The Benefits of Cheating & How to Bounce Back After a Binge

I'm really excited to have my friend Sara back as a guest contributor! She previously wrote a fantastic article on the importance of proper meal timing.

I had approached her about writing this article, because I feel as though binging is something that everyone has fallen victim to, and there is a tremendous amount of guilt surrounding it. This article should give you peace of mind that you can still stay on track towards achieving your goals despite bumps in the road.

The Benefits of Cheating & How to Bounce Back After a Binge


People binge and eat foods that are blatantly bad for them all of the time, whether they have an excuse to do so or not. Those who work hard and eat healthy tend to turn to "cheat" meals or days to grant them a time to indulge in their favourite treats and/or shove as much food in their faces as they possibly can.

Whether you enjoy the powerful taste of something unhealthy or you sometimes want to just stop counting the calories, going into your mouth for once… it’s okay. I’m not saying it’s okay or healthy to binge eat and consume hefty amounts of salt and sugar all day, every day, or even very often. What I am saying, is that once in awhile it’s completely okay, and maybe even necessary, for you to take a break from ‘healthy’ and just enjoy yourself.

One meal or even one day of binge eating or sugary snacks will not set you back or completely throw off your progress. It can if you let it, but as long as you stay aware and in control of what you’re doing, you don’t have to crush yourself with guilt every time it happens.

The Benefits of Cheat Days

Breaking a Plateau

When I say some cheating may be necessary, I’m talking about people who are very persistent in their quest to dramatically change their body in some way or another. Those people, who eventually reach a plateau in their weight loss or gain, need something to shock their system into cooperating again.

That "shock" is a nice dose of hormones released from the body, and can be triggered by various things. The hormones insulin and leptin are a few whose release is driven by what you eat and when you eat it. They aren’t just controlled by food consumption, but that’s one of the easiest ways we can purposefully prompt that release.

Leptin and insulin are companion hormones, and the rising and falling of one can trigger the same for the other. Insulin release is triggered by the consumption of glucose, which is found in carbohydrates. Glucose is more concentrated in simpler carbs and sugars, and the shorter chains are absorbed faster, thus they have a much faster impact on blood sugar.

As insulin is released into the blood to prompt the storage of glucose, leptin is slowly released as well. Leptin is, most simply put, our feeling of fullness and hunger. As more insulin is released and more fuel is stored, leptin levels rise to tell the brain that you are satiated. Eventually leptin levels lower again when we start taking from those fuel stores, which prompts hunger and food seeking behaviour.

Leptin does not exclusively rise with insulin though, and it is heavily affected by our routines. For instance, the body suppresses your appetite while you sleep or when you get stressed out by releasing leptin, which lowers your metabolism. That way the focus can be put on your rest and recovery or a fight or flight response, instead of your hunger.

Whatever you decide to put your body through in order to get the results you’re looking for, eventually your hormones will adjust and your body will get used to your routine. These hormones are one of the main reasons that we reach plateaus, and in order to move past them, that routine needs to change. The stricter your routine and the harder you are on your body, the stronger it will fight back to adjust, and the more often you will have to throw it off course.

Strict eating habits can stress you out mentally. Having a day where you allow yourself to not worry so much about what you’re eating can be a psychological break for some people. Unfortunately, it can have the opposite effect on others. Instead, simply including a treat into their scheduled macro intake may be a bit less stressful and more rewarding, rather than breaking their normal routine measurements.

Using cheat days and meals as a reward and a source of motivation can be thin and shallow, but if you are starting up a new habit, sometimes rewards are necessary to keep you going. Shallow motivations involving rewards and punishments can be fragile, but if it keeps you going long enough to solidify that habit and find stronger self-improvement goals to motivate you, it’s better than not making any improvement at all.

If having a cheat day at the end of your week after completing several days of successful workouts is working for you, there is no point feeling guilty about it. The point of a cheat is to reduce your stress, not stress you out even more. The more control you have over the cheat day or meal, the less you are likely to stress about it or go overboard. Plan what you are going to eat, solidify your reasonings for allowing yourself that indulgence and enjoy it.

But what if something happens and you end up eating too much when you and your friends spontaneously go out to eat? Or you break your normal routine because you spotted your favourite dessert and couldn’t resist?

Regardless of whether you orchestrated a cheat or the cheat jumped you in an alleyway, if you feel like you’ve failed yourself by cheating on your carefully constructed meal plan, don’t. Dwelling on something that’s already happened is pointless, and the most best thing you can do is to focus on what you can do to recover now, and put yourself in control for next time, building a better relationship with your cheat meals.

Cheating Without Cheating

Small indulgences can be a lot easier on the body and mind to begin with, and require a lot less recovery afterwards. However, it can be difficult to change the definition of a cheat from ‘binge eating’ to simply doing something you wouldn’t normally do.

Cheating doesn’t have to be three pizzas or the whole container of ice cream–it can simply be something outside of the normal rules you hold for yourself. Have a fancy coffee with a bit higher sugar content at the end of a stressful work day. Have a drink or two at a special dinner with friends. Schedule in a day where you skip one workout to have an important bonding day with a significant other or a friend.

You can even press the definition of a cheat even further by simply adjusting your macronutrient ratio a few times a week to keep things interesting, or try a new type of exercise like swimming or sports that may not guarantee you burning the same amount of calories or using the same muscles you’re used to working. The key is to not limit yourself to just sugary and salty foods. Get creative in the ways you treat yourself, and have fun!

Although gentler and non-food/activity related cheats may not work to shock the system for those who are intent on breaking a strong plateau, they can be used as an alternative on days where you shouldn’t be cheating, but you’re craving something different. As long as you are in control and aware of what you’re doing there should be a decrease in stress, not an increase!

Recovering

If your control breaks, or your cheating sessions get really intense, it’s important to focus on your physical and mental recovery afterwards. Physically, it can be rough on your body to heavily spike sugars and hormones and mentally it can be difficult to stop the overwhelming guilt when something happens that you feel you had no control over.

Drink Water

An eating binge can be just like a drinking binge, and drinking lots of water (both during, if possible, and after) can help clear and balance the salt content in your body and combat any sort of dehydration. The best thing to do for your organs is give them a ton of fluid to flush your body. If your pee is clear, you’re doing a good job. Thirst can feel like hunger, so don’t start shoving any food in your face until you’ve had your fill of water first.

Coffee can help in a couple ways, and it’s the better option if you’re feeling stressed out and leaning towards a laxative. Don’t take a laxative. Resorting to abuse of anything that could be used for medical reasons is a terrible idea. It doesn’t matter how ‘natural’ the ingredients are. Unless it’s caffeine from normal coffee or tea, don’t play with laxatives to solve your problems.

Eat Well, Don’t Stress

Some will feel the need to overeat, because the energy from any simple, quick fuel may be long gone. Others may have little to no appetite at all. Some will be craving healthy to find balance, others will want more sugar and salt to continue feeding their cravings.

If you’re feeling like salty and sweet, stave off or have lighter versions, lightly salted nuts, fruit for sweetness. If there’s no appetite, force yourself to eat something small, and if you are able to, you can eat a bit heavier in the evening to meet your macronutrient requirements or replenish your energy stores.

Don’t overcompensate for anything you did during your cheat meal or day. You body is built to adjust, and it will return to normal on it’s own. For those who are hungry, you can rely a bit more on fats and proteins for your energy needs, but don’t cut out carbs completely. Going from a blood sugar high to a blood sugar low isn’t balance, and your goal is to restore that balance.

If you try to balance the scale yourself, you’re just creating more problems for your body to sort out, so try your best to simply return to your normal routine. It’s important to do what you need to do to mentally stabilize yourself. The less stress you make for yourself after a binge, the easier it is for your body to focus less on dealing with that stress and more on recovering.

Exercise

Though some people may be able to jump into a heavy workout the next day, others may find that impossible. The same goes for exercise as it does for food: don’t overcompensate, and let your body focus on recovering. Even if you just put on your workout clothes and do 15 minutes of exercise a light workout can be very beneficial.

Getting your body moving and your blood flowing can wake up your system and start your engine up again. It can also ease some of the mental anxiety about overeating, but again, for those who feel overly guilty, it’s important not to go overboard and exhaust yourself at the gym. Starving yourself to “burn off what I ate yesterday” will only serve to add more stress to your body and will extend the time needed to recover and find balance again. If you intend to do a full workout, ensure you are fueling yourself properly both before and after. No excuses.

Physical and mental health are important. Failing is not the end of the world. Take care, take control and enjoy yourself!




Works Cited:

1. Hall, John E., and Arthur C. Guyton. Textbook of medical physiology. Elsevier Inc., 2006.
2. Margetic, S., et al. "Leptin: a review of its peripheral actions and interactions." International Journal of Obesity & Related Metabolic Disorders 26.11 (2002).
3. Patterson, Christa M., and Martin G. Myers. "How Leptin Controls the Drive to Eat." The Korean Journal of Obesity 24.2 (2015): 69-77.
4. Van Praag, H., Fleshner, M., Schwartz, M. W., & Mattson, M. P. (2014). Exercise, energy intake, glucose homeostasis, and the brain. The Journal of Neuroscience, 34(46), 15139-15149.

Insulin and the Importance of Meal Timing

This week, I have an awesome guest post from friend and nutrition expert Sara Pindera. Sara is a friendly Canadian with a Bachelor of Science Degree, specialising in Nutrition and Nutraceuticals. She has additional experience in food and product marketing and has written numerous articles on fitness and nutrition on the Gymaholic site. You can follow her on YouTube and Instagram!




Food keeps us alive, it keeps our bodies functioning properly and fuels them for daily tasks, whatever those tasks may be. We are all individuals, different in our genetics, eating habits and activity levels, but some mechanisms function in roughly the same way for all of us.

These mechanisms have developed to protect the body and ensure our survival. Fortunately or unfortunately, most of us don’t have to fight so hard anymore, so these age old mechanisms can work against us in a sedentary lifestyle. They can even work against you in an active lifestyle, acting as drag and limiting your progress. They can also work with you, but in order to use them to your advantage, you have to better understand how they work.

If you only think of food as fuel for your body, you need to change your way of thinking. What you eat and when you eat it can have a snowball effect, setting off various triggers in the body that can magnify different bodily functions in just minutes or hours.

The ‘state’ that your body is in can have massive effects on your goals. The two main states are the fed state and the fasted state, and we cycle through these different states multiple times a day by, you guessed it, feeding and fasting. But it’s more than just that, because putting yourself in the right state at the right time can give you an incredible boost in fat loss or building muscle.

The body states are mostly characterized by the presence of two main hormones: insulin (fed state) and glucagon (fasted state). The purpose of these states and these hormones is mainly to control the blood glucose (sugar) levels.

Insulin removes excess blood glucose by pulling it into the muscle and liver, but it also promotes the uptake of fats and proteins, and facilitates the storage of these macronutrients. It’s essentially an anabolic, or building hormone. It also inhibits the actions of glucagon.

Glucagon has the exact opposite function of insulin: it is a catabolic hormone that signals the liver to breakdown its stored glucose and release it into the blood. It also triggers the breakdown of fats and inhibits the actions of insulin. You can probably see why both hormones may help or hinder your progress, depending on what your goals are.

Normal people only experience mild symptoms when blood sugar is slightly out of normal range, and we can still function even after skipping meals or eating an entire box of cookies. Our bodies simply pump out more of these hormones. There are dangerous consequences if these hormones stop working, which is why diabetics must monitor their blood sugar levels themselves. Their insulin isn’t produced properly and/or doesn’t function like it should. Diabetics must inject insulin when blood sugar is too high, or eat something sugary if their blood sugar drops too low.

Carbohydrates trigger insulin because they are usually short or long chains of glucose, but depending on the type of carbohydrate or the glycemic index (GI) of that carbohydrate, you get a lesser or more powerful release of insulin. The index works on a scale of 0-100 based on how much the food raises your blood sugar after eating. 

Low GI foods (Complex carbs like whole wheat, vegetables and beans) are slowly digested and absorbed, gradually raising blood sugar, and high GI foods (white bread, candy, are digested and absorbed rapidly, quickly spiking blood glucose levels. Proteins also signal insulin, but to a much lesser extent, and fats have no effect on insulin release.

So, if you want to lose weight, you want to be in the fasted state. This is why intermittent fasting works, because even though you tend to consume the same amount of calories in a day as you would normally, you are just increasing the amount of time you’re in the fasted state and thus burning more fuel. Consuming more complex carbohydrates like whole wheat, beans, vegetables can reduce the amount of insulin released over time and the amount of glucose stored as fat.

If you want to gain lean muscle mass and/or restore glycogen supply (storage form of glucose, main fuel for powerlifters and sprinters), you want to be in the fed state to promote building and uptake, but you also want to be in the fasted state to keep that muscle lean. 

Most people eat before exercise in order to fuel up, and it’s smart to eat 1-2 hours before your workout. A small amount of simple sugars and protein, along with moderate amounts of healthy fats is ideal for a small spike of insulin that fuels you up and clears quickly. When you start exercising, whatever insulin remains will be slowly cleared so you can break down fuel you need to workout. This means that it’s not too problematic if you do eat a lot, but it will take a lot longer for you to burn off fat if you load up on carbs and protein (thus, insulin) right before your workout.

Your pre-workout fuel is not nearly as important as your post workout fuel. Recovery is crucial in boosting your muscle weight gain. The most important time to be in the fed state is immediately after your workout, within a half an hour to be exact. This is the time where your glycogen stores are low and your muscle fibres are probably battered and torn, so your body is already in panic mode. 

The muscles will rapidly absorb glucose, fats and protein, even without much insulin stimulation at this point. Feeding yourself some simple sugars to give that extra insulin boost increases that uptake even more. It’s absolutely essential you consume most of your protein at this time, because it will but taken up and used immediately to start building and repairing those muscles. 

Whatever your body goals are, being in different states and learning how to trigger insulin can significantly improve your results. Knowledge is power, and if you understand how your body works, you can make it work for you.

Having Your Cake and Eating it Too: A Flexible Approach to Nutrition

How many of you can say you've tried every new fad diet you hear about on the news? Every time I turn on the television, I see some new self-proclaimed nutrition expert who proposes a new philosophy on why people gain weight. Carbohydrates are often the first macronutrient to be held accountable for excess body fat.

I'm not gonna lie to you--I've been one of those girls who was afraid to eat a multitude of different foods that we proclaim to be "bad." I cut out gluten for a long time. I stopped eating dairy. I did sugar cleanses. In my own mind, I felt better, but realistically, I didn't really see any results. I would binge eat on the weekends, and then my previous efforts were null and void.

Recently, however, I made the shift to a more flexible style of nutrition. Many people have used acronyms such as "IIFYM" (If It Fits Your Macros) to refer to a more lenient diet.



Now, I want to first start by explaining what flexible nutrition is not. Even though a more flexible diet allows you to include a wider arrange of foods into your macronutrients for the day, that doesn't mean your body can, or should, subsist on a tremendous amount of crap. PopTarts taste amazing, but they provide hardly any nutritional value. You won't get your vitamins and minerals (micronutrients) from eating Ben and Jerry's. There's almost no fiber in a slice of pizza.

Because, let's be real, who doesn't love PopTarts?

What flexible nutrition allows you to do, however, is to "budget" some of your calories each day for foods that will keep you from going crazy. If you just eat brown rice, asparagus and chicken all of the time, it's going to start to taste pretty bad. No one likes monotony or restriction. Let's face it...the more someone believes he or she can't have something, the more he or she will want it! Previously, when I would limit my refined sugar intake, I would feel an overwhelming sense of shame when I would go off track. I saw cookies, and I would eat the whole damn container, because I had deprived myself for so long.

Now, I allow myself options. I first get my daily intake of Vitamin A, calcium, iron, Vitamin C, and so on, in check. Once those numbers have been fulfilled, I have some fun with my carbohydrates. I treat myself to some ice cream when my glycogen levels are low after my workout and I need to refuel. I have a cookie if I feel so inclined.

I track my macronutrients everyday, meaning I aim to get a certain number of protein, carbohydrates and fats. Anything that falls within those numbers is fair game. I get creative and enjoy the foods I eat.

For so many years, I spent time obsessing over food and feeling guilty for making poor choices. Now, I feel so much less inclined to over-eat, because I'm not limited in the types of foods I include in my meals. I prioritize whole foods first, and then I use my intuition to make great choices. I have, slowly, over 3+ months, lost 10 pounds. I spared muscle and strength loss, because I was eating according to my goals. This, for me, has been the most sustainable and mentally healthy way of eating. Dietary choices should be about sustainability first. Yeah, you may be "healthy" physically, but you also need to prioritize your emotional needs. If your diet is making you feel miserable, then what's the point? I want my clients to follow a nutrition program that they can maintain for life, not just something that will give them quick results until they inevitable crash and drown themselves in a mountain of pizza. (As wonderful as that may sound...)

Limiting your own restrictive eating habits can make a huge change in the way you think about food. You will improve your body composition, while still sparing your mental integrity. I think that sounds pretty awesome, no?

If you'd like more information about this, the IIFYM.com website has some great articles. Also, feel free to e-mail me at ariannalhoffman@gmail.com.

Carbs Are Not the Enemy

Dieters are always looking to wage war on the elusive cause for their weight gain. We live in a time of gluten free, dairy free, low carb, low fat, no sugar, low sodium, non GMO warriors of nutrition. Everyone seems to have a different "demon" on which to blame their excess pounds. "If you just take XYZ our of your diet, you'll lose all of the weight!" is a statement I've heard ad nauseam. Food companies are adapting--coming out with new products catered to the health craze of the minute.

You've probably heard friends and fitness professionals blab about how carbohydrates are evil and should be avoided or you will surely be slovenly and obese. I am here to tell you that carbohydrates are not, in fact, a vicious macronutrient out to kill you.

A while ago, I did a small survey, in which I asked my readers to define what they deemed to be "healthy" food, as it is often a blanket term used to market products to consumers. Many people wrote that they believed a diet lower in carbohydrates to be healthier.

Now, there are three main macronutrients, which are in every food you eat to a varying degree: protein, carbohydrates and fats. Each of these macronutrients are absolutely necessary (to an extent) in a healthy diet. For active individuals, the roles of these three are increasingly important.

I love me some carbohydrates.

Put simply, carbohydrates will give you energy for your workout, and they will also help you recover once you're done. If you find that you're dragging through your training sessions or you're not fully recovering from them, perhaps you need to increase your carbohydrate intake.

According to the Poliquin Group, "a large review found the greatest benefit of a 6.5 percent increase in athletic performance from taking between 0.9 g/kg/hour of exercise of carbs with 0.2 g/kg/hour of protein. Both longer duration, high-intensity (such as team games) and endurance exercise lasting more than 2 hours can benefit from carb supplementation."

Other studies have surmised that lower carbohydrate diets may impair cognitive function, which is crucial for optimal performance in sport or in the gym. [1] In particular, Batatinha et. al. found that gymnasts consuming post workout carbohydrates fell off of the balance beams fewer times than their placebo counterparts.

Carbohydrates, in conjunction with protein supplementation is presumed to have an additional anabolic effect. One study in particular found that "the addition of protein to a carbohydrate supplement may [...] increase the rate of glycogen storage due to the ability of protein and carbohydrate to act synergistically on insulin secretion," and another study "[concludes] that postexercise [carbohydrate] and [carbohydrate-fat-protein] nutritional supplements can increase glycogen resynthesis to a greater extent than Pl for both men and women." It can be deduced that these macronutrients, when consumed immediately after exercise, have a tremendous benefit for recovery and muscular hypertrophy (growth).

Put simply, carbohydrates are digested quickly by the body, and are an excellent choice for fuel for your workout that won't give you a cramp or leave you feeling groggy. Research suggests that carbohydrates facilitate protein absorption by the muscles, and can help improve focus and performance.

Personally, I try to have a substantial amount of carbs both before and after my workouts, and then eat higher protein and fat throughout the rest of my day. This is what I have found, through trial and error, to be most effective for me.

Does this mean you should go drown yourself in a bag of candy? Hell no. Any macronutrient (or all of them together) can cause weight gain when consumed in excess. I am a firm believer that no one macronutrient is to blame for fat gain. If you cut out carbohydrates altogether but still consume a tremendous amount of protein and fat throughout the day, your body composition likely won't change too much.

While some diet books give carbs a bad name, you may actually use them to your advantage, in moderation. The key is to find the optimal amount of carbohydrates for your needs. Obviously, more active people will need more carbohydrates. Experiment with the timing and amount of your carbohydrate consumption and see what works for you!

Don't hate, carbohydrate.
(Ha...ha?)

6 Reasons You Aren't Meeting Your Weight-loss Goals

If I had a dime for every time someone asked me how they could lose X number of pounds in X number of time, I could probably make enough money to earn myself a spot in the Shark Tank cast. Everyone seems to have extra weight they want to lose, but yet very few of those people actually want to do something about it. Interesting.

Why aren't you meeting your weight loss goals? Here are couple possibilities as to why:

1. You're not tracking your intake. There are a million and-a-half different diets and cleanses on the market. The one thing that virtually all have in common is that maintaining a caloric deficit is paramount. To lose weight, you must be consuming less than you are expending. That's it. It's pretty simple! People say you shouldn't eat carbs, you shouldn't eat fat, you should eat carbs after dark, you should carb cycle, you should eliminate sugar/gluten/dairy/etc., you should drink lemonade everyday for a week, blah blah blah. I could continue. None of that is necessary. Just measure how much you're eating and make sure you're moving a lot. You wouldn't load an arbitrary weight on the bar and try to squat it, right? So why would you neglect to keep track of how much food you're consuming? Weigh your food portions, track everything in a food tracker (I use My Fitness Pal), and find out what a good amount of food is for you to start losing weight.
2. You're inconsistent. You eat "clean" or you track your intake Monday through Friday, and then you go hard and go out drinking and eat whole pies of pizza (guilty as charged) on the weekends. I admire your 5 days of dedication, but you're absolutely destroying all of your hard work over the course of those two days. If you feel inclined to have a day where you don't want to track your calories and just have fun, try to make sure it's not twice-a-week, every week. Make those days fewer and farther between so that you're not sabotaging your progress on the weekends.
3. You're stressed and/or sleep deprived. Adequate sleep and relaxation are underrated as methods of improving bodily composition. If your body is operating in the sympathetic, "fight or flight" nervous system, as it would in someone who is sleep-deprived and/or overworked, you are constantly in survival mode. Your body is going to instinctually hold on to excess fat (or possibly store more food as fat out of fear) if you are in a constant state of stress! 
4. You aren't moving enough outside of the gym. Your NEAT is your Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, or the calories you're expending during your other hours of the day. If you work out for 1-2 hours a day and spend the rest of the day sitting at work, your NEAT is going to be pretty low. If you have a physically demanding job or you go on walks/runs during the day, your NEAT is significantly higher. What you do during the rest of your day is important! Now, I understand that not everyone has the option to go on a 3 hour hike during the day, and people do work desk jobs, but try to move whenever you can! Even if it means getting up and walking around your office every half an hour. Maybe you can walk or bike to work. Take the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator. Play with your kids outside when you have time. Just move whenever you have the chance and increase your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)!
5. You aren't eating enough of your micronutrients. This is one huge mistake I made. I was carefully tracking my macronutrients (protein, carbs and fat), but I was forgetting about the micronutrients: my fiber intake, calcium, iron, potassium, Vitamin A, etc. Some of these numbers were much lower than I'd expected. It wasn't until I started monitoring all of this on MFP that I was able to increase my intake. A lot of people aren't hitting these numbers, and the foods they consume are nutritionally devoid. More nutritionally dense foods will keep you full for a longer period of time and they will help improve overall bodily function so you can go crush your workouts.



My Fitness Pal has a large database, and it's easy to use.

6. You're not working hard enough. It would be fantastic if we could just take a bunch of magic pills and maybe workout once every week for 20 minutes and miraculously have the body of a Victoria's Secret Angel or Brad Pitt in "Fight Club," but unfortunately I'm going to have to pop your bubble: weight loss doesn't work that way. No pill can substitute hours, weeks, months and years of grinding at the gym. No expensive shake is going to allow you to eat a double bacon cheeseburger with a side of fries and still look like an Adonis. Hard work is the only solution to your weight loss woes. Go to the gym as often as your schedule allows and put in the time. Dedication will help you become stronger, faster and leaner (if that is what you desire).

If you're serious about getting in shape, stop talking about tomorrow or next month. Quit making excuses and finding reasons not to do it. The truth is, none of this is easy. I'm not going to sugar-coat it. Some days I'm absolutely exhausted. There are times when people offer me free donuts or candy. Life is a constant struggle filled with temptation. Sometimes I choose to indulge, but often I just tell myself to quit whining and go to the gym anyway. This type of mental strength is the only way to see progress and achieve a lifestyle of health.

How Marketing Confuses the Meaning of "Healthy"

Many popular products like NutriGrain bars, FiberOne brownies, Nature's Valley granola are all presented as "healthy" alternatives to candy bars. I mean, "NutriGrain" contains the root words "nutritious" and "grain," so they must be good for you, right?

I don't recommend drinking these to substitute the vitamins in food...

Unfortunately, advertisers love to trick us into thinking our food choices are healthy. The phrases "all natural," "full of whole grains,"  or "low calorie" are slapped on the packaging and touted in commercials.  There are absolutely no necessary criteria for a company to boast "all natural" on its products. "All natural" does not mean organic, nor does it mean unprocessed. This is one phrase that tricks many consumers. Some people are more likely to buy a product they deem to have nutritional value, so they are drawn to these brands.

If you take one look at the ingredient label, however, you may be surprised by what you read. For example, take a look at the ingredients in a Nutrigrain bar:

"WHOLE GRAIN OATS, ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, VITAMIN B1 [THIAMIN MONONITRATE], VITAMIN B2 [RIBOFLAVIN], FOLIC ACID), WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, SOYBEAN AND/OR CANOLA OIL, SOLUBLE CORN FIBER, SUGAR, DEXTROSE, FRUCTOSE, CALCIUM CARBONATE, WHEY, WHEAT BRAN, SALT, CELLULOSE, POTASSIUM BICARBONATE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, SOY LECITHIN, WHEAT GLUTEN, NIACINAMIDE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, CARRAGEENAN, ZINC OXIDE, REDUCED IRON, GUAR GUM, VITAMIN B6 (PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE), VITAMIN B1 (THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE), VITAMIN B2 (RIBOFLAVIN), FILLING: INVERT SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, STRAWBERRY PUREE CONCENTRATE, GLYCERIN, SUGAR, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, SODIUM ALGINATE, CITRIC ACID, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, METHYLCELLULOSE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, CARAMEL COLOR, MALIC ACID, RED 40."

Wow! That's quite the laundry list of ingredients. I'm willing to bet you didn't even read through all of them. As you can see, these bars contain a ton of artificial flavoring, coloring and thickeners. Yes, there are whole grain oats on the list, but the oats are practically drowning in a sea of other predatory ingredients.

Each bar has about 11 grams of refined sugar. These are certainly not the best choice for someone who is looking to have a quick and healthy snack.

Now, I have four rules of thumb for eating well:

1. Eat foods with as few ingredients as possible
2. Eat foods with ingredients you can easily recognize and pronounce.
3. Eat foods that are minimally processed
4. Eat foods with a short shelf life

It's pretty safe to say that NutriGrain bars do not adhere to any of the four aforementioned rules.

In my opinion, it is best to stick to grocery shopping in the perimeters of the store (where you will find fruits, vegetables, nuts, meat, eggs, and other perishable items). You're better off avoiding the items that come in prepackaged containers.

Does this mean you can't enjoy these items in moderation? I've said it before, and I will say it again: absolutely not! I always allow myself to enjoy snacks every so often.

The purpose of this post is simply to illuminate the ways in which food suppliers will try to trick you into thinking that processed garbage is actually good for you. The majority of the food you eat should be nutrient-dense foods that will supply your body with the micronutrients and macronutrients it needs each day. Eat organic food when you can, and, if you eat meat, grass fed is always the better alternative. Avoiding processed foods will keep you feeling alert and energized throughout the day.

Don't allow advertisers to fool you.

My List of Product Recommendations!

My clients and friends often ask me what type of supplements/fitness products I use. Here's my list of product recommendations for you holiday wish list! Please note that, aside from GoMacro, I do not endorse any of these products, so I do not receive anything for writing these reviews. The items on this list are simply products I use myself and have found to be the most effective and helpful.

Supplements:

• RawFusion or PlantFusion are both delicious, dairy free, plant-based brands of protein powder. I've tried countless different protein powder brands. Whey has never been kind to my stomach. I was always left with bloating and cramping afterwards, so I decided to switch to dairy free alternatives. Both of these brands taste absolutely delicious, and have no artificial crap (which seems to be pretty uncommon for protein powder). Although I like all of their flavors, I recommend RawFusion Natural Chocolate and PlantFusion Cookies 'n' Cream. Some plant-based protein powders taste grainy and leaf-like. Both of these brands have an incredible taste and mix easily with water. You can buy 2 pound tubs of these brands on bodybuilding.com for around $26, which is about $0.87 per serving. Not bad!
• GoMacro bars are a clean alternative to many of the bars I've tried in supplement stores. All of the ingredients are organic, plus they're gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free. They have higher protein options as well! My favorite flavors are the Protein Pleasure and Protein Purity. You can buy them on Amazon for $38.99 for a box of 15 bars.
• NutriForce Glutamine is an excellent product to help expedite the recovery process. If you're training hard, glutamine should be a staple in your recovery arsenal. I prefer to mix mine right into my protein shake. Cost is about $20 for 10 ounces.
• BSN AminoX is another excellent product to speed up your recovery. The fruit punch flavor is the best, in my opinion. This product contains 6 essential BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) to aid in muscle repair and minimize catabolism. A tub is only $37.84 for 70 servings! Take these both before and after your workouts for maximal results.

Food:

• Daiya Cheese is a yummy alternative for those, like me, whose stomachs do not respond well to lactose. Daiya is also soy free, if you like to avoid soy! The cheese melts and stretches, just as real cheese does, and it comes in a ton of different flavors. You can buy it at most Whole Foods or other similar grocery stores.
• Feel Good Foods chicken dumplings are the bomb! They're gluten free with great ingredients, unlike many other frozen meals. I buy these from Whole Foods!
• I'm obsessed with Cashewtopia ice cream. Ice cream is my weakness, and I don't need to feel guilty about eating this brand, because it's made from organic, clean ingredients. The "cream" is made from cashews, and it's incredibly rich and decadent. If you have a sweet tooth like me, I recommend checking out this awesome dairy-free alternative. I love the vanilla bean and chocolate flavors!

Apparel:

• The Inov8 F-LITE shoes are great for anyone who's looking for a more minimal sneaker. I mentioned these shoes in my previous article on barefoot training. I think these sneakers are a great transition for someone who was wearing really bulky sneakers beforehand, and doesn't want to commit to the ridiculous-looking toe shoes. They're light (as the name dictates), comfortable, and they last a really long time! I'd say they're pretty well-fit for any activity, whether it's running, weight training, or just playing basketball in the park.
• Elite FTS  Heavy Knee sleeves are great for those (like me) who squat often and heavy. I chose these because the price is the best out of any other brand I've found and they're excellent quality. You can buy these on eliteFTS.net for $23 per pair! Most brands cost more than that for one!

Books:

• The Weightlifting Encyclopedia: A Guide to World Class Performance by Arthur Drechsler is a great text for anyone who's looking to get more into the sport of weightlifting! Lots of excellent cues and anecdotes for fixing common problems in the lifts! This book sells for around $56 on Amazon, and it's worth every penny!
• Original Strength by Tim Anderson is a short, but informative read on how to regain the strength you had as a child. He teaches you how to rock, roll, and crawl your way to an injury free lifestyle. I love his videos as well, and I'd recommend checking out OriginalStrength.net for more information from him. This book is one of several he's written, and it only costs $11 on Amazon.
• Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights?: Fitness Myths, Training Truths, and Other Surprising Discoveries from the Science of Exercise by Alex Hutchinson is another easy read that looks to dispel common fitness myths and covers topics such as the effectiveness of compression gear, static stretching, and running sneakers. Also around $11 on Amazon!

What is "Healthy" to You?

The word "healthy" seems to take on a different definition in every magazine, every journal, every study and every book I read. Some people think low carbohydrate/high fat ("keto") diets are the way to go, while others preach high carbohydrate/low fat diets.

Working in the fitness industry, I've become kind of overwhelmed with the huge differences in opinion out there. People will swear to death that their diet is the best way to eat. Quite frankly, I'm pretty freaking tired of hearing it.

I created a survey for my readers and viewers, and I asked them to respond to two questions:

1. Which of these options do you associate with the word healthy?
2. Which of these dietary restrictions do you follow?

They had the option to pick as many answers as they wanted: gluten free, grain free, dairy free, Paleo, high carb/low fat, low carb/high fat, low/no sugar, low/no sodium, non GMO, cage free/free range, grass fed, IIFYM, high protein, vegetarian, vegan, organic, minimally processed, and then anything else they wanted to add.

Obviously, the responses were pretty varied. The number one, response, however, was "minimally processed." In my opinion, this is the phrase I would associate most with "healthy." If it comes from the earth, it's healthy; if it comes from a factory, it's probably not.

The books make excellent coasters...

The conclusion I've come to, based on my reading and my experience, is that there is no "optimal" diet. Forget all of those commercials telling you otherwise. The best diet, in my humble opinion, is the one that works the best for you! What is sustainable for you in the long run? What will make you excited to eat, without feeling like you're restricting yourself? If you're craving everything you can't have and you're miserable, there is no point in eating that way.

Eating healthy should not come with the loss of your sanity. Ideally, you want to feel energized, well-nourished and happy!

Find a way to eat well without deprivation. Eat intuitively, and eat minimally processed foods. I've said it before on my blog, and I'll say it again. If you stick to the food that comes from the earth, you don't need to count calories and stress out over food. If you want to eat a piece of cake every once-in-a-while, eat it! Eat well, and live happily.

Ending the 1,200 Calorie Myth

As the summer approaches, everyone seems to have one goal in mind: to lose weight and look great in a bikini. So how do you accomplish those goals? I'm willing to bet money that you said something along the lines of "diet and exercise." Well, you aren't totally wrong, but there's one myth of weight loss that I'm looking to dispel, and that is the idea that we need to drastically reduce our caloric intake to lose weight. Many diet products and "nutritionists" have contributed to this idea that we need to starve ourselves to get the bodies we want.

First of all, let me start off by saying how much I loathe the word "diet" in and of itself. The word diet is supposed to refer to our eating habits--it should not mean "depriving yourself of energy (calories)." I do not diet, and I never will. Rather, I attempt to eat clean, whole foods. I do not count my calories, and as a result, I never feel starved or undernourished.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let me explain a bit more. If you're looking for sustainable, healthy weight loss, extreme caloric restriction is not the answer! Just answer this for me: how do you feel when you're on a diet? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm gonna guess you said that you feel weak, hungry, or both. Here's the trap that so many girls (even myself) have fallen into: eating a small breakfast, maybe a banana or an egg, a salad for lunch and maybe another salad for dinner. While all of those foods are healthy, you're not eating nearly enough! Especially if you're exercising. 1,200 calories is enough food for a 10-year-old, at best. As a fully grown adult (or even a teenager), you should be eating way more than that. Now, I can't answer just how many calories you should be eating, because that all depends on your height, weight, gender and activity level. I can tell you, however, that it should definitively be more than 1,200.

"Food is an important part of a healthy diet." -Fran Lebowitz

Why isn't extreme calorie cutting helpful? You may see results in the short term, but I can promise you that neither your mind or your body will be able to sustain that for a long period of time. We need a certain number of calories just to maintain basic bodily functions (brain function, respiration, etc.), so if you're not feeding your body enough, you are sending your body into a panic. For women, restriction of calories can result in amenorrhea (loss of menstrual cycle), which, if sustained for long periods of time, can lead to osteoporosis. Additionally, if your body is desperate enough for fuel, it will start using muscle tissue for energy, and we certainly don't want that! Yes, you will lose fat, but you will also lose muscle along with it!

My best recommendation is, as always, to eat intuitively. Do not deprive yourself of the nutrients your body so desperately needs. If you feel hungry, eat food. If you're not hungry, don't eat! Make sure that the foods you are eating are nutrient dense so that you can get your daily recommended value of iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, etc. Step away from the packaged, processed crap on the grocery store shelves and head to your local farmer's market. This is something I will repeat constantly because I truly believe it: if you eat well, you will not feel hungry or deprived. You will be able to free yourself from counting calories and stressing over what to eat.

When I first started my fitness journey, I fell into the trap of trying to drastically reduce my intake. I went to the gym, walked to and from class, ate "well" (what I thought was "well" at the time), and I never noticed any change. My body wasn't getting the fuel it needed to sustain my activity level. My best recommendation is to play around with your diet and see what works best for you. Find out how much food you need to feel energized and satiated.

Remember that all calories are not created equal! Just because something is "low calorie" does not mean it is healthy! 100 calories of carrots and 100 calories of chocolate chip cookies are not the same. When you're planning your weight loss goals, make sure they are sustainable in the long term so that you can succeed and maintain your sanity at the same time.

What "Food" Means to Me

Over the years, my definition of what is "food" and what is not has changed significantly. I grew up as a very picky eater, subsisting on a diet of Ellios pizza, chicken fingers and Oreos. I think it goes without saying that these foods are no longer a part of my daily intake.

Arguably one of my favorite classes in college was "Anthropology of Food." I took it, initially, as a general education requirement, but found myself incredibly engaged during the lectures and enjoying the readings. The class vastly changed the way I thought about food. Instead of thinking about what was "healthy" or "unhealthy," I began to think about why we eat certain things. For example, why did we create "recipes" and "meals?", and, "What were my ancestors eating?" Recipes were, more than likely, designed to help us fulfill our daily micro and macro nutrient needs. (Side note: micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals like iron and Vitamin C, and the macronutrients are protein, carbohydrates and fats.) Think about a meal like meat and potatoes--we have all three of those macronutrients included onto one happy plate. Recipes evolved based on readily available ingredients and needs for certain micro or macronutrients.

Photo courtesy of Natalie Dee

Since the onset of agriculture, the way we produced and consumed food has changed. We no longer had to travel great distances for food, or hunt for it ourselves. Instead, we could grow food right in our own backyards. Humans became more stagnant and more sedentary. Fast forward a few thousand years to the industrial revolution when the need and want to produce increased significantly. Because the population was booming, we had more mouths to feed, so we needed to come up with cheaper and more efficient ways to do so. Corn was one of the cheapest, most readily available ingredients, so naturally it found its way into everything. Take a second to look at any product in your pantry. Chances are, it has corn oil, corn syrup (high fructose or otherwise), corn flour, or dextrose (which often comes from corn or other grains). Not to mention, farmers often feed corn to their animals, so there's probably even corn in the meat you're eating. 

Corn is just one of many additives that food manufacturers now pump into the products we eat. Artificial flavorings, colorings, sweeteners, MSG, nitrites, thickeners, and so on, make up the bulk of the Standard American Diet. But I digress. I could go on about this, but I'll leave you to research those things on your own.

The food that the typical American eats is not only extremely processed, but it is also devoid of all nutritional content. So what do we do? We take vitamins and supplements for everything instead of getting those vitamins from the foods we eat.

Just because I can consume it, does not mean it is food. I have come to consider "food" to be nutritionally dense food that comes from the earth. I like to eat plants, animals and nuts, minimal grains and legumes, and no dairy. Why? Because all of those foods provide my body with the fuel it needs for my workouts and daily life. I do not count calories or measure my macros because there's no need. I try to eat products from the perimeters of the grocery store, food that has a shelf life. If I can see all of the ingredients in what I'm eating, that's even better. I can read and pronounce everything on the label--that, to me, is "food."

Do I snack from time to time? Of course. Sometimes it's nice to indulge, and everything is fine in moderation! To be honest, though, I feel better physically when I eat better. My body thrives off of whole foods. When I eat junk, I usually don't feel well or perform well the next day. If you fuel your body properly, you will be amazed by the outcome. To me, this is far beyond "weight loss." Rather, this is about feeling great and thriving. We weren't eating Hostess cakes 100 years ago, so why are we eating them now?

As tacky as it may sound, I really do believe that we are what we eat. I don't know about you, but I would much rather be a steak than a jelly donut. Now before I get carried away and go on (even more of) a rant, I will cut myself off and save the rest for my next article...

6 Ways to Overcome a Plateau and Start Getting Stronger Again

In fitness, as in life, we are always looking to move forward. If you're putting in the hard work in the gym, you should only continue to progress, right? Well, ideally, yes. Many, unfortunately hit a plateau somewhere along the way that may leave them feeling unmotivated or discouraged. If you approach your workouts the right way, however, you will only continue to progress and grow.

Here's a really helpful (not) diagram of a plateau for science.

Here are 6 reasons you aren't progressing in the way you want:

1. Intensity- Are you giving your workout your all, or are you texting in between sets? Each week, you should try to add more weight or increase the number of reps you're performing. If you just continually squat 135 lbs week after week, how do you expect to get stronger? If you're not gasping for air at the end of your sprints, you're not pushing yourself hard enough. The only way we can create adaptation is to give our bodies something to which it can adapt! It's important to make sure you enter your sessions in the gym with 100% effort. (Well...most days, anyway. We all have our "off" days...)
2. Variation- It's nice to have a set split or program and follow that week after week, but if you're only doing the same handful of exercises ad nauseum, it can get pretty dull. Every once in a while, add a few new exercises into your routine and get rid of a few of the older ones. Not only will it keep your workouts interesting, your body will find a completely new way to challenge itself with a new task.
3. Muscle imbalances- A weak or underactive muscle might be preventing you from advancing as you'd like. Let's say you have really strong quads, and you can squat 300 pounds for reps. Just imagine how much more you could squat if you actually learned to use your butt! When our muscles work together in force couples as they're supposed to, beautiful things happen.
4. Program- Maybe it's time to either ask a friend for help programming your workouts (preferably one with lots of experience) or do some research online. Unfortunately, strength doesn't progress linearly, so it's important to make sure you account for that when you write out your program. Play with the number of sets, reps and the amount of weight you're using and find out what works best for you.
5. Planning- My father always tells me "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!" You need to set real, tangible goals for yourself. For example, one of my goals is to deadlift 300 lbs before the end of the year. As you can see, I gave myself a set number and a date by which I want to achieve it. Your goal might be to lose 10 pounds by June. Whatever those goals may be, make sure you've clearly articulated them to yourself and written them down so you can hold yourself accountable.
6. Recovery- Perhaps you're not giving yourself enough time to recover between workouts. Make sure you're eating enough food to sustain your activity level and drink a lot of water. A lot of people I meet have a tendency to deprive themselves of the food their body so desperately needs to rebuild and repair itself. Remember: food and water are fuel!

When you start to see a flatline in your progress, it's time to step back and reassess your approach.

"Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

-Albert Einstein 

Have a Happy and Stress-Free Thanksgiving!

Allow yourself to enjoy the holidays with your family and friends instead of stressing out about the impending food coma. Truth be told, one day of bad eating will not ruin your progress, and any "weight gain" you may experience is simply going to be water weight. Try to relax and remind yourself that you'll get right back on track after the holiday is over!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!