Monthly Archives: March 2011

Conquering Hills

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Time is flying by! We are already halfway through Week 10 of P90X and have only 2 ½ weeks until our next half marathon. We are running the La Jolla Half Marathon on April 17. The La Jolla half is part of the San Diego Triple Crown. When a runner completes the Carlsbad Half (January), La Jolla Half (April) and the America’s Finest City Half (August), they are awarded an extra medal and recognition for completing the Triple Crown. In addition to running La Jolla in order to obtain the Triple Crown distinction, I also want to run a half marathon as part of my full marathon training.

The La Jolla Half Marathon

 

La Jolla Half Marathon Elevation

 

The La Jolla Half Marathon is the most hilly half marathon course in San Diego. If you Google “most difficult half marathon in San Diego,” the La Jolla half magically appears as the first search result. Above is an image of the elevation of the course. It begins at the Del Mar racetrack/fairgrounds and ends in La Jolla Cove. There is a 80 foot hill at mile 1.5, a 190 foot hill beginning at mile 3, a massive 420 foot hill (Torrey Pines hill – which is actually a hill that people hike up normally) at mile 6 (which doesn’t end until mile 7.5), and finally, a 150 foot hill to give you a swift kick in the ear at mile 12.5. At least the finish is downhill!

My Not so Friendly History with Hills

Historically, I hate hills. Let’s be honest, they are hard. Not only do I end up extra winded and my legs are burning, but my pace up the hill is an incredibly disheartening 1-3 minutes/mile slower than my pace on a flat surface. I’ve never had a desire to attempt to run up a hill until I started training for the AFC half marathon last summer. The half starts with a nice gradual decline but at about mile 11 or so, you must run up a pretty significant hill for at least a mile and a half  in order to finish. Last year this hill deterred me from finishing under my goal time of 2 hours. I was right on track at a 9:10 pace until I hit the hill and my average pace crept up to a 9:19. Fail.

In preparation for AFC, my friend Asia and I ran up Mt. Soledad, a large hill with a similar grade to the La Jolla half. We also ran the actual hill that was in the race a few times. However, we didn’t get in nearly enough hill runs to make the difference.

Running Torrey Pines for “Fun”

 

View from the top of Torrey Pines

 

Luckily, with the help of P90X, my legs are much stronger than they were last summer and my VO2max is higher, meaning that I can run faster up hills despite not actually suffering through them very often. In mid-February we ran up Torrey Pines hill once and I’ve incorporated some rolling hills into my mid-week runs. Most of my group runs with VAVI are in Mission Beach and are perfectly flat. Nice for long runs, but not good for training for the mother of all half marathons.

So, last night Mike and I decided to skip our Tuesday night run with VAVI and run up Torrey Pines (the park closes at sunset so before the time change we couldn’t actually make it there after work to practice). We decided that since our running schedule dictated a 6 mile run, that we would run up Torrey Pines two times. The steepest part of the hill ends about 0.8 miles up, so it’s really that beginning push that is particularly miserable. Once you hit 0.8, the road still inclines, but more gradually for the remaining 0.7 miles. I made it up to the 1.5 mile turnaround at an average pace of 10:30, which I was pretty proud of considering how steep that bad boy is. The way back down was a breeze – we ran at a pretty steady 8 – 8:45 pace, depending on the incline. By the time we had reached the bottom, my average pace had gone down to 9:45 or so. Round 2 up the hill was even more successful. After I met up with Mike again after the very steep part, I kept pace with him, running at about an 8:45 pace up the last incline. On the way down, I finished strong with a 7:45 or so pace, completing the entire 6 miles at an average pace of 9:21.

This run made me feel SO confident. The last two runs I’ve had have really proved to me that I have gotten so much stronger and that I do have potential for running the La Jolla half at a great pace, potentially setting a new PR. We plan to run the same route next Tuesday in lieu of the group run. Despite the pretty intense 1.5 miles up, the 1.5 mile run down is absolutely breathtaking and quite enjoyable – the nature reserve overlooks the gorgeous ocean, and last night it was illuminated by the setting sun.

I started writing this blog post with the intention of writing about the benefits of hill training, but I think I’ll save that for a later entry. Apparently I have more beef with hills than I previously thought; but perhaps my run last night gave us some common ground to work with!

Decoding Post-Workout Recovery Nutrition

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The more I read about training and hear the doctor on the infomercial at the end of several of my P90X workouts, the more I have been hearing of the importance of the fueling your body with the proper post-workout nutrition within 30-60 minutes of an intense workout. Mike and I tend to do P90X in the mornings and run at night (or Saturday mornings for long runs). For morning workouts, we typically eat breakfast (this used to be high protein but now it’s high carbs since we are in Phase 3) about 30 minutes post-workout  and then we make our delicious recovery drink for the road to work. Lately I’ve been realizing that I’m not getting my recovery drink until about 1 hr -1 hr 15 minutes post-workout since obviously I have to go through my morning routine before I get in the car.  I really enjoy having my shake after my breakfast, rather than right after the workout, but I’m also wondering if I’m diminishing the return I’m getting on that shake by eating it over an hour after my workout. I decided to do some research on post-workout replenishment and share it with you.

The Magical 1 Hour Window

The abundant opinion in the body building and endurance athletics world is that there is a key window of time post-workout where the muscles are primed and ready to accept nutrients to both help build muscle and reduce fatigue and soreness. The length of this window, however, is debatable. It is typical to hear of a 30 – 60 minute window. It seems, however, that this window is particularly useful for glycogen replenishment (related to endurance training), not necessarily for muscle building. When strength training, the body has a larger window to work with when it comes to glycogen replacement, as glycogen isn’t as depleted and isn’t as critical in weight training as it is in endurance training. According to an article I found on t-nation.com, “Comparing research that used drinks consumed immediately after a workout (Tipton et al., 2001) versus those ingested an hour after training (Rasmussen et al., 2000), the results are surprising: it seems that post workout meal ingestion actually results in 30% lower protein synthesis rates than when we wait!” The article even states that the window for post-workout nutrition is actually 24 hours.  So it seems that it’s actually better to wait a little while after a weight lifting workout to ingest post-workout miracle shakes than grabbing one as soon as you put down your last set of weights.

All research I found related to endurance training, (and running specifically) indicates that post-run nutrition for runs over 60 minutes is critical. It seems that the consensus is that the ratio of carbs to protein of 4:1 is ideal. For runs under 60 minutes, this ratio is less important, but the snack or meal should contain both carbs and protein. Usually I hear that same 30-60 minute window  as well, but a study I found in thesportsjournal.org (which sounds pretty legit) indicates a 2 hour window. “There also appears to be a two-hour optimal window immediately after the cessation of exercise for the administration of carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates appear to be the preferred replacement during this replenishment period. Normally, 2% of glycogen is resynthesized per hour after the initial 2 hours immediately after exercise. With administration of 50 grams of carbohydrate every 2 hours, the rate rose to 5% per hour, but did not rise when additional carbohydrate was administered. Administration of .7grams per kg body weight every two hours is another strategy that appears to maximize the rate of glycogen resynthesis. There is also some evidence that even smaller loads (28 grams every 15 minutes) may induce even greater repletion rates.”

Breakfast followed by recovery OR recovery drink and then breakfast?

So based on my research, drinking my recovery drink about 1 hour post-workout is ok and I could even stretch it to 2 hours. But what about the fact that the first thing to hit my lips post-workout is actually my breakfast (which is carb-loaded, protein-less oatmeal) rather than the perfect ratio of carbs-to-protein recovery drink? After a lot of research, it was very difficult to find an answer to this question so I posted the question to the Twitter world. Immediately a BeachBody coach replied that  I should have the recovery drink right after workout. I also asked a friend who has trained for fitness competitions and she said it makes more sense to have the recovery drink before breakfast, since it has the right ratio of protein to carbs.  So now I’m more confused than ever. I found a Beachbody chat forum (questions asked by P90X and other fitness program users to Beachbody coaches), that responded to a similar question this way: “[take your recovery drink immediately after workout] unless you’re eating a meal after your workout. Then do the meal 1 hour after your workout, and then the shake whenever after that.” So many conflicting opinions! Based on my instinct, I’d say that I should take the recovery drink first and then eat breakfast, but I like doing it the other way around. Now does it really matter? I’m not so sure it will even make a difference as long as I’m fueling my body with healthy food. 

Best Strategy for Hard Endurance Training

According to Dr. John Berardi (Ph.D. in Exercise and Nutritional Biochemistry), his best strategy for hard training endurance athletes is to double up on the post-workout recovery drink. He has the endurance athletes that he trains take two post exercise recovery drinks, one immediately after training and one an hour later. John says “My research has shown that this strategy (especially with the inclusion of the protein) can improve muscle glycogen recovery by 22% when compared to carbohydrate only ingestion. But even more importantly, when endurance athletes come back to exercise on the same day, they perform over twice as well when protein and carbohydrate drinks are ingested when compared to when carbohydrate only drinks are ingested or food meals are eaten later in recovery.”

Seems that the PHD thinks you should have your shake immediately afterward. I think I’m going to give that a try and see if I can tell a difference!

References:

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_nutrition/the_top_10_post_workout_nutrition_myths

http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/laywindownon.pdf

http://www.topendsports.com/nutrition/simplesteps.htm

Week 9 of P90X – Big Gains & a Fast Run!

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We’re just finishing up Week 1 of Phase 3 (that’s week 9 of 13 total) and I must say I’m feeling great. They say that you really see results during Phase 3 and we definitely agree! I reported in my post on Phase 2 results that I had only lost another .6 lbs but a day later I was down another 2 for a total weight loss of 11 lbs!

We did Chest and Back and Shoulders & Arms on Tuesday and Thursday respectively, for the first time since Week 3. It was incredible to see the gains we made!

Chest and Back Gains from Phase 1

Chest and Back was the workout that I saw the most progress. I actually felt that this workout was harder than Week 1 now because I could actually do all of the moves. During Week 3, I recorded 5 push-ups on my feet and 15 on my knees during the first exercise, which is Standard Push-Ups. During Week 9, I was able to do 22 push-ups on my feet!!  Other significant accomplishments include doing 8 Diamond Pushups on my feet before going to my knees as well as doing 12 Dive-Bomber Pushups (which I couldn’t do at all during Week 1). As for pull-ups, I’m still only able to do about ¾ of one. I’m hoping I may be able to do a chin-up tomorrow during Legs & Back since pull-ups are easier on the days that you don’t work your upper-body.

Shoulder & Arms Gains from Phase 1

I also noticed a big change during Shoulders and Arms. During Phase 1 I used mostly 8s, 10s and sometimes 12s for most exercises, but during Phase 3 I was able to curl mostly 12s and 15s and 10s and and 12s for shoulder and tricep exercises. The biggest change that I saw was that I was able to do 20 Side-Tri Rises as compared to 13 during Week 3!

Running Speed

This week was “recovery” week for my running group. Unfortunately it doesn’t coincide with P90X’s recovery week but I think it worked out well. Last week we recovered from weight training and this week we recovered from hard runs. I try to get in 3 runs a week – 2 mid-week runs of 5-6 miles and then the group long run on Saturday. However, this week I only got in a 6 mile run on Tuesday (we intended to run on Thursday but the San Diego State game was on and although we didn’t go there, we are loyal San Diegans and had to watch!).

Since I don’t like to feel like a slacker, Asia (my running buddy and fellow P90X grad) and I decided we would try to run the 8.5 mile long run today at a hard pace. We decided that we’d try to average a 8:59 pace, so that we could claim that we have run a long run in the 8s. We started off VERY fast, at about a 8:35 pace for the first three miles. WE took a GU at mile 3.5 since that was where the aid station was set up and then slowed down a bit. However, we came in at the end sprinting, and finished with an average pace of 8:51 minutes/mile!

 This is a huge accomplishment for me, since my goal for so long was to break 2 hours during my half marathon (a 9:10 pace). I finally achieved that goal in January (barely with a 9:05/pace) so running at ease (we talked nearly the whole way) at 8:51 for 8 ½ miles was very encouraging. Part of me starts setting my sights on PRing again in my next half marathon, but a big part of me has doubts since it is VERY hilly and considered the most difficult course in San Diego. We’ll see. I’m not going to put too much pressure on myself to PR since my real goal is to finish the marathon, not to PR at La Jolla. If anything, I can PR for the America’s Finest City half marathon which I just signed up for. This one takes place in August and is the third race in the San Diego
Triple Crown. This is also the same race that I tried to break 2 hours at last year and failed (2:01:59!) when I hit the hill at mile 12.

Just Keep Pushing Play

I can’t believe how far we’ve come in just 9 weeks. I feel SO much stronger, I run faster, I look better….it’s truly incredible! I have worked out consistently for the majority of my life and have never seen results like I’ve had with P90X. We are in the home stretch now with 4 weeks to go and I am excited to see how my body changes even more over those 4 weeks!  Until then, we’ll keep pushing play (and keep hitting the road for those runs)!

Marathons: Who Runs Them and Why?

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When I started training for my first half marathon in the Fall of 2008, someone somewhere that I can’t remember told me the meaning behind that seemingly random 26.2 mile distance. I’ve always retold the story with enough candor to deter any specific questions that show my lack of actual knowledge on the topic and every time I retell it, I remind myself to research it again when I get home. Well, this time I finally remembered and decided it would make a fantastic blog topic, along with some other interesting facts about marathons.

The Legend of the Marathon

 

Thanks to Wikipedia.org, I now know that the origin of the marathon comes from the legend of Pheidippides, a Greek messenger. P, as we will call him, was battling in Marathon, Greece, when he was commanded to run to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of the Marathon. Now apparently P was either pompous of just naïve, because he ran the entire 26.2 miles to Athens without stopping. He ran into the assembly and shouted “What have won!” (in his native tongue obviously). Unfortunately, P’s enthusiasm over his victory was short lived as he fell dead on the spot.

Consistent with the competitive human nature of man, this legend inspired others to prove they could run the same distance without dying.

The Birth of the Marathon Race

The first man to decide to organize a 26.2 mile race was Michael Breal, who wanted to include it in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The winner of the first Olympic Marathon, on April 10, 1896 was Spiridon Louis, a Greek water-carrier. His time? 2 hours 58 minutes and 50 seconds. The current world record for the marathon is 2 hours 3 minutes and 59 seconds (faster than I ran my first half marathon). It was set in the Berlin Marathon by Haile Gerbselassie of Ethiopia. I’ll do the math for you – that’s a 4:44 minute mile pace! I doubt that most Americans can run ½ a mile in 4:44.  To put that into perspective, I hope to finish my first marathon under 4 hours 30 minutes (although based on my half marathon time it is estimated that I’ll finish in 4:09:01, but I’m not putting any pressure on myself!). Conclusion: those Ethiopians are FAST!

Unfortunately, the women’s marathon wasn’t introduced as a female sporting event until the 1984 Summer Olympics. It was won by Joan Benoit from the US with a time of 2 hours 24 minutes and 52 second.

Since the race was incorporated into the Olympics, it has been a tradition for the men’s race to be the very last event on the athletics calendar, with a finish inside the Olympic Stadium, often within hours, or incorporated into, the closing ceremonies.

The Modern Marathon

 

Rock n Roll Marathon Series

Most people don’t run a marathon to win. Like me, most people run just to prove to themselves that they can actually do it. Or maybe they do it because they are masochists. Sometimes when I’m running a particularly difficult course or my legs feel very heavy, I wonder if I enjoy self-torture.

Well apparently I’m not alone, because there are over 500 marathons held each year. The most popular distance for novice or casual runners is the half marathon, 13.1 miles. Many people decide to run their first half marathon with the intent of it being their last, but become addicted and want to run one again to see how fast they can go! I was one of those people, and now I’m obsessed with “PRing” as they call it (achieving a personal record). Although full marathons are less popular, many people train very hard to run a full marathon in order to qualify for a coveted spot in the Boston Marathon. Currently, the qualifying time for a woman in my age group for Boston is 3:40:59. Mike, a 30 year old male, would have to run 26.2 miles in 3:10:59 to qualify! At this point I’m hoping to just finish my first marathon and have no plans to race one again. These can be famous last words – I said that about my first half marathon as well.

The “Typical” Marathon Runner

In the U.S. the average marathon finishing time for a woman is 5 hours 6 minutes and 8 seconds. According to marathonguide.com, in 2009 nearly 468,000 marathon finishing times were recorded and 59.6% of finishers were men, and 40.4% were women. The average age of a marathon runner is 38.7 years old (40.2 for men, 36.5 for women). It’s never too late to start training for your first race! The fastest age group that runs a marathon is men aged 40-44. This is consistent with several theories that the more years of running behind your belt, the faster you run. Women runners are fastest between ages 35-39, which is consistent with my prior knowledge that the body learns to run more efficiently and therefore it’s easier to run faster. The average marathon time for a woman finishing in my age group (25-29) is 4:45:54.

Marathon races are held in every state and in every month of the year. The majority of races are held run in May and October; whereas the least number of races are run in August, July and February. One of the most popular marathon race series is the Rock n Roll marathon race series (I am running in the San Diego race in June). These races are HUGE. 10,650 people finished the 2010 San Diego Rock n Roll marathon (and several more thousand started but never crossed the finish line).

Most recently, a different type of world record was set. At the LA marathon last weekend, a 400 lb man crossed the finish line after 9 hours 48 minutes and 52 seconds of walk/running. The course had already been shut down (they can’t shut down the streets all day), but it still counts as a world record!

Although in active and fit San Diego it is not rare to hear of a friend training for a half marathon, only 1% of Americans will ever run a full marathon in their lifetime. I’m looking forward to joining this very exclusive club!
References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon

www.marathonguide.com

www.marathon-finder.com (my favorite marathon search website)

P90X Phase 2 Results

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We are finishing Phase 2 (Day 54!) and although I didn’t see a dramatic drop in the scale, I am very happy with the physical changes I’m seeing and my increase in strength, flexibility and running speed.  First I’ll explain the changes I’m seeing in these areas and then I’ll post both Mike and my measurement changes.

Yes that's a P90X-shunned beer in my hand!

Physical Appearance: My arms, shoulders and back are definitely more toned. We went out for Mike’s 30th birthday on Thursday and I wore a tank top for the first time in months (even San Diego is freezing in the winter) and felt great! Above is a picture of us on Mike’s birthday, which happens to also be St. Patrick’s day. As for my legs, when I touch them, they feel MUCH harder. Although I haven’t lost any inches on my legs, I definitely can tell that they are more muscular. My stomach is very flat and I can even see a four-pack starting to develop!

Strength: I can see a big difference in my strength. I am able to nearly do a chin-up. I’m SO close! I’m hoping it will happen in the next week (I wasn’t able to even barely able to do 1/6 of one before). Also, during the fit test I could only do 10 push-ups on my feet and during Core Synergistics on Monday I was able to do NINETEEN one legged, staggered hand push-ups (which are arguably harder than regular ones). I’m guessing I can do over 20 regular push-ups now. Also, I have started adding curling 15s for some of the sets of bicep curls, although I mostly use 12s. I was able to do 30 curls with 10 lb weights in the fit test and now I can easily do that with 12s! During Ab Ripper, I finish nearly all of the sets with good form. I’m still getting stuck on the oblique v-ups, but I always finish all of the mason-twists, including the bonus.

Flexibility: I can tell a big difference in my flexibility and strength during yoga, namely. Yesterday we performed our last workout in Phase 2, Yoga X and I noticed big changes. I was able to put my hand flat on the ground during triangle and twisting triangle, which was difficult for me before. I even was able to grab my wrists during the Right Angle pose (I was able to just grab my hands before).  I was very happy to be able to hold the Crow pose for the entire minute with only one tiny toe touch. I was able to hold the Wheel pose (a back bend) for the entire 1 minute 5 seconds AND I did the optional 1 leg kicks. I could also perform Plow with perfectly straight legs. And to finish, I swear I could put one of those yoga blocks against my foot and grab it during the one-legged sitting stretch at the end, if only I had one to try it with!

Running Improvements: My “easy” pace has gotten faster. On Saturday we ran 12 miles at a 9:35 min/mile pace and sprinted to the finish, feeling great. I looked back at my logs for my prior races (one in August 2010, one from January 2011) and both times I ran 12 miles, I ran with a friend at slightly over a 10 min/mile pace. I also ran six miles the week before last at under a 9 min/mile pace. On occasion my legs feel heavy due to a particularly difficult P90X workout (ie Legs and Back or Plyometrics) but overall, running at a 9:30/pace or faster comes easily.

Measurements:

Nicole’s Measurement Changes Since Day 1 (changes from phase 1 to 2  in parenthesis)

Weight:  -8.6 lbs (-0.6 lbs)

Chest: -1.75 inches (-0.5 inches)

Waist: -1.75 inches (0 inches)

Hips:  -0.75 inches (-0.75 inches)

Right Thigh: –1 inch (0 inches)

Left Thigh: 0 inches (0 inches)

Right Bicep: 0 inches (0 inches)

Left Bicep: +0.25 inches (+0.25 inches)

Mike’s Phase 2 Measurement Changes Since Day 1 (changes from phase 1 to 2 in parenthesis)

Weight: -5.2 lbs (-2.5 lbs)

Chest:  +0.5 inches (-.05 inches)

Waist: -3.5 inches (-1.75 inches) (WOW!)

Hips: -1.5 inches (-0.5 inches)

Right Thigh: 0 inches (-1 inches)

Left Thigh: +0.5 inches (-1 inches)

Right Bicep: +0.25 inches (-.25 inches)

Left Bicep: -0.25 inches (-0.5 inches)

Reflection:

Phase 2 was definitely harder than Phase 1 workout wise (both because the strength training workouts were harder and because I ran three times a week), but Phase 1 was much more difficult food-wise. The 2nd carb in Phase 2 was a life saver. Also during Phase 2 I allowed myself a few more calories on some days because I was literally starving when I tried to stay around 1,800. We also had more cheat meals during Phase 2 (you can read about those in my last blog entry).

As for Mike’s results – we were shocked that he lost 3.5 inches on his waist! I knew that he was slimming down (not that he needed to) but I didn’t realize how much! I’m actually thinking that he may need more calories to help build more muscle rather than lose more fat. He’s already eating over 3,000 but we may need to up it a bit.

As for me, I’m pleased with Phase 2 results, although I am really ready to ramp it up for Phase 3. Although it’d be nice to have seen the scale move down a little more, I know that I lost fat during Phase 2 and replaced it with muscle. We only have 5 weeks to go until we’re P90X graduates and I plan to BRING IT hard until then!

P90X Nutrition Plan: To Cheat or not to Cheat?

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Don't

We are finishing Phase 2 of P90X and have faced some challenges with the P90X nutrition plan during the last few weeks. Generally, we follow the plan fairly well – although I tend to eat more fruits and vegetables (ok and frozen yogurt) than prescribed and sometimes an extra carb on running days.

Cheat Temptations

This past week my boyfriend Mike and I were faced with a few nutrition challenges: Mike’s mom’s birthday dinner, an engagement/housewarming party, a work potluck (for me), and Mike’s 30th birthday.  During Phase 1, we were faced with a variety of events such as these, but we stuck to our guns and avoided cheating. The only cheat meal we had during the first 4 weeks of P90X was a three course meal on Valentine’s Day.

Cheating to the Extreme

Last Saturday we had breakfast out at a restaurant with no P90X friendly options, the engagement party AND Mike’s mom’s birthday dinner. I had three glasses of wine at the party and then another at dinner, plus a bread, brie, steak, mac & cheese, and half a slice of mud-pie. Diet suicide! Despite running 10 miles that morning,  I felt terrible the next day – I was wracked with guilt about what I possibly did to destroy the results I have worked so hard for. I ended up adding in a 2nd work out on top of Legs & Back on Sunday ( I tried P90X Plus’s Kenpo + workout) to make up for it, but I doubt it put a dent in the calorie count I racked up on Saturday.

Cheating in Moderation

This past Thursday was both St. Patrick’s Day and Mike’s 30th. My office loves to have potlucks, so of course we had one to celebrate the holiday. I was able to escape this calorie-fest fairly unscathed by making good choices and avoiding dessert. And again, we were good that evening by having turkey burgers on whole wheat from our favorite health food restaurant. To celebrate his birthday, we had several friends over and we enjoyed a few beers plus a large slice of birthdaycake. The next day, we went to our favorite sandwich shop and had our favorite, very non-P90X friendly, sandwiches to reward ourselves for skydiving (yes, we sky dove for the first time in honor of his 30th birthday!).

Basically, we semi-fell off the wagon this week. The difference between the two cheats was that these past few days we used exercised a fair amount of moderation as compared to last Saturday I felt like I lost control and ended up feeling very guilty about it!

With all this cheating going on, we found that it was even easier to make justifications. Mike and I decided that we needed to set boundaries for our “cheat meals.” We agree that they are an allowable and healthy part of any nutrition program, but we also know that they can have a snowball effect (what’s a diet soda with lunch if we had four beers last night!?) With that, I decided to do some research on how often the experts recommend we cheat.

Expert Advice on the Benefits of Cheating        

Many articles that I found encouraged one cheat meal per week. There are several reasons to cheat:

1)      Psychological Benefits. Although sticking to a diet like P90X doesn’t leave me unsatisfied in general and I enjoy the foods I am consuming, sometimes it’s exhausting to plan and prepare all my meals. Sometimes it’s nice just go to a party and feel like a “normal” person and drink a couple of glasses of wine and have some cheese and crackers. Plus, it’s not always fun to explain to everyone at a party that you’re not eating because you’re following a strict diet plan. I’m not saying you should use every social event as an excuse to cheat, but it’s helpful to plan your cheat meals around social events.

2)      It may actually help you lose more weight. Ok this one sounds kinda crazy, but in moderation, cheat meals can actually “trick” your body into burning more calories. The theory behind this is that if you consistently eat the same number of calories (1,800 -2,000 a day for me), then your metabolism actually changes to burn that many calories. So if you occasionally throw in a trick day where you eat over this (the key is not to eat more than 500 extra calories), then your body won’t be able to get used to the lower calorie intake, and you will continue to lose fat. It’s kind of like the work-out plateau effect that the whole P90X system is built on – you want to beat diet plateaus by changing up your eating habits.

3)      Cheat meals prevent binges. Perhaps I waited too long to have a cheat meal before last Saturday, because I definitely fell way off the wagon (could have been the alcohol too).  Having one cheat meal a week can mentally get you through dieting because you know that you have a delicious meal coming up and you know you can wait for it. Also, if you completely deprive yourself of everything you love, you are more likely to fall off the wagon and eat it all in one day!

How to Safely Cheat:

1)      Consume no more than 500 extra calories in the particular meal. I typically eat about 600 calories at dinner, so a cheat meal for me shouldn’t be more than 1,100.

2)      Don’t go to your cheat meal starving – this will lead to overeating! Be sure to have a light snack before the meal, or if attending a party with appetizers and dessert only, eat a healthy, light meal before you get there.

3)      Plan cheats around social events or obligations. These are the most tempting of all times on a diet, so it’s easiest to plan your cheats around them. Don’t waste a cheat night on a random Friday night at home when you are craving pizza (although when you do cheat, make sure it’s something you love so it’s worth it!)

4)      Don’t cheat all day. Although under eating the rest of the day can lead to overeating, be sure to not overdo it during other meals during the day. Make healthier choices for your other meals so that you have a few extra calories to spare at your meal or party.

5)      Bring your own snacks. When you know you will be tempted all day (ie your family goes to Disneyland or you are out of town on business), pack easily portable baggies of almonds, apples, oranges, and/or protein bars. This way you can have a small hamburger for lunch and know that afterward you can fill up with a protein bar rather than ordering the fries to go with your hamburger.

Lesson learned

Mike and I will be incorporating one cheat meal every 1-2 weeks! No more cheat days and no more excuses. We are entering Phase 3 and we are ready to BRING IT!

Pull-Ups For Women

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One of the reasons why women tend to veer toward the “lean” version of P90X is that they are afraid of all those push-ups and pull-ups. Namely, the pull-ups that most women can’t even do (lifting your entire body  And once we can do ONE we’re nearly finished with P90X and it seems that the most I’ve ever known a woman to do is three (with the exception of the German from Chest & Back and the world-famous Drea Webber of course).  Sometimes mid-chair-assisted pull-up I want to just give up. What’s the point? How often do you hear a guy say “Check out that girl’s back? So hot!” After thinking this over, I decided to do some research on why pull-ups are beneficial to women.

  1. They burn fat. As women, that’s the main reason we work out isn’t it? Well luckily, pull-ups work more than just your back – they work your back, biceps, forearms, and abdominals simultaneously. Any exercise that works more than one muscle group also burns more calories and torches more fat. My heart rate gets very high when I’m really going after some pull-ups or chin-ups, which is a very good sign that I’m burning calories. It really gets going when I try to do them unassisted, probably because you really can’t half-ass those!
  2.  Improve your posture. The main back muscles worked during a pull-up are the latissimus dorsi, teres major, rotator cuff and rhomboids – fancy names for the muscles that keep your back strong. The stronger the back, the easier it will be for you to sit up straight at your computer all day long. Improved posture can reduce back pain as well as make your body appear longer and slimmer.
  3.  They are the most efficient method for building back strength. Although there are a variety of weight-machines and free weight exercises that will help build a strong back, no work-out is as efficient as the pull-up. You have to lift your entire body during a pull-up; how often can you find weights to lift that weigh as much as you do?
  4. Strong backs are sexy. You aren’t going to build a massive, muscle man-back when you do pull-ups. Rather, you will build a very lean, muscular looking back that looks great in dresses and tank tops. Remember, muscle is more dense than fat – so by building back muscle and reducing back fat, you are only going to get slimmer, not bigger.
  5. Your womanly strength can deter unwanted attention from creepy men. Ok this one I added in for fun. During my research I came across this article on Associated Content that stated “Imagine you’re on a bus and you notice a creepy looking man staring at you. Here’s how to scare the pants off him and make him stop: You know that bar that goes across the top of the bus that people hang onto? Meet the man’s eyes, place your hands on the bar, and hang, while continuing to stare at him. Then start doing pull-ups. His eyes will pop out and he will stop bothering you.” Now that is creepy.

Random fact:

Monkeys and apes that climb trees for a living work with their own bodyweight. They don’t lift weights or use machines. And so, is it any wonder that a 60 pound chimpanzee has 3x the strength of an athletic male – While a gorilla has the strength of 10 Olympic weight lifters? (squidoo.com).

P90X Phase 2 Recipes

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We follow the portion approach to P90X and therefore I create my own recipes for our meals.  Although we eat pretty basic breakfast and lunches, we go big at dinner. Here are some of our favorite recipes that are Phase 2 safe (and also can be used for Phase 1 as well). All recipes are for two people – Level 1 and Level 3.

Salmon with Mango Salsa & Mushroom & Spinach Quinoa

 
 

Salmon & Quinoa

 

For the Salmon:

  • 18 ounces fresh salmon
  •  ¾ cup tomato, ¾ cup cucumber, 1 ripe mango
  • 1 lemon
  • Salt

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Cut lemon in half and squeeze ½ lemon over the salmon and sprinkled with salt. Cook salmon, uncovered, in a baking pan for 15 minutes/pound (for 18 ounces, 20 minutes) or until the center is fully cooked (check with a fork).

Meanwhile, chop tomato, cucumber and mango and combine in a bowl. Squeeze the remaining lemon over the mixture (to taste). When finished, cover the salmon with the mixture.

For the Spinach Quinoa:

  • ½ cup dry organic quinoa
  • ½ tbsp olive oil
  • ½ cup chopped mushrooms & ½ cup chopped onion
  • Italian seasoning & salt
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 cup organic chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
  • 2 cups fresh spinach leaves

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet and add onions, mushrooms, garlic seasoned with Italian seasoning and salt. Sauté until vegetables are soft. Add ½ cup quinoa and sauté until it begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat and simmer for 13 minutes. Stir in spinach and continue cooking until spinach is cooked and broth has fully been absorbed. Serving size = 1 cup/person.

Meanwhile, steam asparagus for 10 minutes and serve with quinoa and salmon.

Portions: Salmon – 2 protein (6 oz, Level 1) or 4 protein (12 oz, Level 3), ½ fruit, ½ vegetable; Quinoa – 1 carbohydrate, 1 vegetable, ½ fat; Asparagus – 1 vegetable.

Calories: ~725 (salmon has 150 calories/3 oz) Level 1, ~1,025 Level 3.

Mediterranean Chicken Pitas with Goat Cheese Salad

 
 

Mediterranean Chicken Pitas

 

  • 18 ounces chicken (6 for Level , 12 for Level 2)
  • Italian seasoning & salt
  • Whole wheat pita pockets (ours have 160 calories/pita)
  • Sliced cucumber, red peppers, red onion, tomato (as much as you prefer)
  • ½  oz feta cheese (70 calories/ounce)
  • ½ oz goat cheese (70 calories/ounce)
  • 4 tbsp Trader Joe’s Tzatziki Sauce (15 calories/tbsp)
  • 2 tbsp Trader Joe’s fat free balsamic vinaigrette (25 calories/2 tbsp)
  • Mixed greens

Coat chicken in Italian seasoning and sprinkle with salt and cook over medium heat until fully cooked. Meanwhile, prepare salad by mixing greens with ¾ vegetables and goat cheese. Toss with the balsamic vinaigrette. Once the chicken is ready, serve in the pita (2 pitas for Level 3) with feta, tzatziki sauce, and remaining vegetables.

Portions:  2 protein or 4 protein (Levels 1 and 3), ¾ carbohydrate or 1.5 carbohydrate (Levels 1 and 3), 3/4 dairy, 1 condiment, 2 vegetable.

Calories: ~575 (Level 1) or ~925 (Level 3)

Chicken Sausage Breakfast Burrito

 
 

Chicken Sausage Breakfast Burrito

 

  • 2 Trader Joe’s chicken sausage (look for 100 calorie sausages – sun dried tomato flavor was used here), sliced
  • ½ cup Mushroom, ¼ cup onion and 1 cup fresh spinach, to taste
  • 12 egg whites (or 1 ½ cup egg white substitute)
  • 2 whole wheat tortillas or wraps (we use Mission whole wheat wraps because they tend to stay together well)
  • 6 oz avocado (you can split this if you’d like to only have ½ fat per serving)
  • Tomato & red onion, for guacamole
  • Salsa
  • Salt & Pepper

In one pan, sauté mushroom, onion and fresh spinach together on medium heat (you can vary the portions here according to your taste but watch out – the spinach shrinks significantly). Once the vegetables have shrunk down, add the sliced chicken sausage and warm.

Right after you start the vegetables, turn on another pan and cook the egg whites. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cut and mash the avocado and mix with your favorite guacamole ingredients. I make mine with chopped tomato and red onion and season it with Lawry’s salt (trust me I’ve gotten rave reviews over this simple recipe!).

When both the eggs and meat/vegetables are finished, warm the tortillas in a clean frying pan for 15-20 seconds, one at a time. Fill the tortillas with eggs, chicken sausage, vegetables, guacamole and salsa and enjoy!

Portions: 2 proteins, 1 carbohydrate, 1 fat, ½ vegetable

Calories: 545

Italian Chicken Pasta

 
 

Chicken Italian Pasta

 

  • 18 ounces chicken (6 oz level 1 or 12 oz level 3)
  • 2 cups whole wheat pasta (uncooked)
  • 1 cup marinara sauce (find one that has 50 calories per ½ cup)
  • Mushrooms, white onion, red pepper and garlic, chopped
  • Frozen or fresh broccoli, squash, carrots (or side vegetable of choice)
  • ¼ tbsp olive oil

Cut chicken into bite size pieces and cover in Italian seasoning and sprinkle with salt. Cook over medium  heat until finished. In the meantime, cook the pasta according to the package directions. In a sauté pan, sauté onions, mushrooms, peppers and garlic with olive oil. Once the pasta and chicken is nearly done, add the pasta sauce to the vegetables. Serve sauce mixture and chicken over the pasta. Add side vegetable if desired.

Portions:  2 protein or 4 protein (Levels 1 or 3), 1 carbohydrate, 2 vegetables, 1/8 fat,

Calories:  515 (Level 1) or 715 (Level 3)

Treadmills for Marathon Training

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Last night after nearly 10 hours at work (and a 6 a.m. P90X Back & Biceps + Ab Ripper workout), I drove myself to the gym to get in a run. It sounds crazy to add a 6 mile run on top of an already busy day, but it was pretty much the only time this week I could get it in. I’ve really been trying to get in 3 runs/week now that we are increasing our mileage and the half marathon is just a little more than a month away. Since all we are doing to modify P90X is taking Kenpo out and replacing it with a long run ( we will run 10 miles tomorrow), this means I have to do two double workout days per week (I increase my caloric intake on double days by 200-300 calories, which typically includes a 2nd recovery drink).

Disadvantages to Treadmill Running

A couple of weeks ago my group run was rained out and our coach sent out an email on treadmill training. I trained primarily on a treadmill for my first half marathon and hadn’t really thought about the differences in treadmill and outdoor running until recently. During my training for the last two half marathons, I got about 1 treadmill run in per week, mostly because it was too dark to run outside alone.  However, my coach’s email opened my eyes to a few disadvantages to running on a treadmill that I wanted to share on my blog.

1)      Treadmill running is boring. Luckily I had a personal television on my treadmill and was able to watch nearly a full episode of Top Chef;  regardless, it’s nice to have the mind engaged in taking in new scenery and navigating while running outdoors. People are likely to run for less time on a treadmill because they get bored and they can easily stop and hop off. Once you run outside for 3 miles, you can’t just call it quits and magically be back at home. You have to run back!

2)      It’s easier to run on a treadmill. First, a treadmill is very flat, unlike a typical outdoor run which has a variety of inclines.  Even if you can’t really tell that you are running up or down hill while running outdoors, your body works harder to adjust your speed. Also, there is no wind resistance to push on you on a treadmill. Although this could seem like an advantage of running outdoors, in the end, you want to burn more calories or train your body to run faster right? We’re not running just for fun – we want results. And all races are held outdoors, so why would you want to train indoors?

3)      Treadmills can cause injury. When you run on a treadmill, your legs move forward in the same motion over and over again. When you are outside, you are running over a variety of surfaces and your feet will hit at different angles due to dirt, rocks, etc.  On a treadmill, your legs repeat the exact same motion which can cause irritation or injury.  

How to Properly Treadmill Train

Since sometimes it rains in San Diego (shocker I know) and it’s not safe for women to run alone at night, I’ll inevitably be hitting the treadmill a few times during my marathon training. Luckily, there are some ways to mitigate the risks of treadmill running listed above. The main way to make treadmill training more effective and less boring is to do interval training. Never run on a treadmill at the same speed for longer than 10 minutes. You can incorporate a variety of interval training workouts (I will write another blog entry on interval training later but you can easily research routines online) or you can simply just change your speed every 10 minutes.

Another way to train on a treadmill is to change the incline of the treadmill. You should vary your incline at least once every 10 minutes. It can be argued that by increasing the incline slightly, the run will be the equivalent intensity of a run outdoors. Here is a chart of the conversion rates for treadmills: http://www.hillrunner.com/training/tmillchart.php . For example, if you are running at 6.0 mph, or a 10 min/mile at 0% incline, it is the equivalent of running a 10:26 pace outdoors ( wow that is a big difference!). If you increase your incline to 1%, you will land yourself slightly below 10 min/mile, at a 9:52 min/mile pace outdoors.

My Treadmill Run

Last night I used my coach’s advice. I started with 1 mile at about a 9:30 pace, the 2nd at a 9:00 pace and the 3rd at a 8:40 pace. I sped up during the last ¼ mile to a 7:30 pace for a sprint. For the second half of my workout, I ran mile 4 at a 9:30, mile 5 at a 8:45 and started mile 6 at a 8:30 and finished with a sprint again. My overall pace for 6 miles was 8:55. This is the fastest I’ve ever ran 6 mile during a training run (I have a Garmin watch to record outdoor runs), treadmill or no treadmill,  although I’m pretty sure it was partially due to the fact that treadmills are easier to run on. Regardless, I was pretty proud of myself considering I was fairly comfortable with my pace the entire time. I am definitely seeing an improvement in my pace since I started P90X.

Basically – use a treadmill when you must, but don’t rely on it if you want to PR in your next race. Get outdoors as much as possible and when you are forced inside, switch up your speed/incline throughout to beat boredom and burn extra calories (interval training is also proven to increase calories burned).

5 Harmful “Diet” Foods

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I went on my first diet when I was in high school. At that time (the late 90s), “fat free” was the rage. So what did I do? I ate everything that was fat free – and as much as I wanted. I ate bowls of pasta with tomato sauce because it was fat free. I ate sugar-laden apple sauce, syrup-coated canned pears, and calorie-dense orange juice in order to get in my fat free fruit servings. Basically I had no idea what I was doing and guess what – it didn’t work.

My freshman year of college I gained a few of those lovely freshman 15 pounds they love to mention (I gained more like 10). That summer I went home and resolved to lose the weight – and then some. I put myself on a very low calorie diet (the new rage) and hit the gym (elliptical and weights mostly) nearly every day for the entire summer and lost 15 lbs!  I existed on egg white omelets, grilled chicken breast, baked potatoes with fake bacon bits & I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray, Lipton chicken-flavored rice, broccoli, Lean Cuisines and Diet Coke. Now that I think of it, I put that artificial butter spray on EVERYTHING.

Although my 19 year old metabolism burned 15 lbs of fat off my body in three short months, it was mainly due to the main principle in weight loss: calorie deficit. If you take in less calories than you burn, you will lose weight.

I know the caloric deficit principle is true today but I also know another thing – if you fill your body with processed crap, no matter how little you eat or how much you work out, you’re not healthy.

I was inspired to write a blog about common diet foods that not only stall weight loss but are also very bad for your overall health.

  1. Diet Soda
  2. Artificial Sweeteners
  3. Calorie-Free Butter Substitutes
  4.  Frozen Dinners (Lean Cuisines, Weight Watchers)
  5.  Coffee

 1.       Diet Soda

This may have been my BIGGEST weakness in my teens and early twenties. I’d often go through 3-4 refills at a meal. I typically judged servers at restaurants on their ability to refill my soda before I finished it. Free delicious calories right? Well they may be free now, but I’d feel it later. Diet soda has been linked to obesity in many studies. Basically, when you drink it, your mouth tastes the super sweet flavor and signals the stomach to digest some serious calories. When those calories don’t come, the stomach signals the brain to crave real calories (multiple studies have been performed over this topic, including a very convincing 2009 article written by David S. Ludwig, MD, PhD). It’s not the actual diet soda that contains calories – rather it’s the fact that you are more likely to overeat later. So technically, if you can contain yourself, you can imbibe diet soda and lose weight. However, it’s important to consider the other negative implications of soda consumption including the acid’s ability to wear your teeth down and make you more prone to cavities. Caffeine, the other devil ingredient in most sodas, also can stimulate appetite to overindulge later. More on that later in the coffee section. Another reason not to imbibe – diet soda (and artificial sweeteners) has been linked to cancer. Although there have been no conclusive results yet, I’d rather not take my chances.

 2.       Artificial Sweeteners

You may think that artificial sweeteners are mostly found in diet soda and calorie-free sweetener packets (Splenda, etc), but you may not realize that this tricky diet saboteur lurks in more of your every day foods than you think. And the reason to avoid these is the same as soda – the stimulate your brain to crave real calories. One of my favorite low-calorie breakfasts during college was either a bowl of Maple Quaker Oatmeal or a Yoplait Non-Fat Yogurt. Unfortunately, both of these items are brimming with artificial sweeteners. Pretty much anything labeled “sugar-free” “low-sugar” or “fat free” is likely to be full of the fake stuff. It has been shown that in studies that when participants included artificial sweeteners in their breakfast, they ate more the rest of the day. When given real sugar, they were less likely to over consume later. Basically, your brain tastes the sweetness and registers that real calories are coming in, and it decides that it is satisfied. Other studies show that overconsumption of overly sweet products (artificial sweeteners taste 200 to 700 TIMES sweeter than sugar) reduce your satisfaction in health food (that apple doesn’t taste quite as good with a soda does it?) and thereby increase your likelihood of eating fattening, salty foods.

 3.       Calorie Free Butter Substitutes

I used to substitute I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Sprayfor butter in recipes. I’m not kidding. I’d make my Lipton instant rice packets (one of my staples growing up) with a whole tablespoon of this unidentifiable liquid. Well, first of all, these sprays (including Pam) claim to have 0 calories but that’s for 1.25 sprays. Once you get into tablespoon size portions, the calories start adding up (thatsfit.com claims that 1 tsp contains 20 calories and 2 grams of fat). But that’s the least of our problems. The biggest issue with these products is the fact that they are man-made. There are rumors that I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray is one molecule away from being a plastic! Oh jeez. I think that’s enough about this one! Avoid it like the plague! A much healthier option is olive oil. 1 tablespoon of olive oil has only 120 calories and goes a very long way when cooking.

 4.       Frozen Dinners

Sorry Lean Cuisine (and all other “diet friendly” frozen entrees), I have to call you out. Despite the convenience of 300 calorie dinners perfectly portioned out into dainty meals, these things are not diet friendly. First, who has ever eaten a Lean Cuisine and felt satisfied? Perhaps if you were bedridden and your body didn’t crave real food beacuase your metabolism is at a hault. Let’s be honest- you could make yourself a 6 ounce piece of chicken & 2 cups of veggies for the same calorie count (and 1.5 more servings of filling veggies). Imagine that meal on a plate next to the Lean Cuisine and you’ll realize that you’re actually getting cheated. Also, many Lean Cuisines pack about 4-5 grams of saturated fat per serving. That’s a lot considering you’re only getting 300 calories out of it. Besides the fact that Lean Cuisines are tiny and usually require a side dish, all frozen means contain WAY too much bloat-inducing sodium to be figure-friendly (from 700 up to 1,800 of the recommended 2,300 mg per day). Last, microwavable meals that are meant to heated under a plastic cover WILL leach plastic into your food. Many plastics contain endocrine disruptors which mess with your metabolism. More on this topic here: http://www.jillianmichaels.com/fitness-and-diet-tips/plastics-to-avoid). 

5.       Coffee

For me, sometimes there is nothing better in the world than a pumpkin spice latte in December. Despite what I will tell you now, nothing will take me away from Starbucks a few times each winter for my favorite drink. However, it will be against my best judgment and I may order it decaf. Coffee is a double whammy weight-loss prohibiter. First, the creamer inside your coffee contains plenty of calories and probably even more artificial sweeteners. Now, if you are a non-fat milk coffee person or even better, a black coffee addict, then you at least won half the battle here. However, the caffeine in coffee is a diet no-no. Caffeine contributes to insulin resistance. Insulin is the lovely little helper that regulates your blood sugar and makes sure your metabolism is working efficiently. Raised insulin levels leads to raised blood pressure & cholesterol levels, causes the kidneys to retain excess fluid (ie frequent bathroom trips), and stores food as fat instead of using it for fuel.  The last one hurt the most didn’t it?   Personally, I was a one to two cup a day person for years. I‘ve always had amazing blood pressure and cholesterol and I’ve remained fit while enjoying it frequently. I believe this is one that can be consumed in moderation. Just don’t go overboard with 4 cups per day!

After all that…

I can personallyattest to many of the reasons to give these diet-sabatuers up. Since giving up soda, coffee and artificial sweeteners, my cravings for these items, as well as fattening and fried food, has nearly disappeared. I eat mostly whole foods – fresh organic meat, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits – and I think that these “health foods” taste delicious. Although I do have cravings and I get excited to indulge on white bread,  pizza or cookies on occasion, it’s much easier to say no to them now. When I used to be a 5-soda a day girl, I’d go WAY overboard when I went out to eat or went to a party. Now, when I do indulge, my body tells me when I’m full and I can stop. It does take some time for your body to get used to cutting out these items (especially the caffeine – I had a horrible headache for 2 ½ days), but it will be worth it.

Now, we’re not perfect. Sometimes you’re in a hurry and you have to eat a frozen meal. Other times nothing in the world sounds better than a Diet Coke on a hot day. Sometimes Pumpkin Spice Lattes call your name. The key here is moderation. Try to avoid these the best you can, and when you do slip up, at least you will know that you’re better off than you were before.

P.S. You’ll also notice that none of these items are allowed in the P90X nutrition program.