Supplementation Without Representation

sup·ple·ment

1. Something added to complete a thing, make up for a deficiency, or extend or strengthen the whole.

I've been thinking about writing this post for awhile now and what's pushed me to go through with it is the recent abuse of supplements I've seen.

I would never ever name names, but I know a few people ignorantly supplementing. For whatever reason they are putting things into their body they believe will transform them, yet they don't exercise on a regular basis and don't have the best eating habits. They are also abusing stimulates and thermogens (aka fat burners) believing this alone will help them lose weight.

I'd like to believe that about 90% of people shouldn't be supplementing with anything more then maybe a protein powder and a decent multi-vitamin. This is because people don't research what they are putting into their body and how they are using it. They are literally pissing away expensive supplements without using them properly believing that if they shop at their local GNC it makes them serious about fitness.

I really believe you should not supplement unless you are:
1. Training with extreme dedication pretty much 5-6 days a week with hard set goals.
2. Know your body & mind intimately and have a firm grasp on good diet on how outside forces effect you.
3. Are educated so thoroughly on what you are taking that you could write a research paper on it blindfolded.

So why do people take supplements?

Well for one if you take them properly they can really help you get great results and help with recovery from your training. This is only with an already good diet and exercise plan though. Supplements aren't magic, you can't just start taking things and expect your body to change before your eyes. It's why I personally think that supplement companies shouldn't be allowed to advertise like they do.

Look in any fitness magazine and you will see every ad under the sun full of crazy ripped, glowing gorgeous bodies tell you if you take whatever it is they are taking you will look like them. WRONG!!

It's so wrong there should be a huge disclaimer.

You should already know how your body works and what your goals are before you put anything into it besides food and water. I must of read for months about certain supplements before even THINKING about taking them. I've been extremely careful and kept detail notes on how I feel and how I'm making progress.

One reason I also supplement is being a vegetarian and pumping a lot of heavy iron along with very intense cardio each week has its challenges. Because I don't eat meat there are components lacking from my diet that I want and need to get. I have to consume a lot of protein - a lot - especially if I want to see builds in lean muscle mass and be able to keep it. I found supplementation has been a tremendous help in this lifestyle choice, I know for a fact it's been one of the reasons I've seen such great progress.

That being said your body cannot live on sups alone. You need real food in conjunction with sups or they are useless. You also need to know what times to take them so that they benefit your body in the best possible way and know when to cycle off and stop taking them so your body doesn't get use to them (they won't be helpful if you over use). If this sounds like too much work you're right, it is. If you aren't willing to commit to learning it then you shouldn't be doing it... period.

I'm not sure I want to give a laundry list of what I supplement with (though my stack is very small in comparison to what a lot people take). I don't preach taking them and I don't want people to think it's the only way to get results. I didn't start supplementing with more then just a very basic protein & multi until about two and half months ago, so it does go to show you that my losses in fat and inches go to good old fashion diet and exercise.

I will throw props to Optimum Nutrition as I'm a very proud user of their supplements. They are forth coming with detailed information on their products and produce them with a level of quality that surpasses a lot of supplement companies out there. They are one of the few companies that produce many different forms and combinations of protein powders, including an all natural variety which I love. They also make a great woman's multi and I live and die by since it's the only one I've ever taken that doesn't make me feel sick to my stomach. I've recommended them as a source of protein to many people, but you still should READ THE LABELS. Know what's in it and what it's doing for you

Bottom line supplements are there to help fill a gap/deficiency in your diet and help assist your body in intense training. They should never ever be used without proper education of what they are and how they work with the right conditions and lifestyle. They can be very expensive and some, depending, can be dangerous if not taken properly (especially stims and thermogenics!).

If you don't know what is it, what it does or why it works you shouldn't be putting it in your mouth and don't let any amount of advertising change that. Be smart and safe with your body you only get one.

Mirror Mirror On the Wall

I know April is suppose to be rainy, but MAN it is out of control this year. The second we get a twinge above 50 degrees here in NYC the clouds roll in and the gray takes over.

I know I wrote about being excited for warmer weather because of all the nice things I get to do outside, but I'm also soooo ready to change my wardrobe. I feel like a character in an animated series, forced to be drawn walking NYC in my black boots, jeans and long hoodie under my leather coat. Don't get me wrong I like having a look sometimes, but I'm ready for light tanks, flats and cute skirts.

Which means soon I get to do more shopping!

Believe it or not I've never really liked shopping. My mother loves it and so does her sister, but I never was a big fan. I think the whole reason I didn't like it was because when I was a teen it was "popular" to hang at the mall and my friends and I were "anti" anything remotely popular. When I got into college I had no money. The years after graduation I worked up the career ladder and I got ever increasingly heavier. Shopping meant having to try things on in front of 3 reflections of myself.

I hated all mirrors and actually threw away the only full length one I ever owned as to not be forced to see what only made me upset. I was never in a mood to force myself into a small changing room with a giant 3-way.

I remember being in desperate need of new things and lamenting going into the dressing rooms, FULL of nothing but 3-way mirrors and bizarre overhead lighting. I can't tell you how many times I was almost brought to tears in the Macy's dressing room. I had stopped buying clothes all together 2 years ago until I was forced to go on a business trip where I needed more presentable attire.

Two weeks ago I decided to "go shopping". I'm not talking about needing one outfit for a certain event. I mean looking for a whole new wardrobe because nothing and I mean nothing I own fits me. I was so out of practice and completely clueless about sizes I must have spent a good 6 hours trying on clothes from every shop around Herald Square.

I was shuffling up to the dressing room in Forever 21 & HM with both arms full to the brim with different items, heading into my 4 x 4 room and letting out the sigh I always had when face with a 3-way mirror. This time though, even as the ever familiar dread and sickness in my stomach started to rise, I tried things on one at a time. To my surprise everything I choose was too big! I started to see that all my hard work over the past 8 months has been leading up to me absolutely loving trying on clothes.

*insert silly 80's movie girl shopping montage HERE*

No matter what is was I loved how I looked in it. I felt a depth of excitement I can barely explain in words. For the first time I was looking at a person in the mirror I was proud of. The 3-way mirror was not playing tricks, was not making me think I'd put on another 10lbs. For once it was showing me what I always wanted to see and I made that happen. Talk about an empowering experience.

Knowing there is no instant satisfaction for changing your body can be discouraging when you first start on the path, but seeing the results of long term work is a reward you will never get over. Instead of walking out of the dressing room in ultimate disappointment and feeling terrible for the rest of the day, I came home brimming with happiness and bags of cute clothes that flattered me.

I'm feeling braver, so much braver then I've ever felt. Getting psyched about 3-way mirrors might seem really trivial, but being able to let go of that fear and disappointment is a giant weight off my shoulders. I'm not afraid about trying new things. I can now shift my attention from my obsession with my legs to twirling around and admiring what all that sweating has done for me.

Call me insane, or vain, but I stood just looking at myself in that little 4 x 4 space smiling. Loving myself has been very hard for a very very long time. Now I understand that the love of yourself is completely connected with how you use your time, your body and mind all as one. Your self worth can't be high if you never use what you've been given. Treat your body like a waste and your mind will follow suit.

I can't love my body anymore then when I'm forcing what it can do to it's limit. It's a zen and state of being far beyond what I would call "spiritual".

After my epiphany in the dressing room I know I will never stop striving to keep a hold of that love, which means never giving up the desire to USE my body every day :)

Stress Eating & The Beauty of Routine

My motto for dealing with stress usually is "focus on the things you can change."

There are weeks (months even) where my life is sort of thrown into chaos because of my day job. I'm really happy that my personal relationships are, for the most part, very stable or at least at a constant. My career has taken the dominate force of stress.

There was a time when I felt I had control over nothing. I wasn't happy about anything and my coping mechanisms were not healthy. But even now I really have to work not to fall back into horrible habits.

I am a stress eater.

I never thought I was and if you would of asked me a year ago I'd of told you I never had an eating disorder. When I think of an eating disorder I think of the extremes: people who never eat and people who never STOP eating.

There is this grey area though and I think a lot of, Americans especially, fall into the middle category. Eating when we are not hungry, bored, stressed, happy, to be social... believe it or not I consider that an unsafe relationship with food.

You should never be eating when you aren't hungry, when you stop and think about that for 2 seconds it sound completely rational. Yet I cannot tell you how many times I've wanted relief of stress through chocolate. It's my weakness.

At some point I trained my brain to want chocolate when I come under stress. I have spent almost a year trying to unlearn it and it's been a hell of a struggle for me. The past few months have been pretty good. I've had a system with myself and was able to overcoming cravings and not feel like I was going crazy.

Yesterday, however, was a different story. I know I'm almost completely done for when there is no constant in my daily routine. Some people think a daily routine means your awful boring human, but your body craves some sort of regularity. When you give this to yourself it means other stresses in your life are easier to overcome, Terri taught me this and it's been a huge part to my success.

I have to work very long hours sometimes and deal with time sensitive material. People (under stress) will bark orders at me or use condescending language. This is all overwhelming. But I can overcome my stress without resorting to bad food choices if I've done things like: worked out in the morning, ate my meals at the regular time, drank enough water, gone to bed at a normal time, spent time focusing on my goals at home. I don't have to do all of those things, just as long as I've done most of them I have enough will power to not go to the candy jar.

This week though everything was off for me. I wasn't sleeping enough or going to bed when I normally do. There were not enough groceries to last us through the week so Clint and I ate at odd times. I was resorting to working out in the evenings which threw me off and because everything seemed to be off I wasn't letting go of work crap once I got home.

So Friday I let myself cave. I was completely aware of what I was doing and WHY I was doing it and I kept it down to a non obscene level of chocolate consumption. Sometime letting yourself indulge in the little brain pleasures keeps you from going crazy when nothing seems right. It's the routine of caving every single time you can't cope that's the dangerous route.

With the week finally over I'm really looking forward to my Bootcamp circuit today with all my fitness mates. Saturdays are always the toughest workouts, with non-stop intense training. I always feel my pressures are squashed after doing that, which just goes to show the more stressed you are the harder you should exercise. It makes your brain and body so happy and you get endorphins from that accomplishment and not a bag of Hersey's kisses!

Warm Weather Wishes

Sorry that I haven't posted in a while, the days have just been flying by. It's not that nothing has been happening, it's just my brain forgot about doing anything other then working, eating and trying to get to bed on time.

This doesn't mean I haven't been hitting the gym!! I find I get very out of sorts if I just stop going in the mist of crazy life stuff. In fact I find I need to workout more the more hectic life gets. It calms me down and wears my brain out.

I love going to the gym, but in "nicer" weather it gets very crowded. Everyone who was hibernating all winter decides maybe they should start doing something since it's very likely they soon will be wearing less clothing. They fail to understand that you can't get bathing suit ready in a few weeks unless you are already in amazing shape.


I've been try to get bathing suit ready since July 2010 and while I'm not so shy any more about donning a 2-piece I know with the goals I've set I have much farther to go. The treadmill is not a magic device and neither is your body. Your body will look the way you treat it year round, meaning if you've sat at a desk, on a couch, in a car most of your life that's how you'll look. It's also how you'll feel!

The weather finally got nice yesterday and I actually walked around without a jacket for the first time this year. It started to get me thinking about all the extra fun activities I want to do once the sun decides to shine everyday.

In the summer I love walking everywhere even more. I love the park and the botanical gardens. I'm much more likely to walk the 50-100 blocks somewhere then take the train. Clint and I have been known to end up at opposite ends of Manhattan in the same day on many weekends. It's just so nice to be out in the city, even when it's crazy hot and smells like trash :-S

I'm also looking forward to heading over to the small court down the street from my work. I do wish it was more of a park, but it's the perfect place to shoot some hoops or jump rope. It will really give me an afternoon boost to get in a quick half hour of cardio. I've been looking forward to using it ever since I started working in Soho!

I usually get very stiff by the end of day because I workout first thing in the morning and then sit at a desk for the entire rest of my day. I'm really hoping being able to get out and move around once it's nice will really help with all that, even if I just choose to do some outdoor yoga. I never understood why kids get recess, but adults never get in a half hour of running around. It would be sooooo awesome :)

I'm just so excited that spring has started to peek out from behind the curtain and I can't wait to start wearing all my cute tops to show off the guns! WOOHOO!

No Excuses! Don't Get in Your Own Way...

Every morning my alarm goes off at 4:30 am and I'm tired. I have a buffer if I accidentally close my eyes for too long another alarm goes off at 4:45. It doesn't matter I'm always still tired.

The point is I get up anyway, no excuses.

I don't know anyone who springs forth from the bed all smiles and jazz hands. It's fairly impossible. Your body is trying to wake up, you're slightly disoriented probably colder then you want to be, your heart is warming up to a faster pulse.

Excuses no matter what they are, are self sabotage. You are only hurting yourself with every excuse you choose to give in to.

Before I got into a steady routine I made excuses all the time and it's soooo easy to do when you first start working out. You're sore all the time, probably really badly. You're not use to using the muscles and they pay you back. It's so easy to say "I'm too sore today" because you're sore everyday. I wasn't use to getting up early either, another easy out for my brain. I'd see the alarm and say "I'm too tired today," but I realized getting up that early I'd be tired everyday.

When I first started eating healthy there was loads of temptation. I never cared before about what I ate and now I felt I was being so good and deserve to have a "treat". Then I realized my food choices were not temporary. I choose to eat better for the rest of my life, I don't need reward for that.

Whatever it is that gets you excited about working out and eating right use it. Even if it seems stupid in retrospect.

Today I was crazy tired when I woke up, rain does that too me. For half a second I thought about going back to sleep, then I remembered I had a Bootcamp class with Terri and I wanted to see everyone in class.

I started taking classes because it forced me to get up and go somewhere. What's really great about starting with classes is your with a group of people about to go through the same thing you are. Once you get to know them you watch out of each other and get loads of encouragement. It's also a great change to anything I do by myself which keeps my routine fresh and exciting.

Other things I do to stay motivated:

• Get a new cute workout outfit (something that you feel great wearing even if you are sweating in it) I'm personally addicted to lululemon so it's sort of a treat to buy a whole outfit there. Totally worth the price because I love how it makes me look! 
• Keep a workout journal. I use this to see the progress I'm making even if my eyes don't allow me to see it in the mirror. At the end of the month I also get measured, weighed and calipered.
• Doing my hardest exercise 1st! This not only helps me wake-up but I really feel accomplished even if I start feeling tired toward the end of my workout.
• Tuning in to how I feel while I exercise. I always feel amazing and I like to remind myself of it as much as I can so I don't forget why I'm getting up at 4:30!
• Tell myself I'm doing more then what most people do in a whole week. Sounds self-righteous but it's true. Terri and Keith use to tell me this all the time and it always gave me boost in performance. 
• Trying on my bikini and lounging around the house (even when it's 16 degrees outside). There is nothing like the reminder of why you are doing what your doing - this works really great when I think I want to eating something really terrible!
• Talking to others about fitness. Believe it or not the more I talk about routines, goals and healthy recipes the more excited I get to do all the things I talked about. I've gone a whole day at work feeling tired and depressed and someone has asked me about my lifting, the second we started talking I was crazy pumped and hit the stack the second I got home.
• Putting my healthy food in fun containers - you just can't say no to raw broccoli and spinach in a happy dancing bunny container.
• Reading success stories of regular people. This might depress some people, but it really helps me. I see all these people who did what I'm doing now and it makes it feel obtainable. People that did something even harder then what I'm doing always inspires me to give my all!
• Being honest with myself. Excuses aren't cool but if I'm really that crazy beat I give myself a break. I think about why I want or don't want something and evaluate the situation. I'm human and I have other things happening in my life you can't be perfect 100% of the time.

Of course the blog is also really great motivation. It's why I started it at the hardest part of my fitness goals. I wanted to make sure no matter how tough things got I could vent into the void.

Excuses never get anyone anywhere. They just make you ultimately feel guilty because you've let yourself down. I HATE feeling that way, it's worse then to stomachache I get from indulging in foods my body pretty much rejects now.

So if you think you could never ever get up early and hit the gym just know it took me many months of forcing myself, lying to myself, and feeling guilty before I just accepted going to bed at 10 pm and knowing I'd always be up before the sun.

The thing is it's totally worth it, everyday I wake up tired I work the limits of my body and mind and I end up in a shower that feels like the only reason I'm alive. Sleeping in isn't worth more then that feeling to me now.

So if you ever feel down and you just can't bring yourself to lace up those sneakers, just think about me at 4:30 am getting ready and feel good knowing someone is up sweating with you :)

Great so now what...

So I explained calories and macro-nutrients in the last post, but how does this relate in a real way to diet?

Lean muscle & low body fat, make a tight and energized body. With the right balance of nutrients anyone one the planet can achieve this goal, but learning to eat correctly is a process.

I don't know anyone, including myself who went all the way from day one. It's not sustainable thinking for anyone drastically changing the way they eat. Just like you have to learn and be taught new skill you have to teach your body about foods. Lowering your calorie intake gradually is much less stressful and easy to maintain. It's why no one should be looking up calorie calculators and putting in that they want to be 115 pounds when they are starting from 175.

Initially you will really have to tune into your body's signals. I had to learn the difference between hunger and thirst, between being stressed or hormonal and what my cravings actually meant. Tuning out is not the way to build healthy eating habits. A lot of women think feeling hunger pains means they are doing great, WRONG. There should never be a point where you feel so hungry you have to use all your will to ignore it. If that's the case your body is trying to tell you something. Starving yourself will never ever get you anywhere. There is no way your body can build muscle and lose fat if it has no nutrients.

So let's get detailed on the macros!

Protein.
You will hear me say this word so much you're going to hate me. Protein is what sustains fullness in your belly and helps build muscle. There are so many kinds of great protein there is no excuse for not getting enough in your diet. As a vegetarian I have to get creative, but omnivores have no pass. Most if not all your protein should be lean meaning containing good fats and not in excess. I eat a combination of proteins everyday so my body can get the most from them. Wheat Gluten, Soy, Whey, Egg, and Legume protein are my staples and is the main part of every meal I have. This should be the main group in which your calories come from.

Protein is for sustained energy and is digested at a slower rate then other nutrients. This is why if it is the main part of your diet, you won't feel tired or hungry all the time. It's also important because if you consume the proper amount your body isn't forced to cannibalize your own muscles to get it. Hence why if you starve yourself you can never be fit. Your body is going to get what it needs from some where.

When you start exercising on a regular basis your body needs protein more then ever. You are using and training your muscles. Putting strain on your body to perform physical tasks for a prolonged time. Protein is the essential fuel for this. It's food for your muscles!

Carbs.
Carbs have a really bad rap because when eaten in great excess they are not your friend, but here is something that is sure to blow your mind, fruits and vegetables are carbs. WHAT?! It's true, vegetables contain great vitamins and minerals, are low in calories high in fiber but their main macro-nutrient is carbohydrates. When talking about eating carbs this is where most in your diet should come from. The more color and closer to their pure state the better.

The problem with carbs like grains, breads and pastas are they are quick energy, in basics sugar. Most people sit in an office chair all day, what boost are you needing? If you don't use the carbs you consume, and are consuming in excess that energy is being stored. Your body says "I'm cool right now, but maybe I'll need this later." The problem is if you aren't active your body just stores and stores until you look like a bear in winter. This is why it's important to get in a solid 30 - 60 min workout in.

While carbs from grains are quick energy you have to make sure you use them! This is why if you do eat them (and it should be in very low amounts) you should do so for breakfast or lunch. I always eat less of them on the days I don't workout because I'm not expending as much effort.

Remember your body uses energy to digest food so make it work for you. This is why whole grains are better. They are more difficult to digest (fiber!) meaning your body has to work harder for the nutrients. It's a win/win!

Fats.
I'm telling you, you need them. Good fats are essential to weight loss which is easy to understand why they are a macro-nutrient. The word "fat" gives horrid visions of the thing we never want to be, but fats as a part of your diet is a stigma people need to get over. The 2 groups of fats that are your buddies are Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated.

Monounsaturated fats lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) while increasing HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). Nuts including peanuts, walnuts, almonds and pistachios, avocado, canola and olive oil are high in Monounsaturated fats. They have also been found to help in weight loss, particularly body fat.

Polyunsaturated fats also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Seafood like salmon and fish oil, as well as corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oils are high in polyunsaturated fats. Omega 3 fatty acids belong to this group.

As you might have guessed you only need small amounts of these groups, but eating them everyday is great. I get my Omega 3 from my eggs and if I use oil for cooking it's always extra virgin olive oil. I eat a small serving of nuts almost every day and also sometimes supplement with flax seed or sesamin oils.

***********

I wanted to explain Macros in more depth before answering the dreaded "how much?" question. There are varying levels of detail you can throw into your lifestyle. I only wanted to start knowing the answer to this question when I knew reaching 15% body fat was going to be real challenge.

For most knowing that almost all of your calories should come from protein and vegetables. Fruits for me are my "treat" food now, or light boost if I'm still a little hungry between meals. Whole grains should be sampled in small doses as so to no freak out your blood sugar and good fats should be consumed every day a little at a time. That's the simple answer.

For those of you who a merely curious to an even more detailed way of looking at nutrition I'll be sure to add some more posts soon :)

Calories & Macro-nutrients WTF?!

What exactly is a calorie? A calorie is a unit of heat equal to the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1,000 grams of water by one degree Celsius.

A more basic answer: A calorie is a unit to measure the energy which is the fuel for our bodies.

So why is it so scary and confusing?
I'd say because most people don't know how much energy they expend so they don't know how much fuel they need. There is no physical meter like with our cars. When the tank is empty the car won't run, fill the tank too much and you have bad smelling shoes and a possible explosive situation.

Some people believe if they stay within a certain calorie limit they can eat whatever they want. So I ask this question: what's better, eating 1500 calories a day of donuts or 1500 calories of veggies and lean meats? The problem with the way most people look at nutrition is they don't look at what's called "macro-nutrients".

I know I'm throwing some fancy words right now, but their premise is very simple. Macro-nutrients are substances needed for growth, metabolism, and for other body functions that are required in large amounts. There are three broad classes of macro-nutrients: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.

This means, for example, if you're consuming on average 1500 calories a day the breakdown from where that energy is coming from is protein, cabs and fats (these are measured in grams). Not having a proper balance of these nutrients is why people have trouble with diet. Intakes of sugars, sodium and cholesterol are also a factor.

You want to be able to hit the proper levels of your macro-nutrients without exceeding the number of calories you need to fuel your daily activities. This is easily shown in foods that aren't good for you. They are usually very high in calories without benefiting your body in proper nutrients. High in either sugar, sodium and/or cholesterol and usually contain chemicals and preservatives, it's what's called "empty calories."

The calories you want are from what's commonly referred to as "clean foods, or clean eating". This is the premise that all of your nutrients should be coming from foods in their most pure form. Trust me when I say this alone will make your trips to the grocery store a breeze. You can pretty much skip the middle sections everything is on the outskirts! Fresh produce, when things aren't in season I buy canned or frozen and always check to make sure there is no added salt or sugars. The butcher/fish man for fresh lean meats. The dairy section for eggs, light milks and yogurts. Grains should always be whole and nuts should be raw and these should be sampled in moderation. Sounds too simple, it really is that easy.

Once you get use to eating more clean food you will notice how your body rejects processed food. My lowered tolerance for lactose aside I can barely eat anything that isn't pure now. There is so much sodium in most packaged foods I get too bloated and feel too ill to enjoy it.

Also with eating a proper balance of good clean foods you will notice a new form of energy. Exercise won't seem as terribly labored, you'll sleep much better and will wake up feeling more "empty" because your body is using everything. Your mood will be elevated and you'll feel better in tune with how your body feels.

This is essentially the lead into learning how to form a balanced diet. You might have to rewire your thoughts on food, but once you start to understand what your food is doing for you it's not as obscure.

Hope this helped explain the basic components of where are energy comes from in a fairly easy light. I'll be doing more detailed and longer nutrition posts in the following weeks so stay tuned :)