Carbs Are NOT The Enemy!!!

Carbs Are Not The Enemy!

“Carbs are making me fat.”  How many times have we heard that line from a friend, co-worker, family member, or even ourselves? As a trainer, I hear this often from many of my clients.   I have met many people on low-carb, and no-carb diets, who have attempted this method as a last-ditch effort to shed weight.

This method is both wrong, and harmful.   Most people overlook the real use for carbohydrates, and see them as a hindrance to their weight loss effort, rather than as the body’s primary fuel source.

This fuel cannot be replaced by proteins, fats, vitamins, or minerals.   Many misled people believe that they can simply substitute other nutrients to make up for the lack of carbohydrates in their diet, but unfortunately, this is a myth.

Proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals are all essential to good overall health, however, each play a different role in weight loss.  Proteins, fats, and minerals have more long-term benefits.  They act as maintenance for your body, as well as being the building blocks for long-term muscle growth.

There is no substitute for the energy provided by carbohydrates.  They give you the energy to drive to work in the morning, and to tackle daily tasks at work both physical, and mental. They allow you to calculate, rationalize, synthesize, process, and evaluate, but most importantly, as a trainer, carbohydrates are what allow you to perform at an optimal level during your workouts in order to achieve RESULTS!

Carbohydrates are your brain’s main source of energy as well.   This is why people on a low-carb diet feel sluggish, tired, irritable, and unable to function after only a few days on such a diet. Yes, the weight drops off, but how the heck are you going to achieve your fitness goals if you don’t even have the energy to sit at a desk, and make it through a work day, let alone an entire session with your trainer? What happens when you reach your desired weight, and add carbs back into your meal plan?

The main misconception with carbohydrates is that they are all evil, and they all contribute to weight gain. What people need to comprehend is that it is the TYPE of carbohydrate they consume which can be detrimental to their weight loss plan, as well as the portion size, and time they ingest their carbohydrates.   This can be confusing, so I have posted some general guidelines below.  Before reading these guidelines, it is firstly important to understand the different types of carbohydrates, and how they are used.

There are two types of carbohydrates; simple, and complex.  What we want to do is limit our consumption of simple carbohydrates, as they are often saturated with sugar, and void of essential nutrients.  They are digested very quickly, and can either be stored as muscle glycogen, but are more often stored as fat.  Examples of simple carbohydrates include:  pastries, cakes, donuts, fruit juices, most pre-packaged cereals, bread and pasta made with white flour, and soda pop.  Even milk and yogurt can be classified as simple carbohydrates depending on sugar levels! 

Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, are a longer, more complex chain of carbohydrates (hence the name),  and require more enzymes to break them down, resulting in a slower digestion process, thus resulting in a steady, even, and constant supply of energy to the body.  Because complex carbohydrates are slowly digested, and released, they are used instead of stored.

So when should someone ingest carbohydrates, and how much?  This answer depends on many factors including activity level both throughout your day, and in the gym, the time of day your workout occurs, as well as a person’s size, and shape.  However, here are some general guidelines to assist you:

1.        ALWAYS have breakfast.   Don’t skip the most important meal of the day.  Your body has been fasting for six to eight hours during sleep, and it’s crucial to re-fuel first thing in the morning.  Your breakfast should be your biggest meal of the day, and should consist of complex carbs and proteins, as most of it will be immediately used for fuel due to your overnight fast.

2.       Simple carbs are best consumed directly after your workout when your body is craving glucose. The glucose from simple carbs directly after a workout is beneficial for glucose synthesis and is transported directly into your muscle. I’m not saying it is okay to consume a pound of pastries directly after a workout, but a shake with some berries is best consumed at this time, and so is a cheat meal!

3.       Eat carbohydrates within an hour of working out.  You’ll see most people leaving the gym with shaker-cup in hand, and only consuming protein.  Carbs are just as important after exercise because they become glucose, which then converts to muscle glycogen, which then becomes fuel for your daily mental, and physical activities! 

4.       Portion out your carbohydrates throughout your day.  Remember, half a cup is the size of a computer mouse, and three quarters of a cup is the equivalent of a tennis ball. Don’t eat too much!

5.       We have all heard that carbs should not be ingested two hours before bed, however, if your workout is the last thing you do before hitting the sack, then ingest those carbs!  You NEED to re-fuel regardless of the time of day.

6.       Have something small that includes complex carbs about an hour before your workout.   You will need that fuel.  It will allow you to perform, work hard, and achieve your desired results!

Here is a list of some complex carbohydrates. There are many to choose from!

• Spinach
• Turnip Greens
• Apples
• Lettuce
• Buckwheat bread
• Prunes
• Water Cress
• Zucchini
• Oatmeal
• Pears
• Asparagus
• Plums
• Artichokes
• Okra
• Wild rice
• Cabbage
• Brown rice
• Yams
• Celery
• Cucumbers
• Beans
• Soybeans
• Radishes
• Lentils
• Broccoli
• Navy beans
• Garbanzo beans
• Brussels
• Sprouts
• Cauliflower
• Kidney beans
• Eggplant
• Almond milk
• Lentils
• Onions
• Quinoa
• Couscous
• Brown rice

If you are still unsure about when, and how much to ingest, please consult a registered dietician.  They can really help put a meal plan together for you based on your individual goals!

Women and Training: Questions, Myths, and Answers Revealed!

It’s hard to believe that with all the latest research, and advancements in exercise physiology, that myths associated with women and fitness are still running rampant.  Why do women still believe that light weights and cardio are the way to a fit, lean, firm, toned body?  Why do I repeat the same things over and over in my fitness consultations to women who have tried for years and years to lose weight, only to end up staying exactly the same?  Below are the most common myths/questions I receive, and the truth behind them based on science.

1.        In order to lose weight, and tone, light weights are key, correct?

This is incorrect.  Resistance training is crucial, but light weights will get you nowhere.  The way to losing weight and tone is through progressive resistance training based on periodization.  Periodization is a structured long-term program based on science.  In order to get to your goal, your periodized program should be specific to both your strengths, and limitations.  Firstly, you must correct imbalances, and learn proper technique for fundamental movements.  Lifting weights without proper form, or the elimination of imbalances will only lead to injury down the line.  Once this is done, the next step is to build lean muscle mass.  With an increase in lean muscle mass comes an increase in metabolism, thus vastly improving your body’s ability to burn fat.  For every pound of lean muscle you add to your body, you will burn an extra fifty to one hundred calories at rest.

The resistance training should be progressively challenging and heavy.  The heavier the load, the more work your body is doing.  The more work your body does, the more calories you will burn.

Ladies, you will NOT BULK UP!  As women, we simply don’t have the hormones to become as muscular as men!

2.        Cardio is the key to weight loss.

Myth, myth, myth!!!  The definition of insanity, is doing something over, and over, and expecting different results each time.  How many women do you see on cardio equipment, day in, and day out who look exactly the same as they did six months ago?  When they feel they need to “change things up,” they simple keep tacking on an extra ten minutes to their cardio session, yet still do not notice a change in their bodies.  They then often get bored by completing the same cardio session repeatedly, and end up quitting.

The key to weight loss, and toning is building lean muscle mass.  Cardio alone does not produce this, nor does it make you stronger.  Cardio will definitely help with heart, and lung capacity, however, the majority of women coming to see me want to lose weight, and this is NOT the way. 

3.       I participate in classes that are weight-based.  Shouldn’t that be enough?

It’s true that untrained participants will see an improvement in strength, but this is only a temporary improvement.  Everyone first starting out will see an improvement through classes, because going from a period of complete inactivity, to one of activity will produce results.  However, the body is a wonderful mechanism.  It adapts VERY quickly.  The body will try to conserve as much energy as possible, due to the primal nature of Homo sapiens.  Back in the day, our bodies would conserve energy for the hunt, thus allowing us to make an all-out effort when killing our food.  Despite technological advances, our body still retains this primal survival mechanism. 

Once your body learns and adapts to a certain movement pattern, it will become efficient in conserving energy as it becomes used to certain things, such as repeated cardio, or similar motions within a group exercise class.

In order to produce results, you need to keep tricking your body, by introducing new stimulus in a structured, progressive manner based on science.  As trainers, we have studied, and learned exactly when it’s time to change things up for our clients, and also HOW to change things up.

To reap the rewards of resistance training, a program must include a certain intensity, structured progression, and sufficient amounts of weight to actively challenge clients within their periodized program.

4.        I don’t want to strength train.  It will do nothing for me.

Yes, I’ve heard this statement out of the mouths of many women who want to lose weight and tone.  Ladies, you NEED to get stronger! 

This is not only a psychological aid in building your confidence, and independence, it’s important for your overall health!

Excess fat just sits on your body.  It’s a tissue that does nothing for you, except slows you down, and leads to a plethora of guaranteed health problems down the line, such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease,  osteoporosis, and severe joint problems just to name a few.  All these can be prevented to an extent by resistance training!  Relieving excess pressure on your joints from carrying around too much weight can assist in correcting back, hip, and knee problems.  Staying lean through increased muscle mass can help prevent illnesses that are genetic predispositions for many people.  Rather than taking a pill down the line, how about deciding that it’s worth it to never even have to resort to medication in the first place?

5.        I’ve been working with weights by myself for years.  I don’t see any results.

If this is the case, then it’s clear that you haven’t been through a program based on periodization.  This is a scientifically proven program that works.  As trainers, we are taught how to progress our clients over the long-term, in order to achieve desired results, educate you, and give you the knowledge as to what a proper progression should be. 

When a trainer recommends programs that last a minimum of six months to a year (sometimes much longer), it’s not because we want to steal your money.  It is because we know that in order to get you to your goal in a safe, effective and SUSTAINABLE manner, it is imperative that we take you through a full cycle of periodization.  Any trainer who is willing to take you on as a client for less than six months, three times a week IS stealing your money, and is providing a complete disservice to you, and your goals.

Why, you ask?  Because my goal as your trainer, is to teach you all the tools necessary, so once you do reach your goal, you are able to maintain your body on your own for the rest of your life.  Education, and knowledge are paramount.  I don’t want a client for life (unless motivation is an issue, and you cannot proceed on your own). In order to gain this knowledge, it is crucial that you participate in a full cycle on periodization, and this takes a MINIMUM of six months.

6.        My boyfriend/husband is going to show me how to train.

Is your significant other a certified personal trainer, with years’ of education to support his knowledge and methods?  If yes, then GREAT!  If not, then what the heck are you thinking?   That’s as silly as saying “my boyfriend has watched auto mechanics repair our car, so he’s going to take on all major repairs from now on, and show me how to do it!” 

7.        I can’t afford personal training.

You can’t afford NOT to invest in your health.  Remember, this is a one-time investment to learn tools, techniques, and knowledge to carry you through for the rest of your life, and preserve your health. 

Training is expensive, but it’s worth it.  I spent eight years in school, and have acquired many different certifications, as well as continue to further my education in order to help you meet your needs in a safe, efficient and productive manner.   I am well worth the price of investment, because I am a certified, well-educated, and knowledgeable professional in what I do. 

If you’re serious about getting started, I am here to help.  I thrive on making you be the best you can be.

Email me at missfitdanyah@gmail.com to arrange for your free consultation