Bodybuilders Aren't the Only Ones Who Need Protein

Every time you engage in an intense workout, you are tearing down your muscles at a microscopic level and creating tiny little tears. Your muscles depend on YOU to feed them high quality protein to do the healing, repairing and rebuilding of those muscles to create MORE muscle. The benefit goes beyond muscles; protein also dulls hunger and can help prevent obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Most people do not consume enough protein. To keep it simple, you should shoot for 100 grams of protein a day. That means each meal and snack, (5 per day), should have 20 grams of protein. That's why some people do not see the numbers on the scale that they want even though they are working out; it's because you are replacing FAT tissue with lean muscle mass, which weighs more. This will have the result of actually increasing your metabolic fitness, so if you find you are getting hungrier as you continue on your weight loss journey don't hesitate to eat accordingly. Plus keep in mind that timing is everything. Think about when you probably consume the most protein…..At dinner, right? That means you could be fueling your muscles for only a few hours a day, and breaking down muscle the rest of the time. Instead, you should spread out your protein intake so with patience and perseverance, you can create a FIT, STRONG, CALORIE BURNING machine!

Below are some excellent sources of protein. ENJOY!!!

Fish and seafood: High in protein and also low in fat.

White-Meat Poultry: The white meat is a better source of lean protein and is lower in fat than dark meat. Also, avoid the skin. It is high in saturated fat. You can purchase skinless chicken breast or you can remove the skin prior to cooking.

Milk, Cheese, and Yogurt: Great source of protein and calcium. Calcium is beneficial in preventing osteoporosis and keeping teeth and bones healthy.

Eggs: Eggs are one of the least expensive forms of protein.

Beans: One-half cup of beans contains has much protein as three ounces of broiled steak. In addition, beans are high in fiber. Fiber allows you to feel fuller for longer periods of time. However, don’t go over board because we all know the song “beans, beans the magical fruit , the more you eat the more…” well you know the rest…LOL

Soy

Lean Beef: Lean beef has only one more gram of saturated fat than a skinless chicken breast. Lean beef is also an excellent source of zinc, iron, and vitamin B12.

High Protein Post-Workout Recovery Drinks: Whey and soy protein powder supplements are great sources of protein. Recent studies, show that whey protein reaches the muscles quicker than soy protein. Therefore, it may be the better choice.

Plyometrics...PlyometWHAT?!?!

Some of you may be familiar with this term plyometrics and many of you may not be. Allow me to give you the clinical definiton of plyometrics before I continue.

Plyometrics: Any exercise in which muscles are repeatedly and rapidly stretched ("loaded") and then contracted (as in jumping high off the ground or in push-ups with a clap between them). The aim of plyometrics is to improve muscle power. (Medicinenet.com)

Women's Health Magazine published an article about Plyometrics in their July/August issue. The article caught my attention because two days out of the week I take a Bootcamp class at my local gym. What's that you ask, who would endure such physical pain on purpose??? Ahhh, that would be me...LOL. Anyway, many of the exercises that we do during this class are plyometric exercises. I normally just categorized the class as torture but after reading this article I now have a name to call this torture.

During the class we do a number of hop squats, wall jumps, burpies, push-ups, etc. You name it we do it. According to the Women's Health Article, one of the benefits of these types of exercises is that they build lean muscle mass. Also, you can possibly see results from your workouts much sooner than a regular workout of cardio and/or strength training.

Personally, I have noticed a difference since I've started taking Bootcamp. I am definitely more fit. By fit I mean I don't tire out as quickly anymore during class. I can do many more push ups, sit ups, bicep curls, etc. before becoming fatigued. I've also dropped a few inches, so I'm definitely willing to endure the pain for the great results.

Okay, so you don't have a Bootcamp class at your gym or anything similar...we can fix that. You don't need it. You can still incorporate plyometric exercises into your workout routine. Try doing a circuit of plyometric exercises. A circuit is when you complete various exercises back to back without any rest. You rest in between circuits for 30-60 seconds.

Try these the next time you workout:

1. Hop Squats: start in the squat position, then jump into the air with arms extended up wards (repeat for 12-15 reps)
2. Box Jumps: find a stable object (stool, bench, something similar) that is at least 2ft tall. Jump onto that object with feet landing flat. (repeat for 12-15 reps)
3. Wall Jumps: stand in front of a wall and with hands extended upwards, complete a vertical jump touching the wall with each jump. (repeat 12-15 reps)
4. Jumping Jacks: I think everyone knows how to do these so I will refrain from explaining.

Also, here's a link with many more plyometric exercises for your upper and lower body, complete with animation. Some people are more visual than others.

http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/plyometric-training.html

Just click on the hyperlinks within the page to view the exercises. Until next time...PEACE!

Man Cannot Live on Bread Alone...

So I learned throughout the years of trying to lose and maintain my weight loss, that simply changing my eating habits isn't enough. Sure the weight will come off initially, but it doesn't stay off. The moment I bite into that delicious meaty, cheesy, breadlike dish (ooohh I'm salivating over here) I'm at risk of not fitting into my favorite pair of jeans. Ohhh nooooo!!! Okay, maybe not that extreme. Now, of course a person's weight can fluctuate a few pounds throughout the day. However, if you expect to maintain a healthy weight loss you MUST incorporate exercise. At least 30 minutes a session, 4 times a week should do the job.

The benefits of combining a balanced diet and exercise:

1. Reduces the risk of diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, and heart disease



2. Increased energy



3. Known to be a mood booster



4. Reduced body fat



5. Long lasting weight loss results



6. Plus, you'll look better in your clothes. Whether you're a man or woman we all want to look good in our clothes. Can I get an Amen?!?!

Maybe even better sex...LOL...You know for the endurance...

There are many more benefits that I could list but this is a blog not a journal entry so I chose the best ones.

If you're intimidated by the idea of working out, simply start with baby steps. You can increase the intensity and duration of your workouts as time goes on. Maybe a light jog or brisk 30 minute walk during your lunch break for cardio. Perhaps you can take a class at the gym. Classes are always a good option because the instructor tells you what to do so you don't have to worry about developing your own routine.

What's that you say...you can't afford the gym or can't make to the gym. Check out these websites. They give you ideas for workouts that you can do at home with or without equipment.

http://www.topendsports.com/fitness/home.htm

http://health.msn.com/weight-loss/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=100230172&imageindex=1&q=Pushups

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/wraparound-ankle-touch?workout=6218

When I started to seriously workout a few years ago, I took baby steps as well. Initially I started out with a light jog on the treadmill at a low speed. In my mind I was Jackie Joyner Kersey. Now lets fast forward a few years and I've run a couple of races and I'm training for my first half marathon...not so bad for this SkinnyFatGymRat.

Remember you get out of your workout what you put into it, so GO HARD OR GO HOME!

;-)

The "Why" of It All...

You may be wondering why this blog site is titled "Diary of a Skinny Fat Gym Rat", well you'd like to hear the story, here it goes...

As some of you may know I am an avid gym goer. I eat, sleep, and dream about the gym. If I can't make it to the gym for whatever reason, I think of ways to make that session up. I guess you can say it can be a bit like an episode of A&E's Obsessed, maybe not that bad. Hence the "gym rat" portion of the title. Now for the other. "Skinny Fat" was a term coined by a not so skinny personal trainer at the gym I attend. I approached this personal trainer about receiving demo training on the TRX equipment. The demos are opportunities for the trainer to get your info and sell you on some personal training sessions. So, like a sucker I gave this lady my information, knowing good and well that I had no desire to get trained by this not so skinny (or fit) personal trainer. Fastforward a few days...I'm sitting in the office with this trainer and she's jotting down information that I've selectively given her. She starts explaining that she used to be in great shape but due to a thyroid problem, which I later discovered was questionable, she's now pleasantly plump. The trainer begins to show me pictures of her former slimmer self as if to prove more to herself than to me that she was really once skinny and in shape. As I let out giggles in my mind about this whole situation, she says to me "let's check your body fat percentage, you may be one of those skinny fat girls." She must have seen the confusion in my eyes regarding the term "skinny fat", so she then says to me "you know skinny fat, you look skinny on the outside but your body fat percentage is on the high side." In my mind I was thinking "well you're clearly fat fat (not that there's anything wrong with being overweight, but I became slightly defensive), but whatever, let's get this show on the road. As it turns out my body fat was within normal limits for my age, so take that "fat fat" trainer (once again, just a little defensive). And that is how I got the title for this blog.

Needless to say, I denied this trainer's services, partially due to the cost but mostly due to the fact that she clearly she didn't live by the workouts she was trying to get me to pay my hard earned money for. Every now and again I will see her in the gym and she will try and sell herself or some other program to me. I just kindly decline her requests and keep it moving. Now, my husband and I always get a good laugh about me being called "skinny fat".

I hope that you are inspired and enlightened by this blog. I want to share with you what I've learned about fitness and how it has affected my life. Maybe you can use some of my ramblings to either begin a healthier life or use it as motivation to stay healthy.

Please check back every Sunday for my nutritional tidbits. PEACE!