But you may not have thought much about your post-workout plan and the time it takes for your muscles to repair and your body to recover. Without recovery after exercise, your muscles won’t be ready for the next set of challenges you want to put them to. 

Your muscles need one to two days to repair after an intense workout, especially if you’re doing weight training. With that in mind, here are some proven pillars to add to your post-workout plan.

Passive Recovery

During passive recovery the body is completely at rest. Passive recovery allows both the mind and the body to heal. You can get enough passive recovery by doing the following:

1. Adding intentional rest days to your workout routine to rest your muscles.
2. Sleeping for at least 8 hours a night.
3. Working in a daytime power nap.

Active Recovery

Active recovery consists of gentle activity after your workout and on your scheduled rest days. You can incorporate active recovery into your fitness schedule with some of these activities:

1. Cool down completely after your workout. Gradually lower your heart rate and gently stretch your muscles.
2. Take a leisurely walk to improve circulation. Include your dog if you have one.
3. Take a yoga class.
4. Perform light functional exercise.
5. Engage in regular stretching on your non-workout days.

Food and Nutrition

High quality food is fuel for the body. Eating enough protein and high-quality carbohydrates will ensure you’re ready for your next strenuous session at the gym. Here are some ideas that other athletes have found helpful.

1. Eat protein before bed and in the morning.
2. Have protein before and after your workout.
3. Add chocolate milk or a smoothie to your diet.
4. Make sure you get enough branched chain amino acids (BCAAs): Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine. BCAAs may increase muscle mass and reduce muscle soreness. They may also reduce mental and physical fatigue. Read more about BCAAs here. 

Hydration

The American Council on Exercise has suggested the following basic guidelines for drinking water before, during, and after exercise: 17 to 20 ounces of water 2 to 3 hours before you start exercising, 8 ounces of water 20 to 30 minutes before you start exercising or during your warm-up, 7 to 10 ounces of water every 10 to 20 minutes during exercise, and 8 ounces of water no more than 30 minutes after you exercise.

Mind/Body

Complete recovery is more than just stretching, eating well, and getting enough sleep. Paying attention to how the mind and body work together increases your body’s ability to heal itself. Here are some mind/body activities you can add to your recovery plan.

1. Cold water therapy after exercise, including taking a quick plunge in an ice bath.
2. Or conversely, taking a long, hot bath.
3. Settle in with a good book and no screen interruptions.
4. Listen to soothing music.
5. Get a massage.
6. Meditate.
7. Use foam rolling to relax tight, knotted muscles.

Exercise damages your muscles. As they heal, they become stronger. If you don’t have a recovery phase in your workout plan, or if it’s not robust enough, your muscles won’t have time to heal properly between workouts and you’ll notice it when your progress begins to stall. Sometimes moving forward means taking a break to rest and repair.

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It is summer time and many people are starting to lean out. For some, it’s a yearly ritual and for others it may be the first time they are attempting to lose weight. Either way, fad diets don’t work.

Dieting can be tough, regardless of how you do it. Eventually when you start watching what you eat and training for your fitness goals, you will more than likely hit a period of time that will test your willpower. Everyone knows this and this is why most people fall off. Those who stick it out though are usually the ones who developed a flexible plan that they can stick to and make a life style.

Fad Diets = Failure

In reality, most diets simply set you up for failure from the start as they’re not maintainable for life. These diets are almost always fad diets. Fad diets are not sustainable. On top of that you’re never taught to be self sufficient – it’s always follow this or that as opposed learning anything really useful that will help you for the rest of your life.

One of these two things typically occur during a diet:

1. You follow whatever fad is popular at the moment chasing a quick fix, and you lose 5-10 pounds. You then go back to your normal habits and lifestyle, and all the weight and more comes back.
2.  The diet itself is simply not maintainable from the start so you give up in frustration and move on to the next fad in an effort and hope to someday have “success”.

No matter which scenario happens, things ultimately have the same outcome. You throw your hands up in frustration and defeat and give up. You assume you are just meant to be this way. After all nothing works and you have tried “everything”

Think long-term – not just this week or month, not 5 or 10 pounds. What can you realistically adhere to? What fits your individual personal preferences, schedule, and lifestyle? After all those 3 factors dictate long term adherence and consistency.

The majority of people will follow a FAD as opposed to be FLEXIBLE.

Let’s compare the two.

FAD DIETS

• Rigid
• Restrictive
• Unmaintainable
• Antisocial
• No Balance
• Unrealistic

FLEXIBLE DIETS

• Free
• Structured
• Maintainable
• Social
• Balanced
• Realistic

You will always fail when you attempt to fit your life into a plan as it does nothing more than box you in. You’re more likely to have lasting success by fitting the plan into your life and the best way to make that happen is to base things around your individual personal preferences, schedule and lifestyle.

Flexibility over fads if you want to lose fat, and not lose your sanity.

Blake Bernstein, Resilient Personal Trainer

The post Fad Diets Don’t Work appeared first on Resilient Fitness in Wellington, FL.

In this Blog Post we will cover everything you need to know about micronutrients. If you want to improve your health and knowledge, keep reading.

What are micronutrients?

Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals that are only needed in small amounts. Our bodies are not able to produce all of the nutrients that we need to function properly, so we have to eat them.

Vitamins are compounds which are necessary for our normal growth and function. Most of the compounds needed for our body cells to function properly can be made by our cells from other nutrients. However, our bodies don’t have the ability to make the small number that we call vitamins. We only need a very tiny amount of vitamins. They are still present in ample amounts in various foods, but it is possible to become deficient in vitamins. If this happens, there could be some health issues that arise.

Which vitamins should you eat?

There are 13 vitamins which all interact within our cell enzymes to regulate a variety of essential bodily functions. They are crucial for many metabolic processes such as releasing energy from nutrients, building and maintaining bones, teeth, skin, blood and many other vital body tissues.

There are also two main categories of vitamins fat-soluble and water-soluble.

What is a water soluble vitamin?

Water soluble vitamins are not able to be stored in our bodies for very long. In fact, we pee them out – so we need to eat them almost every day.

The water-soluble vitamins are all of the B vitamins, C vitamins, and also vitamin H. Water-soluble vitamins are not stored in our bodies, so any excess amounts of these vitamins that are consumed are usually removed from our bodies via our urine.

What is a fat soluble vitamin?

Fat-soluble vitamins use the fats that we eat as a transport system to get around our body, and are stored in fatty tissues as well as our liver.

The fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E and K. One reason why we need fat in our diet is that the fat-soluble vitamins are transported with fats in “lipoproteins” in our blood, or with specific transport proteins because they can not dissolve in water or blood. These vitamins operate in cells as well as their membranes. Due to the fact that these vitamins can be stored in our body, excessively high intakes of them can be toxic harmful.

Why are minerals needed in our diets?

To understand why we need to eat minerals, it’s best to first understand what minerals are. Minerals are inorganic substances, which occur naturally in non-living things such as water, rocks, soil, plants, and even animals. Some minerals are required for our cells to function properly, so they are actively taken into plants from the soil and water. We obtain minerals when they eat plants, as well as from water.

What is the use of dietary minerals?

The minerals in our diet are essential for a variety of bodily functions. They are important for building strong bones, teeth, blood, skin, hair, nerve function, muscle and for metabolic processes such as those that turn the food we eat into energy. In simple terms, this means that minerals are needed for the body to work properly for proper health as well as stable growth and development.

Different minerals are required in different amounts, but they are all essential. Minerals are grouped depending on how much they are needed on a daily basis, so the minerals that are needed in bigger amounts are known as the minerals, macro-minerals and major minerals. The minerals that are needed in smaller amounts are known as micro-minerals or “trace elements”.

I hope after reading this you feel like you have learned almost all the important things that there is to know about micronutrients.

-Blake Bernstein Resilient Fitness Personal Trainer

The post Why You Need Micronutrients appeared first on Resilient Fitness in Wellington, FL.

I think we all know that eating out while trying to eat healthy food and get those extra pounds off can be quite a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be.  I am going to give you the lowest calorie, weight loss friendly options at all of your favorite Wellington spots so that the next time you search for “restaurants near me”, you can find some healthy eats. Don’t worry – they still taste great!

1. Applebee’s

    1. 7oz House Sirloin – 270kcal: 15F/1C/34P

    2. 12oz New York Strip – 480kcal: 25F/1C/65P

    3. Napa Chicken & Portobellos – 500kcal: 16F/38C/50P

    4. Pepper-crusted Sirloin & Whole Grains – 350kcal: 10F/41C/28P

    5. Thai Shrimp Salad – 390kcal: 19F/33C/23P

Apple Bee’s has something for everyone. They have an amazing selection with great low calorie and healthy food!

2. Bonefish Grill

    1. Ahi Tuna Sashimi (Regular) – 359kcal: 15F/17C/37P

    2. NY Strip Tataki – 351kcal: 18F/7C/28P

    3. Grilled Sea Scallops and Shrimp – 191kcal: 5F/4C/34P

    4. Grilled Tilapia – 334kcal: 13F/2C/57P

    5. Ahi Tuna Steak – 304kcal: 14F/3C/45P

    6. The Angler Steak (6oz) – 228kcal: 5F/3C/43P

    7. Filet Mignon (6oz) – 272kcal: 14F/0C/38P

Bonefish is a great higher option for those who are possibly going for a date night or a special event. This is a personal favorite of mine. I love the filet mignon and scallops!

3. California Pizza Kitchen

    1. Kids Grilled Chicken Breast w/ Broccoli – 240kcal: 6F/9C/39P

    2. Asparagus and Arugula Salad – 180kcal: 16F/10C/5P

    3. Bianco Flatbread – 380kcal: 15F/38C/18P

    4. Shaved Mushroom and Spinach Flatbread – 400kcal: 18F/40C/18P

    5. Shrimp Lettuce Wrap – 480kcal: 23F/40C/25P

    6. Lite Adventures Shrimp Scampi Zucchini Fettuccine – 470kcal: 24F/30C/27P

Who doesn’t love California Pizza Kitchen? They have more than just pizza. Give some of these meals a try. I personally love the lettuce wraps and they are very low in calories.

4. Panera

    1. Bacon Turkey Bravo Sandwich on Tomato Basil (half) – 320kcal: 12F/29C/19P

    2. Frontega Chicken Panini on Focaccia (half) – 380kcal: 12F/40C/24P

    3. Classic Salad w/ Chicken (whole) – 300kcal: 13F/20C/27P

    6. Low-Fat Chicken Noodle Soup (bowl) – 160kcal: 5F/19C/14P

    5. Spicy Thai Chicken Salad (half) – 260kcal: 11F/21C/12P

    6. Ham, Egg & Cheese Power Sandwich (whole) – 340kcal: 15F/30C/23P

I am not sure what we ever did to deserve Panera, but it exists and – well – it is amazing. They have so many healthy food options and they all taste like heaven. I can’t choose just one, so give them all a try!

5. Pei Wei

    1. Sweet and Sour Small with Chicken (steamed) – 290kcal: 3F/42C/24P

    2. Ginger Broccoli Regular with Chicken – 480kcal: 480kcal: 15F/42C/43P

    3. Original Asian Chopped Chicken Salad – 470kcal: 16F/37C/46P

    4. Sesame Small with Chicken (steamed) – 410kcal: 13F/44C/26P

    5. Mongolian Small with Chicken- 330kcal: 13F/30C/23P

    6. Thai Dynamite Small with Chicken (steamed): 280kcal: 8F/25C/26P

    7. Lemon Pepper Regular Chicken (steamed): 400kcal: 4.5F/44C/43P

Pei Wei is another gem. They have a steamed option that makes so many of their menu items weight loss friendly! Can we just appreciate this real quick, all of the options above are under 500 calories. The choices there are endless. You can’t go wrong with Pei Wei!

Remember- Everyone has a different calorie intake, so this list is subjective. But for the most part, these healthy food options are very weight loss friendly. Also, these restaurants are chains as well, so if you are traveling you can likely find them too. Enjoy!

-Blake Bernstein

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People who want to lose weight often struggle with their chosen diet plan and this results in them giving up. If you are one of those people, I hope after reading this you will be able to master the diet game and achieve your goals.

First of all, you must understand that there are no magic foods that burn fat. In terms of weight loss, a calorie is a calorie. I see many people fall victim to believing in super foods or fat burning foods and they over-consume these without an awareness of how many calories they have eaten. Unsurprisingly, they pack on weight. In order to shape your body composition, a calorie is a calorie.

Some of these super foods may have more micronutrients than your average food, but it doesn’t mean you can over consume. There are differences between foods that are micronutrient and fibrous dense and foods that may be deemed “unhealthy”.  To lose weight, make sure you track your macros and are aware of your calorie intake.

Next, and this is the most important tip, if you are trying to have a successful dieting plan you do not, I repeat do not, need to restrict yourself to an entirely “clean” food intake. Demonizing foods can be a detriment to your mental health and cause you to have unhealthy relationships with food. Moderation over restriction, any day.

If you have a plan you can only sustain for a week, and you end up overeating or binging because you’ve tried to restrict certain foods or have your calories too low, you are going to continue to spin your wheels.

A healthy relationship with food is paramount for long term success. You are setting yourself up for failure by using methods that result in a poor relationship with food. In order to set yourself up for long term success, the mental and emotional aspects of food, as well as the physical aspects, have to be taken into consideration.

7 Tips to Lose Weight

There are some very simple guidelines we can all follow to improve our health markers and lose weight.

1. Eat a wide variety of fresh whole foods.
2. Include the foods you love in your diet.
3. Don’t over eat or eat anything in excess (including “healthy” foods). If you think you might have had enough, you have.
4. Be mindful not to over eat carbs or fat from processed foods.
5. Make sure you have sufficient protein with every meal and that you aren’t under-eating protein.
6. Ensure you are eating enough fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes every day to have sufficient fiber in your diet.
7. Make sure how you are eating is sustainable for the rest of your life.

That’s it.

-Blake Bernstein.

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Everyone from high level athletes to Susan in your yoga class claim’s to be seeing amazing results using it. But does it really work? How can you not try it when it is all you ever hear about? Let’s jump on the IF train and take a ride.

So What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting is just fasting for a specific period of time. Whether that is daily, or even weekly. You set up your windows in specific times throughout the day, usually 16 hour fasts and then you eat in the remaining 8 hours.

Whereas many people just have breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  You now set up your day in a different structure, and eat within a “time limit”

Keep in mind, the only way IF will work for fat loss is if you can adhere to this for a long period of time.. Also, if you are in a calorie deficit. This is the KEY factor. 

Eating very large meals in a short period of time tends to help others feel as if they aren’t on a diet… But sadly, it isn’t magic.

Hope this helped!

-Blake Bernstein

The post Intermittent Fasting: The MAGIC Of How To Lose Fat appeared first on Resilient Fitness in Wellington, FL.

When some people begin to start losing weight, many times they are hyper focused on their diet. They want to achieve ‘x’ weight by ‘y’ date. The same thing goes for training. You may become hyper focused on achieving ‘x’ look by ‘y’ date or achieving a strength goal by a certain date. The biggest problem here is that you aren’t focusing on the important thing which is the process by which you will achieve your goal.

You may know someone who has replaced a meal with a shake in order to lose weight. Or they may carry prepared meals in a Tupperware everywhere with them. They deny themselves the foods they love and enjoy during the week. This often leads to binge eating on the weekend and an empty cupboard. Better yet, think about your favorite instagram fitness model’s training regimen. They crush a session Monday, and then are then too sore to train again til Friday.

Consistency Equals Success

The fact is, it has been proven many times that a lack of adherence and consistency are THE biggest hindrances to success. When people focus on the end goal rather than the process they are using to achieve their goal, they are less likely to be adherent, consistent, or accurate. Enjoying the task at hand, and ensuring it takes lifestyle and environmental factors into consideration, yields better results than focusing purely on the end goal – even when using ‘optimal’ methods to achieve it.

You may have a particular training or physique goal to reach, but doing some ‘optimal’ program that you hate means you aren’t going to get optimal results from it anyway. In the same way, you may have the ”BEST” diet that makes you lose 5 pounds a week – and this might sound great in theory – but you aren’t going to stick to it very long if it denies you of certain foods you like.

If you have a long term goal whether it is related to performance/training or weight/health and you are ready to make that change – then following a program in which you have great consistency and adherence to is ideal. You should do something that you enjoy. Manage your expectations and make sure what you want to accomplish is achievable, and take into consideration environmental and lifestyle factors.

Diet Adherence

Adherence and consistency are the primary determinants to success. If doing ‘non-optimal’ things like enjoying a meal out with friends, or fitting ice cream into your calorie intake twice a week, makes you stick to your diet in which produces weight loss – that is amazing!

On the opposite spectrum, if you have a goal of being healthier, and being more physically active – you don’t have to use a barbell or do any specific movement, or class to get “great” results. Weight training is always an amazing idea due to the great things we know it does for our health, but you can find whatever you like in the gym, and do what you like! It all depends on the individual and their goals. With diet as with training, the most important thing is finding a way to to increase consistency and adherence to the program you choose.

The post How To Stop Sabotaging Your Diet appeared first on Resilient Fitness in Wellington, FL.

Do you want to be as care free as possible on your much deserved vacation without worrying about the scale skyrocketing once you return? Here are some keys to help you avoid weight gain!

In the end, how much or how little your vacation ends up interfering with your overall progress/physique is on you. But if you are smart about it, you will come home fine and be right back to where you were before you left. Below is a short list of options that will hopefully put your mind at ease about what to do while you’re on vacation:

Portion control

Maybe you are staying at an all-inclusive resort where food & drinks are abundant 24/7. That’s totally fine, but control yourself. If you have a huge breakfast at a buffet, try not to stuff yourself with a one-pound cheeseburger and a pile of waffle fries for lunch. If you opt for a light lunch or a snack instead, it . Or you can always go with my personal philosophy – eat until you’re comfortably full. Don’t eat until you are so full that you hate yourself. The same thing goes for drinks.

Intermittent fasting

There is not anything inherently magical about intermittent fasting. It is just a way to control your overall food intake. If you are on vacation, it means you’ll be able to find something fun & exciting to do. So maybe skip breakfast after you wake up and occupy your mind and your time with something fun until noon comes around and it is time for lunch. Time flies when you are on vacation. It should not be hard to fill your time with other things. You can decide what time you want to fast and what time you want to eat.

Staying active

Most resorts have gyms. Better yet – most resorts have a beach! Go run. Go swim in the water! If you’re active, you’re more likely to burn off the food you ate. Even if you can’t find time to exercise, you’d probably be surprised at the number of calories you burn just by walking around and sightseeing. There are a number of ways to stay active. Literally anything besides sitting down all day.

Making Your Own Meals

This option sucks, but if you are REALLY worried about not being able to do any of the above, making your own meals might be the best option, and honestly, it’s the only way to accurately know how many calories you’re eating. Will it be convenient? No, probably not. But it all depends on where you’re at with your fitness goals and what you’re willing to sacrifice to accomplish them.

And finally…Do nothing

That’s right. It isn’t a secret to staying slim. But does it make you care free? Yeah. After all, it’s called a vacation for a reason – you VACATE your regular life for a bit. It’s a good break for your mind, it’s good break for your body. Might this option result in coming back a few pounds heavier than when you left? Well if you vacationed right, then yeah it might! I kid, I kid. But seriously, it most likely will. And that is totally fine.

You know exactly what you need to do to get back on track with things when you get home. Get back to your exercises, drink plenty of water, and get your diet in check again. Most of your post-vacation weight gain is going to be from glycogen, sodium, water, and a small percentage might be actual fat. But again, get back on track and you’ll be back to normal in only a few short days.

People don’t give the human body enough credit. It is incredibly efficient at maintaining it’s current state. You really have to give it a reason to change. It doesn’t want to lose or gain weight. It is happy where it is. That’s not to say gaining weight is hard. That’s the easy part. This is where I go back to portion control. Be smart about what you eat and how much you eat, and I bet you’ll surprise yourself with how easy it is to stay around your normal weight upon returning.

Blake Bernstein – Personal Trainer

The post Secrets to Avoid Weight Gain On Vacation appeared first on Resilient Fitness in Wellington, FL.

You may have heard people say “I have a slow metabolism,” or “I have a fast metabolism.” It’s as if they think of their metabolism the same way they think of their liver – like it is some mechanism or some separate thing with a specific bodily task (that task being burning food).

To put it simply: your metabolism is your body.

Your metabolism is your bodily functions and processes themselves. It is the chemical reaction within the cells of your body. The chemical reactions are either catabolic (to be breaking down matter and releasing energy) or anabolic (to be building up matter). 

Now, your metabolism can be influenced in a few different ways: Gaining weight, losing weight, or by exercising.

Energy Expenditure

The biggest misconception about metabolism is the myth that some people have a slow metabolism and that some people have a fast metabolism. The first factor to consider when talking about ones metabolism is someone’s energy expenditure. This means how many calories someone is expending on a given day based upon a variety of different things they may be doing, such as their exercise/daily movement.

The second misconception is the amount of muscle mass compared to the amount of fat they carry. This is an important variable. Since muscle burns more calories than fat even though this amount is very very tiny, a lean person that is of the same height and weight as an overweight person may have a slightly higher basal metabolic rate.

The leaner person is also going to be more effective at calorie partionining. That is to say, his or her body may be more likely to store excess calories as muscle instead of fat. 

This is where hormones come into play. Calories are king. Hormones generally play 2nd to calories, but nonetheless they can have an effect on one’s ability to gain muscle, lose fat, or both. And they play a role in how much muscle or fat is created. A lean person is going to be much more effective at gaining muscle than an overweight person.

If you are lean, you are more likely to have increased insulin sensitivity, and insulin is one of the most powerful anabolic hormones synthesized in the body. This means that an overweight person is going to be more likely to be gaining fat.

Body Types & Metabolism

You may also hear people talk about body types: mesomorph, endomorph, ectomorph.

And while it’s true that people do have different body sizes and shapes, these body type labels are not an excuse to say you have a slow or fast metabolism.

If you’re an ”endomorph”, it’s likely because you grew up and became that way over time. Your body adapted to the food you were giving it.

Once adulthood was reached, your body had its shape.

So if you’re an ”endomorph”, you’re already at a predisposition to gain more fat when in a calorie surplus.

The ”ectomorph”, on the other hand, never ate enough growing up to become overweight, and so his body appears thin and skinny. Again, this doesn’t mean he has a fast metabolism. It just means he doesn’t eat enough to gain any significant weight. 

People will always say, “I know so-and-so, and he eats anything and everything and never gains any weight.”

This one is always laughable to hear. Are you sure about that? Do you monitor his food intake? Do you calculate his daily calorie intake vs expenditure? I highly doubt that. And if you did, you’d find out that on a weekly average, his intake vs expenditure comes out to be a wash. That’s why he doesn’t ever gain weight. He may gorge on foods on certain days, and eat very little on other days.

It balances out. If you are skinny and struggling to put on weight, you probably need to eat more.. Or provide your muscles with a more effective stimulus to grow, or both. If you’re struggling to lose weight, you probably need to eat less, or switch up your exercise routine, or both.

These are some of the biggest reasons why the fast or slow metabolism myth has perpetuated over the years. They are completely wrong though. Once you know the truth and understand it, you can use this new knowledge to make more progress and adjust your current plan.

The post The Last Metabolism Blog You Will Ever Need To Read appeared first on Resilient Fitness in Wellington, FL.

Almost everybody wants to get leaner and live a healthier life. You may have many friends who are following different diets or exercise regimens that are shedding fat like crazy. Some may even try to guilt you for not following the same lifestyle as them. You are not sure what is the truth anymore with all of the false information out there, but all you know is that you are beyond desperate to find a diet that will finally work for you. In this blog post you will be presented with some of the biggest nutrition myths.

Myth #1

“A Calorie Is Not A Calorie.”

No one ever wants to accept this or believe this. Both of these statements are myths that are perpetuated constantly by the general public and even people who are into fitness and nutrition. This is simply due to the misunderstanding of what a calorie actually is. A calorie is a unit of energy. It is a unit used to measure the energy needed to increase the temperature of water by 1° celsius. That is all that it is. So when someone says not all calories are created equal, this person is not actually referring to calories; he/she is unwittingly referring to the macronutrients (carbs, fats, protein, and also alcohol) and micronutrients – think vitamins and minerals. 

When measured out equally, 300 calories of chicken breast is the same as 300 calories of chocolate chips. That is to say, the energy is the same. It is no different than asking, “What’s heavier, a bag of quarters that weighs 10 pounds or a bag of feathers that weighs 10 pounds?”. The weight is the same, and it is only the contents of the bags that are different. Quarters & feathers have different purposes. In the same sense, calories are calories. It is the macronutrients and the micronutrients that are different. So instead of saying the calories in chicken are not the same as the calories in chocolate chips, the correct statement should be: “The nutritional content in chicken is vastly different than the nutritional content of chocolate chips.”

Nutritional content refers to nutrients, which are our macros and micros. Calories are units of energy. Macros CONTAIN calories, but rest assured they are not calories themselves. This is where the confusion comes from. When people argue that not all calories are the same, they have the right idea most of the time, but they’re simply confused on what they’re talking about. So next time some one says that, you can kindly clear up the confusion for them.

Myth #2

”Starvation Mode”

A reasonable caloric restricted diet can certainly stall progress, but it isn’t due to the reasons that you are hearing from the masses. This is often termed as “Starvation Mode” – This term is often used out of context and most people take it to the extreme and truly believe “you won’t lose fat if you starve yourself”. This is why people don’t like the term.

“Starvation Mode” realistically means that while in a significant caloric deficit your body will slow down non-vital functions in order to maintain its current state (homeostasis). This means that NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) will slow down — Things like fidgeting, knee bouncing, pacing, etc. will stop. Things like cognitive function will also start to decline (if you ever had any friends who competed in body building shows, you may have heard a term called prep brain). Energy levels will be down from the low caloric intake and then people start to become more sedentary – no evening walks, decreasing the distance they would walk their dogs, no trips to the mall, or family outings – all things that cause energy expenditure (calories being used up).

All of that apparently causes “Starvation Mode”. Your body is NOT holding on to fat. Your body is SLOWING everything down in order to MAINTAIN homeostasis. In your typical dieter, the stress of dieting & hunger will increase cortisol levels & will A) cause muscle protein breakdown (muscle loss) & B) cause water retention, masking fat loss.

If you eat too little, you will starve to death. Period. Your body will do everything it can to prevent this and support vital functions. While you will use both fat & muscle for energy, your body will first utilize fat for energy, then muscle. This has been seen in those who are fasting for various reasons. An example that is easy to see is bodybuilders. People who practically starve themselves to leanness are able to maintain muscle mass and lose fat (yes, they increase protein and train to minimize that loss). 

Sometimes you see someone who is NOT losing weight on very low calories. They are accurately tracking and they are not bingeing. Outside of the RARE metabolic disorder, they are not losing because this very low calorie intake is their current maintenance calories because of the DECREASE in NEAT and an INCREASE in cortisol. When we increase calories, they have more energy & are less stressed – this causes an INCREASE in NEAT and a DECREASE in cortisol. They are moving more due to more energy and their maintenance calories are now over what the increased calories are. Thus weight loss on more calories.

Quick Example-

You eat 1400 calories a day. This results in you being tired & also low activity (decreased NEAT). Which then leads to low TDEE(Total Daily Energy Expenditure) which equals stalled progress. You now decide to eat 1800 calories. You now have more energy and have more of a want to do activities. So you increase your NEAT. Which now gives you a higher TDEE.. Which equals weight loss. 

Myth #3.

‘’BCAA Supplementation is useful for growth and recovery’’

BCAA’S are one of the most popular supplements on the market at the moment, and they have been for quite some time. There is a lot of misinformation circulating not just the internet, but word of mouth everywhere. From, supplement shop owners, from your personal trainer in your local gym, to even your close friends. I am sure you were given the ‘’hype’’ about BCAA’S and all of the magical benefits you will be provided once you add these to your daily supplement regimen. And while yes they are critical to your muscle tissue as well as most other tissues in your body, they provide no benefit when compared to a high quality leucine rich whey protein. To get the most benefit to improve your growth and recovery – eat your protein. 

Protein is, by itself, a substantial source of BCAA and no further supplementation is required nor helpful. You get all the BCAA and EAA you need in your meals. BCAA, nor protein, aid in any feeling of recovery, added perceivable energy (beyond the calories consumed) nor any other of the fancy terms thrown about by the marketing press. They are simply a small but important part of protein as a whole, and work silently to build various tissues in the body. So save the money you would buy on your monthly BCAA haul, and treat yourself to a little something.

Not being able to identify what is true and what is false in the fitness community can be quite discouraging, but I hope that these myths being debunked along with the assistance of our great trainers at Resilient Fitness can help with pointing you in the right direction to tackling your goals this year with knowledge and confidence. Give us a call today at (561) 204-5033 so we can discuss how to book your first training assessment at Resilient Fitness.

Blake Bernstein, Personal Trainer

References-

1. Byrne NM, Wood RE, Schutz Y, Hills AP. Does metabolic compensation explain the majority of less-than-expected weight loss in obese adults during a short-term severe diet and exercise intervention? International Journal of Obesity (2005). 2012;36(11):1472–1478. doi:10.1038/ijo.2012.109.

2. Johannsen DL, Knuth ND, Huizenga R, Rood JC, Ravussin E, Hall KD. Metabolic slowing with massive weight loss despite preservation of fat-free mass. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012;97(7):2489–2496. doi:10.1210/jc.2012-1444.

3. Rosenbaum M, Hirsch J, Gallagher DA, Leibel RL. Long-term persistence of adaptive thermogenesis in subjects who have maintained a reduced body weight. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008;88(4):906–912. Available at: https://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/88/4/906.long.

4. Goele K, Bosy-Westphal A, Rumcker B, Lagerpusch M, Muller MJ. Influence of changes in body composition and adaptive thermogenesis on the difference between measured and predicted weight loss in obese women. Obes Facts. 2009;2(2):105–109. doi:10.1159/000210369.

5.Buchholz, A C, and D A Schoeller. “Is a calorie a calorie?” The American journal of clinical nutrition., U.S. National Library of Medicine, May 2004, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15113737.

6. Dieter, B P, et al. “The data do not seem to support a benefit to BCAA supplementation during periods of caloric restriction.” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 11 May 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27175106.

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