CategoriesBlog Live Fit. Nourish.

Balancing your Macronutrients

As with anything fitness related, balancing your macronutrients is another tool to put into the box that you use to help accomplish your goals.

If you are going to balance your macro nutrient intake, you first need to know what macronutrients are. The term ‘Macronutrient’ refers to “any of the nutritional components of the diet that are required in relatively large amounts: protein, carbohydrate, fat, and the macro minerals.”

Minerals, protein, fat, and carbohydrates. We’ll focus on those last three.

The Numbers

There are two major organizations referred to for the recommended nutrional balances. Those are the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Institute of Medicine, now referred to as the National Academy of Medicine (NASEM).

The recommended intake for the three macronutrients we are discussing, according to these two institutions, are:

  • Carbohydrates
    • ACSM: 58% of the body’s total caloric intake
    • NASEM: 45-65% of the body’s total caloric intake
  • Fats (lipids)
    • ACSM: 20-30%
    • NASEM: 20-35%
  • Proteins
    • ACSM: 12%
    • NASEM: 12-35%

The range available for each macronutrient as listed by NASEM is a reflection of how your body needs different amounts of different nutrients based on your lifestyle and the amount of stress you place upon your body. For instance, while we all need fat in our diets, athletes playing for the Seahawks will need a diet focused more on proteins to maintain and build muscle, and carbohydrates for energy and for processing that protein.

Carbohydrates

These are the primary sources of energy in the human diet. They are broken down into simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. The simple carbs are more easily, and more quickly, broken down into the glucose that you find in your bloodstream that is used as energy. This is reflected in stating that they have a high GI (glycemic index) value. This includes foods like honey, candy, and other sweets.

Carbohydrates are often given a bad reputation as simply being excessive calories. This is incorrect, though, for a reason we’ve already lightly touched. Neither of the other macronutrients can be broken down to utilized without the presence of carbohydrates in the liver. The fact that liver can only hold between 200-500 grams of carbohydrates at any given times means that there needs to be a regular influx of carbohydrates to continue to be able to process anything else that is eaten.

One gram of carbohydrates is equal to 4 calories.

Fats

First interesting fact about fats: there are 3,500 calories in one pound of fat.

Don’t think to burn all of that away immediately, though. You need fat to survive. Not only does fat act as an energy source, but it is essential for carrying the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K throughout the body. Fat is also responsible for making calcium available to the body. This is because fat helps the body to absorb vitamin D, which is essential for calcium absorption. Also, polyunsaturated fatty acids must be eaten in a healthy diet as they are essential to hormone production, are necessary components of cell membranes, even help reduce bad cholesterol levels in your blood, lowering your risk of strokes and heart disease.

Cholesterol is a type of fat, too, and it’s one you want. There are good and bad types of cholesterol, but in general it is key to know that it is essential for good health. This is because it is used in composing most body tissues, especially those of the liver, blood, brain, and nervous system. It is needed even for developing sex and adrenal hormones.

One gram of fat is equal to 9 calories.

Proteins

Protein is the most plentiful substance found in the human body next to water. It is composed of 20 different amino acids that the body needs, 9 of which must be consumed in the diet to obtain. While protein is most commonly associated with muscle, it is a major building material for the heart, brain, internal organs, skin, hair, nails, and even the blood. It is essential for forming hormones and regulating body functions. It is even active in making sure that the blood does not become either too acidic or too alkaline.

One gram of protein is equal to 4 calories.

With that you have a basic enough layout to understand the need for each of these macronutrients in your body, and the numbers to do the math to begin crossing the T’s and dotting the eyes to your own dietary requirements. Let’s kick the later off with an example for you to use.

Remember,

1 gram Fat = 9 Calories

1 gram Carb = 4 Calories

1 gram Protein = 4 Calories

If you have a 2,000 calorie a day diet and are aiming for a diet consisting of 20% fat, 35% protein, and 45% carbohydrates, that will look like this:

Fat = 400 calories from 44.4 grams.

Carbs = 900 calories from 225 grams.

Protein = 700 calories from 175 grams.

CategoriesBlog Nourish.

Counting Calories? Instead Use Your Hand for Life-Long Results

By Flow Trainer, Mackennon Klink, B.S., CSCS, CES, PN1

Losing weight is a fairly straight forward process: it comes down to calories in vs calories out.  You eat less, workout more, and soon enough, you’ll have that dream body, right?  Well….there’s a little more involved.  Let’s examine calorie counting, one of the most popular ways to measure calorie consumption. The idea being that you count every calorie you take in, aiming to be in a deficit against the calories you expend.  While it can work, it’s not the best long-term solution to the problem.

Why, you might ask?  Let me  tell you….

Calorie counting can quickly become tedious, inaccurate, and impractical, – especially if you are a busy professional.  Any conscious dietary change to achieve a physique goal will create some level of stress and difficult choices.  Anyone who’s gone through the calorie counting process has eventually asked themselves: did meal out fit within the allowed calories and how do I accurately track it? How many pumps of Pumkpin Spice can I have?  After a while, these questions can drive any person insane.

In addition, you might achieve your short-term physique goal, but the honest truth is that calorie counting is not a long term solution to maintain  your dream body. I know from experience.  In the Spring of 2017, I adhered  to a strict diet plan, and lost over 20 pounds in fat while building muscle in six short weeks.  While those six weeks were challenging (yet ultimately rewarding) the true challenge came to me right after:  how do I keep the weight off? 

Enter The Precision Nutrition Hand Guide.  I credit this guide to helping me control my portion sizes, maintain my current physique post diet and, more importantly, not going crazy or second guessing myself with every meal decision.

The goal of the hand size portion guide is to help you reach your nutrition and fitness goals without the tedious and somewhat difficult process of calorie counting.  This is a super simple and easy method to help keep calories in control and to learn portion sizes.  The best part is all you need is your hand.

The hand size methods works for a few reasons:

  1. Hands are portable.  Unlike food scales, your hands will always be with you.
  1. Hands are scaled to the individual.  Generally speaking, bigger people need more food and tend to have bigger hands, therefore getting larger portions.  Smaller people need less food, tend to have smaller hands and therefore receive smaller portions.
  1. By using your hand as a guide, it will provide reasonable amounts of nutrient dense food while still providing the necessary macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) and calorie needs. Nutrient dense foods will be your key attribute to any successful diet program, regardless if it’s fat loss or gain muscle.

In short, this guide will help you create a nutritional foundation or baseline without making it overly complicated.  Most people will start getting positive results by simply sticking to these simple recommendations.  As you progress, you can make adjustments to speed your process or overcome a plateau.

In the beginning, it may be a bit difficult to assess portion sizes, but practice makes perfect.  After a few meals, this method will become familiar and in no time this will be a breeze.  Take it one meal and one day at a time.

Total Daily Intake

Men

Women

Protein

6-8 palms

4-6 palms

Vegetables

6-8 fists

4-6 fists

Carb (optional)

6-8 cupped handfuls

4-6 cupped handfuls

Fat

6-8 thumbs

4-6 thumbs

Here’s another way to view your nutrition intake for each meal (assuming 3 meals each day).

Men

Women

Protein

1-2 palms

1 palm

Vegetables

1-2 fists

1 fist

Carbs (optional)

1-2 cupped handfuls

1 cupped handful

Fats

1-2 thumbs

1 thumb

This is your starting point.  This will allow you to get in the adequate food and calories to meet your goals.  Again, don’t worry about counting calories; you’re focusing on developing healthy eating habits. You have to build the foundation before you build the house. 

  You may be wondering what does that look like?  Well, because I like you, here’s a visual guide to the hand portion control.  Pretty simple right?

Wondering what that would look in a real world application? No problem.  I got you covered.   Here is another visual rep to help see what a (breakfast, lunch, dinner) plate should consist of:

This next plate illustrates what a “post-workout” looks like.  Eat a post workout meal within one hour of your weight training or intense exercise session.  This plate differs from the previous plate by taking advantage of the body’s metabolic response to exercise. After exercise, your body needs both carbs and protein to help rebuild your muscles and restore overall energy levels.

Depending on your fitness goals, you’ll modify your post workout meal.

  • Looking to gain lean mass or improve your recovery from your workouts?  Increase the carbs in your post-workout meal
  • Looking to lose body fat fast?  Keep starchy carbs low and post-workout.

Do you enjoy the calorie counting process and getting good results?  Great!  Continue doing what working for you!  If not, then you may want to switch to the hand portion guide. Calorie counting, while effective, isn’t a reliable long-term option for sustaining fat loss.  Calorie counting is an excellent tool to gain awareness and notice treads within your diet.

The key to any successful plan will be consistency. 

The best plans are rarely the best designed, most complex, or most scientifically in depth.  The best plans are practical and can be done consistently.  Regardless of what diet or exercise plan you’re doing, the key will consistency. 

CategoriesBlog Live Fit.

Establishing Your Target Heart Rate

If you walk into any commercial gym you’re likely to come across a field of treadmills, ellipticals, and stationary bikes. They have their use and are great tools if you have established your goals and understand how to reach them, but there are a few tools you need in your belt to actually make these tools useful to you so that you see results for all of your work.

Why not just embrace the “go as hard as you can and be a boss” mentality? Because there is a fine line to walk between pushing as far as your body can handle and pushing too far – not only hurting yourself right then and there – but over training to cause your body to break down and you have to deal with a slough of nasty side effects, such as:

  • Unhealthy weight loss
  • Decreased appetite
  • Insomnia
  • Depression
  • Loss of motivation
  • Irritability
  • Increased susceptibility to infections
  • Elevated resting heart rate
  • Increased risk and occurrence of injuries
  • Persistent muscle soreness

If you know where this line is, though, you can steadily improve your performance for the distances you can run and the time that you can run for. While that’s not the focus here, the same applies to weight training – you wouldn’t want to hit your heaviest lifts every day without giving your body time to rest. There’s an art to the process as much as there is to learning to play an instrument. To understand the nuances of the process is to steadily set personal records every few weeks as you continue to improve towards your goals.

No one wants to deal with the above symptoms, but if you just keep it slow and easy you’ll have no results for your hard work. Your body needs stress to adapt and make noticeable changes in health and/or appearance. If you don’t put in enough effort, you may as well be watching Simpsons reruns – for all the hours spent, nothing will ever come of it. Using guesswork to figure out your target heart rate is about as effective as using tarot cards to determine if you need your umbrella tomorrow.

The best range in which to work for both safety and effectiveness is called your target heart rate (THR).

How to Find Your THR

Enter the Karvonen formula:

Target Heart Rate = ((max heart rate – resting HR) x %intensity) + resting HR

Let’s break that down into English.

  • Maximum Heart Rate (MHR)
    • While not perfect, the simplest and most reliable way to establish your MHR is to subtract your age from 220. So, if you are 30 years old you would subtract 220 – 30 for an MHR of 190 beats per minute (BPM).
  • Resting Heart Rate (RHR)
    • There is both the precise way to find this, and the convenient way to find this. The precise way, as prescribed by the NCCPT for all of its trainers is to find your heart rate immediately upon waking up, while still laying down in bed. Do this for three mornings in a row and average them together for your RHR.
    • The convenient way, which is still useful if you need the number immediately, is to take your heart rate while sitting, having already been sitting still for about 5 minutes. It won’t be as accurate, but it is still close enough to use in a pinch.
  • % Intensity
    • This refers directly to your training intensity level. Depending on your goal you will be aiming for 50-85%. The lower end of this is for weight loss, and the upper extreme is for cardiovascular conditioning. Right in the middle is the typical goal for a healthy adult looking to lose weight, putting you at an intensity level of 60-70%. If you don’t hit at least 50%, though, you won’t accomplish much.

Let’s Do the Math

Let’s plug the numbers in using my own information:
RHR = 72

MHR = 192

%Intensity = 75%

Target Heart Rate = ((max heart rate – resting HR) x %intensity) + resting HR

Target Heart Rate = ((192 – 72) x 75%) + 72

This comes out to a target heart rate of 162 beats per minute for me personally aiming for 75% training intensity.

Keep in mind when using this yourself that the optimal intensity level for fat oxidation, that is, burning fat for energy, lies between 60.2 and 80% intensity level/MHR.

CategoriesBlog Nourish.

Best Foods to Eat Before a Workout

Some people are under the impression that working out on an empty stomach is the ideal situation. These people couldn’t be more wrong! You could end up with low blood sugar, which can destroy your workout motivation and undermine your progress. That’s like trying to take your car for a cruise when the fuel indicator is pointing to “empty.” The right foods can give you all the energy you need for a top-notch workout and help your body move into ideal fat-burning, muscle-building mode.

Plan to eat about an hour before your workout. With the right fuel, you’ll be ready to give your workout routine everything you have. The right fuels for an upcoming workout are complex carbohydrates and plenty of protein. Here are a few great ideas for ideal snacks.

Oats. This humble, often overlooked grain is full of fiber, which helps give you an enduring energy boost over a period of time. They’re also full of B vitamins, which help your body turn those carbs into workout energy. A cup or so before exercising will keep you going harder, longer. Prepare them the night before by soaking them in almond milk or cook them on the stove. Add a little fruit while you’re at it!

Whole Grain Bread. If you don’t have time to cook oats, grab a slice of whole grain bread for a similar effect. Remember the critical difference between whole wheat bread and whole grain. You want whole grains, which have complex carbs and plenty of fiber. Be mindful of what you put on it. Sliced turkey or hard-boiled eggs will give you the protein you need. Natural, no-sugar added jam or honey can provide a quick burst of energy until the carbs in the bread get broken down.

Bananas. Some people compare bananas to energy bars. They’re portable, individually wrapped and full of nutrients that can take your workout to the next level. Bananas have plenty of easily digested carbohydrates, as well as potassium, a critical electrolyte for nerve and muscle function. Bananas are particularly ideal for those who work out first thing in the morning. Combine it with high quality protein for a perfect start to your day.

Fruit and yogurt. Yogurt is high in protein, typically low in fat and loaded with digestive-tract enabling probiotics. You can fuel up for your exercise routine while also keeping your gut healthy and happy. That, in turn, can help improve your mental clarity and focus, as gut bacteria is linked with improved mental healthy and well-being. The fruit will provide a range of vitamins or minerals, as well as carbohydrates for immediate exercise energy.

CategoriesBlog Live Fit.

Back to School Fitness: How to Avoid the “Freshman 15”

So, you’re starting college? Congratulations! The beginning of college is an exciting time, filled with hopes, dreams…and stress! You may have heard of a phenomenon called the “freshman 15.” This refers to the possible weight gain that can occur during the first year of college due to numerous factors. Let’s think of some ways to avoid this.

1. Let’s Talk Breakfast.

The Dairy Council of California states that if you skip breakfast on a regular basis, you are more likely to gain weight. Seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it? Breakfast gets your metabolism going!

You might want to start off your day with a couple of hard-boiled eggs and spinach. A healthy breakfast can provide you with the necessary fuel to focus and concentrate on your classes throughout the day.

2. Let’s PARTY

You have your freedom. You’ve been wanting this for a long time. It’s time to let loose! But be careful with the booze. Alcohol can really pack on the pounds when consumed in large quantities

Here are two tips for mitigating the caloric effects of alcohol:

Drink a glass of water after each glass of alcohol.

Eat a good meal before you head to the bar.

3. Run for Your Life

Make time in your schedule to do the type of exercise that you enjoy! If you don’t like to run, don’t tell yourself that you will run every morning because you will quickly lose motivation. However, try to do some cardiovascular exercise each day. Walk to class instead of taking the bus. It’s good for your health, and you will be more alert during class.

4. Sleep Your Way to Success?

More and more studies are being done on the quality of sleep and how that affects your performance. Everybody has different sleep needs in terms of the average amount of sleep per night, but there is some agreement on how to get quality sleep.

If possible, make sure your bedroom gets as little light as possible while you sleep. Pitch black would be best. Also, try to reduce or eliminate the amount of noise. Sleeping fewer hours, but without interruption, may be just as good, or better, than sleeping longer with noise in your environment.

5. Take 20

Did you know that it takes around 20 minutes for your brain to understand that you’re full? There is a slight delay while you are eating in understanding how much food you have consumed. This is empowering information because if you eat slowly over a period of 20 minutes you can prevent overeating. Take your time, enjoy your food and help your digestion at the same time.

6. Watch Out for the Soda

Many students reach for a soda (or two or three) while they are studying to give them that extra caffeine and sugar boost. Over time, that’s a staggering number of calories. One possible solution is to shift your schedule slightly. For example, if you went to bed at 1 a.m. instead of 3 a.m. you may not need the caffeine or sugar that soda provides and you might also sleep better!

There are many challenges and stresses in starting your college career. However, the “freshman 15” need not be one of them. The above tips might help you to lead a more relaxed, healthy approach to this exciting time in your life. Good luck out there!

CategoriesBlog Live Fit.

Six Ways to Better Sleep

By Flow Trainer, Mackennon Klink, BS, CSCS, PN1

As many as 30% of adults sleep fewer than six hours per night, which is the minimum amount of necessary sleep. If you think you can get away with fewer than six hours of sleep, allow me to drop some knowledge (also, you seem grumpy. You should probably take a nap).  Sleep is one of the bear necessities of life (yes that is a Jungle Book reference) as it has a huge impact on quality of life. Just as we need food, water, and exercise – we need to sleep to survive.

Poor sleep quality can have a huge effect on your life by negatively impacting your workouts, recovery, sex life, mood, dietary decisions, and can lead to potential health problems (think obesity and hypertension).  In fact, we get our muscular gains while sleeping. So, by not getting enough restful sleep, you are inhibiting the body’s ability to rebuild and restore your muscles.

Quick recap: a lack of sleep is associated with:

  • Higher stress levels (isn’t work enough?!)
  • Increased hunger
  • Smaller muscles
  • Sexual dysfunction and less sex
  • Irritable behavior
  • Earlier death
  • Increased body fat

None of those sound appealing, thus having optimal sleep is a necessary priority. Remember: Your body needs at least 6 hours of daily sleep to prevent the above mentioned dysfunctions. I prefer to keep my intelligence, sanity, muscles, and life.  Please, and thank you.

You may be thinking, “But Mack, I get plenty of sleep at night!” 

How do you know if you need better quality sleep?

Do you:

  • Wake up stiff and sore as a rock?
  • Feel sleepy throughout the day, even with that morning quad shot espresso?
  • Toss and turn during the night?
  • Get sick often?
  • Snooze through that alarm four or more days a week?

If one or more of these apply to you, then it’s time to improve your sleeping habits. Your lack of sleep is impacting your body more than you may know.

Here are 6 ways to improve your sleeping habits:

  1. Keep your room cool.  By keeping the room between 65-69 degrees Fahrenheit, you fall asleep faster (faster to sleep = more sleep..simple math!), as well as sleep longer.  If the room is cool your body doesn’t have to continually regulate which means you get deeper, more restorative sleep. In addition, while sleeping the body releases melatonin (one of our best anti-aging hormones). In a cooler room, more melatonin is produced = you look younger. #winning
  2. Keep your room as quiet & dark as a cave.  Eliminate all light and noise in your room. This may seem like a no brainer, but you would be surprised at the number of individuals who constantly fall sleep watching either YouTube or Netflix. For the best sleep, avoid using electronics an hour before bed, especially the tv and smartphone.  Melatonin is only released in the dark, so make your sleeping area as dark as a cave. Some white noise (i.e. a fan) may help some individuals fall asleep, but eliminate all light.
  3. Avoid afternoon. caffeine.  As a coffee addict myself, I have no problem with coffee or caffeine – whether it’s to help wake up on those early days, for the extra boost in your workout or to increase alertness.  However, caffeine has a six-hour half-life. If you have caffeine around 5pm, the effects won’t wear off until 11pm.  In addition, caffeine disrupts sleep quality by decreasing REM sleep, the necessary deep sleep your body utilizes to recover from crushing your workouts.
  4. Avoid late workouts.  Working out leaves your nervous system alert and active up to three hours afterwards.  Limit your workouts to the morning or afternoon if you have difficulty sleeping post-exercise.
  5. Have some protein and/or carbs before bed.  The phrase “eat after eight, gain weight” is a fallacy. To build a better body composition, your body needs both protein and carbs to have the necessary ingredients to build muscle while sleeping.
  6. Have a set evening routine.  The body loves consistency! Your body prefers a regular wake up and sleep time. Avoid evening caffeine and stimulating lights from electronics and instead, practice relaxation techniques such as stretching, meditation, or reading that book you always wanted to but just don’t seem to have the time.  By doing so, your body will increase melatonin and serotonin productions for a more restful sleep. 

Sleep is often the forgotten component of fitness. In fact, it’s as equally as important as your workouts and nutrition. Without proper sleep, it’s difficult to see significant improvements in general health and/or fitness.  Some of these tips will be easier to include in your routine, yet if you stick with these, you should be achieving more restful sleep and better gains.  If not, check your overall stress levels.  Stress, if not proactively dealt with, can significantly impact your sleep quality and overall health.  Learning to cope with stress can, and will, make a big difference in your sleep and therefore overall health.

There are many other ways to improve sleep quality and quantity.  Those are my 6 tips for better sleep.
Do you have any other tips or tricks to improve your sleep?

Drop a comment below, but for now it’s nap time….zzzzzz……

“Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night.”
~William Blake

References:

  1. Bach, E. (n.d.). Hack Your Sleep. Retrieved from https://bachperformance.com/hack-your-sleep/
  2. Rooney, M. (2010, September 09). You Snooze, you win. Wake up to the Significance of Sleep. Retrieved from https://www.ptonthenet.com/articles/you-snooze-you-win-wake-up-to-the-significance-of-sleep-3330/
CategoriesBlog Nourish.

Seven Summertime Tips to Drinking & Dieting

By Flow Trainer, Mackennon Klink, BS, CSCS, PN1

Confession time: the summer in Seattle is amazing.  We’re lucky to have so many wonderful ways to enjoy warm days: soaking up the sun at Alki beach or Golden Gardens, spending happy hour on roof top bars, paddle boarding, outdoor BBQ’s, or hiking and more. 

If you’re like me, you’ll spend a lot of time outside grilling and having a few cold ones with friends. However, one or two drinks can turn into 5+, along with eating like crap. Too many nights like this, and you wreck your diet and/or physique. But it’s summer! Is it possible to have my cake and eat it too???  While it’s possible, it does require some planning, discipline and sacrifice. 

I firmly believe fitness should improve your life, not consume it, and it’s helpful to have some guidelines set to walk that tightrope. 

Quick Facts About Alcohol

  • Alcohol is a toxin, a depressant and possesses addictive qualities that may lead to future problems.
  • Upon consuming, your body’s top priority is to eliminate the alcoholic toxin ASAP.  This means, your fat burning metabolism is inhibited, cortisol levels (stress hormone) increase and caloric intake goes up. 

Here’s a quick comparison to the other macronutrients (protein, carbs, fats):

Protein – 4 calories per gram

Carbs – 4 calories per gram

Alcohol – 7 calories per gram

Fats – 9 calories per gram

For reference, here’s the alcoholic content of a standard drink serving:

  • 12 ounces beer = 153 calories and 13.9 grams alcohol
  • 12 ounces light beer = 103 calories and 11 grams alcohol
  • 5 ounces wine (red) = 125 calories and 15.6 grams alcohol
  • 5 ounces wine (white) = 121 calories and 15.1 grams alcohol
  • 3 ounces sake = 117 calories and 14.1 grams alcohol
  • 1 1/2 ounces liquor (80 proof, or 40 percent alcohol) = 97 calories and 14 grams alcohol

An experiment to try: track your alcohol drinks (and munchie foods) when you go out. Why? It can be shocking to see how quickly the calories add up.
Developing awareness is necessary for any successful diet, regardless of what plan you follow. 

Again, I firmly believe that fitness should improve your life, not consume it. Here are my seven essential summertime tips to preserving your summer physique while hanging out with friends, eating burgers, and enjoying some drinks (no judgement here!).

1. Preparation ~ To preserve your physique requires some discipline, planning and foresight. You don’t need to make dramatic shifts. Stick to small changes. For example, instead of ordering a 12inch sub, get a 6inch sub. If you know you are going to a BBQ on Saturday, then dial back your calories and eat clean throughout the week. Your diet is the sum of all its parts, meaning you should be looking at the whole week, not individual foods or days.  If you are going to have a cheat day, then prepare for that cheat day by restricting caloric intake leading up to said cheat day.

2. Crush your protein  ~ If you are going to meet one macronutrient need, it should be protein. Protein will keep you feeling full longer than those chips or other carb-centric foods.  This will help offset the decreased protein synthesis, testosterone level, and increased cortisol levels that accompany alcohol intake. Aim to eat 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. Remember, focus on making small changes, such as eating a chicken breast instead of that burger, or a leaner cut of steak. Snack on cherries/fruits instead of chips.

3. Reduce caloric intake the day before ~ In all likelihood, that social gathering will be your cheat day.  Therefore, aim to cut back calories the day before. Focus on eating more veggies and lean proteins the day before. By cutting back calories the day before, you will limit the damage being done later. This does require some planning and discipline, but you got this.

4. Pick your (alcohol) Battles ~ Now that you are at the party, let’s discuss drink selection.  As shown above, beer is a terrible choice when you’re focusing on preserving your physique/diet.  Beers are like chips; rarely do we have just one (sorry, inner frat boy speaking). Beers will have more calories than liquors, and some micro-brews, (i.e., Fremont Summer Ale and Big Sky Summer Honey) are both higher in calories and alcohol grams, respectfully 200 and 154 calories.   You can have your beer, but it will always be dose dependent. 

In general, clear liquors are a better option.  Clear liquors are usually lower in calories; however avoid calorie filled cocktails.  Small change: look to add club soda or diet soda into your cocktails (i.e. order a vodka with club soda instead of vodka tonic.) This will help reduce calorie intake. Also, if you can handle it, try having your drink on the rocks.

Regardless of your alcoholic choice, monitor and pace yourself there, champ.

5. Limit/eliminate the munchie foods ~ Of all the tips, this one is the most difficult.  Once those beer munchies kick in, it’s very tempting to order that extra-large pizza or stop by taco bell.  Remember, alcohol is a toxin, and your body’s primary focus is to remove the toxins ASAP. Any post-drink foods won’t be metabolized until after toxins are gone.  Generally speaking, it takes one hour for your body to metabolize one alcoholic drink. Any late night foods consumed will not be metabolized until the alcohol is gone.  You can have fun, but you cannot have it all. #sorrynotsorry

6. Working out the Day of ~ Aim for the maximum amount of time after working out before drinking. By doing so, this will maximize protein synthesis and testosterone levels while keeping cortisol levels low to maximal your gains.  Alcohol will inhibit both your recovery and gains, so try to keep them as far apart as possible.  As always, consume 2 to 1 ratio of carbohydrates and proteins after your workout to maximize gains. 

7. Recovery ~ A little prevention goes along ways in reducing your hangover. Before heading to bed, drink 1-2 glasses of water. Make sure you get plenty of sleep.  Upon waking up, make sure you get plenty of fluids (water and/or sports drinks) into your system and some light food.  These small details will help you in the morning. As you get older, your hangovers will increase exponentially, so it’s best to start practicing to limiting your hangover.  If you do choose to workout that day after, take it easy. 

 Again, these tips require some foresight, planning and discipline on your part.  As with any diet or workout program, it’s within your power and abilities to hold yourself accountable to achieve your goals.  These tips may be difficult at first, but with some practice you may be able to have your cake and eat it too.

I have faith in your abilities: do you?

Do you have any tips on preserving your physique while drinking?  Drop a comment below!

References: 

Bach, E. (Director). (n.d.). How to Get Drunk Without Destroying Your Physique This Weekend [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/bachperformance/

https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/muscleheads-guide-to-alcohol

CategoriesBlog Personnel Trainer

Key Things to Look For in Your Personal Trainer (Before You Hire Them)

Working with the right personal trainer can make all the difference when it comes to your fitness goals. Whether you’re hoping to build muscle or burn fat, working with the right trainer can help you understand how to meet that goal. The wrong trainer can make you feel badly about yourself and leave you frustrated. That will make you more likely to start skipping training sessions. There are certain things you should look for in a trainer that will help ensure you work well together.

A Good Fit in Terms of Personality and Communication Style

Do you need a drill sergeant, someone to yell at you and force you to push yourself? Do you prefer someone who is patient and more understanding? What kind of reinforcement do you respond best to? You and your trainer will likely be sharing a lot of time together in the upcoming weeks and months. You should be looking forward to getting to the gym, not dreading the inevitable interaction with your trainer.

You should be able to quickly and effectively communicate with your trainer about what’s working and what isn’t. People communicate differently, so finding someone that you can easily talk to and understand is important for developing a lasting and companionable working relationship.

Results-Driven Attitude and Accountability Practices

You want to work with a personal trainer because you want results. The best way to see that you’re achieving your goals is to carefully track your progress with them. This can start on your first session, when you weigh in, take measurements and establish your baseline abilities in terms of speed, strength and flexibility. Carefully documenting your sessions allows both you and your trainer to see what’s working and what isn’t. Knowing you’ve made measurable progress can help keep you motivated when you’re thinking about quitting or giving up on your goals.

The Right Education and Practical Skills

Ask about the background and credentials for potential trainers. While a college degree isn’t necessary, you want to work with someone who understands the human body and how to modify exercises for your fitness goals and needs. Hands-on experience and some classroom learning are usually ideal.

You want someone confident in their knowledge but also willing to admit what they don’t know. Whether you’re curious about the muscular mechanics of an exercise or need advice on nutrition, your personal trainer should have connections with people who round out their knowledge base.

Ideally, you want to work with a trainer who has had success with goals similar to yours in the past. Whether they have lost weight themselves or just helped someone else do it safely, your trainer should have a background compatible with your goals. If you’re trying to build muscle, working with a trainer who focuses on helping people reduce their body weight probably isn’t the best choice.

Someone You Can Trust

Do you believe what your trainer says, or do you find yourself second-guessing them? Do you worry about what your trainer thinks about you? Trust is a necessary component for such an intimate role in your life. You should feel comfortable sharing your physical goals and experiences with your trainer. You should also trust both their expertise and their ability to know their own limits.

If you can’t trust your trainer, will you feel safe pushing yourself under their direction? Most likely you won’t, and neither of you will benefit from that situation.

Patience as You Progress and a Positive Attitude

Major changes don’t happen overnight. The right trainer will understand that you’re going to backslide and make mistakes on the path to your goal. They should be able to maintain a positive approach while encouraging you to do better. Sometimes, you can learn a lot by talking to a personal trainer about how they approach mistakes or asking the same of their former clients.

Featured photo source: Pixabay.com

CategoriesBlog Nourish.

Red Light, Green Light Your Kitchen to Weight Loss

This post by, Flow Personal Trainer Mackennon Klink, B.S., CSCS, CES, PN1

I’m going to share a small secret about weight loss: it totally sucks. You start off like a champ; waking up early and crushing your workout, eating a healthy breakfast and lunch, and drinking enough water throughout the day to put Aquaman to shame. Yet, when you get home, you can’t control yourself. You begin eating everything in sight, leaving behind a wake of crumbs, and wrappers, only to start building a fire pit to slow roast a small pig before that hunger strike subsides. (No one else? Just me?)

While the last example may be a touch extreme, I have found a lot of my clients (including myself) endure uncontrollable hunger urges. We spend the day carefully monitoring our diet, and once home “fall off” the diet by eating anything, and everything in sight. This kind of unregulated eating can make weight loss even more difficult and set back overall progress. To prevent this, allow me to introduce the “Red Light, Green Light“ kitchen makeover.

In this makeover the first step is to review the items inside your refrigerator and pantry. Categorize each item into red light, yellow light, and green light foods. That’s right, you are cleaning out your kitchen and getting rid of any junk food or snacks that might be a trigger food.

Red light foods, in short, are bad for you. These are the foods that make you feel sick, unhealthy, unsatisfied, and/or cause you to binge eat. Usually, these foods have a low nutrient density are bad news for your nutrition goals by containing little to no substantial nutrients. Think of these foods as empty calories as they contribute little to nothing to your diet.

Red Light foods include:

  • Processed foods (Crackers, chips, bagels, cereals)
  • Sugary drinks (Soda, orange juice)
  • Frozen dinners (Hungry Man, etc.)
  • Flavored nuts (beer nuts)
  • Instant foods (Ramen noodles, microwave-ready foods)

 

Next are yellow light foods, Yellow light foods can be either “good or bad”. These foods depend on a few factors, such as your lifestyle, food habits, and/or diet These may be items you can eat without feeling ill, or over-indulging – but they may not be technically “good” for you. . Approach yellow light foods with caution.

Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram and doesn’t contain any useful nutrients.  In fact, drinking alcohol can inhibit both fat lose and strength gains. However, drinking alcohol is socially acceptable (i.e. happy hours), and you may want to indulge with your co-workers.  If you do, limit your alcohol consumption to 4 drinks a week.

 

Another example would be ice cream. For some people, they can resist the urge, while others have just a single spoon full. AND THEN, there are the people who simply cannot control their urges and should have a restraining order against that food. (You know who you are.)

The major key to determining yellow light foods is to be honest with yourself to prevent self-sabotage. If you don’t have that tempting food around, you will either forget about it or have to go out of your way to cheat.

Precision Nutrition’s John Berardi’s first law states, “if food is in your house or possession, either you, someone you love, or someone you marginally tolerate, will eventually eat it.” No matter how much will-power you may possess, there will be one day when you will give in to that delicious chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.

Lastly, we have the green light foods. Green light foods make you feel well both mentally and physically. They usually contain tons of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. We want to populate the kitchen with as any green foods as possible. In short, these are the foods you know you should be eating more, yet don’t.

Green Light foods include:

  • 90% or higher lean meats (chicken, turkey, ground beef, wild game)
  • Fish (cod, halibut, salmon, tuna, tilapia)
  • Fruits (apples, oranges, asparagus, avocados, bananas, green beans)

 

Placing foods into different categories can be a bit tricky and may take a while, so I suggest you take an afternoon to go through your entire kitchen and identify your own red, yellow, and green light food list. Focus on eliminating as many unhealthy or red light foods, and stockpile the healthier options or green light foods. By cleaning out your kitchen and getting rid of any red light foods (or snacks that might be a hunger trigger) you’ll be surrounding yourself with healthy foods.

Focus on populating your kitchen, refrigerator, and pantry with plenty of green light foods. Keep those items visible and convenient, so when you are hit by that hunger Mack Truck, you can sidestep it and stay on the path toward your goal and you don’t have to build that fire pit to sacrifice that poor pig.

 

CategoriesBlog Nourish.

Don’t Work Out On an Empty Stomach!

NOT fuel up prior to a hard workout??? If you have not heard already, there is a trend in fitness called “fasted cardio”. A recent study in the British Journal of Nutrition supported the school of thought that 20% more fat is burned when people exercise in a “fasted” state. This occurs because when during aerobic training, your body must burn glycogen which is depleted in a fasted state. The idea is that the body goes for the fat reserves when working out a certain time -frame after consuming food. However, even if there are trace levels of glycogen in your body, it is not able to burn fat and will burn up muscle since that is quick energy.

The only way for the “fasted cardio” method to truly work is to be sure that all glycogen stores are depleted in your body. When you start to burn muscle, your body works harder to store more fat and you lose some of that great tone you have worked so hard for.

If your fasted cardio results in too much muscle damage and break down, it becomes too difficult for it to repair. This results in less muscle growth and more loss. I’m guessing muscle loss is not one of your goals since the more muscle mass you have, the easier it is to burn fat.

Additionally, for fasted cardio to really work, the cardio needs to be done at lower intensities to burn more fat. You are essentially unable to do high-intensity cardio and as a result, you burn fewer calories. Your metabolic rate begins to run slower throughout the rest of the day due to the muscle burn. Because you have told your body that it needs to store more fat, you can bet that your next meal it will be doing just that!

Fitness professionals agree that fasted exercise can lead to muscle loss along with the fat and overall, it becomes counter-productive to your fitness goals. Fasting will seriously limit your energy levels for training your hardest for best results. Insuring that you are doing your cardio in a true depletion of glycogen stores, as well as the proper intensity is difficult to do. The risk of losing your hard-earned muscle is not worth it.

Working out in a fasted state removes the workout boost you get from pre-workout carbs and you lose your edge. Starting your workouts with the right amount of fuel for optimal performance also suppresses your appetite for after your workout. Remember it is 80% what and how you eat and 20% workouts.

So, toss the fast and make sure to consume a small but carb-dense meal before your workout and a carb and protein-packed one afterwards is the way to go and supports your muscle mass. Caloric deficit is the number one way to lose fat and not muscle.

Featured photo source: Pexel.com