Balanced Life,
Healthy Life.
Welcome to my website, where I believe a balanced life is a healthy life. Real fitness encompasses more than just pushups and barbells -- I think true "fitness" aids the body, the mind and the spirit. You are a complete package...shouldn't your fitness solution be as well?
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27 May 2010
Well, it's official: I am now a Certified Personal Trainer! I made my way through the textbook, took some practice exams, and passed the Certification Exam with a score of 96%. I may not be looking to start a new career working for a health club, but the certification process has greatly increased my knowledge. I can't wait to use what I've learned to further improve myself, and even better, to inspire those around me. If you're looking for help, please give me a shout on the "Contact Me" page. Also, if you're having trouble getting started and think that your own situation might just be too much to overcome, I'd invite you to read two blog posts: "Half The Battle" and "You're Worth It". Then get in touch with me and we'll work together to overcome any obstacle in your path!
Trust me when I say YOU CAN DO THIS!
28 May 2010
MightyLeafTea.com
I've added a new partner to Fitness In The Balance. You're already covered if you are a coffee-lover, but I don't want tea drinkers to feel ignored. That's why you'll find a link to the Mighty Tea Leaf Company above and on the "My Shop" page. For loose teas, tea bags, all the accessories you'll need, plus some cool information on the history of tea, they're a great place to visit!
About Me
Hi, and thanks a lot for visiting my site. My name is Scott Pratt. I'm a 38 year-old husband, father, and Certified Personal Trainer who years ago made the commitment to live a healthy life. Before then, my story is probably a familiar one...
Growing up, I was the kind of kid who could eat anything and everything, and not gain an ounce. By the time I was 16, I was 6'2" tall, and a spindly 160 lbs. I ate constantly: chips, ice cream, even those 2000-calorie "weight gainer" shakes...nothing could help me put on weight. I didn't particularly like the way I looked, but I figured hey, it's better than being overweight.
In my 20s, my body started to change. It started to matter what I put into it. Unfortunately, my eating habits didn't keep pace with my metabolic changes. I was still eating an entire box of Kraft Dinner, right out of the pot, with syrup on it (seriously), but the number on the scale started drifting up. In the space of about five years, I gained about 40 lbs, topping out at 215 lbs. While I probably wouldn't have been called "fat" by most people even at my heaviest, looking at old pictures I can't help but wonder who that chunky guy with the bad glasses is.
My physical activity at that point in my life was almost non-existent. I was finishing school, so when I wasn't in class or studying, I was usually on the couch in front of the TV. Had I continued on that path, I don't doubt that I'd have gained more and more weight, until it was something I could no longer control. Luckily, my girlfriend (now my wife) stepped in.
We started on The Zone diet in 1999. It was a completely new way of looking at food, and one I wasn't entirely comfortable with. I didn't want to relegate food to simply being fuel. I liked it too much. Plus, we were good cooks. I gritted my teeth and stuck with it, and soon the pounds started to come off. Within about eight months, I had dropped more than 40 lbs, and was down to 173.
Since I wasn't exercising, a lot of what I lost was muscle. A picture of me at 173 shows someone who looks painfully skinny and unhealthy. This is what can happen when only one part of the fitness equation is addressed. Unbalanced approaches lead to unbalanced results.
We started exercising, and it quickly became a part of my life. For the next several years, I worked out regularly and devoured any health information I could get my hands on. I learned about nutrition and physiology. And I started to see what I thought were balanced results. I gained about 15 lbs from working out, and was feeling pretty good. I didn't know there was more to come.
After following my own plan for a few years, I started to realize that there had to be something more. I was eating well and lifting weights, but I wasn't getting the results I wanted. That fact was driven home to me in December 2008. After shovelling our driveway, my back went into spasm. I'd dealt with back pain for years, but this was the worst I'd ever experienced. Bad enough, in fact, that it landed me in the Emergency Room. I was given muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatories and Tylenol #3, and even with that, I was still shuffling around like an 80 year-old for a week. It was obvious that my fitness program was just not working.
I refused to live my life trying desperately to avoid the next flare-up.
In January 2009, I made the decision to order P90X from an infomercial. To say that it changed my life would be an understatement, and it is from my experience with P90X that my goal of "Balanced life, Healthy life" came to be.
Instead of just lifting weights, I started doing cardio work, kickboxing, stretching, and even yoga. I put my ego aside and let someone else teach me how to exercise, and I'm glad I did. I can honestly say that at 38 years old, I am in the best shape of my life. I'm 178 lbs, and at last count, 5.6% bodyfat. My resting heart rate is in the 50s, and when I lean over I can actually touch my toes! By adopting a balanced approach to exercise, and not just lifting heavy stuff, I opened up a whole new world to myself. I would never have thought that I could have six-pack abs, but now I do. I would never have thought that I would actually look forward to doing yoga, but now I do.
I've completely embraced a fitness lifestyle. After thinking about it for a long time, I obtained my Certified Personal Trainer designation. Now I can truly use my knowledge, experience and passion for fitness to help others improve their lives. What better way to give thanks for the gift of a healthy body and mind than to pay it forward to those around me?
Here's the best part: you can achieve these results as well. There is nothing special about me or what I've done. I hope you'll spend some time on the site. Look around, and drop me a line if you have any questions or comments.
Scott
Ok, so what is this website really about?
Well, balanced fitness, obviously. But more than that, it's about a belief. A belief that anyone at anytime in their lives can make a choice to improve themselves. It doesn't matter where you are or what your current situation is, or what obstacles are in your way. You always have the power to say "I want something better for myself". Always.
I don't believe in reincarnation, so as far as I'm concerned I only get one shot. It seems to me that it would be a horrible waste of a gift if I spent my life being "ok", or maybe not even that good. An empty job, unsatisfying relationships, bad diet, inactivity...it's easy to think "well, sure things could be better, but they're not THAT bad." If "not that bad" is all you want, then congratulations, you've made it. If, however, you don't want to settle for mediocrity, and don't want to look back on your life and think "yeah, that was ok", then maybe this site is for you.
Life is the most tremendous gift we'll ever be given. Science and history have shown us that the human body is capable of incredible feats of physical and mental strength. While we may not all make the history books, we can all work towards using our gift in the best ways possible. I think that starts with our bodies. This is where the idea of balanced fitness comes in.
You could run or cycle and get in pretty good shape. You could lift weights and get strong and muscular. You could do yoga and get flexible. You could do any one of those things. But what if you decided that health wasn't a set menu, where you have to choose one thing, but rather that it's a buffet where you can sample anything you can think of? Good news -- it IS a buffet. Limiting yourself to one form of exercise is like never leaving the buffet salad bar. Look around. Try other things. You may not like them, or you may love them. You won't know until you try. By incorporating several different types of activity into your life, you'll get the best of all worlds (though you should still steer clear of the buffet make-your-own-sundae bar...). There's another bonus to embracing balanced activity -- cardio, resistance training and flexibility all complement each other, which means you'll be much less prone to injury.
Balanced activity is only half of the equation. You need to be sure that the fuel you're using for all those activities is helping you, not hurting you. Just as you wouldn't put cheap gas in a Ferrari, why would you put unhealthy, processed foods into your body? Come to think of it, bad food might be worse; you can always get a new car if the old one breaks down.
So, what is this website about? I hope it's about convincing people that if they have the will to change, if they really believe that they deserve better than what they currently have, there are steps that can be taken right now to achieve their goals. I heard it said once that God wouldn't put a dream in your heart without giving you the tools to achieve it. Maybe this website will help people realize the tools are all around them, waiting to be picked up.
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EXERCISE
Before I start talking about specific exercises, the absolute most important thing to remember is this:
Do SOMETHING. Anything. Your body was built to move, so do what it's telling you.
If you're just starting out, it might be that adding a 15 minute walk around the block to your day is enough. If you have a lot of weight to lose, or are coming back from a serious illness or injury, that may well be enough. Don't get down on yourself because you're not doing plyometric pushups on Day 1. Instead, congratulate yourself on making the decision to get healthy the smart way -- one step at a time.
The key to making significant changes in our bodies is consistency. All the good intentions in the world won't take any inches off your waist. If you start a program but don't stick with it, you'll be right back where you started. Then again, you might actually be in a worse place; your fitness won't have improved, and you'll have (another?) failure to hang over your head that all those negative voices will remind you about. So, when you're looking for a fitness solution, start slow and build. In one of the P90X videos, trainer Tony Horton says, "Just show up. Get out of your head about it." I couldn't agree more. Don't think yourself out of a workout. Don't listen to the voices that tell you it's too late to improve yourself, or that it won't work anyway so why bother...DO NOT LISTEN. IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO IMPROVE, AND IT WILL WORK IF YOU KEEP AT IT.
Right. So, on to exercises.
CARDIO
The form of exercise usually referred to as "cardio" is any activity that gets your heart rate elevated, and has as its goals fat loss and improved cardiovascular health. Generally (though not always) cardio is not concerned with building skeletal muscle mass or strength. The exception is extremely intense cardio, when oxygen alone isn't enough to supply your muscles with energy and your body instead starts breaking down muscle tissue for fuel. This sounds bad, but it's exactly what people want to happen during weight training. It leads to increased muscle size and strength.
Aerobic -- Your heart is able to pump enough oxygen-rich blood to fuel your muscles for activity.
Anaerobic --Oxygen alone isn't cutting it, so the body uses other sources, like muscle glycogen, for energy.
If you are going to engage in any kind of cardio exercise, consider investing in a heart rate monitor. This can tell you within seconds how fast your heart is beating. This is important, because your heart rate will tell you if you're in an aerobic or anaerobic state. The closer to your maximum heart rate you're at, the more anaerobic your workout. Here's a good chart to see what I mean. FYI: your maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age. I'm 38, so my maximum HR is 182.
What activity to choose? You can do just about anything. Walk, run, bike, swim, dance, kickbox...whatever gets your heart rate up will work. If you have knee or back problems, consider moves that lessen the impact on your body: try an elliptical machine instead of jogging, or cycling instead of high-impact aerobics. As your strength improves (and it will because you're doing other things in addition to cardio...right?) you can gradually add in higher-impact activities.
A final note on cardio training: many studies have shown that interval training, that is, alternating short bursts of maximum intensity movement with longer periods of lower intensity movement, burns more fat in less time that exercising at a steady moderate pace for longer. The result? More fat loss in less time. Sounds good to me. The Insanity workout program turns this on its head by making the intense periods long and the breaks very short. I can tell you from experience that this works too. Either way, intervals are the smart way to go.
RESISTANCE
I use this term to define any kind of exercise where you are working against something. It could be gravity, using weights or your own body. Or it could be the pull of a resistance band. Either way, the aim of resistance training is to increase strength and muscle tone. Many experts say that if you are looking to build size, you should keep your reps low (6 - 8) and your weights heavy; if you're looking for definition and tone, higher reps (12 - 15) and lighter weights are the right choice.
When you engage in resistance training, you actually cause microscopic tears in muscle fibres of the muscle being worked. Contrary to what you might think, you don't get stronger or bigger while exercising. That happens later, when your body is repairing the damage. The muscle fibres get repaired, and become stronger as your body adapts to the work you're now asking it to do. This is both good and bad: good, because it means you will initially see gains in both strength and muscle tone; bad, because once your body figures out what you need it to do, it will stop improving. As an example, say you want to bench press 100 lbs. At first that will be really difficult, and you might only be able to lift, say, 75 lbs. Your chest, back and arm muscles will get stronger until finally you are able to lift the full 100. If that's all you ever ask of your muscles, though, they won't get any stronger because they won't need to. If, however, you change it up and now try to do 200 pushups, you're challenging your muscles in a whole new way and they'll have no choice but to adapt and get stronger. Switching your exercise routines is a critical part of progressing and avoiding discouraging plateaus, where you're working hard but getting nowhere. It always comes back to balance -- ask your body to do one thing, and it will; give your body many different challenges and it will continuously improve and strengthen itself.
FLEXIBILITY/YOGA
First, don't stop reading. I know that most people (men especially) think words like "flexibility" and "yoga" are for women, or at least for men who drink herbal tea and listen to John Tesh CDs.
OPEN YOUR MIND.
The first time I tried yoga, I hated it. The poses were silly, my legs were tired, and I couldn't figure out why I was doing it in the first place. Plus, I stunk at it. I wasn't flexible, which made the poses even harder. I was convinced it wasn't for me.
Fortunately, I persevered. I've now been doing it for almost a year, and I have to say that of all the workouts I do, it's my favourite. In addition to my growing DVD collection, I have started attending classes at a local yoga studio, Yoga for the Soul. I think the reason I love yoga is that it encompasses everything. Strength (it's a great leg and core workout), cardio (control your breathing), and flexibility. Also, I see improvements in my performance every time. It gets better with each session. I want you to commit to try yoga, and I want you to commit to trying it three times. You might love it after the first class, but chances are you won't. That's why I want you to try it more than once. Stick with it and make it a centrepiece of your fitness. Trust me when I say you'll be glad you did.
Apart from yoga, there is flexibility in general. Whether you are trying lots of different exercise approaches or not, becoming more flexible will make you feel better. Tightness in the body, especially in the neck and hamstrings, can affect a person's posture and frequently lead to things like back and neck pain. Tightness can also make you more susceptible to injury from everyday tasks. I remember years ago putting my back out for two weeks just by leaning the wrong way while putting together a wheelbarrow. If your body is more supple, things like that won't happen. What do dogs and cats do the moment they wake up? They stretch. Try it. Has your dog ever lied to you before?
Ideally, your fitness plan will include something from each category. Concentrating on one to the exclusion of the others won't give you the results you're looking for. If all you do is lift weights, for instance, you might get stronger, but you won't lose much fat, and you'll probably get injured as you try to push tight muscles and ligaments to their limits. Don't cheat yourself by ignoring one or more types of exercise. This is what you were built to do. Go do it.
EQUIPMENT
Here's some good news. You already own the most important piece of fitness equipment you will ever need.
Your body.
Our ancestors were in pretty good shape, and did they use some big Nautilus machine? Nope. They ran around (a lot), and moved their bodyweight. The same principles still apply. The best exercises for total body strength and fitness are ones where you move your own bodyweight.
This doesn't mean that you won't ever need any additional equipment. A few well-placed items can make your workouts more effective and interesting. And, if you are just starting out, you might not be able to do a lot of bodyweight moves like pullups and pushups. If that's the case, there's no shame in starting with some modifications. You have to walk before you can run, after all.
Here are some things that I use, and a bit about why I use them:
Pullup/Dip Station -- While there are different ways to do pullups (see Resistance Bands below), there will come a time when you'll need a real pullup bar. These come in different forms, from portable ones that hook onto a door frame to heavy and not-the-least-bit-portable stations like the one I have. It lets me do pullups on one side, and dips on the other. The bars cost around $60 (click on "My Shop", above to get to the Beachbody shop where you can find them under "Equipment and Gear") and the stations are about $200.
Dumbbells -- There are two ways you can go with dumbbells: adjustable and fixed-weight. The adjustable ones are bars onto which you load individual weight plates, while fixed-weight dumbbells can't be adjusted. These are the hexagonal dumbbells you often see in commercial gyms. I have adjustable dumbbells, and while it can be a pain changing the weights during a workout, I have probably saved myself thousands of dollars over buying a complete set of fixed-weight dumbbells. Unless you are a special combination of wealthy and lazy, go with adjustable. I recently purchased a set of Bowflex adjustable dumbbells. I have to say they've really changed the way I work out. Each dumbbell can be adjusted with the click of a dial; weights from 5 lbs to 52.5 lbs are literally at your fingertips. While they weren't cheap (I paid about $350 on eBay), I think they were definitely worth it. They also come in a larger size, up to a maximum of 90 lbs per dumbbell.
Pushup Stands -- I recently started using Powerstands, and they've made a real difference in my pushups. They keep your wrists at a more natural angle, and allow you to drop down another six inches lower. An increased range of motion means better results, so I like them a lot. Having said that, they're a nice add-on after you've been working out for a while; I wouldn't necessarily include them in my initial setup unless you have wrist problems.
Gymnastics Rings -- No, seriously. I bought a pair of these rings with adjustable straps, and looped them over an exposed beam. They are incredibly versatile and add a whole new dimension to any upper-body movements. The instability they create while doing pushups, dips, pullups, or any one of dozens of other exercises brings your entire core into play. A great addition, but like Pushup Stands, probably best for adding to an already-established equipment arsenal.
Resistance Bands -- These are essentially big elastics with handles on them. I don't use them often, but I find they're really good for shoulder exercises. I also swap out the dumbbells for bands on biceps exercises from time to time. Unlike dumbbells, which can be moved with momentum, the resistance is constant and increases throughout the movement. Bands are also excellent if you're not yet able to do a pullup. Loop the band over a door, kneel on the floor, and pull down with both hands. This simulates the movement of a pullup, but with less resistance. Once you get good at these, you can graduate to the pullup bar. Bands are also great for travelling. If you have a set, you also have NO EXCUSE for missing your workouts when out of town.
Yoga mat/block -- These are absolutely essential if you want to try yoga (and you do, trust me). The mat gives you padding and traction, while the block gives you stability when your flexibility doesn't let you reach all the way to the floor. They don't cost a lot and you need them.
Good Shoes -- No matter what you're doing, if it involves cardio or resistance training, you need a good pair of cross-trainers. The nice thing is you don't have to spend hundreds of dollars for quality. My Nikes cost about $120 and have served me well through a lot of cardio and plyometric work. Get some good shoes, your feet will thank you.
NUTRITION
Food.
That's a big topic, and there's a lot of ways to look at it. Let's start with one core concept and move on from there. That concept?
Food is fuel.
That's it. Sounds simple enough, until you start to think about all the other roles food plays in our lives. Food is celebration, food is comfort, food fixes boredom, food is even a competitive sport. Unfortunately, none of those roles really reflect how what we choose to eat impacts our bodies and our minds. What's worse, all of these roles give food power over us. If you're someone who eats for comfort or just for something to do, say to yourself right now, "Food has no power over me". Food is fuel, period. That doesn't mean we can't enjoy it, but it does mean we're the master and food is the servant.
Your body is an incredible machine. With 206 bones, about 640 skeletal muscles and 100,000 km of blood vessels, keeping it all running efficiently is no easy task. The good thing (or really the bad thing, I think) is that for all its complexity, the body can get by with poor quality fuel. Give it a high-fat, processed diet, and it will still work. The problem is that it won't work as long, nor will it work nearly as well as if it received better fuel. A Ferrari would probably still run if you filled it up at Joe's Discount Gas Mart, but would it last as long or run as well as if you used premium? No. So, we all have a choice to make. How do we want our bodies to work? How good is "good enough"? I believe it would be a terrible waste of a gift to weigh down our bodies with unhealthy, even toxic, foods. I hope you do, too.
Diet is estimated to be 75 - 80% of the battle when it comes to weight loss. If we're agreed that we need to make better fuel choices, we first need to know what we're dealing with.
For information on Nutrition and Performance supplementation, click on the "Supplements" link on the right.
Protein -- This is one of three "macronutrients", along with carbohydrates and fat. Protein is used in the maintenance and building of muscle tissue. It is made up of something called amino acids. Different amino acids do different things; when you eat protein, your body stores them up and uses them as needed. While most people think of meat, dairy and eggs when they think of protein, there are also many plant-based sources as well. For the most part, however, plant-based proteins are incomplete (i.e. they're missing one or more amino acids), so you need to do some combining to get "complete" protein. Mixing beans and rice, for example, gives you a complete amino acid profile. There are two exceptions to incomplete plant protein: soybeans (also called edamame) and the grain quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) are sources of complete plant-based protein. As a result, they're very popular among vegetarians.
If you are a vegetarian, bear in mind that your protein sources will also come with significant amounts of carbohydrates. On the plus side, they also usually have a good amount of fibre.
Carbohydrates -- Carbs have become villains over the last ten years, and they only partly deserve the criticism they've endured. Your body needs carbohydrates to function properly. They are your body's primary source of energy, and without them you would have difficulty functioning (your brain cannot burn fat for energy; it needs glucose), let alone exercising. The key is in choosing the right kinds of carbohydrates at the right times. Yes, you really can eat bread and not explode.
Simple carbohydrates are things like white bread, white potatoes, and fruit juices. They are high in sugar, and hit the bloodstream quickly. This throws off your blood sugar, causing the body to release the chemical insulin to compensate. Your blood sugar can then drop, making you feel hungry again. Studies have also shown that consuming large amounts of simple carbs is correlated to obesity. One of the worst kinds of simple carbs is High Fructose Corn Syrup, which is corn syrup that has been chemically altered to hit your bloodstream even faster. This means a bigger insulin spike, greater hunger after eating it, and greater fat gains. In Canada, HFCS is called "glucose-fructose" on ingredient lists.
This doesn't mean that all simple carbs are bad. After a strenuous workout, your body will benefit from them. Simple carbs generally provide a quick hit of glucose, a sugar that your muscles need after exertion. This is why post-workout recovery drinks tend to have a fair bit of sugar in them. This is the one time where it's actually a good thing.
Complex carbohydrates are things like whole grain bread, vegetables, and most fruits. Unlike their simple counterparts, they generally don't put sugar into the bloodstream quickly. Rather, they provide a sustained release of sugar over a longer period of time. Foods with complex carbs also tend to have fibre. Slow sugar release and fibre combine to keep you feeling full for longer. Complex carbohydrates should make up the vast majority of carbs in your diet.
Fat -- Once considered Public Enemy number one, science has largely salvaged fat's reputation. Much like carbs, it's the kind of fat you eat that makes the difference. Healthy fat is actually good for you. The only problem with fat in general is that no matter what type it is, it's high in calories. At 9 calories per gram, you still need to limit your intake if weight loss is your goal.
Saturated fat has long been regarded as the bad stuff. Chemically these fats are triglycerides that contain only saturated fatty acid radicals. What that means for us is an increase in obesity, heart disease, and prostate and breast cancer. Foods like milk, butter, cheese, beef, and coconuts are significant sources of saturated fats. That said, more recent wisdom has suggested that saturated fats aren't quite as bad as they first seemed. Reduced intake was spurred by the supposed connection to heart disease, but even after the public cut the amount of saturated fat in its collective diet, heart disease rates still went up. A big part of the problem is people replaced saturated fats with trans fats, discussed below. My suggestion is to limit these fats, but not stress over them.
Unsaturated fat is very different. It can actually help lower the "bad" type of cholesterol in the blood, and studies have shown that it can also help to increase weight loss. You can find both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in things like nuts and olives (and their corresponding oils), fish, avocados, and some margarines. Most people have heard of Omega-3 fatty acid, a type of unsaturated fat. It can be found most in fish and fish oils, and has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attacks and breast cancer, and to slow prostate tumour growth. This is the good stuff. I supplement every day with a fish oil capsule to ensure I'm getting enough of it. Remember, though, as I said above, that any kind of fat is high in calories. If weight loss is your goal you still want to limit total fat intake to no more than 20% of your total calories.
Trans fat is actually unsaturated, but it's the worst kind of fat there is. The problem with trans fats lies in their chemical structure. The molecules are straight, which allows them to stack very efficiently along artery walls. This leads to blockages, which can lead to heart attacks or strokes. Trans fats also increase the bad cholesterol and decrease the good cholesterol in the blood. Ordinary saturated fat molecules can become trans fat molecules through a process known as hydrogenation. Food manufacturers like hydrogenation because it extends the shelf-life of products. Check the label of the next item of processed food you buy. Does the ingredient list include "hydrogenated vegetable oil"? If it includes hydrogenated anything, it has trans fats. Put it down and back away slowly.
There's a lot of other information out there, about things like sodium and preservatives, and I hope to address them in the future. For now, there are 3 things you can do right now to improve your diet:
1. Read the Nutritional Information on the package. Companies are required to put this on their packaging, and the numbers you'll find will generally tell you if it's something you should be putting in your body. Calories, protein, carbs and fats are all listed. The carb number will often include how much is simple sugar, and the fat number will usually break down the saturated/unsaturated/trans components. All good information. Information is power. Speaking of information, what does it really mean if a label says a serving of a particular food has 20g of sugar? Well, a teaspoon of sugar is 4g. So, that serving has five teaspoons of sugar in it. Think about how much sugar five teaspoons is, and you'll get a visual idea of just how much sugar that really is.
2. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store. Think about your grocery store. What's around the edges? Produce, meat, dairy, and maybe breads. What's in the aisles? Boxes of processed food that can sit on shelves for months without spoiling. Stay to the outside edge of the store and your body will thank you.
3. Think about portions. If you're like most people, your current portions are too big. A typical portion of meat should only be about the size of a deck of cards, for instance. Try taking smaller amounts of food on your plate initially. Maybe even switch to a smaller plate. When you're done, stop and seriously think about whether you want or need second helpings. If you're honest with yourself, you probably don't.
Lastly, I want to mention one very important point when it comes to weight loss. Do NOT starve yourself. I know it makes logical sense that if you want to weigh less, you should eat less. Here's the problem with that approach: your body doesn't know it's on a diet. Your body thinks that suddenly, the food supply has dried up. Your survival instincts kick in, and your body slows your metabolism so that it can hold on to every calorie you eat. Instead of burning through your food efficiently, you end up hoarding calories and storing them as fat. While adopting a low-calorie diet will certainly bring about some weight loss initially, it will ultimately fail. I can almost guarantee that any weight you lose will come back, and then some. This is where the discouraging and harmful "yo-yo" diet effect comes from. You can't sustain a 1000 calorie-a-day diet for long, and when you go back to eating normally, your body (which still thinks it's starving) will hold on to the new calories and store them as fat. You end up heavier than when you started.
To avoid this, eat several small meals throughout the day. Even three meals and two snacks can be enough to trigger weight loss. You will be giving your body a constant supply of food, so it will assume that food is plentiful and that it doesn't have to hoard calories. Your metabolism will actually increase, meaning you can eat more and still lose weight. How well does this work? Well, I'm 182 lbs, and have been steadily decreasing bodyfat for months. I currently eat 3,100 calories a day, spread out over six meals/snacks. This approach (together with regular exercise) has increased my metabolism to the point that I am now eating more than I have in years but my weight and bodyfat remain healthy.
Of course, I'm not saying you should eat thousands of calories of whatever you want. The emphasis should be on nutritious, unprocessed foods and beverages. Feed your body regularly and feed it well, and it will reward you.
SUPPLEMENTS
Nutritional supplementation is a huge industry, with 2007 global sales estimated to be over $50 billion. There is clearly a lot of money to be made in the next big pill or powder, but how do we as consumers know what works, what doesn't, and what will be the subject of the next big class-action lawsuit?
The fact is, it's tough to wade through all the claims made by supplement companies. In Canada, HealthCanada is responsible for overseeing the supplement industry. Supplements in Canada must meet pharmaceutical safety and quality standards. Conversely in the US, the Food and Drug Administration counts nutritional supplements as foods rather than drugs, which essentially means the products are less regulated than actual pharmaceuticals. This is unfortunate, as some supplements can have significant effects, both good and bad, on the people who take them.
Over the last several years, I've tried many different supplements, and read about many others. There are some that are worth your money, a lot that aren't, and some I don't try because I'm not convinced they're safe. Read on for my take on various supplements, bearing in mind that I'm not a scientist or health professional. These opinions are from a person who's tried using the products as directed on the labels, period. If you have any specific health issues, you should absolutely speak with your doctor before trying any of the supplements noted below.
Multivitamins
It's hard to dispute that a good multivitamin is a useful addition to your medicine cabinet. It's not easy to get all the vitamins and minerals necessary for optimum health from whole food sources alone. These provide easy, economical insurance that your body's needs are covered.
You can find a specific multivitamin to suit your needs: women, men, children, and seniors all have multivitamins formulated directly for them. I would suggest using the one designed for you. Men, for instance, don't need the iron that is found in a woman's vitamin. If for some reason you can't find the one you are looking for, senior's vitamins are usually a good bet for just about anyone. They will be very similar to non-senior vitamins, with additional antioxidants and perhaps some gingko biloba added.
Children should never take adult vitamins. While excess quantities of some vitamins are excreted harmlessly from the body (like Vitamin C), others aren't. I've seen childrens' vitamins specifically for fussy eaters, for kids who don't eat enough greens, or who don't like milk. There's bound to be one out there for your little one.
Protein Powders
I have been using various protein powders for years, and have never had a problem with them. They are a great way to get additional protein in your diet, as you can usually get a whole meal's worth of protein in one shake. There are those who say shakes aren't necessary, and that you can get sufficient protein from whole foods. While I agree that would be possible, I just find shakes to be quick, easy, and (usually) tasty. They're a great addition to your protein arsenal.
There are many different types:
1. Whey -- This is a protein derived from milk (vegans beware), and it's far and away the most popular type of protein powder on the market. It comes in various powdered forms (isolate, concentrate) that vary in price and how the body uses them. Isolate is arguably the "purest" form of whey protein, and it is the most useful to your body post-workout. It enters your system faster than any other protein, and encourages gains in lean mass. You need protein to build muscle, and this is high-octane fuel. It's also the most expensive. Concentrate contains less protein by weight and will typically have a bit more fat than isolate. It's usually cheaper than isolate.
Frequently, protein powders have a combination of isolate and concentrate, to give users the quick absorption of the isolate, but the lower price of the concentrate.
I use whey protein powder in shakes and also stirred into oatmeal at breakfast. It can also go into pancakes, waffles, breads...use your imagination.
If you are lactose intolerant, or stay away from dairy for any reason, you may want to give these a pass.
2. Casein -- This is another milk-derived protein. In whole foods, it is abundant in cow's milk and cheese. It is also a favoured protein supplement because it is absorbed much more slowly in the body. In the stomach, this protein clumps together and it takes the body longer to break it down. As a slow-release protein (as opposed to the fast-release of whey), it's useful at bedtime to create a sustained supply of protein for the body while you sleep and your body recovers from the exertions of the previous day. I have a casein shake every night about an hour before bed. One note about casein: while whey mixes easily in liquid, you have to shake a casein shake like you mean it. If you don't mix it vigourously and thoroughly, it will form those clumps in your cup instead of in your stomach.
One nice thing about casein shakes that I've found is that they typically taste really good. They're also not that expensive.
3. Non-milk proteins -- This is a huge category that includes soy, hemp, rice, pea and other vegetable-based proteins. They tend to deliver less protein per serving than whey, and the bioavailability (i.e. the amount of protein your body can actually utilize) is generally lower. In the case of hemp, rice and pea protein, they can also be very expensive. Still, if you need to avoid milk proteins, they deserve consideration. I have to say I have never tried any of these. I'm not a fan of soy, and have no need or desire to try the others.
4. Egg-white proteins -- Before whey hit the market, this was the big protein supplement used by bodybuilders. I've only ever tried it once, years ago. The one I had tasted awful. It's a good source of protein with high bioavailability, but if they still taste as bad as they used to, I'd look elsewhere.
Creatine
This acid, which is found naturally in beef and fish, received some press a few years ago when it came out that baseball player Mark McGwire was using it. When it subsequently came out that McGwire was also using anabolic steroids, creatine got caught up in the fallout. It's a shame, because study after study shows that using creatine can increase athletic performance with no significant side effects.
As I understand it, creatine allows users to train harder for longer periods of time. This allows for greater strength gains, and greater lean mass gains. It also volumizes cells, giving muscles a larger appearance, and reduces recovery time between workouts.
At first, users needed to take relatively large amounts of creatine to get a noticeable effect. This was especially true during the initial "loading" phase of creatine use. Not unexpectedly, side effects became more prevalent with the higher dosages. Chief among these side effects are bloating and cramping. I can say from my own experience that it is absolutely crucial to stay well-hydrated when using creatine. If I took it and didn't drink enough water, I could count on painful leg cramps while sleeping.
The reason behind having to take large amounts had to do with how it was digested. Creatine is sensitive to stomach acid, and a lot of what you'd take is destroyed in the stomach before it can be absorbed. So, you'd have to take extra to compensate. In recent years, buffered creatine has become more popular. The buffering process protects the creatine from stomach acid and increases the amount that is actually used by the body. As a result, you can take less. This means less cramping and bloating. I take buffered creatine when I'm weight training, and it seems to help my performance. It's not night and day, but it helps.
Pre-Workout Drinks
I have tried a few drinks specifically designed to increase performance during a workout. Most of these involve various stimulants, like caffeine and taurine, and compounds that facilitate the production of nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide is a gas that dilates blood vessels, which means increased blood (and oxygen) flow to muscles during a workout. In a nutshell, muscles get a larger supply of fuel, and are able to work harder.
I've tried N.O. Explode, N.O. Xpand, and Hemorush. In my experience, these products work well initially, but then tail off rapidly and significantly. Hemorush has made me feel nauseous post-workout. To be honest, I don't know if it's really just a placebo effect that makes it seem like they work at first. In the case of N.O. Explode, it's expensive (about $80 a jar in Canada). I'm not sold on these products.
I have, however, used Beta-Alanine powder pre-workout and the results have been noticeable and surprising. Beta-Alanine is an amino acid that controls the amount of carnosine in muscles. Increased carnosine in muscle tissue means delayed muscular fatigue. I first supplemented with this while doing Insanity, and I immediately noticed two things: a tingly sensation all over my body, and my legs didn't get tired. When I had to stop and take a break, it was because my cardio conditioning wasn't good enough, not because my muscles were tired. I have become a big believer in this supplement. It's also nice that the serving is small (one teaspoon, mixed in about 4 ounces of juice or water) and it's cheap.
Post-Workout Drinks
After a strenuous workout, your body needs three things: water, simple carbohydrates, and protein, in that order. The perfect post-workout drink will have sugar to replace the glycogen your muscles just used, protein to speed recovery and muscle-building, and water to re-hydrate you. While there are many, many post-workout drinks on the market, I have used two regularly for years. The first is the P90X Results and Recovery formula. It has a 4:1 carb to protein ratio, which is the ratio you want after exercise, plus other vitamins and minerals, and a bit of creatine. It also tastes good. The second may be surprising: skim chocolate milk. It also has the right carbs:protein ratio, plus calcium, which has been shown to be an effective weight-loss tool. Eight ounces is enough to give your body what it needs. It's also a good bit cheaper per serving than most post-workout concoctions on the market.
Testosterone Boosters
I have never tried these. While the science behind them makes sense (increased testosterone = increased energy and ability to build lean mass), I just can't get on board with messing with my body's hormones. I stay away from these for the same reason I stay away from soy: the endocrine (hormonal) system seems pretty complicated, and unless there is a specific medical need, I don't want to put something in my body that could knock it out of balance.
Fat Burners
I also don't trust these supplements. There are tons of companies that sell them, but to my mind, they just aren't necessary and can be harmful in some cases. They work by increasing the body's ability to produce heat (thermogenesis). They increase your body temperature, metabolism and energy levels. They essentially rev the body into a higher gear using various stimulants. Remember all the lawsuits about ephedra a few years ago? Ephedra was a big player in the fat burner business. It has since been banned, and the question of whether or not these products now work at all is still unanswered. To me, these supplements look like a short-cut that no one needs. If you need a stimulant, have a cup of strong coffee before a workout.
This is far from a comprehensive list of the supplements available for sale today. The above products represent some of the most popular choices people looking to improve their fitness often make. There is no one right answer when it comes to supplementation. You need to figure out what your goals are, and what supplements (if any) work to help you achieve those goals. When in doubt, speak to your doctor.
Wondering about a supplement not listed above? Send me an e-mail at info_fitnessinthebalance.com and I'll get back to you.
SHOP
One thing I've noticed as I've tried to learn about health and fitness is that there's a HUGE number of products out there competing for your dollar. I've tried a lot of them, and been disappointed more often than not. Many just don't work. Those that do are frequently overpriced. This is why, when I find something that actually does what it says it will do, I want to tell people about it.
I will never recommend a product if I don't personally believe it to be worth your time and money.
If you're looking for P90X or any of the other great Beachbody exercise programs, click the link below, then click "Shop" at the top of the screen. Remember to check out all the accessories and supplements as well!
Beachbody Shop
Please remember that if you choose to purchase any Beachbody merchandise, ask for "PastorKurt" to be your personal coach. He's my coach, and will give you great advice and support. As a Team Beachbody member you'll also qualify for discounts on future purchases!
Tell Kurt that Scott sent you!
If you've been to my site in the past, you probably remember my recommending a coffee that featured Ganoderma Lucidum extract, a substance derived from an Asian mushroom. I drink this coffee every day, and really like it. If you're curious about it, please click on the link below. There is a range of beverages available, from black coffee (my favourite) to mocha, latte, hot chocolate and green tea. You can also get the extract in a more potent capsule form. Come on by!
The Healthier Coffee
Or, click here to go to the Cafe Britt website. Cafe Britt is a company from Costa Rica that specializes in high-quality coffee and chocolates. I like them for a few reasons:
1. You can get organic, fair trade coffee for the same price as conventional coffee;
2. You can buy ground coffee or whole beans;
3. The price per pound is reasonable; and
4. If you buy six bags or more (i.e. spend more than about $55), shipping is FREE.
I strongly encourage you to check them out!
Or, if tea is more to your liking, click on Mighty Leaf Tea!
Fitness in the Balance Blog
The Fitness in the Balance blog has a new home at blogspot.com. Please click here to check it out!
PHOTOS
In February 2009, I started my first round of P90X. The pictures below are (L to R): Day 1 of the program; September 2009; March, 2010.
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