Month: September 2017

Ever get frustrated by plateaus in your progress?  These can be the result of poor programming, but periods of maintenance or stability may be necessary for long-term progress.

In The Renaissance Diet, Dr. Mike Israetel et al. identify “8 realities of physiology” to consider in attempting to alter body composition.  These are:

“1.) People tend to want to gain muscle and lose fat over time.

2.) The conditions that best promote muscle gain and fat loss are so different; attempting them simultaneously is highly inefficient.

3.) Muscle is easier to maintain than it is to gain.

4.) Fat is easier to lose than muscle is to gain.

5.) Attempting to gain muscle continuously for too long results in an exponentially higher fat gain.

6.) Attempting to lose fat continuously for too long results in an exponentially higher muscle loss risk.

7.) Resuming unrestricted eating after a fat loss phase or weight gain phase results in a return to the previous bodyweight if unchecked.

8.) Attempting to lose fat right after new muscle gain, without holding onto the new muscle for some time results in higher risk of muscle loss during the fat loss.”

These suggest that one should not expect changes in body composition to be linear.  More specifically, these suggest that our approach to weight management should not be linear.  In other words, one cannot expect to keep losing fat without affecting muscle mass, and one cannot expect to keep gaining lean muscle without adding a little fat.  One cannot simultaneously gain muscle and lose fat, per se.  (This becomes more the case as one moves toward a more “athletic” body composition.  When one is significantly overfat, it is possible to add some muscle while losing fat, but attempting so is less ideal.)  Thus, in attempting to alter body composition, one must consider nutritional periodization.

Periodization, simply put, is the practice of cycling the exercise (or diet) over a period of time to optimize the physiological adaptations.  For the physique athlete or an athlete (e.g., a wrestler) whose body composition is a critical factor in performance, nutritional periodization is every bit as important as the cycling of hypertrophy, strength, and/or power components of resistance training.  For those of us looking to make long-term and lasting changes to our bodies, nutritional periodization is also of some importance. In a nutshell, we want to optimize the time spent in a hypocaloric, isocaloric, or hypercaloric state.

Bodybuilders are no strangers to the concept of “cutting”—i.e., the periodization phase during which lean tissue is maintained and fat is lost.  They also understand that gaining muscle also comes at a cost of adding fat.  For bodybuilders, there will be periods during which they are extremely hypercaloric in an effort to pack on muscle (Note: this requires intensive training, not just eating!), and there will be periods during which they are extremely hypocaloric to lose every bit of fat possible.

According to Mike Israetel et al., “At the end of the mass phase, we’re in the position of having acquired some new muscle gains, but with fat gains as well. Because our long-term goal is to gain more muscle but not fat, we’ll have to do something about the fat stores that have accumulated. However, the fat stores will have to wait, as dieting down right after new muscle gain seems to put that new muscle at disproportionate risk of loss. Because of this reality, we must hold our diet isocaloric for several (at least one) months and allow our set points for both bodyweight and muscle to rise up to meet our current state of muscularity. This phase is generally termed the ‘maintenance phase.’”

After this maintenance phase, our risk of losing muscle has minimized and one is now ready to lose or “cut” fat.  Prolonged periods of fat loss, however, run a risk of losing lean mass.  So, one should not attempt to lose weight over too long of a period.

Now, considering that most of us are not interested in adding a significant amount of muscle mass (i.e., are not bodybuilders), we might not need to undergo a “mass phase”.  As such, one would need to focus on cycling between hypocaloric and isocaloric periods.  These need not be over-complicated, nor overly strict.  Indeed, it is probably wise to plan these around holidays and special events.  For example, one might diet for the three months leading up to Thanksgiving through January 1, and remain (over all) isocaloric through the holidays.

As a general rule, I would recommend cycles of 2- to 3-month hypo- or hypercaloric phases with a 1-month isocaloric phase.   The bodybuilder will generally go through 3:1:3 cycle of massing, maintaining, and cutting.  The less ambitious of us might see favorable results with a 3:1 cycle of fat loss followed by maintenance.  As we near our goals, the extent to which we increase or decrease our calories may lessen.

A well-centered, healthy approach to weight management is to maintain an optimal body composition over time.  Once we lose the unwanted fat and add a comfortable amount of muscle, occasional variations in body weight can be expected and are not cause for concern.  One’s long-term goals will most impact the nutritional periodization plan.  Ideally, we just want it to be simple and effective.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow!

Carpe momento!

Is it just me, or does everyone seem offended?  Why is this?

Politics are getting into everything.  I am fine with everyone having an opinion.  I am fine with people sharing theirs.  What upsets me is that our communities are becoming increasingly polarized.

The POTUS is calling NFL players “sons of bitches”.  I read a rather disrespectful letter to the FLOTUS rejecting books that were sent to a Cambridge, Massachusetts, librarian for what may have be justifiable reasons, but, nonetheless, inappropriate.  Standing.  Kneeling. Black. White.  Police.  Civilian.  Republican.  Democrat.  Rich. Poor.  Legal. Illegal.  The list goes on and on.  I can take a side or not.  It doesn’t matter.

The point is that we can have differing views without disrespecting our neighbor.  So, maybe it is time to stop running off at the mouth and listen.  As the saying goes: “God gave us two ears and one mouth.  Use them in proportion.”

Abraham Lincoln said, “I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.” We should do the same.  Dialogue.  We need some good ol’ fashion dialogue to right things in our community.

Carpe momento.

Unfortunately, most of us have to work for a living.  Work can present quite a challenge to our “healthy” lifestyles.  It can, but we have to remember who is in control.

Now, some might think they are not in control.  I can hear the excuses.  They all start with a big “but.”.  (I nice intended pun, if I might say so.)

The truth is, the only one controlling our behavior is us.  No one or nothing else really controls us—unless we allow.

We can name all the behavioral change theories at work here, but what it comes down to is what we decide for ourselves.  This isn’t easy, of course, but it is life, after all.

“Locus of control” is the extent to which one believes (s)he has control over one’s life.  People with an external locus of control blame outside forces for everything, whereas people with an internal locus of control believe that they have control over what happens to them.  Locus of control falls somewhere along a continuum and can be situational.  When it comes down to it, though, we are responsible for determining who or what controls us.

So, when work (or life, in general) is overwhelming, we can succumb to its efforts to sabotage our healthy habits, or we can take the wheel.  It takes effort and discipline on our part to not spin out of control and let go of our diet and exercise routine.

How do we take control?  By maintaining it in the first place. Plan.  Schedule the day.  Prioritize!  Remember: “opportunity costs”.

Work is important.  (Please, don’t lose your job over your scheduled exercise!)  But, even when we are most busy, we can find some time to exercise.  And, diet?  Don’t make excuses for stress eating.  Stress doesn’t buy the bag of chips.  Stress doesn’t put the quarters in the vending machine.

Look, I get it.  I eat when I get stressed, too.  The key is to make the healthier foods more available.  Sugar is a deceiver—and somewhat of an out-of-control habit.  Recently, Men’s Fitness published “Eat to Beat Stress: 10 Foods that Reduce Stress”*.  These included: asparagus, avocado, blueberries, milk, almonds, oranges, salmon, spinach, turkey, and oatmeal.  Now few of these I would see as quick snack foods that one might keep handy at work, and I was surprised (maybe it was wishful thinking) that chocolate (dark chocolate) was not on the list.  Other lists often include cashews, as well as dark chocolate.  Nuts and dark chocolate are easy to keep handy.

Obviously, we still need to consider total calories.  Too many healthy calories will make you just as fat as too many empty calories.  The risk of getting fat on healthy “stress” food, though is better than getting fat on empty sugar calories.  And, in reality, you are more likely to overeat sugary foods than healthy fats.  So, M&Ms or almonds?  Go for the almonds.

When stress is at its worst (and even when you aren’t stressed) keep a drawer full of healthy snacks in your desk.  Prohibit, as best you can, the office candy dish or donuts in the breakroom.  Bring your lunch, if you can avoid eating out.  If you must have lunch meetings at a restaurant, choose wisely.

Avoid excessive alcohol when stressed.  If you do have a drink, be wary of calories.

Coffee?  In moderation, of course.  Perhaps, consider starting the day with a tablespoon of grass-fed butter and/or coconut oil in your coffee.  The health benefits are arguable, but, for curbing appetite while delivering a needed kick-start, this can help.  It is certainly better than coffee and a Danish in the morning.

And don’t forget to include activity in your day.  Plan alternatives for when your normal routine is disrupted.  Even less in more than nothing.  When you are stressed by work, exercise is all the more important.  Don’t have the time?  Baloney!!!  Consider the time-wasters in your “stressful” day and allow time for exercise—even if it is only 15-30 minutes.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

*http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-eat/eat-to-beat-stress-10-foods-that-reduce-anxiety/slideshow

I frequently see advertisements for nutritional supplements that promise tremendous gains (or losses, if such is the case).  The reality is that most supplements do very little, if anything.  Gains (or losses) come from hard work and consistency.  Unfortunately, many trust the ads more than the knowledge of informed trainers.

There are a few nutritional supplements that can be effective.  These are: protein, carbohydrate, water, creatine, and caffeine (stimulant). These have the greatest support in the scientific literature.  Most anything else?  Well, buyer beware.

Be wary of products that claim to be “scientifically proven”.  A few studies (often performed in-house or funded by the supplement company) “prove” little.  Indeed, scientific research proves nothing.  Scientific evidence is based on probabilities—these are reported as “p-values” or the probability that a difference observed in response to a treatment is due to anything other than chance.  A common level of acceptable chance (µ-level) is 0.05 (or 5%).  As the result of a treatment, there is never 0% chance that a difference is due to chance.  Even if the probability is within an acceptable range, i.e., statistically significant, it might not be practically significant.

The effectiveness of a supplement may be statistically significant, but may still be small—and, thus, negligible.  Many ads will claim that the supplement is some tremendous percentage more effective than a placebo.  For example, Supplement X may be “scientifically proven to result in 1000% more fat loss than the placebo.”  Now, think about this.  If a placebo is inert—non-effective, as one should be—there should be no effect.  What is 1000% of a very small number?  That is correct—another very small number.  (One-thousand percent of near zero is still near zero.)  So, when you see such claims, a red flag should go up.

So, before jumping on the supplement bandwagon, be sure your training is effective and you’re eating a performance diet.  Remember, nearly half of a performance diet is caloric balance.  Macro balance (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats) accounts for another 30% or so of the diet.  Nutrient timing and food composition account for another 25% or so.  Thus, supplements account for only 5% of performance—and only if all the other factors are in order.

If you are doing everything right (and few are), supplements may squeeze out a bit more performance.  Bodybuilders, for example, might benefit from supplements to lose that last bit of fat to get competition ready.  If you are trying to lose a few pounds, though, your daily habits are most important.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow!

Carpe momento!

Image source: http://i1.wp.com/www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/FL_SupplementsAndSafety1.jpg?resize=1200%2C630

“Understanding starts with a dialogue, and the most important part of dialogue is to listen.”–Howie Long

What is it that men can do standing up, women can do sitting down, and dogs do on three legs?  Shake hands, of course!

In other words, we can come together from a number of differing postures.  Frankly, I think a lot of people are missing this point in our society.  We may not fully understand one another’s positions on matters at hand, but we can—and must—try.

There are a lot of well-meaning people trying to make a statement on a number of issues.  They may or may not be approaching it in the best possible ways, but this is beside the point.  The most important thing is that voices—all voices—be heard.  Howie Long nailed it when he said “the most important part of dialogue is to listen.”

Today’s post is short.  There is not a lot of words needed, here.  There is, however, need for much discussion.  People have things to get off their chest.  Let them.  Listen to them.  Seek first to understand.

Talk.

Carpe momento!

“I wish I was as fat as I was the first time I thought I was fat.”—Chris L.

How many times do we tell ourselves: “I want to get back in shape”?  For most, that is probably more correctly stated: “I want to get in shape.”  My friend’s statement, above, is profoundly accurate (I mean for most all of us, not specifically my friend).  If we really tracked ourselves, we would see that our fitness lives (and, likely, our “well-centered fitness”) is a rollercoaster ride of ups and down—generally ending overall worse than when we started.  This need not be the case!

Last week, we had a discussion in a programming meeting at my work about (among many things) adding an exercise and aging class.  I am adamantly opposed to the idea for numerous reasons.  For one, I teach exercise physiology and we cover the effects of aging on exercise (I actually discuss it in several courses).  For another reason, we offer a course in Lifespan Adapted Physical Activity.  I could go into more of my arguments, but let me summarize them as “the fundamental principles of exercise do not change because of age or limitation.”  Aging should not be considered an inevitable disability or decline in ability.  It is true that there is a level of decline that comes with aging that is linked to physiological changes, BUT the most significant declines are the result of inactivity, not time itself.  Thus, in my humble opinion, any changes to the exercise prescription because of “disabilities” that result from the aging process should be treated as necessary adaptations.  And this is merely a reflection of the individualized nature of exercise prescription.

So, if you are using age as an excuse for being (significantly) fatter or more out of shape than when you were younger, you’ll get little sympathy from me (with the exception of legitimate medical conditions).  Now, this is not to say that we need to get crazy with exercise and neglect our work and families.  I personally have no desire to put the effort into diet and exercise that would be required for me to be in better shape than I was in my 20’s and 30’s.  (I’d like to get to the conditioning level I was in before marriage and kids in my early forties—and maintain indefinitely.)  I should also be clear that specific exercises are not age specific—rather they are ability-specific.  I see no reason for a healthy person to not squat, for example.

Defying the “inevitable” decline in fitness should be the goal.  Imagine maintaining most of your peak level of fitness for the rest of your years.  I tell my students that my goal is to go back to my high school reunions in proportionally better shape than everyone else.  Thankfully, I have quite a few classmates who make this more difficult, but overall maintenance is all that is required.  The majority of our friends and neighbors are going to significantly “let themselves go” over time.  Many (perhaps most) will come to the conclusions my friend, Chris, did in the quote above.

The basic principles of exercise (the bioenergy systems that provide energy for muscle contraction, overload, progression, specificity, etc.) do not change over the lifecycle.  Dietary principles do not change (though metabolism might—thus, requiring fewer calories to maintain body composition over time), and “calories in v. calories out” is still the most important factor in weight management.  Motivation (or lack thereof) and consistent effort are the primary reasons we see a “yo-yo” effect in our fitness levels.

Diet is not a short-term approach to losing weight.  Exercise is not something we do to get “back into shape”.  Diet and exercise are serious lifelong habits we practice across the lifespan.  When we take the short-term “fix what is broken” approach we will inevitably find ourselves wishing “I was as fat as I was the first time I thought I was fat.”

If we are not in the shape we want to be in, then do something to get back on track and stay on track.  If we are in shape, we just need to keep doing what we are doing.  Indeed, maintenance is actually easier than getting into shape.  Getting in shape—e.g., improving the functioning of a body system or improving one’s physical appearance—requires overload (i.e., stressing the body system to a level greater than that to which it is accustomed).  Maintaining requires little more than continuing with what is working—that is, maintenance exercise which requires less effort than it takes to get into “shape”.

So, pursue and maintain your (nearly) best you.  Don’t settle for less.  When I say “be your best today; be better tomorrow”, I am not putting a time-stamp on this.  You can continue to improve yourself over your lifespan.

Carpe momento!

“It is the idle man, not the great worker, who is always complaining that he has no time or opportunity.”—Orison Swett Marden

Lack of time is a lousy excuse.  Yet, we use it quite frequently.

There is an old adage: “If you want something done, ask a busy man (or woman).”  There is truth to this.  Busy is not “over-scheduled”.  Multi-tasking is often a cover for idleness.  The “busy” person is the effective person.

If one wants to be a busy person—the “great worker”—one must cut the waste.  One must eliminate the things in the day that rob one of his or her effectiveness.  Remember: “opportunity costs”.  When we remember this, there is so much more we can do.

I teach a course in exercise motivation and adherence.  Of course, barriers to exercise is a topic for discussion.  Among the greatest of these is time.  We often have time for everything but exercise.  Nonsense.

If time (that is lack of time) is your excuse—for not doing anything you should be doing—you need to evaluate how you are using your time.  Years ago, I worked with a fitness salesperson who had a pretty good skill at convincing people they needed a gym membership.  One thing I learned from him was how to counter the “time” excuse.  His approach was to ask the person to examine his or her use of time.  It is rare that someone is actually using all of one’s time with full effectiveness.  In short, we waste a lot of time watching television, surfing the Internet, scrolling (or trolling) social media, etc.  Of course, we have to work, eat, sleep, spend time with family, and other necessary/important things.  We can, however, manage our time more effectively.  It is all a matter of priority.

Stephen Covey wrote much about importance and urgency in time management.  Rory Vaden, author of Procrastinate on Purpose) refers to “productive procrastination”.  He adds a third dimension—significance—to Covey’s matrix.  He suggests that, beyond prioritizing for efficiency, we prioritize according to how long something matters (e.g., “opportunity cost”).  After all, everything we do will be done at the expense of something that is left undone.  Thus, we do what is most impactive for us and others.  We carpe momento!

Time?  We have the time we make for what is most important.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow!

“Work hard. Through determination and self-focus and discipline, you can accomplish anything.”—Kimberly Guilfoyle

Efforts to post daily to this blog puts a bit of a strain on the channels of inspiration.  I asked friends for some, and among the replies was a reminder about discipline.  I was told that, “You may be having trouble with inspiration… but what you do have is more important… you have discipline.”  It was the inspiration I needed to write… well, what I am writing…, and the encouragement I needed.  I welcomed it as a compliment, as well.  (Thanks, Josh!)

When we lack inspiration, discipline and determination prevail.  We just have to keep at it—whatever we are doing.

I am not sure that anything profound is going to come from this, but the practice of self-discipline always makes us better.  And, so, I write….

Discipline comes from doing.   Perhaps, our greatest obstacle is the first step.  If you have something to do, start.  Thank action and results will follow.

“Discipline” has become a bit distorted in the discussion of parenting.  Teaching our children to be disciplined is a good thing.  Discipline is not punishing bad behavior.  Rather, it is the necessary rewarding of good behavior.  Discipline and integrity are related.  Integrity is defined by Webster-Merriam as “firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values.”  Likewise, discipline is self-control.  These are learned qualities.  I am grateful to have been taught and to have learned to be disciplined.  Thus, I seek to teach my children the same.

Discipline is practiced by doing that which is difficult.  According to Joshua Spodek, “discipline doesn’t enable you to do things. Doing things consistently makes you disciplined.”  Spodek coined the acronym, “SIDCHA” (pronounced: sid-cha), which is a self-imposed daily challenging healthy activity (see my post “SIDCHA”, August 2, 2016).  For me, the challenge to continue writing and posting daily to this blog (thank you, Andy!) has become a bit of a SIDCHA for me over the last year.  Exercise is another discipline.  Diet—i.e., heathy eating—is a discipline.  There are many ways in which we practice daily discipline and self-control.  There are certainly many areas in which we need to develop disciple.  Baby steps.

I have personally found that discipline comes from being challenged and welcoming the opportunity.  Seek the opportunity!

Be your best today; be better tomorrow!

Carpe momento!

“With self-discipline most anything is possible.”—Theodore Roosevelt

Image: “Rocky”

I saw a report today from a recent article in the American Journal of Epidemiology (Smith, Ma, Glazier, Gilbert-Ouimet, & Mustard, 2017*) examining “The Relationship Between Occupational Standing and Sitting and Incident Heart Disease Over a 12-Year Period in Ontario, Canada”.   It is only one study, but, apparently, standing for work is now bad for you.  You might want to rethink the standing desk.

I should have seen it coming.  After all, we are quick—maybe too quick—to jump on bandwagons in health sciences.  Carbs are good.  Now, they are bad.  Fats are bad.  Fats are good.  Eggs… well, you get the picture.

No doubt that sitting all day is not good for one’s health—for many reasons.  It stands to reason (pun intended) that standing for prolonged periods would be unhealthy.  Circulation is impaired (blood tends to pool in the legs).  This can add stress on the veins in the legs.  The heart has to work harder (less blood returns to the heart, so the heart has to beat faster).  I’ll avoid the physiology lesson.  Personally, I never fully understood the standing desk craze.

Sit or stand for work?  Doesn’t matter so much.  What is important is that we move as much as we can.  At work, we need to take frequent breaks to walk a bit (but not to walk to a smoking area).  Outside of work?  Move.  Physical activity is extremely important to those of us with sedentary jobs.

Whether you sit or stand for work at your computer, there are things you can do:

Exercise.  Join a gym.  Walk, jog, bike, or whatever you “enjoy”.

Don’t be “lazy”.  Make yourself more active.  Walk when you don’t have to—e.g., park farther from the store, office; walk or bike rather than drive; etc.

Don’t sit when you can walk.  If possible, have meetings on the move.  Walk and talk.  If your business has a company gym.  Meet while you exercise.

“Exercise is medicine”, says the American College of Sports Medicine.  Exercise is not sitting or standing.  Exercise is planned physical activity for the purpose of improving one’s health, performance, and/or personal appearance.  If you really need a healthy way to work on your computer, try a treadmill desk.  Of course, there are cheaper and less trendy ways to get physical activity.  It is possible to plan exercise, no matter how busy your day.  No need to go to extremes.

Be creative in finding ways to get your blood circulating.  There is nothing inherently wrong with standing desks.  Like any desk, keep good posture—even standing at a desk can lead to posture issues.  Just move often.

Be your best today; be better tomorrow.

Carpe momento!

*https://www.google.com/search?q=treadmill+des&oq=treadmill+des&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.11719j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Image source: https://www.ergotron.com/Portals/0/Images/screens/4M74WrauC7Y_sc

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month—as if consideration of children with cancer (or any disease) and their families should (or could) be limited to a single month.  I get it.  We try to give special focus to specific diseases that afflict children and adults—and we try to share the calendar.

There is no childhood disease that is easy on a child or the family.  Cancer, however, is especially difficult.

I am late in sharing my thoughts on Childhood Cancer Awareness, but at a friend’s request, I am going to try my best.  I say “try”, because I no direct experience.  We can watch from the periphery as families struggle; we can offer support; and we can contribute (as we should) foundations that support research and children battling cancer; but we can only begin to understand the struggle.  We can only imagine the hurt they feel and know that these are wounds that never heal.

I want to say something to my friends who have faced the struggle, but I know that there is nothing I can say or do that will help.  In the last few years, I have had several friends from high school who lost their lovely sons to brain cancer.  I never felt more helpless than when I struggled to offer some amount of comfort.

No amount of love can replace the love that was lost.  All I could during their struggle was to love the best I know how and to hold my own children just a bit more tightly.  It reminded me of the importance of living in the moment–carpe momento!

We can hope for the best and pray for the children and families while the child undergoes treatment.  At best our support can be minimal.  What we can do to best help is to support research.  According to the National Cancer Institute, “In the United States in 2017, an estimated 10,270 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed among children from birth to 14 years, and about 1,190 children are expected to die from the disease.”  Most common are leukemia, brain cancers, central nervous system tumors, and lymphomas (www.cancer.gov/types/childhood-cancers).

Sadly, the money for research is limited.  Contributing to the fight to prevent another child from suffering is the best we can do.

For the families in the heart of the fight, your emotional support can be as beneficial as the financial (and it is an expensive burden) support.

For the children?  Help them have the best childhood they can under the circumstances.  I particularly like the work of Chelsea’s Closet.  The Chelsea Hick’s Foundation here in Oregon provides costumes for monthly dress up parties for seriously ill children in local hospitals (http://www.chelseahicksfoundation.org/chelseas-closet/).  Help provide wigs—there are numerous organizations that support this.  Above all things, kids need to have as much fun as they can.

Joey and Christopher, the sons my friends lost, taught me a lot in their short live.  Despite the obvious pain they experienced, they always had big, broad, infectious smiles.  They showed me that despite the suffering in the world, life is to be lived to the fullest.  Not a moment of life is to be wasted.  Celebrate every moment.

If you are so inclined, give a gift to help prevent such loss for future families.  I have seen too many families face the battle with cancer in their precious children, so my heart tends there.  If you have nowhere to give, consider giving in memory of Joey and Christopher:

http://www.christopher-court.org/

https://www.jfccf.org/