Biometric screening and some random thoughts

My work sponsored a free biometric screening and health clinic yesterday. Any employee who went and completed the screening got a free vacation day! I was thrilled to find that all of my numbers were off the chart excellent! My weight and BFI are perfect as well. Although I am trying to cut 20 LBs (people call me crazy), but it's for a competition so I need to get leaner than I am. I am currently sitting at 19% BF and want to drive that number down to 10-15% without sacrificing a lot of muscle that I worked so hard to build.

I had a competition coach for a while but I can't work with her. She's very old school in terms of building muscle/bulking. She thinks a person needs to eat excessive calories and basically get fat to build muscle, then starve half to death to lean out. I don't agree with that. I have successfully built muscle on maintenance calories and even a little under. It's a lot of work and time spent tracking macro's specifically but, it's possible, I am proof. She is also about the daily gym selfies and #, I can't stand that! She also told me to cut out ALL cardio and just lift every day, that would mean giving up boxing... uhm... that's a big Hell NO! I've spent the past 10 years earning my degrees, stripes, ranks and belts in MMA, Muay Thai and traditional boxing, I'm also a boxing coach. No way I'm giving that up ever. It's my passion. So I'll be heading toward an NPC completion on my own and that's perfectly fine with me.

I am sick to ever lovin death of these fad diets and diet trends. For crying out loud shakes and keto and low fat and high fat and low carb and high carb and clean and no sugar and supplements and what was that diet called again? Oh yeah, Paleo... what the actual F. If you're trying to lose weight, eat less. The end! It really truly is that simple.

Here are a few things to consider no matter what your fitness goals are:

1. In order for muscles to grow, they must be overloaded, this can mean heavier weights, more reps, more volume, less rest between sets, increased frequency of training a specific body part, etc.

2. You absolutely can put on lean body mass and lose body fat at the same time.

3. You cannot rely on supplements. If your diet is horrible or you are not training hard enough or correctly, all the supplements in the world won't make a difference. Just get your nutrition straight.

4. You cannot cardio your way out of bad nutrition.

5. Bulking up, is useless.

6. Consistency is key when it comes to a long term sustainable nutrition plan.

There is more than one way to skin a cat. The best muscle is attained by actual movement, it makes the muscle's learn to operate better and this makes the muscle have better control in many conditions, not just in lifting heavy objects.

Some fat is needed, too much fat is not good. Eating correctly is essential, how and what you eat to be correctly fed is related to how your healthy ancestors ate, it leaves genetic markers. But even the kids will be different, unless the couple having the kids are both from a certain geographic area and their ancestors lived there did so for many generations. Environmental factors effect gene expression. What is good for the goose is not always good for the gander.

Fad nutrition is stupid most times. If you want to lose weight lower carbs and increase meat or proteins up in the diet, most meats contain over fifty percent fats, even chicken. Our bodies run well on this kind of fats but there are exceptions and necessary companion chemistry to help things work correctly. We can be healthy yet our minds are not sharp or we can have sharp minds and be unhealthy. Just because you are healthy looking does not mean your mind is working up to par. It is a balancing act, often foods that make you more intelligent also take away your ability to do more physical work and sports.

I hate the modern Fad Diets that are coming out, evidently the people repeating this crap have been effected mentally by the food they are eating. All food, even water, is psychotropic, meaning it effects the way we think. A balanced diet is much better than overeating something long term, moderation and diversity is good in diet. But our bodies must be able to utilize the foods correctly, this is related to epigenetic factors, everyone's diet has to somewhat match their genetic history somewhat to stay in decent shape. Plant defense system chemicals can destroy our minds and bodies, moderation is crucial for most people, some people need to eat lots more green veggies than others though, it depends on what their ancestors ate. Now remember, your parents did not listen to their parents, they wanted to pave their own way. How they eat may be wrong, maybe going to a healthy grandparent might be the way to go, many are already matured, they will admit they did not listen to their parents and have finally corrected their diet.

Boy, I type too much. I should end this, it got off topic a tad.

Just keep track of how the foods effect your personality, it may be important to have someone not doing the change in diet monitor if these changes are bad. Possibly you will feel better, kind of high on the foods and not listen to the person, saying that I feel way better....when in fact you are high off of the food chemistry and your ability to think correctly is compromised. People with compromised comprehension tend to get more focused on the exercise or food more, it is like a drug addiction, they lose perspective of the things that are actually really important. They cannot tell their ability to reason is compromised and often get defensive when challenged. It is just the food chemistry talking, do not get mad, just repeat things over and over when seeing these peoplee, most often physical manifestation of the imbalance will happen within a year and they will consider what you said and research it, telling others they discovered it themselves. That is ok, if you do not get credit for it who cares, your friend is now doing better off their fad diet.

a reply to: rickymouse

Awesome. I agree with what you're saying and I tend to feel the same way and believe the same things. Balance is everything. I am not looking for nutritional advice, my nutrition is spot on. I'm also a master licensed nutritionist as well as a trainer. No, I didn't buy into an MSM or drink a shake and suddenly become a health coach over night. I actually went to school to earn a degree in the field.

I don't really care what people want to do in terms of what they eat or don't eat. It just makes me crazy when I hear people complaining that they have to lose weight and then talk about eliminating or even restricting entire food groups... like as if that's why they're over weight in the first place. Please!

originally posted by: Skorpiogurl
a reply to: rickymouse

Awesome. I agree with what you're saying and I tend to feel the same way and believe the same things. Balance is everything. I am not looking for nutritional advice, my nutrition is spot on. I'm also a master licensed nutritionist as well as a trainer. No, I didn't buy into an MSM or drink a shake and suddenly become a health coach over night. I actually went to school to earn a degree in the field.

I don't really care what people want to do in terms of what they eat or don't eat. It just makes me crazy when I hear people complaining that they have to lose weight and then talk about eliminating or even restricting entire food groups... like as if that's why they're over weight in the first place. Please!

Metabolic syndrome is real. It deals with problems associated with eating foods you cannot metabolize correctly. Everyone makes enzymes at different rates, even two siblings might metabolize things differently. If you can't break down and excrete the metabolic toxins of a food, your body will lock them up in fat cells till it can detox them. Some foods alter the P450 enzyme pathweays by inhibiting or promoting the enzymes. so companion food eating is important, you need to consume compatable chemistry at your meals to get the best results and stay healthy. That is directly related to epigenetic factors or DNA polymorphisms. Those genetic health conditions will most often not bother you if you do not consume the chemistry that you cannot metabolize correctly or eat chemistry that overrides our digestive system and makes you absorb food chemistry that is not correct for you. Altering the metabolism and enzymes is what medicines do most time, the majority of problems would go away without medicines if you restructure your diet properly. This fad nutrition actually poisons as many people as it helps, everyone has different food tolerances based on ancestrial eating habits and environmental factors. That is what epigenetics is about, identifying metabolic changes based on ancestrial alterations to the environment.

a reply to: rickymouse

Sorry, just a little bit off.

True - Obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high serum triglycerides and low high-density lipoprotein levels are real symptoms... of a bad diet. It all begins with food and proper balanced nutrition.

There is no medical evidence in terms of what can be metabolized correctly. The cause of the "syndrome" is an area of on going medical research.

Congrats on your biometric screening.
I also applaud your efforts to be fit, and what you have accomplished with boxing, etc.

But, let me say this....as someone who tried traditional dieting, with a doctor's guidance...too many times.
All I ever ended up was hungry, frustrated and gaining a few more pounds than I lost.

Until I successfully tried low carb.
Sorry.
It works.
I have to stick with it, and remember it is a way of eating....NOT a diet.
And I still fail and gain back some, but I've never gained back all that I have lost, and that was like 20 years ago.
Please don't knock what has worked for many.

Pics or it didn't happen!! Lol, how are you Skorpiogurl? I hope you did well in your last competition. Sounds like you're getting ready to rock another one. Best of luck to you.

Anyway, something Ricky said about how certain foods can affect personality and mood...that hit a note with me. I have a good friend who is a personal trainer. Last time we chatted it was about how when you are training, seeing progress and eating right things everything just seem to fall into place...and well, the reverse is also true.

I've been what I call 'workout hell' lately: Bi-lateral shoulder problems, not able to train the way I'm used to, martial arts on hold, diet gone to hell, no energy, weight gain, look like #, feel like #...and it goes on and on. I'm thinking I may have to go back to keeping a food journal. Maybe if I can start to identify some of these things that can be mood affecting I can start to reverse the process. (I don't know if it'll help with the shoulder situation though). Baby steps at this point, right?

a reply to: DontTreadOnMe

I'm not really knocking any diet fad. Whatever works for you works. If it makes you happy, great.

What I don't agree with are diet plans that set a person up to fail, and try again. Have success, fail and try again. That is not sustainable. There's always going to be cake at a special occasion or family event. There's always going be a glass or bottle of wine with your friends. There's always going to be something that triggers your mind to say "Oh I shouldn't have this", but you have it anyway and feel a little guilt, promise to do better tomorrow, or clean it up tomorrow, or exercise it off tomorrow. That's a one way ticket to an eating disorder. In my opinion.

a reply to: RomaSempre

Hey

YES... baby steps.
I don't have to tell you that there's no quick fix or magic trick here right?
I would agree that using a food journal to find out what's going on is super important at this stage for you.
PM me if you'd like to discuss further or if I can help you in any way.