TweetTaken from the Maui Breakfast Club August 9th, 2011: Suzie Cooney of Suzie Trains Maui, Health & Fitness Segment every Tuesday morning at 7:38 am on KNUI 900 AM. Listen here: Radio Segment

Throw away the diet books, thigh blaster or ab roller and if you live near any body of water, hop aboard and paddle to shed unwanted pounds now!

It sounds like an infomercial but I’m really serious. I’ve been helping people shed unwanted weight here on Maui and spreading the word for some time now, on how thousands of people are, as I wrote this article for ATHLETA; are literally “Sweeping Their Way to Health”. It’s really true. I’m hearing from so many people, besides seeing my clients and others around the world completely transform their bodies; paddling away the fat.

I wanted to share with you a couple nice entries of the many of received on how SUP has literally shaped their lives and bodies. It’s so inspiring and I hope they inspires you or someone you know who would like to enjoy losing unwanted weight. It is possible and it’s fun!

Here, my dear friend and avid paddler Lucija Kordic, from Alameda, California, braves the chilly waters of the Bay Area and shares, ” My pants fit much differently now and I fit into some of my set-aside size 6 pants. SUP and intervals on the treadmill both make a difference!” Lucija is now training with me with her new SUP Endurance Program designed to help her improve her paddling strength and endurance for long distance racing. Go Lucy go! See you on Maui soon!

If you live in the Bay Area and want to get to know some paddle buddies, Lucija organizes casual paddling groups and is the ultimate host. This I’ve experienced myself. You can hook up with her group at: http://Meet.Up.com/East-Bay-SUP

I’ve received so many emails on how stand up paddling, also known as “SUP” is changing people’s lives and it just so happens that one of the keen health benefits is amazing weight loss. I’m not just talking loss of pounds, but more like shedding their old ways.

I’ve always encouraged my clients and everyone to find a sport, especially SUP, to enhance their current training as a cross training tool. What happens more times than not, is it becomes an obsession! Wow. Besides having to throw away hard earned money on marriage counselors, maybe a new pair of $80 Spanx, the moderate investment of one or two boards, paddles, leashes and some sunscreen can also result in relationship bonding. SUP is so easy, couples are losing weight together AND getting quality time paddling off into the sunset.

I’ve always found that most of my clients and people who write me, have had the light turn on in their lives with SUP. They have found their calling and are so taken with the sport, it consumes every waking hour. Now they have racks on their cars, very cool, hang out at the local SUP shop and talk “board talk” or what event they may register in, or simply enjoy the “healthy” camaraderie that develops along with wonderful new friendships.

This sport is very contagious and what comes along with is the healthy lifestyle. What a great bonus. As one develops their love for SUP, unknowingly, because your total body is getting a continuous workout; one can easily start to notice remarkable changes in their body. What is commonly noticed first, is one’s core strength. I’ve written so many articles about the power of the core for SUP, and how to train your core to get stronger to paddle stronger, it’s truly the first thing that people always say, “Wow it really works my core.”

In Redding, way North of my hometown, Sacramento, California lives Matt Ivey, very new to SUP and boy does he have the stoke and has he

Matt Ivey Looking Great!

gotten in great shape! He says he was his wife’s ginny pig and suggested he do SUP with her while she was pregnant and suggested that he join her too. Read the rest to see how he lost 10 lbs and also learn how SUP helped him manage some pretty serious injuries he had. He’s got big plans to grow SUP in his life and business.

Matt writes:

Suzie,

I just got into SUP about a month ago and I am totally hooked. I have lost about 10 lbs and my core/lower back are feeling the increase in strength. I love is so much my wife and I are adding SUP rentals, ecotours, lessons, and fitness/yoga classes. My wife is 20 weeks pregnant and she is a manager of a gymnastics gym. She has been using the SUP to stay in shape while she is pregnant and has been working on a fitness program. So that means I have been her ginny pig when it comes to testing her exercises on someone. I also like my alone time so every other day I have been paddling upstream on a local river for a hour.

I come from a background of playing sports and lifting heavy weights. Over the past 6 years I have broken and dislocated my left ankle, separated my right shoulder, tore one of the heads of my left bicep, broke my right thumb, and sprained my right mcl. I also have several degenerative disks in my back so needless to say I can no longer play the sports I once loved.

But what that also meant is that I could no longer lift weights in the gym. This lead to me becoming frustrated and out of shape. After relocating to a new town and stumbling on SUP (we had seen it on Maui 3 years ago but were more concerned with surfing) I was instantly hooked.

In fact I even had my wife take a before photo so I have something I can compare it to after I feel like I have reached my goal. I have also been incorporating a slackline into my balance and core training. Between the SUP and Slackline I feel like I have found a great routine that works for me.

I could chat all day about SUP and what it has done for me mentally and physically. Both my wife and I have out degrees in Recreation Administration and Business so we are looking forward to putting our education and experience to use helping others share the passion we have for SUP. We have been following you and all that you have done for the SUP industry. Thanks for all of the inspiration and knowledge you share so well.

Matt Ivey
Adventure Recreation LLC
530-255-4505 Business
707-321-7224 Cell
adventurerecreation.co ( this is not a typo )

Thanks so much Lucija and Matt, and to the many others that wrote me and shared their SUP weight loss stories. As SUP grows so does the opportunity for more people to get fit and healthy. I really encourage those new to the sport to take the opportunity and feel and experience what all the buzz is about. As I always say, SUP will change your life.

To see all of my articles about how to get stronger for the sport of SUP, go to:

http://www.naishsurfing.com/sup-fitness/

If you’re on Maui in early November, stay tuned for more details on my SUP Cross Enduro Beach and Water Fun Fitness Challenge!

Paddle in good health friends,

Suzie Cooney, CPT owner of Suzie Trains Maui

See Naish SUP Team Profile here: http://www.naishsurfing.com/team/suzie-cooney/

I ride Naish boards. The line up for 2012 is unreal! We’ll have up to 31 boards like last year and the lines, designs and graphics are killer. I’m so stoked for the winter, monster swells and for some exciting Maliko runs. Check out the current line up here:

http://www.naishsurfing.com/boards/

How Fiber Helps You Lose Weight
Suzie Cooney, CPT

(Papaya, kale, brown rice and Swiss chard and apple)

We are fortunate to enjoy the plentiful great fruits and vegetables Maui offers. I often tell my clients to lose weight eat as much fiber as you can safely digest. Or when filling your plate, imagine your plate like a clock. From 12pm to 6pm, is a field of greens and other delicious vegetables.

Fiber is a virtually indigestible substance that is found mainly in the outer layers of plants. Fiber is a special type of carbohydrate that passes through the human digestive system virtually unchanged, without being broken down into nutrients.

Fiber is the part of plant-based foods that our bodies can’t easily digest. It passes through our digestive tract without providing nutrition or calories, and yet it is healthy and acts as a good scrubber.

Fiber helps to keep us regular ward off certain diseases and can also reduce our risk to colon cancer. Fiber also helps cholesterol to exit the body therefore reducing the risk of heart disease.

Fiber makes us feel full sooner and stays in our stomach longer than other substances we eat, slowing down our rate of digestion and keeping us feeling full longer. Due to its greater fiber content, a single serving of whole grain bread can be more filling than two servings of white bread.

Fiber also moves fat through our digestive system faster so that less of it is absorbed.

Some good examples of fiber-rich foods include:
• Legumes (lentils, dry beans and peas)
• Other vegetables
• Fruits
• Brown rice
• Whole grains (wheat, oats, barley)

Products labeled “whole grain” are made with the complete grain kernel, whether the grain remains intact as in oatmeal or it is ground to make bread, pasta or cereal. Watch out for labels that read, “100% wheat” or “multi-grain” or coloring added. Most wheat bread is almost identical to white bread except that caramel coloring has been added to make it look more natural.

Refined grains like white rice and those used to make white bread and sugary breakfast cereals have lost most of their fiber and nutrients. They turn into blood sugar (glucose) so fast and may cause a spike in your insulin level. This signals our body that plenty of energy is readily available and that it should stop burning fat and start storing it.

We know that an insulin spike is followed by a drop in insulin level that leaves us feeling tired and hungry and wanting to eat more. The unfortunate result of this event is that it makes us want to eat something else with high sugar content. Fiber helps keep our blood sugar at a more consistent level.

Adding more fiber to your diet will likely help you lose weight and improve your health. Start adding more slowly to see how you tolerate it.
Of course, regular exercise and plenty of fluids will also assist you in your weight loss efforts.

To help me stay in shape and eat healthy I make sure I get enough veggies and fruits, so I have them delivered each week to my home. I love the service Kula Fields offers and that I know I’m getting what my body needs. Now I have no excuses to eat well!  I make delicious smoothies with young coconut milk and Sambazon Acai Antioxidant Superfood Organic Puree and all the fruits I can find.

Remember, take it slow on introducing more fiber. I promise you will see a great change in your body and feel great too.

Aloha and in good health,

Suzie Cooney, CPT of Suzie Trains Maui

www.suzietrainsmaui.com