I'll Have a Bowl of Steaming Hot Stress

"I have frequent cravings for sugar and carbs when I'm stressed out. I literally sit at my desk and think about pizza or... my ideal meal is a plate of Doritos covered in cheese. 

When I'm stressed, I eat whatever I want because I'd rather not think about it, but usually it just ends up stressing me out because I don't want to get fat. 

Why does this happen and how can I eat to help curb these cravings without eating like a fat-ass!??

By: Sarah Worah, RD

Explore Fitness Nutrition Coach

This is a very common question I get from many of my clients. You are not alone! When the body is stressed it wants a quick fix and our basic instinct tells us to grab foods high in fat and sugar. The flaw in this is that in time, these foods will inflict a greater stress response to the body and can also lead to other health problems down the road such as diabetes, depression, and cardiovascular problems. These foods also set you up for an initial spike in energy, but an inevitable crash later.

The best way to avoid these cravings is to try to set yourself up for success at the beginning of the day. Do this and you will be less likely to get even more stressed and cave into the cravings. This means eating a healthy, energizing breakfast and eating healthy snacks every 3-4 hours to keep your blood sugar steady and energy levels high.

Examples of a good breakfast include a mix of lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats. One of my favs is a piece of whole grain toast with smashed avocado and goat cheese and a fried egg on top. Pair it with a piece of fruit and you will ready to start the day.

Next, you will definitely need to keep healthy snacks on hand. This takes the guesswork out of eating healthy so every time you get hungry, you do not have to think about what to eat, because it’s right there in your desk drawer or office fridge waiting for you.

Some of the best nutrients to combat stress include B vitamins, proteins, healthy fats (especially omega 3’s), vitamins A and C, and magnesium. Including these not only in your snacks, but in your overall diet will help better equip your body to deal with stress and will help you handle the situation better without giving in to temptations.

Examples of some great snacks to have on hand throughout the day are nuts, string cheese, hard-boiled eggs, fresh fruit, nuts, yogurt or veg packs with a Greek yogurt dipping sauces. My favorite go-to snack is 6oz non-fat Greek yogurt mixed with 1 tbs. slightly warmed almond or peanut butter, and a handful of berries.

Having a plan is the key to avoiding these stress induced, Dorito crazed attacks. Along with the above suggestions try planning your week out every Sunday so you have an action plan for healthy eating. Then, when stress creeps up, which it eventually will, it won’t be so hard to say no to the comfort food you crave and easier to reach for a healthier, energizing snack or meal.

Another thing to look at is what is causing the stress? In order to reduce these cravings, you need to try to reduce the stress.  Start to recognize the warning signs of stress. Do you start to get anxious? Are you irritable? Do your muscles get tight? Once you recognize when these symptoms are coming on you can start to react before it gets out of control.

Make a list of distractions or things to reduce the stress that do not revolve around food. Can you go for a walk? Watch a funny video on YouTube? Walk to a co-workers cubicle and check-in on their day?

Other helpful tips to eliminate stress in your life are do not skip meals. Like I said earlier, stick to a regular eating schedule and try to fuel your body with mini meals every 3-4 hours. Keep a record of your eating habits, mood, and behavior so you can start to recognize patterns. One you identify the cause of stress, you can start to work on how to overcome them. Engage in regular physical activity (come to an Explore class at lunch!) and make sure you are getting adequate sleep- at least 7-8 hours per night.

For additional tips and resources about eating healthy and dealing with stress, email me at sarah@explorefitness.com. 

Adapting to Injury and Overcoming Your Walls

Alex Fairbanks - Explore Small Group Training Participant:

Somebody once told me that it takes at least 3 weeks for a person to develop a habit, good or bad. Whether it’s true or not doesn’t really matter because we all know, in the case of fitness, getting into the habit of getting into the gym is more difficult than the workout that follows.

It’s all about doing, doing, and doing until we don’t think about the doing anymore. In fact, many trainers will tell you that showing up is the first step toward feeling and looking sexier. The obvious next step, then, is finding workouts that work the best for your body.

We’re on the same page here, I’m sure. But what happens when those healthy habits we just spent 3 or more weeks developing plow right into an unforeseen wall? What if those workouts you learn to love (I realize that’s too strong a word) have to change immediately?

For me, the unforeseen wall in question jumped out in front of me while I was doing what I do best: being a classic klutz. I was in the middle of doing jumping squats (squat down, jump as high as you can, repeat) and my foot landed directly on a dumbbell, sending my ankle sideways with a punctuating, audible pop.

Sprain, meet Alex. Alex, meet Sprain.

Luckily it’s not a serious injury. But like that relative who imposes on your weekend plans, the injury is going to overstay its welcome. In other words, if I want to keep off the 15 lbs I so gracefully piled on just six months prior, I’ll have no choice but to adapt to a workout style that completely avoids the use of my ankle.

Charles Darwin once said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” Taking Mr. Darwin’s advice, I reached out to Nate Lawrence, co-owner of Denver’s own Explore Fitness, to get his advice on ways we can overcome the walls that stand in our way after an injury.

Take it away, Nate.

Nate Lawrence - Owner, Explore Fitness, NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist:

Alex's problem is quite common.

I'll relate to you a story I often tell my clients battling with injury.

I know this girl with no injuries. She's beautiful, blonde, flexible in every way imaginable and she bounces back in days from scrapes, sprains and bruises that take the rest of us weeks and months.

What's her secret?

She's three.

 

My niece is the only person I know that has this ability. The rest of us (adults) have to deal with injury.

Explore Fitness trainers will ask you about your musculoskeletal health history during your first session.

Here's a sample Q&A:

Me: Do you have a bone or joint problem that could be made worse by a change in your physical activity?

You: No

Me: Nothing?

You: Not really.

Me: No ankle knee or hip pain currently?

You: No

Me: Does your low back ever hurt?

You: Yeah, but just normal hurt.

Me: When does that happen?

You: Most mornings, sometimes it spasms and I can't get out of bed.

Me: I see. What about shoulders, elbows and wrists?

You: I've had three surgeries on my left shoulder so it kinda hurts when I work out, but other than that I'm fine.

Me: uhhh

You: ...and sometimes my knee dislocates when I'm running but it's fine. Nothing to do for it. Just getting old.

Me: Let's backtrack a bit....

You: Did I mention my big toe surgery?

It's (hack) psychology. I believe that we want to feel like our bodies are healthy, or we want to believe that we're so completely broken that we can't do anything about it. Neither answer requires action and allows us to be lazy.

As a result, we've adapted Explore Fitness assessments to include specifics on musculoskeletal injury with the aim of identifying musculoskeletal injuries and imbalances and providing our clients with tools for corrective exercise following the guidelines of the National Academy of Sports Medicine. One of the goals of training with Explore Fitness is to help you avoid and recover from injury.

I'm attempting to convince you to treat your musculoskeletal health with the same regard you have for your cardiovascular health and your profile in the mirror.

As Alex describes, injuries are a setback. Like most setbacks, they generally deepen without attention.

We like to ignore our small injuries and imbalances until they become big injuries. Our big injuries are signed off on as permanent and also ignored. These issues cause us pain and pain causes us to operate with musculoskeletal dysfunction. Musculoskeletal dysfunction leads to more injury. You can see how this becomes a cumulative injury cycle.[1]

 

All of this can add up to chronic pain which prevents us from performing to the peak of our abilities, increases stress hormones like cortisol, dampens our moods and detracts significantly from our quality of life.

I'd like to give you all some simple tips on how to prevent and recover from injury, but first we need to have a heart to heart.

Ladies, you're not gonna get fat if you ease up a bit. Stop staring at your hr monitor and your chill out about how many calories you burned today. Eat a carrot and relax.

Men, you're not that tough. Leave your ego at the door and use your big head for once. 73.5% of injuries to males occurring in the gym take place in the presence of a younger, stronger man[2].

Ok, now that we've cleared the air a little, here's some simple, easy to use advice:

1. RICE. Do it for longer than you think is necessary and more often than you think is necessary[3].

·        Rest - do not do things that hurt as much as possible. Avoid walking with a limp if possible and use a crutch if necessary.

·        Ice - 20minutes on, 20minutes off. Don't use heat unless advised so by a doctor or physical therapist. Most of us ice once right after then don't bother again. Do it consistently and until your pain is gone (not less, gone).

·        Compress - Wrap your injury in an compression if possible. Wear a brace if you think you'll be participating in an activity that might aggravate your injury. If your daily life, i.e. walking, hurts wear a brace all of the time.

·       Elevate - Bring your injured limb over your heart whenever possible. Often we can combine all four of these suggestions.

2. Get diagnosed. Most of you have health insurance and costs for going to see a doctor or physical therapist is cheap. You may not need a referral from your primary care practitioner to see a specialist. Call and see. Again, check your pride, prioritize your health and go see someone. I routinely go to the best physical therapist in Denver without a referral for less than severe injuries[4].

3. Modify your program: First of all, have a fitness program. That's a different blog post, but regardless of what kind of exercise routine you're involved in you'll likely find that it needs some modification. If you're not sure what to do ask the next personal trainer you see what you can do to work the effected limb/region without further injury. They should be able to advise you. If they can't, they're not any good and you should ask Explore Fitness

4. . Use your resources: There are lot's of good articles such as this one available online if you spent an hour searching  Since you don't, I get to have a job. Feel free to send me a brief synopsis of your issue and I'll point you in the right direction (free of charge). Once you get some advice from a qualified professional. Use it! Do the homework you are given consistently 

5. Keep moving: Without consistent exercise your health will deteriorate in every facet, including your body fat percentage. Exercise motivates us to maintain healthy habits in the rest of our lives, keeps our levels of fat shredding growth hormones up and helps us relieve stress. Don't feel like you have to crush it if you aren't feeling your best. The difference between moving and not moving is exponential. Use your setback to work on flexibility or balance or core strength or whatever else you can do without pain. Let me remind you that of equal importance in your desperate struggle for ripped abs and a tight ass is your diet. Your setback could be an opportunity to focus on your diet.

Take care of your body. You only get one!

Nate Lawrence

National Academy of Sports Medicine - Corrective Exercise Specialist

Explorefitness.com

---

[1] National Academy of Sports Medicine

[2] I made that up, but I got your attention right? Trust me, I've done this to myself multiple times.

[3] Also applicable for your relationship

[4] Chad Seahorn, Denver Physical Therapy - (303) 892-8850 ‎ · denverphysicaltherapy.com

A Little Motivation - By Cathy LaClair

Motivation…Gotta get me some of that!!

“People always ask me how I stay motivated.  Some friend’s have even claimed that I am one of the most motivated people they know.”  (Use as a starting quote??  Or, remove entirely.  I think the latter.)

I once had a friend who was training for her first Iron Man.  She swam several times a week at the same pool where I was taking swim lessons.  I was surprised when one day she told me that I was a source of motivation for her!  Although grateful for the compliment, I wondered how this could possibly be true.  Where was the catch?  I was nearly 50, learning to swim laps for the first time in my life while dealing with a recent injury.  She on the other hand, was about to become an Iron Lady.

Up until my 49^th birthday, age had never bothered me.  I was happy as long as life wasn’t too bumpy or at least if the bumps weren’t too mountainous.  It was that year my right IT band and various places on my right leg started bothering me.  Most of my friends said that it was “just aging” and “get used to it”.  “So you won’t be able to do the things you used to do, so what?” So what?  I was only turning 50 and certainly not ready to check into assisted living.  I felt I was in pretty good shape.  I’d worked with a trainer a few times a week for almost two years.  I ran regularly and used the rower.  I was a strong intermediate skier.  I loved to hike and bike.  How could all of this suddenly be over? 

After about six months of denial, a few different doctors, physical therapy and begging someone to send me for an MRI I finally found the right doctor.  (It is common with this injury to take on average two years before getting the correct diagnosis.) This doctor looked at my x-rays, did an exam and told me that most likely my labrum was torn and that I had some arthritis in my hip.  I’d need surgery but should have an MRI to confirm the diagnosis.  Finally an MRI! Yea! 

My official diagnosis in non-medical terms was labrum torn beyond repair, beginnings of arthritis and an oval rather than round hip ball.  However, there was good news too.  The hip had good spacing in the joint so I was not a candidate for replacement…yet. 

I had two choices; sit back relax, severely curtail my physical activity and wait for my joint spacing to deteriorate until I’d be a candidate for hip replacement.   Or, I could try a relatively new surgery that would shave my ball to round, replace my labrum with a cadaver labrum (another good reason I am an organ donor), clean out the arthritis (as best they could) and get micro fracture (they poke holes in the bone to re-grow cartilage in the joint).  Recovery time would be 10 – 12 months.

It seemed like a no brainer right?  I’m married and have twin boys who were 10 at the time.  I wasn’t ready to sit around and watch them have all of the fun?  Besides, how healthy would it be for my mind and body to hang stagnate in pain waiting for my joint spacing to deteriorate?  So yes, from my perspective it was a no brainer.  There was one problem; it was September and I could not get in for surgery until late February.  The doctor was confident that my spacing wouldn’t deteriorate too much during the wait.  By this point I was frustrated beyond belief.  How can I possibly wait another five months I thought?  It was 155 days away…it seemed like forever.

I had a few options.  I could slump into depression until the surgery or I could make an effort to be as healthy as possible, physically, mentally and spiritually.  I chose to live life instead of counting the days until my surgery.

In my opinion, the biggest part of motivation is choice.  I could choose to feel sorry for myself or I could choose to see this as an opportunity for personal growth.

What is one of the first things you do if you are looking for a new job?  You tell your family and friends.  You build a network.  It is the same with health and fitness. I told everyone about my five-month wait period, not so they’d feel sorry for me but so that they’d support me when it got tough. I had a wonderful amount of support, especially from my husband and children.  I know the road would have been much more difficult without them. 

It’s times like this it’s important to build your network.  They will help you be accountable.  Comprise your network strong, supportive people.  Choose people who live their lives the way you want to live yours. 

Another way to stay motivated during an injury is to focus on controlling what you can.  I asked my doctor to give me a prescription for physical therapy so that I’d know what to work on to prepare for both the surgery and recovery.  I also didn’t want to make the injury any worse.  Thankfully, I have an excellent trainer who offered to go to physical therapy with me so that he’d get the instructions directly.  My PT (physical therapist) was open to working with my trainer and their partnership was invaluable both to my pre-surgery preparation, and post-surgery recovery.

Strive to find opportunities in difficult situations and surround yourself with positive people who cheer you on.  My trainer never complained and made our rehab workouts as fun as possible.  That encouragement and support helped me stay on course.  It was still difficult to be unable to do the things I really loved like running and skiing but the focus had to be on what I could do, not what I couldn’t.  I needed to have hope and faith that things would turn in my favor.  I knew that I might not get back to all my favorite activities but I was confident that I could still lead the life I wanted.

A few months earlier I’d worked with a nutritionist.  I met with her to prepare my mind and plan for the lack of physical activity during the recovery.  I knew this would difficult, as I like to eat a lot of food.  Normally, I would be able to work off the food through exercise, but not anymore.  I needed a good plan.  It was essential that I viewed this step in a positive light, as an opportunity to learn to focus on healthy eating with appropriate portions.  At times this was even more difficult than the physical restrictions.

My story would not be complete without discussing my faith.  Often when difficult things happen people think that God doesn’t care about them or that He is punishing them.  I believe that life happens and the difficult parts are intended to help us grow in our relationship with God and to help us become the best version of ourselves.  I used this opportunity to expand my conversation with Him.  I make the time to work out almost every day.  Why wouldn’t I make the time to talk to and listen to God every day?  Once I opened myself more fully to that relationship the burden of the injury was much easier to bear.

So…how did I end up in that pool with the Iron Lady?  I’d had to stop running months before my diagnosis and needed some cardio to keep me sane so I decided to use this injury as an opportunity to learn to swim.  I’d always wanted to swim so I hired a swim coach and learned to swim laps.  That’s how I ended up in the pool every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 6:15.  Now remember my friend is training for an Iron Man; that is 2.5 miles in open water.  By the time I get to the pool she has already been swimming for up to a half hour.  Initially, I struggled to swim more than one lap without drowning!  How could I possibly motivate someone with so much drive?  How? By being there!  By not giving up and staying positive.  She said she had to come because she knew I’d be there every morning even with my hurting hip.  This in turn motivated me to be there.  I used to tease her that if she didn’t keep showing up, one day the old lady with the bum hip would lap her!

Another way to motivate yourself is to find someone at the gym, pool, track, etc…that you see often when you are doing your fitness activity.  Do you think they have anything on you?  Maybe they have some goal that keeps them going, maybe they enjoy the exercise or maybe they see someone else getting out there and that keeps them going.  You don’t need to compete with these people.  You need to share the energy!  Two peoples’ combined energy is more than that of one person’s.  Use that energy to encourage others and you will be surprised at how much of that encouragement comes back to you.

Working out and eating healthy is an investment in your future.  The truth is that we don’t know what is around the corner.  We can’t predict our health and the changes in our life.  Things happen, stress, injuries, diseases, typically things we can’t control.  We will however handle all of life’s bumps and even mountains a little easier the more we take care of ourselves, physically, mentally and spiritually. One of the keys to healthy living is staying motivated. Make it your choice to be a source of motivation to yourself and to others.  You will be surprised how much lighter you feel.

Cathy LaClair

Health Begins at the Grocery Store: An Interview with Nutritionist Sarah Worah

Hi y’all. It’s Alex, your non-expert blog crasher. I recently sat down with an actual expert, Explore Fitness consultant and certified nutritionist Sarah Worah, to ask her about diet, nutrition, and some of the things we should know before we head to the grocery store.

Put yer learnin’ cap on. Here’s what she said:

What are the most common mistakes people make at the grocery store?

1. Shopping hungry: When we’re hungry, everything looks appetizing. This causes us to purchase the types of food and drink we normally wouldn’t purchase (i.e. the bad stuff). Hunger also makes in-store food samples more appealing, and when we take the bait, we can add up to 500 extra calories. 

Here’s an interesting fact to keep in mind: Researchers from Cornell University asked 68 adults to fast for five hours. At the end of the fasting period, some were given crackers and some were not, and then they were sent to a grocery store to shop. Those who didn't eat the crackers ended up buying about 19% more food than those who did eat the crackers, and roughly 31% of their food choices were higher in calories. So there you go.

2. Not bringing a list: Make a list and stick to it! Without it, you’ll be more tempted to make impulse purchases, and more likely to forget important ingredients. 

3. Not reading or understanding labels: Don’t be fooled by front-of-package advertising. The faces of products are designed to catch your eye in a short amount of time, and they take advantage of the healthy buzzwords we’ll recognize. For example, a product that’s labeled “organic” can still contain high amounts of sugar, fat, and sodium — regardless of where those products came from. The same goes for products that tout antioxidants, vitamin-enriched ingredients, etc.

Even if it adds more time to your grocery store visits (at least for the first few times), checking labels and ingredients is the only real way to check the health benefits and claims of the foods you’re purchasing.

What 3 simple steps can people take to create a lifelong plan for healthy eating?

1. Use this checklist when reading nutrition labels:

- Look for whole grains (1st ingredient on list)

- Avoid trans fat (partially hydrogenated oil = trans fat)

- Buy lower sodium foods (no more than 2300mg per day)

- Check for added sugars (1 tsp = 4g)

- I’ll say it again: don’t fall for front-of-package labels and claims

2. Shop the perimeter and spend less time in the aisles. The healthiest foods are found in the perimeter of the store. This is where fresh fruits and veggies, lean proteins, and refrigerated dairy products are sold. Go into the aisles for certain ingredients (canned and frozen vegetables, olive oil, 100% whole wheat crackers and bread, brown rice, canned tuna, and peanut butter) and avoid anything in the checkout lanes. These are designed to target impulse shoppers as they leave the store, and they’re typically high in sugar, fat, and empty calories. 

3. Load up on fruits and veggies. The bulk of your shopping list should include fruits and veggies. These should be the basis of all your healthy meals and snacks. Compliment them with lean proteins, low-fat or non-fat dairy, whole grains, and healthy fats. Focus on whole foods and avoid overly processed items. It’s important to note that some packaged foods can be healthier and quicker than buying the fresh version. These include frozen and canned vegetables, which are picked at their nutritional peak and packaged to preserve the nutrients. Fresh fruits and vegetables can lose nutritional value over time as they sit in your refrigerator. If you are not planning on using something immediately, go for the canned or frozen variety and just be mindful of sodium. Look for “no salt added” or low sodium varieties. 

Do you think cutting things out (calories, carbs, fats, etc.) is a smart way to lose weight?

I don’t think completely cutting out whole food groups or certain foods (unless there is an allergy) is an effective way to lose weight. When people do this, they almost always fail.

When you cut out entire foods groups like carbs, you’re taking away a lot of important nutrients such as B vitamins and fiber. Also, you’ll tend to eat more animal proteins, which can increase saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet.

Another reason diets like this fail is because you feel deprived. When whole foods or food groups are eliminated they become “off limits” or “bad foods.” This will just make you crave them more and lead to an eventual binge. If you allow yourself everything in moderation, you will not feel deprived and more likely to stick to a healthy eating plan.

Lastly, drastically cutting food intake (calories) can actually lead to weight gain and nutrient deficits. When your body is not getting enough calories, it will go into deprivation mode and hold onto everything it gets. You need a certain base amount of calories each day to maintain proper body functions (i.e. breathing, digesting, maintaining body temp, keeping your heart beating, etc.). When you go below this level your body starves and holds onto all of its energy (calories). Body fat loss will be stalled and you may even experience some weight gain, even though your calorie intake remains low.

The best way to eat healthier is to follow the 80/20 rule: 80% of the time eat healthier foods and the other 20% you can indulge. Just make sure to watch portion sizes and include treats in moderation.

My philosophy is anything can fit into a healthy diet. Variety is the key to getting all of the nutrients you need. And splurging every once in a while, while keeping portions in check, can help prevent the feeling of deprivation and can be more effective in keeping you on track with a nutritious eating plan.

If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, sign up for our next Nutrition Lecture on May 24th! Sign up here.

What are you eating for dinner tonight?

Grilled Buffalo Burgers on a 100% Whole-Wheat bun, with a baked sweet potato and grilled asparagus.

Yum. For more information or to get help with your own nutrition plan, please contact Sarah Worah at sarah.worah@gmail.com. 

“Record What You Eat. Weep. Repeat.”

Don’t Eat That. You’re Being Watched.

Hi, this is Alex again. Isn’t it funny how aware of your own habits you become when you know
someone else is watching?

Case in Point: this past weekend I had to perform the daunting task of recording every single
calorie I ate and drank, every day for three days, as part of the Summer Shape Up Challenge.

According to Explore Fitness nutrition consultant Sarah Worah, who will be vetting my dairy
entries in the coming days, “Those who record their food intake do better at losing weight and
keeping it off. They tend to eat healthier, too.”

In other words, the idea behind this diary exercise was to help me begin the process of enacting
long-term, permanent, changes in my life.

But truth be told, I didn’t do as well as I had planned with this process. What I though would
be a piece of cake ended up being more complicated, and I still ended up making some poor
diet choices: I drank more beer when I knew it was proportionate to a few more minutes on the
treadmill; I ate a second brownie at the risk of gaining more body fat; I had second helpings of
food when the first serving was plenty.

By the time I was done with the three-day activity, it was obvious that the whole “keeping track
of my diet” thing was going to take some getting used to. However, I should mention here that it
wasn’t a complete disaster.

Apart from my obvious mistakes, I did watch my consumption more carefully than usual. I
knew Sarah was going to be combing through my nutritional intake with scrutiny, so I made an
attempt to plan out my meals more effectively. That’s a big step. And if I make that a permanent
frame of mind, I could make some serious progress over the next year. (Fingers crossed.)

This was the first of three diet-tracking opportunities I must complete during the challenge, so I’ll
let you know how the next one goes. At that time I should be able to lend a few simple nutrition
tips that I learn in the process.

How to Start Tracking Your Diet
If you’re curious about ways you can track your diet, visit MyFitnessPal.com and/or download
the mobile app. The obvious next step would be to speak with a nutritionist, like Sarah Worah
http://explorefitness.com/bio_nutrition.html, who can help you get started with a personalized diet plan.

Honey, Who’s the Chubby Man in the Mirror?

Hi, I’m Alex. I’d like to quickly introduce myself, then I’ll tell you why I’m crashing this blog.

Honey, Who’s the Chubby Man in the Mirror?

As recently as 4 months ago, I was your basic American cocktail of health hazards: overweight, in my thirties, working a desk job, eating delicious but unhealthy food, and enjoying the best microbrews in the country.

I was having a great time getting fat, but I couldn’t even recognize the bloated body in the mirror. Just two years prior I was a healthy, thin groom at my wedding. The person I came to see every day in my reflection definitely wasn’t him anymore.

It was finally when I walked up a few flight of stairs and couldn’t catch my breath for at least 5 minutes that I realized I was at a precipice. A familiar voice inside my head screamed louder than ever, Do something, do something! And I finally listened.

Goodbye, Large Cat. Goodbye.

Today, thanks to the guys at Explore Fitness, I’m currently 15 pounds lighter than my previous form…that’s like a large cat made of fat just climbed right off my body. And now I’m only momentarily out of breath after several flights of stairs. Yay.

So that’s me—the lighter, healthier version of a fat guy who still loves great food and microbrews.

Great, So Why Am I Reading This Again?

I’m going to occasionally crash by this blog to catalogue a few of my personal experiences throughout the Explore Fitness Summer Shape Up Challenge (or as I call it: the 2-month long journey through fat-burning hellfire).

At the request of the Explore Fitness team, I’m going to offer you readers the flabby voice of the love-handled laymen, the recipient of the workout punishment, the complete opposite of the fitness experts you normally hear from on this blog.

But I promise not to blather on about myself in future posts. I’ll also lend a few nuggets of pertinent information that I’ll glean throughout the process of the challenge—things like surprising nutrition facts and fitness tips.

Stay tuned. I’ll be in touch.

Alex

Physics of Fat Loss (Should women run?)

Should Women Stop Running?

“I watch my friend Jessica running on the treadmill — day after day, year after year—like a madwoman, and going nowhere. Her body seems to get softer with every mile [...] actually, she’s gotten fatter,” proclaims fitness expert and Dangerously Hardcore blogger DH Kiefer in his recent article, Why Women Should Not Run.

The article, which pushes for the end of “solid-state cardio” — a fancy term for maintaining a consistent pace on a single machine, like a treadmill, for long periods of time — is causing quite a stir online, as well as with a few of my clients.  

 

In fact, I received this email just a few days ago:

"I’ve seen this article floating around (mostly on my crossfit friend’s fb pages) and I finally read it.  What are your thoughts on this?  I could see if all you did was 2+ hours of steady cardio a day, didn’t lift and didn’t eat right (starving yourself) that this could be bad but I can’t think that doing the occasional 3.5 hour bike ride once or twice a week is actually increasing fat storage.  Also, I do know some fit female runners and bikers but they are also very healthy eaters too.  What’s the deal, crossfit cult propaganda??"

Here's my response:

DH Kiefer is essentially correct, and it looks like he's done some great research, yet he fails to provide any real solutions to the problem.

I know a lot of people who are like Jessica, the article’s scapegoat, whose fitness program consists of medium pace, medium distance, medium heart rate cardio, periods of starvation, periods of gluttony, and no resistance training. And I agree: That’s a surefire recipe to slow down metabolism and increase body fat. As the article mentions, this type of training can also lead to hypothyroidism, a common condition among women especially.

To help explain my take on the subject, let’s do a quick break down fat and weight loss.

Let’s say one pound of fat contains an even 3500 calories worth of energy. If you want to lose one pound of fat in one week, you have to burn 500 calories more per day than you eat. Simple enough, right?

But the way you burn off that pound is crucial, especially over the long term. If you eat less and do solid-state cardio for extended periods of time, your body will actually reduce its Base Metabolic Rate (how much energy it takes for you to live while resting) in response to your decreased calorie intake and increased activity, or Active Metabolic Expenditure (AME).

This is a basic function of human survival. It’s essential for your body to conserve energy, or fat, when expenditure is high and resources are lacking.

Though Mr. Kiefer and I would agree on this issue, I disagree with his prescription to terminate all solid-state cardio. As my client mentioned, there are many avid runners and bikers who regularly incorporate solid-state cardio into their lifestyle, and many show no signs of hypothyroidism. It’s important to note that a person’s genes also play a role in how our bodies regulate metabolism, so it’s difficult to paint the issue with a broad stroke.

For these reasons, I believe these tactics make for a better course of action than simply ending your cardio:

1. Eat well and eat regularly.  Make sure to eat every 2-3 hours. This helps regulate your insulin levels and keeps your metabolism purring along like a well-oiled machine. But don’t just eat any food; eat the right food. Want to know what the right foods are? The Explore Fitness Summer Shape Up Challenge would be a great start. The competition includes 4 nutrition seminars and a trip to the grocery store: http://explorefitness.com/summer_shape_up.html

2. Pick up heavy things, then put them back down. Functional lifting produces an endocrine (hormonal) response that helps you to build muscle. This muscle-building process increases your metabolism and helps you burn fat throughout the day. Think of lifting as an investment that earns, even when you're not working.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR THE LADIES: You won't get huge from lifting weights. That’s a myth. People with massive muscles work out for hours and take all sorts of dangerous steroids and weird supplements to look like that. Yes you will notice growth in your muscles, but this won't make you look weird (it will make you look and feel hot). 

3. Do workouts that increase Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC). EPOC is a process in your blood where oxygen is depleted during exercise, then replenished after your workout. This “afterburn” effect elevates your metabolism and improves your body's capacity to utilize oxygen and burn fat. Workouts that boost your EPOC include: Tabata, High Intensity Interval Training, CrossFit, and many other great workouts you can find, and join, here: http://explorefitness.com/programs.html.

4. Something > Nothing! Mr. Kiefer’s argument that traditional, solid-state "cardio" is less effective than HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is correct, but women shouldn’t feel like they have to jettison running and other activities altogether. If you’re trying to lose fat, try balancing your longs runs and rides with higher intensity cardiovascular workouts, and work in the weights (see #2 above). The fact that you’re doing some sort of physical activity is a benefit to your health, no matter what anybody says. Just be sensible and try to add more diversity to your workouts whenever you can.

Hope that helps clear things up a little. If it doesn’t, shoot me a message at nate@explorefitness.com.

In good health,

Nate Lawrence

CPT - CES - CSCS

explorefitness.com