I’ve always believed that, when trying to get someone to understand something, whether it be a professional skill, athletics or education, its often beneficial to get them to learn it through an analogy. Analogies help us take an idea or skill that we don’t know and translate it into something we already recognize. It simplifies things and helps make it easier to figure things out.
The same goes for me when trying to understand the pros and cons of following a macronutrient regimen. As a former runner, I understood how diet could affect your performance and that watching your calorie intake was important to keeping you lean. However, upon undertaking a muscle program, it soon became apparent to me that I was much more of a novice than I previously thought. The program talked about carb cycling, macronutrients, and how they are broken down and used by the body. Uh...yeah. Pizza bad, salad good, was my basic understanding. After much study and listening to people, I have a pretty good understanding of how all this macro diet stuff works, but I often see the glazing over of the eyes with people I’m talking to when I start the discourse on the horrors of trans fat. So, I’m going to attempt an analogy. With me, analogies usually circle around stories that I’ve watched or read. Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, etc. Trying to use a commodity in current pop culture (I think anyway, unless Disney has already ruined them), I’ll use the Avengers to illustrate. PROTEIN – Think of protein as the Captain America of the group, particularly if you are wanting to gain muscle. Protein allows your body to grow and build, protect your lean body mass and is composed of amino acids, the building blocks of your body. There is very little harm in protein and almost always on your side for fitness training. Like Cap, it’s a staple…chicken, lean beef, venison, eggs, etc. And if you want to go vegan, it will still work with you…beans, nuts and seeds all have protein as well. Again, like the star-spangled man with a plan, too much protein can be an issue, but usually its just an issue of diminishing returns…sort of like when Cap starts to get preachy and the rest of the team get bored. CARBOHYDRATES – Carbs are sexy and taste great and make you feel good all over…Iron Man of the group. There are very few who don’t like to eat carbs and with good reason. Carbs are broken down into glucose, which is the main source of energy in your body (Arc Reactor, anyone?!). However, there are simple carbs, which are easily broken down by your body into glucose, but have short lived, one track uses…sort of like Tony Stark in the early movies. Your body uses them quickly and the burn they provide wears off. Then there are complex carbs…pasta, rice, bread…they have more fiber in them and longer strands of sugar molecules, making them break down much slower. Think of Iron Man in the later movies…more responsible, having morality and generally more beneficial to the team all the way around, but you still have to be vigilant with allowing them to much control of your plan. FAT – The Hulk, pure and simple, because of its radically different types. First, there’s unsaturated fat…the Good Hulk…comes in the form of healthy proteins like salmon and tuna and is also found in avocados and nuts. It’s great for preventing heart disease. Saturated fat…the sort of decent Hulk…shows up and smashes the enemy but may smash a few teammates as well. Sat fat if found in fatty beef, lamb, poultry with skin and dairy. Saturated fat is needed in your diet, but in small amounts...like the Hulk…use with caution. Trans fat…the rampaging Hulk, smashing at will anything and everyone. This fat is a “steer clear”, as it produces no known body benefits. Those are the main macros, summed up by the main Avengers (minus a certain God of Thunder, of course!). Just for fun, I threw in a couple other diet components to keep track of. SUGAR – Not technically a macro, sugar is a type of Carb, along with fiber and starch. Think of sugar as the Black Widow…it looks and tastes good, but you don’t want too much of it because you just don’t know what it’s doing to you long term. WATER – Few training programs don’t have water as the staple of an ongoing regimen. The body does not function without it…however, it’s bland, not very exciting and you often wonder if it’s really necessary. It’s like Hawkeye…did the Avengers really need him?? You mean if Cap and Thor can’t get the job done, Hawkeye is going to carry the load?? Still, he added a certain sense of balance to the team, just like water does. ALCOHOL – Technically a macro, but as your body doesn’t need it to survive, often excluded from most macro lists. Think of it as the Scarlet Witch. You never really know what you’re going to get until your world is turned upside down and she drops a mountain on you. And like the Scarlet Witch, turns out to not be a hero at all in the end. Have any additions or comments? I’d love to hear them!
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Many people have asked me what I mean when I say, “cardioholic”. It’s simply a term I use on myself (and anyone else who wants to self-label), to describe the mentality I had for many years: the only way I could attain the physical fitness I wanted, was to spend hours in intense cardio, in conjunction with a very rigid diet regimen. If you’re at all like that, read on, because there is another way…
Now first, let me say that in no way is that meant to be a disparage cardio. I was a hard-core runner for years and a cyclist before that. There can be no doubt that the calorie burn from the level of cardio I was doing was substantial and, particularly running, unmatched by any other training form I’ve used. I was able to drop weight from a high of 225 pounds (6’2”, currently 54) to below 170, and had more energy than I ever had. As someone with an office job, I enjoyed being outside (I didn’t like the “dread mill” then, and like it less now!), the overall support that runners have for each other and the grime, sweat and toughness that road running provided. However, it had its drawbacks. Dogs. Dogs are a problem as a runner. Or more accurately, dog owners are a problem. At least the ones who don’t believe in leashes or that their dog is the exception to any community rules. Traffic is also an issue. Maybe before cellphones, drivers paid closer attention to their pedestrian neighbors, but it doesn’t seem to be the case any longer. Taking my life into my hands involving both issues took much of the fun out of running. Further, the injuries began to mount…knees, feet, legs, glutes, etc., the constant pounding began to really effect my overall fitness. Then I had THE INJURY and could no longer run. My diet went sideways (literally!) and my overall wellbeing went downhill. What was I to do? Cardio is all I knew? My wife and family had long used the gym as a supplement to their training and often during the winter months, it was the main training format for them. But I was a runner…how could I keep the fitness that I wanted without being able to run!?? Worse, I knew little about gym equipment, and couldn’t picture working out NEXT to people? And what about the gym rats, who had been lifting for a while…what was a now “skinny fat” runner going to look like trying to train next to them? I decided to start with something I knew. My wife is a trainer at a local gym and my family had been going there for some time. I have a basement gym that is pretty well equipped and have used that from time to time, so I decided I would mimic that when going to a public gym…that meant heavy use of the elliptical. It was similar to running and was cardio, so I thought I was on track. Incorrect. The elliptical doesn’t have half the cardio burn that running does and is nearly as boring as the treadmill. Further, THE INJURY didn’t seem to agree with the pressure that the elliptical continually put on my lower body. My weight continued skyward and my overall outlook on fitness grew pretty dismal. While I was in this mode, I was often watching music videos on YouTube, to pass the time on the elliptical. Being too cheap to pay for a subscription, I had to endure the advertising that goes on while loading each video, waiting impatiently for the Skip Ad button to arrive. One fateful morning however, I had an advert for a training program called VShred. Some guy running the thing, called Vince Sant (apparently his name, for the longest time, I thought he just went by his first name and pronounced it funny…Vinsant!), had a pitch that hit me right between the eyes. He said you could still eat the things you wanted (at times) and didn’t have to do hours long cardio and be in great shape. WHAT???!! There’s no way possible…or so I thought. Having no where to go but up, I signed up for his program and became a Gym Rat, following the workouts of the app. I was highly intimidated to use the Smith Machines, Cables, Dumbbells, etc., all equipment I had never used before, sticking right to the cardio. I decided though, that if I was going to become a Gym Rat, I would follow the program as instructed, so I couldn’t say it failed without at least trying my best. A funny thing happened on the way to failure, though…it didn’t. It happened slowly, in conjunction with a change in my diet to carb cycling, the weight dropped ever so frustratingly off of me. A pound here or there each week…but by the end of the first month and a couple nights of not being able to sleep, due to soreness, I started to notice the changes taking place. My waist started to fit better in my pants and my arms and chest slowly began to get some definition. Even crazier, I actually started liking going to the gym and didn’t really pay any attention to what was going on around me…sort of like the old running days when you would kind of go into the runner’s haze…I was just focused on the workout. I was amazed at how much more energy and focus I had and the lifting and training began to be easier and I continued to use heavier weights, but all in a controlled manner, as getting injured again was not in my itinerary. Nearly 5 months later, the converted cardioholic is now back down to a similar weight as when I was running, but have much more muscle and tone than heavy cardio and its constant muscle burn ever would have allowed. I enjoy the gym so much, I’m to the point of looking up and studying new lifts and training. Oh, and yes, I still do cardio…it’s called HIIT training, and it really kicks my…well, if you know, you know. Should you be a Gym Rat or a Cardioholic? I would say both have their benefits, but as my trainer wife always tells me, mix it up. If you’ve never ran outside, give it chance…the stress relief alone is worth it and your heart will thank you in the long run (pun intended). If you’ve never been to a gym? Well, give it try…if you stick with it, you’ll like how you look and how much stronger you feel. Now, if I could only find an advertisement on YouTube for how to make a million dollars in 4 months….;) Most of us have an ideal travel picture in our heads...something like the picture above. Or maybe, the Clark Griswold, pull out all the stops "Family Vacation". However, it seldom turns out like that...or maybe it's all too often exactly like that! Airline delays, traffic construction, rental car snags, hotel overbookings, quickly make whatever ideal you may have had seem all too quickly like a mirage. However, a bigger obstacle for a follower of fitness like I am, is the all too frequent struggle of staying on my regimen.
The first hurdle to get over is, where do I find a supply (read: grocery store) of goods for my macro needs? Depending on where you're at, this can be a difficult challenge. I'm fortunate to have great stores where I live, but whether going to the rural part of the country or the urban, that's not always true. In the northwoods, the local stores often have a small inventory, as they are usually seasonal. Do you have any grilling chicken? How does Tyson Chicken Nuggets sound?! What about trail mix? Chex mix. Usually you can find locally raised eggs, but the inventory often varies, as Mari Jo down the street beats you to them every morning. Or you can be in an urban area, but they are often big box stores (i.e. WalMart, etc.) and you start focusing on the expiration date on the packages, as they often look like they just fell off the truck before being put on the shelf. ADVICE: Try and do some serious research before going...finding a supply of your regimen basics is essential to staying on your plan and not bringing an extra 5 pounds of your vacation back with you! Second is the ongoing parade of eating out at restaurants. My daughter recently got married in an out of state wedding and one of the nights we went to a genuine Italian restaurant with the bridal party. Trying to find anything low carb or remotely macro friendly in an Italian place is like trying cotton ball in a blizzard! Making things worse, restaurants often place breads, chips, etc. on the table, so while you're hungry and trying desperately to find anything that meets the IIFYM lifestyle, you have to gnaw on your elbow to keep away from the breadsticks drizzled with garlic butter. ADVICE: Always try and look up the menu at the restaurant you're going to, so that you know in advance what options you have. If nothing really works for your plan, you can always pack a little meal prep to have in the vehicle before and/or after the dinner, to tide you over. And then there is the family...remember the family vacation you planned to enjoy so much? Well, often times these people have much different views on eating than you, the "fitness freak". The constant snacking on Doritos, ice cream and corn dog devouring, spaghetti dinners and Mom's favorite cheesecake recipe are likely to be a riptide to your macronutrient ocean, pulling you out and away from the hard work and dedication you've managed up until this point. The pizza and alcohol bonanza may become so ongoing, that you don't want to leave your room, other than for the gym to find some solace. ADVICE: Plan in advance for the differences you're likely to experience in eating habits. If possible, bring as much of your "go to" snacks with you, to keep any temptations down. Take walks and other outdoor activities when the "munch a bunch" is going on. Likely, you were once like "they" are, so realize how far you've come and take some pride in your changes in lifestyle. And lastly, realize they're your family and they love you and you them and a few days of putting up with eating differences isn't really that big of a deal. Re-reading this, it's seems obvious that, as with all traveling, planning in advance for your training diet needs is essential. Be as preemptive as possible, but always remember that you're traveling for a reason and try and enjoy the sights, sounds and fun to be had. Or be like me, and be happy when you're home again.;) |
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AuthorRich Spalding, CPA, former die hard runner, newborn gym rat, and laugher of his own jokes. ArchivesCategories |