Ok, I must rant a little on diets. Do they work? Most of them....YES! (yes, my answer was affirmative). Let's ask that question again in a different manner. Do they work long term??? Most often....NO.
My point? Well, let's take the Atkins Diet specifically. Does it work? Well, that depends on how you define the word "work." If by work, you mean lose weight? Then your answer is YES. The diet is designed to put your body in to Ketosis which is when the glycogen level in your liver are depleted. This then causes your body to to use fatty acids as an alternative form of energy (it will usually pull from the glycogen stores in your cells). So by design, this diet does exactly what everyone seems to want. Weight loss (more specifically fat loss).
If by "work" you mean healthy? Then I say NO. In my opinion, if you are not going to do something long term....why do it? Should you do the Atkins long term? Absolutely not (again, in my opinion). Your body NEEDS carbohydrates and the Atkins diet has been shown to put a lot of stress on your liver. One of my grad school professors used to always say "fat burns in a carbohydrate flame." You need carbohydrates to burn fats healthily.
To further my point, I have a client that is currently doing the Atkins diet (not by my recommendation) because he's done it before and it "worked." Not sure how long ago it was he did it but he has since put the weight back on and is using it again to lose weight. Since he started, he has done about half as much during the workout as he used to. Constantly stops to catch his breath. Is dizzy and needs breaks often. That should be a sign right there.
The other point I'd like to talk about with weight loss is....what KIND of weight are you losing. Not all weight is created equal. Remember, your body has lean muscles mass weight, bone weight along with fat weight. Some weight loss diets (especially very restrictive ones) cause you to lose a little of the "right " kind of weight (fat) along with some of the wrong kind of weight too (muscle). There is almost never a case in which you want to lose lean muscle mass. And if your diet is restrictive, doesn't include enough protein and you aren't eating the proper amounts often enough, your body will break down your muscle to use for energy. Not good.
You wanna know what diet works? ......ALL the time, for the rest of your life, and provides the right amount of fuel for activity and exercise?!?!?! A "diet" that focuses on eating the right things to keep your metabolism up. That is the healthiest way to burn fat. You should shoot for a complete and balanced diet in that is protein-focused (but still includes good carbs) which your body gets the right amounts of vitamins and nutrients from clean foods. These foods should be unprocessed, not packed with preservatives and as close to their natural form as possible. If you are not getting a complete amount of vitamins and nutrients from these foods, then add supplementation to fill in the gaps (and by supplements, we means vitamins, nutrients and protein....not fat loss pills).
Do you guys have any thoughts on this? I know there are differing opinions and even research showing both sides of the story. This is just my opinion.
~Coach Robyn
Showing posts with label supplements. Show all posts
Showing posts with label supplements. Show all posts
Friday, October 28, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
What does a trainer eat? By Coach Robyn
A lot of people ask me about what to eat and what foods I eat personally. Well, when it comes to what I eat....it's really no secret. Nothing crazy, nothing special, nothing too out there. I shoot to eat foods as close to their natural forms as possible. I do eat meat. I have tried to go without and know that I am not getting the quota for the amount of protein that I need and I am not willing to get it from other sources (or at least all of it). Yes, I do like legumes, lentils, beans, etc but I know that I cannot eat enough of those to get the 100 grams or more of protein I shoot for in a day to keep my metabolism up and ensure that I maintain or (in the case of my 90 day challenge goals of gaining lean muscles mass) gain muscle mass. If you are one of these people, then please do NOT be vegetarian. Being a vegetarian or vegan is very difficult and takes a lot of planning and preparation. If you are willing to spend the extra time learning about how to use a vegetarian lifestyle to maintain good health then I am all for it. If you are just going to eliminate meat and animal products without increasing protein from other sources, then I am not.
Whether you are a meat eater or not, protein shakes are highly effective at getting the amount of protein that you need. I use Advocare's Meal Replacement Shake every morning because it has 24 grams of protein and time-released carbs and then I fill in the gaps throughout the day with Muscle Gain protein. The reason I like Advocare's protein is that it is a very high quality, pre-digestive protein that your body can use (aka it is bioavailable) within 15-20 minutes. Getting this protein to your muscles in a quick fashion helps your body use it to grow, recover and build muscle which all leads to increased metabolism.
Back to what I eat. Well, most of the time when I cook for myself, I load up on a ton of different veggies from Sprouts or the Burnet Road Farmer's market. I also make sure I have a good protein source like Salmon, Chicken, Turkey, Lean Beef or sometimes Pork. If at all possible, I'm buying from the farmer's market or something that is local. When I cook, I am not gonna lie....I just cut everything up, throw some olive oil in a pan with garlic and span fry it up. There are many others ways but this is my preferred for taste and amount of time it takes. Yes, I am a creature of convenience as well. This is usually my dinner.
For breakfast (or for me it's a mid-morning meal since I usually get up early and have a meal replacement shake), it's most likely 2-3 eggs, some leftover protein from the night before's dinner and some random veggies like peppers, onions, kale, spinach, etc
Throughout the day, I'm snacking on nuts, carrots and hummus, avocados, apples with peanut butter and my leftover meals.
And that's about it! There's really nothing left for me to include here. It's pretty simple......at least for me. I have learned what foods effect my body negatively over the years and I simply try to stay away or reduce the consumption of them all together. Fried food is completely OUT. Frozen meals GONE. Breads and Pasta, drastically reduced. Fast food (the traditional kinds).....well I don't even consider what they serve "food" so absolutely not. Dairy....not anymore. I stick to clean foods. Fruits, veggies, lean proteins, healthy fats and complex carbs.
Supplements are essential in my world. Out of all the brands and company out there, Advocare is the only one I've come across in which I absolutely trust that the product does what it says it does. I just know I can trust each and every single one of Advocare's products. Not to mention that I feel a noticeable difference when I take them as well as increased results when my clients do.
Here's what I had for dinner this evening which is pretty typical a few nights per week. I had a burger with avocado on top, portabella mushrooms, kale, onions, squash and cabbage. This meal took me about 30 minutes to make start to finish.
~ Coach Robyn
Whether you are a meat eater or not, protein shakes are highly effective at getting the amount of protein that you need. I use Advocare's Meal Replacement Shake every morning because it has 24 grams of protein and time-released carbs and then I fill in the gaps throughout the day with Muscle Gain protein. The reason I like Advocare's protein is that it is a very high quality, pre-digestive protein that your body can use (aka it is bioavailable) within 15-20 minutes. Getting this protein to your muscles in a quick fashion helps your body use it to grow, recover and build muscle which all leads to increased metabolism.
Back to what I eat. Well, most of the time when I cook for myself, I load up on a ton of different veggies from Sprouts or the Burnet Road Farmer's market. I also make sure I have a good protein source like Salmon, Chicken, Turkey, Lean Beef or sometimes Pork. If at all possible, I'm buying from the farmer's market or something that is local. When I cook, I am not gonna lie....I just cut everything up, throw some olive oil in a pan with garlic and span fry it up. There are many others ways but this is my preferred for taste and amount of time it takes. Yes, I am a creature of convenience as well. This is usually my dinner.
For breakfast (or for me it's a mid-morning meal since I usually get up early and have a meal replacement shake), it's most likely 2-3 eggs, some leftover protein from the night before's dinner and some random veggies like peppers, onions, kale, spinach, etc
Throughout the day, I'm snacking on nuts, carrots and hummus, avocados, apples with peanut butter and my leftover meals.
And that's about it! There's really nothing left for me to include here. It's pretty simple......at least for me. I have learned what foods effect my body negatively over the years and I simply try to stay away or reduce the consumption of them all together. Fried food is completely OUT. Frozen meals GONE. Breads and Pasta, drastically reduced. Fast food (the traditional kinds).....well I don't even consider what they serve "food" so absolutely not. Dairy....not anymore. I stick to clean foods. Fruits, veggies, lean proteins, healthy fats and complex carbs.
Supplements are essential in my world. Out of all the brands and company out there, Advocare is the only one I've come across in which I absolutely trust that the product does what it says it does. I just know I can trust each and every single one of Advocare's products. Not to mention that I feel a noticeable difference when I take them as well as increased results when my clients do.
Here's what I had for dinner this evening which is pretty typical a few nights per week. I had a burger with avocado on top, portabella mushrooms, kale, onions, squash and cabbage. This meal took me about 30 minutes to make start to finish.
~ Coach Robyn
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Coach Robyn and Kim's 90-Day Challenge
Hey Guys! Coach Robyn and I are pumped to start a 90-Day Challenge to help us reach our own personal health/fitness goals. While we may have different goals (coming soon!), we will both be using the same format to help us reach those goals. Format = protein focused diet, exercise and Advocare nutrition supplements! We will be updating the blog regularly to document this journey and help us stay on track.
Follow us for the next 90 days for updates on what we are eating, the supplements we are taking, our exercise routine, plus much more!
Measurements (9/30/11) | Robyn | Kim |
Chest | 34.75 | 32 |
Bust (on / below) | 32.5 / 28.5 | 33.5 / 28.5 |
Waist & Indent | 32 (1 “ below Belly Button) | 32.25 & 26 7/8 |
Hips | 38.5 | 37 7/8 |
Thigh (upper & mid) | 20.75 (mid) | 21.5 / 20 |
Calf | 14 | 13 7/8 |
Arm (right, left) | 10 / 9.75 | 10 5/8 & 10.5 |
Weight / BF % | 141.8 / 18.8 | 140. 4 / (coming soon) |
If you would like to take a 90-Day Challenge of your own, just let us know! Let’s finish 2011 and head into 2012 looking & feeling better than ever!
~Coach Kim K
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Robyn's Supplement Story
Ok, so if any of you know me or follow some of my posts on Facebook, you know I am EXTREMELY skeptical about what I put into my body. This includes foods as well as supplements. From the second I learned from my exercise physiology professor in grad school, Dr. Brown, that the FDA doesn't regulate the supplements industry and supplement companies can put anything on their labels and make any claim they want to about their products (even un-true), I was completely against them! The exact thought that crossed my mind is "I am never taking supplements" and "why on earth would someone take them knowing this?" The word "supplement" to this day, makes me cringe just because of the history behind it. I had the belief that you can get all your nutrients and everything you need from food (I still believe this but more on that later), so why do we need supplements?
So as you would imagine, the first person that came up to me to talk about supplements asking my thoughts on them, didn't get a very good response. This person was a nutrition supplement distributor that, knowing I was in the fitness industry, did his best to convince me that I should sell their product. No dice. I didn't even want to hear about it.
I did, however, catch one piece of information from our chat that sparked an interest. Those were the words "scientific & medical advisory board." I didn't really know what this meant but I took his materials and went home. It was probably even a few days before I looked into it. But more on this later...
That talk was 2 years ago. Today, I still believe that you can get all the nutrition you need from foods. However, it is my firm belief that doing so is almost as hard as being a professional athlete. Our foods just aren't as nutritious as they used to be. Over farming, mass-production of foods, meat factories, and other discouraging facts about our foods today have led me to believe it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to get all your nutrition from foods anymore. And you cannot believe or trust the claims that even food companies make. Food companies are regulated by the USDA, FDA, etc and believe me, our health is not one of their main concern. If it was, we wouldn't be the fattest country in the world. So sure, you can be "healthy" and "skinny" without supplementation, but are you filling in all of your nutritional gaps left by the foods we've eaten (or haven't eaten)?
So fast forward to today. I now believe in supplements. Am I still as skeptical as I was before, though? ABSOLUTELY. But I am happy to say that, as a fitness professional with her name and career on the line, have found a company in Advocare that I trust and back 100%. I will put my name behind Advocare any day. There are 5 reasons for this...
Here are my reasons:
1) Scientific & Medical Advisory Board - Yes, it did turn out to be a deciding factor for me. The board is made up of the top doctors, nutritionists, medical researchers and scientists in their field. Most of them are associated with a major university (Yale, for example) and their reputation is far too important to be associated with unhealthy, unsafe products that make false claims.
2) Informed-Choice - Advocare can proudly claim that their products are all "informed-choice." This means that there are NO banned substances in their products. High school, college, and professional athletes can take Advocare products with confidence knowing that they will pass all drug tests.
3) Their Product Line - The variety and amount of products offered is amazing. It covers all the major health areas. There are products associated with immunity, digestion, weight loss, products for active individuals, sports performance, overall wellness and more. I love this for myself as well as the fact that there are a wide variety of products that I can recommend to my clients.
4) The Support - I have support from one of the most knowledgeable guys in the nutrition industry with the biggest heart out there. Joel Holcomb, has an extensive background in Sports Nutrition and was the former head athletic trainer of Georgetown High School where he was in charge of 1,800 athletes. After a scare with his athletes taking products from GNC, he researched products that were safe and exclusively recommended Advocare to his athletes from then on.
5) The TRUST FACTOR - I love love love that I can recommend products to my campers and be confident that they are safe. I constantly preach how important nutrition is in addition to exercise and now I have a Nutrition Company that I can trust with the health of my clients. My reputation as a fitness professional and owner of Boot Camp U, is far to important to me to be recommending un-safe products that make false claims.
Tell me, what are YOUR thoughts on supplements? Do you have any stories to share about your experiences with them? Good or bad. Please share.
For more information on Advocare, click HERE!
So as you would imagine, the first person that came up to me to talk about supplements asking my thoughts on them, didn't get a very good response. This person was a nutrition supplement distributor that, knowing I was in the fitness industry, did his best to convince me that I should sell their product. No dice. I didn't even want to hear about it.
I did, however, catch one piece of information from our chat that sparked an interest. Those were the words "scientific & medical advisory board." I didn't really know what this meant but I took his materials and went home. It was probably even a few days before I looked into it. But more on this later...
That talk was 2 years ago. Today, I still believe that you can get all the nutrition you need from foods. However, it is my firm belief that doing so is almost as hard as being a professional athlete. Our foods just aren't as nutritious as they used to be. Over farming, mass-production of foods, meat factories, and other discouraging facts about our foods today have led me to believe it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to get all your nutrition from foods anymore. And you cannot believe or trust the claims that even food companies make. Food companies are regulated by the USDA, FDA, etc and believe me, our health is not one of their main concern. If it was, we wouldn't be the fattest country in the world. So sure, you can be "healthy" and "skinny" without supplementation, but are you filling in all of your nutritional gaps left by the foods we've eaten (or haven't eaten)?
So fast forward to today. I now believe in supplements. Am I still as skeptical as I was before, though? ABSOLUTELY. But I am happy to say that, as a fitness professional with her name and career on the line, have found a company in Advocare that I trust and back 100%. I will put my name behind Advocare any day. There are 5 reasons for this...
Here are my reasons:
1) Scientific & Medical Advisory Board - Yes, it did turn out to be a deciding factor for me. The board is made up of the top doctors, nutritionists, medical researchers and scientists in their field. Most of them are associated with a major university (Yale, for example) and their reputation is far too important to be associated with unhealthy, unsafe products that make false claims.
2) Informed-Choice - Advocare can proudly claim that their products are all "informed-choice." This means that there are NO banned substances in their products. High school, college, and professional athletes can take Advocare products with confidence knowing that they will pass all drug tests.
3) Their Product Line - The variety and amount of products offered is amazing. It covers all the major health areas. There are products associated with immunity, digestion, weight loss, products for active individuals, sports performance, overall wellness and more. I love this for myself as well as the fact that there are a wide variety of products that I can recommend to my clients.
4) The Support - I have support from one of the most knowledgeable guys in the nutrition industry with the biggest heart out there. Joel Holcomb, has an extensive background in Sports Nutrition and was the former head athletic trainer of Georgetown High School where he was in charge of 1,800 athletes. After a scare with his athletes taking products from GNC, he researched products that were safe and exclusively recommended Advocare to his athletes from then on.
5) The TRUST FACTOR - I love love love that I can recommend products to my campers and be confident that they are safe. I constantly preach how important nutrition is in addition to exercise and now I have a Nutrition Company that I can trust with the health of my clients. My reputation as a fitness professional and owner of Boot Camp U, is far to important to me to be recommending un-safe products that make false claims.
Tell me, what are YOUR thoughts on supplements? Do you have any stories to share about your experiences with them? Good or bad. Please share.
For more information on Advocare, click HERE!
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