January 1st 2017 at 10:30am. Magnuson Park.Cost $35.
Why not do something fun and active to celebrate New Year’s Day?
Gather some friends and family and participate in the SAC Resolution Run 5k (and maybe a polar bear dip in the lake!).
Run or walk the 5K race that has an optional Polar Bear Dive into Lake Washington – just prior to the event finish line area. Stay for the post-race celebration which includes a free kids dash for children 10 & under and a beer garden for those over 21.
Free chili, coffee, hot chocolate, and more will be provided.
The Seattle Athletic Club is thrilled to announce that our Inspirational Member of the Monthis Jamie Osbourne.
I’m certain you have seen Jamie working out in the club; he is here nearly every morning and utilizes every square inch of the club including the weight room, cardio room, the Pilates Studio, Cybex room, and the stretching area. He loves to share his amazing journey of struggle and triumph, and here is a peek into his recovery process from a devastating cycling accident in 2007 and his incredible climb to where he is today.
GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon, Canada / Snohomish, WA
Sunday October 11th was a victorious day for several Seattle Club members who completed their first full marathon race in Victoria, Canada and half-marathon at the Snohomish River Run. After joining the marathon training program offered by Kendra Kainz, Wellness Director and Running Coach back in June, these members spent the last 12-16 weeks training and preparing both physically and mentally for the challenge ahead. The hard work paid off! Each had a successful race with great individual finishing times!
In Victoria, the SAC Team dominated the team category with a first place finish. The Seattle Athletic Club would like to acknowledge Thomas Blair, Jennifer Gallagher, Yesh Ganta, Shayla Mulvey, and Linda Perkins on their accomplishments. Special congrats to
Jennifer Gallagher on qualifying for the Boston Marathon and placing 10th in her age division!
We also congratulate Ryan Tennent and Karla Kucera-Clark on completing their first half-marathon (13.1 miles) with great finishing times! You’ve accomplished a lot!
Sure we all look forward to the holidays, especially the Thanksgiving meal with friends and family. But what you don’t know, is that Americans are estimated to consume anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 calories at the average Thanksgiving meal and that’s not including second helpings!
Want to know what the biggest calories bomb on your plate is? Pecan pie! A slice has an average of 503 calories (compared to 316 calories for pumpkin pie and 411 calories for apple pie). Where does this seemingly innocent pie get all of its calories? Sugar, mostly, and copious amounts of pecans, which harbor lots of fat. The runner up for calorie-packed dishes is: sweet potato casserole at 460 calories a serving, and in third place: wine. Wine adds up fast at 382 calories for three average-size glass. Yikes!
To give a better sense of how much exercise you’d have to do to burn those calories, think ultra-marathon. An average 150 lbs person would have to run an average of 29 miles to burn off 2800 calories. If you weigh more, you can run a little less. So you have to wonder, is it worth it to over eat or overindulge in unhealthy options?
One way to burn some pre-meal calories is cooking the Thanksgiving dinner yourself. If you’re thinking, how much of a workout can that be? More than you might think! If you make the whole dinner yourself (that’s everything from turkey to gravy, sides and dessert, with about 4½ hours in the kitchen chopping, stuffing and rubbing), you’ll burn about 700 calories!
Ultimately, your best bet is to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner that’s lower in fat and calories but still thrills the crowd! All it takes is a few ingredient substitutions and some clever fat-busting techniques. Here are some low-cal suggestions for your staple Thanksgiving food items:
The Turkey
If you’re hosting a small gathering, buy a turkey breast rather than the whole bird, as breast meat is lower in calories than dark meat.
If you do buy a whole turkey, avoid “self-basting” turkeys, as they often contain added fat.
Stay away from the deep fryer this year, roast or smoke instead
Rather than rubbing the skin with butter or oil, spray it with an oil spray and season it with salt and pepper.
Roast turkey on a rack so that the fat will drain off.
Good Gravy
Gravy is another big calorie culprits on the table. Use vegetable oil rather than turkey drippings when making the gravy–it’s still fat, but oil is lower in saturated fat and is cholesterol-free.
If you use turkey drippings to add flavor, use a gravy separator. Pour the gravy into a separator and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Some of the fat in the gravy will rise to the top of the glass where you can skim it off easily.
Better yet, make low-fat broth-based gravy or vegetarian gravy instead.
Carbo-loaded Mashed Potatoes
Instead of using butter and cream to mash potatoes, save the cooking water when you boil of the potatoes. The starchy water will give the potatoes a creamier texture than plain water would.
You can also add turkey or chicken broth, evaporated skim milk, or fat-free sour cream.
For extra flavor, stir in roasted garlic and herbs.
Perhaps you forgo the potatoes and pureed cooked cauliflower, parsnips, or turnips instead!
Dressing, not Stuffing
Bake the dressing in a casserole dish rather than in the turkey, where it absorbs fat from the turkey as it bakes.
Avoid recipes using sausage or bacon; wild rice and grains are more nutritious than bread stuffing.
Buy French baguettes (they’re made without fat or sugar) for stuffing; serve instead of high-calorie dinner rolls.
It’s hard to slim down a stuffing recipe, so take a small serving if it’s your Thanksgiving favorite.
Slimmed-down Sides
Scrap the traditional candied sweet potato casseroles in favor of a low-fat, naturally-sweetened dish.
Lighten your string bean casserole by skipping tradition. Instead, sauté with onions in olive oil until they caramelize; top with slivered almonds.
For dips, blend equal amounts of reduced-fat sour cream and low-fat yogurt with fresh herbs like dill and chives; for a chunkier texture, add a package of chopped spinach and/or a cup of diced artichoke hearts.
Reduce salt in your Thanksgiving recipes, or use herbs to enhance natural flavors.
Flavor food with spices (not sugars) like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
To bring out their natural sweetness without the added sugar, roast -don’t boil-sweet potatoes.
Try a cranberry relish or cut down on the amount of sugar in your cranberry sauce by adding fruit juices or apple sauce.
Hurrah for the Dessert
Most of the fat in a pie comes from the crust. Try a reduced-fat graham cracker crust or a crust-free pumpkin pie recipe.
Use French-style tarts to cut the amount of piecrust in half; crisps made with fruit and a crumb topping have even less dough. (If it’s really the filling you love, skip the crust altogether.)
Try a trifle. Alternate layers of fresh fruit chunks with fat-free ladyfingers and sugar-free vanilla or banana pudding; diet pudding also makes a great substitute for mascarpone in tiramisu and as a sauce for poached pears or baked apples.
Let them eat torte. Try a recipe that calls for ground nuts and egg white layers — it’s more nutritious than recipes with a butter and flour base.
Refreshments
Cut the calories of white wine by serving spritzers; equal amounts of wine and sparkling water.
Jennifer is one of those people that is an example how perseverance and determination can surmount any obstacle. As an athlete, runner with the SAC Run Club and regular participant in many of the club’s group exercise classes, Jennifer set a new goal for herself. She wanted to complete her first FULL marathon (26.2 miles) in October.
Before she had opportunity to begin her new journey, she unfortunately experienced a physical setback; incurring a lower leg stress fracture which confined her to a boot for many weeks. This only made her more determined to succeed. She followed all protocols to facilitate her healing and continued to find ways to keep exercising within her limitations. She worked with our instructors to help rehabilitate her back to her level of strength and endurance while maintaining a focus and positive outlook that is testament to Jennifer’s personality. She continued to work hard towards her goal, transitioning back to running. She took one day at a time, with fierce perseverance, grace and a competitive spirit that got her back to training.
And she came back with a vengeance! Once her training began, she became a stronger competitor, leader as well as a source of inspiration and encouragement for her teammates. She was consistent, precise, diligent and committed; qualities that enhanced her success. On October 11th 2015, Jennifer competed in the Goodlife Fitness Victoria, B. C. Marathon, her FIRST full marathon and did so with a phenomenal time! She not only qualified for the Boston Marathon, but placed 10th in her age division! We think she surpassed her goal!!
Congratulations Jennifer! Your perseverance is truly inspirational.
Two of our masters athletes – Mariza Ohlsson and Naveen Garg, travelled to Nice, France to participate in 2015 European Masters Games (Oct 1 – 11, 2015) that included 27 sports disciplines (http://emg-nice2015.fr/en/sports-disciplines/) spread over 40 venues with over 7200 athletes from 25 years to 96 years of age!
Mariza participated in Squash and Table Tennis events where as Naveen focused on both Classic and Open Squash events. Mariza played 4 matches and won 2, including a hard fought 5 set win that earned her the Bronze in the combined Women’s Squash Classic draw along with Gold in her age category! Naveen played a total of 9 matches, winning all 5 in the classic division with Gold Medal and winning 3 of 4 in the professional division with eventual 5th place. His only loss of the tournament was a close 2-3 loss to the eventual silver medalist.
The atmosphere that these two experienced was not unique to the event. Squash as a sport that is welcoming and inviting for most. As Mariza explains the experience, “The camaraderie among squash players is unique among sports. And we were shown the very best, even an invitation to dinner from one of the local players to his house on the hillside with a magnificent view.”
Congratulations to both Mariza and Naveen for representing the Seattle Squash Community in France this year.
Mark has been with us at the Sports Desk for less than a year, but in that time, he has made such an impact on members and coworkers alike.
One of the many comments we receive from members about Mark is that he genuinely cares and will go above and beyond what is expected of him. Every morning, he always has a smile on his face and is ready to assist members with their questions. Rarely is Mark asked a question that he cannot answer.
The next time you see Mark, please congratulate him on the well-deserved honor of being our Employee of the Month for October.
Lisa Huisingh has been with the club for over 6 years now. In that time, she has touched so many lives here, from members to guests to fellow coworkers. She is caring, compassionate and is not afraid to help wherever she is needed.
Over the years, she has become an integral part of the events committee, helping to plan and decorate many of the social activities the club hosts throughout the year, she is willing to step up when others are in need and lends the caring shoulder.
Lisa is a perfect example of our mission statement as she strives to make each person’s day as best as she can.
The Seattle Athletic Club just wrapped up another very successful 12 week weight loss competition for 2015. This year we had 24 participants looking to start healthy habits and begin their weight loss journey; 63% of the participants finish the challenge by attending all 12 weekly weigh-ins. Of those that completed the challenge 86% lost weight. Of those that lost weight 85% lost over 5 lbs.
I wanted to take a moment to single out our top finishers for the competition and tell their weight loss transition through their numbers.
1st place Seth Cruse
Seth lost 22.13% of his body weight, decreasing his body fat by 14.04%.
He dropped inches from these main areas: Chest – 6”, Waist – 10” and Thigh – 1.2”.
Before and after photos.
2nd place Denise Kilgore
Denise lost 18.41% of her body weight, decreasing her body fat by 14.63%.
She dropped inches from these main areas: Chest – 3”, Waist – 4.7”, Hip – 6.3” and Thigh – 5.1”.
Denise before and after.
3rd place Rosie Cruse
Rosie lost 16.74% of her body weight, decreasing her body fat by 5.57%.
She dropped inches from these main areas: Chest – 3.5”, Waist – 4.1”, Hip – 3.4” and Thigh – 2”.
Rosie before and after.
We are proud of all the hard work and dedication from everyone that participated in our competition. Many of our participants had great things to say about their Lose It! experience and how it helped them change their lives.
If you are looking to start a fitness program, please come see any of the fitness staff. Everyone at that Seattle Athletic Club is here to help and assist all members with any fitness endeavor. As you can see, you can be more successful using a structured program and network of people looking to help you out. So, when it comes to your next fitness adventure, come talk to the professionals at the Seattle Athletic Club!
For more information about healthy weight loss, please contact Fitness Director, Jacob Galloway.
Denise Kilgore has gone through a lot of changes in her life; if you saw her 5 months ago you may not actually recognize who she was. Starting before the New Year, Denise decided she needed to make a change, a change which came in the way of becoming a healthier person. She has always struggled with her weight, so much so that she couldn’t find many pictures to submit for this article because she hated being photographed. After hearing about the Club’s Evolve program, Denise decided she wanted to start the program right away. She started by working with Tom Sheriff three times a week, she did spin every day she could get into the club (which, yes it meant she came in before working out with Tom), she decided she would try a meal delivery option where you are delivered all the ingredients, a recipe and you cook your own fresh food.
Even though Denise works long days sitting at a computer, she told herself that she can still make it into the gym every day and cook her own meals. She has stuck with those things and made it a habit. I can tell you that every day around 6 am Denise will be in the club spinning and around 9 am three times a week she is in here doing her weights. As the week progressed we all saw Denise shrink down as her strength shot through the roof. Half way through her journey she even was able to take off her braces and smile at all she was accomplishing.
Denise has lost over 45 lbs and decreasing her body fat by over 15%. She has lost so much size that she has had to throw out all of her old jeans and shirts and is swimming in her workout clothes. Denise has dropped life changing inches from these main areas: Chest -3”, Waist –4.7”, Hip –6.3” and Thigh –5.1”. All together Denise lost almost two feet of circumference from her body, she has regained a body weight she hasn’t had since her twenties and has exponentially increased her strength and stamina.
Denise finished second place in our Lose It! weight loss competition and should feel so proud. What I think is amazing about her is that before the competition was over she had already made up her mind that she would be continuing to train with Tom three times a week (she still has her goal of bench pressing a plate on each side of the barbell) because she sees the value in what she has earned and doesn’t want to slow down. The second thing that is amazing about what Denise did is that she didn’t look for a special diet, or try the newest fad in exercise or weight loss; she made up her mind to eat fresh foods, committed herself to getting in her cardio and weights every week and continued on with her life.
It has been a true pleasure to see her transformation unfold before my eyes; all of us at the SAC are excited to see just how far she pushes herself toward her goals.
For more information on weight loss programs or to nominate a Member of the Month, contact SAC’s Fitness Director, at Jacob Galloway.
