Ok, I’m confused.  For those that know me that really isn’t news.  However, this is different than my normal state of confusion. 

First we had Jared.  While I’m sure Jared is a nice guy, he isn’t exactly considered a sex symbol.  He lost 245 pounds on the “Subway Diet” which is an amazing accomplishment.  He did it in one year by eating two Subway subs every day and exercising.

Subway made a lot of money off of Jared by becoming known as a “healthy alternative” to fast food.  It was a winning formula!  In a country with an obesity problem like we have in the US, anything that gives a glimmer of hope that we won’t have to alter our lifestyles dramatically and still lose weight is sure to catch on.

You could almost hear the clock ticking while waiting for the next “Jared” to burst onto the scene.  We had to wait a while but if history serves as any indicator, we probably have the next Jared in the form of Christine.

I’m back! If you happen to be a visitor of Dave’s Press, you may have wondered what happened to me. Well, to make a long story short, I took a little hiatus and ventured into the world of community journalism.

For the last four or five months, I’ve been writing for the Examiner.com site as the Atlanta Weight Loss Examiner. As you can tell by the dates on my last blog post, it pretty much took up all of my extra time.

I had the bright idea that I could do both…write for Examiner.com and maintain my blog. All while working full time with a wife and two kids. It was going to be a way to earn a little extra since you do actually earn money writing for them.

The amount you earn is based on how many people read your articles. It turned out to be a lot of work for very little payout. They said its all what you put into it. Well, unless you’re writing about the Kardashians or the latest Dancing With the Stars episode, your average payout is very minimal.

Enough about that! What about Dave’s Press?

If you’ve ever visited my blog before you know that it looks different. This is the initial look I used when I started the blog. I was using a magazine theme previously but, let’s face it, this is a blog and not a magazine. It didn’t really fit what I wanted so I switched back.

The first of the New Year is coming up and I’m not going anywhere. I plan to make regular updates again and add health, fitness, weight loss, and nutrition news to the site as well.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and will have a happy and safe New Year!

One article to cover the best books in the fitness and nutrition industry just isn’t enough!    Having a game plan for your weight loss and fitness goals is essential to your long term success.  These books will not only help you plan your workouts and meals but they will also teach you the science behind everything you will do.

Here are five more of some of the best books written specifically for the fitness and nutrition industry by more of the most well respected trainers and nutritionists in the business.
  

1.  Maximum Strength - Eric Cressey CSCS

Eric Cressey is one of the most authoritative experts in the fitness industry.  He is a powerlifter, author, speaker and certified strength and conditioning coach.   Maximum Strength takes you through an intense 16-week program that will leave you stronger, bigger, and leaner than you ever thought possible.  All workouts in this book are built on solid research, science, and, most importantly, a track record of results!

2.  Body for Life - Bill Phillips

Body for Life by Bill Phillips could almost be considered a classic.  It has been around for 10 years and is still going strong.  This book, and the numerous support books including one specifically for women, give you a complete fitness and nutrition plan that can certainly put you on track for successful long-term weight loss.  The Body for Life website is a great accompaniment to the series with a ton of resources at your fingertips.

3.  Huge in a Hurry- Chad Waterbury

Chad Waterbury has established himself as one of the preeminate weight lifting gurus in the business.  He is a regular author for T-Nation.com and has published numerous results-backed routines.  Huge in a Hurry, published with Rodale (Men’s Health), gives you five new muscle building rules and the workouts built around them that will make you leaner, bigger, and stronger.

4.  The Abs Diet - David Zinczenko and Ted Spiker

The Abs Diet, from Men’s Health, suggests that “diet” is a new four-letter word.  It teaches you how to eat without being overly restrictive and gives you great workouts that complement your new eating plan.   The Abs Diet also has a number of supplemental books that will help you in your weight loss journey.  Quite simply, it is a sensible and sustainable plan for a new lifestyle.

5.  Eat This Not That- David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding 

Eat This Not That is a very comprehensive guide for what good foods to swap for those bad foods.   This isn’t a diet book that will give you meal plans and workouts but a guide to help you make the right choices.  Learn how the smallest choices you make at the grocery store or restaurant can make a big difference in your waistline!

These are just a  few more of the great books on the market today in the fitness and nutrition industry.  All of these books are well reviewed, well tested, and written by industry leading experts.  They are a great place to start and are great resources for even the most seasons fitness enthusiast.

Do you have any reading suggestions?  Just leave them in the comments below!

A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine confirmed that weight loss can help cure sleep apnea.  According to the study, patients that lost an average of 24 pounds, or 10 percent of their body weight, were three times more likely to stop their apnea.

Sleep apnea is condition where you stop breathing during the night for short periods of time.  “Apnea” is a Greek word that literally means “without breath.” There are three types of sleep apnea: obstructive, central, and mixed. According to the ASAA (American Sleep Apnea Association):

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep. In central sleep apnea, the airway is not blocked but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe. Mixed apnea, as the name implies, is a combination of the two. With each apnea event, the brain briefly arouses people with sleep apnea in order for them to resume breathing, but consequently sleep is extremely fragmented and of poor quality.

Sleep and weight issues

Not only is sleep apnea a very dangerous condition but it can also be one of the contributing factors to your weight issues.  Studies have shown that those that don’t get enough sleep have higher levels of cortisol in their system than those that do get enough sleep.  Excessive levels of Cortisol, as you may or may not know, can lead to weight gain, lowered immune system, and much more.  Cortisol secretion is caused by stress and it has been proven that sleep deprivation elevates stress. The result is prolonged periods of high cortisol levels in your system.

Symptoms of sleep apnea

The most common symptoms of OSA that you may notice are (source):

• Excessive daytime sleepiness, which is falling asleep when you normally should not, such as while you are eating, talking, or driving.
• Waking with an unrefreshed feeling after sleep, having problems with memory and concentration, feeling tired, and experiencing personality changes.
• Morning or night headaches. About half of all people with sleep apnea report headaches.
• Heartburn or a sour taste in the mouth at night.
• Swelling of the legs if you are obese.
• Getting up during the night to urinate (nocturia).
• Sweating and chest pain while you are sleeping.  
   

There are also symptoms someone else may notice while you are sleeping:

• Episodes of not breathing (apnea), which may occur as few as 5 times an hour (mild apnea) to more than 50 times an hour (severe apnea). How many episodes you have determines how severe your sleep apnea is.
• Loud snoring. Almost all people who have sleep apnea snore, but not all people who snore have sleep apnea.
• Restless tossing and turning during sleep.
• Nighttime choking or gasping spells

If you think you may be suffering from sleep apnea, please contact your doctor immediately.  Sleep apnea treatments range from simple home treatments such as losing weight to the use of a device called a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure ) machine to surgery.

The fitness and nutrition industry is a multi-billion dollar per year juggernaut.  With a seemingly unending supply of information in print and on the internet, it has become increasingly difficult to determine who is trustworthy and who is out to just make a quick buck.

There are books and internet sites out there that pump out information from very confident sources with a litany of credentials after their name like MA, IFAA, CSCS, ATC, AFAA, NCSF, and a ton more.  If you’re new to fitness and nutrition, and are looking for a place to start, who do you trust to give you good, solid information that will help you in your weight loss efforts?

Here are five of some of the best books written specifically for the fitness and nutrition industry by a few of the most well respected trainers and nutritionists in the business.

1.  New Rules of Lifting - Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove

Lou Schuler mixes just the right amount of humor, real-life stories, nutritional information, fat loss and muscle building theories into the meat of the book and Alwyn Cosgrove creates some fantastic workouts.  There are enough workouts in this book alone to keep you busy for a year and put you in the best shape of your life.  Alwyn breaks the workouts down to three sections: Fat Loss, Hypertrophy, and Strength.  Each workout is meticulously designed to produce these results.  This book is great for both beginners and the experienced.  Oh, and it comes in a version for women as well!

2.  Power Training - Robert dos Remedios

Coach Robert dos Remedios is one of the elite strength and conditioning coaches in the country.  In Power Training, Coach Dos doesn’t just give you the workouts but he explains, in detail, what you are doing every step of the way.  This book is geared a little more to the exprienced fitness enthusiast but the science of his workouts are a great foundation for anyone interested in getting stronger and leaner.

3.  Metabolism Advantage - Dr. John Berardi

Dr. Berardi is one of, if not the leading authority on sports and fitness nutrition.  Metabolism advantage doesn’t just tell you what you should eat.  It gives you all of the science behind it as well as some great workouts to complement the meal plans.  This book focuses on speeding up your metabolism through proper nutrition and exercise.  If you are just starting out, this is a great book to add to your collection.

4.  Starting Strength - Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore

This book has been called “the best and most useful of fitness books”. Mark Rippetoe is a certified strength and conditioning coach, powerlifter, and one of the foremost fitness authorities in the industry.  Starting strength covers the “5 big lifts” in unbelievable detail and is a great starting point for those looking to start training as well as a great resource for the advanced lifter.

5.  The Zone - Dr. Barry Sears

Looking for a book that will give you a dietary roadmap for long-term weight loss success?  Check out The Zone.  If you’re looking for a fad diet, don’t buy this book.  Dr. Sears teaches you how to eat right by eating an insulin-resistant diet with the right protein/carbohydrate/fat balance.

These are but a few of the great books on the market today in the fitness and nutrition industry.  All of these books are well reviewed, well tested, and written by industry leading experts.  They are a great place to start and are great resources for even the most seasons fitness enthusiast.

Do you have any reading suggestions?  Just leave them in the comments below!