Congratulations goes to Carrie Paul. Carrie is the official winner of the Body Works Biggest Loser II Challenge! She lost over 7lbs and 4% bodyfat. Carrie worked out hard and ate a healthy diet to achieve her goals. Good job Carrie and keep up the good work!

Lemon Rasberry Bars

• INGREDIENTS
• 3/4 Cup Splenda
• 3/4 Cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 light butter or butter substitute
• 1 pinch of salt
• FILLING INGREDIENTS
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 and 1/4 cups Splenda
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 1/2 cup fat free half & half

• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh lemon peel
• 1/4 cup reduced sugar raspberry preserves

• DIRECTIONS
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8X8-inch baking pan with butter flavored nonstick spray. Set aside.
• To make crust: Mix together flour, SPLENDAŽ Granulated and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Cut in light butter until the mixture is crumbly.
• Press dough into prepared 8x8-inch baking pan. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F oven 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
• To make filling: Place SPLENDAŽ Granulated and flour in a medium mixing bowl. Stir well.
• Add egg substitute and half-and-half. Stir until blended. Slowly add lemon juice while stirring constantly. Add lemon peel.
• Stir raspberry preserves until they loosen up. Spread evenly over warm crust.
• Gently pour lemon mixture over preserves. Bake in preheated oven 20-25 minutes or until set.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool before placing in refrigerator.
• Chill in refrigerator 2 hours before serving.

• NUTRITION INFO (PER SERVING):
• Yields 16 bars
• Calories: 50
• Fat: 1g
• Carbs: 9g
• Protein: 2g

We all know there are tons of myths surrounding fitness, weight loss and exercise. It is difficult sometimes to separate the facts from the fiction. Most people have a lot of common sense and know that losing dramatic amounts of weight quickly isn't possible, however some advertisers will use all of their powers to convince you of other miracle claims, and may often only reveal the truth in the fine print. In addition, there is always a lot of misinformation circulating around the general public regarding nutrition, exercise, weight loss and fitness. Here are some of the top myths we run into on a regular basis.
Myth #1 Drop 5 pounds in 5 days! We all would love to be able to lose weight this fast, but no one we know would agree it was possible to lose 5 pounds of fat in 5 days without some seriously dangerous crash dieting and massive amounts of exercise. To lose 1 pound of fat, you need to expend at least 3500 calories. The total daily energy expenditure for one of our "average" workers in the office here is about 2400 calories a day. This means that they would burn about 2400 calories in a day just surviving. To create a 3500 calorie deficit, they would have to basically not eat anything all day, and still exercise away another 1200 calories (which would require they run about 6 mph for an hour and a half.) Even if you somehow managed to meet your nutritional needs, we doubt it would be possible to keep up the required exercise without seriously injuring yourself. However, some very obese people who have very high BMR because of their extremely high bodyweight, MAY be able to lose 5 pounds in 5 days without compromising their nutritional needs, but we still wouldn't recommend it. Obviously this kind of extreme dieting and exercise has a better chance of injuring or killing someone than losing them weight. There is no other way we know of to lose weight (fat) other than moderate calorie deficit and exercise and have not come across a single product, exercise regimen or diet that can accomplish this kind of dramatic weight loss in such a short period of time. Most experts recommend losing a maximum of ONE to TWO pounds per week, and we recommend sticking to the former 1lb per week to be on the safe side.
Myth #2 All Fats are Bad We've all heard this before. FAT IS BAD. This couldn't be more untrue. Fat is a macronutrient, and is a required part of a healthy diet. We need fat for normal growth and development, energy, absorbing certain vitamins, providing cushioning for organs, maintaining cell membranes, and for giving food good taste, texture and consistency. The two basic types of fat are: saturated fat and unsaturated fat (which includes monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, trans fat, and omega 3,6 and 9 fatty acids). Monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and omega 3,6 and 9 are the so-called "healthy fats" Foods such as grain products, fish and sea food, soybeans and fish oil can all contain polyunsaturated fats. The debate still rages on about whether or not saturated fats are part of a healthy diet, since some people are concerned that the studies claiming that saturated fats are bad did not make a differentiation between diets containing saturated AND trans fats. However, of the different kinds of fats, we believe that a diet free of trans fats is a requirement of a healthy lifestyle and healthy body. Trans fats occur in small quantities in the meat and dairy products derived from ruminants. Most trans fats though are consumed in the form of hydrogenated plant oils. Many studies show that trans fats increase the risk of coronary heart disease, and are not beneficial to good health.
Myth #3 Carbohydrates are bad Carbohydrates are not necessarily bad; rather, it is highly refined carbohydrates that people often choose that can lead to unnecessary weight gain. When cereals and grains are processed, most of the fiber, vitamins, and minerals are stripped out. Our bodies are not meant to process carbohydrates in this form, which may lead to a variety of ailments including diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. Highly refined foods also tend to have a high-glycemic index, which causes a rapid rise in blood sugar that the body then stores as fat since they cannot be converted to energy quickly enough. Complex, unrefined carbohydrates containing fiber, however, are not bad for you. Choose complex carbs that are in the most natural state as possible, such as oatmeal and brown rice. Many scientific studies have shown that foods such as broccoli can help to reduce the incidence of many diseases.
Myth #4 Skipping meals and crash dieting is a great way to lose weight You may say, "if I eat less than I'll lose weight since I'm creating a calorie deficit", however, this is not an effective way to lose weight. Research has shown that skipping meals, particularly breakfast, can actually cause you to gain weight. One reason for this is that people who skip breakfast often consume more calories later on in the day, instead of consuming smaller amounts of food throughout the day, which leads to weight gain. Another negative effect of skipping meals or 'crash dieting' is that the human body is designed to go into starvation mode if enough calories are not consumed. This may actually slow down your BMR, so even though you are eating less you may lose weight, but it will be difficult to keep it off. One study published in the American Journal of physiology, Endocrinology and metabolism followed nine young, normal- weight men over a 21-day period. The men were fed 40% fewer calories than were needed to maintain body weight. Even though they lost an average of 3.8 pounds, 2 pounds were of lean body mass, and the basal metabolic rate of the men decreased by approximately 12% (Friedlander et al., 2005).
Myth #5 Ab crunches, situps or the latest ad gadget will give you great abs This is simply not true, unless you are in great shape, work your abs regularly, and have a low bodyfat percentage. For males, it is estimated that your body fat percentage needs to be about 8-10% to have visible abs, and about 6-8% to have a 'six-pack'. For women, body fat percentage needs to be about 15% or lower to start seeing visible abs. According to The American Council on Exercise, acceptable body fat percentages are 25-31% for women, and 18-25% for men. For athletes, the range is 14-20% for women and 6-13% for men (Wikipedia.com). The body fat percentages required to have visible abs are very low, so unless you intend to do some serious training to become very lean, it is unlikely that you will have 'great abs'. It is definitely possible to obtain strong abs by working them a lot, but if they are covered up by a layer of fat, it is not likely that anyone will notice all of the hard work that you've put in. However, having strong abs, even if they aren't visible, has many benefits including better posture, and having a flatter, more toned appearance to the midsection.
In conclusion, with all the hype and misinformation associated with diet, exercise, and weight loss; your best bet is to listen to a true, educated fitness professional to get your information. At Body Works, we would be more than happy to answer any questions you have regarding exercise and fitness. Remember, don't believe everything you hear and if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

We have always said that the greatest compliment you can give your personal trainer is to refer someone you know to them. Well, now we are going to be giving great rewards for those referrals. Our contest this summer will be for the most referrals. We will be giving away various prizes for referrals. The grand prize however, will a FREE month of personal training for the person who refers the most new clients. Check with your trainer for more details about the contest, but this is one in which everyone can win. Prizes will be awarded to you for each referral... your friends and family that you refer will be rewarded with a healthier body... and we of course, always appreciate new clients!