Edmonton Sun

February 8, 2009 Skip scales, not meals says TV fitness guru By CARY CASTAGNA, Sun Media ) Nadeen Boman skips rope, but she doesn’t skip meals – not if she can help it. The no-nonsense co-host of Slice Network’s reality TV shows Bulging Brides and The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp knows what kind of havoc is wreaked on the body when regularly scheduled nourishment is nixed. “Skipping meals is the worst thing you can do,” Boman, 32, tells Sun Media. “Your blood sugar’s dropping, your body’s going into starvation mode, and the next thing you know, you’re gaining weight.” Common knowledge, right? Surely all our moms have warned us that chow time is not to be eschewed. It’s right up there with swimming immediately after eating and running with scissors. But that doesn’t mean the sage advice is being followed. A new Harris-Decima survey commissioned by Nutribar reveals that 55% of Alberta women skip meals – the highest provincial percentage and well above the Canadian average of 43%. Nationally, the most popular reasons cited are a lack of time to prepare meals (29%), eating on the run (21%) and the rising cost of healthy food in the present economic climate (18%). Boman, a celebrity trainer and nutrition coach who practices what she preaches, says preparation is the key ingredient. “Plan ahead. Have a meal plan at the start of the week and you don’t have to think about it,” she explains, suggesting meals can be prepared in advance on a schedule “that works for your lifestyle,” whether it’s once a day or once a week. “If they have something that’s written down that they can refer to, then there’s less chance of deviating from it.” When all else fails, it doesn’t hurt to have a meal replacement bar handy at work, in your car or in your purse, advises Boman – a Nutribar spokeswoman. “It’s like having a chicken breast, broccoli and a potato or whatever. It’s balance for you when you’re in that place where inevitably we all are where we just don’t have time to eat properly,” she says. “Ideally, we want to be eating fresh fruits and vegetables 24-7, but we know that that’s just not realistic.” The Harris-Decima survery, conducted last month, also found that one in three Canadian women are not happy with their body image. “Muffin tops, thunder thighs, junk in the trunk and flabby arms” were all referenced as sore spots. And, according to the poll that queried a representative sample of more than 1,000 women across the country, one in four had admitted to dieting within the last year. Dismal numbers, indeed. But there’s no need to lose all hope. Just look at Boman. She has devoted her life to health and fitness, but even she isn’t perfect. At five-foot-two, the raven-haired TV star – who weighs about 120 pounds on a good day – says her weight has been known to go up and down by more than a couple pounds. “My weight fluctuates. I think that’s important for people to realize,” notes the Montreal product now based in Vancouver. “It’s OK. Don’t go onto the scale every day and be like, ‘Oh my God, I’m three pounds heavier today.’ It’s going to fluctuate up and down. We spend too much of our lives obsessing over the scale. It’s just a number.” Boman prefers to gauge her fitness by how she feels. And she feels great when she’s eating right most of the time and pumping iron at least three times a week. Her hour-long workouts are intense, with minimal rest. “So you’ve got the best of both worlds – your heart rate’s up and you’re doing muscular endurance and strength,” she explains. On other days, she throws in outdoor activities such as snowboarding, snowshoeing or hiking, as well as the occasional run. “Muscle weighs more than fat. Muscle takes up less room on the body,” she says. “So as long as you’re fit and you’re firm and you’re energized and healthy and not getting injuries, it doesn’t matter how much you weigh.” So skip the scale, but don’t skip meals. Visit nadeenboman.com. Cary Castagna is a certified personal trainer through Can-Fit-Pro. If you have a story for Keeping Fit, e-mail Cary at cary.castagna@sunmedia.ca Nadeen’s tips: 1) Eat three meals and two snacks a day. Our body needs to be fuelled regularly and we need to eat fruits and vegetables and lean proteins. 2) Drink water. When we don’t drink enough water, our body tells us in different ways. That includes headaches, difficulty concentrating and a general lack of energy. As soon as you’re feeling thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. 3) Build muscle through resistance training. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate – and the more calories you’ll burn.