Healthy Living in Connecticut Blog

The other day, I wrote about my team in the latest challenge I'm doing for the Northwest CT YMCA. Part of the requirements of the challenge is strength training. Many people do not get adequate protein, but body builders especially need extra protein in order to build lean muscle. Also, if someone doesn't have enough protein, they could lose some of the muscle they already have.

It's difficult to find the right balance of protein that you need. I've seen so many different guidelines but I'm listening to what my trainer advises, which is one gram of protein per pound of weight. Oftentimes, this means having a supplemental protein shake as it would be difficult to get enough protein from food alone.

My suspicions were confirmed.  My jumpstart weight-loss had stalled.  Why? Stupidity on my part. As much as I thought I was following my program I inadvertently introduced elements that were different and it has put a bump in the road. 

Zero Calorie does not equal zero Carbs

I am following a low carb food strategy and I started using Truvia sweetener.  Truvia carries 3g of carbs per packet. Shame on me for assuming it was carb free as other sweeteners I had used in times past.  Truvia IS the healthy way to go... but for now I will hold off on using it until the maintenance phase of the diet.  Since I drink Green tea like a fiend, I was consuming about 35-45 grams of carbs per day alone with Truvia.  That is what I believe is causing the the jumpstart weight-loss to stall.  For the jumpstart program to work, I need to consume next to 55-75 grams of carbs per day for 8 days... (And yes it is not that fun... remember, jumpstarts for any type of diet plan, are to be tolerated... anyone selling "fun" is trying to sell you product, I'd say to save your money.) The rest of the intake is an overload of protein, minimal fats, appropriate amount of salt and a whole lot of water.

The challenge is over after tonight, but I am so glad I participated in it! Although I'm not staying vegan for the moment, I do plan to try it again. More on that later. First I wanted to discuss my diet during the challenge.

I wanted to focus on quality food, nutrient rich and good sources of protein. I planned the foods I would eat before I started the challenge.

Anyone up to the challenge or at the very least investigating the different methods of losing weight know well that there are hundreds of different diets and variations.  High protein, high carb, low carb, balanced, Mediterranean, pills, points systems, calorie counting, see food diet (wait that one makes you gain weight)... the list goes on and on.

Today, I'd like to think people are more health savvy and realize that diets do not really work for the long term goals of living a healthy life. It takes a lifestyle change. What does that really mean?  "Lifestyle change" sounds so scary and burdensome!  It really isn't.  Only your brains addiction to sugar makes you feel that way.

My personal trainer likes to mix up the work out every few weeks. This week, he has me using the free weights, which is more challenging than using the Cybex Smith Machine.

All the exercises are done on a weight bench. I'm doing exercises for all the muscle groups. The most challenging one for me was where I had to step up to the bench while holding onto weights. You have to make sure you have the proper balance for this exercise. I did this exercise before and it always had me confused. He taught me how to do it properly and I think I'll do better on this one than I did in the past.