The importance of sleep

When you have a hectic schedule like I do, with a full-time job, two kids (and their activities), and a husband, trying to keep up with an exercise program and plan meals can be difficult to manage. The one thing that always seems to be sacrificed for me is sleep. I've been recently reading about the importance of sleep and its effects on weight loss, muscle building, and health.

I've always been a night owl. I'm not a morning person and tend to get bursts of energy late at night that allow me to stay up late and even be very productive in the wee hours of the night. I'm trying to get more sleep, but it's a constant struggle for me. It's a learning process for me, and I'm trying to get better. But there are still plenty of nights where I sleep 5 hours. So take this post as a "do as I say, not as I do."

There's a common perception that the "right amount" of sleep is eight hours per night, but of course, the amount of sleep varies from person to person. So let's start first by talking about the right amount of sleep for good health. A research study conducted by Boston University School of Medicine found that study participants that reported sleeping less than 6 hours or more than 9 hours a day had an increased incidence of diabetes, compared to those who slept 7-8 hours per day. So getting adequate sleep helps keep you healthy.

With regards to weight loss, sleep deprivation can be a big problem. People who are sleep deprived tend to eat more, and choose high calorie sweets and starchy or salty foods. I'm sure you've heard of the late night munchies, or maybe even succumbed to them. So if you must stay up late, plan a filling healthy snack, like scrambled eggs.

If you're trying to build muscle, sleep is even more important. Weight training breaks down your muscles. Your body needs regular periods of sleep and rest in order to recover. While you sleep, your muscles are responding to your workout, repairing themselves, growing, and getting stronger. Stay sleep deprived, and you'll find that no matter how hard you work, you won't get the strength gains you should.

Since everyone is different, you'll need to determine how much sleep you need. One way to do it is to spend several days sleeping as much as you want or your body feels like you need. This will allow you to make up any "sleep debt" you've accumulated from repeated lack of sleep. Once you've done this, then you should be able to find your sleep has stabilized and you naturally sleep approximately the same number of hours per night. That should be the amount your body naturally needs. Try to plan your schedule so that you get this amount of sleep on a regular basis.

Other good advice about sleep is to keep your sleep environment free from distractions. Don't use the computer or watch TV in the same place where you sleep. It's also good to limit "screen time" right before bed. That includes computers and TV.

So as challenging as it can be, make a commitment to yourself to get more sleep tonight, and tomorrow night. It's good for your health, and you might just see some gains in your weight loss or muscle-building efforts! Good night, and sleep well!

Learn a few New Rules of Lifting

I was recently placing an Amazon.com order, and since my order already qualified for free shipping, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to purchase a book from my Amazon wishlist. The book was New Rules of Lifting by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove. Lou and Alwyn also wrote another book together (with Cassandra Forsythe) called The New Rules of Lifting for Women with the tagline 'Lift like a man, Look like a Goddess.'

So with the opportunity to buy either, why did I, a woman, purchase the book that was aimed more for men? Well, although I've heard great things about both books, I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder about lifting books for women. Most of them spend a great deal of time being condescending and trying to convince the reader to lift heavy (a.k.a. lift like a man). Then they'll sometimes leave out some information because it may be too advanced or technical for most women readers. Well, I don't need convincing, and I am happy to learn all about the things I'll be able to do when I am experienced enough. So yes, I bought the man's book, and I'd do it again!

New Rules of Lifting: Six Basic Moves for Maximum Muscle (henceforth NROL) is written from the perspective of Lou Schuler, CSCS, who is a journalist by trade, although he collaborated with Alwyn Cosgrove on the content, and Alwyn, a personal trainer by trade, wrote the workout programs. I have to say that for the most part, I enjoyed Lou's writing style. Books about lifting can get overly technical, and that can lead to the reader getting pretty bored, even if they enjoy the subject like I do. Lou brings a lot of humor (some of it self-deprecating) into his writing, which I think would keep even someone with a casual interest engaged. On the negative side, though, Lou seems to spent an inordinate amount of time in the book reminding the reader of his credentials. It's generally done as part of the humor, but when deciding to drive home a point, I personally think Lou could have chosen a better thing for the reader to remember than the fact that he's been lifting for 30 years.

Throughout the book, Lou outlines twenty different rules, with varying levels of novelty. Here's a few of my favorites:

• New Rule #1 - The best muscle-building exercises are the ones that use your muscles the way they're designed to work.
• New Rule #7 - Don't 'do the machines.'
  
• New Rule #18 - You don't need to do endurance exercise to burn fat.
  
• New Rule #20 - If it's not fun, you're doing something wrong.

He uses these rules to debunk much of the conventional wisdom in the gym, such as the idea that isolation exercises like bicep curls will give an experienced lifter bigger biceps. Lou also goes into some more advanced concepts, explaining the difference between training for muscle size (hypertrophy) and training for muscle strength.

The book's primary content discusses what Lou and Alwyn deem the six major moves necessary to build muscle:

• Squat
  
• Deadlift
• Push
• Pull
• Twist
• Walking and Running
  

The first time the moves are introduced, Lou briefly explains them, points out their practical uses in daily life, and talks about why these six moves are most important. Then, later in the book, he gives each of the moves its own chapter, providing numerous examples of specific exercises that incorporate the moves and detailed instructions (and pictures) for most. I found this to be one of the most helpful sections of the book.

Finally, we get to the part you've been waiting for: the workouts! Alwyn designed three groups of programs to meet different goals. There are programs for fat loss, strength, and hypertrophy (muscle growth). Each goal has three different workouts, which can be done from 2-4 times per week. There's at least a year's worth of workouts, and since you can go back to a program after several months, you could essentially rotate through these programs for the rest of your life! On the downside, the exercises proposed often presuppose access to a gym, or a relatively sophisticated home workout system, including cable exercises like a lat pull-down bar, and alternative exercises for home gyms are not proposed.

How does this book stack up for a woman? Well, if she's like me, and she doesn't need convincing that muscle-building is a GOOD thing, she'll like the book just fine. There's quite a bit of discussion about getting bigger and stronger, and although it's written specifically towards men, I still felt like it was applicable for me. If a women is not already on the bandwagon, in that she doesn't yet believe that heavy weight lifting is a good thing, she might be better off with the women's version, which will try to dispel some myths about weight lifting for women.

While I agree with the vast majority of the points made in the book, particularly as they relate to working out, there were a few points on which I disagreed. And to be fair, Lou challenges the reader right at the beginning of the book to read everything with skepticism. So I won't apologize for my little observations.

• Too much reliance on crunch/sit-up related exercises for the "twist" move.
• A measly two chapters on nutrition hardly seem appropriate when framed within the context that a significant percentage of success relies on how much, and what, you eat. There's not a single "new rule" about nutrition. Shame, shame.
  
• I've seen others debunk the "thermal effect of food" and the idea that we need huge amounts of protein after a workout, so it was a bit disappointing to see Lou toe the party line here, and touting both a mega-protein diet as well as the thermal effect of food.
  

So now that you know where I felt the authors could have done more, or said things differently, let me share what I liked:

• The section on periodization (planned changes in training programs in order to get steady improvements) was the one where I felt like I learned the most. Although the chapter gets pretty technical, there are many ideas about how to alternate the number of reps in your program that I will absolutely try in my own workouts.
• The book includes a great section on choosing the best program for you. There's so little time spent on this area in other books, that this was a welcome change. And even within each program, Lou and Alwyn have made things flexible, explaining how to incorporate a desire to work out anywhere from 2-4 times per week into ANY of the programs.
• There is a workout chart included in the book that is one of the best I've seen. I am absolutely copying it and using it for all future workouts. It has a great, efficient use of space, and is flexible enough to accommodate a wide range of program types.
  
• The book is WELL CITED. Not only does Lou cite the specific research every single time he mentions a study, but he has a detailed references list in the back that's even annotated with his own comments on why the source was referenced. Does this lend credibility? You bet! And when I share what I've learned from the book, I can back it up with a source other than a journalist with the CSCS designation. My inner geek is smiling.
  

So clearly, I liked more than I disliked. And any book that says you should do chin-ups instead of bicep curls in case you need to pull yourself into a tree to escape from a lion is a pretty cool book! Interestingly, one of the reasons it's taken me so long to post the review is that my husband confiscated my copy of the book and has been reading it himself!

How much Trans Fat is too much?

Last week I talked about how much red meat is too much, and I promised I'd track my meat intake over the course of the week. So now it's time to share the results. I had a grass-fed steak (Delmonico cut) one day, and a cup of chili another day. I estimate that I hit just about 1.5 servings, maybe just a bit more. It was good to be mindful of my red meat intake, and substitute in chicken or fish (or beans) when I could.

But the idea of "how much is too much" started me thinking about trans fats. We all know trans fats are bad, because they raise our level of bad cholesterol (LDL). And if you've been reading my blog, then you know that some food items have trans fats, even though it's not enough per serving to be reported on the "Nutrition Facts" panel. I've had people tell me that they dismiss these amounts as "trivial." And to be honest, I can see why. There's no limit established for trans fat, either as a recommended intake level, or as a recommended maximum level. Consumers are left guessing.

Fortunately, there was a piece released early this year in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Published by C. Nishida and R. Uauy, the paper seeks to establish such a recommendation, which could then be used by the World Health Organization (WHO) throughout the world.

I won't beat around the bush here...the recommendation was that, in order to prevent cardiovascular disease, diets should have a VERY LOW intake of Trans Fats. The definition of "VERY LOW" is explained to be less than 1% of total energy intake. However, I would bolster that by reinforcing the guideline here in the U.S. with is that trans fat intake should be as low as possible (just check the FDA's site - it's there!).

Why? Well, let me explain what most trans fats are. To make trans fats, you must first start with unsaturated fat, like those from many vegetables. The unsaturated oils are then converted into solid fats via partial hydrogenation. This process changes the structure of the unsaturated fats, turning some into trans fats and eliminating the healthy fats from the oil. Many sources now think that trans fats are actually more dangerous to our health than saturated fats.

(There are also naturally occurring trans fats, usually in red meats and similar products. They are not believed to be as dangerous to our health as the fats created via partial hydrogenation.)

Why would someone chemically process good fats to make them unhealthy fats? Two reasons, really. The first is shelf life. Using partially hydrogenated oils allow food to remain "fresh" longer. In other words, it doesn't spoil as quickly. (That's generally a clue that something is unhealthy!) The second is stability of texture and flavor. Products are often softer and chewier when made with trans fats, which is why you find them so often in cookies and other treats. Meanwhile, products made with butter taste great initially, but then get too hard or crumbly after a short while.

So now that you know what trans fats are, and why they're used, lets quantify this 1% limit. If you were eating a 2000 calorie diet, you'd be able to have 20 calories from trans fats each day and be consistent with the limit. At 9 calories per fat gram, that's about 2 grams of trans fats.

If you ate 5 different products that contained .49 g of trans fats (which means that, since .49 g rounds down to 0, these products would show 0 trans fats on the label), you'd be just under your limit. Meanwhile, you'd think you didn't eat any trans fats at all!

Here's how that might happen. Items in bold contain trans fats, but have zero grams of trans fat on their nutrition facts labels:

• You have a bowl of Fruit Loops for breakfast. Instead of the small servings size listed on the label, you pour yourself a more typical 2-cup serving.
• Mid-morning, you have a Quaker chewy granola bar as a snack.
• At lunch, you have a small salad, and crush a serving of Nabisco saltine crackers into a cup of healthy soup.
• In the afternoon, you sneak a few Girl Scout Cookies when you think no one is watching.
• You have Chicken Marsala for dinner, accompanied by a whole wheat dinner roll spread with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter(R) Spread Original.
• Later at night, you much on some Pop Secret popcorn while watching the latest episode of your favorite night-time drama.

All in all, if this is what you ate for a day, you'd probably assume you ate reasonably healthy, except for the cookies. But in truth, not only did you eat a lot of highly processed foods, you also had at least seven servings of trans fats (remember, you had two servings of cereal). It's absolutely reasonable to assume that in your seven servings, you exceeded the 2 g upper limit of the WHO's recommendation.

So when you are choosing foods, remember to look past the nutritional label. While it can be difficult to find packaged products without trans fats, it is possible. Remember to read the ingredients and avoid products with any of the following:

• Margarine
• Shortening
• Partially hydrogenated oils
• Hydrogenated oils

For instance, while the Quaker chewy granola bars have trans fats, there are Kashi granola bars that do not. Looking for chocolate chip cookies? Chips Ahoy have trans fats, but Keebler do not (watch out for HFCS, though). How about that spread for your roll? Replace it with a small amount of real butter, or use Promise brand products, which uses a small amount of saturated fat instead of trans fats. Want popcorn? Try making it the old-fashioned way, with oil in a pan, or with an air-popper. If microwave popcorn is a must, Orville Redenbacher's Naturals line is completely free of trans fats AND the preservative TBHQ.

Remember, ANY amount of trans fat, if a truly trans-fat free alternative is available, is too much. But if you can keep your total intake to 1% or less per day, you'll be doing better than many others. Just remember that those fractions of a gram can, and do, add up, so read those ingredients.

Evolution of a healthy body

Continuing my one-year lookback, I thought I'd take a moment to share some of the ways my body has physically changed over the past year. Now, I don't have baseline measurements for everything, and that's because when I started my journey I didn't have any idea that this was going to be a life-changing experience. I figured I'd drop a few pounds, look better, and that would be that.

So let's talk about the different things that have changed about my body over the past year.

Weight
Obvious, this one. I started off weighing 135, and now weigh between 110-115. My weight loss graph on Dailyburn shows that it took me until mid-July to lose the first 5 pounds, and then another month to get to 10 total pounds of loss, and a weight of around 125. At this point, my weight started to creep back up a bit. I started getting more careless about my diet, and wasn't exercising as frequently.

My weight peaked at 128 in September, and then, after starting Turbulence Training and cleaning up my nutrition even more, I saw it fall steeply and steadily to 116.5 at the beginning of December. Now I had hit my goal of 117 pounds, and was feeling great. But as it turns out, I wasn't done!

Starting in January, I picked up with my Turbulence Training workouts again, and this time I saw my weight drop steadily down to 110, which was what I weighed in high school! I now average around 112-113 on a daily basis.

Body Fat
I do have a scale that measures body fat using electrical impedance, but I've found it highly unreliable. So I only have a few body fat measurements I can share with you. In order to get a good baseline, I actually have to go back to the summer of 2007. I weighed 122 pounds back then, thanks to the weight loss stimulated by nursing my son many times each day. At that time, my body fat was 26.9%. So if you assume that my lean body mass stayed the same and adjust for the increase in total body weight, my body fat would have been around 34% in June 2008.

The next measurement I have is October 15, 2008. My weight was 122.5, and my body fat was measured as 21.3%. That's a huge amount of body fat lost in a short period of time!

I had my body fat measured yet again on December 12, 2008. My weight was 117, and my body fat was measured as 15.5%. The trainer who took my measurements (both times) couldn't believe that I had dropped so much body fat in just two months! She was absolutely blown away!
Finally, I had my body fat measured one last time on March 29, 2009. My weight was 111, and my body fat remained at 15.5%. That actually told me that I lost a little bit too much weight, since it indicated that I had lost one pound of fat, and five pounds of muscle. (That's why I've been trying to add some muscle back to my body, and am comfortable with a slightly higher weight range.)

To come from an estimated 34% body fat to 15.5% body fat in one year was amazing. But the health benefits are even better - lower risk for heart disease, diabetes, and a whole host of other ailments!

Body Measurements
Again, I don't have measurements from the very beginning of my journey, but I can tell you that I was squeezing into a size 8, and my upper body was enormous, relative to the rest of me. It was very difficult for me to find appropriately-fitting clothing, and I usually had to pay a premium to find something that I could wear. It was not uncommon for me to be unable to button a jacket, and I had to pay $50-$80 for a well-fitting bra (at 34DDD, most stores didn't even carry my size).

By September, three months into my journey, I was fitting comfortably into my size 8 suits, and could even wear some of the larger size 6 items in the back of my closet. I finally some measurements on September 30, 2008:

Chest - 36"
Waist - 30"
Hips - 38"
Thigh - 19.5"
Calf - 12.75"
Arm (unflexed) - 10"
Arm (flexed) - 10"
Clothing size - 8
Bra size - 34DD

I took them again on December 14, 2008:
Chest - 34"
Waist - 28"
Hips - 36"
Thigh - 18"
Calf - 12"
Arm (unflexed) - 9.75"
Arm (flexed) - 10.5"
Clothing size - 4
Bra size - 34D

And one last time on March 29, 2009:
Chest 34"
Waist 26.5"
Belly button 29.5"
Hip 35"
Thigh 17.25"
Calf 12.25"
Clothing size - 2 or 4
Bra size 34C

As you can see, some of the skinnier parts of my body actually started to increase as I put on muscle, like my calves and my arms (and I was not complaining).

Cholesterol
This is one area where I really wish I had a baseline measurement for June 2008. But even without it, I saw some really interesting changes.

September 28, 2008:
Total Cholesterol - 141
HDL (good) - 49
LDL (bad) - 76
Triglycerides - 77
TC/HDL ratio: 2.8

January 2009:
Total Cholesterol - 129
HDL (good) - 50
(Full panel results were not supplied)
TC/HDL ratio: 2.6

March 29, 2009:
Total Cholesterol - 133
HDL (good) - 61
LDL (bad) - 61
Triglycerides (bad) - 55
TC/HDL ratio: 2.2

Although my levels were healthy when first measured, they are now even better, putting me at a very decreased risk of coronary artery disease.

Other factors
I mentioned earlier that when I was heavier, I had an enormous chest. It had actually gotten progressively larger with each pregnancy, growing from 34D to a 34DD and finally a 34DDD. I had planned to get breast reduction surgery, like one of my older sisters, because their size caused me significant back strain, and it was very frustrating trying to find clothing that was attractive and fit well.

After my body fat started falling, I realized that losing this weight was going to help me avoid MAJOR SURGERY! Now, as a 34C, I can actually wear shirts designed for someone of my petite frame. I feel like I gained all of the benefits of the surgery, without any of the risks, costs, or recovery.

It is amazing to look back at all of these statistics and see how my body has evolved from one that was clearly unhealthy, to one that is much healthier than the average woman! I've likely extended my life, and the years I have will be more enjoyable because I am so healthy and happy.

Of course, there are some fitness-based indicators that show the improved health of my body, but I will cover those in another post, later this week. I hope you are enjoying this series. Stay tuned!

Resistance Isn't Futile

Many women (and even some men) that I know have figured out how to lose weight by eating healthy. They might be using Weight Watchers, or a program like Jenny Craig, or maybe they're just being successful counting calories. But once they lose the weight, then the really difficult part starts: How do they keep it from coming back?

Well, first, let's look at how things change during weight loss. Using a general formula (the Harris-Benedict formula), we can estimate that if a 30 year-old woman is 5'6" tall, exercises 3 times per week, and starts off weighing 200 pounds, she needs to eat about 2150 calories per day to maintain her weight and 1650 calories per day to lose weight. Once she hits her goal weight of 135 pounds, she now needs to eat about 2175 calories per day to maintain her new weight.

Okay, that's a general formula. But let's consider two scenarios:

In the first scenario, our friend started off with 46% body fat. She lost weight and reduced her body fat percentage through dieting and cardio, but is still "skinny fat," meaning that she's slim but has a high percentage of body fat - say 30%. Well, if we consider lean body mass (using the Katch McArdle formula) instead of just total weight, our calculations change. After making the adjustment, she should only be eating 2000 calories per day to maintain her weight. If she's using the more general calculation above, she'll be eating 175 calories a day too much. That leaves her gaining more than a pound per month!

In the second scenario, our friend again started off with 46% body fat. But this time, she lost weight and significantly reduced her body fat percentage using a combination of dieting and exercise - both resistance training and cardio. So now she's slim AND she's maintained some of her muscle mass so her body fat percentage is just 20%. When we consider her lean body mass, she can eat 2200 calories per day to maintain her weight. So she can enjoy an extra 200 calories per day, compared to the first scenario, without watching that hard lost weight creep back on. Isn't that the kind of advantage you'd like to enjoy?

So how can you apply this knowledge for yourself? If you're one of the (many) women who loves your cardio, aerobics classes, and the like, but runs FAR away from the weight room, it's time to take a second look. It's important to maintain your muscle mass while you lose weight so that it won't be as easy for the weight to come back when you stop dieting. Resistance training, also called weight training, is an essential part of a successful weight loss plan.

And resistance training doesn't have to use weights. The important point is to stress and challenge your muscles, so that they respond by growing. You can do this with bodyweight exercises OR with weights, as long as you keep your workouts challenging. In fact, you can get a complete bodyweight resistance training workout for free by signing up for my email list (on the right).

To get the biggest benefit from a resistance training workout, you should focus on large movements that work multiple muscle groups. That means you should not consider bicep curls and tricep kickbacks with 5 pound hand weights as your "resistance training" workout. Some of the best exercises are those that work your lower body. That includes squats, lunges, and deadlifts. All three of these exercises can be done both with weight and without, and each uses multiple muscles so you're working efficiently AND buring calories. Kettlebell swings are another great way to work the muscles in your lower body. For your upper body, focus on various types of push-ups, work on doing your first chin-up, and doing either inverted bodyweight rows, or bent-over dumbbell rows with weights. Want to work abs? Check out my popular article about how to get great abs.

If you are an exercise class junkie, never fear! You can get resistance training in a class setting. Many gyms now offer group weightlifting classes with an aerobics feel, but using barbells and weight plates to add resistance. There are also "boot camp" type classes that use bodyweight exercises to coach participants through resistance training workouts that can be done anywhere, without any equipment!

Still feel lost? Find a good personal trainer and ask them to design and help you learn a resistance training plan that you can do without having to use exercise machines, and will give you a good basic workout. Specifically mention the exercises I listed above, so they understand you want a serious workout and not 20 minutes of lifting tiny pink dumbbells over your head.

And feel free to ask me, too, if you need ideas on how to get over your fear of resistance training. Remember, resistance ISN'T futile!

Do you REALLY know how much you're eating?

If you're trying to lose weight or get fit, I'm sure you've heard that sage advice to keep a food journal. And believe me, having to write down what you ate will help you when you're considering whether to finish that half a cookie someone left in the kitchenette at work. But is it really enough? Not always.

While journaling will help most people avoid poor food choices, it doesn't really tell you how much you're eating from a calorie perspective. And the one time-proven way to lose weight, whether you cut carbs, cut fat, or follow some other type of eating plan, is to eat at a calorie deficit. For most people, that means eating about 500 calories less than what is required to maintain their current body weight. Adult women shouldn't eat fewer than 1200 calories, and adult men shouldn't eat fewer than 1800 calories. Teens, particularly teenage boys, actually need even more than that. So if you haven't taken your food journal and calculated your calorie intake, I challenge you to do so for at least three days, although a full week is preferable.

Now you might be sitting there confidently, saying, "oh, I already count calories." Maybe you're logging your food at sites like Fitday, SparkPeople, or DailyBurn. Well, you still might not know how much you're eating, depending on how you measure your food. Maybe you "eyeball" your portions. As shown in the picture above, our standards today have set our expectations far above where they should be. Even if you measure them with a measuring cup or spoons, you might be underestimating your food.

Let's take one of my typical breakfast meals:

• Half a mango, sliced (about one cup)
• 6 blackberries (about 1/4 cup)
• 3/4 C lowfat no salt added cottage cheese (1.5 servings)
• 7 walnuts (half of a one-ounce serving of 14 nuts)
• cinnamon

Using USDA values for the whole foods, and the package information for the cottage cheese, this meal should be 349 calories, with 24g of protein, 11g of fat, and 42g of carbs.

As it turns out, though, this meal was actually 449 calories. I found this out by weighing all my ingredients and adjusting the portion size accordingly, as detailed below:

• Half a mango, sliced - I thought this was one serving of 165g, but it was actually a whopping 250g! I suppose a typical mango is much smaller than the ones I bought at the store.
• 6 blackberries - These fit in a 1/4 cup, but by weight were 1/3 of a (one cup) serving
• 3/4 C lowfat no salt added cottage cheese - 3/4 Cup should equal about 170g. However, depending on how I pack the measuring cup, I found I could put up to 200g in the measuring cup. That's another 25% of a serving.
• 7 walnuts - My walnuts must be larger than normal, because it turns out I had half an ounce at only 6 walnuts

So, by using USDA reference statistics (such as 14 walnuts to a serving) and measuring cups, I ended up with a breakfast that was 100 calories (nearly 30%) higher than I thought - and that was with doing careful measuring and tracking of what I was eating! Once I weighed my food, I realized that the portion sizes I thought were accurate were actually far from it. Why did I try weighing my food to begin with? I did so after watching this video:

Can you imagine what would happen if you underestimated your calories by 30% at EVERY meal? Let's say you needed 2000 calories a day to maintain your current weight, and you thought you were eating 1500 calories per day - a deficit of 500 calories per day. However, if you underestimated your calories by 30%, you'd actually be eating 1950 calories per day. You could do this for weeks and you wouldn't lose any weight at all, getting more and more frustrated as each day went on.

I'm not suggesting you weigh every single item you eat. Most of us don't have the time or inclination to do that. But I do recommend you take some time to learn what about proper portion sizes. One way to do so is to to read up on some of the online resources available. One I've found is checkyourhealth.org, which has some great visual references you can use to determine proper portion sizes on the fly.

Even so, as the video above shows, it may behoove you to purchase a kitchen scale and keep it handy. As time goes on, occasionally measure and weight the items you eat most frequently, so you start to recognize what the correct portion size actually looks like on your plate. You may have to retrain your mind, and it will take time, but you'll have the benefit of having better control over your calorie intake, which should lead to weight loss success!

Training with Kettlebells. Is it for you?

I know I've mentioned before that I train with kettlebells. When I mention this to people, most people say, "kettle what?" So while kettlebells have been catching on lately, they are still unknown to many people. Let me tell you a little about kettlebells so that you can decide if you might benefit from training with them.

What are kettlebells?
According to Wikipedia, a kettlebell is a traditional Russian cast-iron weight looking somewhat like a cannonball with a handle. They've been around for decades, but are now gaining popularity in the U.S.

How do kettlebells work?
Most kettlebell exercises are based on the concept of functional movement. Functional training involves the entire body in the movement, engaging the core and giving you a total body workout. They build strength and stability, giving you a great workout in a short, efficient burst of activity. My trainer likes to call them a "portable gym."

Who can benefit from working with kettlebells?
Although kettlebells got their start as an exercise tool for muscle-bound Russian strongmen, they can provide a fantastic workout for a wide range of people at different levels of fitness, including:

• Men
• Women
• People looking to lose fat
• People looking to build muscle
• Bodybuilders
• Military/Firefighters/Police

So you can see that they can really do something for everyone, even people at the early stages of their fitness journey. You can use them for building strength, and also do fast circuits of the larger movements to replace traditional cardio. It's quick, fun, and fat-blasting!

What kind of results might you get from Kettlebells?
I can share a few things I've seen or experienced myself from my kettlebell workouts. First, I've seen and heard about women and men who start working out with kettlebells, and without even trying, they go down a size or lose weight. For instance, two women I know have been working with our trainer since February. Both of them went down a size within the first 6 weeks of starting their workouts.

Then there's the cardio benefits. I went for a 2.5 mile run in February. It took me 25:30 to finish. After doing my normal weight training workouts and using kettlebell circuits for my cardio for two months, I went for another run. I had not run over a mile since February. I ran at a pace that felt easy, and when I finished the 2.5 miles, it had taken me 24:30. I shaved a minute off my time, without sport-specific training or even pushing myself. With stronger legs and a body trained to use oxygen more efficiently during my killer kettlebell circuits, I was able to gain benefits in an entirely different form of exercise.

There are dozens of amazing kettlebell success stories on the Dragon Door site, here.

How can I get started?
If you think kettlebells might be something you want to try, then you'll want to know how to get started. The basic movement is the kettlebell swing, and it's what you'll want to learn first. While I did start with the kettlebell swing based on videos I watched, I have since found there is no replacement for in-person training with a professional. You certainly can start with DVDs or books, but even one session with a trainer could get you doing a proper swing in no time. I've also seen people work without a trainer and get too ambitious, trying advanced moves without being able to check their form. This can lead to injury, so please train safely!

If you do go with a trainer, choose one who is specifically certified to train kettlebells. Any trainer will not do. You might have seen Jillian Michaels demonstrate a kettlebell swing on The Biggest Loser this season. As much as I love Jillian, I'm sorry to say that even she was doing the moves incorrectly, simply because she didn't know any better. I work out in a small group with a certified Russian Kettlebell Instructor, or RKC for short. You can find out whether there is a RKC certified trainer in your area by checking here.

Who's afraid of a little muscle?

Now that I've whittled myself down to a mere 110 pounds, I've decided that it's time to focus on increasing my muscle mass. This requires a whole different mindset from me, including increasing the amount of calories I eat (while still eating "clean"), increasing rest during my weightlifting sessions, and dropping most of my cardio from my workouts. It's an interesting experience, and I hope that it will be successful for me.

But talking about this with people brings up some of the comments I so often hear from women who are looking to get fit. I'm sure you know what I mean -- maybe some of you had the same reaction when you read the beginning of this post!

Things like:

• I don't want to look bulky
• I'm afraid of looking like a man
• I really just want to "tone" my muscles, not build them up

Sounds familiar, right? Well, I have a newsflash for you. The BEST way to look thinner, leaner more feminine, and more "toned" is to build muscle. No, really!

Well, most of the bulky women you've seen pictures of have one thing in common: they are on special supplements and a training program designed SPECIFICALLY to give them big muscles. Some of them may even be taking steroids. Frankly, they have to trick their bodies and work their tails off to do it because women's bodies do not have the levels of testosterone required for building muscles the way that men's bodies do!

So now that we've accepted that weight training and building muscle won't make you look like a man, let's talk about what it WILL make you look like!



The first image is of Jessica Biel, after she worked out for her role in Blade: Trinity. The second image is of trainer Jillian Michaels, best known as "TV's Toughest Trainer" from the show, The Biggest Loser. I don't know many women that would turn down a chance to look like either of these ladies, and both of them lift weights as part of their exercise regimen!

So now let's talk about how to build muscle. There are a few key things to remember:

• Resistance training. Whether you do bodyweight exercises or lift free weights, resistance training for at least 20-30 minutes, 3 times per week, will help you gain muscle. Do 6-12 repetitions of each exercise, at a weight that's challenging. I love Turbulence Training workouts for this, but any similar resistance training program will do.
  
• Get enough to eat! Some women are so focused on losing weight that they starve themselves. Never eat less than 1200 calories (on average) per day, and if you hit a weight loss plateau, try adding MORE calories to see how your body reacts. Many times, more calories will cause a counterintuitive weight loss.
• Get enough rest. Okay, so clearly I'm the pot calling the kettle black on this one, but getting rest is key to allowing your body to repair itself and build muscle. I've actually noticed my body telling me that it needs more rest since I started muscle-building, and I'm doing my best to listen!

So now, let's say you decide you are going to get with the program and build some muscle. Here are the benefits you'll gain:

• Smaller physical appearance and measurements. While a pound of muscle and a pound of fat weigh the same, the two take up extremely different amounts of space. Replace muscle with fat and although your weight may not change, you will appear smaller and leaner.
• Higher metabolic rate. Increased lean body mass (the part of your body that doesn't contain fat) results in a higher metabolic rate. What does this mean? It means that the amount of calories your body burns without activity is greater. Your calorie needs will increase, and yes, that's right, you'll be able to eat more!
• Lower risk of osteoporosis. As you increase your muscle mass, your bones will adjust, becoming more dense in order to support the muscles. You'll gain a stronger skeleton and lower your osteoporosis risk.
  

The good thing about muscle building is that it's fairly easy to cut back. So if you start to see something you don't like, you have time to adjust before you end up looking like the women at the beginning of the article. I hope those readers who stick purely to aerobics classes and cardio machines will consider adding a little resistance training this week!

I've just finished the first week of my 5-week muscle building regimen. I'll be sure to let you all know how it goes when I get to the end!

Cutting salt to cut fat

I think most of us are aware that we should try to limit our sodium intake. Perhaps you refrain from salting your food, or try not to eat high salt foods like canned soups and frozen meals. You might even be checking food labels, looking to see if salt is one of the major ingredients.

But did you know that a high sodium intake can actually affect your weight loss success? It's true. Excess sodium intake actually causes your fat cells to grow larger, meaning that even with the same amount of fat, you will LOOK more flabby. Excess sodium can also increase fluid retention, keeping the scale from moving (while you feel frustrated) even as you exercise and reduce calories.

On a health note, although sodium may not be the primary factor, studies have shown that people with a high sodium intake are at higher risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes. I believe that this has more to do with the fact that excessively rich foods are often extremely high in sodium, so people consuming a high sodium diet are often also eating excessively fatty foods.

A shocking fact I found in my research is that while the recommended intake for sodium in the U.S. is 1000mg or less for each 1000 calories you eat (that would be 2000mg for a typical 2000 calorie diet), most Americans are eating 4000-5000mg of sodium per day. ACK! And you should know that in the U.K., the recommended intake is even lower, at a maximum of 1600mg per day. So clearly, there's some reason to wonder whether the U.S. RDA is low enough. I personally try to keep to 1500mg per day or less. And it's not easy!

So how do you reduce your sodium intake? Is putting the salt shaker back in the cabinet enough? Sadly, no. The amount of salt people add to most of what they eat ends up contributing a very small percentage of their overall sodium intake. In fact, 75% of our sodium intake comes from processed and restaurant foods, with just 10% coming from salt added at the table or during cooking, and the remaining 15% occurring naturally in food.

To make matters worse, low sodium eating hasn't gotten as much attention from food manufacturers as things like eating low-fat or low-carb. So you may be hard-pressed to find low sodium items at your grocery. In fact, when I check labels at my own grocery, I find the low-fat items are often higher in sodium than their high-fat counterparts. Manufacturers add salt to their products to replace the flavor lost when fat is removed.

Here are some strategies to help you reduce your sodium intake:

• Limit restaurant and fast foods. A typical meal at a restaurant can often contain three times the recommended daily intake of sodium - and that's just at one meal! If you are eating out, look for low sodium meals or recommendations on the restaurant's website. For instance, Outback Steakhouse gives customers specific ordering requests they can use to reduce sodium in their meals.
  
• Eat sparingly from processed and prepackaged (often frozen) meals. Check the ingredients and you'll be shocked by how much sodium they contain. Add to that their tendency to overstate the number of servings, and you might end up getting 2000mg of sodium in a single meal!
  
• Read labels on grocery foods. Look for less than 300mg per serving in sodium in most foods, and 150mg or less in bread. In the ingredients list, look out for sodium additives. I've included a list at the bottom of the article.
• Reduce your reliance on soups as casserole ingredients, and make your own broth rather than using packaged broths or bullion cubes. Even low sodium broths often have more than 300mg per 1 cup. An exception -- Pacific Natural Foods has a great "no salt added" chicken broth, with just 70mg sodium per 1 cup serving.
• Buy "no salt" varieties of foods that really don't need salt to taste good. I buy "no salt" peanut butter and cottage cheese to name a few.

I challenge you to spend the next week trying to cut your sodium intake. See if you can find any hidden sources of sodium and whether the reduced sodium intake helps you look better or weigh less. I'd love to hear how you do!

Remember, when you're checking those labels, you need to look for more than just salt. Common sodium-increasing food ingredients:

• Baking soda and Baking powder
  
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• Sodium nitrate and nitrite
  
• Sodium alginate
  
• Disodium inosinate
• Disodium guanylate

And here are some specific types of foods that are often high in sodium:

• Bottled sauces like salad dressings, ketchup, and BBQ sauce
• Canned soup
• Canned vegetables and beans
• Cottage cheese
  
• Cured meats like lunch meat and hot dogs
  
• Fermented foods like pickles and green olives
  
• Items containing baking powder, like Bisquick, pizza dough, and biscuits
• Salted snack foods like chips, crackers, pretzels, and nuts
• Soy sauce (even light soy sauce) and items made with them (Chinese food, for example)
  

Dealing with a setback

I've spent the last few days getting over a cold, and it reminded me how easy it can be to get off track. Maybe, like me, it's a cold that sidelines you from your workouts, or maybe it's a disruption to your schedule. Maybe it's even a setback on the scale, or a few days of eating off plan.

A few days can stretch to a week, and then two weeks. Suddenly you find yourself looking in the mirror and feeling pudgy and unmotivated. So now what?

Well, sometimes, it's not as hard as it seems to find your way back. You don't have to dive all the way back into your normal routine to do it. Just small steps can be enough to build momentum in the right direction, and get you back into your routine.

So let's talk about some strategies to get you out of that funk.

1. Get moving. Maybe you can't make it to the gym or don't have time for a full workout. Drop to the floor and bang out a few sets of 10-20 push-ups, do some jumping jacks, 10-20 bodyweight squats, and a 30 second plank. It's quick, so if you feel good, rest a minute and repeat. Just getting moving, even doing a little mini-workout like this, will raise your endorphins and get you out of feeling lazy, making you more likely to return to your regular workouts the next day.
2. Take a break from the scale. Weighing yourself multiple times a day or even every single day can be demoralizing. Most of the rise and fall in your weight over short periods of time is based on hydration. Take at least one week's break from the scale and focus instead on how you feel and how your clothes fit.
3. Eat healthy for a day. Just one day of going without the snacks, fatty foods, and treats that led to a downward spiral can help you start a positive cycle. One day can stretch into two, then three...you get the idea.
4. Do something fun. Sometimes you can lose your motivation because you've been TOO intense, working too hard without ever getting a break. Take a day and do something fun. Maybe it's a fun activity, like going for a bike ride with your family. Maybe it's something like getting a new haircut, or a pedicure. Taking a day to relax and have a little fun may leave you recharged and ready to jump back into your exercise routine.

As for me, I missed my normal gym workout on Monday to stay home and rest, since I wasn't feeling well. To make matters worse, I didn't feel like cooking something healthy. I was tempted to order out, but then ended up eating some butternut squash soup I had in the cabinet. I rested on the couch for a while, and then decided to get up and just do a set of push-ups. After 20 push-ups, I had a bit more energy and did some sumo squats. Then it was side planks and regular planks. By this point, I actually felt pretty good, so I grabbed my kettlebell and did some weighted lunges and cleans. All in all, I spent about 12-15 minutes being active, instead of my normal 60 minute workout, but I went to bed feeling much better emotionally about what I had done.

On Tuesday night, I was still feeling a bit off, but after my mini-workout the night before, I managed to build up the momentum to make it to the gym. After my workout was complete, I felt really great - not tired or sick at all.

So the next time you've fallen out of your routine because you're sick, or maybe a bit depressed, try some of my suggestions and see if they can get you back on track. Do you have any additional strategies? If so, please post them in the comments!

Escaping from a cycle of bad eating

So, it's been a few days since Easter, and I don't know about you, but I've indulged in the candy a few times too many! Did you know that Easter and Halloween are two of the biggest holidays for candy sales and consumption? And if you have kids, it's hard to do a complete moratorium, since even if you don't get them any candy, they're likely to end up with some from school or local egg hunts. This time of year I'm almost jealous of my Jewish friends celebrating passover. I would be much less tempted by Matzo than I am by those darned peanut butter eggs!

For me, each piece of candy I eat seems to open the door towards eating more. It's as if my mind has said, "well, clearly it's okay to eat some of this." So while I might start on day one with just one mini twix, by day two I've had a mini twix and a mini reese's peanut butter cup, and by day three I'm wondering if my kids will notice if I eat both of their peanut butter eggs! (Answer: Yes, they will. Not that I've done it. Yet. Some things, a mom just knows!)

I went through this same thing at Halloween, and after a week of what felt like a downward spiral, I decided to take matters into my own hands and get back to healthy eating. Now it's time for me to do the same thing, and I'll share some strategies so that those of you suffering can find a way out as well!

1. Throw it out. Okay, this technique is easiest for those without kids, or with very young kids. Basically, a week after the holiday, you just throw it all away. Put it in a bag in the outside trash. You can keep one piece for each year of each child's age if you'd like. Trust me, they'll know how many you have, and you won't be able to sneak any!
2. Out of sight, out of mind. Instead of leaving the candy out in a dish or in their easter basket, put it all into a brown paper bag, and put it on the top shelf of the pantry. Get it down when your kids ask for a treat. Without having it under your nose, it will be easier to get through your day without eating any. And, your kids may even start to forget how much they have, which means you can strategically follow strategy #1, with just a few pieces at at time, over the next few weeks.
3. Buy it. From your kids, that is. Last Halloween, I told my kids I'd give them $0.25 for each piece of candy. $18 later, I had a nice full bag, and they each had a few pieces of just their very favorite candies. I took my bag to work, where the candy disappeared in less than a day. It was one of the best investments I ever made! And the upside was that my kids weren't upset about losing their candy.
4. Have a piece of fruit. When you are considering eating a piece of candy or chocolate, crush that sugar craving by having a nice fresh and juicy piece of fruit. Really sweet fruit like pineapple or mango is often best. The fiber in the fruit helps make you feel full, and the sugar will help get you over the craving.
5. Write it down. If you aren't journaling your food yet, now is the time to start. Sure, there may not be an easy way to determine the calories in one mini M&M, but if you eat one, WRITE IT DOWN! You may think twice about eating it next time. Jillian Michaels has also suggested writing down how you're feeling when you eat unhealthy foods. This can help you determine if your eating is emotionally based.
6. Make it just one day. For one day, put a moratorium on candy. No matter how tempted you are, just think to yourself, "I'm not eating any candy today," and move on. Once you've proven to yourself that you can make it through a day without candy, you may find it easier to decide to pass on it the next day.

As for me, this is my confession time. So here we go!

On April 11, I ate a mini twix, mini reese's peanut butter cup, mini dark chocolate bar, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookie.

On April 12, I ate three chocolate chip cookies, a mini twix, and half a glazed donut.

On April 13, I ate a mini reese's peanut butter cup, 2 wintergreen lifesavers, and 3 cups of popcorn (which I ate while trying to keep myself from eating the peanut butter eggs)!

That's where it stopped. After reviewing what I had documented (using strategy #5) for the previous three days, I was upset with myself for my apparent lack of control. I decided I wasn't having any more of my kid's candy. So I implemented strategy #2, and when I had a craving, had a nice plum (strategy #4).

Fortunately, I got control before I developed a habit of poor eating. I hope these techniques help you do the same!

(And thank goodness we now have over six months until Halloween!)

My second 12 weeks of Turbulence Training

I just finished my second 12 weeks of Turbulence Training, and wanted to share my results with my readers! It was another very successful transformation, and I'm very proud of what I've accomplished.

Workouts used:
TT for Female Strength Phase II
TT Gain Muscle Lose Fat
TT Buff Dudes Hot Chicks

My stats:
Start date - 1/5
End date - 3/29

Height 5'1"
Weight 116.5 - end 111
Moving Avg Weight 115.92 - end 111.59
Chest 35" - end 34"
Waist 28" - end 26.5"
Belly 31" - end 29.5"
Hip 37" - end 35"
Thigh 17.75" - end 17.25"
Calf 12" - end 12.25"
Body fat per Tanita scale - 22% - end 20%
Body fat per calipers - no starting measurement - end 15.5%

Goals:
1. Maintain or add to my lean body mass (weight is 116 with 15.5% body fat - calipers) - Both the Tanita scale and my pictures indicate that I accomplished this goal. With calipers I ended up with the same body fat measurement as I had at the end of TC3, but I think that TC3 measurement was a little lower than actual.

2. Maintain or reduce my fat (see above) - visually, I clearly did this in the chest, tummy, butt, and back

3. Perform 5 consecutive chin-ups - VERY close. I can do 4 singles now!

4. Perform 20 consecutive close-grip push-ups - YES! And I was surprised when I tested but I can do it!

5. Perform 20 consecutive decline push-ups - YES!

6. Perform 50 consecutive regular push-ups - Not there yet, although I can do way more than 50 if I break them up into sets. Consecutive is around 35 right now.

7. Improve my arm/shoulder definition - OH YES. Those 3 min arms deltoid supersets I did certainly helped, as did the arm sets in BDHC.

8. Get a bikini-worthy tummy (no 6-pack needed, but a 2-pack or 4-pack would be nice!) - still no 2 pack, but I am super proud of how my tummy looks. I am totally ready to play sports on the beach now!

I came into the fourth Turbulence Training contest ready to rededicate myself to clean eating and fitness after a bit of overeating over the holidays. But I was already below what I had seen as my goal weight so my goals this time were strength driven.

My inspiration was a picture of Jessica Biel, running around playing sports in a bikini and looking so gorgeous and unconcerned about the way she looked. I wanted that, AND I wanted to be a tough chick too! I wanted to crank out chin ups and push ups and make people in the gym stop and look at me and think, "WOW."

So I really pushed myself and tried to pick harder workouts that would push my limits and help me achieve strength. I was VERY happy with the results. I can now crank out 35 push-ups, and more importantly, I can do decline and close-up push-ups at much higher reps and with much better form that I could 12 weeks ago. I've doubled the number of chin-ups I can do, and made progress towards that elusive first pull-up, although I'm not there yet. My physical conditioning is improving, and the bodyweight circuits in GM/LF and BDHC really helped with that as well.

While I've been building strength, I've been shocked to find the pounds and inches continue to drop from a body that I already thought looked great! I bought a size 4 suit at the end of December that is now too big for me to wear. I'm a size 2! I haven't been this light since I was a freshman in college, and I found that I can fit into an evening gown I wore in my very first beauty pageant that year (1994)! It's a size 2 as well.

What you may have realized from my "before" pictures at the very start of my blog is that I fully expected to need to have breast reduction surgery within the next few years. I am so proud to say with all of my fat loss I have gone from a 34F to a very normal 34C. I can't believe it! I can buy shirts sized for my frame and not worry about my breasts popping out of them. The fact that I've gotten this without surgery is something that absolutely brings tears to my eyes! I know most women would not be happy about their chest getting smaller but for me it is such a great thing. I never realized going from body fat of around 26% to 20% and below would make such a dramatic difference.

As always, nutrition was SO key. I am so tempted by so many things and just a little bit of sugar can turn on my cravings for hours! And I continued to use my weekly ESE fast to help me mentally, by reminding me that I CAN resist temptation. I struggled with that a bit, but having my support network at the TT forums, and all the people joining in a ban on sweets except for their cheat meal really helped me. And, the encouragement to actually let my cheat be a true cheat helped too. Choosing something that really made me feel like I was treating myself helped me resist the temptations the rest of the week. Now I really have a meal routine down, and although I could stand to have some more variety in what I eat, I am eating really healthy. My latest challenge has been switching to a maintenance calorie level, and while it's taken some adjustment, I think I will settle in and get comfortable with that.

Now I feel strong, powerful, and in charge of my destiny. I'm excited to see where the next chapter takes me. Two of my neighbors commented that I look like a completely different person. But I'm not. I'm the same me I've always been, only better, more confident, and healthier! I am SO ready to go running around on the beach in my bikini, not worried whether I'm going to look bad. And I have to say it -- I look good! (And not just for a mom.)

I'm going to keep up with my TT workouts, but I'm developing a love of Kettlebells and will be taking a weekly class with an RKC coach at my gym. I'm really excited to begin exploring a new chapter of fitness and strength. I'll keep all of my readers posted on where this new chapter takes me.

Secrets to great abs (hint - it's not sit-ups)

Just about everyone I see at the gym spends at least some of their workout doing some type of sit-up or crunch. Now I've been going to this gym for five months, and I see the same people regularly. What I can tell you is that the same people I see doing sit-ups every week still have the same flabby midsections they had five months ago. Maybe you've experienced the same thing - sit-up after sit-up, crunch after crunch, and still you don't have a toned midsection.

Well, I'll tell you two things I've learned about great abs. The first, and this is an important one:

Abs are made in the kitchen.

In short, visible and toned abs only emerge when your overall body fat is low. Your nutrition is a huge part of this. It doesn't matter how many hours you spend in the gym or how many sit-ups you do. If you don't eat a healthy diet at an appropriate calorie level for your body, you will not have visible abs.

Now the second one is actually my favorite:

You can (and should) get strong abs without doing a single sit-up or crunch.

Yep, although it surprised me to find it out, this is actually true. And your back will thank you for realizing it! Here are a list of exercises to avoid:

Sit-ups, especially those where the feet are "locked" works the hip flexors more than the abs, plus they put strain on the back. Forget them!

"Ab Rocker" and other machines used to support the head actually weaken your neck muscles exposing you to greater risk of injury AND none have been proven more effective than exercises done without equipment.

Weight lifting machines designed to target ab muscles isolate the movements and do not provide you with a true functional exercise. As a result, they can cause injury and create muscle imbalances.

Crunches, although not a bad exercises, are terribly overused. Especially when done with your back flat on the floor, they shorten your abdominal wall, and are less effective than many other ab exercises.

So then I've likely just taken away most of the ways you know to work your abs, let me tell share my favorite ab exercises with you:

Plank - It's my favorite, and a classic -- just as effective as a crunch without the strain on the back. If you can't hold a plank for at least 20 seconds, you should focus on being able to do that before moving on to any other ab exercise. You can increase difficulty by putting your forearms on a swiss/stability ball. You can also do side planks to work the obliques.

Stability ball jackknife - This one takes some practice, but I've found it extremely effective. A more advanced move is the stability ball pike, and I suggest you practice it at home, as attempting it in a busy gym for the first time can be a bit intimidating.

Hanging knee raise or knee raise on captain's chair - This is the hardest of the exercises I've listed, at least in my opinion. If you have access to a captain's chair, you can also keep your legs straight and raise them up to your waist as a variation.

If you want something even more challenging, there is a great workout used by the UNC Tar Heels. I recommended it to a colleague with a bad back, and he says it has changed his life! The workout does have some crunches, so I generally substitute those with planks with my hands on the medicine ball.

So if you, like me, hate sit-ups and crunches, I hope you can celebrate your freedom from them. If you want great abs, clean up your nutrition, work off that body fat, and incorporate some of the core training exercises I've listed above.

Let me know how they work out for you!

What can you accomplish in 60 days?

I mentioned earlier that I had just finished up the Turbulence Training 60-day Twitter Transformation Contest, and was pleasantly surprised by my results. Well, the finalists have been posted, and I'm among them! So although I've already posted today's blog post, I'm going to do a little bonus one to explain about the contest and share my entry.

*Note: The contest ended 3/24 and I was selected as the Runner Up! To check out the latest TT contest, please visit www.transformationcontest.com.

For this contest, I had to sign up for a Twitter account, and then start "tweeting" my workouts. I was also encouraged to tweet my nutrition, successes, and struggles. I had never used Tweeter before, but it sounded like it was right up my alley. So I took a set of pictures on January 15, 2009, and started tweeting! My contest ran through March 15, 2009, and as you see by the newspaper in the pics above, it IS possible to transform your body in 60 days, even if all you have left to lose are the last five pounds!

Twitter is a great way to stay accountable to your goals. There are some really great fitness and nutrition gurus on there that you can follow. Their posts will help keep you motivated. But the key is to find some good people to follow you, support you when you need it, and congratulate you on your successes.

When I entered the contest, my goal was really to become stronger. I did, but along the way, I lost some inches as well. Here are my before and after stats as well as my essay.

Workouts used:
1 week of TT for Female Strength Phase II
4 weeks of Gain Muscle/Lose Fat
1 week of Buff Dudes Hot Chicks

Stats:
Weight: -5.5lbs to 111
Body fat: 15.5% w/ calipers (not sure of starting level)
Arm (flexed): up 0.5" to 11"
Chest: down 0.5" to 34"
Waist: down 1" to 27"
Belly Button: down 1" to 30"
Hip: down 2" to 35"
Thigh: down 0.75" to 17"

Total inches lost: 5.25"

Never having used Twitter before, I wasn't sure what to expect when I joined Craig's 60-day Twitter Transformation contest. But once I started using it, I really enjoyed the immediate responses and support from my fellow TTers. In a short time, doing my daily tweets was like second nature for me.

Within a very short time I had built up a network of fitness gurus and ordinary people, like myself, from TTmembers.com. The daily tips and advice really helped me stay motivated, and seeing other people's workouts and meals helped keep me on task. For instance, when I started Buff Dudes & Hot Chicks (BDHC), I saw two other TTers talking about their times for workout C. Because of that, I timed myself and worked hard to come in with a good overall time. And all of that made it fun, too!

Knowing I needed to post my meals and my workouts in a very visible way really put the spotlight on any poor choices I made. So when I was contemplating eating one of my kid's cookies, I'd just remember how disappointing it would be to have to post it on Twitter. I also had goals around completing my off-day workouts, and when I would tweet that I didn't get them done, people would check up on me to make sure I got back on track the next off day.

I really don't know what I expected coming into this. I started off already below what I had seen as my "goal weight" so I was instead focused on getting a more strong and fit body. I didn't expect the absolutely shocking transformation that resulted. I took a body that I thought looked pretty good and turned it into an even leaner, well-muscled body! My butt is smaller, my tummy is flatter, and seeing those pictures of my back make me so proud of all of the work I did.

Now, I'm hooked! I love using Twitter, and I've actually gained a ton of followers who have been inspired by my progress and dedication to improving my fitness. Thanks so much to Craig and the members at ttmembers.com, for all of your support and encouragement!

My Turbulence Training Experience

I promised I'd do a blog post about my experience with Craig Ballantyne's Turbulence Training ("TT" for short) exercise program, so here it is.

As you already know, from reading my blog, my weight loss journey started before I found TT, back in June of this year. I had a great summer and made a lot of progress. Three months later, I was down 10 pounds, and looking much better (for a mom of two kids - hence the title of my blog). I kept working out, but was having trouble getting any more results. I figured it just wasn’t possible for me to look the way I did before I had kids.

I somehow never attributed my stalled progress to a lack of significant weight training, my aforementioned addiction to Coke Slushees and my weekly treat of a cheesesteak and french fries. But then I found out about Turbulence Training, and thought it might be worth trying, so I signed up.

As it turned out, my signup took place right after the last date to enter a "Transformation Contest," where you try to transform your body in 12 weeks. There were only 10.5 weeks left in the contest, but I decided it was never too late to get started, and although I thought I’d likely not have a shot of winning, participating in the contest would be fun and help motivate me. So I took my "before" pictures and started my workouts.

Posting my exercise and nutrition on a daily basis opened my eyes quite a bit. And I got some "tough love" from a fellow competitor regarding my nutrition (Thanks, Francis!) that was a great wake-up call for me. I started focusing on eating more whole foods and fewer weight loss shakes and convenience foods. I also started to manage my cravings and tendency towards mindless eating by fasting twice per week, using a program called "Eat Stop Eat." (More on that in another blog post!)


I have to say that I was shocked by the rapid and total transformation of my body. Only nine days into my transformation, I had lost enough fat from my upper body that I was able to button a suit jacket that I had not been able to button just a week earlier! At the end of my transformation, 75 days later, I felt like I had come so far. My nutrition was leaps and bounds better than it was, I had cut out some of the foods that I craved the most, and improved my overall health immensely. I gained in both strength and endurance.

And, I blew past nearly all my goals along the way. My weight was 117 lbs., lower than the 118 lbs. goal I set when I started, and my total body measurements were coming eerily close to the measurements I had as a freshman in college! I lost over 8” from my body, dropped two pant sizes, and looked fantastic! I was literally in shock over the decrease in my body fat percentage. Somehow, I managed to gain two pounds of lean body mass while losing eight pounds of fat during 10.5 weeks! I could see biceps and shoulder definition in the mirror (I NEVER had shoulder definition in my life!), and I managed to do 30 push-ups consecutively. I even went on vacation and found the right balance between enjoying myself and sticking to my plans, coming back lighter than I was when I left!

TT helped me not just achieve a total body transformation, but a total LIFE transformation. I left that contest much smarter and happier than I was when I entered it (not to mention healthier!). I was proud of what I could do, and looking forward to the next chapter in my fitness journey.

I am happy to say I no longer just look good for a mom of two kids. Now I look GOOD! No qualifiers necessary.

See for yourself...

What's even more amazing is this...I'm close to finishing another 12 week transformation contest and my results are guaranteed to shock you. Look for an update in the next two weeks with more recent before and after pics!

Success Strategy #4: Eliminate ALL sodas (even diet)

As an adult, I was a generally healthy person, but I did have a few vices. I remember when I was a freshman in college, I took a health course, and our professor challenged us to make one improvement in our health. I went to her and asked for some help trying to figure out what I should do. She had suggested quitting smoking (not a smoker), stopping alcohol consumption (not a drinker), or beginning an exercise program (I was lifting 4x per week and on the dance team which had me rehearsing 3x per week). Here I was thinking there wasn't anything I could do to make a meaningful change in my health.

I sat down with her and it took her exactly three minutes to find what my change was going to be. All she had to do was ask me about what I eat and drink. That's when she discovered I was such a soda addict that I actually had Sprite with breakfast (Coke with lunch and dinner, but Sprite seemed more appropriate for breakfast, somehow!). She challenged me to give up soda. And I did! But once the class was over, I added it right back without missing a beat. My biggest vice was Coke slushee (slurpees...whatever they are called where you live), and there were many times where a study session would be interrupted by a "Coke Slushee run."

I gave up soda again when I was pregnant the first time after being advised to do so by my OB/GYN. I still remember saying, "well is diet soda okay?" She gave me the MOST disapproving look and said, "it isn't about the calories. You need to be taking in things with nutritional value." Okay then! But yes, one of the first things I asked for after delivery was a 20oz regular Coke. So once again, it was only temporary.

This time I didn't give it up for a class, or for a pregnancy. I gave it up for me. For my health. And I gave it up for good. ALL of it. Even diet soda.

When I am on different fitness sites, I see a lot of people talking about their soda addictions and how they are switching to diet soda. Now I'm not going to tout the dangers of aspartame to steer you away from diet soda or crystal light or whatever your vice might be. There's lots of conflicting information on the web and you certainly can form your own opinion on that. But here's the thing. If you are drinking a diet drink, you're cutting calories, but you're still maintaining your addiction to a nutritionally empty drink, instead of normalizing the act of drinking plain water. And if you're like me, drinking something sweet (whether it's sweet because of sugar or sugar substitutes) makes me crave more sugar and other carbs.

So hear it from me, a recovering soda addict (Hi. I'm Liz. It has been 5 months since my last Coke Slushee). Diet sodas and other diet drinks are just a nutritionally empty way to maintain your soda addiction. So cut back, go cold turkey, whatever works for you. But don't kid yourself that switching to diet drinks is healthy. Go ahead, say it, "But I don't like water." Yeah, neither did I. But just like anything else, once you expose yourself to it enough, you make it normal and find that you can drink it AND enjoy it.

Is it a coincidence that major changes in my body composition followed my all-out ban on soda? Maybe. Try it, and see if you experience the same kind of happy coincidence.

Success Strategy #2: Cut calories

I was watching Biggest Loser last night (on demand - I work out Tuesday nights so I never get to watch it live), and one of the questions asked of the contestants was whether it was better to cut fat or cut calories. The answer was...cut calories! And it's so true.

Now there's a new study that cutting calories matters more than what style of diet you follow (low-fat, low-carb, etc.). Read about the study here: Study Finds Calories Count More. In fact, the key really is to find a diet that works for you, that you can stick to, and that creates a calorie deficit.

Two gurus I follow didn't need this study to know this is true. The first, Michael Pollan, is a writer for the NYT and author of some fantastic books like "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and "In Defense of Food." Pollan points out that Americans have been advised to eat more low fat foods, more fruits, and more vegetables. In fact, he thinks it would have been better advice to tell people to eat LESS meat and animal fats. Because what happened? Well people took the same diet they had all along, and ADDED low fat foods to it. So while they lowered their fat intake as a percentage of their total calories, they also added calories. And so they gained weight.

The other guru, professional trainer and Men's Health contributor Craig Ballantyne, has the mantra, "You can't out-train a bad diet." Boy do I wish someone had given me this advice early on. I can't ennumerate how many times I justified ordering a cheesesteak and french fries by thinking about how I'd stuck to my workout plan for the week. And guess what? It didn't matter how hard I worked...my calorie intake always got in the way.

So when I started SERIOUSLY trying to lose weight, the simple fact is that diet was a huge help. I cut an average of 500 calories per day from my weekly intake. At the beginning, I did this by having a "diet shake" for breakfast, soup and salad for lunch, and a sensible dinner. Lots of people are successful this way, and I was too. I lost ten pounds in two months, going from 135 to 125. Clearly, cutting calories works. If you are having trouble getting motivated to exercise, or feel like your exercises aren't intense enough to lose weight, or maybe are struggling with injury, DON'T WORRY. Sure exercise will help your progress, but diet will help even more. So create a reasonable calorie deficit that won't leave you starving (and cheating). Ladies, that means don't go below 1200 calories per day, on average.

Start with diet, get that down, and then move on to exercise to increase the speed with which you get results, and improve your overall health.

I feel compelled to say that I don't have diet shakes, salads and soups every day now. In fact, I lost the last 10 pounds after making some more changes to my diet later that worked even better for me than my initial approach. I'll talk about them in a future post.