buddies are more than welcome to come with you to your next workout for free(only one free workout per buddy).

Buddies who take advantage of our 10 Day for $10 trial are required to complete a Fit Soldiers Goal Setting and Assessment session.

We are excited to meet your friends and help them on their journey to amazing health and wellness!

Committed to Your Results,

Dave Mura
and the Fit Soldiers Family!

If you watched Popeye the Sailor Man as a kid you know that when you eat spinach you get super strength, right?! Now hum along if you remember the song…”I’m strong to the finish ‘cause I eats my spinach!!”

But seriously, in a way vegetables do give us super strength because they are low in sugar, high in fiber, and loaded with vitamins. They are also shown to reduce the risk of chronic disease and help shed fat. Veggies have a lot of nutrients and a lot of volume from fiber and water but they don’t have a lot of calories. So when you eat more vegetables you end up more satisfied and feeling full without consuming a lot of calories.

This brings me to my next lean eating habit: Eat at least five servings of vegetables a day.

A serving is about the size of your fist. So make a fist and now you know how much how much you have to eat per serving. Now eat 5 of those per day! They emphasized that you can eat your veggies however you prefer, which means raw or cooked. They also said that if you really love one kind of veggie to go ahead and eat a couple of servings of that.

They suggest eating the rainbow because the more colorful a vegetable, the more nutrients it has. They recommend experimenting and trying new vegetables that you have never tried before. The goal is to eat a wide variety of colorful veggies and fruits. They also suggest trying to get more dark leafy vegetables.

While I do love vegetables and Dave and I probably eat a lot more veggies than the average person, over the two weeks while I was working on nailing this habit, some days getting 5 servings in was tough. One thing that helped me was to make a big salad for dinner with a bunch of different veggies and throw some grilled chicken or salmon on top of it. That alone can be 3 or 4 servings of veggies, depending on the size of your salad.

Another way to get a raw serving of veggies in is to throw a handful or two of spinach into your smoothie. Dave and I have been doing this lately and loving it! You get the benefit of the nutrients and a serving of veggies and you can’t even taste it. This might help for those of you picky eaters who don’t exactly heart vegetables.

Another thing I sometimes do to get veggies in at breakfast is add them to my eggs either in a scramble or an omelet. I really like spinach, onions, broccoli, red pepper, and tomatoes in my eggs. Sprinkle on some Cholula and hand me a big cup of coffee with a little cream and you’ve just made my day Jack! (Duck Dynasty Fans you know what I’m talking about!)

One other thing that has helped me get my 5 servings in is to make a big vat of soup in my crockpot and load that up with veggies. In fact, Dave and I just had some homemade minestrone last night and it was pretty delicious if I do say so myself! We had onions, diced tomatoes, carrots, celery, and kale in just that one dish. Oh and by the way if you don’t like a veggie the first time you try it, try it again. I’m speaking from experience when I say that veggies (and other foods) can grow on you. I didn’t particularly love kale the first time I tried it, but now after having it several times I actually really like it. So give your taste buds a little time to adjust to new foods and flavors.

So now just like your mama always told you, eat your vegetables! Experiment and have fun with it! Try a new way of prepping or cooking your favorite vegetable. You can eat your veggies raw in a salad or smoothie, steam them, grill them, sauté them, or add them to soups. Try eating what’s in season or buy something local or organic.

Let us know what new veggie you tried this week or post your new favorite veg recipe here!

Finally they gave us a habit that I’m already pretty good at!! :) They asked us to eat lean protein with each meal. Maybe it’s because Dave has ingrained it in me, and because I’ve heard him tell all of our clients that you need to have a balance of proteins, carbs, and healthy fats at every meal and snack, but honestly I didn’t find this habit to be too hard.

For breakfast, lunch, and dinner this comes very naturally to me. It’s the snacks that I have to be a little more intentional about making sure I’m doing this.

For instance it would be easy for me to grab a piece of fruit, granola bar, some crackers, or a handful of pretzel thins for a snack, but then I would only be getting carbohydrates, which means I would more than likely be starving again in 20minutes. So what I have been trying to do is add a lean protein (which often covers the healthy fat as well) with my traditionally carb heavy snacks. My favorites are cottage cheese, fage plain greek yogurt, string cheese, and hard boiled eggs.

Precision Nutrition gave us the following list of their recommendations:

• Lean meat such as beef, pork, wild game
• Poultry such as chicken or turkey
• Fish & seafood such as shrimp or scallops
• Eggs & egg whites
• Cottage cheese or strained plain Greek yogurt (such as Fage)
• Protein powder such as whey, egg, vegetarian blends, etc.
• Cooked lentils or beans
• Tempeh or tofu
• Veggie burger

Another thing they mentioned is that while plant sources(aka veggies) do contain some protein they are not as protein dense, meaning they don’t have as much protein per volume as animal foods such as beef, chicken, or fish. So you would have to eat a lot more of them to get enough protein, which is why they are not on their recommended list of protein sources.

Today make it a point to get lean protein in with every meal and snack that you eat. Then do it again the next day and the day after that. Before you know it, just like me, you may find yourself getting pretty good at this one!

Post a comment and let us know how your healthy eating habits are coming along!

Committed to Your Results,

Dave and Katie
and the Fit Soldiers Family!