18+ Months and Counting

As some of you know, it has now been about a year and a half since I went to a mostly plant based / vegan diet.  When I first started I kept it pretty modified and still ate most dairy items and still had eggs though I cut the amount down.  But the last 8 months I have cut out milk and eggs and have cut down even more on cheese.  I am continually cutting the cheese down even now and plan to go completely plant based. 

Sometimes it can probably be a nuisance for family and friends when we get together because they are concerned what I will eat.  I have found it not difficult at all to find food no matter what the situation is.   Many times I will offer to bring food with me to help reduce their “stress” and when we go out there are always options… sometimes you just have to be creative.

Even now I still get the “Wow! Why?” or the “I could never do that.” or “How do get protein?”  I will admit when I first contemplated making the move to plant based all of those were thoughts I had and specifically I was concerned about my protein intake.  I weigh generally around 210-215 and feared I would not get an adequate amount of protein to suit my lifestyle.  I did a lot of research before committing and was surprised how many fruits and vegetables contained protein.  Not to mention beans, legumes and nuts which are loaded with protein.  Getting my daily protein needs met has never been an issue since making the switch.

So why did I do it?  The answer to that question is actually pretty simple.  I was going through some medical issues and was tired a lot.  My wife was talking about trying it out as well, so having my spouse joining, made the decision an easy one (misery loves company right).  I remember we decided on a Sunday and for dinner that night cooked up all our remaining chicken in the freezer as a one last hurrah meal.  The original plan was to try it out for 3-6 months but as 3 months past and 6 months past I continued to feel great and wanted to continue.  Little did I know that on that particular Sunday, I would be changing my lifestyle forever.

The “I could never do that” honestly held me back from trying it sooner.  I had contemplated trying it for months before actually making the commitment.  I was under the belief that I could never give up my chicken or fish and I made protein shakes with milk daily.  This just wasn’t going to happen and I would not enjoy eating.  Well, I can say that this has turned out completely opposite.  I love food and I love eating and I love it more now.  I have tried foods that I would never have before and foods that I thought I didn’t like have become some of my favorites.  I have never missed any meat nor do I feel like I am missing out on anything either.   

And those medical issues that got me thinking about this in the first place are more structural and the way I am built.  Sadly neither diet nor exercise can change it but I will say that my blood pressure has dropped several points and my resting heart rate has lowered.  According to my eye doctor my eyes have improved both in vision and internal physical appearance.  He was able to lower my prescription that I have had since I was 18.  Physically the dark circles under my eyes have improved.  It however has not changed the amount of grey hair in my goatee (I thank my children for that). 

Overall I would say I feel awesome.  I have more energy than I did when I started and I recover faster from my workouts.  My sleep has been deeper and less restless as well.  I am not here telling you that you need to convert to a plant based eater but rather share what I have experienced.  I would however recommend giving it a try and see for yourself.  If you truly can’t, then I ask you to at least give it a try once or twice a week. 

Let me know how you feel if you do try it.  

Pause Squats

If you're stuck at a plateau with your squats check out the link to my Facebook page on doing pause squats....

https://www.facebook.com/thefitcore/videos/670221769791970/

Why Do I?

I was asked this question last night...  Why do you workout and how do you stay motivated?  My quick response was because it's my job and I want to be the best I can.  It may also be a slight addiction.

Although all that is true, the reality is there's much more to it. The truth is we all want to look better and be skinnier to be our best versions.  But I have found over the years of personal training if that is the only reason, commitment sometimes doesn't last.

I started working with a client about 3 weeks ago that is in his late 60's.  He has never really cared much about health or fitness, until recently when some health issues arose.  He realized that he probably should have focused a little more on it when he was younger, but instead of getting down on himself he decided now is a good time to start.  He wants to drop a few pounds to help the pressure on his joints but he really wants to be healthier so that he can enjoy his retirement with his wife.

A friend I've starting talking with over the past month or two wants to be healthy as a role model for her daughter.  She isn't concerned with being "skinny" but rather healthy so that she can be active with her daughter.

Another close friend of mine started pushing herself with fitness initially just for her.  She wasn't happy with how she looked or how she felt.  As she progressed and her health and fitness levels improved she started to inspire her friends and family.  Her focus shifted from self to others which has kept her going.  She is now looking to become a personal trainer so that she may continue to help inspire others.

So back to the original question... Why do I?  Yes, I want to be the best version of me I can because I have such a passion for health and fitness (and yes it is a slight addiction).  But I want to inspire my children and educate them about the importance of a healthy lifestyle.  I want them to grow up looking towards me as their role model in that lifestyle.  I want to be a leader to others looking to a healthy lifestyle as their success is truly inspirational to me.  A quote that I love says: "True leaders do not create followers, they create more leaders."  I hope that those I inspire will in turn help inspire others to do the same.

So let me ask you.... Why Do You?

Plyometrics

I was talking with a friend this morning about what workout we want to do later today and she was saying how she was sore from her workout yesterday.  She and my wife did a workout which included many different plyometric exercises.  She filled me in on how much she does not like doing jumping exercises but at the same time loves them for what they do for her.  I however, love plyometrics and it is where my love for fitness started.  Being a super skinny kid and not really knowing a lot, I was intimidated to go into a weight room.   But I knew I could always jump.  The first book I ever bought for myself was a book on plyometrics.

Plyometrics are defined as jump training.  Exercises in which muscle exert maximum force in short intervals to increase muscular power. 

These types of exercises are usually linked with athletes and not usually thought about as a go to exercise for the average gym goer.  The average person probably doesn't care what their vertical jump is nor do they care to increase it.  However, I believe that they can be an effective tool to help anyone achieve their fitness goals, whatever they are.

Plyometrics require a lot of energy and muscles to perform, therefore they will burn a large number of calories during a workout.  In November 2011 an American Council of Exercise study revealed that people that participated in 43 minutes of plyometrics burned between 492-770 calories depending on their weight.  The average calories burned in one hour of weight training according to the Harvard Medical School is between 180-266 depending on the participants weight. 

Now with this type of exercise there is always a risk of injury.  Plyometrics place a great amount of stress on joints as well as the ligaments and tendons.  If you have joint issues or arthritis do not attempt plyometrics without first getting cleared by your doctor.  One major tip I would like to offer is whenever doing plyometrics make sure that you land softly.  By that I mean bend the knees upon landing and allow yourself to sink into a squatting position.  This will minimize the impact on the knee joint allowing more of the impact to be absorbed by the muscles.

If you are a beginner start with no more than 60-80 foot contacts and 1-2 workouts per week.  This will allow your muscles and joints to strengthen and minimize risk of injury.

Some good exercises include: box jumps, jump squats and depth jumps for the lower body.  Clapping push ups and medicine ball throws are good examples for the upper body.

Green Tea...Not Coffee?!?

The morning comes and the first thing I can think of is coffee.  Why? Because coffee is coffee and well how do you start your day without it? 

But since I have gone to a plant based way of eating I have noticed that my taste for coffee has diminished and I do not crave it like I once used to.  I still enjoy the smell of freshly brewed coffee but it seems to end there.  So now what?  I’ve always liked green tea and since coffee isn’t happening I find myself drinking several cups of green tea throughout the day. 

We’ve all heard green tea is good for you, but how good can it be?  First, it is really based on what type of green tea you drink.  Pre bagged green tea has a lot less health benefits than does loose leaf.  The process done to the tea leaves to break them down for the tea bags destroys some of their nutritional qualities limiting their overall benefit.  The best choice would be to drink the loose leaf.

Check out some benefits offered by green tea:

   -full of catechins, which are powerful antioxidants that help stop free radical cell damage especially

     after a workout

   -aids in digestion

   -can help improve blood flow and blood pressure

   -can help lower cholesterol

A study at the University of Basel in Switzerland revealed that those who drank green tea had a greater activity in the working memory of their brain.  The study also goes on to show that green tea can help block plaques that have been linked to Alzheimers.

Not to fret coffee lovers, there are several studies showing many health benefits to coffee as well.  But hey if you are willing give green tea a try.  

There is always time for a workout. Check out the link below for a quick 40 minute total body workout...

https://www.facebook.com/thefitcore/posts/615842128563268

6 Month Experiment     

6 months ago I decided to give a plant based lifestyle a try.  I was feeling sluggish most of the time and I had been meeting with a couple different cardiology doctors.  I had talked with Amy and we decided to give it a try as she was feeling much the same way as I was.  Having support definitely helped in the beginning.  I was just going to do the 6 months and see what happens.  I wanted to keep it very non-scientific and just base it more on how I felt, because the reality is Google will give you all the scientific data you could need.

I decided I would base it on just a few criteria:  my overall energy levels, the dark circles that I had developed, my weight, body fat percentage, and my cardiology numbers.  I had gone to the doctors a month before starting and I have my next follow up coming up in a few weeks to see if there was any improvement there.

So what about my other results? 

     First let me say that I did not go 100% plant based.  I still take my whey protein and I still have cheese once in a while as well as eggs.  Though I would say that the number of eggs I ate in the past 6 months is probably less than what I would normally eat in a month. 

     Even though I still average the same amount of sleep a night, my energy levels have definitely improved.  I will not say that I jump out of bed ready to take on the day but I normally don’t feel exhausted when I wake up.  I also no longer suffer from that midafternoon slump where I looked for some type of caffeinated drink.  And speaking of caffeine, I have stopped drinking my morning and afternoon coffee about a month ago and still feel great. 

     I asked my wife about those dark circles and she doesn’t really remember me having them but said they are not noticeable now.  Score!

     My weight is about the same.  6 months ago I weighed in at 211 and currently I am 209.  My goal with this wasn’t to lose weight so I’m happy to see those numbers stay about the same.  My body fat percentage dropped a little going from around 11% down to about 9%.  My abs, which have been hidden for some time are finally making a comeback.

In order for me to maintain my lifestyle and my weight I definitely had to eat a lot more.  Plants do not contain nearly the amount of calories as animal based foods do.  Below is a breakdown of what my macros looked like during the past 6 months.

                Carbohydrates: 360g

                Protein: 185g

                Fat: 85g

                Total Daily Caloric Intake: 2945

So what’s next? 

I originally planned on doing this for just 6 months and going back to my old way of eating.  I had no intentions of making this a permanent way of life, but things change.  I have more energy, I look younger (though some of the greys may say otherwise) and I just feel better overall.  I think my 6 month experiment just turned into my lifelong lifestyle.