My Weight Loss Neuroses

We always look for quantifiable results in anything we do. Weight loss and fitness are no different, but I find we tend to look at one singular result for proof, the scale. I myself am not immune to this.

 

As a trainer and a woman, I would say 80% of people who talk to me about fitness and weight loss never really give themselves a chance. If your only goal is, “I want to lose weight,” or “I want to tone up,” you will probably never meet your goal. What is enough weight? How will you quantify that you are trim enough? Many of my clients come to me to lose weight, but they stay with me because of the strength gains. I find that most people enjoy the idea of their strength rather than their “skinniness”.

 

The Scale and I have history!

Oh, that damn scale. I see you there judging me.

 

When I was younger I was much heavier, at least 30lbs. I was very active as a kid and teen. I played competitive softball year round. I enjoyed weight training, and preferred staying busy than being a couch potato. But even with all my activity my diet was less than desirable. I didn't know that then, but looking back maybe all the after school Hot Pockets (“Lean”Pockets lol) and cheese sandwiches did little for my health. The funny thing is, I never really realized I was heavy. I don't think I truly understood until I lost weight, the second time.

 

When I turned 18 I decided to join the Army to be a medic. Upon arriving at the military entrance processing station I was told that my body fat percentage was too high. At that time I was 185lbs and 32% body fat. So I did what any person with little knowledge about weight loss would do. I went on a diet and ran, a lot. Two months later I had lost 30lbs and was eligible to join the army. I body looked nothing like what I look now. I had gone from normal fat to skinny fat.

 

Even after basic training and a deployment I managed to creep my way back up to 178lbs. It is crazy to think with mandatory physical exercise and the hard work performed while on deployment to Iraq, I could manage to gain weight. Even though I exercised more and knew a little more about weight training you can't out train a bad diet. It did not help that my days in the weight room were goalless and inefficient. It was more a way to pass the time than a true regimen. It didn’t help that my main way I worked to lose weight was through long cardio sessions. Which I now know is a very inefficient way to lose weight.

 

My lifestyle didn't really change until I met my husband, who like me, was a former fat kid. When I met him he was only 7% body fat and took a Nazi approach to diet and nutrition. Thank God we have met somewhere in the middle over the years. I also made the transition to a 70:30 approach. My workouts are 70% of serious weight training comprised of specific goals and 30% cardio consisting primarily of high intensity intervaltraining and some LSD (long, slow, distance) cardio. This has allowed me to get back down to my initial army weight. The funny thing was even though I weighed the same as when I entered the Army I wore a smaller jean size, I looked leaner,and I was way stronger than when I entered the service. When I joined the Army I could barely do 3 push-ups (the minimum to join). Now I can regularly do 45 push-ups on PT tests.

 

My Body Dysmorphia

 

It's funny I think of myself fat more now, than I ever did when I was fat. I am just like everyone else. I have an image in my head of what I want to look like, and not that the image is unreachable, but sometimes I think we overlook the process in pursuit of the number. I still have not reached what I deem my ideal body, but I do appreciate and find value in my long developed physical strength. And honestly, I would much rather be able to deadlift 300lb (only 60lbs away from that goal) than just be skinny. I have to take a step back sometimes and redirect my effort away from the ideal, which will come with time, and focus on my short-term goals.  It seems that the less I dwell on my size and gear towards strength and power, the more my physique gets closer to that ideal.

 

Don't get me wrong, I have days when I look in the mirror and can only think how fat I am. But I have more days that I look in the mirror and admire how sculpted my shoulders are getting, that I see a nicer butt forming, and that my tummy is a little tighter. I would love to say that I never get down on myself,and every day I workout is easy.  But it's not true. Sometimes I really have to dig deep to get myself to train. But in the end I always feel better after I finish a workout.

 

Often we are our greatest enemy in the gym. Our heads get in the way of achieving personal greatness. In the end, we have to remember that the scale is only a number. It can’t tell you if your body fat percentage has improved (reliably), if you are stronger, if your clothes fit better, if you can run faster, or how much weight you can squat.  When you change the rationale for working out that is when you will see the real 

achievements. Happy training! 

Vacation Fitness

Vacation Fitness: If you end up in a hotel with a workout room from the depression era. Give this a try. Find a 18 hole golf course! Run on the cart track to each hole and preform an exercise at each hole 20 reps per. You'll end up around

3 miles and a 30 minute workout. 

Examples exercises:

Partner triceps dips

Push-ups

Squats

Partner Row

Alternating lunge

Standing side crunch

Standing Twists

Shoulder push-ups

Jumping jacks

Seal Jumps

Squat Jumps

Healthy Salmon Patties

Great 185 calorie meal. This recipe makes six cakes.
2-5oz packets of Chicken of the Sea Salmon
1/2C Greek Yogurt
1/2 Red Onion
1/2 Green Pepper
2C Oatmeal
2 Eggs
1/2 Tbs Garlic
1/2 Tsp Franks Hot Sauce

Thoroughly mix all ingredients together and form into patties. Place patties in the freezer for one hour. Then fry with olive oil until brown or for a healthier option bake at 350 for 15-20 min or until golden brown and firm.

My Jiu-Jitsu Journey

It is often said, "Life is a journey, not a destination." The same can be said of anything that one dedicates their life to.

Sometimes I am asked, "How long have you trained Brazilian Jiu-Jistu?" Because it is a simple answer I say about a decade. But honestly my journey in began in 1999 when I met John Castillo. Prior to our meeting I had trained a little Judo and a little Muay Thai. I have always been interested in the martial arts, but nothing traditional like Karate or Tae Kwon Do. Growing up in the midwest limits the choices of study for exotic martial arts. Usually the schools lacked the commercial viability to stay open very long.

It had been a few years since the first UFC and I was out of high school, had a 3rd shift job, and was looking for a hobby. One of my friends had a younger brother who had just started training BJJ. The mysticism of the Royce Gracie beating up guys 40-50 pounds heavier than himself intrigued me. I enjoyed Judo the short time I got to train in it was a natural transition.

I started training with John. His martial arts background was extensive and he was a blue belt in BJJ but more importantly he was the only guy in town who taught jits. His gym was a nice space in an older strip mall. He shared mat space with some Escrima and Akido guys. It was exactly what I was looking for.
My first BJJ memory is training with guys far more athletic than myself that concluded with being on a receiving end of a flying armbar. Much like college, my first attempt at studying BJJ was wrought with financial difficulties and I had to suspend training for a while.

After a wild period or my 4-year "semester off," that included a year of professional wrestling, I returned to the mats. Thanks to a friend who was interested in trying jiu-jitsu I realized how much I missed BJJ. And since 2004, I have been training consistently. No more excuses.

Along the way, I have cross-trained in Muay Thai with Andy Zerger, trained with Eric Payne for MMA fights, and most recently met Andre "Tim" Monteiro in 2009. Andre is a great instructor, my mentor in BJJ and business, and a good friend. He is what I strive to become as an instructor.

Why give this long personal history? Because I feel it is important for my students to know. This is a hard road. It is not simply the hobby I was looking for, it is a lifestyle. If it were easy, I would have been a black belt in 6 simple lessons. But it is not this. I have trained in nice places, bad places, on dirty mats, warehouses, and in garages. I have trained through two bad knees, cauliflowered ears, a dislocated rib, separated shoulders, broken toes, countless sprains, and a permanently strained neck. But these are small things to the experience. Because regardless of the situation, I still trained. When jiu-jitsu became the priority, the excuses stopped, and I still found a way to train.

I want to offer students new to training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu some advice:

1. Jiu-Jitsu will be here. If you have to take some time to tend to your family, or your responsibilities, it is okay. Any instructor who says otherwise is not very good. Some may even try to accommodate your situation if they can. When jiu-jitsu becomes a priority, you will find a way. I am fortunate to have a wife that understands my commitment to BJJ. But I also know plenty of guys who have been successful balancing training/fighting with a wife, work, and kids.

2. Commit to the long, slow road. You must decide early on, what you want from jiu-jitsu? Is it self-defense, sport, exercise, hobby, knowledge, etc.? There are so many individual goals. If it is simply for the black belt then you should understand that many quit after earning their blue belt, even less make it to their purple belt. So if the black belt is the ultimate goal, commit to the long slow road, and enjoy the journey.

3. You are not alone! Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has exploded in popularity since I started. There is a planet of grapplers out there with very similar but very different stories. Each of our journeys is different but the camaraderie among grapplers is amazing and we are there to support each other in pursuit of growing the art. Oss!

Oxygen Deprivation Masks: well atleast you are entertaining!

I set to work researching and finding journal articles on oxygen deprivation masks. But as I was accomplishing this I came across a really good/thorough article that Mr. Eric Wong wrote. So why reinvent the wheel? (Plus it the article is written in reguards to MMA and other explosive sports, double win!!) http://ericwongmma.com/mma-training-mask-review-legit-or-hype/ 

If your not interested in reading the article(s) it is somewhat long then here is the basic breakdown.

What the mask claims to do as per trainingmask.com:
CLAIM #1: “Elevation Training Mask mimics the effect of High Altitude Training… With reduced oxygen consumption the human body changes in several ways. The production of red blood cells and new capillaries (small blood vessels) increase the transfer of oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.”
AND
CLAIM #2: “Following are the changes that significantly boost athletic performance when using Elevation Training Mask:

• Increases in lung capacity as your lungs have to work 9 times harder to get the oxygen in
• Increases anaerobic thresholds
• Gas exchange becomes more efficient
• Energy production levels rise
• Mental and physical stamina increase 
• Mental focus gets better (This is a possibility dependent on the person)

The basic principle of the oxygen deprivation mask is riding the tails of LLTH (Live Low Train High) principle.... i.e. you wear the mask only when you are training to simulate altitude. This has been proven false. The study, “Is Hypoxia Training Good for Muscles and Exercise Performance?” authors Michael Vogt and Hans Hoppeler from the University of Bern in Switzerland state quite definitively:“… A common feature of virtually all studies on “live low–train high” is that hypoxic exposure only during exercise sessions is not sufficient to induce changes in hematologic parameters. Hematocrit and hemoglobin concentrations usually remain unchanged with “live low–train high.”

Training with the Elevation Training Mask may improve lung strength and lung capacity, however, these improvements don’t result in any increases in aerobic or anaerobic fitness. Just because you take a deeper breath that more greatly expands your aveoli doesn't mean that your VO2 has improved.

If you are looking for real results please feel free to come check out our seasonal strength and conditioning programs. We also offer custom made nutritional guides and training protocols. See you on the mat. Ossss!

 

Chocolate Banana Cheese Cake Smoothie

Some tastey breakfast or dessert for those of you with a sweet tooth. This is a very filling shake with all the protein this could definitely serve two. 400kcal for one serving.

You can save some calories by cutting the recipe to 1/2C of Cottage Cheese and 1/2 scoop of protein just add ice and some extra almond milk.

Blend:
1 C Fat Free Cottage Cheese
1 Scoop of Vanilla Protein
1 Banana
1Tbsp Dark cocoa powder
Splash of Almond Milk

To make ice cream, put your newly made concoction in the freezer stirring every 30-45 minutes until frosty. Approximately 2-3 hrs depending on the size of the batch.

90 Day Challenge Workout: 20-30 Minute Express

This is a great 30 min workout. Complete the workout portion 2x if you want a more challenging set!
Warm-Up
40 Jumping Jacks
30 BW squats
20 Lunges
10 Push-ups

Workout

1. 20-30 Gator walks with Pushup (your knee should be positioned on top of your elbow as you lower yourself into the PU, 5 reps each side)



















2. 20 Mountain Climbers (20 per leg)

3. 10 Cobra Push-ups
REST :30







































4. 10 Walkout Planks with 5 second hold (Start in a standing position, bend over as if you were going to touch your toes. Walk your hands out until you are in a high plank. Hold for 5 seconds. To make this harder after the five second hold lift one hand up and touch a point on the floor about 6inches in front of you. Then bring it back to its original position)

5. 20 Reverse Lunge with knees ( Standing with your feet together step backwards lowering yourself into a lunge as you return to your original position raise your knee up to a 90 Deg angle. This should be done with force as if you were trying to knee someone in the stomach. Then do the other leg)

REST :30

6. 20 Squat Jumps (Remember to land lightly, toes down then heels. Your landing should be quiet)

7. 20 single leg hip raises (20 per leg)

REST :30

ABS

8. 3 x :30 Planks
9. 2 x :20 Side Plank (To make this harder raise one hand perpendicular to the ground and then reach under your body repeat 10 times)
10. 40 Punch Crunch






































11. 10 3-count Jack Knife