Workout Wednesday

Holla, its Wednesday and that means it time for another edition of Workout Wednesday. Today I am back with another Tips from the Trainer! My main squeeze trainer Sam has some good food and diet tips for you today!

I come from a family where cooking is important and is done (very well) by all members in the family- especially my Dad. So if there is one thing this trainer doesn’t shy away from, it is food.  One thing I like about Lynn is her love for food and her willingness to cook.  You don’t find that often these days, but that is a whole ‘nother subject. Anyway, Lynn likes to complain to me about having to turn down the cookie tray in the lounge or she’ll complain to me about not turning it down after her carbrageous guilt trip kicks in.  Either way, I am going to hear about it.  Lynn, however, is no different than anyone else when it comes to dieting, meal planning, or maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  We all want to be able to look the way we want, while eating the way we want.  The person who figures out a way for everyone to accomplish this without the use of anabolic steroids will win a Nobel Peace prize someday.  Unfortunately, my daughter is only 6 right now so we will have to wait until she gets a little older to accomplish this.  So while we wait, I will go over a few ways we can eat to satisfy both ends of the spectrum.
CARB CUTTING THROUGHOUT THE DAY This type of eating allows us to be bad in the morning and then tighten up each meal as the day goes on.  Now each meal, we still want to be high in protein; however, earlier in the day, we can have carbs so long as we make it a point to cut them completely after lunch or so.  Make lunch your last meal with carbs and thereafter just each greeny veggies and lean protein.
CARB LOADING This type of eating is unique inasmuch as eating poorly (you know, fun eating) is not only allowed, it is necessary for weight loss and goals.  Unfortunately, it requires a ridiculous amount of discipline for five and half days throughout the week.  Here is how it works. Each regular day, you are allowed one meal with 30-50g of carbs. The other 5 or so meals, because we are eating 5-6 meals a day, will be nothing but greeny veggies and protein.  You have to eat like a rabbit for five and half days. No cheating!  Then at the end of the carb cutting week, you get a glorious 8-9 meals (a day and half) of whatever the heck you want.  This is called the carb loading phase. It is essential for glycogen restoration necessary for muscle growth and fat burning. It will also give you the energy you need to get you through the upcoming carbless week.  After your day and half of heavenly eating, you immediately go back to your rabbit way of life. Rinse and repeat.
IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) Many of you have heard all the rage about this IIFYM, or "If It Fits Your Macros", way of life. It is especially popular in the stage fitness world.  The diet operates under the assumption that if you understand your macros, you can consume almost any type of food so long as it fits your macros.  “Macros” is a fancy word for carbs, proteins, and fats.  Many studies today have found that consuming the correct ratio of carbs to proteins to fats is the most effective way to weight loss/muscle building.  The plan uses an individual’s current weight, their goal weight, and height to formulate the correct ratio. Now this is usually done by a professional; however, an hour of research on google will save you from paying someone for this (Lynn, please do not give out my last name, every trainer and nutritionist will want my head for this).  So a woman looking to lose 10lbs might consume a ratio of 40% carbs, 40% protein, and 20% fats each meal.  Likewise, a man looking to bulk up 10lbs would look to be around 55% carbs, 35% protein, and 20% fats.  So if you can construct a meal to fit these ratios, it doesn’t matter what you eat. Pretty cool, huh?
In the end, I get back to always doing what makes you happy.  My body, itself, goes through seasons.  Sometimes I look like a trainer, sometimes I look like I need one. It all depends on what is going on in my life and what it takes to make me happy. So whether you do the Carb Cutting, Carb Loading, of If It Fits Your Macros, just remember: ISMH- IT SHOULD MAKE YOU HAPPY.
Cheers!

Hope you all enjoyed this edition of Tips from the Trainer. And seriously he has the most gorgeous daughter ever... for real....

Workout Wednesday

Guess what day it is? Hump Day Workout Wednesday! Today, we explore a little more about my workout story. If you missed the first edition, check it out and link up and tell me your workout story!

When I last left you, I was post Miss Texas and feeling good! I continued my working out and eating healthy throughout the next year of my life. This was my last year working at TCU and before law school. I went up and down, but maintained a pretty standard weight. And then I went to law school.

Law school, to say the least, is stressful. I was away from home and M, and on a crazy schedule. Working out became my go-to for everything: stress-relief, boredom, depression... I became obsessed.  Like, not in a good way, obsessed. I weighed myself everyday, 3 or 4 times a day. I refused to drink, refused to eat sweets, existed on eggs whites, apples, granola bars and grilled chicken and veggies. It was boring, but it was something I COULD CONTROL! Yup, it was all about control.

I could control what I ate and how I looked, so I did it. I got down to about 110 pounds at one point, and at 5'6, that is not healthy. We are talking pointy hip bone skinny. i thought I looked so good. I also did anything to stay that way. Pills, laxatives, running twice a day. I just needed to feel in control.

Obviously this could not last. Once I stated to work, I slowly put on some weight. I freaked out. I tried to keep it up, but I sit all day long, work 10-12 hours a day and was getting older. At first, I did not know what to do and tried to pretty much do anything, but then I realized it was all too much. The toll it took on my body was bad. My metabolism was shot, I was even more depressed, and hangry people.

Somewhere in between 29 and 30 I realized I looked good, but I was not really "healthy." I was skinny, but not toned or again healthy. So, I embraced my newly formed hips, the extra pounds and curves and decided to get fit.

Sure, I still have my issues and wish i could go back to that weight, but I know that now I am strong and healthy. I allow myself things I enjoy and refuse to starve myself. I just maintain a good balance.

Ok, and now for a treat. My good friend & workout buddy Sam is going to share some wonderful tidbits with you all from time to time. Sam has a BS in Kinesiology with a certification in biology. He is also a certified sports nutritionist and master certified personal trainer. He is not only a good friend, but sometimes kicks my butt into shape! So, meet Sam!

cute huh?

I guess I will begin by thanking my sweet friend and training partner, Lynn, for the opportunity to chime in every once in a while on her brilliant and very entertaining blog.  Don’t let her beauty and charm fool you though, she is an animal in the gym as a training partner.

For my first guest entry, I would like to answer a question that I get most in my profession.  I train people from all walks of life with different goals in mind.  I would like to think that a well-round trainer/wellness coach/athletic coach exhibits the ability to accommodate everyone’s personal goals and needs while incorporating ability or lack thereof.  With this in mind, I do not shy away from the challenges of an elderly couple with musculoskeletal disorders, an athlete recovering from ACL surgery, or even Miss Texas competitors preparing to hit the stage (although, I am not going to lie, I was a bit intimidated by it). So as you can imagine, I get all kinds of questions from clients, some pertinent, some downright silly.  One question that I seem to get from them all is: What is the best form of training out there? Or does one form of training work better and faster than the others?

Between my personal training business and the supplement companies I help run, I probably answer this question 10 times a month. Here is my short and honest answer: I don’t know.

I find solace in the fact that I can say unequivocally that no one does.  The smartest and most intelligent people in this world know more about medicine than they do about the body’s physiological response to diet and exercise. The truth is that exercise is a relatively new concept that has not been studied long enough to speak to a definite and concrete evaluation of what works best.  We are all very different and our bodies respond differently to the various methods of training out there.

My advice is to try it all. Find a method that you enjoy and that works for you.  Don’t let the stage competitors of the world tell you that lifting is the only way. Don’t spend hours and hours on the treadmill simply because you see these marathon runners on television doing it. Crossfit and their cult like ways? It isn't for everyone, trust me.

In the end, the most elite athletes in the world cross train- or in other words, they do it all!  Kevin Durant, arguably the best basketball player in the world, cycles in the off season.  Maria Sharapova does crossfit to supplement her hours of hitting tennis balls on the court.  Michael Phelps lifts weights to prevent muscle breakdown during his hours of cardio training in the pool. 

So be open to it all. Develop a routine along with a positive attitude towards the regimen and stay consistent. Focus on your destination. The road traveled to get there doesn't matter.

Thanks Sam!! So link up and if you have any questions for Sam let me know and I will pick his brain! xoxo ya'll