Jenny Fit Wellness Blog

Time-restricted feeding: Are there significant benefits?

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 14:38:16 GMT

Time-restricted feeding (TRF) is eating within a relatively small window of time, which is typically 8 to 10 hours and is done daily. This type of eating pattern often falls under the umbrella of Intermittent Fasting (IF). However, due to its daily use, it really does not qualify as “intermittent”. It is related to IF due to the duration of fasting (the reduced eating time-frame) and seems to be an outgrowth of the research on IF as well as circadian biology. This latter aspect is at the heart of TRF with the basic premise; eating should closely align with certain circadian rhythms of the body and doing so can have positive metabolic benefits. Conversely, eating out of sync of these circadian rhythms can have negative effects (Bae et al 2019; Chaix et al 2019; Paoli et al 20019; ). At this point (October 2019), is the research showing that there are significant benefits of TRF for humans? The short and exceptionally boring answer is maybe.

Here is what I considered to come to that conclusion.

Danny Lennon’s recent presentation: Circadian eating-evaluating the impact of meal timing, feeding windows, and calorie distribution.

https://sigmanutrition.com/circadian-lecture/

Alan Aragon’s recent article; Early time-restricted feeding: hype vs. data in the September issue of AARR

Then the actual research.

There have been a few very recent review papers on the topic, including a May 2019 in-depth review; Time-restricted eating to prevent and manage chronic metabolic diseases. One of the authors, Satchidananda Panda, seems to be “the dude” when it comes to circadian biology, which includes looking at how feeding times affect health.

Then I read most of the recent studies on TRF done with humans* (Anton et al 2019; Gabel et al 2018; Hutchison et al 2019; Jamshed et al 2019; Tinsley et al 2019 ).

With that in mind here is why I said, maybe.

There is no dispute that there are biological rhythms of the body and our behaviors, such as sleep, exposure to light and eating times can potentially have positive or negative effects on metabolic functioning (Roenneber et al 2016). The following two diagrams highlight the potential positive effects of TRF.

The positive effects are potentially coming from better digestion and nutrient utilization, hormonal changes (ie., insulin and leptin), autophagy, and gene expressions. (Chaix et al 2019; Paoli et al 2019). As Paoli and colleagues highlight in their diagram, the potential benefits can come TRF/fasting as well as other dietary aspects, such as overall calorie restriction as well as ketosis. At this time the understanding of the mechanisms TRF effects in humans is still not clear (Paoli et al 2019).

When it comes to TRF, at this time, the preponderance of evidence comes from studies on rodents, not humans, which means there is still a paucity of understanding of how it will actually affect us. This lack of a solid understanding of the effects on humans was clearly highlighted in a few recent review papers on the subject (Bae et al 2019; Chaix et al 2019, Paoli et al 2019). For example, the conclusion from a 2019 review paper on the topic sums it up well;

“In summary, TRE has opened new avenues to assess the effects of the timing of eating on metabolism, physiology, and behavior. Although animal experiments have produced great results in preventing or reversing chronic metabolic diseases, the underlying mechanisms remain to be explored. More rigorous human studies are also needed to assess the mechanisms and efficacy for TRE in a wide range of diseases.” (Chaix et al, p.12.19, emphasis added)

When it comes to what can have strong effects on health, and more specifically body weight regulation, it is important to keep TRF in context (perspective?) of other dietary and lifestyle habits. The following is a good diagram illustrating where TRF likely falls on the hierarchy of importance.

Some key things to consider in determining how important the TRF aspect is for a particular person, include exercise (when, what time, duration, frequency), macronutrient distributions, overall quality of the diet and the king of all variables, total calorie intake. With respect to calories, two major confounders with TRF studies are calorie intake and weight loss. There is often a spontaneous reduction in overall calorie intake and weight loss (a good thing) relative to the non-TRF group. The challenge is knowing if the benefits from TRF are from this aspect (very good evidence that calorie restriction and weight loss cause all kinds of benefits) or something to do with the fasting or the timing of meals. More studies are needed that are matched for calories and weight changes to help figure this out. Furthermore, if peak athletic performance is the goal, it is likely that TRF is not an ideal eating pattern. In this case, an intermittent fasting regimen could be a better choice if looking to get the benefits of fasting.

TRF typically means eating within an 8 to 10 hour window. The next unanswered question is when in the day should this window happen. The prevailing idea is it should happen earlier in the day, (i.e., first meal at 8 am and last meal at 4pm, for an 8 hour window ) due to certain circadian rhythms (Chaix et al 2019). However, the RCT’s looking at early versus late timing (eTRF vs LTRF, respectively), are not finding a clear advantage for eTRF (Hutchison et al 2019). This early eating aspect also comes from the ubiquitous idea that eating breakfast is important for health and weight. However, this comes largely from epidemiology, which has found associations with eating breakfast and less disease and lower weight and conversely not eating breakfast and higher weights (Paoli et al 2019). When looking at RCT’s, the evidence does not support the idea that eating breakfast is needed to be healthy or reach a healthy weight, in fact, adding this meal tends to have the opposite effect (Sievert et al 2019). When it comes to eating breakfast, there is no need to eat this meal to be able to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. Finally, when it comes to timing, is the concept that people can be genetically, or adapted to, being an early (lark) or late (owl) type of person, referred to as chronotypes (Paoli et al 2019; Phillips 2009.). This means our behaviors (eating, exercise, etc) can modify (within a range, we are not nocturnal animals, so night shift work, even if all strategies are utilized to adjust to this schedule are consistently done, will still likely have some negative physiological and psychological effects) when the biological rhythms will occur, referred to as entrainment (Roenneber et al 2016). A person's chronotype could also determine their best timing.***

Finally, how many meals in the 8 to 10 hours? At this time there is no clear answer. The evidence is pointing to 2 to 4 meals a day and one meal, on a regular basis, is likely not a good choice. Related to meal frequency is meal consistency. Should these meals be eaten on a regular schedule, (ie., 8am, noon, and 4pm, every day) or some haphazard pattern resulting in meals at a widely variable times each day? Regardless of TRF or not, a fairly regular meal pattern does seem ideal. However, the research on intermittent fasting does highlight the fact that there can be occasional variation, such as the 5:2 plan of IF, which does modify meal frequency twice a week, and shows some health related benefits. These are important variables, but it is equally important to keep them in perspective of other variables (see hierarchy diagram).

In conclusion, here is where I think the evidence is currently. There is still a lack of human research to say that TRF is of major importance for overall health promotion. However, based on the current human evidence and the extensive research done on other animals, it does seem likely to play at least some role in the promotion of disease or health. If a person is dealing with blood sugar issues (pre-diabetes and diabetes), eating within an early 8 to 10 hour window will likely confer some additional benefits (still need to do the foundational aspects as well, see above). Furthermore, if a person is not able to do some of the other lifestyle/dietary aspects at the base of the hierarchy, such as exercise, then TRF could play a more substantial role in promoting health. When it comes to overall health promotion TRF seems likely to be a good thing. Additionally, when it comes to body weight regulation, TRF is likely ONE type of meal plan that can be helpful for losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight. What I like about the research on TRF, along with intermittent fasting, is it gives more choices (flexibility) of eating patterns that can be good for health and weight. When it comes to diet modifications, TRF seems to be a relatively simple one, which by itself, could have some positive effects. But, at the end of the day, when it comes to losing weight (bodyfat) and maintaining a healthy weight, it is still about how many calories you ingest relative to how many you burn, which is really about consistency. If TRF helps you consistently eat healthy and eat in a way that causes weight loss (if that is your goal), then go for it, but if it seems to make things harder then I wouldn't worry that you are not doing it.

*from the Chaix review, there are 8 human TRF studies published at this time. The authors also state that many more are underway, so we should have more data soon.

**breakfast is usually referring to a meal eaten soon after waking in the morning and not necessarily the first meal of the day, however, technically, eating the first meal many hours after waking would still be the meal that “breaks the fast”

***If you are interested in finding out your chronotype, the following is one questionnaire that can help determine this; https://thepowerofwhenquiz.com/

References

Anton, S. et al (2019). The effects of time restricted feeding on overweight, older adults: a pilot study. Nutrients; 11: 1500.

Aragon, A. (2019). Early time restricted feeding: hype vs. Data. AARR, September: 2-5

Bae, S. et al (2019). At the interface of lifestyle, behavior, and circadian rhythms: metabolic implications. Frontiers in Nutrition: 6:132.

Chaix, A. et al (2019). Time-restricted eating to vent and manage chronic metabolic diseases. Annual Reviews Nutrition; 39: 12.1-12.25

Gabel, K. et al (2018). Effects of 8-hour time restricted feeding on body weight and metabolic disease risk factors in obese adults: a pilot study. Nutrition and Healthy Aging; 4: 345-353.

Hutchison, A. et al (2019). Time-restricted feeding improves glucose tolerance in men at risk for type 2 diabetes: a randomized crossover trial. Obesity; 27: 724-732.

Jamshed, H. et al (2019). Early time-restricted feeding improves 24-hour glucose levels and affects markers of circadian clock, aging, and autophagy in humans. Nutrients; 11: 1234.

Moro, T., et al (2016). Effects of eight weeks of time-restricted feeding (16/8) on basal metabolism, maximal strength, body composition, inflammation, and cardiovascular risk factors in resistance-trained males. Journal of translational medicine, 14(1), 290. doi:10.1186/s12967-016-1044-0

Paoli, A. et al 92019). The influence of meal frequency and timing on health in humans: The role of fasting. Nutrients; 11: 719.

Phillips, M.L. (2016). Circadian rhythms: Of owls, larks, and alarm clocks. Nature; 458: 142-144.

Roenneberg, T. et al (2016). The circadian clock and human health. Current Biology; 26: R432-R443.

Sievert, K. et al (2019). Effect of breakfast on weight and energy intake: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies. BMJ; 364: 142.

Tinsley, G. et al (2019). Time-restricted feeding plus resistance training in active females: a randomized trial. AJCN; 110(3): 628-640.

The Skinny on Insulin Levels

Sun, 14 Apr 2019 17:22:46 GMT

Insulin levels do NOT directly affect the ability to lose fat in overweight, obese, unhealthy, or older humans.

*If you only care about the highlights of this subject, read the bold and highlighted areas.

Insulin being THE hormone that determines what happens with weight is popular lately, due to the resurgence of the Keto diet. Is insulin THE hormone? No! Directly connected to this is carbohydrate intake as this is the macronutrient that elicits insulin release (protein does as well but often to a lesser degree). Higher insulin levels or insulin resistance as well as higher carbohydrate intakes (this is an ill-defined concept, but for now it will be referred to as higher than 40% of calories) do not directly cause fat gain nor do they directly inhibit fat loss. People can lose all the fat they want even if they are eating a high amount of carbohydrates (they don’t have to but they can). Furthermore, high carb intakes do not elicit negative metabolic changes when in a hypocaloric state, in fact, there is almost always improvements in important metabolic markers (such as fasting glucose, insulin sensitivity, cholesterol, inflammation, etc). These should not be a controversial statements, particularly in 2019. Regrettably, due to things said by many people who promote low carb diets, which includes Keto, as “THE” diet, these ideas still seem pervasive. These incorrect ideas about insulin and carbohydrates is really a red herring and it can frequently lead people to focus on the wrong things. Losing weight and maintain a healthy weight is already challenging, let’s not make it harder for no good reason.

The following will highlight some of the key studies and review papers on the topic of insulin levels as well as carbohydrate intake and fat loss as that have been done over the past 20 years. These will be in chronological order and not necessarily in order of importance.

The Research (well just some of it, but enough that should make a clear and well-supported point)

1996- Similar weight loss with low or high-carbohydrate. Am J Clin Nutr; 63(2):174-8.

“The results of this study showed that it was energy intake [calories], not nutrient composition, that determined weight loss in response to low-energy diets over a short time period.” (emphasis added)

Some key aspects of the study

• N=43

• Age/Gender:

o Low carb group (A), mean Age 41, 3 males and 19 females

o High carb group (B), mean Age 45, 6 male and 15 female

• BMI:

o (A), mean of 41.3

o (B), mean of 38.6

• Diets:

o (A),15% carbs, 32% protein, and 53% fat

o (B), 45% carbs, 29% protein, and 26% fat

o both at 1,000 calories a day, food was distributed over 3 meals and one snack

• This was a metabolic ward study , meaning all participants lived in the hospital for the entire intervention and were very closely monitored daily and all food was provided to participants

• Exercise - consisted of 1 h of aerobic exercise training per day and 1 h of underwater physical activity per day.

• Intervention was 6 weeks

• Weight loss - Group A=17.6 lbs, Group B 15.4 lbs

• Eating a wide range of macronutrients, while in a calorie deficit, lead to a clinically significant amount of weight loss and eating a diet of 45% carbs clearly did not inhibit fat loss (15.4 lbsin 6 weeks)

1998- Metabolic and behavioral effects of a high-sucrose diet during weight loss. Am J Clin Nutr; 65(4): 908-915.

“Results show that a high sucrose [40% of calories] content in a hypoenergetic, low-fat diet did not adversely affect weight loss, metabolism, plasma lipids, or emotional affect.”

Some key aspects of the study

● N=42 (all females)

● BMI: mean of 35.93

● Age: mean of 40.3

● Diet: 2 diets, a high (43%) and a low (4%) sucrose diet, HS and LS respectively, but both had the same overall macronutrient intakes of 71% carbs, 19% protein, and 11% fats.

● To be clear, the high sucrose diet had 43% of total calories coming from sucrose (table sugar)

● Duration: 6 weeks

● Weight loss: HS = 15.3 lbs, LS = 16.2 lbs, over 2lbs per week, with a total carb intake at 71% of calories and one of the diets containing 43% of total calories as sugar.

1999- Differences in insulin resistance do not predict weight loss in response to hypocaloric diets in healthy obese women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab.;84(2):578-81.

“It is concluded that the ability to lose weight on a calorie-restricted diet over a short time period does not vary in obese, healthy women as a function of insulin resistance or hyperinsulinemia.”

Some key aspects of the study

• N=31 (all female)

• BMI: mean of 31

• Age: mean of 43

• Diet: goal of a daily 1,000 calorie deficit, which was from a commercial liquid nutrition formula (shake) and 2 high fiber muffins and a sodium supplement.

• Weight loss over 8 weeks was a mean of 20.24lbs

2000- THE HAWAII DIET: Ad libitum high carbohydrate, low fat multi-cultural diet for the reduction of chronic disease risk factors: obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and hyperglycemia. Hawaii Medical Journal; 7: 69-73

“The high carbohydrate. low fat, low energy density, multi—ethnic Hawaii Diet administered ad libitum was demonstrated to induce a significant weight loss and a reduction in systolic hypertension, total cholesterol. LDL. and serum glucose.”

Some key aspects of the study

• N=22

• Gender: 10 males/12 females

• Age: mean of 49.9

• BMI: mean of 35.6

• Medical conditions: 6 with hypertension, 4 with diabetes with one of them taking insulin, 2 with glucose intolerance and one with hypothyroidism taking synthroid

• Intervention was 21 days

• Diet: very high carb diet, 77% carbs, 12% protein and 11% fats, all food was provided

• There was a daily morning check-in at testing facility

• Weight loss: mean of 10.3 lbs, (range of 5 to 33lbs), mean of 6.4% of starting BW

• So a very high carb intake did not inhibit fat loss

2005- Effect of high protein vs high carbohydrate intake on insulin sensitivity, bodyweight, hemoglobin A1c, and blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes. J Am Diet Assoc; 105(4): 573-580.

“ RESULTS : Both the high-carbohydrate and high-protein groups lost weight (-2.2+/-0.9 kg, -2.5+/-1.6 kg, respectively, P <.05) and the difference between the groups was not significant (P =.9). In the high-carbohydrate group, hemoglobin A1c decreased (from 8.2% to 6.9%, P <.03), fasting plasma glucose decreased (from 8.8 to 7.2 mmol/L, P <.02), and insulin sensitivity increased (from 12.8 to 17.2 micromol/kg/min, P <.03).” (emphasis added)

Some key aspects of the study

• N=12 (9 women, 3 men)

• All participants have type 2 diabetes

• Duration: 8 weeks

• Diets: high-carbohydrate (HC) diet (55% carbohydrate, 15% protein, 30% fat) and the high-protein/low-carb (HP) diet (40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, 30% fat)

• Weight loss: HC = 4.84 lbs , HP = 5.5 lbs

• Again, eating a diet of 40 to 55% carbs did not inhibit fat loss and eating 55% of carbs improved A1c, so it clearly was not having a negative impact on blood sugar regulation

2006- Differences in glycaemic status do not predict weight loss in response to hypocaloric diets in obese patients. Clinical Nutrition; 25(1):117-22

“Ability to lose weight on a hypocaloric diet over a 3-month time period does not vary in obese patients as a function of glycaemic status”

Some key aspects of the study

• N=76

• Age: mean of 46.7

• BMI: mean of 34.6

2010- Does the presence of metabolic syndrome [MetS] influence weight loss in obese and overweight women? Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders; 8(2): 173-178

“ Conclusions: Obese and overweight patients with metabolic syndrome showed a greater reduction of their body weight, compared to the patients without metabolic syndrome. The components of the metabolic syndrome present at baseline correlated positively with the percentage of the weight loss. Finally, the patients with the highest levels of HOMA-index [greater insulin resistance] at baseline lost significantly more weight than those with lower levels of this parameter. ”

Some key aspects of the study

• N=107 women

• Age: mean of 49.1

• BMI: mean of 35

• 3 month intervention

• Diet- a specific calorie amount was given to each person, overall goal of a daily 1,000 calorie deficit, calorie intake ranged from 1,085 to 2,000/day and was a low-fat diet, with macronutrient percentages being about 52% carbs, 28.5% fats and 19% protein

• Weight loss – no MetS = 9.9 lbs, with MetS = 14.56 lbs

• So having insulin resistance and eating a high carb diet did not inhibit weight loss

2011- One-year effectiveness of two hypocaloric diets with different protein/carbohydrate ratios in weight loss and insulin resistance . Nutr Hosp; 27(6):2093-2101

“ The hypocaloric diets with different protein/carbohydrate ratios produced similar changes in weight…The present study…supports the theory that the macronutrient composition of a diet does not influence weight loss, body composition or improvements in insulin resistance. ”

Some key aspects of the study

• N=40 (25 insulin resistant/IR)

• Gender: 27 female/13 male

• BMI: range of 28 to 35

• Age: range of 18 to 70, with a mean of 41.46

• Diet: 1,000 calorie deficit of estimated needs, with 2 different diets

o A-40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat

o B-55% carbs, 15% protein, and 30% fat

• Duration: 12 months, but largest amount of weight loss was achieved at 6 months

• Weight loss: at 6 months, the authors state “no significant differences in weight loss percentages were found between IR and IS at 6 months”

o those with IR with diet A -10.25% or about 20 lbs, diet B -10.53% or about 20lbs

o those without IR (IS), with diet A -12.4% or about 23 lbs diet B -9.63% or about 18 lbs

2015- Comparison of low and high carbohydrate diet for type 2 diabetes management: a randomized trial. Am J Clin Nutr; 102(4): 780-790

“Results: Both groups achieved similar completion rates…and mean (95% CI reductions in weight…blood pressure…HbA1c…fasting glucose…and LDL cholesterol” (emphasis added)

Some key aspects of the study

• N=115

• BMI: 34.6

• Age: 58.7

• Gender: female =49, male =66

• All participants have type 2 diabetes, with a mean HbA1c of 7.3

• Duration: 52 weeks

• Diets: both hypocaloric, and matched for calorie intake

o Low carb (LC) 14% carbohydrate (carbohydrate <50 g/d), 28% protein, and 58% fat (<10% saturated fat)]

o High Carb (HC) was 53% carbohydrate , 17% protein, and 30% fat (<10% saturated fat

• Weight loss: LC mean of 20.68 lbs and HC mean of 22.22 lbs

• Eating carbs did not inhibit weight loss and actually resulted in slightly greater weight loss

2016- Effects of carbohydrate quantity and glycemic index [GI] on resting metabolic rate and body composition during weight loss . Obesity; 23(11): 2190-2198

“ Conclusion-Moderate carbohydrate and low-GI diets did not preferentially reduce fat mass, preserve lean mass, or attenuate metabolic adaptation during weigh loss compared to high carbohydrate and high-GI diets ”

Some key aspects of the study

● N=91 (79 completed all three phases)

● BMI: range 28-38

● Age: range of 45 to 65

● Gender: 39 male, 40 female

● Diet- four provided for diets, all are high carb, 55% or 70% and low-GI and highGI, all diets were matched for protein (16%)

● Duration: 17 weeks

● Weight loss: overall an average of 7.5% for all groups

● Eating high amounts of carbs did not inhibit weight loss

Two final papers before wrapping it up.

First is a very recent meta-analysis of 32 high quality randomized controlled feeding studies with isocaloricsubstitution of carbohydrate for fat.

2017- Obesity energetics: body weight regulation and the effects of diet composition. Gastroenterology; 152(7): 1718-1727.

The following is the summary chart from page 15, which gives a good visual of the different effects of low and high carb diets on weight loss.

The authors conclude, “…our meta-analysis of 32 controlled feeding studies with isocaloricsubstitution of carbohydrate for fat found that both energy expenditure (26 kcal/d; P <.0001) and fat loss (16 g/d; P <.0001) were greater with lower fat diets.”

To be clear, the difference in fat loss is very small and is not clinically significant. However, the key take-away from this meta-analysis is the fact that low and high carb diets have almost the same weight loss benefits and high carbs diets do not inhibit fat loss.

Second, and finally, is a recent, large, high-quality study that looked at this question. Here are the details. It was an extensive study, so a bit more quoting and details are highlighted.

2017- Effect of low-fat vs low-carbohydrate diet on 12-month weight loss in overweight adults and the association with genotype pattern or insulin secretion: The DIETFITS randomized clinical trial. JAMA: 319(7): 667-679

“ Question

What is the effect of a healthy low-fat (HLF) diet vs a healthy low-carbohydrate (HLC) diet on weight change at 12 months and are these effects related to genotype pattern or insulin secretion?

Findings

In this randomized clinical trial among 609 overweight adults, weight change over 12 months was not significantly different for participants in the HLF diet group (−5.3 kg) vs the HLC diet group (−6.0 kg), and there was no significant diet-genotype interaction or diet-insulin interaction with 12-month weight loss.

Meaning

There was no significant difference in 12-month weight loss between the HLF and HLC diets, and neither genotype pattern nor baseline insulin secretion was associated with the dietary effects on weight loss.”

Some key aspects of the study

• N=609

• BMI: mean of 33

• Age: mean of 40

• Gender: 263 males, 346 women

• Duration:12 months

• Diets: 2 groups, low fat and low carb, for both there was no recommendation to reduce overall calorie intake (was ad libitum),

• Here is the protocol from the paper:

“Briefly, the main goals were to achieve maximal differentiation in intake of fats and carbohydrates between the 2 diet groups while otherwise maintaining equal treatment intensity and an emphasis on high-quality foods and beverages. Thus, participants were instructed to reduce intake of total fat or digestible carbohydrates to 20 g/d during the first 8 weeks. Higher priorities for reduction were given to specific foods and food groups that derived their energy content primarily from fats or carbohydrates. For example, the reduction of edible oils, fatty meats, whole-fat dairy, and nuts was prioritized for the healthy low-fat group, whereas the reduction of cereals, grains, rice, starchy vegetables, and legumes was prioritized for the healthy low-carbohydrate group.

Then individuals slowly added fats or carbohydrates back to their diets in increments of 5 to 15 g/d per week until they reached the lowest level of intake they believed could be maintained indefinitely. No explicit instructions for energy (kilocalories) restriction were given. Both diet groups were instructed to (1) maximize vegetable intake; (2) minimize intake of added sugars, refined flours, and trans fats; and (3) focus on whole foods that were minimally processed, nutrient dense, and prepared at home whenever possible. Other components of the emphasis on high-quality food for both diet groups are described elsewhere.” (emphasis added)

• From Table 2, you can see there was a clinically significant difference in carb intake between the 2 groups. It was even more significant the first couple of months. But the overall differences of carb intake at the end of the 12 months was;

o 48.4%/212.9g for LF vs 29.8%/132g for LC.

• Weight loss (mean): LF=11.6 lbs, LC=13.2 lbs

This large, long-term, high-quality study showed again; carb intake and different insulin responses do not inhibit fat loss.

Before concluding I want to make it clear, low carb eating is ONE possible good option. For some people in certain situations, low-carb, including keto (although these can have different effects as well), may have some additional positive metabolic effects (ie., BP, blood sugar, triglycerides, etc) when compared to higher carb diets during weight maintenance (eucaloric state). During weight loss (hypocaloric state), however, there are no advantages to either low or high carb diets, since calorie restriction and subsequent fat loss seems to produce all or most of the metabolic benefits, regardless of macronutrient amounts and even the quality of the diet. Additionally, low carb diets do not produce more fat loss and they are not automatically easier to follow than a higher carb diets.

Insulin and carbs are not the boogeymen they can be portrayed as (by many low carb/keto people). A convergence of evidence over many decades, particularly the past 20 years, has clearly shown that calories is the number one factor that determines fat loss (and fat gain, btw). How people can be consistent with creating a calorie deficit, which can be difficult, can vary widely, and a wide range of macronutrient intakes as well as meal frequency (to name a couple major variables) can influence this. Furthermore, it does not have to be one eating plan forever. There is nothing wrong with changing things up. This could be needed due to changes in life circumstances or just for the sake of doing something different which can have psychological advantages. Feeling like there is only “one” way to lose weight can have many negative effects on psychological variables such as motivation and adherence. When it comes to fat loss, the only real “magic” to any eating plan is if it helps a person consistently eat the number of calories that elicits a pace of weight loss they want. At the end of the day, when it comes to losing fat, it’s about consistency.

For those interested the following are some other insightful articles on this topic

Hall, K. (2017). A review of the carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity. European J Clinical Nutrition

Aragon et al (2017) International society of sports nutrition position stand: diets and body composition. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition; 14:16

https://weightology.net/insulin-an-undeserved-bad-reputation/

http://www.stephanguyenet.com/why-the-carbohydrate-insulin-model-of-obesity-is-probably-wrong-a-supplementary-reply-to-ebbeling-and-ludwigs-jama-article/

http://carbsanity.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-12m-nusiludwig-study-part-iv.html

https://examine.com/nutrition/low-fat-vs-low-carb-for-weight-loss/

Menstrual Cycle and Hormones

Sat, 24 Nov 2018 20:47:57 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

The normal menstrual cycle may be anywhere from 24 – 32 days. Day 1 being the first day of your cycle. We are going to break the cycle into 2 distinct phases: Follicular and Luteal.

Follicular Phase Day 1 – 14

This phase is split into early, mid, late with each phase lasting roughly 3 – 5 days each. During this phase your progesterone is very low and your estrogen begins at a low level in the early part of the follicular phase. Your insulin sensitivity is high, your hunger is stable and your weight will lowest weight of the month.

Estrogen will gradually increase leading up to a large surge in the final few days of the cycle. The surge of estrogen causes the follicle to burst open and release an egg from the ovaries making the environment more hospitable to sperm. This surge of estrogen will cause water retention and little weight gain towards the end of this phase. Ovulation occurs on day 14 when the release of the egg occurs marking the end of the follicular phase.

Luteal Phase Day 15 – 28

During the early part of the phase your progesterone and estrogen increase reaching it’s peak at mid-cycle. There will also be a brief spike in testosterone. Along with these increases you will also experience increased body temperature (after ovulation), increased hunger and cravings, slight increase in metabolic rate, as well as, insulin sensitivity decreasing causing blood sugar dysregulation.

Late luteal phase is where PMS happens. There are several symptoms that can occur including weight increases, cramping, craving all the bad stuff, mood swings, low energy, depression, decreased hunger, and breast tenderness. Guess what, this is all due to your hormones fluctuating! Estrogen and Progesterone drop again, blood sugar levels become even more unstable, serotonin and dopamine levels, prolactin increases and your sleep is likely to be disturbed.

Water retention due to your progesterone dropping will cause of your weight to increase. A good thing to keep in mind during this time of the month if you have a lot of bloating is to minimize your sodium intake to prevent even more water retention!

Two hormones that also play a part in all these hormones are FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (leutiniizing hormone). LH controls the estrogen production, ovulaiton, implantation of the egg development of the corpus luteum. Under stressful situations the LH release patterns are disrupted stopping the menstrual cycle. FSH is primarily involved with the development of the follicle itself.

As you can see women have a lot of hormones fluctuating over the course of a month. Men on the other hand, will typically have a straight line of testosterone across every day of the month without much fluctuation! Lucky them!!

Women – this is not an excuse to be on your worst behavior during the luteal phase. If you are experiencing a lot of PMS symptoms, get your blood work done to see if something is off balanced. This can be corrected and improve your PMS.

Stay tuned, the next series I am going to break down each hormone into a little more detail. We will cover testosterone, progesterone and estrogen! This is exciting stuff and things we should all be aware of. I hope you find it helpful.

What is a Ketogenic Diet?

Wed, 16 May 2018 03:34:00 GMT

*If you don’t care about all the details, just read the bold sentences.

What is it?

Generally speaking, a ketogenic diet is any diet that causes ketone bodies to be produced by the liver, shifting the metabolism away from glucose and towards fat utilization. Carbohydrates are restricted below 50 grams per day (typically) inducing a series of adaptations to take place. Protein and fat are variable depending on the goal, but the ultimate determinant of whether a diet is ketogenic or not is the presence or absence of carbohydrates.

Fuel Metabolism

The body runs on a mix of CHO, protein and fat under “normal” dietary conditions. When CHO are removed, the body’s small stores are quickly depleted and the body is forced to find an alternative fuel source. One of these fuels is free fatty acids (FFA), which can be used by most tissues in the body except the brain and nervous system.

Ketone bodies are a by-product of the incomplete breakdown of FFA in the liver. They serve as fuel for the brain. There is a decrease in glucose utilization and production and a decrease in the breakdown of protein to be used for energy.

There are 4 major factors that regulate fuel use by the body. When CHO availability is high, the use and storage is high and fat use is low. When CHO availability is low the use and storage is low and fat use is high. The most basic premise of the ketogenic diet is that the body can be forced to burn greater amounts of fat by decreasing it’s use of glucose.

Hormones

Two hormones are affected by a ketogenic diet: Insulin and glucagon. Insulin levels decrease and glucagon levels increase when CHO are removed from the diet. This causes an increase in FFA release from fat cells and increased FFA burning in the liver. The accelerated FFA burning in the liver is what ultimately leads to the production of ketone bodies and the metabolic state of ketosis. Other hormones are affected which shift fuel use away from CHO and towards fat.

Exercise

Just like any diet, exercise will improve the success of the ketogenic diet. However, it is harder to sustain high intensity exercise performance due to the low intake of CHO. CHO can be integrated without disruption of ketosis. There are 2 modified ketogenic diets for those who exercise.

Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD) allows CHO to be consumed immediately post exercise to sustain exercise performance.

The Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD) alternates periods of ketogenic dieting with periods of high-CHO consumption. The period of high CHO refills muscle glycogen to sustain exercise performance.

How the body responds to ketosis

The first few days of ketosis, there will be a decrease in energy and maybe even brain fog. This is due to the brain not being capable of using ketones for fuel. As time passes and the brain adapts to using ketones for fuel, skeletal muscle must stop using ketones for fuel to avoid depriving the brain of fuel.

From the 3rd day to the 3rd week, the brain gradually increases its use of ketones for fuel, ultimately deriving up to 75% of it’s total energy from ketones. This means only 40 grams of glucose per day by the brain is required.

Macros

CHO: Any diet that consumes less than 100 grams is considered ketogenic. However, to get into ketosis carbohydrates must be restricted typically between 30 – 50 grams.

Protein: Protein must be restricted to some degree on a ketogenic diet as excessive protein intake will generate too much glucose, impairing or preventing ketosis.

Fat: Fat is primarily ketogenic and in order to be in ketosis fat intake is considered a high intake.

Just like any low CHO diet, ketogenic diets will cause rapid loss of water the first few days. This occurs because glycogen is stored with water in a ratio of three grams of water for every gram of stored CHO. Water is lost as glycogen is depleted. This can represent a lot of weight depending on the person’s size.

Ketones have a diuretic effect causing the excretion of water and electrolytes. During the first few days of a ketogenic diet water loss has been measured between 4.5- 15 lbs. This is WATER. On the flip side, if someone goes off of a ketogenic diet, the introduction of CHO can range from 3 – 5 lbs the first day. This again is WATER.

My thoughts:

First and foremost, regardless of the method you choose to use for weight loss, there is one thing that HAS to occur (given a healthy metabolism, etc)… a Calorie Deficit HAS to occur. Research has shown that once water loss has been taken into account the rate of weight loss is generally the same for keto vs non-keto when the caloric intake is the same. There is nothing magical regarding a ketogenic diet.

Birth Control: Is it a robber of women’s health?

Thu, 01 Feb 2018 23:21:00 GMT

If you have been on the pill for several years, have you ever considered alternatives? Has your doctor ever suggested alternatives or talked to you about the negative side effects it can have on your long term health? My guess would be that most women will answer no. Doctors rarely discuss side effects with women when they prescribe the contraceptive pill, adding to the myth that the birth control pill is completely safe and barely impacts your mind and body.

This is a topic I am passionate about because the answer for me to the questions above were No and No up until 5 years ago. Unfortunately, many women first start taking the pill as teenagers and don’t realize that as they get older that their health could be impacted from these hormonal imbalances over time. This is a long read, but I included very important information if you have been on the pill for a long time, have trouble losing weight, hold your weight around your mid-section, feel like you have foggy thinking, depression, or difficulty adding muscle.

How does the birth control pill work?

Birth Control Pills disrupt your body’s normal hormone production with synthetic versions of estrogen and progesterone (called progestin) which suppresses ovulation, tricking your body into thinking it is pregnant all month.

What happens to your Body On Birth Control Pills?

Hormonal Effects of the Pill

By utilizing synthetic hormones that change a woman’s levels of estrogen and progesterone, the pill can have potent hormonal impacts such as:

Lower Thyroid Hormones: Women taking birth control pills release more of a substance called Thyroid Hormone Binding Globulin (THBG), which binds to your thyroid hormones so that less for your body to function well (such as have energy, healthy hair, skin and the ability to lose weight). As a result, combination oral contraceptives have been shown to cause an increase in total T4 but a decrease in the percentage of free T4. They also cause depletion of nutrients necessary for healthy thyroid function.

Lower Testosterone: Women on the pill experience an increase in Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG), a glycoprotein mostly made in your liver. SHBG binds to testosterone, so when levels go up, testosterone levels go down. In fact, free available levels of testosterone can drop by as much s 61% in women taking BCPs.

Testosterone is necessary for energy, mental clarity, healthy bones, confidence as well as strength and muscle building – this is bad news for your body. Lower testosterone may also explain why many studies confirm that women who are taking a contraceptive pill may experience diminished sexual interest and arousal, reduced frequency of sexual intercourse and reduced sexual enjoyment. This is bad news also. Stopping the pill won’t necessarily fix your hormonal imbalances.

Shutdown Natural Hormone Production: Your body has inbuilt mechanisms to try to maintain homeostasis (a natural body balance). It also has many feedback systems letting you know when levels of chemicals in the body are getting out of balance. For this reason, you will become insulin resistant if you eat a diet high in carbs and sugars, which can often trigger elevated blood sugar and insulin. The same thing happens when you are taking antidepressants that affect serotonin. Registering your body’s serotonin levels that have suddenly shot up, your brain will start shutting down your serotonin receptors, (thereby producing less serotonin naturally) to ensure that you don’t have issues from excess serotonin.

This protective mechanism also applies to your reproductive hormones. When you are taking daily doses of synthetic hormones, your body registers that you are getting unusually high levels of estrogen and progesterone throughout your cycle. As your brain perceives an upset in your hormone balance, it will try to correct any excess by shutting down production of your natural estrogen and progesterone .

Compromise Fertility

Danish research shows that the birth control pill significantly affects ovarian reserve – the number of immature eggs in a woman’s ovaries – which can be a predictor of future fertility. Also, the pill can cause the shrinkage of the ovaries, which becomes between 29 and 52% smaller, with the biggest reductions seen in women aged 19- 29.9 years.

In younger ovaries levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC) tend to be high, but in women taking the pill, they can be 16-19% lower – also indicating that synthetic hormones have an aging effect on the ovaries .

Reduce Serotonin and Melatonin

The pill can interfere with your body’s methylation process by reducing methyl donors, thereby, leaving women deficient in hormones like serotonin (which can improve mood) and melatonin (for better sleep). An estimated 20% of people are slow methylators anyway so adding the pill to that mix can be disastrous for their well-being, leaving them edgy and anxious all day long, then unable to get a good night’s sleep.

Help Trigger PCOS : Some integrative practitioners believe that the hormone disorder, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) can be triggered by the use of birth control pills. This is because excess insulin and inflammation are known triggers of PCOS, and both of these states can be caused by being on the contraceptive pill.

Estrogen Dominance and Birth Control Pills

Natural hormone balance is the foundation of a woman’s emotional and physical health. During a woman’s natural menstrual cycle her estrogen levels rise and fall at different times of the month. The pill disrupts this cycle altogether – keeping estrogen levels high all month.

Continuously elevated levels of estrogen can overload the liver, which can’t perform its essential function of detoxification. As a result, these unhealthy estrogen metabolites go back into your bloodstream and get circulated in your body — quickly leading to Estrogen Dominance (ED)

ED from the pill also leads to too much estradiol (E2), also known as an “aggressive estrogen,” compared to estriol (E3), which is the “protective estrogen.” This imbalance can be behind tender breasts, mood swings, hair loss, weight gain, fibroids, endometriosis, breast and ovarian cysts, and even breast and ovarian cancer.

Other Health Problems Caused by The Pill

Weight gain: For year’s women who have complained that being on the birth control pill made them gain weight were told this issue was all in their heads. Now it is well established that BCPs compromise insulin sensitivity and increase inflammation. Both of these factors are known triggers for weight gain.

Nutrient Deficiencies: Women on the pill use up more of their nutrients when their liver is forced to metabolize these synthetic hormones while trying to filter excess estrogen from your body. This could cause a chronic drop in vitamins levels C and E as well as B complex vitamins including B1, B2, B5, B6, B9(folate), B12.

Gut Issues: According to results of the Harvard Nurses Health study, women who take the birth control pill for more than five years have a 3x chance of developing the autoimmune inflammatory bowel condition, Crohn’s disease.

Excess hormones from the birth control pill can adversely affect healthy gut bacteria.

Candida (yeast infection) overgrowth : Estrogen can be candida fertilizer, helping the yeast population to grow. Because many hormones and their balances originate from the gut, this can then affect the levels of other hormones such as serotonin.

Lowered muscle gain from exercise: When the pill causes a drop in testosterone, many women find that their strength and ability to build muscle is compromised – even if they are exercising regularly.

To wrap this up, if you have been on the pill for more than a few years, get your hormones checked. If you are considering starting the pill, ask your doctor for alternatives. My preferred birth control is the Para guard IUD. It has zero hormones and is covered by most insurances.

If you have further questions or would like to get your hormones checked, feel free to reach out to me via my website. http:www.jennyfitwellness.com

The Dad Bod

Fri, 17 Nov 2017 13:11:00 GMT

We have all heard the terms “dad bod” right? A guy who is fit, goes to the gym, eats right and THEN he gets married, his wife and him have a couple of kids, he gains weight with is wife during her pregnancy, he has the stress of supporting his family and before he knows it he is the epitome of the dreaded Dad Bod .

Now as a female who works with plenty of dads, I know that no dad is proud of the Dad Bod. There may be more going on than the dad just ate too much!

To get from Dad Bod back to Pre-Dad bod will include addressing lifestyle factors starting with diet, sleep, exercise, and hormone testing.

Diet and Exercise Tips to improve your metabolism and body composition include:

Importance of sleep

Sleep modulates neuroendocrine function and glucose metabolism. A common occurrence in parenthood is loss of sleep which has been correlated with metabolic and endocrine alterations. This can include glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, elevated cortisol, increased ghrelin and decreased leptin, all of which can increase hunger and appetite and the risk of obesity.

Improve sleep quality

Optimal hormone levels are very important.

All you dads out there take action, don’t wait until the new year to take over your dad bod.

Take advantage of our holiday specials and contact us to get today to get started.

Info@jennyfitwellness.com

www.jennyfiwellness.com

Testosterone Taboo: Who Really Needs It?

Mon, 24 Jul 2017 13:16:00 GMT

Testosterone Taboo: Who really needs it?

Testosterone, we all have it and we all need it. So the question is, could you benefit from some extra T?

When was the last time you had a full blood panel ran including thyroid (T3 Free, T4 Free, T4 total, TSH), testosterone total, testosterone free, estrone, estradiol, estriol, progesterone, DHEA and cortisol? If you have never had a full blood panel, you are not alone. I recommend you get one just to have a baseline of all your levels, EVEN if you feel good. You have nothing to lose! I get my blood drawn every 6 months due to my hypothyroidism, testosterone, estrogen and progesterone levels. Knowledge is power!!

I call it testosterone taboo because I think there is a huge misconception and negative connotation when it comes to hormone therapy, especially (TRT) testosterone for men AND women. This negative scrutiny stems from misuse and abuse in the fitness industry and just a lack of knowledge surrounding the topic. There are a lot of individuals that can truly benefit from a little extra testosterone. Maybe you need it, maybe you don’t, but you won’t know if you don’t check your levels. I am passionate about hormonal health because hormones can be so tricky, yet they can make such a huge difference in how you feel.

What do most people think of when they hear testosterone? Libido, right? NEWS FLASH!!! Regardless whether you are a man or a woman, we all have and need testosterone for MORE than just a healthy libido! Yes, libido will be improved as well and that’s not a bad thing either.

Testosterone plays a key role in your:

Healthy testosterone levels help women and men:

Maintain sex drive: Testosterone is part of what drives desire, fantasy, and thoughts about sex, and even helps provide the energy for sex in men and women.

Women, a few things to consider. If you have ever taken the birth control pill, you may experience low T levels due to the estrogen from the pill possibly binding to testosterone and lower women’s sexual desire.

After menopause, women might experience a dip in their sex drive. This low sex drive could be the result of lowering testosterone levels.

Along with body and mind, testosterone also takes care of how you perform in bed. It is seen the reduction in libido is not actually a sign of aging, but it is a sign of low testosterone. High libido is most noticeable benefit of high testosterone.

Keep bones healthy: The correct balance of testosterone furthers and supports the growth and strength of healthy bones, while too much or too little can harm bones. Testosterone replacement after menopause could help some women maintain healthy bones. Low levels of testosterone in women often lead to an increased risk of osteoporosis, since low T levels can leach away strength from the skeleton.

Weight Management and Increase Muscle Mass:

Low levels can also lead to an increased risk of gaining weight since testosterone levels have been linked with fat mass in women in studies published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. ⁴ Optimal levels of testosterone can also help build muscle mass. Many individuals have below normal T, which will definitely hinder building muscle mass. For the women out there…You WON’T turn into a man or get “bulky” if you are taking a low dose of T managed by your doctor!

Manage pain levels: According to research in the Journal of Pain, women who take birth control pills and have levels of testosterone that are out of balance with levels of estrogen might have less ability to manage their pain response.

Preserve cognitive health: Changes in cognition and cognitive fatigue may be related to changing hormone levels. Correcting testosterone levels might help prevent cognitive fatigue, according to research in Gynecological Endocrinology.

Relieve Depression: In America, around 7% of the population is suffering from depression. Make a guess, who can help depressed people fight depression. Testosterone, it is! Optimal levels of testosterone is linked with mental well being. A study done at Harvard suggests that, patients who were not responding to the conventional anti-depressants had low levels of testosterone in their body. And, when these patients were given a dosage of testosterone along with antidepressants , they reacted to it quite well. Depression is one of the most common mental disease is today’s society.

There is a fine link between testosterone and depression, but testosterone can surely help people who are not responding to the conventional methods to conquer depression.

Makes the heart stronger: The most prominent function of the testosterone is to help muscle grow and to strengthen them. The Heart is the most important and most used muscle of them all. It pumps blood day and night. So, testosterone provides strength to the heart muscle. Plus, as it reduces cholesterol, which also decrease the risk of other heart related diseases.

Improved Sleep : A study done on a group of men aged 65 or above suggests that low testosterone is linked with reduction is sleep duration , less quality sleep, frequent waking up and disturbance while sleeping. Therefore, an optimal amount of free testosterone is responsible for the overall sleep quality.

The strange thing about this is that more sleep means more testosterone. Men who sleep less than 5-6 hrs at night has 10% less testosterone in their body. So, sleep for more testosterone and more testosterone means better sleep.

Sense of Well-Being: Have you woken up with a sense that the world is beautiful, life is great, no task is conquerable?Or feeling healthy as a horse? The chances might be that your testosterone level might be high at that time. Testosterone makes you feel good. I think, this is one of the most important benefits of high testosterone because the ultimate task of the human being or as a matter of fact, for any creature is to feel good and happy. And, testosterone helps with that.

Less Mortality Rate: On top of all the above benefits, testosterone also increases the number of days you’ll live. The reason behind this is very simple. It makes your heart stronger, benefits your brain, decrease your cholesterol level, increase blood flow and many other things. It increases your body’s overall strength. Hence, it is obvious that you will live a long life.

The key is to work with a doctor that specializes in hormones and do it the right way. Don’t be ashamed or afraid of adding a little testosterone in your life. Not everyone produces enough testosterone and natural remedies will not always work to increase it. Just like nutrition is an individual prescription, so is balancing your hormones. Find a doctor that specializes in hormones to ensure you are getting the best care. I prefer a naturopathic doctor or an endocrinologist.

In my experience, out of 1,000’s of client I have seen very few individuals at any age have optimal levels of testosterone. On the flip side, I have seen several clients completely change their lives from an energy and mental clarity perspective when starting testosterone. In my opinion, there is also a difference between optimal and normal levels. Most doctors that do not specialize in hormones will say you are fine if you are in the “normal” range. I don’t know about you, but for myself, I want to be in the optimal range for all my hormones.

For me, I choose to TRT adn I have a doctor I trust. But it is important to mention that I eat the right ratio of macros and include a lot of micronutrients in my diet, I sleep at least 6.5 – 7 hours every night, and I manage my stress the best I can. Diet, sleep, stress management and exercise should all be a priority if you are going to spend money on supplements of any kind. With all of those in place, I also have my hormones at the optimal levels. So, what do I supplement with to improve my hormone profile? I take naturesthroid for my hypothyroidism, progesterone, DIMS (I am estrogen dominant) and testosterone because my T-levels were extremely low from years of being on birth control. I take all of these to be as optimal as I can and to feel as good as I can for as long as I can!

Do what works for you and what you are comfortable putting in your body, but at minimum get your blood work so you know your levels! Let me know if you have any questions or would like to get your bloodwork checked. I work with Spectra Cell Laboratories to help my clients receive affordable blood testing.

Make it a great week!

Jenny

Will I HAVE to Track Macros Forever?

Wed, 14 Jun 2017 13:20:00 GMT

You’ve been tracking macros consistently for awhile now, you are getting results and you are wondering will I “HAVE” to track my macros forever?

A few things to consider when you are feeling like you need a break from tracking your macros or just thinking you can sustain this forever.

First and Foremost………

1. TAKE A BREAK!!! If you are feeling like this, then realize it’s okay to take a break. Not tracking your macros for a few days will actually help you re-focus and feel ready to track again. However, taking a break from tracking doesn’t give you the excuse to have an all out CHEAT/PIG OUT DAY. If anything, use these couple of days to put into use what you have learned from tracking your food. Be mindful about your food choices and quantity, but don’t track your actual intake.

2. What’s your goal and have you achieved it yet? After you take your mental break from tracking for a few days, now let’s evaluate where you are in reaching your goal. Have you achieved the goal that you wanted to achieve when you first started tracking macros? If you haven’t, I would recommend continuing to track, but implement some strategies I will talk about below. If you have met your goal, I recommend taking a little bit longer of a break if you are feeling burned out and still take into consideration some of my other recommendations below.

3. Feeling Burned out from tracking, but you haven’t reached your goal yet. If you haven’t reached your goal, yet you are feeling burned out, try a couple of these tips and keep going! a. Take 1 day a week off from tracking. Like I said already, this isn’t an excuse to binge or over eat, but just to disconnect from your phone and not think about what you will be eating every second of the day. This one-day break can do wonders for you mentally and might even make you miss tracking! We all know it’s a little addicting!

You’ve met your goal, should you keep tracking?

If you love tracking, then by all means KEEP tracking even if you have reached your goal! I have been tracking my macros for over 3 years now. I have definitely not been 100% accurate every day of the year, I have taken breaks just like I am talking about today, but I always go back to tracking because I enjoy it.

Whatever you decide to do, remember that taking a break from tracking your macros or increasing your intake to a maintenance level for period of time will yield a lot more benefit than just sanity! Remember you are in this for a lifetime, not just 12 weeks. The minute you change your mindset and enjoy the process rather than always wanting immediate results by extreme measures is when you will start seeing real and sustainable results. I promise!!!!

Keep grinding macro killers!!!

There are NO shortcuts

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 23:39:00 GMT

You will get results when you have a plan that you ENJOY and can follow FOREVER. Each year Americans diet and spend an estimated $33 billion on weight loss products!!! Think about that for a second and then think about this statistic… 2/3 of Americans are overweight or obese. Clearly we need to shift what […]

You will get results when you have a plan that you ENJOY and can follow FOREVER.

Each year Americans diet and spend an estimated $33 billion on weight loss products!!! Think about that for a second and then think about this statistic… 2/3 of Americans are overweight or obese. Clearly we need to shift what we are doing in America! Everyone is looking for a quick fix. The quickest way to lose fat, the best diet to get to that “certain” number on the scale, the “superfood” that will help you lose your gut the fastest, the best supplement to increase your muscle mass, the magic pill to make you feel energized all day and the list goes on and on and on. I am no different than anyone else and I would also love instant gratification and quick results, but that quick fix WON’T produce long term results. I am going to repeat again…A quick fix, won’t produce long term results. This applies to weight loss, increased strength and improved performance or any goal. Continue reading to learn some tips that we use in our coaching at Jenny Fit when it comes to having long term success and finding a plan that is sustainable for you.

Exercise

When it comes to working out it, you have to first show up, right!? But the reality is just showing up isn’t going to produce results!

You need a plan to follow in order to get the most out of your gym time. If you don’t have a coach, go to Crossfit or participate in any other type of group exercise, chances are you are not getting the most out of your workouts. Having a plan to follow will give you a structured workout rather than just going to the gym wandering from machine to machine, chatting with your gym buddies, staying for an hour only to feel like “hey, at least I showed up”. Because just showing up, won’t produce results. It will leave you frustrated and more likely to quit.

If you are going to Crossfit or another group exercise, this won’t necessarily apply to you. I am a fan of group exercise due to the accountability and competitiveness it provides. Your workout partner can be your significant other or a friend that motivates you. Now you have your plan and your workout partner. Make sure you push each other and save the chit chat until after the workout.

The number 1 excuse for not working out is “I don’t have time”. We all have the same 24 hours in a day, it just comes down to what your priorities are. A 15-minute workout can be just as good as a 1 hour workout if that’s all you have. Pick a time of day that is realistic and that you can commit to at least 2 -3 times a week. If you aren’t a morning person, don’t choose 5 am as your workout time. If you really only have 30 minutes a day because you have 5 kids, 2 jobs and spouse to take care of I guarantee you that 30 minutes of working out will pay dividends in the long run. If you have to, make your kids part of your workout and set an good example for them. By making YOU a priority, you are making your FAMILY a priority!

Just like anything you want to achieve in life, consistency is key to success. In order to be consistent, you have to pick the type of exercise you ENJOY and will continue doing. If you are killing yourself at the gym with 1 hour of cardio plus another hour of strength training 7 days a week, you WILL burn out sooner than later.

Nutrition

Now for the diet, the one thing that everyone wants a shortcut or magic pill to. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, there is NO magic pill or quick fix to the right diet. In fact, I would go as far to say there is no “DIET” that will get you long term results. Why? Because diets mean short term, quick fixes and not actually making lifestyle changes.

If the diet you are following is something you can’t see yourself doing 6 months, 1 year or 5 years from now, guess what…you are trying to take a short cut and you WON’T be successful. No, if’s and’s or but’s about it, you won’t have LONG term success. Quit looking for a quick fix. If you are following a meal plan, what happens when you go out to eat or your family wants something that isn’t on your meal plan? The problem with “dieting” is that most people want to lose weight the quickest way possible so they are willing to do whatever it takes until the scale hits a certain number and then expect the weight to not come back, but they never changed their behaviors. Guess what, if you are losing weight rapidly you’re losing muscle and fat. Flexible dieting will give you the opportunity to eat more, eat variety and have zero restrictions = adherence.

Make sustainable lifestyle changes!! Sustainability, the definition my business is based upon. You can’t change a lifetime of behaviors in a week or even a month. But what you can do is commit to being patient while you change. Set reasonable goals, hire a coach for accountability and to keep you motivated. Plan on having some set backs, but also plan on not giving up. Don’t put a deadline on changing behaviors.

I am sure this isn’t the first time you have heard this one?! Do you have to meal prep every single meal? No, but will meal prepping make you that much more successful? Yes! I know you are thinking I said do what you enjoy for long term success, right?! If you HATE meal prepping, you may not do it consistently which goes against everything I am talking about. However …. You are in luck! There are a lot of great meal prep companies out there that will tell you exactly what is in your food and how many macros are in it. This is different than eating out because the food is precisely measured so you can account for what you are eating. Prepping your own food will teach you a couple of things.

When it comes to nutrition, there is NO magic pill. It will take time, patience and consistency. Just like consistency is something that will win every time with exercise, consistency with your diet will win too. Consistency takes hard work, the next level of effort, not giving up, and a new level of commitment from you. Stick to what you are doing long enough to get the results you are wanting. When you start to experience results, you will have a new found form of motivation and dedication. Your food choices will determine your success

I want to leave you with these last few reminders.

How to Properly Manage Lower Back Pain

Wed, 01 Mar 2017 12:42:00 GMT

Regardless of age, job title, gender or race humans are all designed similar. Bones are connected to bones by ligaments and muscle to bone by tendons. All produce movement through muscle contraction and end up with by products and human waste i.e. lactate and muscle breakdown (protein synthesis). Individuals are built to lift, run, jump, kick, swing, pick things up and put them down. But due to the bodies design there is a price to pay for performing those movements’ and we are left with stress and a constant breakdown of the tissue. One of the most damaged and prevalent injury sites is to the lower back.

When addressing any injury there needs to be two main points of emphasis 1. Stabilize 2. Mobilize. Stabilizing the lower back is a complicated task due to the large amount of musculature and attachment points to other joints and extremities. What needs to be done is to attack the core structure (Sternum to knees) from an anatomical standpoint, keeping the spine and pelvis in alignment. Below there’s a focus of two alignment exercises that require zero equipment, but call for a great amount of concentration and muscle recruitment to help benefit stabilizing the lower back.

2. Sternum Elevation-Elevate the sternum up and forward and shoulder blades back and down. This now addresses the upper portion of the spine, performing the action with strengthen specific muscles in the back keeping shoulder posture in its correct alignment.

Mobility has to be a constant emphasis for all due to the bodies’ constant moving state or even more detrimental is the complete lack of movement in a sedentary lifestyle. Regardless of the activity level stretching and mobilizing the tissue is very important to allow the body the ability to achieve the proper range of motion.

2 . Seated Hamstring Stretch- This can be performed seated or prone. Maintain posterior pelvic tilt and sternum elevation keeping back flat. Sit at the edge of a chair or use a counter to elevate leg, keeping hips square hinge at the hips and not back to stretch the hamstrings.

Regardless of activity level, job title, gender or size these four exercises are crucial to a healthy and strong lower back. Focusing on mobility and stability for all joints is paramount to elevating the majority of aches and pains. Always focus on the quality of movement and the bodies positions when performing any movement, this will allow for proper range of motion to be achieved and the likelihood for any other injury to occur.

By Taylor Perkins

Jenny Fit Wellness

Transitioning from a Reverse Diet to the Cutting Phase

Mon, 13 Feb 2017 01:35:00 GMT

As I sit here writing my 2nd blog I am wrapping up my 2nd reverse diet in 2 years feeling very uncomfortable in my own skin and ready for it to end so this is perfect timing to be very real about my experience thus far. I mentioned in my last blog I was very uncomfortable by the time I finished my first reverse diet in 2015 and I thought it was going to be all fun and games as I started my cut in February 2016. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Starting a cut after you complete a reverse diet especially if you put on some body fat you are going to feel ALL in and more than ready to be lean, BUT getting lean doesn’t happen overnight like you are hoping for! It is actually a completely mind boggling experience that you really can’t prepare for. The reason for this is we all want instant gratification, right? I KNOW I do! But our bodies are very complicated and have a mind of their own. So, the first thing I want to do is manage expectations for any of you getting ready to start a cut. I am sure you have all seen social media reverse diet pictures where some individuals get leaner with a reverse when calories are added…..this is NOT always the case. In fact, in my experience I have seen it probably 50/50 where some individuals get leaner and some gain body fat. Of course, I am the one that gains body fat, but the good thing and one of the most important things to remember is a reverse diet is absolutely necessary for those who have been in a caloric deficit for awhile and you can ALWAYS lose the body fat!!

My cut started in February 2016 where I was eating 285 grams of carbs on my high day and doing ZERO cardio, just lifting heavy 5 days/week. My goal was to cut for a photo shoot in June. The good news is my body did respond; however, it took me a good 6 weeks into the cut to really notice changes happening. That instant gratification I talked about earlier, well it wasn’t happening for me. Having a coach was absolutely critical for me. If I didn’t have a coach, I would have cut entirely TOO fast and increased my activity entirely TOO soon. This would have defeated the process of doing the whole reverse to build my metabolism in the first place. I knew I had to trust the process as much as I hated to! Actually, I didn’t have a choice unless I wanted to stay where I was. By the time June rolled around for my photo shoot I was down to eating 100 grams of carbs and 30 grams of fat to obtain a look that I was going for. If you are thinking that’s not a lot of food, you are correct. This is also a sign that my body is still not efficient and it helped keep things in perspective for me. My body has been through A LOT and still needs some healing. However, I felt relived my body responded to the cut! 2 years ago, it wouldn’t respond no matter how little I ate. At the end of my cut, I was only doing 4 days of cardio that consisted of 15 – 20 minutes High Intensity Interval Training. My starting weight at the end of my reverse diet was 153-154 and my ending weight after my cut was 142. As I always preach to my clients, weight is only one tool to use and I really gauge more on how I feel and look, but I am sharing for those who might be curious. I stayed at this caloric intake for about 3 – 4 weeks post photo shoot just to remain lean during the summer.

If you are currently going through a cut, my advice is don’t get hung up on comparing yourself to others on social media. You don’t know what their journey has looked like compared to yours. I want to remind you that no single person responds the same.

As I am wrapping up my second cut getting ready to start my cut in 2 weeks, I am MORE than ready and I am MORE than prepared this time knowing I will not start feeling comfortable for at least 4 weeks. I am managing my expectations this time around because I know it’s going to be worth it. I am hopeful my body will respond better this go round to the cut since I responded better to my reverse, but only the next 5 months will tell!!!

Whatever you are going through, wherever you are in your journey, stay patient, stay the course and don’t compare yourself to others!! Anything worth having has never been easy in my experience, whether its my fitness journey or other personal journey’s, but they have ALL been worth the hard work, patience and time I put in.

Should you consider doing a reverse diet?

Sat, 14 Jan 2017 00:53:00 GMT

Have you ever been on a restrictive diet? Maybe you did a bikini competition and your coach gave you a meal plan eating 1,200 calories or less for 12 weeks while working out 6 days a week doing excessive cardio? Or maybe you restricted your calories so much that you lost a lot of weight real fast, but then you gained back what you lost and then some? Or maybe you feel like you have been on some sort of diet your entire life?
If any of these sound familiar, we have something in common and you want to continue reading my story to learn more about why I am so passionate about helping people fix their metabolisms and find a sustainable way to achieve their goals.

In March 2014, I checked off one thing I had my bucket list for a long time. I competed in a bikini competition!! (Disclaimer: before I continue I want to say that I am not bashing competitors and I know this isn’t everyone’s experience, but I see it happen too frequently). After dieting for 12 weeks, I checked off competing in a tiny bikini on stage in March 2014. I looked AMAZING, felt great in my clothes (since I was as tiny as I had ever been) and I was obsessed with looking lean. BUT……I was hungry, tired, worn out from excessive cardio and my metabolism was shot. Even though I was exhausted, all I could think about was “when’s my next show” and how much leaner can I get. I kept pushing my body and staying in a caloric deficit trying to get leaner for the next show. However, my body was NOT responding to lower calories and more cardio. I had a complete blood panel done only to find out my T3 was so low it was pretty much off the charts, my testosterone and progesterone were also well below the normal range. You guessed it, my thyroid was trashed and that’s why my body was not responding. I was officially diagnosed with hypothyroidism. My menstrual cycle was also out of whack and I had menstruated for 4 months.

I decided to put any future shows on hold and get my health back. I began researching everything there was to know about hormones, thyroid health and the best route to heal my body. I worked with my naturopath doctor who specializes in hormones and I started seeing a Chinese doctor in San Diego to try a natural route in healing my thyroid. I began drinking nasty tea that was formulated specifically for me 3 times a day. I did this for 6 months! After educating myself, I realized taking thyroid medicine wasn’t the end of the world and I didn’t have a choice if I wanted to heal. After several months, my thyroid levels improved, I felt better, and my skin even improved. My T3, testosterone and progesterone were FINALLY within the “normal” range, but my menstrual cycle still had not normalized after a year and half post competition. All you ladies know this is a kind of a double edged sword; however, as nice as it was not having to deal with a cycle I knew it wasn’t healthy.

I wasn’t “fixed” at this point as my body was still NOT responding even though my blood work looked the best it had in a year. The next step I took was hiring a coach who had experience with my exact situation, cared about my health over aesthetics and would hold me accountable to not be crazy! YES, even I needed a coach to push me out of my comfort zone, make me eat more, put my health first over how I looked and let my body heal by doing a TRUE reverse diet. A year and half later I had never actually completed a “TRUE” reverse diet.
LET the Reverse Diet begin! September 2015 was the beginning of what was one of the most mind boggling, toughest 5.5 months of my life! If you have ever done a reverse diet where your body may not respond like you want, you get what I am saying! I started my reverse diet eating 130 grams of carbs a day (remember, my body was not responding at this point), working out 6 times a week (lifting and doing cardio). Each week we slowly increased my caloric intake by increasing carbs very slow and decreasing my activity. I had been pushing my body WAY to hard and eating WAY too little. I knew better, but I was scared to death I would get “fat” or gain weight. I started my reverse diet weighing 148 lbs (I weighed 131 for my competition). I was suffering from adrenal fatigue and a VERY SLOW metabolism. I only gained a total of 5 pounds during my reverse diet, but it felt like so much more because I increased my body fat and my hips just get really wide when I gain weight. I am very estrogen dominant, which is a whole other topic we’ll save for later. I was very uncomfortable in my skin and ready for the reverse to end. The good news is I increased my caloric intake from 1,500 to 2,100 calories. My carb high was 285 grams on my highest refeed day. For those of you who know macros, you know that 285 grams of carbs isn’t necessarily that much, but it’s what my body could tolerate. My reverse diet could have gone longer to continue building my metabolism, but I tapped out! I was over it in January, I was over feeling fat, feeling uncomfortable and I wanted to start doing a cut. My coach convinced me to push through to mid-February. I hired him for a reason and knew I had to listen to him.

The reverse is over and I am thinking the hardest part is OVER!! I couldn’t be more wrong!!! Stay tuned for my next blog where I will talk about how torturous my cut was starting in February 2016. I will update you on my 2nd reverse diet that I am going to wrap in February 2017 and I will talk more about the mindset and struggles of having a slow metabolism.

I am going to leave you with this for now. If you have experienced anything that I mentioned in the first paragraph and you are tired of NOT getting results!! There is hope for you and you CAN repair your metabolism. Hire someone with experience, someone who will put your health first and push you out of your comfort zone. Then you have just have to trust the process and follow your coach’s guidance as hard as it may be some days!

Have a great week everyone!