Whats a hormone?

There was some chatter about my blog not being in my 'usual voice' - well we've still got some 'setting the scene' to do before I can let loose on you! However, here's a little taster...

*BAD TASTE JOKE ALERT* - you have been warned so no complaints!

What's a hormone?
The noises you hear from a prostitute when you refuse to pay her!


OK - it was bad I know! So back to business...

Hormone Definition (via google): A regulatory substance produced in an organism and transported in tissue fluids such as blood or sap to stimulate specific cells or tissues into action.

The hormone we want to consider here specifically is, insulin and what it does, before looking at how it might, via the food you eat, be working against your weight loss goals tomorrow.

So what does it do then...

Well, before your first bite of food, if you even begin thinking about food your body will begin to secrete insulin it's getting ready to grab the sugars in what you eat  and store them as fat if they can't immediately be used for energy. 

You see sugar (glucose) in large quantities is actually toxic so the insulin is both protecting you from being poisoned and storing energy for later. Oh and all food is digested into it's basic components so we're not just talking added sugar but all sugars from all food sources.

This is a normal, natural process but when it goes wrong it can stop you losing fat even if you reduce your food intake substantially - like I was saying earlier, that expected in/out relationship with calories may not hold.

Tomorrow we'll look at both what goes wrong and why it might happen...

Gauntlet - throw it down? or run it?

Last week a PT buddy of mine (Hi Rich!) challenged me to blog every day - can't remember if it was for a week or a month but sure he'll remind me!

Srsly Dude, I'm too busy!!! But then I thought, Hey I have all this knowledge I want to share in order to help people and I've been reading a lot about fat loss and the obesity crisis over the last  2 months, so, here goes:


FAT FACT
Remember Dr Atkins? The guy with the high fat diet approach?
He did not die of a heart attack as many people joke - the poor guy died of a head injury after a fall.

FAT FACT
Dr Atkins diet did help many people lose weight but did not increase their heart attack risk markers. Review the research like I've been doing if you don't think it's true. (He's not the only doctor to have done this but most don't shout about their work as it goes against the received wisdom of decades.)

So, ingested fat is not the key cause that people are getting fatter. It's also interesting to note that it's not the level of calories consumed that is necessarily doing it either - the calories in-calories out approach is not working as we believed it should. It would appear that something else is at play rather than simply thermo-dynamics (calories in-out).

The key issue could be down to hormones, specifically insulin and to some degree oestrogen and cortisol. Go and have a little read up on them and we'll 'tall more' tomorrow!

Michelle (fat eating evangelist) Day

Something lac'ing? - the products and methods

Last year I was undertaking a big fitness and weight loss challenge and found that after one particular episode where I did not have any milk (among other items) that I developed a bit of an intolerance to milk or more likely the lactose in the milk.

Although this stopped after a few weeks of pain and discomfort during which we used a substitute in tea and coffee but carried on using milk in cooked food I hatched a plan to try out and report on the dairy substitutes that you can find in many supermarkets and most delis/health food shops.

I popped into my local healthfood store last month and here's what we (hubby and I) did with the products we found.

We tried the following items:

Rice 'milk'
Oat 'milk'
Almond 'milk'
Koko (a coconut based product)
Quinoa 'milk'
Hemp 'milk'

We tried them in:

Glasses - neat that is!
Tea
Coffee
with milkshake syrup
Porridge
Protein powder

Our methods to ensure comparisons could be considered valid were:

Glasses - all clear and cleaned before the test

Tea - all cups identical and tea from same single pot made for the test

Coffee - all cups identical and coffee from same single press made for the test

Milkshake syrup - identical syrup and 'milk' quantities measured into clear, clean glasses

Porridge - identical quantities of oats and 'milk' cooked for same time each in same way (sadly easiest method and one used was microwave)

Protein powder - one scoop of powder and 300ml of 'milk' blended with stick blender


The results of our test follow in the next blog, they will of course be somewhat subjective given that personal tastes will come into this but I hope that you will find them useful nonetheless.

Worst diet 'EVER'???!

This years most dangerous diet?

I had a spray tan for the first time at the end of last year but this blog is not about that, it's about a magazine I began to read whilst I was waiting for my beauty therapist to be ready.

There was a pile of copies of a long running and well know women's magazine in the salon and as I was waiting I noticed a front page headline talking about 'this years most dangerous diet'. I had to read it of course! I'd just started the article when I was called but as it seemed to be talking about my approach to eating I went out and bought a copy the next day.

When I did read the article in full I have to say that I was appalled at the standard of the reporting – although I have no idea of the general standard of this type of magazine article as I don't often read them – they may all be this bad! So, what was so bad about it you ask;

The use of the word diet – this is such a misused word. We use it to mean 'slimming diet' in current speech, which in itself is wrong. We're all on a 'diet', what we eat, whether slimming or not is DIET.

That, however, was not the worst offence that I found just a common problem with the use or misuse of language.

The worst thing to my mind was the approach the 'dieters' used – it appeared that the people on this 'so-called' protein diet were eating almost nothing but protein. They were eating lots of meat and supplementing with protein bars and shakes. This idea seemed to have come from the body-building world where competition participants use these techniques to bulk up just before competition and to reduce body fat – in the last week or two only.

It is not a sustainable approach – any body-builder or person reducing body fat for competition will tell you that. The people who were recounting their problems with the 'diet' commented about mood swings and poor skin tone and sleep patterns. Yep, the athletes that use this approach could tell you that too. They even complained that instead of losing weight that they put it on – of course they did, they were eating extra calories with all those supplements and bars!

So, why do I and others suggest protein with every meal as a way of losing weight then? Well, protein takes longer to digest and as it does not raise your blood sugar too quickly it does not force your body to release a great big dose of insulin in one. It keeps you feeling fuller for longer.

How do you eat protein safely? Firstly you do not just eat protein! Focus your meals around lean proteins and vegetables (especially green ones) and a small amount of fats. By simply avoiding processed and packaged foods you can also reduce your intake of sugary foods - see further blogs on the subject of sugar lower down the front blog page.

Protein can help you control your weight and it certainly is not the most dangerous diet idea - unless you use it in the wrong way.

Walking the walk (part one) - A blog for other PTs out there

Walking the walk (part 1)

So there I was in the middle of the square with a client who was working hard and enjoying the sun, we were both horrified when a trainer from a nearby gym came out on a break and lit up a cigarette.

How could I possibly train clients and encourage health and fitness objectives if I was a smoker?

I really don't think that anyone should.

Smoking is clearly a 'no-no' (to me) but is there anything else we should be thinking about when we're trying to tell others to lead healthy lifestyles?

I think that there is. We, as Personal Trainers, should lead by example. We are our brand and we should show our clients what to aspire to. I'm not saying that all our clients or indeed all of us need to be into power-lifting or fitness modelling or marathon running but that we should at least be physically fit and be eating healthily as an example to others.

What does that mean in practical terms?

You can't tell realistically tell clients to 'eat this, don't eat that' if you go out and stuff your face with pizza and chips every day. You can't tell them to reduce their alcohol intake if you're out sinking 10 pints every other night. You won't be trusted by clients if you turn out to be a hypocrite. However, you don't have to be perfect – we're all human and 'cheat' days are the stuff that allow us and our clients to stick the plan the rest of the time.

This all sound like common sense to you? It does to me to but clearly not to all – remember the PT mentioned in the first paragraph...

I guess what I'm trying to say is, all PT's need to walk the walk, not just talk the talk to be taken seriously and really help clients to achieve their best. 

Walk and you can run...

I was asked a question a few weeks ago whilst teaching (and not fitness at the time!). My student said 'How do I learn to run?' I could have answered in a jokey manner but I knew that she was serious and wanted to use running to help her get fitter and so she could complete the 'Race for Life' with her daughters so, here are some of the things that we talked about;

If you are a total beginner and have not run since school or you are a 'heavier' runner or if you are returning to training after a break, then you need to start slowly so that you don't get injured or disheartened and simply give up.

Walk/Run intervals

Don't let anyone tell you that walking is cheating – my ultra-running friends (who run more than the marathon distance of 26.2 miles when they race) use walk/run intervals to complete their amazing race distances.

Tell the 'walking is cheating' gang to, as the kids say, 'get over themselves'. Ignore them and move on. I'm almost evangelical about running and I get upset by anyone who thinks like that. I firmly believe in the walk/run approach for my clients and beginners at my local running club.

So how do walk/run intervals work then?

On a simple level – you run a bit then you walk a bit to rest and get your breath back. To give it some structure, a total beginners interval could start by walking for 5 minutes to warm-up your muscles then run for 1 minute and walk for 1, for up to 5 times ending with a 5 minute cool down walk before stretching out.

Once you can do this easily start increasing the running time whilst holding the walk at 1 minute or increase the number of times you run 1, walk 1. There are lots of ways to increase the difficulty of the intervals, feel free to contact me for information and advice.

If this is too easy for you, you could begin with a longer running interval.

From the perspective of learning to run, this method can get you started and completing reasonable distances quickly. As you're not trying to go too far, or too fast too soon, you should not be getting frustrated or disheartened.

For instance: My husband went from non-runner to completing a half marathon (13.1 miles) via the walk/run method in a few months. He started with the 1 minute/1 minute intervals as above and each week increased his running time until he ran the race as 5 minute/1 minute intervals. He did this with only 3 runs each week – 2 short and 1 long.

Join a local club

Running clubs are very supportive and many have a beginners section. They are a great way to get to know other runners and learn more about your new sport.

Don't be frightened to pop along to a few local clubs to meet the people and run with them to see if you like them. You should not need to join straight away, try a run or two with your chosen club before committing. I tried out two clubs including a ladies only one before settling for my local friendly mixed group.

Being part of a club means having someone to run with at least once a week other benefits might include; sharing lifts to races, social events and group holidays.

Get the gear

A great thing about running is that it can be done without requiring lots of expensive equipment. However, once you start to run more than a few miles per week I would strongly advise you to get a properly fitted pair of shoes from a proper running shop – please, please, please don't get your first pair from a 'discount' sports shop as your are unlikely to get good advice.

The right shoes can make the difference between enjoying the sport or getting injured all of the time. Find out the type of shoes that you need to suit the way you run, they may not be cheap but you won't regret it. Be cheeky and ask for a discount in the shop (my local shop gives my clients 10%) – if they won't oblige you can always buy your next pair of the same type on-line!

Ladies, in addition to good shoes, you have another key piece of kit to consider. You will need a decent running bra. Go and get measured to ensure that you get the proper size and fit. If you fail to do this you will not have adequate support and this could cause discomfort.

Enjoy your sport

There are very few places that you can't run, it can be done in any weather too!

See you out there soon!

A Faster me?

My title today refers to two linked issues...

   
   My experiences on a fasting diet

   How losing weight may help my running


I've been on an intermittent fasting approach to eating for nearly a year now. It all started when I joined a gang of folks working the a London based PT on a 3 week body transformation challenge. As well as two exercise routines, at least per day, we also followed a clean eating plan (good veg and quality protein with little carbs) and a supplementation strategy.

At the end of the period I'd lost both kgs and body fat and had learned that I did not need to eat every few hours. After this challenge I carried on with the clean eating  for the  most part although I only trained a few items per week I also the continued with the fasting (2-3 days per week with no food from the evening meal the night before until 17-22 hours later the next day.) The weight stayed off.

Well it stayed off until January when we went to Disney - little exercise, lots of food and I didn't fast! On returning to the UK I was a little heavier than I wanted to be but still about 5kg lighter than a year ago so I did the 19 day programme again and my weight is further again and my body fat too.

I now plan to stick to this fasting approach for as long as I'm able. As well as keeping my weight down (and after the challenge it stayed stable) it's also easy, no counting and weighing, no products to buy and on the days when you haven't managed to find time for breakfast you won't get hungry mid-morning as your body has gotten used to fasting now and then.

There has been a TV programme about this approach and it's health benefits (apart from weight loss and stabilisation) and there are lots of books around, some by health professionals some by people trying this approach.

This method of weight loss may not be for everyone and I would urge you to speak to your nurse or GP before trying this and it must be stressed that this is intermittent fasting - constant fasting can have the opposite effect on your weight when you do start eating normally again.

If you'd like to talk to me about this idea feel free to email - michelle.day@inspiring-fitness.co.uk

So what about the running you say? Well being a few kg lighter I'm getting quicker (albeit only a few secs per mile) and it feels good!