susannyny's Forum Posts
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Jul 24, 2008
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I’ve cut 6 lbs of body fat over the past 3-months following Craig Ballantyne’s Turbulence Training program. Basically, the focus is on 3 circuit training sessions per week (25 minutes apiece) in addition to 2 – 3 20 minute high intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions. HIIT has been working very well for me as I’d prefer going to the dentist versus staying on a treadmill for 45 to 60 minutes. Susan |
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Jul 24, 2008
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I would have to say functional exercises including push-ups and squats. I hope some day to be able to add pull-ups to that, but since I still can’t do one, the jury is still out. Susan Topic: Fitness and Exercise / Favorite exercise? |
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Jul 25, 2008
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Liz, it’s exponentially more difficult to do the push-ups with your feet on a stability ball, as it requires you to engage your core muscles to a much greater extent. As far as how low to the ground, you should go as low as possible without touching. Susan Topic: Fitness and Exercise / the hundred push ups training program |
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Jul 25, 2008
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If you train/compete at high lactate concentrations, you may want to consider BioTest Beta 7 which is an alternative to creatine. This product is good for folks that train with: If you’re looking specifically for creatine, there’s a product called Creapure Creatine by ProLab. BioTest used to have their own version (same manufacturer), but it seems to have been discontinued. Susan Topic: Supplements / Creatine Recommendations |
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Jul 28, 2008
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9-weeks is plenty of time and you don’t need a gym. My recommendation is bodyweight circuits 3x per week (I have examples available on my blog) and high intensity interval training (HIIT) 2 – 3x per week. For HIIT you can run sprints outside so again, no gym needed. Exercise is just one piece to the puzzle however. If you really want to get lean, for the next 9-weeks cut out all processed food from your diet. Stick to lean protein (1g per pound of bodyweight), 3 – 5 servings of vegetables a day, 2 servings of low GI fruit a day, and whole grains (Ezekiel bread, quinoa, sweet potato). Additionally, shoot for 80 oz of water per day and watch your sodium intake. Susan Topic: Fitness and Exercise / 9 weeks to get a decent body any tips? |
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Jul 28, 2008
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NC, I agree with you that the topic of protein intake has caused a great deal of debate. While excessive protein may have negative effects on the body, that number is typically > 3g/bodyweight. Even in that instance, the major factors are the type of protein consumed (very often foods high in protein are also high in fat, which is why I emphasize lean protein) and the risk of dehydration (hence the additional emphasis on water consumption). With that said, you bring up an excellent point which is what is the overall goal? According to Dr. John Berardi, who is my mentor on all things nutrition (followed very closely by Dr. Chris Mohr), the maximal amount of protein to be consumed throughout the day for protein synthesis probably does not need to be above 1.4 -2.0 g/kg. Nevertheless, consuming higher levels of protein (upwards of 1g per pound of body weight) may factor into maintaining a healthy body composition, immune function and promoting satiety. Topic: Fitness and Exercise / 9 weeks to get a decent body any tips? |
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Jul 28, 2008
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In regards to your carbohydrate intake, in looking at your daily log it appears that the carb calculation for coffee is incorrect. One cup of coffee (with a tsp of sugar and some milk) shouldn’t contain more than 5g – 10g of carbs (unless you’re drinking a Starbucks blended Frap, in which case, you may be consuming close to 40 g of carbs. If that’s the case, stop!) With that said, two rolls per day plus a tortilla is simply a lot of grains, and I’m suspecting (see below), that they’re not all whole grains. My suggestion is to start by losing one “sandwich” per day. Rather than deli meat on a role try a grilled chicken breast on a bed of mesclun salad with sliced peppers, mushrooms, tomato’s and whatever other vegetables you like. As a dressing, use balsamic vinegar with olive oil (I keep the dressing on the side to control the amount of calories). With that said, a few additional suggestions: - Check the ingredients for the Arnold Sandwich rolls. If it contains “Enriched Wheat Flour”, lose it. Enriched means processed. You don’t want the sugar or the sodium. My suggestion would be Ezekiel bread, which you can find in the freezer section. - Add more vegetables in to your diet. Shoot for 3 – 5 servings per day. The above salad is a good way for getting more vegetables in to your diet. Another way is to use vegetables for a snack. I slice a sweet yellow pepper and dip it into 2 Tbsp. of hummus for a mid-day snack. - Watch your sodium intake. In addition to the Arnold Sandwich rolls, you want to lose the deli meats. They’re laden with salt. If your goal is to consume 1500 calories per day, you want your daily sodium intake to be < 1500 mg/day. Based on your nutrition log, you’ve consumed 1050 calories comprised of 1887.5 mg of sodium. (note: The tortilla’s are also very high in sodium). - Make certain you are minimally consuming enough calories each day. The 1050 posted in your nutrition log isn’t the entire day, is it? I want to point this out as under-eating is as detrimental to losing weight as over-eating. If you don’t consume enough calories you’ll put your body in starvation mode, which slows down your metabolism and makes it increasingly difficult to lose weight. Susan Topic: Diet and Nutrition / Carbs |
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Jul 29, 2008
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Okay, stop talking about Margaritas! You’re making me thirsty!! You may want to consider this information, courtesy of Charles Poliquin: Poliquin’s Top 10 Carb Intake Rules For Optimal Body Composition February 15, 2006 1) Elimate grains, particularly wheat. This is the most important principle regarding carb intake. Wheat influences blood sugar levels the same way as plain table sugar. 2. Yes, eliminate grains, part II: Gliadin family grains such as oats, wheat, spelt are the most common food allergen. People of the Celtic ancestry, like the Irish, are more likely to be gluten allergic. Besides raising insulin levels in the body and their rapid carb intake, grains also release cortisol in response to the stressor, than a food allergen is. 3. The main source of carbs should be fibrous. Fibrous carbs typically have very low carb content. Their inherent high fiber brings about a very moderate insulin response, thus making them an ideal fat loss food. The best sources of fibrous carbs include: 4. The darker the fruit, the better it is for you. Dark fruits tend to have very thin skin, (hence they need to produce more anti-oxidants to protect themselves from the sun). That is why darker fruits are great anti-inflammatory foods. Bananas have thick skins therefore they have lower anti-oxydants contents. 5. The darker the fruit, the better it is for you, part II. The darker the fruit, the lower the glycemic load. Again, compare berries, and cherries to bananas and pineapple. Of course, this applies to fruits in their natural state; when grapes become raisins, while their glycemic index goes up because of dehydration of the fruit. 6. Replace grains with greens in sandwiches.This one is promoted by Jonny Bowden, author ‘Living The Low Carb Life’: Instead of using bread, use dark leafy greens to wrap the meat. It will slow down the glycemic index and help shift in your favor the acid/alkaline base. 7. Limit fructose intake. Even though fruits are great foods loaded with nutrients, they also contain fructose. Fructose in too high quantities can slow down thyroid function and increase glycation. Glycation in laymen’s term is browning, like the browning that makes crust in bread. Glycation is the cross linking of proteins (and DNA molecules) caused by sugar aldehydes reacting with the amino acids on the protein molecule and creating Advance Glycosylation End-products (AGE’s). If you want to see protein cross linking in action, cut an apple in half and watch it turn yellow! Very few people realize that glucose can go through oxidation. Why is the worst glycation agent fructose? Because it does not raise insulin. In other words, the insulin is not getting it into muscle cells. Therefore, it lingers around and wrecks metabolic havoc. As nutrition expert Robert Crayhon would say: “fructose is like the guest that won’t go home once the party is over”. Crayhon recommends that the average American should eat no more than 5-10 grams of fructose a day! For very active individuals, 20 grams of fructose should be the maximum intake. One of the worst sources of glycating fructose are the ‘weight loss’ bars containing high fructose corn syrup, like the ones sold by a famous Texan verbally abusive lawyer turned weight loss guru. To check for glycation levels, ask your doctor to measure the concentration of glycated hemoglobin in your blood. In England, a study revealed that this is one of the best measured tests able to predict mortality. Far better than cholesterol, blood pressure and body mass index. 8. The best time to load up in carbs is the first 10 minutes following your workout. Since insulin sensitivity is at its highest after the workout, this is the time to take in your carbs to maximize muscle mass gains. Originally based on the research that was available at the time, I typically recommended 2 g/Kg of bodyweight. Over the years, after being exposed to more research and discussing it with my colleagues, I have come to the conclusion that it should be a reflection of the training volume for the training session. The greater the number of reps per training unit, the greater the carbohydrate intake. Of course, one can assume that all reps are equal. A squatting or deadlifting rep is more demanding than a curling or triceps extension rep. By the same token, 3 reps slow tempo squats has different caloric demand than 3 reps in the power clean. As a general rule, I would recommend the following carbohydrate intake based on training volume for a given workout: - 12-72 reps per workout : 0.6 g/Kg/LBM Regarding the source of carbohydrates post-workout, I have experimented with various sources, I like using fruit juices with a high glycemic index (i.e. pineapple, grape) to provide 30-40% of the carbs, the rest of the carbs coming from carb powders ranging from dextrose to various types of malto-dextrin. For variety sake, I will use different types of juice like a berry blend. You can also any type of mushy fruit like bananas or peaches. For seriously underweight athletes, I may use pineapple and/or corn flakes to drive the glycemic index upwards. Instead of using maltodextrin, you can also use dessicated honey. 9. Use insulin sensitivity supplements with high-carb post workout meals. Nutrients like taurine, arginine, magnesium, R-form alpha lipoic acid etc.. will help dispose of glucose to muscle cells instead of fat cells. 10. Add protein to your post-workout carb intake. Using 15 g of protein for every 50 lbs of bodyweight, will increase glycogen storage by as much as 40%. Susan Topic: Fitness and Exercise / Best workout to get rid of "Heart Handles"? |
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Jul 29, 2008
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My name is Susan and I’m from New York. Not very unique, but does the job :) Topic: Just For Fun / So where does YOUR username come from? |
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Jul 30, 2008
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I still need to listen to the podcast, but I thought this research was pretty interesting. I’ve often had a cup of coffee before heading to the gym, but never thought of consuming caffeine post-workout (just the opposite, as I’m typically trying to re-hydrate). Would love to hear everyone’s thoughts on this! BETHESDA, Md. (July 1, 2008) —Recipe to recover more quickly from exercise: Finish workout, eat pasta, and wash down with five or six cups of strong coffee. Glycogen, the muscle’s primary fuel source during exercise, is replenished more rapidly when athletes ingest both carbohydrate and caffeine following exhaustive exercise, new research from the online edition of the Journal of Applied Physiology shows. Athletes who ingested caffeine with carbohydrate had 66% more glycogen in their muscles four hours after finishing intense, glycogen-depleting exercise, compared to when they consumed carbohydrate alone, according to the study, published by The American Physiological Society. The study, “High rates of muscle glycogen resynthesis after exhaustive exercise when carbohydrate is co-ingested with caffeine,” is by David J. Pedersen, Sarah J. Lessard, Vernon G. Coffey, Emmanuel G. Churchley, Andrew M. Wootton, They Ng, Matthew J. Watt and John A. Hawley. Dr. Pedersen is with the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney, Australia, Dr. Watt is from St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia. All others are with the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (RMIT) in Bundoora, Victoria, Australia. A fuller audio interview with Dr. Hawley is available in Episode 11 of the APS podcast, Life Lines, at www.lifelines.tv. The show also includes an interview with Dr. Stanley Schultz, whose physiological discovery of how sugar is transported in the gut led to the development of oral rehydration therapy and sports drinks such as Gatorade. Caffeine aids carbohydrate uptake It is already established that consuming carbohydrate and caffeine prior to and during exercise improves a variety of athletic performances. This is the first study to show that caffeine combined with carbohydrates following exercise can help refuel the muscle faster. “If you have 66% more fuel for the next day’s training or competition, there is absolutely no question you will go farther or faster,” said Dr. Hawley, the study’s senior author. Caffeine is present in common foods and beverages, including coffee, tea, chocolate and cola drinks. The study was conducted on seven well-trained endurance cyclists who participated in four sessions. The participants first rode a cycle ergometer until exhaustion, and then consumed a low-carbohydrate dinner before going home. This exercise bout was designed to reduce the athletes’ muscle glycogen stores prior to the experimental trial the next day. The athletes did not eat again until they returned to the lab the next day for the second session when they again cycled until exhaustion. They then ingested a drink that contained carbohydrate alone or carbohydrate plus caffeine and rested in the laboratory for four hours. During this post-exercise rest time, the researchers took several muscle biopsies and multiple blood samples to measure the amount of glycogen being replenished in the muscle, along with the concentrations of glucose-regulating metabolites and hormones in the blood, including glucose and insulin. The entire two-session process was repeated 7-10 days later. The only difference was that this time, the athletes drank the beverage that they had not consumed in the previous trial. (That is, if they drank the carbohydrate alone in the first trial, they drank the carbohydrate plus caffeine in the second trial, and vice versa.) The drinks looked, smelled and tasted the same and both contained the same amount of carbohydrate. Neither the researchers nor the cyclists knew which regimen they were receiving, making it a double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment. Glucose and insulin levels higher with caffeine ingestion The researchers found the following: one hour after exercise, muscle glycogen levels had replenished to the same extent whether or not the athlete had the drink containing carbohydrate and caffeine or carbohydrate only four hours after exercise, the drink containing caffeine resulted in 66% higher glycogen levels compared to the carbohydrate-only drink throughout the four-hour recovery period, the caffeinated drink resulted in higher levels of blood glucose and plasma insulin Dr. Hawley said it is not yet clear how caffeine aids in facilitating glucose uptake from the blood into the muscles. However, the higher circulating blood glucose and plasma insulin levels were likely to be a factor. In addition, caffeine may increase the activity of several signaling enzymes, including the calcium-dependent protein kinase and protein kinase B (also called Akt), which have roles in muscle glucose uptake during and after exercise. Lower dose is next step In this study, the researchers used a high dose of caffeine to establish that it could help the muscles convert ingested carbohydrates to glycogen more rapidly. However, because caffeine can have potentially negative effects, such as disturbing sleep or causing jitteriness, the next step is to determine whether smaller doses could accomplish the same goal. Hawley pointed out that the responses to caffeine ingestion vary widely between individuals. Indeed, while several of the athletes in the study said they had a difficult time sleeping the night after the trial in which they ingested caffeine (8 mg per kilogram of body weight, the equivalent of drinking 5-6 cups of strong coffee), several others fell asleep during the recovery period and reported no adverse effects. Athletes who want to incorporate caffeine into their workouts should experiment during training sessions well in advance of an important competition to find out what works for them. Susan Topic: Diet and Nutrition / New Research: Post-exercise caffeine helps muscles refuel |
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Jul 30, 2008
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I’ve been considering Bioceutica for myself (haven’t pulled the trigger yet). Vitamins are customized based on metabolic markers, so they’re unique to each individual. Testing is $99.95 and then you pay for the cost of the custom vitamins. Here’s a link to their website: http://www.bioceutica.com/ Susan Topic: Supplements / multivitamin |
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Jul 31, 2008
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Dcoder, I hate cardio too, which is why I focus on high intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions rather than 45 – 60 minute stints on the treadmill. Your HIIT sessions shouldn’t exceed 20 minutes. If you want a real challenge, Google “Tabata protocol”. Susan Topic: Fitness and Exercise / Best workout to get rid of "Heart Handles"? |
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Aug 2, 2008
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My current playlist that I use for HIIT intervals is: My current HIIT playlist (which will definitely age me): Aerosmith: Just Push Play Bruce Springsteen: Born To Run Pat Benatar: Hit Me With Your Best Shot AC/DC: You Shook Me All Night Long Rolling Stones: Start Me Up Aerosmith: Walk This Way BTO: Takin Care of Business Bon Jovi: Livin On A Prayer Bruce Springsteen: The Rising |
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Aug 2, 2008
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This is a great question and part of the consideration needs to be what purpose the protein drink is serving. For example, is it a meal replacement or is it for pre-or-post workout? For a pre or post-workout drink you want to use a protein powder that is quickly absorbed. Whey hydrolysate and amino acid preparations are your best bet. For a meal replacement, a high quality whey isolate is a good choice. It would be great if there was a resource comparing the various brands but if that resource exists, I can’t find it. As such, I tend to follow the advice of Dr. John Berardi who is a big fan of Biotest’s products (and I’m a huge fan of Dr. Berardi’s!). In regards to timing your drinks, you may want to check out what Alan Aragon has to say: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ adding fruit to your postworkout mix of carbs can potentially benefit folks who train with a high volume & do a lot of cardio (ie, precontest). the protection of liver glycogen status under such conditions can maintain the centrally neurologic signaling of the “fed state” and hence prevent lean tissue catabolism—especially during hypocaloric balance. Ultimately, when it comes to Protein supplmentation, I believe you get what you pay for. Susan |
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Aug 3, 2008
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Thanks Derek. In regards to Smoothies, I feel they can be very nutritious depending on the ingredients used (skim milk, fruit, whey protein, fat free yogurt). I never order a smoothie out as I prefer to make my own using organic ingredients. So, healthy, yes. Low in calories, no. A smoothie can easily contain 400 calories. I don’t recommend smoothies to someone looking to lose weight, as there are much better alternatives. One of my favorite concoctions is 8 oz of water, 2 scoops of chocolate whey protein and 1/2 shot of espresso blended in a blender with ice. Yummy! Susan |
