(More Than Just) Dreaming of Losing Fat

How is it that people who are already fit can get away with eating foods that would practically jump out of your hand, skip your mouth and just glue itself to your belly? Sometimes it can be chalked up to metabolism, and every so often you’ll find someone with truly lucky genetics. More often, the fit person you see “eating whatever they want” doesn’t actually eat whatever they want all of the time, or as much of it as an overweight person would. Quite possibly, they have a better “ON/OFF” switch than you do!

Why is that? There are several factors at play here. Read the three quotations below:

“Running to the medicine cabinet or to doctors for sleeping pills may be one way to battle chronic insomnia, but aerobic exercise might be the best prescription, new research indicates.” – WebMD

“Ghrelin is the ‘go’ hormone that tells you when to eat, and when you are sleep-deprived, you have more ghrelin. Leptin is the hormone that tells you to stop eating, and when you are sleep deprived, you have less leptin.” (Michael Breus, PhD, author of Beauty Sleep and the clinical director of the sleep division for Arrowhead Health in Glendale, Ariz.) LINK

“Losing weight can directly aid in bettering the quality of sleeping among obese or overweight people, according to a study being presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.” - Medical News Today

Aha! Quite a cycle. And it has a snowball effect!

exercise=better sleep=eating better/fat loss=better sleep (and better exercise)=more fat loss, etc.

The key, of course, is to step into the cycle. Though none of it is easy at first, the most promising first step would be the Exercise. It is nearly impossible to force yourself to sleep, and eating better when you are sleep deprived is torture. Exercise, however, takes less time than food prep and less will power than eating right or going to bed earlier.

My advice? Start with 20-30 minutes of exercise each day. After a week, see if your quality of sleep has improved. If it has, try using some of that to your benefit, by regulating some of your food choices during the following week. Take a smaller portion of something just once a day. Continue your exercise, and test out slightly earlier bed times, even just 15 minutes earlier than usual. With some exception, chances are that whatever work, TV or internet activity you are spending time on can be wrapped up a mere 15 minutes early.

Keep this up, adding a regulated meal and 5 minutes earlier bed time every so often. Continue 30 minutes of exercise at least 3-4 times a week. After a few months, I’m betting the pounds will start to drop off, and (unlike most plans) you won’t feel like you were just beaten up and left in the desert. In fact, you’ll probably feel pretty good!

Custom-Made Cars and Weight Loss

Recently, a friend asked me what I thought about the newest weight-loss supplement craze: raspberry ketones. Without bashing supplements, the media or Dr. Oz, I will explain why I don’t think raspberry ketones (or pretty much any “weight loss” supplement) will be worth the money for anybody I know.

TODAY is your lucky day! You just won a contest (you were chosen as “Most Awesome Person Ever”) and now you get to build your own, custom-made car. Piece by piece, you get to assemble your dream car. Cool, right? One caveat: you have a time limit. At a certain point, you won’t be able to do anything more to your car.

The clock starts. You choose the frame of a Ferrari, and have it painted bright red, with black lightning streaks down the sides (why not, right?). Next, you pick the smoothest, fastest tires on the market, and set them off with platinum rims. You are loving this! Now you aren’t just going to be the Most Awesome Person Ever, but the Most Awesome Person Ever, with a crazy pimped-out Ferrari!

What’s next? Hmm… A killer, state-of-the art stereo-system! Leather interior, voice-activated GPS, heated seats… And then suddenly the buzzer sounds. Times up. You inspect your prize car, gleaming in the sunlight. You can now take it home and show it off!

Only… You forgot to have them put in a Ferrari engine. In fact, right now you have no engine at all. Someone offers to get you an engine, just to get you home. They show up with a rusty old engine from a 1994 Hyundai. Halfway home, the engine sputters and overheats. You call AAA, and they come and have it towed to the nearest garage. For $1000, they’ll fix up the Hyundai engine for you. You tell the mechanic that you’ll be right back, you’re just going to go to the bathroom… and you take off running into the woods, never to return to the station.

By now, you may have guessed it: raspberry ketones, caffeine pills, magic South American fruit extracts, injections, grapefruit only diets, etc. are the paint job, stereo system and platinum rims of weight loss and fitness.

The engine? That would be:

1. Eating less food than you were eating when you were overweight.
2. Eating unprocessed, natural foods cooked without fractionated oils or trans fats, not packed in sugar or salt – foods that you could, in theory, actually find in nature.
3. Get at least mildly strenuous exercise 2-3 times a week, nearly every week of the year.
4. Sleep an average of no less than 7 hours a night.

If you are not doing any one of those four things, you’re going to end up getting towed to the mechanic with a disappointment on your hands that no paint job will make up for.

Save your money, stick to the basics, and all will be well!

 

FDA Protein Recommendations: Be Aware

“The FDA recommends 65 grams (of protein) a day for people consuming 2000 calories and 80 grams a day for those consuming 2500.”

The FDA daily nutrition recommendations are generalized, conservative minimum standards. They are a good starting point… But do they make sense for different sized people with goals not only to “not be unhealthy”, but to be very fit, very strong lose a lot of weight or be very healthy? Surely, we have seen enough evidence that regularly taking massive amounts of vitamins and minerals can have negative health effects. But is 60 mg of vitamin C the correct amount for a 130 lbs. stay-at-home mother and a 260 lbs. professional athlete? At twice the size and probably ten times the activity level? The FDA has to address the basic needs of an incredibly diverse population of hundreds of millions of people. It makes no sense to take their numbers as absolutes.

This brings me to protein intake: a surprising number of people have told me that they refuse to take my advice to eat a diet with large amounts of protein. After all, the FDA recommends somewhere between 65-80 grams per day; how could 150 grams be safe? First of all, the FDA makes those recommendations “based on a 2000 calorie diet”, and gives only some wiggle room for bodyweight. However, a 200 lbs. person with 10% bodyfat does not require the same amount of protein as a 200 lbs man with 30% bodyfat. Their metabolisms are incredibly different. A person who regularly lifts weights needs more than someone who never does, because they need to recover. Much more of they also want to grow significantly bigger muscle. How could we all require the same “65-80 grams”?

And so it is with those of us who intend to lose fat. There is a ton of proof that a diet with reduced carbs and increased protein leads to fat loss; besides the fact that I have seen it happen, there are more articles by other trainers, health experts and controlled studies than I could list here. But is it safe? Is it healthy? Check this out!

Mayo Clinic Staff:

“Get 10 to 35 percent of your total daily calories from protein. Protein has 4 calories a gram. Based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, this amounts to about 200 to 700 calories a day, or about 50 to 175 grams a day.”
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-diet/NU00200

Institute of Health:

“The Institute of Health’s Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) recommendations allow for a wide range of protein intake – anywhere from 10% to 35% of total calories – for normal, healthy adults. For example, on an 1,800 calorie diet, you could safely consume anywhere from 45 grams (that’s 10% of calories) to 218 grams (35%) of protein per day.”
http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/high-protein-diet-weight-loss

So keep these ideas in mind. ***The FDA is not wrong; they are simply making a general recommendation, not providing an individualized plan for each of us. That is what I do.***

Foods With Health Benefits, or So They Say – NYTimes.com

"0g Fat", but more sugar in 1 cup than a Snickers bar!

Next time you’re at the grocery store, remember than food advertizing is no different than for cars, hair products, diet pills, etc. Someone is making money, and they are willing to use a grain of truth to claim bigger benefits!

“But as sales soar, federal regulators worry that some packaged foods that scream healthy on their labels are in fact no healthier than many ordinary brands. Federal Trade Commission officials have been cracking down on products that, in their view, make dubious or exaggerated claims. Overwhelmed regulators concede that they are struggling to police this booming market, despite recent settlements with makers of brands like Kellogg’s Rice Krispies and Dannon’s Activia, which the authorities say oversold their health benefits.”

via Foods With Health Benefits, or So They Say – NYTimes.com.

T NATION | 5 Ways to Improve Insulin Sensitivity

The site is geared toward bodybuilding men, so bear with the macho commentary (“Celine Dion”, etc.). But the stuff about food and insulin is appropriate for everyone, so give it a read!

Prowling the frozen tundra of Watertown!

My Prowler in Watertown. (Straps from Home Depot!)

I finally got my Prowler weight sled in the mail! I had been considering it for months, and a change in my training venue (i.e. the old gym closed) spurred me on to just go ahead and do it. And I am so glad that I did. For those of you who don’t know, the Prowler is a metal sled that allows you to stack weight plates on it. You can then push or pull it across the ground. It takes strength and cardiovascular endurance. It’s a heck of a full body workout! This morning I took her out for a ride in a public park right here in Watertown.

It was about 25 degrees, and the field was covered in semi-solid snow. This made dragging the sled quite the challenge: sometimes I’d hit slick ice and it would be easy. Then I’d hit slush and the sled would sink a few inches and I’d get buried. Other times I’d step forward and suddenly find myself a foot deep. But I found that the air, the sunlight, and the lack of  “gym atmosphere” kept me energized, and I’ve felt great all day since.

I did a series of pulls and pushes, and then proceeded to pull the sled the entire length of the field (about 100 yards or more) and then drag it all the way back. Going away from my water bottle and the car, I was leaning back; on the way back towards the car, I was leaning forwards, holding the straps in front of me. The second time back, I was getting some serious frozen lungs. But it’s amazing how much incentive there is to finish when (a) the only water is at the finish line and (b) I’m the only one out there, so nobody else is going to bring it back to the car for me!

I had 150 lbs. on there today. I can definitely do a lot more for the short pulls and the long drags. For pressing and forward dragging it was a challenging starting number.

I will definitely be taking some clients out there soon.

Guesstimation Station

We all know that, in order to change how you look, you need to change what you eat. Exercise is the other factor, but changing your diet alone can produce impressive results. The type of food is very important and so are the amounts of those foods.

I do not have to tell you that skinless, non-fried chicken, broccoli and brown rice is considered “healthy”. But I know that figuring out if you are eating enough (or too little) of these foods is not always as clear. This is where the measuring comes in.

First and foremost, you should find either a specialist in physique nutrition or a well-known (and generally accepted) online formula, such as the Harris-Benedict.  Will this online formula be the answer to your calorie needs? Probably not. But it is a reasonable starting point from which you can adjust accordingly to personalize your plan.

Wherever you get your calorie numbers from, you will need to find a reliable way to track your daily intake. This is the point at which many people fall off the wagon. Here are the different ways people tend to approach calorie watching:

• “Intensive counting”: Every food is measured in a spoon or cup, or weighed on a food scale.  Scraping off of the top layer of food to bring the measurement within the plan is a common action. PROS: The person gets an excellent sense of what they are eating and a basis for educated estimations in the future. Results tend to be excellent. CONS: Much of the day is dominated by counting, measuring and worrying. Sustaining this level of calorie counting may become obsessive and a point of great stress. RECOMMENDATION: Use this method for the first 2 weeks of a new eating plan. You will know that you are on the right track and you will be able to make informed decisions when you are socializing or just not in the mood to measure.

• “50/50 counting“: Any food that comes with a serving size written on the box or package is recorded. Anything else, like meats, vegetables, potatoes and cheese are guesstimated. PROS: The stressful meticulousness of the “Intensive counting” is vastly reduced, and a fairly decent calorie count can be expected. CONS: If you have never accurately measured meats or grains before, I can guarantee that your guesstimations will be off.  RECOMMENDATION: Fall back to this method after the 2 weeks of Intensive counting. That will turn your “guesstimations” into “educated guesses”, and bring your totals much closer to the real numbers.

• “Packaged only”: Unless it comes in pre-arranged sizes (individual yogurts, frozen foods, etc.), all amounts are guesses. PROS: Not a whole lot. At least you are thinking about what you are eating. CONS: First, a healthy diet shouldn’t include that many pre-packaged foods. Secondly, guesstimating all the rest is going to leave you way off the mark. RECOMMENDATION: Only do this method once you have accurately measured your foods and gotten results for a while.

• “Eating better“: Simply eliminating foods that you know are packed with calories or are unhealthy. Generally adding in some vegetables or fruits. PROS: Depending on how bad your diet was to begin with, this could produce excellent results right away. The contrast of substituting vegetables for french fries will show up on the scale fairly quickly. CONS: Unless you have more than 50 lbs. to lose, this method has diminishing returns. At some point you are going to have to at least get a sense of the amounts that you are eating. RECOMMENDATION: If your eating habits are really bad and you have quite a lot of weight to lose, this is often a good starting point. For anyone who eats relatively healthy already, more specific changes are required.

In the end, of course, every individual must choose the method that best fits their lifestyle. Careful measuring and weighing may not be a viable option for the middle of the week. Sometimes even measuring for one day (like a Sunday) will give you a little bit of knowledge to apply to the decisions you will make the rest of the week. Bulk preparation also goes a long way to eliminate time constraints. If you cook all of your chicken for the week on Sunday, freeze half of it (defrost it Wednesday night), then you take the stress and the inconvenience out of eating well at work. Most importantly, though, is to simply have a plan of some sort. A plan that is reasonable, measurable and sustainable.

Fitness Tips, Jan. 16

Fitness Tip #9 – Rev up gradually. During an exercise session, you want to ramp up your intensity as you go along. Begin with a sensible warm up and stretching regimen. Then do any exercises that are more technically difficult for you (i.e. if executing proper form is a challenge). Next, do any exercises that are by nature slower-paced (deadlifts, bench press, etc.). Then move on to the faster-moving exercises (like a squat/lunge/push press combination).

Fitness Tip #10 – Whether your goal is losing fat, gaining muscle or improving performance, proper recovery is paramount for success: get enough sleep, eat enough protein, vegetables and/or fruits, and drink plenty of water! These factors can make or break the results of your hard workouts.

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When you save your fast-paced exercise for the end of a workout, you glean several benefits. First, you allow your body to literally warm up. You also have more energy and concentration for the exercises at the beginning that are tough for you to execute properly. For movements like a deadlift, which puts incredible amounts of stress on the body and requires excellent form to avoid injury, you want focus, steady rythmn and relatively low reps. After you have warmed up, woken up your muscles and joints, and done the heavy, focus-demanding exercises, then your body will be prepared to blast out some fast paced, heart-rate raising movements.  When you have completed those, you’ll be glad you don’t have to do any more exercise that day!

You’ve heard it before: get enough sleep, drink water, eat your veggies. But it goes farther than general health. It is also connected to results. Your body will only reluctantly and slowly change for the better if it is missing decent amounts of any one of these factors. A dehydrated, sleep deprived or nutrient deprived body will simply not have the proper ingredients to consistently and efficiently improve the fat-to-muscle ratio. It isn’t a gym-rat myth; it’s science!

Fitness Tips, Jan.10

Don't fall for their marketing schtick!

Fitness Tip #7 – If you often feel sluggish or have trouble concentrating, or if you have something more serious like depression, get yourself to a gym! Despite what Planet Fitness* would have you think, lifting weights can actually improve brain function.

Fitness Tip #8 – Classic exercises like squats, pushups, lunges and chinups are the way to go for good results. All of the interesting machinery and gadgetry you’ll find in the fancier gyms and clubs can serve a purpose, but they can’t trump the big, basic movements.

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When you lift weights, you are actually improving the efficiency of your nervous system. Every time you lift a weight, there must be a message sent from the muscle to the brain and back to elicit a response. If this is repeated many times, your brain actually gets more efficient at doing other things, like concentrating and recalling memories. No, it won’t cure ADD or Alzheimer’s, but I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that some doctors recommend exercise as part of the treatment. Note that I am talking about lifting weights, which necessitates fast muscle contraction. Doing long, slow exercise on something like an elliptical does not elicit the same neurological response.

If you were to only do bodyweight versions of squats, reverse lunges, pushups and chinups, you could be very fit and maintain some decent strength. Add weights to those exercises and you can get very, very strong. These exercises hit all of the joints and the surrounding muscles, while also challenging “core” muscles. So to make the best use of your time in the gym, skip the weight machines and ignore the people dancing around on BOSU balls.

* Planet fitness has a growing marketing campaign portraying muscular weight lifters as inherently stupid. Essentially they are playing to the fears of “regular” people. Well, great for them if they make money from it. However,  I know a good handful of very strong, muscular guys who have Masters degrees and PhD’s. And although they are significantly larger than I am, I have been in their presence many times and never been eaten.

Trust me, if you are a smart male, adding 30 pounds of muscle to your frame wouldn’t make you stupid. Rather, you’d then be a smart, strong person. They aren’t mutually exclusive. The same goes for women. Adding 6-7 pounds of muscle and dropping the equivalent in fat will make you stronger, better defined and yes, still feminine and smart (unless you aren’t smart to begin with)!

Fitness Tips, Jan.7

 

The BOSU: Not for weight lifting!

Fitness Tip #5 - Skip the BOSU ball for your weight training. For the most benefit, do exercises like squats, lunges, curls and overhead presses on flat ground.

Fitness Tip #6 – Think big, then get smaller. Start your workouts with the biggest, toughest movements like squats, deadlifts, overhead or bench presses and chinups. Then move along to smaller movements like planks, curls, triceps extensions and leg lifts, etc.

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Some people lift weights on a BOSU to increase core work. However, there is little to no benefit – and in some cases a negative effect – from training your core on the BOSU. There is more value in doing direct, core-focused work. While lifting on the BOSU, your body is trying to do two things: produce force for the lift, and tighten itself for balance. Your body and your mind cannot do both at full capacity for many repetitions. Instead, you will get a partial effect from your lifts and a partial effect from the core work. It is more effective to do each separately and give it your all on each.

The BOSU ball was created for rehab patients, as it helps awaken what is called the proprioceptive response in injured joints. Essentially, that means that by standing on the unstable surface, the joints are reminded of how to balance and protect the tissue from stretching and tearing. Rehab patients do not, however, need to do weighted squats or overhead presses to “activate” this response. In fact, this can be dangerous and overload the joints when they are in susceptible positions.

When you want to lift weights, either to help get muscle definition or to grow bigger muscle, your goal should be to increase how much weight you can lift over time. That is the trigger that tells your body to change for the better. If you lift while standing on a BOSU ball, however, it will limit how much weight you can lift, thus blunting the physical effect you are hoping for. Interestingly, there is no beneficial carry-over from BOSU lifting to lifting on flat ground. In other words, if the most you can lift while standing on the BOSU is 50 pounds, you won’t be able to necessarily lift 60 pounds when you lift on flat ground.