Or, if you’ve been wondering if Lard is really that bad for you (there are worse ones in your cabinets). Is olive oil really as great as they say (go see the chart).

Andrew Wilder of the Eating Rules blog and ith Andy Bellatti of the Small Bites blog have taken the time to create THIS AWESOME CHART that lays it all out. Take a look, print it out and put it on your fridge.

Note: Soybean oil = vegetable oil.

Join us Friday evening at 5:30pm at 3813 N Lincoln for a great weekend-kickoff workout. And following the workout this Friday 2/17 we will feature some adult beverages and some social time so you can chat with all your Motiv friends.

See you then!

Yes, of course we all know taking the stairs is healthier than the elevator. But there is another reason: you’ll save time.

According to a new study by a group of Saskatchewan hospital doctors, it takes twice as long – 37.5 seconds – to get to a designated floor by elevator versus the stairs.

The difference was almost entirely due to the time spent waiting for the elevator to arrive, said co-author Dr. Thomas Wilson, a professor in the college of medicine at the University of Saskatchewan.

Overall, taking the stairs over the elevator saved about 15 minutes each day – about a three per cent time savings in a typical eight-hour work day.

“You could probably do something more useful with that time than wait for an elevator to come,” Wilson said.

The study appears in this week’s issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Read more: news article here. Now, this is not a peer reviewed article. But it is a good point.

Here at Motiv, we never take the elevator at work.  Of course, we are only on one floor…

Books like Good Calorie, Bad Calorie by Gary Taubes (and his more reputable critics) have made the science of weight loss best sellers. Which is good, since the more we know, the better. But there is still lot to learn.

In the New York Times Tara Parker-Pope writes a good summary article on the challenges of weight loss and the science behind it. The article is  here.  She has a good summary:

So where does that leave a person who wants to lose a sizable amount of weight? Weight-loss scientists say they believe that once more people understand the genetic and biological challenges of keeping weight off, doctors and patients will approach weight loss more realistically and more compassionately. At the very least, the science may compel people who are already overweight to work harder to make sure they don’t put on additional pounds.

Educate yourself on the science of weight loss. Work smart in 2012 to lose that weight and keep it off.

Try this: Junk Free Jan (seriously, they have a website with good info)

Eliminate from your diet:

1) Gluten

2) Vegetable or Seed Oils

3) Sugar

Let us know if you decide to do this. Perhaps we can post a Motiv team of folks trying this.

Want more info? Here’s an example from the FAQs on the Junk Free Jan website:

What’s the deal with gluten?

Gluten is a potent digestive toxin that wheat produces in its seeds to protect them from consumption by insects, fungus, and other animals. Not surprisingly it is not particularly good for you. A small portion of all people are celiacs – about 1% – although many have this condition and are undiagnosed. For them gluten is literally a life and death situation. If a celiac’s eats any gluten it causes a severe immune reaction that, over time, destroys the digestive tract. Many of these people are already on gluten-free diets. It is estimated that roughly 30% of all people have a bad reaction to gluten, but are not celiacs. This can manifest itself in many ways – poor digestion, obesity, auto-immune disease, and heart disease to name a few. There’s a good chance you suffer from gluten intolerance of some kind and don’t know it. Chances are you’ve been eating wheat your whole life. There’s really no way of knowing if being gluten-free will make a positive difference without eliminating it from your diet. Give it a try. You might be surprised how much better you feel.

Resolutions are easy to make, yet more challenging to achieve. So here are a few thoughts about how you can make 2012 better than 2011.

1) Define your goals on paper and achieve them one by one over time.

Be very, very specific, such as “fit into my pair of jeans from X” or “workout 100 times this year.”   Now, rank your goals. Pick your top one and ONLY FOCUS ON THAT ONE. Yes, you heard me right, only focus on one goal. Ignore every other goal until you achieve goal #1.  If you don’t start working on a goal until later this year, pro-rate you expected results.

PS: Working out 100 times per year is just 2 times per week.

2) Change your habits one at a time.

If your goal is to lose weight, your success will involve changing your nutrition at some point.  Start by taking a poor habit and eliminating it, for example, by cutting all soda (both regular and diet) out of your diet. Or cutting all dairy. Or fast food.

If you haven’t been working out and want to, set a goal to work out for 90 minutes a week (which is 0.9% of your week).  By the way, that would be just 2 sessions per week at Motiv.  For most busy folks, 2 sessions a week is what they need. Don’t think you have to workout 6 days a week (more is better, but be realistic with your time) to get in shape. It can start at 90 minutes per week.

3) Be Accountable

Who is going to hold you accountable? Do you need a appointment to get out of the house? Then set an appointment! Don’t trust yourself to go when you feel like it. Workout with buddy.  And workout somewhere they know you name and when you don’t show up you get a phone call.

At Motiv, we’ll be starting our next Biggest Loser contest in a few weeks…that’s a great accountability tool.

Click here to purchase.

Caveat: This is a good gift for someone you know wants it or loves a workout challenge.  Before you buy this for someone, ask yourself “Will the recipient think I’m calling them “fat” for giving them a gift certificate to workout?”

Need something for someone who is already a Motiv member?

How about a gift card with a value you choose?   Click here to purchase.

All gift cards are non-refundable.

We all know how the Chicago mail works. Very slowly. We mailed this out back in October and it is just now getting delivered — 5 weeks later.

Because this flyer was delievered so slowly, we are extending the expiration date of this offer until 12/31/11.

If you are ready to get started, book your first workout now and beat the 12/26/11 price increase.

Please note: because of the holidays, we’ll have limited availablity for our “test-drive” workouts the week before Christmas (12/19-12/24). We’ll be back in full force beginning 12/27/11.

Here’s a good reason: our prices are going up on December 26th.

If you are current Motiv client, you don’t have to worry. Your rate is locked in and will never go up as long as you keep your membership current. This is our commitment to you for being our client.

After Christmas, our monthly rates for a 12 month unlimited semi-private personal training package will increase $20 per month to $219/month. The 3 month unlimited semi-private rates will increase to $279/month. Our $59 joining fee remains the same.

So, if you want join Motiv for less than $200/month, give us a call today at 773.675.1420 or sign up for your first workout online today! You still even have time to try a 30-day trial membership if you are on the fence.

Please don’t wait for a sale or a Groupon…we don’t think those are fair to our current clients

An important point to note is that our club philosophy is to treat every single member the same every single day. This means we try and protect the integrity of our club by not making deals or offering wild discounts that are available to some members and not others. And, while we can always help a member obtain more service and support if they need it, we will never discount the basic membership plans. If you want to save money, join before December 26th!

Korean Beef Stir Fry