Kimberly Fitness

How to Compute Your Individual Protein Needs: Are Protein Supplements Really Necessary?

Whether you are sedentary or athletic, you obviously need protein in your diet.  But why?  How much should you consume?  Do athletes need more than general exercisers?  Do general exercisers need more than the sedentary? 

I teach Physical Conditioning courses and I have many students who weight train, body build, wrestle or play other sports that require strength, power and/or speed.  Something I notice among most of them is that they believe they need a lot of protein in order to build muscle.  They usually consume large amounts of protein from their food as well as from supplements, such as shakes.  However, most often take in much more protein than they really need.  Whether sedentary, active or highly athletic, most people take in more protein than they really need.

So first let me address "why" we need protein.  Protein is used to make most of your hormones, all of your enzymes, and cell walls as well as the maintenance and repair of tissue.  However, it is not needed for much of our energy requirements (Only about 5% of our energy needs come from protein) and it will not cause muscle gain.  Only exercise will cause muscle gain.  In fact, if your protein intake is too high, it will usually cause you to take in less carbohydrates, which will cause your body to burn muscle more than if your body is well-supplied with glucose and glycogen from carbohydrates. 

However, those who are active do have increased protein needs over the sedentary population, but not for building muscle.  It is rather for the purpose of supplying the body with amino acids that are lost during activity. 

So how much do you need?  The general population needs 0.8 grams of protein for every 1 KILOGRAM of body weight.  For example, if you weigh 58 kg (125 lbs.), you would multiply 0.8 * 58 and you would need 46.4 grams of protein per day.  Most people are in this category of 0.8 g/kg.  So first you need to know what your weight is in kilograms.

To convert your weight from pounds to kilograms, you need to:

Weight in lbs. x .454 = Weight in Kilograms

Do exercisers or athletes need more?  Yes.  Generally, this is the rule we go by:

Regular Exercisers:  0.8 - 1.0 g/kg

Endurance Athletes:  1.2 - 1.4 g/kg

Strength Training Athletes:  1.4 - 1.6 g/kg

Although athletes do need more than the sedentary population, protein supplements are usually not needed.  You can see this if you do a diet analysis. 

You can do a diet analysis using online software.  I recommend you keep a food journal for THREE DAYS.  Record everything you eat, drink, etc....  Then use a free online food intake calculator, enter in all of your food, and average out what you ate over the three day period.  Compare your protein intake to what you needed to consume.  Keep in mind, you should enter ONLY your food (no supplements) at first to see what you are getting without the supplements and then compare those numbers to the amount you need that you computed above.

Try using MyPyramid.gov.  You need to set up a profile and play with the system as there are always error messages (many bugs in their software).  But once you figure out how to trick the system, you can get some good results.  Or look for other free software online. 

Core Exercises: Good for Abdominal, Low Back and Oblique Muscles

I just uploaded a new Photo Album, Core Exercises.   The exercises are tough, but fun and effective.  Enjoy!

Is Stevia Safe? The FDA now approves GRAS status, but don't let that fool you...

For a very long time Stevia (also known as Reb A and brand names, Truvia and PureVia) has been touted by alternative practitioners as a natural replacement to table sugar (sucrose).  Proponents claim it has been used extensively in Japan for thousands of years and therefore it "must be safe".

I am sure advocates for stevia are now in their glory with it finally gaining GRAS status by the FDA (GRAS means Generally Regarded As Safe).  And beverage companies are in a state of ecstasy.   But quite frankly, I am even more uncomfortable with it now than I was before it gained its GRAS status. Because now, something that may not be so great for us will be found in every bottle of Coke, Vitamin Water, and children's snack pack.

First, let me explain what stevia is and where it comes from.  Stevia, in the forms of stevioside and rebaudioside A, is found in the plant yerba dulce which is native to Brazil, Paraguay, and Southeast Asia, among other places.  It is about 100 times sweeter than table sugar and is considered to be a hopeful alternative to artificial sweeteners, since it is plant-derived.

While I do not like to favor the "conspiracy theorist" side of things and I think that if the FDA approves something, it probably is fairly safe to consume.  However, there have been times when the FDA has approved something (like pharmaceutical drugs, for example) that are later found to be hazardous and then pulled from the market.  In other words, the FDA can make mistakes from time to time.

And if you think that the FDA ran a few studies showing no harm caused by stevia and then decided to put the big stamp of approval on it, think again.  In the early 1990's stevia was rejected by the FDA to be used as a food ingredient.  Canada and a European Community panel also rejected Stevia claiming it was unsafe.  Studies at that point in time showed that stevia fed to rats decreased sperm count while increasing cell production in testicles, which could lead to infertility problems.  Pregnant hamsters fed large amounts of stevia had fewer and smaller offspring. A derivative of stevioside, steviol, can also be converted into a carcinogenic compound causing mutations in DNA. 

Now on the flip side, these studies used large doses of stevia, much larger than what we would consume.  But I often wonder if we can equate one large dose to thousands of small doses as being comparable.  Probably not, but worth a questioning thought. 

So what caused the FDA to have a change of heart?  Cargill and Merisant.  Both companies began developing derivatives of stevia, branding them Truvia and PureVia, respectively. 

And for those who haven't had the pleasure (I italicize with sarcasm) of tasting stevia, let me be the first to tell you it tastes awful and burns your throat.  I noticed about a week ago that Coca-Cola released a new version of Vitamin Water with only 10 calories a serving.  I looked at the list of ingredients and didn't notice stevia or any unnatural sweetener on the label, so I bought it, not realizing that stevia was in fact an ingredient.  When I went to drink it, I could not believe how artificial it tasted, only it had an even worse aftertaste than any artificial sweetener I ever tasted.  Then I noticed that my throat burned about the same way it would if I had had a menthol cough drop (only it was not as strong).  I thought maybe it was in my imagination, but then I gave a sip to my son and he complained he didn't like the Vitamin Water because it made his throat burn, and I knew it wasn't just my taste buds.

Ok, so going back to the beginning, let me summarize a bit.  First, just because other countries and cultures do something doesn't make it safe.  There are many unsafe practices that happen throughout the world.  When human safety and health are at stake, science needs to give evidence to safety, not tradition.  Second, just because something is natural, also doesn't make it safe.  Snake venom is "natural" and so is cocaine. 

And lastly, if not most important, having one more "substance" on the market that offers a low-calorie version of the original just does one thing; it is one more way to encourage people to continue to over-consume.  As we have seen in the last 30 years, low-fat, low-calorie and low-carb foods only encourage people to consume more food than they need...and at what price?

Rules for Strength Training to Create an Effective Workout and Avoid Injury- Part I

With such lax regulations regarding personal training it is no wonder to me why so many people become injured at the gym or simply give up on their routines.  Unfortunately, it takes a mere weekend certification to become "certified" as a fitness instructor or personal trainer.  A person can have no background in health, fitness, exercise science, human anatomy and physiology or any college education at all and can still become a certified personal trainer. 

In recent years, the National Fitness Board Association has been created in an attempt to raise the bar on qualifications for personal trainers, but I don't see it making much of a difference.  There are still many fitness clubs who employ trainers with no qualifications and warehouse-style/no services-offered gyms like Planet Fitness are taking over the fitness market. But I will save that topic for a separate blog article.

The point is that most people who start strength training do not have any idea what they are doing.  They get ideas from fitness magazines, television or people at the gym.  But none of these sources can replace the sound information you will receive from a qualified personal trainer who understands not only body mechanics and the proper ways to train, but also gets to know you, personally, understanding your goals, your health status, your limitations and your individual body mechanics.

In an attempt to help educate the public on proper ways to train, I am compiling a list of what I consider to be important information that you need to know before delving into a strength training program.

First and foremost, you MUST warm-up.  NEVER start lifting weights or doing strength training without warming up the body for at least 5 minutes.  A good warm-up will include marching in place (or walking), arm circles, squats, light aerobics, and light stretching.  A warm-up is important because it prepares the body for the activities you are about to do.  It increases heart rate slowly (important for preparing the body for the increase in heart rate that occurs while exercising), increases the speed at which oxygen flows to the muscles (oxygen is needed by the muscles in order to feed and move the muscle), increases synovial fluid around the joints (needed to lubricant the joint and thus avoid injury), and simply warms-up the muscles for what you are about to do to them; which is tear them up to shreds, literally.

Which brings me to point number 2, don't work the same muscle group on consecutive days.  When you strength train, you actually create small, microscopic tears in your muscle fibers (your muscles are made up of fibers, not the kind you eat from plants, however).  When you tear these fibers, they need 48 hours to repair themselves.  This repairing process is what causes your muscles to become stronger and grow larger.  So if, for example, you do abdominal exercises every day, you are in essence doing the exact opposite of what you want to do which is build stronger abdominal muscles.  You must allow the muscles the time period they need to repair themselves in order for them to get stronger.  Now of course we use our muscles every day, which is fine.  When we talk about the 48-hour rule we are talking about strength training only.  In other words, working your muscles to the point of muscle fatigue for the sole purpose of gaining either muscular strength, endurance or both.

There are three main types of muscle conditioning programs; programs focused on building strength, endurance or both.  If your goal is primarily to build strength, you want to use heavier weights, but do less repetitions (like around 6 to 8 repetitions per set, with around 3 to 6 sets per exercise).  However, if your goal is primarily muscular endurance (which is recommended for most of the population) you should focus on using lighter weights but more repetitions and less sets.  For example you may do anywhere from 12-15 repetitions for 2 to 3 sets each exercise.  If you would like to do a combination of both, then combine both ideas using heavier weights, but not too heavy, in order to effectively perform around 10 to 12 repetitions and maybe 3 sets each exercise.

Choosing what weight is right for you.  The rule of thumb is to choose a weight that you can easily do in good form for at least 8 repetitions, but becomes difficult by the time you reach 15 repetitions.  In other words, if you can't do 8 repetitions in good form, the weight is too heavy and if you can easily do 15 without muscle fatigue, the weight is too light.

You must reach muscle fatigue.  Muscle fatigue is the feeling that your muscle is going to "give-out" on you and you can no longer perform the exercise without resting.  You should feel muscle fatigue at the completion of each set.

You must balance your routine by focusing on all major muscle groups ensuring you are properly balancing the body.  Many people have back problems (90% of the population has suffered back problems at least once in their lives) and many of these problems are due to muscle imbalances.  For example, we typically move forward in our lives, literally speaking.  We walk forwards, not backwards.  We lift things in front of us and not behind us.  This causes an overuse of the muscles in front of our bodies (such as our hip flexors and chest muscles) and in the muscles involved in moving forward (such as our hamstrings and bicep muscles).  But we underuse our back, rear shoulders and gluteal muscles.  This can cause pain and discomfort as we have opposing muscle groups that are not in balance with one another.  Therefore it is important to equally strength train both the front and back of your body as well as opposing muscle groups.  This does NOT mean that the amount of weight you use will be the same for opposing muscle groups.  It just means you need to work all of them to their individual potential. 

And on this note you must stretch all of your major muscle groups.  When you overuse muscles, you tighten them thus causing more muscle imbalance.  Stretch at the end of your workouts and hold each stretch for 20- 30 seconds, without bouncing. 

Being Healthy is a Lifestyle, Not about Deprivation. In other words, "Stop Dieting!"

As a nutritionist and fitness consultant, I am often frustrated with the overabundant message that surrounds us that maintaining a healthy weight either has to come from supplements and "magic potions" or from depriving diets.  When in fact, neither of these are good choices to help you maintain a healthy weight.  The truth is so simple but mostly goes unheard.  Maybe because you can't sell it as easily as a pill.  Who knows?  Or maybe it is because people need to feel as if they are doing something drastic in order to see change.  However, like most things in our life, change comes gradually, not in one big bang. 

Have you ever known someone (or maybe even yourself) who is overweight or obese, yet they are always on a diet?  Or maybe you only see them eat salads and healthy foods and wonder to yourself "how can they be overweight when they eat so healthy?" 

The answer is that dieting, especially extreme dieting, actually causes you to stay fat.  It even can cause you to gain weight.  Here's how:

Your body requires a certain amount of energy in order to function (which we usually measure in calories).  First, you have what is called your Basal Metabolism.  This refers to the amount of calories you need just for survival.  It is the energy needed to pump blood, keep your heart beating, make hormones, send nerve messages, breathe in and out, etc...  Second, you have what's called the Thermic Effect of Food.  This is the energy you need to digest and absorb the food you eat.  And finally, you need calories for your Physical Activity.  This includes exercise, but also includes walking, moving and even fidgeting. 

Your exact needed caloric intake is determined by many factors including gender, age, activity level, height, and weight. It is also effected by genetics. 

Now, let's suppose that you require 2500 calories per day to maintain your weight and your current metabolic level (which I just discussed).  But you need to lose weight, so you decide to cut your calories down to 1200 per day thinking you will lose weight. 

Well here is what happens.  Your body, which used to function on 2500 calories per day is now thinking that food is less available because you are taking in such a small amount of calories compared to what your body is used to taking in.  Your body goes into what we term "starvation mode" and thinks that it needs to conserve what it has.  Your body will now do three things.  It will lose some weight due to the calorie loss but this will come from not just fat tissue but from muscle tissue.  It will also store more fat tissue because, like our ancient ancestors, it thinks it needs to store energy in times of famine.  Our bodies were designed to do this. And the third, most crippling of all, is that your body will readjust your metabolism to learn how to survive on 1200 calories a day, rather than 2500. In simple terms, you are now only needing 1200 calories per day to survive and not 2500.  So if you eat more than 1200 per day, you will gain weight.  This is the reason why so many "yo-yo" dieters lose weight on their diets, but then gain all the weight back PLUS more when they resume their old eating habits.  They go back to eating the same way that they did before, only they now have a much slower metabolism.

The good news is that this vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting can be corrected and you can reset your metabolism to be much higher, once again.  The best way to do this is through exercise and balanced eating.  Over time, your body will readjust.

So what is the best and healthiest way to lose weight?  Stop thinking you have to deprive yourself; you don't!  Create a small calorie reduction in combination with an effective exercise regime.  You will lose weight, gradually, but permanently and be much healthier and happier knowing you don't need to cut out the tasty foods in your life. 

For more information on this see my other article, Why You Will Never Lose 20 Pounds in 10 Days...

Wondering how many calories you need?  I am currently working on an online calculator for that.  However, in the meantime, feel free to contact me via email and I can compute that for you (free of charge and I won't try to sell you anything!).  Or you can visit MyPyramid.gov and create a profile.  It will calculate it for you, as well.

Easy Tortellini Soup

Here in New England it still feels like Winter in Spring...cold, cloudy and wet.  Yuck...  So the ultimate in comfort food comes to mind; warm soup.  This soup recipe is delicious and not high in calories, since it is broth-based instead of cream-based. 

Ready in less than 10!  Enjoy :)

1- (32 oz.) box of Chicken Broth, Low-Sodium
1- (12 oz.) bag of frozen* cheese tortellinis
Garlic Powder (a few dashes)
Salt (a pinch or two)
Parsley, dried (a sprinkle or two)
Crushed Red Pepper (a dash or two)
Fresh** shredded Parmesan

1.  Bring Chicken Broth to a boil (cover the pan to reduce loss)

2.  Add salt, garlic, and tortellinis.  Cook about 3 to 5 minutes (or until the tortellinis are floating).

3.  Add parsley and stir.  Remove from heat.

4.  Ladle into bowls and sprinkle crushed red pepper and fresh shredded Parmesan on top of each bowl.

5.  Yum!

Makes about 4 servings.

* Use frozen or fresh, but NOT unrefrigerated.  Unrefrigerated is full of preservatives and sodium.

** You MUST use fresh grated/shredded Parm cheese, not the can kind.  The stuff in a can won't taste right.

Make it a MEAL and add a mult-grain baguette along with a green salad and some fresh fruit.  Balanced, nutritious and filling.

Big Fella on a Bike...the man who lost over 300 pounds riding a bike....

I just found a blog from a man that went from over 500 pounds to 180 pounds riding his bike.  Take a look!

Mixed Greens Salad with Feta, Walnuts, Granny Smith Apples and Poppyseed Dressing

This salad is very yummy and perfect for Spring.

Adjust the quantity to meet your needs.  This recipe makes about four servings.

1 box/bag Baby Lettuce (I like Olivia's or Noreast Fresh, but any fresh brand will do)
1 large handful of Walnuts
4 oz. Feta Cheese, crumbled
1 Granny Smith apple, diced.  Keep skin on the apple.
Poppyseed Dressing (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of dressing.  Just enough to taste)

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and serve immediately.

TIP:  If you want to make this salad ahead of time, keep all of the ingredients seperate, but ready to mix.  The apples can be sliced ahead of time, just sprinkle some lemon juice on them and on a paper towel.  Crumble up the paper towel and place it with the apples in a tupperware.  When ready to use, the apples may brown slightly, but this is fine.