Congratulations To Our Winners!

Congratulations To All Our Winners!

• 1st. Place Stephanie Scott, Set of Exercise Bands.
• 2nd Place Tracy Flowers, Foam Roller
• 3rd Place Jennifer Wirt, Yoga Mat

This was our first fitness giveaway and it was a huge success.

We were just testing the waters and we will start to crank it up with bigger and more valuable prizes!

Thank you to everyone that participated!

NEXT CONTEST PRIZES: Stay Tune!

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Maplewood Boot Camps is giving away 3 cool fitness products to kick start your summer fitness program.

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Will Eating 5-6 Small Meals Per Day Help Burn Fat?

Written on March 26, 2012, by Eric Cressey

Will Eating 5-6 Small Meals Per Day Help Burn Fat?

Today’s guest nutrition blog comes from former Cressey Performance intern Tyler Simmons.

“It’s best to eat 5 – 7 times a day.”

“Eating every three hours fuels your metabolism.”

“If you skip meals, your body goes into ‘starvation mode,’ you gain fat, and burn muscle for energy.”

Chances are that you’ve probably heard something like the above statements if you’ve read anything about diet or exercise in the last ten years. Many of you (myself included) probably spent a lot of time preparing and eating meals, in the hopes of optimizing fat loss and better muscle gain.

What does the data really show about spacing out your meals? When I started researching the topic of meal frequency in 2010, I assumed there was ample scientific evidence to back up these nearly unanimous claims that smaller, more frequent meals were better than larger, less frequent meals. Boy, was I disappointed.

To my surprise, the scientific literature had some different things to say. My research focused on how changing meal frequency impacts two different things: 1) Metabolic Rate and 2) Weight Loss. What I found was compelling evidence that reduced meal frequency, sometimes known as Intermittent Fasting (IF), could actually help me, so I started an experiment.

In the summer of 2010 I was living in Alaska doing construction and labor, as well as doing off-season training for Track and Field (sprinting, jumping, and lifting). For years I had focused on eating every 2-3 hours, but based on my new findings, I decided to limit all my food intake to an 8-hour window, leaving 16 hours of the day as my fasting portion.

Despite doing fasted, hard labor all day, then lifting, sprinting, and playing basketball, I managed to set records on all my lifts at the end of the summer. Not only was I stronger than ever, but I got leaner too.

Here’s pictures from before and after, about 2 months apart:

Getting lean wasn’t even my main goal; the idea that I could be free from eating every three hours without suffering negative side effects was extremely liberating. No longer was I controlled by arbitrary meal times and tupperware meals in a lunch box. During this summer, I developed the ability to go long periods of time (18-24 hours) without food, and not get tired, cranky, our mentally slow down.

So why didn’t I catabolize my muscles, drop my metabolic rate, and end up looking like skinny-fat Richard Simmons (no relation)?

The Science

The idea that eating several smaller meals is better came from a few pieces of information. The first was because of an association between greater meal frequency and reduced body weight in a couple of epidemiological studies, although this only shows a correlation, not causation. Breakfast eaters are more likely to engage in other health activities, such as exercise, which explains the relationship. In the most comprehensive review of relevant studies, the authors state that any epidemiological evidence for increased meal-frequency is extremely weak and “almost certainly represents an artefact” (1).

The second piece is related to the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF), which is the amount of energy needed to digest and process the food you eat. Fortunately, this is dependent on total quantity of food, not on how it’s spaced, making the distinction irrelevant.

So, now we can see that the supposed benefits from increased meal frequency do not hold up to closer inspection, but why would we want to purposefully wait longer in between meals?

Originally, researchers thought Caloric Restriction (CR) was the bee’s knees. Preliminary research showed that CR slows aging, reduces oxidative damage, and reduces insulin and levels. All good, right? Unfortunately, these benefits come with some nasty trade-offs, including reduced metabolic rate, low energy levels, constant hunger, and low libido, pretty much what you would expect from chronically restricting food intake. These were not happy animals.

Recent research has shown that Intermittent Fasting or reduced meal frequency can convey many of the benefits of CR while avoiding the negative side effects. Some of these benefits include:

Favorable changes to blood lipidsReduced blood pressureDecreased markers of inflammationReduction in oxidative stressIncreased Growth Hormone releaseGreater thermogenesis/elevated metabolic rateImproved fat burningImproved appetite control

Some of these effects may be secondary to the reduction of calories due to improved appetite control, or they may be primary effects of IF, the research is not conclusive on this yet.

One of the most interesting findings was that contrary to conventional wisdom, reduced meal frequency actually causes an increase in thermogenesis (metabolic rate), which is mediated through the increase of catecholamines (stress hormones), such as adrenaline and norepinephrine (1,2). Yep, you read that right: instead of slowing your metabolism down, it speeds it up. Catecholamines also help with the liberation of fatty acids from fat cells, making them available to be burned as energy.

That’s the “why” and the “how” for some of the effects of IF. Whatever the mechanism for it, IF seems to be effective for at least some people, myself included. But before you rush off to go start fasting 16 hours a day, here are some tips and caveats.

Important Considerations

Many people ask me if IF is good or bad, but as with most things, it depends. IF is not appropriate in certain situations. It can be good or bad, depending on who you are (your current health status/lifestyle) and what your goals are. IF is a stressor on the body; one of the primary effects is an increase in stress hormones. If you’re lacking sleep, eating low quality foods, stressed out about your job, and excessively exercising then don’t start an IF protocol. It will backfire and you will end up fat and tired!

Only experiment with an IF program if you are getting 8-9 hours of sleep a night, eating a high quality diet, appropriately recovering from exercise, and don’t have too many mental/emotional stressors.

As far as what goals this works for, common sense applies here. IF is generally best for people who are already moderately lean and are trying to get leaner. If you’re trying to put on 30 pounds of mass, don’t start IF. If you’re an athlete with a very heavy training load, don’t try IF.

For those of you who fit the criteria of goals and health status, I suggest experimenting with the 8-hour fed/16-hour fasted periods. Eat quality foods to satiation in your eating window, especially focusing on the post-training period.

Keep in mind that IF is not for everyone, but it can be a powerful tool at certain times. Most importantly, even if IF isn’t for you, remember that you shouldn’t stress out if you miss a meal occasionally!

About the Author

Tyler Simmons is the owner and head Nutrition/Strength & Conditioning Coach at Evolutionary Health Systems. He has his bachelors in Kinesiology with a focus in Exercise Science and Exercise Nutrition from Humboldt State University. A former collegiate athlete, Tyler specializes in designing training and nutrition programs for athletes of all levels, as well as general population. Learn more at EvolutionaryHealthSystems.com.

Related Posts

Why You Should Never Take Nutrition Advice from Your Government
Anabolic Cooking: Why You Don’t Have to Gag to Eat Healthy

References

1. Bellisle, F., & McDevitt, R. (1997). Meal frequency and energy balance. British Journal of Nutrition, 77, 57-70.

2. Mansell, P., & Fellows, I. (1990). Enhanced thermogenic response to epinephrine after 48-h starvation in humans. The American Journal of Physiology, 258, 87-93.

3. Staten, M., Matthews, D., & Cryer, P. (1987). Physiological increments in epinephrine stimulate metabolic rate in humans. American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, 253, 322-330.

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Teen’s Need Exercise Too

Teen’s Need Exercise Too

So get ‘em off the couch, pull the cell phone out of their hands, and send them to the field and the gym.

Image by saird via Flickr

Remember the good old days, when the only video game available was a pinball machine down at the local soda shop? Well, those days are long gone. Today’s teens have access to more video games and other technology that keeps them away from the great outdoors and off the basketball court. Instead of moving their growing bodies, they spend countless hours pushing buttons, texting friends and playing video games.

But if exercise isn’t a regular part of your teen’s life, big trouble could be right down the road. Why should your teen get into the exercise routine, and how can you make it happen?

Why Exercise Matters
Take a look around at teens. They have countless social media tools that are supposed to help them be more connected with others than ever. Unfortunately, these social sites can cause teens to forget how to socialize with real people in real life. Get these kids to the gym and encourage them to exercise with other teens, and you give them an instant lesson in socialization.

But exercise is about more than being socially adept. It’s about good health. And in case you’ve not picked up a newspaper or magazine in the last 10 years, you should know that there is an obesity epidemic currently taking place. It’s affected plenty of adults, but it is now affecting teens as well – especially as they spend less time exercising and more time sitting around watching television, playing video games, texting, and chatting online. Get your teen exercising today, and you’ll help them obtain and maintain a healthy weight and develop lifelong healthy habits.

How to Get Them Moving
Sometimes, getting a teenager to do something is as easy as teaching a rhinoceros to fetch. Don’t let their attitude get you down. Remember your own attitude problems as a teenager, take a deep breath, and prepare to put up a fight. When you’re going into battle with your teen, try these tips out.

Make It Fun. Remember when your teen was a toddler? Exercise wasn’t something you forced him or her to do. It just happened, via hide-and-seek, tag, or just running all day long. Find what physical activities interest your teens, and encourage him or her to get out and do it.

Up the Chores. Is your teen lazing around the house doing nothing, while you’re working frantically to keep everything in order? Flip your teen’s world upside down by having him or her take over some of the more physically demanding chores. Have your teen rake leaves, plant flowers, scrub toilets, and take out the garbage. It may not be the same as lifting weights, but it’ll get your teen’s body on the move!

Do It Together. If your child isn’t motivated to get in the gym on his or her own, offer to do it together. Whether you lift weights, ride bikes, swim, or hike, doing it as a family makes it easier to keep your teen on an exercise schedule.

Take It Easy. Your teen needs to exercise. There is no question about it. Just don’t let this need override your parenting know-how. Ever tried to force your teen to do something he or she didn’t want to do? Didn’t work so well, did it? Remember this when working with your teen, and encourage your teen gently. You may be surprised at the end result.

How Much? While medical experts normally recommend adults get 30 minutes of exercise five or more days a week, the same doesn’t hold true for teenagers. Instead, try to get your teen to exercise for at least 60 minutes most days of the week. It doesn’t have to be incredibly vigorous. A light jog, a game of kickball, or riding bikes will do the trick.

If you want to expedite you and your teen’s results then consider working with me on a fitness plan that will turn you both into fat burning machines.

Call or email today – I look forward to hearing from you.

Here is a protein packed snack that the whole family will love. It’s important to enjoy snacks that are low in carbohydrates and sugar, and high in protein in order to shed body fat and develop healthy muscles. This recipe delivers on all fronts, without sacrificing flavor.
Servings: 1

Here’s what you need…

• 6 oz Greek Yogurt, plain, fat free
• 1 scoop high quality chocolate protein powder
• Sprinkle of unsweetened cocoa powder

1. In a small bowl use a whisk to combine the yogurt and protein powder. Mix until all lumps have disappeared.
2. Garnish with a sprinkle of unsweetened cocoa powder.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 220 calories, 0g fat, 445mg sodium, 11g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, and 42g protein.

Staying on the Health Train through the Holidays

Staying on the Health Train through the Holidays

What you can do to avoid getting derailed when the temptation of holiday sugar and spice is around every corner.

Living a healthy lifestyle is no easy task – especially when the holidays roll around. Everywhere you look, extra calories and delicious but fattening foods beg to be consumed.

And it seems the hosts to every party will not take “No” for an answer. So how do you stay strong in the face of culinary temptation?

It’s not easy, but with a few steps it can be done.

Do the Hosting

The easiest way to control what temptations you’ll face is to bring the holiday festivities to your house. There, you can plan the menu and know every pinch of every ingredient in every dish. Don’t want to take a stand against pecan pie topped with whipped topping? No problem. It’s your house, your menu, your rules. Simply don’t make it, and you’ll never have to worry about it.

If you have other people bringing foods, let them handle a dish that is difficult to turn into a fattening temptation. Dole out responsibilities for salad, vegetables, and bread. This allows friends and family to contribute something besides double-chocolate bars filled with chocolate and topped with chocolate syrup.

Fill and Chill

Not able to throw a holiday shindig at your place? Then you’ll probably want to do a little eating before you leave your house. Eat a good-sized snack consisting of healthy foods, such as carrot sticks and peanut butter crackers. These will help you feel full faster and prevent you from overeating at the party.
Once you’re at the party, begin your meal by downing a glass of water. Then instead of diving face first into your plate, sit back and relax for a few minutes.

The holiday season is about being with family and friends, so instead of turning the focus on food, enjoy the people around you. As you eat, take time to sit back and enjoy every bite. After all, many holiday foods aren’t served year round and you rarely get together with such great loved ones, so make the most of it without consuming the most possible calories.

Prepare Mentally

Regardless of what you do to avoid overeating and fight the urge to fall for holiday temptation time and again, you’ll not get through the holidays unscathed if you’re not mentally prepared for the temptations that will come your way. Well before the holidays descend, you should come up with a game plan.

What will you say when offered a tasty, yet unhealthy treat? How often will you let yourself indulge in holiday cheer, via cookies, cakes, and pies? What will you do to ensure you don’t overdo it? How will you react if you do overdo it?

Who will help you stay accountable throughout the holiday season? Having answers to these questions will give you the upper hand when holiday treats are trying to get to you. Being mentally prepared for the holiday temptations sure to come your way will give you the strength necessary to hang tight to your healthy lifestyle, regardless of what obstacles may come your way.