BootyCampSB: Boot Camp Santa Barbara

Ask the Trainer -- Hydration and Weight Loss

2011-11-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

How does drinking water help me lose water weight?

Water is essential to our bodies. It is necessary for our metabolic processes and survival. While people can survive for several months without food, we can only last a few days without water.

When the body becomes dehydrated, it kicks into survival mode. This is because water is necessary to remove waste and toxins from our systems. Water plays a role in digestion and metabolism, it lubricates our joints, and it maintains the moisture of our lungs so we can breathe. Chronic dehydration can eventually lead to excess body fat, poor muscle tone, digestive complications, muscle soreness, kidney stones, inflammation, and toxicity.

It might seem counter-intuitive to drink MORE water when your body is storing water, however when you think about everything that water is involved in you can start to understand how drinking enough of this essential nutrient will enable the optimal functioning of your body's systems.

By drinking enough water and thereby making your body feel "safe," your body won't feel the need to retain water. When you hydrate adequately, your body is also better able to digest and transport fats out of your system. So, by drinking enough water, not only will you lose water weight, but it will help you lose body fat as well (especially if you're following a clean diet and you engage in regular cardio and strength training).

How much water should you drink per day? The minimum recommended amount is 8-10cups, but if you're exercising you'll want to aim for more around a gallon (128 fl oz, or ~3.7L) per day.

~~~~

by Kristin Rooke

Head Trainer for Bootycamp Santa Barbara

If you want to read other articles by Kristin about fitness, nutrition, and a lean lifestyle

Check out shsnaturallyfit.blogspot.com

Protein "Ice Cream"

2011-10-31T09:22:00.001-07:00

Although this is a simple recipe, it's also one that satisfies that "frozen treat" craving that strikes every once in a while. Sure, the weather might be getting a little colder now-- the fog is rolling into Santa Barbara, leaves are changing color in other parts of the country, and snow has definitely fallen in some states-- but even cold weather can't can keep a sweet tooth at bay!

Here's a recipe that might help you out:

Protein "Ice Cream"

1 (or 1.5) scoop protein powder

1 scoop protein powder and 1/2 cup nonfat greek yogurt

1c almond milk, water, or other liquid of choice

1/2 banana

1/4 c berries

optional extras: 1T raw cacao powder, dash of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, etc

Instructions

1. Put your ingredients into your blender and mix it all together

2. Pour your protein shake into a cup/container and freeze it for at least 3-4 hours

3. If you freeze your shake for longer than 3-4 hours,

you might need to let it thaw before eating it

You can add a little extra liquid and re-blend it so it has more of a froyo texture

Additions to Consider:

A fancy glass to make your dessert appear expensive and gourmet

Cacao nibs for crunch and an extra "chocolately" effect

Some sliced berries to top your "ice cream"

Mint to garnish

~~~~

by Kristin Rooke

Head Trainer for Bootycamp SB

If you want to read more articles written by Kristin

Check out shsnaturallyfit.blogspot.com

Eat Your Food

2011-10-28T10:31:00.001-07:00

Being intimately involved with the fitness world-- living it, exploring it, eating, sleeping, breathing, reading it-- I've been exposed to a lot of misunderstandings and confusion about exercise and nutrition. Far too many people seem to believe that in order to lose weight and change their bodies, they need to perform excruciating amounts of cardio and spend hours at the gym all while starving themselves on below-maintenance levels of calories (i.e. deprivation or starvation diets).

I've heard plenty of my gym-going friends applaud themselves for doing double, even triple, days of cardio, all while monitoring every calorie that enters their system so they can keep their intake at about 1200 (maybe a little more or a little less... and these were male friends of mine!! Just to put things into perspective, the average 6'0" 30yr old male who weighs 180lbs and exercises 3x per week needs about 2400 calories to maintain his weight, and about 2000 for weight loss. 1200 calories guys?!? Come. On.) This was all in pursuit of losing weight and changing their physique. They'd stick to it for a few days and then go on a major bender because their bodies and their minds were so deprived. They'd beat themselves up for "being bad," recommence their program, and thus began a vicious cycle.

Food is something that people learn to both LOVE with all their emotions and their hearts, and to hate and fear because it influences their bodies.

The truth is: under-eating and over-training works against your long-term physique goals. Whether you're interested in building muscle, losing body fat, or just "tightening" up, it is ESSENTIAL to nourish your body with enough food.

Food is NOT the enemy.

...muscle waste, that is. As in, deteriorating muscle mass because of lack of food!

You might think that over-training and under-eating would cause you to lose weight, but chances are you'll experience one of two scenarios-- weight GAIN and fat STORAGE. Skipping recovery days just exacerbates the problem even more. OR weight loss, muscle loss, AND fat storage.

Why?

Well, working out too much without adequate recovery just keeps breaking your body and muscles down. Your body never gets a chance to "catch up" and make necessary repairs to your system. The continual breakdown leads your body to become inflamed. And inflammation means puffiness... and puffiness means water retention.

Eating too little and denying your body of the proper nutrients and calories will ultimately lead to fat storage as well as strength and muscle loss (which decreases your metabolism! Muscle = increased calorie-burning ALL THE TIME). If your calorie intake drops too much, your body will go into starvation mode, saving the fat that you DO have in order to protect your body. Then, anytime you "cheat", your body stores all that energy too because it thinks you're starving.

So if you want to lose fat and get that toned, tight body. It's important that you're eating enough and that you're consuming that right TYPES of food. You want to fuel your muscle, your brain, and your body adequately so that your body feels SAFE. Because when your body feels safe and knows that there's an abundance of food around, it won't have to hold on to excess fat or weight.

If you're not sure how to go about this process, find a sports and exercise nutritionist or a well-educated personal trainer to guide you through the process. The top fitness models don't deprive or starve themselves. They eat TONS of food! So think like a fitness model and treat your body right. It's what you deserve!

Resources:

Livestrong Article -- Too Much Exercise, Not Enough Calories

I’m Not Perfect

2011-04-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

So, I got called out by a client that I hadn’t been blogging. Love the accountability of facebook right? Well I asked for it! She points this out as she’s also asking how training was going, to which I respond, "not so good. Kinda hence why I haven’t been blogging", as I laugh. I’d been going through an incredible amount of stuff personally and professionally and truly couldn’t fathom how I was supposed to write and be motivating at a time when I was trying to simply get through my days. Her response was exactly what I needed to hear. She said, "If it’s not going well, tell us that." She said, "I don’t want to hear that you’re perfect." It was ok to tarnish the superwoman status my clients and friends seem to hold me to sometimes. I knew this, but I needed to hear it again. I am just like everyone else, and my clients and followers need to hear that. She tells me how she tries to ban herself from facebook at times, but has to check my page to see if I’ve written or what's going on. Well alright Candice..this one’s for you, "No I’m not superwoman and I’m not perfect." ;)

So, you guys know I’ve hired a trainer for nutrition and program help. Well let’s just say I haven’t been a stellar client the last 3 weeks. I’ve been so busy I can’t even see straight, my two main instructors are on vacation in Italy and Hawaii (a concept too foreign for me to grasp), and as I mentioned I was also going through a lot of difficult personal and professional transitions. The food honestly isn’t difficult. I eat fairly healthily and thrive on structure. (We’ll see in a few weeks when cravings kick in ;)) But with the blinding 14-16 hour days my timing has definitely been off and my workouts have suffered. It’s humbling. Yes I get the superwoman comments a lot, but even superwoman has her days. Sometimes I can’t do it all. The things that have been in upheaval have been getting better. Kristin and Cori both get back soon, so I’ll be able to get my balance back and get back to normal, which will be 12-13 hour days. For those of you who know me will know that’s probably the reality haha. But I said I was going to be raw and uncensored and Candice reminded me that I can’t run from telling you. I’m normal. I falter and pick myself back up. It is life. Hopefully it makes me more relatable to you and being humbled helps me understand even more how hard it is when I ask clients to stick to programs. You guys are hardworking career woman, volunteers, in relationships or married, have children, are caring friends, are workaholics like me, or are some wicked fantabulous combination of all of those. You all are MY superwomen. We all have things that knock us down that we’re in control of or not in control of. And it’s our job to get back on our feet and find the balance we need in taking care of ourselves concerning our health, fitness, and personal goals, and time for ourselves.

Candice and another client, Cherry had said they would help throw me topics from time to time if I got stagnant and Candice had already one she had been sitting on. “What have I learned the most through training”, she asks. I’ll save the scientific/physical answers for a later blog. But from the emotional/mental standpoint of an answer there are two responses that fit in quite nicely with this blog actually. Number one is balance and two is to not to be so hard on yourself when you mis-step. Now granted letting my balance go the last little bit here was a necessity due to instructors being gone and being busy, but most of you who know me know that I’m not good at this at all. I’m learning. Learning that the Bootycamp machine doesn’t run if Stacey Cooper is falling apart. Golden. I have to be good to my body mind and soul. Working non-stop doesn’t allow for my own healthy exercise and eating habits, a concept at the core of what I do, right? Competition or no competition. And knowing that my life isn’t all training for a competition. It’s a goal, but I have to balance my work, social, and family life obligations as well. Balance. The second is perfect for these last few weeks. We tend to be so hard on ourselves when we start strict programs. One false move and we snowball. Its over! We’ve screwed it up! There goes the goal! It's self-sabotage of sorts if you will. One of the biggest lessons as well has to be to not be self-depricating and beat ourselves up so badly when we miss a workout or go off a healthy food plan. The snooze alarm? Oh yeah. It was hit this week. Multiple times. Deviate from what my trainers nutrition plan? Definitely. And dare I tell you. Miss a phone appt with him? Gasp. Yup. I’m not perfect. Sshhhhh don’t tell. But I’m dusting myself off and getting back at it. And you all should, too when you get down on yourself. Life gets in the way sometimes, but don’t let it take your goals down permanently.

I had coffee with a very close friend whose also been a client at times a few hours before I wrote this. I finally shared some of the things I’ve been going through the last few months and she literally started to cry. I connected at that moment. Wow. Ok. This is real. I had been going through a lot and it was ok to admit that. It was a much needed moment of validation and to go, "ok, you’re doing the best you can and you’re probably doing a better job than you thought all things considered." For those of you who know me this is HUGE. Taking on a competition with an injury and at such a difficult time wasn’t the most sound decision I’ve ever made. I’m FULLY aware of that, but I want it, so I’m doing it. And you all are going to watch me. My friend looks at me and shakes her head, "you’re superwoman." I look at her and smile, "No, no I’m not. And that’s ok". ;) Plus, that chocolate bar I had instead of my protein shake for my 6th meal at the bowl concert was pretty darn good. My friend didn’t get the memo not to bring chocolate around a bikini girl. ;O

Hey they confiscated my shaker. Not my fault, right?

From the First Step to the Step Back on...

2011-04-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

So, I tried blogging the first show and failed miserably! So I’m attempting this again!! I will start from the beginning, and fill you in on all that happened in between my first show to bring us where I am today!

First, I’ll explain what and who led me to do my first show. There once was this girl from Kentucky…literally! I had a client who was a travel nurse from Kentucky who moved to Santa Barbara for a short time who I had the pleasure of training while she was here. She was simply the cutest thing ever as you can see complete with the Kentucky draw! Before she moved back home we had lunch, I was going through a bad breakup, which she knew, and we just started chatting about goals and moving forward.. Before I knew it, somehow the fact that I wanted to do a bikini fitness competition flew out of my mouth! I had never said it out loud, it was just this tiny picture on my vision board, but never had told anyone. Turns out her family and best friend had been involved in the competitive fitness world for quite some time and immediately lit up saying “YOU HAVE TO DO IT!” I kept coming up with multiple excuses which she kept shooting down…they ranged from I wasn’t pretty enough, I was too short, I didn’t have the guts, I wasn’t the girl to show off her body, let alone in a bikini! This was beyond my comfort zone and couldn’t believe we were even discussing it..I knew I had always wanted it..but just told myself I could never..Never. Well, she just wasn’t having it, and shot down everything I had thrown out there! By the end of lunch she said she’d better hear from me that I had done one…I can’t quite explain what happened that day, but I knew as I hugged her goodbye I was doing one..And it would change my life forever…Sarah Westerfield thank you!!!! For you have started it all!

To move you all through what some of you already know…but some don’t; I trained for 3 months, and hard! Pushed beyond all I thought possible, and ended up winning first place in my height class! The competition exceeded all expectations and was simply an incredible experience. Now the part some of you don’t know...three weeks after my show I fell horribly ill. I was in and out of the hospital and/or doctors for 3 months. CAT scans, ultrasounds, scopes...all tests imaginable could not diagnose what was wrong with me! I couldn’t breathe well, was passing out, had odd stomach pains, could barely get out of bed…I tried to maintain working, but it a challenge! Finally my doctor tried a random heavy dosage of antibiotics thinking it may help (after months of not knowing..)And it did...14 days after “it” was gone! To this day we don’t really know what happened. THEN...I slowly recover and immediately start thinking about trying to work out again...and do I want to do another show? While I was sick I missed my chance at going to the nationals in Vegas, which was a hard pill to swallow. So I aim to do a show in December ’09!!! Two weeks into training I threw out my back...and there it ended!

So basically since then I have been battling back problems and pretty much tabled any show talk, I’d settle for getting back into a basic work out! Meanwhile my personal training of women who wanted to compete skyrocketed, I LOVED IT! But always of course there was this sadness not being able to do one again myself, my back pain varied from horrific to manageable day to day, but the pain in my heart was huge...when was I going to be healthy again? When was I going to be able to work out again? Was I ever going to get the chance to be on stage again?

And then there was this girl from Long Beach…, Juliana who moved here to train with me for a show! Another little blond ball of light fell into my hands, and I couldn’t help but fall in love with her! She had started a weight loss journey already and was continuing on with me to pursue her dream of becoming a competitor! Juliana was full of self doubt as many of us are at times and it pulled out my best coaching I had. I explained that this isn’t about winning or getting a six pack, but realizing a dream, setting a goal, and achieving it. She loved the competitive fitness world as much as I did, and knew the standards that had been set. But we fought to get her out of her own head, and some days when I was talking to her I realized I needed to take my own advice!! Well as some of you have seen from the Facebook pictures Juliana looked AMAZING...and when she took the stage, I cannot explain how proud I was! I was proud of all my girls, but I knew she was the one that would make me do another show. That stage isn’t just about flaunting your body; it’s about empowerment, achievement, dedication, hard work, and most of all believing in yourself! No one can tell me I couldn’t do a show again...no one but myself… it might be a little slower and I will have to be a little more patient..and get rid of what the ideal would be..but I could do it. I found that I had gone back to that place of telling myself “I can’t, I can’t!” Sarah told me I could do it through her words, Juliana had told me I could silently through inspiration when she stepped on stage that day. She fought through her own self doubt and even had had an injury herself…if I told her she could do this..I had to tell myself the same thing…

So one night I hit the SHARE button on a facebook post and I knew it would change everything, everyone would ask tomorrow, and I would have to answer “YES, I AM DOING A SHOW!” Now I won’t sugar coat my back injury, this will be an unbelievably hard commitment, and I can’t train my legs...I wonder what I have gotten myself into? But I hired the best of the best in the training world, have the support of my wonderful family, friends, and clients...and hopefully my two bikini angels, Sarah and Juliana will be watching over me the next three months! So Sarah look for a plane ticket coming your way and Juliana, I hope you can come as you are the first two faces I’d love to see when I step down from that stage because you’re both the reasons I took those first steps and this step back on…

THAI CHICKEN COCONUT SOUP

2009-01-12T10:19:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS
4 oz cellophane noodles
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1-2 red Thai (or jalapeño) peppers, seeded and finely chopped (plus slices for garnish)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon (or lime) juice
4 tablespoons Thai fish sauce, divided
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, sliced (3 cups)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5 oz each), cut into 2 1/2-inch-long by 1/4-inch-wide strips
1 cup light coconut milk
2 cups baby spinach
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (plus sprigs for garnish)

PREPARATION
Place noodles in a bowl; add enough warm water to cover and let sit until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain. Combine broth, pepper, garlic, ginger, lemon zest, lime zest, lemon juice and 3 tbsp fish sauce in a medium saucepan. Season with salt. Bring to a simmer, add noodles and cook 3 minutes more. Using tongs, transfer noodles to a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm. Add mushrooms to broth; season with salt, if desired; simmer 3 minutes more. Add chicken and coconut milk and simmer, stirring, until chicken is just cooked, about 3 minutes. Stir in spinach until it begins to wilt, about 1 minute. Add chopped cilantro and season with remaining 1 tbsp fish sauce. Using tongs, divide noodles among 4 bowls. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with sprigs of cilantro and slices of pepper.

The Skinny
317 calories per serving
5 g fat
38.g carbs
2.5 g fiber
40.30 g protein

Happy 2009!!

2009-01-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Are you ready for a new year??
BootyCampSB's new 8 week session begins today! If you were not able to attend sign-ups yesterday please contact me... or go ahead and attend the classes this week and sign up with your trainer.
We are excited about the new session and starting this year off healthy and happy!!
email:
stacey@bootycampsb.com
or
heather@bootycampsb.com

Look forward to seeing you all!

EGGNOG PROTEIN SHAKE

2008-12-08T09:54:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cup fat-free yogurt or, sugar-free fat-free vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoon fat-free whipped topping
Sugar substitute equivalent to 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon rum extract
1/8 teaspoon brandy extract or vanilla extract
Dash ground nutmeg/cinnamon
1 scoop Vanilla protein powder

Directions:
In a blender, combine the first six ingredients; cover and process until smooth.
Pour into chilled glasses; sprinkle with nutmeg or cinnamon.
Recipe makes 2 servings.

Nutrition information per serving (3/4 cup):
Calories: 263
Total Fat: 2g
Protein: 20g
Carbohydrates: 21g

Moroccan Chicken Stew

2008-12-04T10:31:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds)
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium turnips, peeled and cubed
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups canned chopped tomatoes with their juices
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:
1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 teaspoon of oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken on both sides, about 4 minutes per side, and transfer to a platter.
2. Turn the heat to medium and heat the remaining oil in the same pot. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the curry powder, cumin and cinnamon, and cook, stirring frequently for 1 minute.
3. Add the chicken, squash, potatoes, turnips, chicken broth and tomatoes and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve in warm soup bowls.(or over brown rice)
Serving Size: 1 bowl

Number of Servings: 6

Per Serving:
(does not include rice)
Calories 288
Fat 11 g
Protein 23 g
Sodium 267 mg
Carbohydrate 26 g
Fiber 4 g
Saturated Fat 3 g

Butternut Squash Soupwith Caramelized Onions and Apples

2008-11-24T10:00:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
1 rib of celery,chopped
1 carrot,peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 cups butternut squash,peeled and seeded
3 cloves garlic,minced
1 tablespoon fresh oregano,chopped
1 quart low-sodium vegetable stock or water, more maybe needed
salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon curry powder
1 onion,large dice
1 Granny Smith apple,peeled and cored
2 tablespoons non-fat yogurt
6 sprigs fresh dill,washed

Directions:
1. In a soup pot, sauté the onion, celery and carrot in the oil over medium heat until the onion is golden, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the squash and garlic cooking 5 minutes, stirring. Add the oregano and stock and simmer about 15 minutes or until the veggies are soft.
2. While the soup is cooking, place a sauté pan at medium-high heat with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and sauté the diced onions.
3. Cut the apple into a large dice and when the onions are golden, add to the pan, toss sautéing 2 to 3 minutes. Add the curry and cook 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the dill and set aside.
4. Place all of the cooked veggies (except the curried onions and apple mix) and liquid from the pot in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. More stock may be needed to adjust consistency.
5. Return to the soup pot and add the curried onion and apple. Simmer for 2 minutes. Season to taste and adjust consistency. Serve hot or, on warm days, chilled.
6. Garnish with a dollop of yogurt and a sprig of fresh dill.

Serves 6
Serving Size: about 1 cup of soup

Per Serving:
Calories 95
Carbohydrate 20 g
Fat 1 g
Fiber 5 g
Protein 2 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Sodium 140 mg

Thank you Firemen!

2008-11-19T08:54:00.000-08:00

By Nancy Patterson

You can't believe that we just had some hellacious fires here - just last week!! I find that my breathing is more labored when I workout outside so there must still be remnants of ash, etc. in the air you just can't see it. Bootycamp on Saturday in particular was hard on the lungs and we didn't even do cardio as a precaution to the fires. Today we had bootycamp at lunchtime and already I can feel a difference - the air seems to be clearing.

When the fires started I needed a mask - could hardly breathe much less see- at times it was very thick where we perched to watch helplessly as the fires engulfed the riviera. The masks came in handy and I notice alot of people still wearing them at times, especially if they are out exercising. As a precaution, you may just want to go pick one up - I used one for the first time and I swear by them now. I have bad lungs and it truly made a huge difference in my breathing ability wearing the mask which are sold at almost any drug store. I don't even know the brand name because I was handed one by a friend but I am sure you can go online and search if you care to find out about any brands sold locally.

I wanted to thank all of the firefighters, policeman and soo many other organizations and foundations for reacting so effectively and efficiently and ultimately saving our beautiful hillsides and town.

Checking in....

2008-11-13T13:33:00.000-08:00

By Natasha Duran

Friday- 10/07/08

Stace it was so good to see you this morning! My legs were feeling a little weak today because I had done stadiums the night before, I need to stretch after my workouts. I definitely need to start foam rolling again it really helps roll out the knots.

Wednesday 10/12/08

Friday nights social gathering was so much fun. It was a great opportunity to meet some of the other trainers and booty campers. My eating could of been better this weekend but I was on the road this Saturday and gave into fast food, I ate at Del Taco and felt so guilty after. To top it off on Sunday myself and some coworkers came in to catch up on work and we ordered a pizza. My eating this week has been much better.

Buddy-ing Up!

2008-11-13T09:15:00.000-08:00

By Nancy Patterson

Since the time change, I find I am ready to go home and put my jammies on and do nothing except maybe fix a nice bowl of gumbo or etouffee (cajun winter comfort food) and watch a movie but the truth is I have a ton of energy, I know it's not close to bedtime and so I have been fighting the hibernation mode. I have set up workout buddies most evenings and this past Tuesday I did bleachers at City College with Kristen to pick up the pace so to speak. I was surprised I was able to do the entire stadium - that is, going up and down all the way across - 42 steps for each up and down and 4 ups and 4 downs with very little downtime in between. Kristen is one of Elizabeth's star pupils so it was no surprise she could easily do two full sets of bleachers and she had run about 4 miles before I even arrived! Ok Kristen is a stud I admit it and she was the perfect person to push me beyond my limits. It was very challenging but when we were done I was REALLY happy I had kept up and finished. After our first round we walked around the track once and then did another set all the way back - but this time I went to stair number 20 and cut across - it was my first time and I didn't want to burn out. I must say I am very sore now but it actually feels good and I know that the bootycamp today will help tremendously and I can't wait! Hope to see ya'll there!

PARMESAN TURKEY BREASTS andROASTED SWEET POTATOES with GARLIC

2008-11-12T11:37:00.000-08:00

PARMESAN TURKEY BREASTS:

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pound turkey breast fillets
1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:
Place turkey fillets between two sheets of waxed paper and pound lightly with a mallet or other heavy flat object to flatten to 1/2 inch thickness.
Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste in a shallow pie pan.
Dredge turkey in breadcrumbs, pressing lightly to adhere.
Heat oil in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Saute turkey 3-4 minutes per side or until golden. Transfer to a platter, set aside and keep warm.
Saute onions and garlic 3-4 minutes or until softened. Serve onions over turkey.

ROASTED SWEET POTATOES WITH GARLIC

Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes, washed and scrubbed
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 cups flour
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 475-degrees. Slice sweet potatoes into very thin rounds. On baking sheet toss with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in preheated oven on middle rack, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until crisp.

Serves 4

Nutrition Information Per Serving Calories 360, Saturated Fat 4g, Trans Fat 0g, Cholesterol 85mg, Sodium 440mg, Total Carbohydrate 2g, Dietary Fiber 0g, Protein 31g

The Thanksgiving Plan

2008-11-12T10:06:00.000-08:00

By Nancy Patterson

Thanksgiving is almost here and although I am very excited about my mom coming and all of the fun and eating that lay ahead, I am already trying to prepare mentally for how much I can have of what and how I can skim on calories. I came up with a few options:

1. I won't be drinking - so I am bringing spritzer water and will add lime - makes you feel ( and look) like you are having a cocktail when you aren't

2. Start with veggie trays and low cal dip - it will keep you from being starving when the tempting, caloric food is ready

3. Make sure there are plenty of salad and vegetables as sides - of course there will be dressing and mashed potatoes and gravey but be sure there is a big green salad and maybe some fresh greens beans and sweet potato casserole

4. Whole wheat rolls instead of just white bread

5. White meat of the turkey instead of dark (although I am not sure that will matter where I am going - we're deep frying ours southern style - YUM!)

That is just a few ways to save some calories but the best way to handle large meals is to exercise before and after - even if it is for a walk around the block - you will feel better and it will help you not feel so full. OH and stop eating when you feel full - and try not to go back for thirds ;-)

Pan-Sauteed Chicken Cutlets with Dijon Mustard Sauce

2008-11-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

serves 4

Ingredients:
1 tsp canola oil
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 chicken breasts or chicken breast cutlets
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tbl plus 1 tsp whole grain dijon mustard

Instructions:
In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium/high heat.
On a plate, mix whole wheat flour, salt and pepper. Lightly coat each chicken breast/cutlet with flour mixture and place in heated skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side.
Meanwhile, stir together mustard and chicken broth in a small bowl.
Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
Turn heat down to medium, and pour chicken broth/mustard mix into skillet. Cook approximately 2 minutes until slightly thickens. Return chicken to skillet for about 2 minutes, turning to coat with mustard sauce.

Serve with brown rice and steamed veggies! Yum!

Calories: 196
Total Fat: 3g
Carbs: 12g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 29g

**mustard seeds are part of the Brassica family, like broccoli and cabbage. They are loaded with phytonutrients that may offer protection for the digestive tract.

LIFESTYLE TRANSFORMATION CHALLENGE

2008-11-10T08:52:00.001-08:00

It’s that time of year again!

The 2nd annual Conditioning Specialists LIFESTYLE TRANSFORMATION CHALLENGE is gearing up for round two and searching for local residents who would like to make a dramatic lifestyle change.
Last year was a tremendous success and we are ready to start accepting applications and sponsorships to make this year even better!

The Conditioning Specialists Lifestyle Transformation Challenge is a contest hosted by the Conditioning Specialists Personal Training Studio. During this challenge three local Santa Barbarians with health and/or weight issues will be chosen to participate. Under the supervision of the trainers, the contestants will undergo a rigorous 12 week fitness program aimed at not only transforming their lifestyles, but also to give them the tools they need to lead happy and healthy lives forever. The contestants will meet with a personal trainer 5-6 times per week, have weekly massages, education on nutrition, and Muscle Activation Technique (MAT) sessions, as well as other health & fitness related services.
The winner of the three contestants shall be determined by the trainers of Conditioning Specialists as to who has made the most significant lifestyle transformation. Amount of weight loss, cessation of health related medications, and changes in eating habits are some of the factors that will be considered.

Upon conclusion of the challenge, we will host a red carpet celebration in honor of the contestants and their hard work! We will show you the journey each contestant has taken in those 12 weeks and announce the grand prize winner. The party will be open to the Santa Barbara community through ticket sales and all proceeds will go to the PARTNERS FOR A FIT YOUTH charity which helps to fight childhood obesity. Last year the event raised over $8,000 and this year we are looking forward to surpassing that number.

Conditioning Specialists is a privately owned personal training studio located in downtown Santa Barbara. It is dedicated to providing it's clientele a superior level of educated trainers and service to help any and all individuals reach their health and fitness goals.

If you would like to become a sponsor of the LIFESTYLE TRANSFORMATION CHALLENGE or would like more information please contact us at the phone number listed below.

We are so excited to begin this very special process for a second year, meet new friends and make a difference!

Conditioning Specialists
Phone: 805-569-0050
By Mail: 1329 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101
Email: transformation@conditioningspecialists.com
Websites: http://www.conditioningspecialists.com/Transformation.aspx ; http://www.myspace.com/lifestyle_transformation

BootyCampSB Fun

2008-11-07T09:35:00.000-08:00

By Nancy Patterson

Today's booty class made me realize how much I really enjoy seeing everyone at class on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 1 at Alameda Park. We really have a great group of gals and each has a very distinct personality and a very specific complaining voice (everyone's a comedian in this class!) it really is fun and always fun. Heather Holt has gotten a new job and will no longer be our instructor on Thursdays - we will miss you! But it also gives us the opportunity to hang with Ms. Stacey two days a week and she always is mixing it up, pushing us and even when she doesn't feel like it, shows up with a smile on her face and gives each of us a kicka___ workout! Thanks Stacey!

Tomorrow night or if you are reading this today is the Bootycamp get together at Stateside with Ms. Kristen - who is managing there now - from 5:00 to 7:00 - hope to see everyone there!

2008-11-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

By Natasha Duran
Wednesday 11/05

Today was another beautiful brisk morning. Now that it's lighter in the early morning it's much easier to roll out of bed! I get in these spurts where I'll work out 5 or 6 days a week for months and then I'll completely stop. I really need to find a happy medium and make this a lifestyle without getting burned out. I guess switching up the routine might help.

Halloween in San Diego

2008-11-03T09:40:00.000-08:00

By Nancy Patterson

I must say I hate when I miss bootycamp on Saturday's and I have had to miss the last two because I was out of town. This Saturday I will be here though and I am very much looking forward to it.

I headed down with a friend to San Diego for the weekend to spend time with a another friend at her new home. I find it really hard to control what I eat when I am on the move, much less a guest in someones home and it is not up to me what will be served for our meals. Needless to say I did not eat the healthiest and I did overeat at times this weekend but I did walk for nearly two hours on Saturday and I power walked for an hour on Sunday - all of which made me feel better. The exercise helped ease the fullness from the indulgences not to mention the guilt. I have my healthy food here with me at work and am ready for a new week and especially my booty class tomorrow. I know that the mindset for exercise is with me now and I find that is as important in my day as eating or breathing. It helps with everything, my mood, my outlook, my energy and absolutely at night - my sleep. I can't wait for tomorrow's noon class! Hoping the rain stays away!

BOOTYCAMPSB SOCIAL HOUR

2008-10-31T10:11:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! We are excited to have a fun get-together planned a week from tonight at Stateside Restaurant and Lounge for all of our Troopers!!
We have reserved couches and tables in the lounge area and we will be treated to $3 well cocktails, house margaritas, wine and beer!

Please join us Friday November 7th
5-7pm
Stateside Restaurant and Lounge
1114 State Street

There will be another announcement in our newsletter coming Monday!

CURRIED PEAR CHICKEN

2008-10-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

Coconut milk, cilantro and mint give this dish a fresh, exotic flavor. We prefer using a Bartlett pear but any type will do. Serve with brown basmati rice and grilled mixed veggies.

Makes 4 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Moderate

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat (1-1 1/4 pounds total)
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil, divided
2 pears, peeled, cored and thickly sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

1. Season chicken on both sides with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until well browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan. Add pears, shallots and curry powder. Cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine and broth; bring to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
3. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to pan; reduce heat to low. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter. Stir coconut milk, cilantro and mint into the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper and spoon over chicken.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 274 calories; 8 g fat (2 g sat, 4 g mono); 66 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrate; 28 g protein; 2 g fiber; 387 mg sodium; 467 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Selenium (29% daily value).

Gearing up for the time change and the holidays

2008-10-29T11:42:00.000-07:00

By Nancy Patterson

I have been doing bootycamp at lunchtime on Tuesday and Thursdays and on Saturday at 9:00 am - and I am so glad that once the time change hits my choice of workout times will not change and it will be sunny (hopefully). Evening bootycamp classes will be held at Alameda Park using the lights in the park - and as Stacey says - it can't be any darker at night with the lights on than it is at the 6:00 am classes right now. So you can safely booty all year long if you choose to -and I do choose to. But I also started looking around SB to find places and ways to get exercise outside of Bootycamp in the early morning or evenings once daylight savings hits and came up with a couple of options:

1. Walk or do stadiums at City College - it is very well lit, however, expect there to be a few people there besides yourself.
2. Ride your bike on State Street from Constance to the peer and back- as long as you have a light in front and back on your bike and stay in the bike lane - State Street is well lit and it is a great workout.
3. Tennis - the tennis courts off of Los Positas are open until 10:00pm daily and you can call and reserve a court.
4. Bowling - it may not be the best workout but is still a workout and it is fun! Zodos is open 7 days a week.

These are just a few - if you can think of others, I would love the recommendations.

Early Mornings

2008-10-29T10:26:00.000-07:00

By Natasha Duran

Monday 10/27
It was very cold and wet this morning. I was the first to arrive and it didn't look like anyone else was going to come...we ended up having 5 or 6 girls show. We had a full body workout today. In the advanced class we did a lot of cardio and suicide drills. I was always the last to finish. Today we did a set of suicides and I was the first to finish! This time of the year is always tough because you have the holiday goodies. My goal is to stick to a reasonable eating plan throughout the holidays.

SOUTHWESTERN PUMPKIN BURGERS

2008-10-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:
6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped red or green bell pepper
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup canned unseasoned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
6 Whole grain hamburger buns or 8-inch flour tortillas (soft-taco size)

DIRECTIONS:
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in bell pepper, corn, garlic, chili powder and cumin; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a large bowl; let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
Add pumpkin, cheese, wheat germ, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt and pepper to the onion mixture; mix well. With dampened hands, form the vegetable mixture into six 1/2-inch-thick patties, using about 1/2 cup for each.
Cook 2 to 4 patties at a time on a nonstick grillpan or in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned and heated through, about 4-6 minutes per side. Adjust heat as necessary for even browning. Serve on toasted whole grain hamburger buns or wrap the patties in warmed tortillas and serve immediately, garnished with lettuce, Tomatoes or Fresh Tomato Salsa, if desired.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 331 calories; 13 g total fat (3 g sat, 6 g mono); 8 mg cholesterol; 45 g carbohydrate; 12 g protein; 4 g fiber; 587 mg sodium; 407 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (100% daily value), Vitamin C (45% dv), Folate 34% dv), Selenium (30% dv), Calcium & Iron (20% dv), Magnesium & Zinc (16% dv).

Is there something in the winter air that makes you hungry?

2008-10-23T10:15:00.000-07:00

By Nancy Patterson

Is there something in the winter air that makes you hungry? I wonder. During just the short spurts of cold air lately I find myself wanting gumbo or chili and for some reason beef - something I rarely eat and seemingly more hungry than normal. Does anyone else feel that way? I'm not sure if my body thinks I need to store up for a hibernation that will never be coming but I need to kick the notion out before I store up fat I don't want on my hips and thighs! I am eating my six small meals like I am supposed to but find I am hungry constantly regardless - I think something is off in my hormone balance or my vitamin and minerals are out of whack but I did notice on Tuesday - I went to booty camp starving - even though I had eatin three small meals basically before I got there and I was swearing I was going to go get a hamburger after class - my fourth this year - and after working out - I didn't even want it anymore and I wasn't hungry. I wish someone could tell me what it is that makes me feel this way and how to make it stop - I'm working on it and absolutely putting exercise first to fight my hunger pains. If anyone else is feeling this way I would love to talk about it and see if we can figure this out together.

Roasted Butternut Squash "Fries"

2008-10-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare butternut squash; cut into 1/2-inch-wide sticks. On a baking sheet, combine squash with olive oil and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, and spread squash in a single layer. Roast until fork-tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
2.Sprinkle with lime juice and cilantro.

•Health perks: Butternut squash is an excellent source of vitamin A (beta carotene), which is said to have antioxidant properties. It's low in calories, and 1 cup provides 3 grams of fiber, half your daily requirement for vitamin C and a good dose of potassium, manganese, thiamin, vitamin B6, niacin and calcium.

•Nutrition: 1 cup (140 g) has 63 calories, 0.14 g fat, 16.4 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 1.5 g protein.

Working it this past weekend!

2008-10-20T15:26:00.000-07:00

By Nancy Patterson

Saturday's bootycamp was great - it started my weekend off perfectly. I worked out hard then had a healthy breakfast and went home and cleaned my house - every inch of it! I also did three loads of laundry and cooked healthy items for the week and put them in the freezer. I didn't slow down till 7:00 pm when I gave myself a treat - two Javier Bardem movies to watch ;-)

Sunday, my friend Emily and I got up and went for a bike ride - at first just to get coffee but before we knew it, we were at Goleta Beach! We just have so much more energy after having worked out for so long that now we can handle two to three hour hikes or bike rides on the weekends and it is soo much fun! It is the best way to get around in this town for sure and the workout is tremendous and I LOVE it! I always sleep like a baby afterwards '-)

Looking forward to bootycamp tomorrow at lunchtime and seeing the girls! It's the highlight of my week! ;-)

Mahi Mahi Tacos

2008-10-20T14:20:00.001-07:00

INGREDIENTS:
olive oil spray
sea salt to taste
10 oz of Mahi Mahi, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tbl Mrs. Dash Southwest chipotle seasoning blend
(or a blend of cayenne pepper, lemon pepper, and garlic powder)
4 tbl red taco sauce
4 tsp low-fat or reduced-fat mayonnaise
4 taco size corn tortillas
1 cup finely chredded cabbage
2-3 tbl chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup pico de gallo or salsa
4 lime wedges

INSTRUCTIONS:
Mist a small amount of the olive oil spray onto frying pan and place over medium heat.
Season fish pieces evenly with seasoning blend and sea salt, then transfer to hot pan. Cook fish turning occasionally for about 5-6 minutes, or until lightly browned and flake easily in center.
In a separate bowl, whisk taco sauce and mayonnaise until blended.
Remove fish from pan and cover to keep warm.
Warm tortillas in oven or on range and set aside.
Spread ¼ of taco sauce mixture onto each tortilla and add equal portions of the fish, cabbage, cilantro and salsa to each. Fold each tortilla in half to form taco and serve with lime wedge and avocado slices(optional).

288 Calories
4g Fat
30g Protein
34g carbs
4g Fiber

Here’s to another successful 8-week session…

2008-10-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

By Li-At Ruttenberg

Friday, Week 1

I’m so excited about this new 8-week session! It marks a year since I first joined BootyCampSB! Man, I can’t believe how quickly this year has passed by… and I can’t believe how much stronger I am! Thank you Stacey, Elizabeth, Heather, Jen, and all the other trainers that I’ve had the pleasure of working out with. Thank you for kicking my booty!!

Yesterday’s workout really started things off right. I even made it in time for the full warm-up for once! (Even after a full year, that’s still the hardest part of the class for me. Go figure.)

I’m always too tired (in a good way) from working out to remember what we did. But here’s some of what I remember: Stacey had us doing reverse lunges. And, to kick it up a notch, we could add “curtsey lunges.” We also did some cardio that included burpees… which I did all the way through for once (I guess I Am getting stronger J). We did bicycle crunches and that one exercise where we lay on our back, knees bent, and raise and lower our hips while squeezing our glutes. Arm work included rowing while seated and bicep curls.

I attended this BootyCampSB class instead of joining my friends at Intermezzo for dinner before a concert. The whole dinner/concert thing came up at the last minute. And I’m so proud of myself for choosing to skip the dinner and stick with my original plan to exercise. That’s Definitely something that’s changed in me!

I hope you, too, are able to gauge the physical strength and life changes that BootyCampSB has brought into your life. I’d love to hear any stories you ever want to share.

Here’s to another successful 8-week session…

Pushing through to see results

2008-10-20T10:25:00.000-07:00

By Nancy Patterson

BootyCamp Santa Barbara was chosen number one in Santa Barbara- YEAH!!!! Not suprising ;-) We do have the BEST bootycamp this town can offer with the best owner, Ms. Stacey and hands down the best instructors - we love all of you girls! Thanks for keeping us motivated, healthy and in shape!

We just started our new classes for this session and Heather Holt has already decided she needs to make our workouts harder, because as she says, if she doesn't change the routine and make it harder each session then we won't see any results. I know she is right but sometimes telling my body that, guess what, we're gonna do more of these and you will keep up and like it - is like pulling teeth. I am glad she pushes us though, it makes you feel soo good when the workout is over and you realize how hard you worked. I know everyone today was feeling the "change" in pace but we all kept up and the soreness tomorrow will remind us just how incredibly hard we worked out today ;-) We have a fabulous Tuesday and Thursday class at Alameda Park at noon and I hope that with the winter months approaching, more people will find time to make it to this class. It's awesome!!

Chilly Mornings

2008-10-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

By Natasha Duran

Tuesday 10/14/08

It's been a little chilly out there in the early morning. Sometimes I just want to hit the snooze button and stay in my warm bed! We almost didn't have a class today because it was just myself and one other girl but seeing as I dragged my butt out in the cold I was going to make sure I had a workout. There was times during the class when I thought I wasn't going to be able to finish but I pushed through and was glad when it was over ! :) Instead of our warm up laps around City College we jump roped for 5 minutes that sure got my blood running. We used these resistant belts that go around our waists and the person in the front runs while the other follows while adding on resistance, difficult in the sand but fun. We finished class today at City College with some sprints and stadiums. We also worked on abs. Good class today!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

2008-10-13T13:49:00.001-07:00

Bring in the Fall season with this yummy spin on a morning favorite!

INGREDIENTS:
¼ cup low-fat milk (or soy milk)
6 tbsp water
¼ cup old-fashioned oats
pinch cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
1/8 cup canned pumpkin, unsalted
1/8 cup sliced almonds
½ cup vanilla protein powder

DIRECTIONS:
In a small pot, bring milk and water to a boil over medium heat. Add oats, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the liquid is absorbed, stir in pumpkin, almonds, and some stevia or other sweetener to taste. (brown sugar is ok in very small amounts).
In a separate bowl, combine 1/8 cup water and protein powder. Mix with a fork,whisk or in a food processor until powder is dissolved. Pour over oatmeal. Serve.

Calories 232, total fat 8g, carbs 25g, fiber 4.5g, sugar 7g, protein 21g, sodium 54mg

Class Schedule Announcement- Canceled Class at Girsh Park

2008-10-13T12:33:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let you all know that the Monday night Parent/Child workout from 4:30-5:30pm and the Monday night BootyCampSB class from 5:30-6:30pm in Goleta at Girsh Park are Canceled effective today.
We apologize for any inconvenience. If you were planning to attend either of these classes, please come join our Monday night BootyCamp from 5:30-6:30pm in Santa Barbara at Alameda Park! The more the merrier!
Look forward to seeing you all tonight! :-)

Jen kicked my booty today!

2008-10-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

By Linda Blue

Oct. 9, 08
Jen kicked my butt today! Yeeewow! She is fast paced & so energetic! It was encouraging me to work harder. Thanks for the but whooping Jen!
:)

ADOBO-RUBBED PORK TENDERLOIN with BLACK BEAN PICO DE GALLO

2008-10-08T17:38:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:

For the pork:
• 6 tbsp paprika
• 2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 pinches cayenne pepper
• 24 oz pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut into 3- or 4-oz pieces
• ½ cup arugula, loosely packed

For the Pico de Gallo:• 2 cups black beans, cooked
• 4 medium tomatoes, diced
• ½ cup red onion, diced
• ½ cup green onion, chopped
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 tbsp jalapeno pepper, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp chili powder

INSTRUCTIONS:

For the pork:
Heat oven to 350ºF. Mix paprika, black pepper, salt, chili powder, brown sugar and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Rub
both sides of each piece of pork with spice mixture thoroughly. Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat
and pan-sear each piece of pork on both sides until golden brown. (Pan-searing seals in the meat’s juices.) Transfer
pan to oven until pork is completely done, about 6 to 8 minutes for each inch of thickness.

For the Pico de Gallo:
Combine all ingredients.
Garnish plates with arugula, add pork in equal portions and sprinkle ½
cup Pico de Gallo on top. Serve.

Serves 4

That Time of Year Again

2008-10-08T13:51:00.000-07:00

By Natasha Duran

It's that time of year, cold and flu season. Couldn't sleep last night, woke up not feeling well but wanted to try and make it to class. I stayed for the 1st half of class and felt that I had a great workout. We worked on abs, arms, and legs. I will try to get some rest and see if I can make it tomorrow. Lets all try to stay healthy!

Premenopause, exercising and hormones!

2008-10-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

By Nancy Patterson

I went to the doctor recently for my annual checkup and although she was very happy that I am taking such good care of myself and have dropped an enormous amount of weight, when my blood work came back it showed that I was premenopausal and my hormones are all out of whack - but then I could have told her that. It is not a good feeling and I knew I needed to do something about it and her suggestion was hormone replacement therapy or getting back on the birth control pill. I don't like taking pills of any kind but opted for the birth control pill and although it has helped with the mood swings I have also gained 8 pounds! I am not eating anymore than normal, in fact I am eating less and am exercising more but I still have excess weight on me and I can actually see where it is. It is very frustrating! So I have decided to up my exercise - it makes me feel better and I am hoping my own metabolism will work with me here and get rid of the excess birth control pill weight. We will see - I am going to weigh myself next month and see if I haven't lost all if not most of it - that's my goal.

Next week we start a new bootycamp and I have started the walking class with Conditioning Specialists. Very fun and another form of exercise I am doing during the week on my lunch hour - lots of great hills downtown to tackle. It's gonna be a great health building fall and winter!

I keep comin' back!

2008-10-07T18:57:00.000-07:00

By Linda Blue

WOOHOO! Another great workout from Stacey on Friday! I love it! Every single time it is always different & that why I keep comin' back for more :) I love the variety & the butt workouts are always recommended!

Another great week from BootyCampSB!

2008-10-07T18:47:00.000-07:00

By Kandace Mortensen

Another great week from BootyCampSB! I attended only two sessions with BootyCampSB's fabulous trainers yet I feel like I've spent a whole week in the gym. With all of the nonsense circling around that other bootcamps aren't paying their dues to the Parks and Recreation Department, it makes me even more confident that I have chosen the right camp! Like BootyCampSB, I too am following the rules. I make sure to follow Stacey's advice of getting enough protein and carbs to keep my body going. With a nice workout in the morning and snacks between my rich in nutrient meals, I have energy and confidence throughout the day. Thanks again BootyCampSB!

My arms... My shoulders... My glutes? I woke up this morning almost forgetting that I worked my upper body on just two days ago. But no, as I rolled over in bed to the sound of rain, I suddenly found an indiscrete yet powerful soreness from my shoulders and triceps. While Camping at Alameda Park on Thursday afternoon, I was a bit disappointed, feeling as though my workout was subpar given that there was little cardio and I left with a substantial amount of energy compared to other days. Today, I have a very different impression. I may not have had an increased heart rate throughout the entire session, but I definitely came home with a weekend surprise in store. The moral of the day, don't underestimate your trainers or it will come back to bite you in the gluteus!

Feelin’ GREAT!

2008-10-07T18:15:00.000-07:00

Sep 18, 2008 9:30 AM
By Paula Marie Michal

I just finished the 9:00 am Saturday class with Jen and I feel great! I first met Jen when she interned under Stacey. She was always so upbeat, engaging and helpful. Now she’s an instructor, and I have to say that this class was one of my favorite. Jen incorporated all of the principles developed by Stacey that make BootyCamp SB so unique. I was also pleased to see a co-worker of mine in the class.
After loading some great toons on the boom box, Jen took us through a full BootyCamp style workout, carefully weaving cardio with strength training, core exercises and flexibility moves. What I appreciated most from the workout besides the requisite “burn”, was Jen’s focus and ability to offer us campers 3 levels of intensity for each exercise we did. Everyone was able to do the exercises at their own level, get the benefits regardless of that level and without any embarrassment. Jen was careful to fully demonstrate each level so everyone could imitate the proper form without risk of injury.
BootyCamp is an intense workout-I won’t deny that, but it’s also SO MUCH FUN! The time passes by quickly and you always meet new friends; and sometimes you may even run into a co-worker or two!
Thanks for a great class, Jen!

Week five... a little bit of everything

2008-10-07T18:14:00.000-07:00

Sep 18, 2008 9:30 AM
By Carolyn Baham

Today – I was excited to try the new Tuesday at noon class. I am in no way a morning person, so having this option was kind of exciting for me. It was weird not seeing the same faces, but the camaraderie of the group was the same - everyone was super friendly and worked hard. Again, Stacey found new tortures, I mean excercises ... this time in the form of “dead lifts” and “kickbacks.” I can tell that my hamstrings are going to burn tomorrow! I like that a different body part feels tight each week. I think it shows that not only am I getting results, but I’m getting a good “all-over” exercise regimen. Rather than just focusing on a thousand squats, lunges, and pushups – we do a little of everything. That way, I feel like we are using a variety of muscle groups and developing better all-over body strengthening and toning. I can tell you that not a single one of my muscles feels ignored by this workout at this point!

Week Four... Seeing results!

2008-10-07T18:13:00.000-07:00

Sep 18, 2008 9:16 AM
By Carolyn Baham

OK – so the first two weeks of Booty Camp can only be defined by “feeling” the results of the workout. You feel good pain, but still pain... walking, sitting, standing, whatever all seem like chores. The third week I started to feel stronger with less pain, and now this week... I’m actually “seeing” results! Don’t get me wrong, Stacey and Heather (and I’m sure the other wonderful instructors) still find new and exciting ways to make me feel muscles I didn’t know were so out of shape. This week it was my shoulders and chest! Heather made us do what felt like 100 “Indian pushups.” Beware of these... I went to go buy birthday cards later and I could barely lift my arms to grab cards off the rack! Haha! Still – the lunges, squats, and cardio – all things that KILLED me before – are getting easier and easier to get through. Mind you – I’m not getting crazy by upping the difficulty on the resistance bands or anything for my arms yet, but still my arms are looking more toned! My core feels tighter, and my thighs and butt are firming up. This is pretty cool!

The next workout day... I wasn’t feeling especially motivated, but once I got to class... the women there are just so fun it helps the hour fly by! Whether you want to interact with anyone or just keep your head down and do your workout – the other women will eventually just make you laugh! Whether it’s them whooping it up to get energy going or just hearing someone else moan and groan just as I’m thinking it, I can’t help but feel like we’re all in it together. They share their aches and pains and I can relate because I’ve been there too! This is a big change for me who was/is a “cardio machine at the gym”
workout person – ipod and all – no interacting while working out. Now the workout goes by faster because it’s more enjoyable to listen to what the ladies’ weekend plans are, or whatever, rather than focus on the new pain I have this week.

A great workout for all fitness levels!

2008-10-07T18:12:00.000-07:00

Sep 18, 2008 9:10 AM
By Nancy Patterson

Today my friend Sue Steele came to our noon bootycamp class. It was Sue's first time and I was hoping she would like the class. Sue is an avid athlete - she works out daily and has for the last 30 years so I really didn't know if booty would be challenging enough for someone who is in that good of shape. I was suprised when right when we started to warm up, Sue, like me, was a little winded. Then as we progressed to the harder circuits Sue kept up but was feeling pretty tired towards the end. She was sweating and drinking all of her water down and it was obvious she had a good workout. On our way back to her car I asked her how she liked it and she loved the class! She liked our group (we have a great group of girls!), she enjoyed the exercises and definitely thought she got a great workout and she LOVED working out in the park. I think we have another bootycamper hooked after just one class.

I don't know many people, beginners or full on athletes that don't enjoy this class -it has so much to offer any person at any level in their exercise regime. I get a good workout every single time I go - and that is what keeps me coming back - knowing how good I feel when I'm done and how strong I feel after every class. It's pretty amazing!

A Family Affair

2008-10-07T18:10:00.000-07:00

Sept 16, 2008 1:12 PM
By Stephanie Scott

My mom was in town this past weekend to do some wedding planning, and I decided we needed a work-out to control some of the anxiety from all the prenuptial organizing. I brought my mom this past Saturday to her first booty camp, EVER. Because she is in great shape already, I was surprised to hear that she was skeptical about the class. As we walked in, she laughed and proclaimed that she was the oldest woman by about 20+ years, and that this maybe is not the class for her…especially when she found out there would be cardio portions – her arch-nemesis. I reminded her about the "time-not-repetition" motto and encouraged her to stay with it.

Of course she did well and flew through the workout. The instructor, Jennifer Saukko told us that we, "just jam during the work-outs," which my mom was quite pleased to hear. My mom is a great exemplar for encouraging women of all ages, body types, and different work-out preferences to come try Booty Camp at least once. It's a great way to jumpstart your fitness, or maintain your health, or even try a different way of working out. Which ever reason you come for, you will be sure to have a great time while sweating off excess body fat.

CAJUN SHRIMP STIRFRY

2008-10-07T18:07:00.000-07:00

Sept 16, 2008 10:07 AM
from BootyCampSB:Women's Fitness Santa Barbara by Stacey Cooper

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tbsp Cajun spice seasoning
• 2 tsp canola oil, divided
• 2 green peppers, seeded, inner ribs removed
and cut into strips
• 2 red peppers, seeded, inner ribs removed
and cut into strips
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Hot sauce to taste
• 2 cups cooked brown rice

INSTRUCTIONS:

Toss shrimp with Cajun spice seasoning and set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet and and sauté peppers
for six mintues over medium-high heat. Turn heat down and add minced garlic, stirring constantly so that garlic
doesn’t burn. Remove peppers and garlic from pan, wipe pan out with paper towel.
Return the pan to medium-high heat, add heat to remaining tsp of oil. Add shrimp and cook approximately 3
minutes, stirring frequently. Add wine, lemon juice, peppers and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Season with
hot sauce; serve each portion over ½ cup cooked brown rice.

NUTRIENTS PER SERVING:

CALORIES: 26
FAT: 3.8 g
CARB: 6.5 g
PROTEIN: 18 g

Serves 4

what bootycamp is for me....

2008-10-07T18:06:00.000-07:00

Sep 16, 2008 10:07 AM
By Nancy Patterson

1st week of lunch booty - I LOVE our lunch booty class! All of the women are fairly new at booty camp and they remind me of me ALOT when I first started - determined but happily complaining - (they're hilarious!) about what they are being asked to do. The first week is absolutely the hardest - it's the beginning. You sometimes just cannot even believe she wants you to do ONE MORE SET - you really think you're gonna die - I remember feeling that way and so I know what they are going through but this morning Julie, one of the newbies, came in and she said she felt better already and she had a healthy breakfast in hand! That is a huge accomplishement for Ju. That is actually what this is all about to me - you start a class that you know will be challenging - you're scared because you don't know what will be asked of you, if you can handle it, if you'll be embarrassed by not being able to keep up and if you'll have the stamina to see it through eight weeks - all of which you STILL have the courage to make the first move and sign up for the class. Then, you start the class and YES it is as hard if not worse than you expected but you STILL stay the hour, sweat, laugh and moan and already, after your first week, the drive has started- you already feel like you have accomplished something huge - and YOU HAVE! You feel stronger and all of a sudden you want to eat better and you're even looking forward to next week's class - THAT is what Bootycamp for me is all about - I always look forward to the next class because I am constantly seeing results - and just getting stronger and more fit. I hope all of you girls will start to feel this way - I believe Ms. Julie already has ;-)

Feelin' the Booty

2008-10-07T18:04:00.000-07:00

Sep 16, 2008 9:18 AM
By Linda Blue

Friday, Sept. 5th
Thank you Stacey for the GREAT butt workout! My arse was sore til Monday! Loved it! Let's do it again real soon :)

Thursday, Sept 11th
Love the variety of your workouts! Just when I think I've done all your moves, I'm wrong! All new stuff tonight, which is what I love most...I don't ever get bored. I even liked how you made my butt hurt during class! Usually I don't feel the soreness until the next day. Yeeyouchy :) Another great workout! Thanks Stacey :)

New Attitude!

2008-10-07T18:02:00.000-07:00

Sep 16, 2008 9:18 AM
By Kandie Mortensen

September 10, 2008, Alameda Park

Generally my day looks like this- I struggle to wake up, eventually get to work, requiring some sort of caffeine and carbs early on just to get through the day. After work, consider hitting up the gym (decide against), maybe happy hour, maybe grab some dinner, etc. etc. whatever, time for bed. Image me reading the previous blurb is a monotone voice, bored out of my mind.
This is my third week of BootyCamp and I'm beginning to notice a very peculiar trend occurring. My day is evolving into something very different. I've been waking up (on my own). I'm very thankful to wake up just a few minutes before my annoying loud and obnoxious alarm clock. Have a nutritious breakfast, see what's new on the news, and off to BootyCamp. Including an hour long structured work-out in the morning is drastically increasing my energy levels throughout the day! Sure, at first it was difficult, but I'm getting used to it and it's completely changing my attitude about starting the day. I'm finding myself snacking on protein bars, fruits, vegetables, and lots of water between meals (notice no caffeine, sorry Starbucks!) I no longer feel the need for an afternoon nap and I'm attributing this extraordinarily wonderful boost of energy to my early morning BootyCamp, yippee!

Lunchtime BootyCamp! Did I say I love this class?

2008-10-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

Sep 16, 2008 9:10 AM
By Nancy Patterson

After months of hoping and praying we now have a noon booty camp class at Alameda Park!!! I am so darn excited I could just die, kiss a toad, something!

I must say I was a little nervous yesterday when I got to the park - and I was running late myself - and I look around and I didn't see anyone but Stacey and Cassie. I thought for sure everyone who had said they wanted this class decided - nah - I don't really want this and then decided to blow it off. But, within minutes, here come all of these women with their mats and water but more importantly, smiles from all directions and it was like a mini workout party! Everyone was excited and we all worked hard. Stacey kept the workout consistent but even toned so that everyone got a great workout without feeling left out or that they couldn't keep up. Alot of the girls were going into torture mode - hooting and hollering which was hilarious - but the best comment was when one girl, at the end of the hour, said something along the lines of "I gave birth three times and I have never worked this hard or felt this much pain!" I don't know about birthing no babies, but she is right - she'll never work that hard, feel pain and enjoy her body more than she will after she sticks with this class for the next eight weeks and hopefully alot longer. Did I say I love this class?

She Doesn’t Do Perky!

2008-10-07T17:59:00.000-07:00

Sep 16, 2008 9:10 AM
By Paula Michal

She didn’t have music playing and she doesn’t do perky (her own words), but what Elizabeth did offer to all of us “early birds” on Monday morning was a kick-a** workout!!! It may take me a while to get to her advanced class, but I have hope. One of the things that keeps Booty Camp interesting is the variety of styles amongst the different instructors. I have to admit, I was not in very good spirits on Monday morning and could have used a little “perky”, but what I found was that the class gave me just what I needed to push myself forward. I was able to re-direct my bratty attitude into working just a little bit harder than I wanted to and as a result, I got a great workout. I guess that some days a little bit of sass and a little less perky is all a gal needs!!! Thanks, Elizabeth. You ROCK!

Hurts so good!

2008-10-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

Sep 16, 2008 8:58 AM
By Kandie Mortensen

September 4th Alameda Park

Stacey's 5:30pm class was a great way to get back to exercising after the extra long Labor Day weekend. After accidently sleeping through my alarm for the morning class, it was nice to be able to slip into a later class to make it up! Not surprisingly, this class was once again filled with upbeat and fun ladies, which helped me to get through those darn lunges, high knees, and crunches. With a significant area reserved for just our group, the park was still a very comfortable place to work out, some people out in about, but no one awkwardly lurking around like at the gym. Having the comradely of the other girls around made the time go by fast and I was thankful to have my week back on track.
The next morning I woke up with my lower stomach, shoulders, and chest singing in unison to Stacey, "What have you done to meeee?!" It felt great! You know that pain that hurts good; well I had it all thanks to BootyCamp.

September 5th Alameda Park

Today I was introduced to the devil himself, ankle bands. My thighs, quads, and butt haven't burned like that since... well, ever! During Stacey's 9:30am class at Alameda Park, I decided to go at my own pace, following the beginners Level for the upper body exercises and attempting the more advanced exercises for all lower body work. After class, I felt great, as I started my Friday afternoon with high energy and knowing that I'd already burned off the cocktail I would have with dinner!
Saturday morning, I rolled over with the intention to attend BootyCamp on Saturday for a little early-morning-cardio. To my surprise, my thighs, quads, and butt quickly commanded, "No!" as I realized resistance training would have to wait till my legs recovered from the day prior. Instead, I enjoyed a light walk on State Street and a bath.

Week 3, Day One

2008-10-07T17:57:00.000-07:00

Sep 16, 2008 8:45 AM
By Carolyn Shepard Baham

Week 3, Day One

After lagging last week and a long three-day weekend consisting of endless barbecues, I was ready to go this week and work off all the food I pigged out on. Also, I was curious to see if the workout would be harder again because I slacked off the week before. Luckily, it wasn’t. Actually, I was surprised to notice that it seemed easier. Not that Stacey was being easier on us, but my body was getting stronger. The cardio didn’t seem so bad. The arm work wasn’t as much of a struggle (I actually considered using a harder resistance band, but I didn’t want to get too crazy!). The energy of the group was really fun too. It’s starting to feel like I’m working out with just a bunch of girlfriends – even though I don’t know anybody in the group. People start to look familiar, everybody is friendly, and Stacey keeps the tone light and fun (even while making us use things she has aptly named “torture” bands). Even after the workout I was noticing little changes in my strength, like things that seemed heavy before felt lighter, taking steps two at a time up the stairs is easier, and I just feel stronger in general. Even though it’s only been three weeks, it feels like a far cry from after my first day when just walking up stairs was a struggle!

Week 3, Day Two.... Seeing Results!

2008-10-07T17:56:00.000-07:00

Sep 16, 2008 8:45 AM
By Carolyn Shepard Baham

Week 3, Day Two

Going to Booty Camp today, I noticed that each week has had a different effect on my body as it adjusts to the circuit training. The first week, it was my legs. The cardio, squats, and lunges really worked me and made walking and standing/sitting a chore. After that week though, my legs feel tight after working out, but not that much pain. The second week – it was my arms. Lifting a pencil seemed like a workout, but now the pushups and bicep curls are getting easier. This week – it’s my abs. I don’t remember doing that many abs the other day, but holy cow, we must have done something because they are tight. The workout today again was not as difficult to me as it used to be, and it was fun. Every time I think I know what to “expect,” Stacey throws out new exercises which helps to keep things refreshing which is good for me because I get bored easily. I’m also actually kind of starting to see differences in my body. While doing plie lunges – I actually had some definition in my quad muscle! Where did that come from? Every little change helps to keep me excited to push myself and keep going. I wonder where I’ll be at the end of the eight weeks?

BootyCamp SB Last Camp Winner: Debbie Wessel!

2008-10-07T17:52:00.000-07:00

Sep 6, 2008 9:24 AM
By Stacey Cooper

Debbie Wessel is the official winner of the last camp. She lost an amazing 7.25% body fat!!! Debbie writes:

"BootyCampSB is challenging to the body and fun for the soul. The instructors are all very supportive and professional as well as skilled at changing the routines so they never become routine. As a community, we are fortunate to have Stacey and her team dedicated to making fitness a way of life. Bootycamp does a body good!"

All of us at BootyCampSB are proud of all your hard work and your commitment to BootyCampSB Debbie! You put forth such great effort and achieved fantastic results!

Three cheers for Debbie!

Booty-ing at lunch

2008-10-07T17:50:00.000-07:00

Sep 6, 2008 9:24 AM
By Nancy Patterson

BootyCamp Experience

Well, if you didn't already know, I love bootycamp so when Stacey said if she could get enough people interested in a lunch bootycamp, dowtown at Alameda Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays, that she would teach those classes. Well, I was so excited I called everybody and I think we just may have enough people to do this class!! I am soo excited! It's so convenient if you work downtown, you can get this fabulous workout in during the middle of the day which give you oodles of energy the rest of the day AND you still have your evenings free! It is just a win-win! Sooo ladies, if any of you are considering joining and you work downtown this is the PERFECT class for you! One hour, full body workout - definite results! Come try it - tell Stacey Nancy sent you! ;-)

Have a great weekend and see everyone at BootyCampSB tomorrow morning!

After the holiday blog

2008-10-07T17:45:00.000-07:00

Sep 6, 2008 9:24 AM
By Nancy Patterson

BootyCamp Experience

OK so I blame most of my overeating on hormones - and I did eat whatever was in front of me on Friday and Saturday - a tri tip sandwich, a chocolate chip cookie, among some other things but I was helping someone move and didnt' really get to pick my meals - I was just happy when they showed up. I do believe hormones contribute quite a bit to this way of eating though, especially since I am in the pre menapausal age and at times the swings are pretty big and my flashing days (although I thought I had those behind me in college!) are about to begin. This weekend I made sure to do booty camp on Thursday night knowing that I would be busy Saturday helping my friend move. Booty camp was really good on Thursday - I felt rejuventated and strong. We did alot of upper body and glute work - my buns were burning and when we were done I felt ready to head over to my girlfriends house to start hauling boxes downstairs for the next two days. If you have ever moved (I've moved 22 times in my life) you know how much work it is physically and I was on fire -and I know it is because of my strength training in booty camp. I could pick up any box - I went up and down the stairs with ease and even though I have a hurt ankle I did not hurt myself even once. By Saturday night I was completely exhausted and took Sunday off by doing an urban hike around my neighborhood but then was back at booty camp yesterday for a VERY FUN morning workout. I do not get the luxury of working out at a decent time in the mornings (decent is anything after 9:00 for me) so yesterday was a real treat - and to have Stacey and Heather there was the best! They work really well together and both have so much energy you just keep up. Huge class - everyone worked hard and it made the bbq for Labor Day even more enjoyable because I didn't feel guilty for eating a bite of dessert. I love booty camp - now if we can just get a noon class going downtown - I'd be in Heaven!!

Bring It!

2008-10-07T17:41:00.000-07:00

Sep 6, 2008 9:08 AM
By Linda B

BootyCamp Experience

August 30, 2008
Ouchy! Jen kicked my butt! My glutes to be quite specific. She got me with her shuffle shuffle squats! Then her push ups & the abs & high knees! All of it was great :) My butt was sore! And I like it :)

September 1, 2008
Ok Stacey. You got the other parts that weren't sore yet! My inner thighs got it good when you had us do the squats across the grass with our toes turned out! Walking today, is reminding me of your toe-out torture routine :) and I like it! What else you got?! Oh yeah. The tricep push-ups also were grueling! Bring it!

BootyCamp Experience-Ready for the Weekend!

2008-10-07T17:39:00.000-07:00

Sep 1, 2008 4:09 PM
By Li-At Ruttenberg

Subject: 10 a.m., Friday

Oooh, I think my glutes are now feeling the full effect of this morning’s BootyCamp SB class. Which is even more cruel than it sounds on the surface because I wasn’t feeling it during class and probably put in an extra effort into working those muscles. Well, they definitely feel worked. And now I’ll be reminded of this workout whenever I get up to walk, or shift in my chair J

But this is good pain! And it’s just serving to remind me of the hard work I put in this morning. And you know what? I can go out and enjoy my Friday evening, and maybe even dance a bit (glute-muscles willing), knowing I’ve already put in the hard work!

BootyCamp Experience-Back into the Swing of Things!

2008-10-07T17:37:00.000-07:00

Sep 1, 2008 4:09 PM
By Paula Michal

Back to the Future!

Today marked my first day back at BootyCampSB after a lengthy hiatus and boy did it feel GREAT to be home!

Not that being up with the bugs at 6 am is particularly exciting or getting tangled up in the bands because I was not quite awake thrills me; I felt at home because I was AGAIN greeted with a warm smile from Heather and many others and because my body seemed to just pick up where it had been left off so many months ago.

Don’t get me wrong, I know for sure that I’m going to be feeling those AB crunches and my booty’s gonna to be on fire from all those squats, but at my age (49), it certainly beats the alternative. Yes, I’m a firm believer in that “Any Day Above Ground is a Good One”, so I’m hoping that a little sweat equity at Booty Camp will help keep me on the planet for at least another 49 more years!

One of the best parts of the hour was Heather’s killer music track of classic 80’s songs. I’d put her mix up against the hottest DJs in LA anytime! I felt like I was 23 again and rocking out to Billy Idol or the Flash Dance soundtrack like I did in my Jane Fonda aerobic classes in 1984. Hearing the music and feeling the energy from the class really motivated me to do my best. The beauty of Booty Camp is that everyone works towards their own goals and at their own level, but everyone gets a great workout.

Well, I’ll sign off for now. I think I hear the hot tub calling…

Good Morning Santa Barbara

2008-10-07T17:36:00.000-07:00

Sep 1, 2008 4:09 PM
By Kandace Mortensen

BootyCamp Experience- Camper in Training
August 27, 2008

"Good morning Santa Barbara.." is what I sarcastically muttered under my breath as I was forced to leave my warm bed (and boyfriend) in the dark, this 5:45am. After finding a seemingly matching outfit and multitasking while attempting to drive down Cliff Drive and eating my low fat yogurt, I arrived to Alameda park. Here, I was joined with nearly a dozen girls, perhaps feeling the same way… (?) Heather warmly welcomed everyone and promptly began a set of stretches and eye-opening lunge sequences. After a few heart-rate rising cardiovascular exercises, volume increase of Billy Joel, and encouraging words, I was enjoying myself as I watched the sun rise above me. On the other hand, I found myself confused at times about what the heck I was doing, but before I had the chance to ask, Heather would be at my side, assisting me with the correct technique. It was a continual reminder of the one-on-one personal training sessions I used to pay $60 an hour for at the gym! After attending the Advanced Class the previous morning, I was pleased with the multi-level optional techniques Heather presented. I felt completely comfortable throughout the hour and was impressed with the friendly and welcoming ladies on each side of me.

My favorite part this morning, sprinting to the good 'ole 80's tunes!

Wow!

2008-10-07T17:34:00.000-07:00

Sep 1, 2008 4:03 PM
By Kandace Mortensen

BootyCampSB Experience
August 26, 2008

I thought I was in shape until I attended Elizabeth's Advanced Class at Shoreline Beach. I've had a trainer in the past and I regularly.. (okay, not regularly), go to the gym and make my best attempt to have a well-rounded and nutritious diet. My first 6am group training session was intoxicatingly difficult. By "difficult", I mean that I absolutely loved the workout! Elizabeth did a phenomenal job ensuring that each individual in the class was encouraged to reach their highest potential with each heart-pounding exercise. I have to admit that her sporadic, "You're not done Kandie!" encouragements allowed for little laziness on my part. On the other hand, health and safety remained number one as several people (including myself!) were allowed to comfortably rest throughout the 50 hour with necessary. My first experience waking up at 5:30 to sweat was surprisingly awesome and I look forward to attending the Alameda group training tomorrow!

One word to describe BootyCampSB at the beach- wow!

Starting the week off right

2008-10-07T17:32:00.000-07:00

Sep 1, 2008 4:03 PM
By Nancy Patterson

Starting the week off right

Monday we did bootycamp at Alameda Park and Heather Holt taught. Heather is adorable, fit and a great bootycamp instructor. We did four interval sets of three different exercise groups in an hour and it went by soo fast! I was sweating and had my heart rate up most of the hour and it started my week off great! I love when I get a great workout on Monday - it just gets me ready for the rest of the week - and it brings the stress of working down and really helps my mindset. So many co-workers and friends of mine work in stressful jobs, they sit most of the day and they can't seem to break away from their habit of going home after work instead of getting some exercise after work. I understand, I was that person for 15 years or more - I just didn't make the time and even convinced myself I didn't have the time to work out because I am one busy person and can fill my calendar up very well and well, I'd rather go out to eat or to happy hour than to exercise. It is a viscious cycle that is hard to break but once I broke it I can't tell you how much better I felt and feel. I don't have to go inside to a gym - instead we are outside with all women who all exercise at different paces and I just blend in. It is for only one hour and you would not believe how fast it goes by and by the time you are done - you feel great! You know you have had a great workout, you don't want that fattening meal or cocktail anymore and you know you will sleep well because you're probably tired! It's truly the best part of my day.

Exercise, and especially the BootyCampSB workout, I realize, makes the difference between me sleeping well, thinking straight, feeling good and eating right. It all works together. Each one makes you want to do the other but it all starts with the exercise. Here's hoping you can break your bad habits and engage in a good one- bootycamp is a great habit to try ;-)

BootyCamp Experience

2008-10-07T17:29:00.000-07:00

Sep 1, 2008 4:03 PM
By Linda B

Great workout by Stacey this morning! She kicked my butt just the way I like it....hard! I felt in all kinds of places, but especially my glutes, shoulders, hamstrings & abs :) Can't wait to see how I feel tomorrow!

:)

What happens when you miss booty camp

2008-10-07T17:27:00.000-07:00

Aug 25, 2008 8:05 PM
By Nancy Patterson

BootyCamp Experience
What happens when you miss booty camp

This weekend was busy and I was out of town so I did not get my bootycamp fix on Saturday and I FEEL it! Because of the challenge and bootycamp weekly I really notice when I miss one of my workouts. I drove to San Clemente, then Pasadena and finally Long Beach this weekend and my body was not happy about sitting and not exercising. I actually jogged on the beach Saturday and hiked on Sunday but I still did not get near the workout I get with my bootycamp class. It's all of the different groups that we hit in class that make the difference for me. Cardio, abs, biceps, triceps, squats, strength training - you get it all and it's the best all around workout I have ever come across. Needless to say - I can't wait for class tonight! I am actually hurting from NOT going to booty camp -

See ya'll there!!

Baby Steps: nutritional goals

2008-10-07T17:24:00.000-07:00

Aug 25, 2008 8:05 PM
By Li-At Ruttenberg

BootyCamp Experience- Camper in Training
Nutrition Tips

Wednesday, August 20

I love that, along with kicking our booty, Stacey meets with us and gives us concrete nutrition information. No other exercise class that I’m aware of has this component (Thank you, Stacey!).

Even though I’ve come to Stacey’s nutrition class in previous BootyCampSB sessions, I still came to this one because I always learn something new… something that helps reinforce the nutrition habits I’m striving towards. This time, I walked away with the protein message in my head: women don’t usually eat enough protein, so we should always be finding ways to consume more of that (aim for 60-80 grams a day). And we should always have protein in combination with carbs. Our bodies process it better that way.

My goals are modest: I strive for baby steps. But I know I’m improving in my food choices, and I know that directly translates to my having more energy in my BootyCamp workouts and in my day in general.

Amen!

2008-10-07T17:22:00.000-07:00

Aug 25, 2008 8:05 PM
By Li-At Ruttenberg

BootyCamp Experience- Camper in Training
Tuesday, August 19.

The first time I came to a BootyCampSB class (in October, 2007), I could hardly hang with any of it… which is exactly why I kept coming. I knew how out-of-shape I was, but this class had really proved it. I am happy to report that I am Tons better now! That first 8-week series was soo tough. I felt like such an out-of-shape, pathetic, wimp. But here’s what I quickly learned: none of the women around me cared that I was so pathetic. Actually, none of those women thought that way of me. They all focused on where they’d been and where they wanted to be, and they were genuinely rooting for me to just stick with it and do whatever I could that day. They knew the secret: the more I do this, no matter how little I could actually do at the time, the stronger I’ll get!

And you know what happened? I lost over 4% of my body fat in just those first 8 weeks! I didn’t change how I was eating, I just BootyCamped 3 times a week. And I just did whatever I could… as ungracefully and uncoordinated as I could. And I did as many reps as I could, and rarely did all that the other ladies in class were able to accomplish.

But I have often thought back to those days and have been motivated by them. It didn’t matter that I couldn’t do all the exercises, or that I couldn’t hang with all the repetitions. Or that I could at most do two (slow) sprints when everyone was doing three. It paid off! My health improved with this body-fat loss, and my strength improved!

There are still plenty of times in class that I feel like a wimp (today I just couldn’t sprint as fast as I usually can). But I catch moments all the time… moments in which I can tangibly compare myself to where I was back in October. Today it was the bicycle crunches. Those and the jumping jacks. Heather Robbins was right: I did have it in me today to do those dang jumping jacks J

So if you’re new and you are considering backing out because you felt like you were gonna die, I challenge you to stick with it. We all know you can do it! And it’s just so much fun (okay, you may have to take my word on that part for now). And if you’ve been doing this for a while… you go, girl! And can I get an “Amen?”

BootyCamp Experience- Camper in Training

2008-10-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

Aug 25, 2008 8:05 PM
By Li-At Ruttenberg

In our last Saturday BootyCampSB class at Shoreline Park, a cute little girl in pink stopped by—mesmerized. She must have been 2 years old; 3 at the most. The ladies in class lifted our arms to do shoulder work (first lifting straight ahead and then lifting to the sides), and the cute little girl in pink lifted her arms too! We sat down to do crunches, and little girl in pink sat down to do them too! She was so very cute! And she refused to budge. Or, rather, she insisted on doing BootyCampSB! [I’m not sure what her name is, but in my head, she is Gigi, our BootyCampSB mascot. (Jen had gone over to talk with the mother, and that’s the name I heard Jen tell us when she came back.)] Gigi hung out for a long time and followed, in her own way, everything that we did. When it was finally time for her to go, she stalled by throwing down her pail so that her mother would have to go over and pick it up. Once her mother did that, Gigi threw down her pacifier. And then she got back to booty-camping. She was soooo cute. And she had us electrified. I mean, we were all so motivated to keep doing our exercises and have Gigi mimic us. And we would applaud her. It made for such a fun morning.

And once Gigi left, Lynn and I were able to focus on the 80’s music again and play music trivia. Our challenge for the day was to not break out into dancing instead of the assigned cardio. And we had fun trying to figure out who sang the obscure blast-from-the-past music. In short, it was another wonderful morning in outdoors Santa Barbara… hanging out with cool women while getting our booties whipped into shape. I can’t think of a more fun way to sneak in all those squats, lunges, and crunches!

Day One...

2008-10-07T17:16:00.000-07:00

Aug 22, 2008 11:16 AM
By Carolyn Shepard Baham

Being stuck in a workout rut with my three days a week on the elliptical machine at the gym, I was kind of nervous as I walked up to the Booty Camp group for the first time this week. I didn’t know exactly what to expect and wondered, “What am I getting myself into? Is it going to be too easy for me? Or maybe too hard for me?!” Well, as I walked up – Heather, the instructor, was extremely welcoming, and the other ladies were chatty and made me feel comfortable right away.

Once we got in to it... the workout was great! It was challenging and adaptable to any level of fitness (thank goodness!). Some parts I absolutely loved - I could really feel the lunges, duckwalks, and squats working my legs, hips, and booty. The arm workout was tough since upper body strength is my weakness, but I liked using the resistance bands for the arm workout so I could adjust the workout to my own ability. I absolutely hate running though, and while the cardio sprints weren’t that bad, toward the end of them – I’m not gonna lie – I felt like I might want to puke a little (but in a good way! haha). The pace overall was quick and kept me from getting bored, and Heather was extremely supportive and motivating, giving everyone personal attention where they needed it. I also liked that it incorporated a little of everything: strength training, a little pilates, a little yoga, and good old-fashioned cardio.

The hour went by pretty quickly and once it was over, I felt like I had gotten an hour of a personal training workout. I felt energized and strong, but I could also tell that I was going to definitely feel it tomorrow!

BootyCamp Experience-Beach Booty Workout

2008-10-07T16:55:00.000-07:00

Aug 22, 2008 11:16 AM
By Stephanie F. Scott

Unclogging the Drain

With a new townhouse, baby puppy, a new fiancée, law school starting, planning a wedding and a full-time job – not to mention trying to get in shape for the wedding – I can usually only find solitude once a day. I have learned to cherish this alone time – my daily shower. As I enjoyed my alone time this morning after my first Beach Advanced Class, I racked my brain over what I wanted to share with everyone.

Would it be:

1) The massive amounts of sand that I poured into the shower after I returned from Booty Camp, thus clogging the shower;

2) Or, the fact that my once collegiate athlete body has been lacking fitness, which became clearly evident this morning;

3) Or, my overwhelming desire to get in shape for my wedding;

But no, the thing that I couldn't resist thinking about was the support system and motivation that Booty Camp offers you. As Heather Robbins and I struggled to affix ourselves to the death contraption bungee, I could hear and feel the support from Elizabeth, the instructor, and all the other 6am-ers.

I was recently extremely disillusioned with working out, which is extremely unlike me. But with everything that I have going right now, overexerting myself each day has been the last thing I want to do. But once I got home this morning, all I wanted was to make myself a protein shake and some turkey bacon. Working out gives me a jump-start to my day. Once I begin my day with an intense workout, I feel more productive and better about my body. I want to eat right and stay fit.

We can all get caught up in our lives, but we shouldn't lose sight of what is the most important, ourselves. As I was unclogging the drain from sand, I realized that I needed to unclog my own mind from the stress of daily life and be happy that I have my health, my happiness, and pretty soon, a hot body for my wedding!

BootyCamp Camper Experience-Maintaining a Love for Fitness!

2008-10-07T16:52:00.000-07:00

Aug 21, 2008 12:03 PM
By Nancy K. Patterson

My name is Nancy Patterson and I was the lucky recipient and winner of the first Conditioning Specialist Lifestyle Transformation Challenge. I lost 25 and 1/2 pounds in three months and 11 inches off my waist - and I feel fabulous! Once the challenge was over, I quickly learned that I needed an exercise outlet to keep the pounds off and Stacey Cooper's BootyCampSB was and is the perfect exercise outlet I need to maintain and define even more the results that I achieved during the challenge. I love BootyCamp! The classes are intense and challenging, the instructors are all licensed and knowledgeable, you burn more calories than you ever would going to the gym on your own and we exercise outside in gorgeous Santa Barbara! I have continued to lose weight and inches and I am on schedule with my weight loss goals and BootyCamp is getting me there and keeping my weight off. This is my second, eight week session camp and I am excited and can't wait to see my final results! If you would like to know more about the actual classes, feel free to ask me by blogging or call me at 403-9203. You will be happy you signed up!

Nancy K. Patterson
Paralegal - Reicker Pfau Pyle & McRoy

BootyCamp Camper Experience-Early Riser!

2008-10-07T16:48:00.000-07:00

Aug 21, 2008 11:43 AM
By Stephanie F. Scott

Those who want to push themselves in a non-stop intense cardio-vascular and muscle strengthening challenge should be no where else at 6:00am on Tuesdays and Thursdays than Shoreline Park (near the bathrooms, beach access and the parking lot). As the sun rises, the seals bark, and the birds chirp, you will be challenged to get that booty in shape. This class is a refreshing wake up call to start a healthy and productive day.

From the moment I arrived at class, Elizabeth had us up and at 'em. Elizabeth is an enthusiastic instructor who drives you to take yourself to another level. Don't let her sweet demeanor fool you, she's got some drills and exercises up her sleeve that will kick your butt. But hey, that's why we woke up so early!

I noticed a few differences between the all-levels class and the advanced class including a higher dose of cardio training, a faster paced turn over between exercises and longer timed sets. If running stairs, suicides, hurdles are exercises that you call "your forte" then this class will push you even more- believe it or not! If suicides are not particularly your favorite, the diversity in the strengthening exercises will keep you on your toes.

The new Booty Camp schedule of classes is sure to offer plenty of class times, diverse levels of training, and, of course, fun to campers of all levels. I also heard a rumor that the advanced class might be considering beach workouts, which would be fabulous!

Stephanie is the office manager for the legal division of a downtown real estate company- Goodwin & Thyne Properties and is also a law student at Santa Barbara College of Law.

BootyCampSB's New Camp Locations!

2008-10-07T16:44:00.000-07:00

Aug 16, 2008 8:39 PM
By Stacey Cooper

Hey Ladies,

We are moving! Starting this Monday, August 18th, we will be holding our downtown Santa Barbara BootyCamps at Alameda Park on Santa Barbara Street between Micheltorena and Sola! We are excited to be in such a great, central location and look forward to seeing all of you there!

We have also added a new element to our BootyCamp! Our advanced classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 am will still meet at Shoreline Park, at the top of the stairs...but then we will head down to the BEACH! If you thought our camps were tough before-get ready! Elizabeth will be working your booty in a whole new way!

Our Goleta camps will continue to meet at Girsh Park.

We look forward to seeing you!

Tuna and White Bean Salad

2008-10-07T16:40:00.000-07:00

Aug 13, 2008 1:54 PM
By Stacey Cooper

Ingredients
1 cup string beans, washed and ends trimmed
1 6-ounce can water-packed tuna, drained
½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup celery, thinly chopped
½ cup canned white beans (Canellini), drained and rinsed
½ tablespoon olive oil
½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
2 cups arugula

Directions
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add string beans and cook for 3 minutes, until al dente. Drain and place beans in a bowl of ice water to prevent further cooking. When fully cooled, remove beans, dry, and cut into bite–size pieces. Add tuna to a large bowl and gently break up the pieces with a fork. Add string beans, onion, celery, white beans, oil, vinegar, and parsley and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place arugula on a large serving platter and top with tuna salad.

Number of Servings: 4
Per Serving: Calories 284, 30 g Carb, 6 g Fat, 8g Fiber, 29 g Protein, 593 mg sodium

Best of 2008! You Can Help in Making BootyCampSB #1

2008-10-07T16:38:00.000-07:00

Aug 12, 2008 1:36 PM
By Stacey Cooper

There are some things we have come to expect every August in Santa Barbara-beautiful sunny days, Fiesta and the Best of Readers Poll 2008, brought to you by Santa Barbara's very own Independent. The Readers Poll gives everyone a chance to support their favorite local businesses, restaurants and services by voting them for THE BEST in their respective categories.

For the first year ever, there is a category for Outdoor Fitness Program! We hope you have enjoyed your Booty Camps so much that you can't wait to tell reader's of the Independent about our awesome workouts, fun atmosphere, helpful nutrition tips and talented and encouraging trainers! Please take a moment to vote for us online at the Independent's 2008 Readers' Poll under Outdoor Fitness Program. We believe we have the best program in Santa Barbara! Help us tell others about your great experiences with BootyCampSB by voting for us! Polls close this Friday, August 15th and results will be published on October 16th! Vote Today!

Thank you for showing your support for BootyCampSB, Stacey Cooper and all of our other very talented trainers!

See you at the park!

BootyCampSB first timer reaching out to the college crowd!

2008-10-07T16:33:00.000-07:00

Aug 12, 2008 10:54 AM
By Stacey Cooper

Wow, the emails are coming in this summer! We always love to hear from our SB Campers, contact us anytime!

Jorden Hirsch is a new Santa Barbara Boot-camper. Her first camp experience was so fun to read about and a great example to college ladies- you can be smart and fit in SB! You can go to our website to learn more about our outdoor fitness camps in Santa Barbara!

" The college life at UCSB is like a dream; beach, great education and lots of fun-loving people to meet. However, the Isla Vista lifestyle also comes with the pressure of maintaining a "beach bod" while still going out on the weekends. Since my start at UCSB, I have tried to go to the gym between classes, but I could never really push myself in the gym and get the results I wanted. Being a Santa Barbara local, I heard about BootyCampSB and thought it sounded like a great new variation to my workout. Last Saturday I attended my first Booty Camp at Shoreline Park led by Stacey Cooper, and all I can say is I am totally hooked. Besides the positive of being outdoors, the comradery between the women really made the workout fun, while getting my butt kicked. Stacey really kept me on my toes with the variation of workout between cardio and strength training that I could really never gain in the gym by myself. Let's just say BootyCampSB is a great new mode of exercise any day."

Great to hear from you Jorden, we are happy you are hooked! Ladies, feel free to post your experiences in our blog or write us anytime! Here's to staying smart, fit and having fun in SB!

Boot Camp First Timer Experience - This Recruit is Hooked!

2008-10-07T16:32:00.000-07:00

Aug 8, 2008 2:03 PM
By Stacey Cooper

Nicki G is a new Santa Barbara Boot-camper and her email to us about her first Booty CampSB experience was so fun that we had to share! We are always recruiting! You can go to our Santa Barbara outdoor fitness site to learn more about our camps!

"'My thighs are burnin' my booty muscles throb everytime I get up and sit down. I can barely walk up the stairs to my apartment. It's even more painful when I walk down the stairs!'--These were my thoughts a day after attending Booty Camp Santa Barbara. Stacey was my instructor - and now I know why she has so many devoted disciples! I had a great time and I was energized and refreshed to celebrate for Fiesta Saturday. The other great part besides getting a great fitness workout done early Saturday morning on Shoreline park with the ocean as my view...there was a drawing to win a free massage at the end of the class! All of the other women training were friendly and encouraging - it was very inspiring! My experience was great and I cannot think of a better way to start my weekend."

M We love our Santa Barbara Boot Camp Ladies!

2008-10-07T16:18:00.000-07:00

Aug 3, 2008 5:30 PM
By Stacey Cooper

We have been getting a lot of great camper emails from our fabulous Santa Barbara bootycampers and wanted to share some of our fun ones with our blog community! We hope you all enjoyed Fiesta (and if you indulged, exercised to balance it out!) All of you who made it to our camps this weekend - we salute you~

This was an email from a new Boot Camper at our Santa Barbara Camp, Lynn Thomas:

"Hi Stacey,
I wanted to thank you for a great camp on Saturday. I have walked by the camp for a long time and always wanted to go and finally got the nerve to show up. Now I am hooked! I work out alone and do a lot of cardio, but the cross training with the weights really was great. My legs are sore, but that shows I got my booty kicked - lol! Working out in Santa Barbara is a blessing and it was so fun to meet the other women at the camp...I even walked to Lazy Acres after the workout with one of your regular campers - fitness, fun AND friends - what more could I ask for! I never thought I'd say thanks for getting worked out so hard but THANK YOU!
-Lynn"

Thanks Lynn! We are always recruiting for new boot camp women! Go to our site http://www.bootycampsb.com/ if you want to see times, etc!

Keep emailing us! We love our ladies!!

Think Thin Be Healthy

2008-10-07T16:14:00.000-07:00

Jul 31, 2008 11:07 AM
By Stacey Cooper

Think Thin Be Healthy

A positive mind–set goes a long way

It turns out thinking you're overweight could be worse for you than being overweight. In a new study in the American Journal of Public Health, researchers asked 150,000 adults about their current weight, their ideal weight, and how often they felt unhealthy.The less satisfied people were with their size, the more unhealthy they felt, regardless of how much they weighed. "The brain is both the source of our emotions and the control center for our physiology," says lead author Peter Muennig, M.D. "So if you're depressed or stressed, it changes things like blood pressure. If these emotions are chronic, that can lead to disease." To up your well–being, focus on what your body can do, not how many pounds it weighs. After you exercise, for example, write down how far you ran, then try increasing that number each time.
http://www.shape.com/healthy_living/your_health/7279

Try this refreshing soup to keep you cool in the summer heat!

2008-10-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

Jul 29, 2008 10:41 AM
By Stacey Cooper

Gazpacho

Ingredients
1 pound very ripe tomatoes
1 1/2 cups cucumber chunks, peeled and seeded
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
½ cup parsley leaves
1 medium clove garlic
1/4 heaping teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
1 teaspoon light honey
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Cayenne pepper to taste

Directions
Core the tomatoes, and cut them into large chunks. (Peeling and seeding are unnecessary.)
Place the tomatoes in a blender or food processor with all the remaining ingredients except the cayenne. Purée until it is as smooth as you like it. Transfer to a container, and add cayenne. Cover and chill. Serve cold.

1 cup has: 71 calories, 4 g fat, 9 g carbs, 4 g protein, 2 g fiber

Salmon Steak with Orange-Balsamic Glaze

2008-10-07T16:07:00.000-07:00

Jul 25, 2008 12:25 PM
By Stacey Cooper

Ingredients
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 salmon steaks (about 6 oz each)
Vegetable oil cooking spray

Preparation
Place first 7 ingredients in a large sealable plastic bag. Shake well. Add salmon and refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove steaks from marinade and pat dry with a paper towel. Coat grill with cooking spray and heat on high. Grill steaks, turning once halfway through, until no longer translucent in the center, about 4 minutes per side.

263 calories per serving, 9.3 g fat, 9.3 g carbs, 34.5 g protein

New Parent-Child Class!

2008-10-07T16:05:00.000-07:00

Jul 21, 2008 3:26 PM
By Stacey Cooper

BootycampSB's parent/child workout class will involve fun and playful workout activities sure to keep your kids engaged and kick your booty! This class will be done in a format where you and your child will get the chance to workout TOGETHER! BootyCampSB is committed to helping you AND your family get healthy and stay active! It's tough balancing the need to stay in shape with spending time with your children. BootyCampSB understands the need to exercise and have the flexibility to bring the little ones along, so come check us out and enjoy bonding with your children through fitness and fun! Classes meet Monday and Wednesday at Girsh Park, 4:30-5:30pm.

Orange-Almond Green Beans

2008-10-07T16:03:00.000-07:00

Jul 17, 2008 12:06 PM
By Stacey Cooper

Ingredients:
1 lb green beans
1/8 cup slivered almonds
2 tsp orange-infused olive oil (or other citrus-infused oil)

Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium pot. Using a steamer, cook beans until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. While beans steam, place a small nonstick saute pan over medium-low heat. Toast almonds, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Toss beans and almonds with oil in a serving bowl. Add salt and pepper.

Serves 4
79 calories per serving, 4.5 grams fat, 4 grams fiber, 9 grams carbs, 3 grams protein

Ali Morrow lost 18 inches in 8 weeks!

2008-10-07T16:01:00.001-07:00

Jul 17, 2008 11:52 AM
By Ali Morrow

BootyCampSB has seriously changed my body and my outlook on fitness. I went to my first camp session really wanting to get my butt kicked, and I surely got just that! I have not only become stronger physically, but mentally as well. Stacey, Elizabeth and the entire crew have helped push me further than I ever thought possible. I finally feel confident in my bathing suit and have actually said out loud that there is nothing I cannot accomplish! Thank you to everyone at BootyCampSB I couldn't thank you more!

Our 8 Week Santa Barbara Bootcamp Pricing

2008-10-07T15:58:00.000-07:00

Jun 11, 2008 6:21 PM
By Stacey Cooper

Prices are listed on the “Classes” page of our fabulous new BootyCampSB website.

Bootcamp pricing starts at $199 for 2 classes per week for 8 weeks. We also offer 3 classes per week for 8 weeks for $299 or unlimited classes per week (best value!) for 8 weeks for $399.

Remember, you can mix and match class times throughout the week for ultimate convenience and are not locked in to specific times.

See you soon!

That Annoying Weight Loss Plateau

2008-10-07T15:53:00.000-07:00

May 9, 2008 4:10 PM
By Stacey Cooper

Feel like you’ve hit a weight loss wall? You’re not alone! It’s one of the most common frustrations for people trying to lose weight.

It has to do with your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the energy required to keep your vital bodily functions going when your body is at rest. Your BMR accounts for 60-70% of the calories you burn and depends mostly on body mass. As you lose weight, your body mass goes down and so does your BMR.

So if you were burning 1,300 calories a day before you started losing weight, you may only be burning around 1,000 now. You’ll find your daily calorie intake is pretty close to your expenditure.

But don’t worry if you’ve hit that wall! Stay motivated. Don’t lose steam. And try the following tips to help you shake things up a little:

• Push yourself to increase the intensity of your workout (jog/walk an extra mile, crank on an extra gear on the spin bike!) Boosting your metabolism in this way will help you burn more calories when you go back to your routine.

• Add some variety to your exercise routine. If you like running, try yoga or pilates. Mix it up! You will find that this variation will ultimately enhance your routine exercise program.

• Make sure you keep working out. Try a different boot camp location or maybe take the family on a hike.

• On the flip side, try treating yourself to an occasional treat. You know your body has been craving it—so stop depriving yourself of that ice cream or grilled cheese! Just don’t overdo it.

• Stop weighing yourself! The scale may not be the most accurate way to monitor your progress. You may be losing fat but gaining muscle.

And most importantly, hang in there!

Strength Training with Your Kids

2008-10-07T15:43:00.000-07:00

May 9, 2008 3:40 PM
By Stacey Cooper

Since I’ve been encouraging a lot of you to include your kids in various fitness activities, I’ve had some people ask me about strength training with the kids. This type of exercise is fine when young athletes are supervised and given age-appropriate exercises.

One of the biggest concerns with youth strength training is the common misconception that it may stunt the growth of children. There is simply no evidence to support this.

Children can begin to train with weights as soon as they are able to accept and follow directions—usually around the age of 7 or 8. Strength training should not be confused with weightlifting or bodybuilding. A good strength training program is carefully designed to increase muscle strength and endurance.

Keep in mind that the right strength training program for your child will be different from what you may do, and not just in terms of weight. While you might be focused on fewer repetitions and heavier weights, your kids will need to focus more on safety and proper technique with controlled motions and light weights (free weights or resistance bands are fine).

You will want to make sure that your kids have proper supervision and instruction. You might even consider asking a trained professional to demonstrate proper form and breathing.

As always, remember to warm up and cool down. And most importantly, keep it fun. Just like their grown up counterparts, young athletes will be more likely to stick with a program if they have a good time!

Get Active with Your Kids and Promote Healthy Habits for a Lifetime

2008-10-07T15:39:00.000-07:00

May 9, 2008 3:40 PM
By Stacey Cooper

When you’re done with booty camp and you go home to the kids, remember that one of the best ways to stay fit is to get the whole family involved!

Get everyone off the couch. Turn off the TV. Power down the computer. Instead, bike with them to the park or kick the ball around in the backyard. Today's children are increasingly overweight and out of shape. Incorporate physical activity into their daily routines and promote a healthy lifestyle.

The benefits of youth fitness are similar to those for adults. Plus you will be helping them develop a lifelong appreciation for activities that strengthen their bodies.

Remember, it is also up to you to set a good example. So many modern activities are sedentary: watching TV, text messaging, surfing the net!

If you want your kids to enjoy an active lifestyle, be active yourself—and don’t treat it as a chore. You hear it from me all the time: Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park the car farther away from your destination.

With summer approaching, start enjoying hours of activity together, whether it’s gardening, walking around Santa Barbara or even bowling! Just remember to have fun!

New 8 week BootyCampSB

2008-10-07T15:37:00.000-07:00

Apr 18, 2008 8:29 AM
By Stacey Cooper

Summertime is right around the corner and the new BootycampSB 8 week bootcamp is starting soon to help you get ready!

New start date is April 28th!
And we now offer a new location in Goleta at Girsh Park Mon/Tues/Thurs at 5:30-6:30pm.

We still are including same other times and locations as well.

Check out our website at www.bootycampsb.com for more information.

COME RAISE YOUR FITNESS LEVEL AND YOUR BOOTY TO NEW HEIGHTS!

A Busy Women's Night Out!

2008-10-07T15:30:00.000-07:00

Apr 18, 2008 8:11 AM
By Stacey Cooper

An Invitation from Cielo Spa Boutique!

Please join us for
A Busy Women's Night Out

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008
6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
Cielo Spa Boutique
(Behind Salon U)
1725 State Street, Suite C
Santa Barbara, California

An evening to pamper busy working women and moms!
Three local female business owners will discuss simple skin care methods, smart wardrobe choices, and ways to fit exercise into your busy schedule.

Women can enter a raffle to win a Cielo Spa one-hour organic facial, a BootyCampSB personal training session, or a wardrobe consultation from Wardrobe Wisdom (retail value of $345).

A free event to meet other women. Please bring yourself and a friend!

call to RSVP at 687-8979.

Light hor'dourves and wine served.

Sponsored by Cielo Spa Boutique, BootyCampSB, & Wardrobe Wisdom.
See you soon,

Roxanne Zbinden
Cielo Spa Boutique

1725 State Street Suite "C"
Santa Barbara, California 93101
(805)687-8979
www.cielospasb.com

10 Tips to Keeping a Healthy Heart

2008-10-07T13:56:00.000-07:00

Mar 26, 2008 12:00 PM
By Stacey Cooper

Check out Stacey Cooper's lastest article in the issue of Coastal Woman Magazine Spring 2008 at staceycooperfitness.blogspot.com Find out the how you can keep your heart healthy!

Sweet Tooth...

2008-10-07T13:49:00.000-07:00

Mar 21, 2008 12:04 PM
By Stacey Cooper

Super Pudding

6 tbsp flax seeds
2 cups skim milk or soy milk
1 banana, peeled and mashed
1 tbsp organic honey
Juice of one orange
1 apple, peeled and diced, core removed
Topping:
Sliced kiwi
Sliced fresh strawberries
Sliced banana
1. Grind flax seeds in a food mill or coffee grinder. Bring skim or soy milk to boil in a medium saucepan. Add ground flax to boiling milk. Boil for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and let cool in medium-sized glass bowl.
2. The mixture will develop a consistency similar to pudding. Add remaining ingredients. Using a wire whisk or blender, whip mixture until it becomes fluffy.

CALORIES: 206, PROTEIN: 44g, CARBS: 31g, FIBER: 5g, SUGARS: 21g, FAT: 4g, SODIUM: 65mg

Papaya Fruit Salad

Juice of one fresh lemon
•Reserve 2 tbsp of juice to use with honey
1 avocado
1 papaya
6 fresh figs
1 guava
2 nectarines (peaches will do if you can’t find good nectarines)
1 tbsp organic honey
½ tbsp ground cinnamon
Pinch grated nutmeg
1. Have a large decorative glass bowl handy. Put the juice of fresh lemon in bowl first. I like to prepare the avocado first so that it can sit in the lemon juice at the bottom of the bowl. That way it doesn’t oxidize (turn brown) too quickly. Peel and chop the fruit into bite-sized pieces and put everything in the bowl.
2. In a small bowl soften the honey with 2 tbsp of the lemon juice. This makes it easier to mix into the salad. Pour over salad and add spices. Toss gently. Serve!

CALORIES: 141, PROTEIN: 1g, CARSB: 23g, FIBER: 5g, SUGARS: 11g, FAT: 5g, SODIUM: 3mg

Week 7 - Christy Jones

2008-10-07T13:45:00.000-07:00

Mar 20, 2008 9:51 AM
By Christy Jones

I just finished week 7 and went shopping for a summer bathing suit. BootyCampSB couldn't have come at a better time! Stacey graciously extended my camp for the full 8 weeks. It's funny, I was telling my trainer how crazy it is that celebrities come back from pregnancy and look the same after only 8 weeks. He said that 8 weeks is a long time if you are committed and stick to a program. Now I'm glad I got out of bed all those early mornings. BootyCampSB is ideal for me because it focuses on strength training instead of a lot of cardio. I have no problem taking walks, playing soccer, or jogging while listening to music, it's the training I need motivation to do!
The most practical benefit of BootyCampSB is the increased energy that I now possess. Being a mom and returning to work requires more endurance and is by far the greatest physical challenge Iv'e ever had to undertake. Next week tune in for the final results!

Cool down from HOT SB sun with a healthy SMOOTHIE!

2008-10-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

Mar 14, 2008 11:23 AM
By Stacey Cooper

Sunshine Smoothie

½ cup non-fat cottage cheese
½ cup milk – skim, soy, almond, rice, goat or milk of your choice
½ tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon-flavored avocado oil
1 scoop whey protein, vanilla or unflavored
1 navel orange, peeled
1 tbsp wheat germ
Handful ice cubes
1.Puree all ingredients.

Blueberry Buzz Smoothie

½ cup milk – skim, soy, almond, rice or other
½ cup water
½ cup frozen blueberries
1 tbsp flax seed
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
½ cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 scoops whey protein powder – vanilla or unflavored
Handful ice cubes
1.Puree all ingredients

Kiwi Citrus Smoothie

1 kiwi, peeled
1 navel orange, peeled
1 scoop whey protein powder, vanilla or unflavored
½ cup nonfat, plain yogurt
1 tsp lemon flavored avocado oil
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch cinnamon
1 tsp fresh lime juice
½ cup ice cubes
1.Puree all ingredients. If the smoothie is too thick add more ice and blend again.

Pasta Gone Good and Healthy

2008-10-07T13:32:00.000-07:00

Mar 13, 2008 11:54 AM
By Stacey Cooper

LINGUINE

1 lb linguine – use brown rice, kamut, spelt or other type noodle
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1 purple onion, minced
2 cloves garlic passed through a garlic press
1 lb large shrimp
2/3 cup yogurt cheese
4 tbsp fresh chopped basil
2 tbsp fresh marjoram
2 tsp lemon rind (lemon zest)
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
4 cups shredded spinach
1. Bring 6 quarts of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water to prevent clumping, and return to the pot.
2. In a small saucepan heat chicken stock. Add onions, garlic and shrimp and let simmer, covered, for 3-5 minutes or until shrimp are heated through. Remove the shrimp from the cooking liquid and transfer to a glass bowl. Cover with a plate and wrap a clean kitchen towel around the bowl to keep warm.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt cheese, chopped basil, marjoram, lemon zest, sea salt and black pepper. Pour over pasta. Add cherry tomatoes, cooked shrimp and spinach. Toss gently to evenly distribute ingredients. Serve.
CALORIES: 425, PROTEIN: 47g, CARBS: 68g, FIBER: 5g, SUGARS: 8g, FAT: 5g, SODIUM 269mg

PASTA WITH TUNA AND OLIVES

16oz spelt or Kamut pasta noodles
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, passed through garlic press
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, trimmed and chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and chopped
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
1x28 tomato puree
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp fresh chopped basil
2 tbsp fresh chopped oregano
8oz albacore tuna, water packed
½ cup black, pitted Kalamata olives
1. Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a large sauce pan. Put a little olive oil and sea salt into the boiling water. Drop the pasta noodles in the water and cook al dente or according to package instructions.
2. Place the olive oil in a Dutch oven and heat oven medium heat. Add garlic, onions, celery, carrots and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 10 minutes or until vegetables become soft. Add tomatoes, sea salt, fresh black pepper and herbs. Add drained tuna and black olives. Let mixture heat through on low for 10 minutes. Serve over pasta.
CALORIES: 426, PROTEIN: 23g, CARBS: 73g, FIBER: 9g, SUGARS: 7g, FAT: 6g, SODIUM: 228mg

PAD THAI

8oz rice noodles, flat
1 tbsp canola oil
2 cloves garlic passed through garlic press
2 cups shredded Savoy cabbage
2 thick carrots, peeled and cut into thin slices
5 egg whites, lightly beaten
3 cups bean sprouts
1 cup julienned green zucchini
1 cup green onion, chopped
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish
• Reserve 2 tbsp of noodle water
Sauce:
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar or rice vinegar
¼ cup tomato paste
2 tbsp reserved noodle water
2 tbsp unsulfured molasses
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or gluten- free tamari
1. Cover rice noodles with boiling water in a ceramic bowl. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes to soften noodles. Drain, reserving 2 tbsp noodle water.
2. In a small bowl, whish together all sauce ingredients. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Stir in garlic, cabbage and carrot. Stir-fry for 5 minutes. Make a well in the middle o the pan and scramble the egg whites. Add noodles and sauce and cook for 5 minutes. Add bean sprouts, zucchini and green onions and cook a little longer to heat through. Remove from heat and serve. Garnish each dish with chopped cilantro.
CALORIES: 158, PROTEIN: 5g, CARBS: 30g, FIBER: 2g, SUGARS: 3g, FAT: 2g, SODIUM: 102mg

Sunrise at BootyCampSB

2008-10-01T18:45:00.000-07:00

By Paula Michal

This morning was an exceptionally special workout, because those of us who were up with the chickens, experienced one of the most incredible sunrises I have ever seen here in Santa Barbara. I had had a particularly challenging week last week and being back at BootyCamp SB and seeing the masterpiece in the sky, gave me renewed hope that things are still pretty ok in the world. Having not worked out last week, I was sure feeling it today, but as always, the BootyCamp instructors keep you motivated to give it your personal best at each session and I especially appreciated it today.

In addition to a fantastic workout, we were all “a buzz” about the recent media coverage regarding use of city parks by boot camp programs. Personally, I am very proud to be affiliated with a camp whose owner has the kind of integrity that Stacey has. In today’s business climate, unfortunately, this quality is becoming rare. I’m also pleased to know that people all around the city are exercising in the very parks which we pay taxes to maintain. I hope this never changes and that more and more people will be inspired to get out and move; especially at BootyCamp SB!

Happy Hump Day!

A Perfect Balance

2008-10-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

By Natasha Duran
October 1,2008

Today was hard to get out of bed, I almost didn't make it to class. I love the fact that I can switch up days or the level of classes. I started the advanced class that meets Tuesday and Thursday and the class is on the beach and involves mostly cardio. I wanted to keep up my strength training so I've decided to attend the all level classes. It's a perfect balance.

TEX-MEX MORNING FRITTATA

2008-09-30T18:42:00.000-07:00

Sep 30, 2008
By Stacey Cooper

serves 6

Salsa
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 cup cooked black beans
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1 tbsp chopped pickled jalapenos
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

Frittata
2 whole eggs
4 egg whites
Pinches of dried oregano leaves, sea salt and ground black pepper
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp finely chopped red onion
1 cup cooked corn
12 grape tomatoes, cut in half

To make salsa, stir green onions with black beans, cilantro and pickled jalapenos. Drizzle with vinegar and oil, then toss to mix. Let stand while preparing frittata so the flavors can meld.

In a bowl, whisk whole eggs with whites and seasonings. Coat or spray an oven-proof non-stick, medium-sized skillet with olive oil and set over medium heat. Add red onion to skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Add corn and tomatoes, then eggs. Stir to evenly distribute ingredients. Cook just until bottom starts to become firm, 1 to 2 minutes, then bake in preheated 300 degree F oven until center is set when pan is jiggled, 10 to 12 minutes.

Top with salsa and serve.

115 calories
3.5g Fat
14g carbs
4g fiber
2g sugar
8g protein
86mg sodium
62mg cholesterol

Thoughts on the recent publicity to BootyCampSB

2008-09-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

Sep 30, 2008 (2 days ago)
By Nancy Patterson

This week has been a special week for booty-campers. We, as students and the company BootyCampSB, is being challenged by the other bootcamps and the city to show why we deserve to be in the parks to workout rather than someplace else where there is less public attendance, if we are being discrimintory by having only women teachers and classes and, if we are to continue to have classes should the City regulate us more by charging more for permits or by regulating us more as to times we can workout and when and at what venues.

Some of us attended a City Hall meeting on Wednesday, September 24 and it was very interesting to say the least. The owner of Santa Barbara Body Boot Camp, Rob Grayson was there and he brought his attorney to speak for him to basically try and discredit Stacey's bootycamp by saying that Stacey only allows women teachers and students and that she unfairly was given rights to a permit for Shoreline Park. The fact is she put this class together because of the response of all the women who wanted exactly that - a class where women could get sweaty and gross and workout outside with other women and have a women teach them instead of a man - nothing discriminatory - its a choice you can sign up for or not - but she has recently posted online that if men would like to come and take our class then so be it and I for one would not care either way. There is a commaraderie in class that it would not matter to me if there was a woman or man working out next to me that would make a difference in me taking bootycamp or not - so men - bring it on. As for the permitting, had Mr. Grayson followed the law from the beginning and paid for a permit from the start, then he would have gotten the same rights as Stacey. His mistake, and or lack of respect for the law in this town, does not make Stacey a bad person or should it take away her rights to have what she paid for taken from her.

I also noticed the biggest complaints while I was at the meeting came from individuals who lived near LaMesa Park - across from Lazy Acres - that is a testimony to who is causing problems with the Santa Barbara residents because Bootycamp SB does not hold classes in that park but Body Boot Camp does - I'm just saying '-)

Regardless, I hope no one has to quit working out in beautiful Santa Barbara and that we can all get along - it's about the workout - however you get it and from what resource you enjoy. We are all soo fortunate to live in this beautiful town where we can workout all year around - so let's try and work together so we can all get and keep the benefits of working out in the parks and have the city behind us.

Campers and BootyCampSB Supporters

2008-09-25T12:30:00.000-07:00

Sep 25, 2008 12:30 PM
By Stacey Cooper

To all of our Campers and BootyCampSB supporters,

Many of you may have seen or heard about the article on the front page of the Santa Barbara Newspress yesterday, Tuesday September 24th.

While at first glance the article may seem unfavorable, it does in fact mention that we, BootyCampSB, do have the legal permits to run our bootcamps in SB parks. Quotes by Robert Grayson of SB Body Bootcamp that state BootyCampSB was just “given” permits, that we received an unfair advantage, and that the Parks and Recreation Department used favoritism towards us is very misleading and just plain wrong. From the onset of our business, we at BootyCampSB have done the research on the ordinances, filled out the appropriate paperwork, and legally applied for and received permits... all following the process according to the Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation standards. We have been operating under a permit since Summer 2007 when we first began our classes. The only reason this is an issue now, is that the people/businesses who were previously operating illegally, now have to play by the rules. It is unfortunate that we are being associated with those who did not go about the legal manner in which to run their business in city parks. However, whether or not other outdoor fitness/bootcamp classes have or have not filed for licenses, and who they are is not for us to comment on.

It has been brought up that BootyCampSB, as a women's only business, violates the Unrugh Civil Rights Act. It was never our intention at BootyCampSB to challenge one's civil rights, but to give women an environment where they felt comfortable, be able to workout amongst eachother and form a bond to discuss issues that pertain to the female lifestyle.
While it is true we have marketed our business to women, we would never and have never turned away men.

Unfortunately, I was unavailable for comment the evening before the first article ran. I have spoken with the reporter since and am quoted in the following article in today's paper on page 5. I attended the meeting with the Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation last night and will actively follow these actions and work with the city to maintain a favorable relationship. Please rest assured we have and will continue to take all of the necessary steps to keep bringing you the outdoor fitness you have grown to love!

Thank you for the support!!

Your family and friend,

BootyCampSB