Scheduling Success: Planning workouts

http://www.builtlean.com/2010/06/04/high-intensity-interval-training-hiit-best-cardio-to-burn-fat/

I used to be a chronic over-exerciser. I'd go for a long run, maybe do a body weight circuit, maybe stop by the gym for another 20 minutes. I'd end up ravenously hungry and never any leaner. Now I try to always keep my workout under 60 minutes and spend the rest of my day walking through town to finish my errands, always taking the stairs etc. 

My weekly workout plan looks like this:


PLANNING EXERCISE:

•  Hour or two of "play" (2-3 times a week or so)
• This could be hiking, running, biking, kayaking, stand up paddleboarding etc. The idea here is to maintain a level of 60--80% of your maximum heart rate. It's an ideal level for decreasing body fat, lowering blood pressure, reducing heart disease, etc. It also is fun and requires less stress on the body and therefore doesn't affect cortisol levels

• 30 minutes of weight lifting: (2- 3 times a week)

                CLICK HERE for how to perform these exercises

• chest/shoulders/triceps (usually 5 sets of 15 reps and things like push ups, military presses, bench and overhead press, rows, dips etc.)

•  back/biceps/legs (5x15 squats, deadlifts, pull ups, lunges, curls, etc)

• 5x5 of squats, deadlifts, a push and a pull exercise, snatches, clean and jerks, power cleans. HEAVY weight.  

• 25 minutes of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)- includes 5 minutes warm up and cool down. (2 times a week)

• I mix up my sprints but if I'm running I might do 20 second sprint 40 second rest. Or 40 second sprint one minute rest. I can do this running outside, on a treadmill, on a stationary bike, running uphills or stairs, etc.
• Another option is 20 seconds hard, 10 seconds recovery repeated 8 times at the end of a lifting day

• 1 day of whatever I want: maybe it's nothing, maybe it's swimming, maybe it's just a long walk in the city

I'm a big fan of writing to do lists, writing schedules and just writing down goals in general.

Some clients have asked me for my daily diet and exercise routines.
I am not great at scheduling my diet but am a big believer in logging it. In fact, after a consultation with a client, having them use something like fitday.com is usually one of the most eye opening exercises they'll do.  And I'll discuss my diet in a later post- Today I'm off to jog to a hill by my apartment and do sprints up it for 30 minutes or so. 

Wish me luck!

Rules for Overtraining

Mondays are excellent days to start new and fresh. Maybe you've been overindulging or under-training or forgetting the right ways to treat your body. Here is some good information to get you back on track:

I have been overtraining. It is hard for me to notice or resist exercise when I know I'm overdoing it. this is because I reward myself for long training efforts by having french fries or dessert (or both). In other words, I'm depleting myself to a point where I MUST have sugar and I usually have to remind myself that I am altering my endocrine and immune functions and elevating my anxiety and not eating properly as a result. My focus this week will be on LESS steady state cardio and evaluating my diet.

WEEKLY GOALS:

I will not train for more than 60 minutes per day

I will eat 100 grams of quality protein a day (grass fed beef, organic eggs and poultry, wild fish)

I will sleep at least 7 and a half hours per night

I will keep my carbohydrate intake to under 100 grams per day

That's it. 7 days of relaxing with my workouts so that I am not ravenously hungry all the time should do the trick. How do YOU deal with overtraining?

Fit for Travel

I spent 2 weeks in Europe and I managed to indulge, have fun and come home thinner.
Here's how:

Tip 1: The Flight:
Damage control- the flight can start your trip off in a binge-worthy fashion or can set you up for vacation success. The flight itself can be very dehydrating and can zap your energy. I try to pack water, tea (ginger, cranberry or green tea), greek yogurt, avocado, grapefruit, chicken in a gluten free wrap and some dark chocolate and popcorn or pistachios in a ziploc bag. The key is to have foods high in potassium and drinks to debloat, as well as good sources of protein and some mindless munching options like baby carrots or grapes.

It was an overnight flight and I wanted to wake up refreshed in Europe so I went on my usual run that morning and settled into my seat nice and tuckered out. I took 500mg of magnesium with a cup of tea, a little bit of stevia sweetened yogurt and a glass of champagne. I try to balance my indulgences- I wanted champagne and strawberries so I nixed chocolate or the bagged potato chips. I woke up in Europe and immediately drank a liter of water and a cup of coffee.

San Sebastian was gorgeous- I hit the ground running- literally.

While my chef napped, I took advantage of the gorgeous walkways that hug the coastline. I went on a 6 mile run without missing a beat. 

Tip #2: Do something active every day that incorporates the city you're visiting: 

San Sebastian had running trails everywhere and beaches where we could rent surfboards. I ran every morning- it was a great way to see the city, spend some time alone and soak up the ocean air. My chef taught me how to surf one day and we spent most of the evenings walking to and from dinner or to and from gelato :)

Tip #3: Indulge wisely:

I knew it'd be easier to eat healthfully in a beach town like San Sebastian and that I'd want to indulge in desserts and champagne in Paris, and that Ireland would be a little heartier fare and lots of pubs. I planned accordingly. We were super active in San Sebastian and snacked on healthy foods during the day and ate small tapas plates for dinner and I stuck to 2 drinks per night. I made up for this in Paris- the land of champagne and macaroons:

In short- it's all about balance- pick your battles and prioritize. I can honestly say I had everything and did everything I wanted to do on my trip- there is nothing I missed out on. I relaxed, I indulged, I exercised and I felt great. Being on vacation is no reason to go off the rails- if anything it lets you be your most ideal self. Vacations should be a remedy for all that ails us- including a lack of time for exercise and health.

Grocery Shopping 101

Ideally, all processed foods should be thrown out. You should be eating things that were alive not too long ago, thus you should be grocery shopping a couple of times a week- or at least buying in bulk and freezing as needed. My fridge looks like this so I can see clearly what  I have and what I need:

Meat/Poultry:
Grass fed bison/cow/poultry or pork
Organic grass fed eggs
Dried/cured meats
Grass fed Jerky
Wild Caught Fish


Fats:
Nuts, but butters
Olive Oil
Coconut oil


Vegetables:
Kale
Spinach
Cucumber
Carrots
Peppers
Fennel
Avocado

Fruit:
Grapefruit
Organic berries
Sometimes a green apple

Dairy:
Hormone-free (ideally grass fed) Heavy Cream
Greek Yogurt (any fat content- I like Fage or Skyrr)
Hormone free (ideally grass fed) Butter
Jay Robb's vanilla Whey Protein mixes
Goat cheeses
Halloumi- it's a grillable cheese. Great for making faux paninis and pizzas

Other:
Organic Coffee
Green Tea
Ginger Tea
Chia seeds
Flax seeda
Supplements (Fish oil, magnesium, Vit C, Vit D3, B vitamins)

Treats:
Organic popcorn
Dark Chocolate (70% or more) and unsweetened baking chocolate
Stevia (liquid; toffee flavored)
Coconut Flour
Arctic Zero Vanilla Maple Ice cream
PB2 peanut butter

Try to keep only one serving of treat foods in the house. That way if you want it, it's there but you can't go overboard. Also try to spend a night prepping foods for the week. I try to put my work lunches and snacks together so that they're easy to mix and match, grab and go.


Here's a quick dinner I "made" a few nights ago with what I had in the fridge:
We were supposed to have a snow storm so I used things that didn't need to be cooked in case we lost power:
Sliced cucumber, Goat brie, petit basque, cured chorizo and fennel salumi (all nitrate free and grass fed), stone ground mustard, hazelnuts tossed in truffle oil with rosemary
Organic Blueberries and stevia sweetened whipped cream, couple pieces 70% dark chocolate (Lindt)

For chef I added some extras that, sadly, he likes:
sliced American cheese (don't ask), a baguette, and a muffin
I'm working on his eating habits little by little. sigh.

Bikini Bootcamp

Today I killed my workout! It's so exciting when you have a really great workout day.

I started on the treadmill:
30 seconds running 6 mph at a 15% incline
90 second walking 3 mph at a 15% incline
Repeated this for 40 minutes or so because I had the time and energy from last night's meal. If my workout had to be shorter I would have alternated 30 second sprints and 30 second recovery but gone for 25 minutes or so.

Then for strength training I did the following:
12 repsx 4 sets :
kettlebell swings, squats, deadlifts, lunges
kettlebell high pulls, push ups, tricep dips
12 repsx 3 sets:
Assisted chin ups, dips
Abductor, Adductor
Low rows, tricep kick backs
20 repsx 3 sets:
100s
supermans
bridges


Bikini season is around the corner. And now I'm feeling so productive I might spring clean my apartment... or I might make a margarita and pretend it's already summer...

Low Carb Rules: Lose Weight and Burn Fat

All of my clients have their diets assessed because most people have no idea how badly they're eating. They think they're being healthy and yet they're always hungry and still overweight.

I can tell you that I am almost NEVER hungry, I eat all day, I mostly eat what I want and I am always my perfect weight (which for me is 108lbs).

Most people cannot tolerate carbs. Unless you are EXTREMELY active- your carb intake should be limited to a TOTAL of around 50g per day. (Everyone is different though- I have some clients who can only have 20 and others who benefit from 100). For the most part, if you want to lose a significant amount of weight quickly- cut down to 20g per day for a couple of weeks.

If your goal is to get lean and mean

 Follow my list of do's and don'ts:

1. Cut out the "white" stuff:
White grains or anything that can be bleached white- this means your "100% whole wheat" bread you bought from whole foods so it must be healthy. Wheat, barley, malt, rye and oats cause a spike in insulin that causes lipolysis (fat break down) to stop. Excess calories are stored as fat and constant spikes in insulin confuse your body about regulating its own hormonal processes- leading to overweight, obesity and diabetes.

Additionally, most people are at least sensitive to wheat and gluten if not completely allergic. I personally suffer from celiac, which is an autoimmune disorder that causes very serious allergic reactions when I eat gluten. Mild intolerances can cause bloating, psoriasis and digestive discomfort as well as cortisol spikes (the stress hormone).

2. Any carbs you eat should come from fiber:
Again, I don't mean the "added fiber" in the whole wheat bread you eat. I mean vegetables- particularly green veggies that have leaves: celery, kale, broccoli, spinach, etc. Other good sources are cucumbers, mushrooms, peppers, fennel, onions etc. Limit potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, etc.

3. If you are going to have carbs from a different source- tread lightly and brightly:
Think small amounts of fruits with purple or red colors: berries are best, followed by grapes and grapefruit if you want to have a minimum impact on insulin. Additionally, these foods can slow down the spike in insulin caused by higher carb foods.
So if you must have something sweet- reach for berries- not bananas, pineapple and other high sugar/low fiber fruit. (Fruits where you eat the skin are usually a good sign of high fiber content).
Just be sure not to go overboard- too much fructose (the sugar that naturally occurs in fruits) wreaks havoc on your body composition. Having too much (over 20g) means that insulin cannot get absorbed by your muscles, so instead it floats around your body not being utilized and leading to abdominal fat, stomach bloating and elevated cholesterol and insulin.
Any fructose you eat should come from fruit: never packaged foods, drinks, dressings, condiments etc.

4. Timing is everything:
The first ten minutes after a workout is the prime time to get carbs to your muscles. Typically I tell my clients they have to earn their carbs (there's a formula I use to determine how many carbs you can enjoy after a workout). Typically- if you want to decrease your body fat- you should be doing AT LEAST 50 reps per workout and adding only 50 carbs post workout. The ratio is somewhat more calculated than that, but you get the idea.
Adding amino acids to this meal helps glucose and insulin to be metabolized properly and trigger protein synthesis. I like to make my whey protein pancakes post workout with a little butter, sometimes whipped cream and chocolate chips if I feel really depleted.

So go out there and earn your carbs today!

Chef and I did not earn our carbs yesterday. It was over 60 degrees and sunny and we had a relaxing hike at great falls and then I went for a slow and easy 7 mile jog:

Great Falls Park is only 15 miles or so outside of DC. It was so nice to have a relaxing long walk and catch up after such a stressful week with midterms and the like. It was a little crowded but chef never gets to spend time outdoors so I'm glad he got some vitamin D.




I'm really thankful we both had the day off and that the weather was so nice. It's been a while since I've gone hiking- though the terrain is really different from Charlottesville, it was still a splendid day :)

Sunday Sundaes: Gluten Free and Low carb

This is one of my favorite treats. It tastes just like a peanut butter cup sundae but has way fewer calories and is packed with loads of goodness:

Ingredients:
1TBSP PB2
1/2 cup Arctic Zero Vanilla Maple ice cream (it's the only good flavor)
1/2 container 0-2% Fage Greek Yogurt
2 tsp melted coconut oil
1/2 TBSP  unsweetened baking chocolate
Stevia drops (I like the toffee flavor)
Heavy whipping cream


To MAKE:

Put the PB 2 in the bottom of the glass- add water
Thaw the arctic zero- it's only good if it starts to defrost
Stir the ice cream and fage together and put into glass
Melt coconut oil and mix with chocolate and stevia to taste (hold 1/2 aside)
Whip the heavy whipping cream with stevia drops
Put PB2 into mini cupcake tin and add coconut oil and chocolate mix. Put in fridge to set for 10 minutes

This is the only flavor that tastes good to me. It's 150 calories for the ENTIRE pint- only 6 grams of carbs per serving. But it NEEEEEDS to thaw.



When I make whipped cream I only use organic cream and I whip the whole carton and save the rest.

It looks so decadent when it's all together!
Less than 200 calories, under 14g of carbs,and packed with 18g of protein! :

I like to use glassware for treats like this, small plates for dinner and small cereal bowls for popcorn and the like. It keeps portions in check.

Happy Sunday Sundae!