In an effort to help our Warriors be in top condition, I recently invited an expert to come and speak to our team. The expert was Tony Ricci. Tony is one of the smartest people I know in the fields of exercise and nutrition science. What’s more, he’s in the trenches every day working with world class fighters like Ryan Laflare in addition to teaching university level courses. To top it off he’s one of the most generous and kind (unfortunately rare qualities) human beings you’ll find.
Tony only had about 90 minutes with us but he shared some amazing fitness and fat loss tips I wanted to relay to you.
- Exercise makes new brain cells – This is an overlooked benefit to physical exercise. Maybe you’re not losing the pounds that you’d like but I’m sure you’ll agree that becoming smarter and more creative aren’t too shabby.
- Exercise needs to be FUN – This was a great reminder for our team. Having Fun is a core value. You actually get more benefits out of the exercise when you’re doing it voluntarily.
- 70% of the population is overweight – This is sad but it gives us a lot of job security.:)
- 75% of health care dollars goes to preventable disease! Just think how much good that money could do if we all started taking better care of ourselves.
- Genetic differences in exercise – We are all created differently. While one might be a natural born runner, another person might be more inclined toward lifting weights.
- By 2030, one in every two will be diabetic or pre-diabetic. We need to change the way we live! This is out of control.
- All calories are NOT equal – Eating 3,000 calories of chicken breast and broccoli will produce a dramatically different result than 3,000 calories of skittles.
- At 50 and above, cardio risk is equal between men and women. Before that men are at a higher risk. This has to do with hormonal changes.
- Fat is an active endocrine gland – When we carry too much of it, we slow our other systems down.
- Thermic effect of food – While carbs and fats might produce a 4-6% metabolic boost, protein can be as high as 30%. Basically, the body burns a lot of calories to do the work of digesting, absorbing, and assimilating the protein we eat. That’s a beautiful thing!
- Feeling content – In addition to the above tip, protein causes a feeling of satiety which is crucial on a weight management program.
- Rule of thumb – Treating your-self now and again is OK. However, if you don’t love it and it’s bad for you, stay away from it.
- If you’re not motivated, it’s normal – You’re spiritual maturity is NOT how well you’re doing. It’s how well you’re doing when you’re not doing well. You’re not always going to feel super motivated and that’s OK. Keep going.
Tony wrapped up with a Q&A mostly about nutrition and kids. The main takeaways were that kids should have FUN. Their macronutrient ratios should look something like this…
- 40% carbs
- 30% protein
- 30% fat
A great meal for them is simply a PB&J on high quality whole grain bread.
That wraps us what Tony shared. I thank Tony for his knowledge and time. I know our team is better because of it and I hope you are too!
Billy Hofacker