New Leaf Fitness - My Results!

A couple of weeks ago, a colleague of mine Don Goodwin (DG23 Fitness) asked: 

• Would knowing exactly how much fat our burning at each beat of heat rate help you?
• How many fat cals per minute
• Basically knowing exactly what heart rate you metabolize fat best without sacrificing muscle?

My answer, of course, was yes! So we scheduled an appointment for me to come in and do the New Leaf Exercise Assessment Test.

My Background
I started dieting this season in November. I did have a cheat day for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve. But I have been dieting from then until my show March 24th. I looked at my intended last show (San Jose, July 14th) and realized that at 16 weeks away, that would have been 9 months of dieting! That's TOO MUCH! I also realized that when I had gained weight, I gained muscle. When it was time to lean out, it just wasn't working. I was overdieting, overtraining, stressed, and under rested. As the show approached I would be doing about 1 hour of cardio a day and when show time came I didn't feel lean enough and I felt like my muscle wasn't there.
I had been trying to get into my 'Target Heart Rate Zone" of 65-85% of my Age Predicted Max (220-age).

220 - (33) = 187(maxHR)   x.65 / x.85 = 122 - 159bpm.

precisionnutrition.com

I had been trying to get into that zone, but most of the time it was a struggle for me to even get into the 120's! I felt like a slacker or out of shape. My legs would start burning so I thought I know I'm working! I would teach 2 cycle classes in one day and my legs would definitely feel it the next day. I always joke about how I HATE CARDIO! I say "I only do it when I get paid!", why I love teaching! I can lift until I can't walk anymore, I'm definitely a lifter.

Introducing New Leaf Fitness
I arrived to see Don on Saturday at 10am. Pre-test protocols were:

• no caffiene on saturday

• no food after midnight friday night/sat morning.

• no workouts for 24 hours. On friday you need to be completely rested

• no alcohol friday/saturday.

• only water sat am

• please wear clothes you feel comfortable jogging in.

The exercise test measures your metabolic rate during exercise. This is where you’ll learn how many calories your body burns while exercising; whether those calories come mainly from fat, carbs, or a combination of both; and at what intensity level you burn calories most efficiently.

The Test
 The test was performed on a treadmill at a pace I felt comfortable with. First I put on a Garmin chest strap to record my Heart Rate. I wore a neoprene mask which was attached to the analyzer and sent readings to his laptop. We added some speed or took the incline up every minute to track my heart rate and where it went as the analyzer measured the content of the air I was exhaling to determine what fuel source I was using. The test takes 15 minutes and once the information needed is gathered you cool back down and your done!

 My Results
Here are some of my charts. What I found is totally going to change my training!

Once I get past 123bpm, I'm burning almost NO fat!

As I am in the range of 85 - 95bpm, I am burning most of my calories from fat. 85%-88%. I was more highly efficient at this lower rate that a lot of people.

My HR Threshold is 127bpm. My VO2 Peak is 35.5

Donald had been interesting in seeing what my results would be since I am a Figure competitor (body building type training) and had just done a competition. My results were definitely unique.
- My HR Threshold is 127bpm. The highest sustainable intensity of exercise that my body can sustain and still burn fat efficiently.
- My HR Peak is about 148bpm.
- My Aerobic Base HR is about 118bpm. This is the highest intensity at which my body still uses fat as it's dominant fuel.
- My VO2 capacity at 35.5 was pretty high in relation to my size which led Don to suggest I would make a good sprinter.

Light Bulb Moments: 
He asked me if I lifted more, when I wasn't doing as much cardio, did I tend to lean out easier? YES!
He said I would probly be a good sprinter. - I actually ran sprints in high school and love to race quick, but DO NOT ask me to 'go for a run'!
I burn Extremely efficiently, almost ALL fat at the lower zones. Then, when my 'predetermined zone' occurs(according to age charts) I burn NO FAT. This means a few things:
- I am burning mostly Carbohydrate, but a byproduct of that is Lactic Acid, which explains why my legs get tired so quickly.
- When you use Carbohydrate, you end up depleting your stores causing you to be tired, and starving for them after the workout.


 Moving Forward
Taking all this information, we can create a program for me. Below is a sample cardio workout which shows how long I should work out at each of the 3 zones to 'Build my Base".
Short Term Goal: Work between 86 - 122 bpm to burn MOSTLY fat and spare the proteins(muscle tissue) that I work so hard to build.
Long Term Goal: Using interval training, I will gradually be able to become more efficient at burning fat at the higher heart rate zones. As I become more efficient, I will be able to work in higher HR Zones, while still burning mostly fat, hence burning more calories and more fat overall.

So I will be working at keeping my heart rate down while teaching my classes, and lifting 5-6x/week. I currently teach a base of 3) 60min cycling classes (which I will incorporate interval training) and 3) Aqua classes. I teach those on deck and my heart rate was actually in the fat burning range.  
I will also be looking to incorporate some track workouts into my training. He suggested a 3:1 recover/work ratio. I am thinking of doing 100m sprints, followed by walking the other 3/4 of the track to recover. He also mentioned to me that if you are burning fat, you should feel better after a workout. Also if you are working in the right zones of your interval training. If you are burning carbohydrate, you will feel like death and be starving to replenish your glycogen stores in the muscle.

For more info:

www.newleaffitness.com
www.facebook.com/DG23Fitness  
 

Protein Crepe Almond Rolls

I made these the night before my fitness conference and they were great to eat on my way out the door!

1c Lana's Egg Whites
1/2c Oatmeal
*Cinnamon, Splenda, Pumkin Spice, dash of salt to taste
1T Almond Butter (BEST is FRESH ground from Whole Foods!)

Mix 1st 3 lines of ingredients together in Magic Bullet (or other blender). Pour in pan (I used coconut oil) Mades approx 2-3 crepes depending on your desired thickness. Lightly coat crepe with almond butter, roll, but in 1/2 and place in tupperware. Next morning just heat it up for approx 1 minute in the microwave and go! ;)

24 hour eating spree!

Figure went on DEAD last. That means we got to watch everyone else come backstage and tear into their goodies. Torture!
But thats literally what happens. We all rush down(hopefully with trophies) and eat and share - cookies, cupcakes, brownies, this time of year Cadbury Eggs etc. Then off to whatever restaurant is open, usually BJ's and Cheesecake Factory are open til 12 or 1am.
Your body doesnt even care that its full, its been deprived SO long it will take in whatever you give it to survive the next "famine". We also call this a "re-feed" as the last few weeks(hell week especially) we deplete our bodies so much and get way leaner than what nature would allow. Its super hard not to go overboard.
I will say my 24hrs stretched to 48. Below are just some of the meals i devoured. Tomorrow i will start a 2 day carb depletion and an hour of cardio/day to bring me back in line. I have Contra Costa in just under 6 weeks. My body has been hard to drop lately so hopefully it is now sufficiently confused enough to create change.
I have a fitness conference this week. All day Aqua Certification Thursday, followed by 3 days full of cycling, aqua, pilates & bootcamp classes. This will help burn all those extra calories and i will be bringing my meals of course. I will make those my "high carb" days to begin my carb cycling. Here we go!



BJ's Spinach Artichoke Dip



BJ's Pizza



Mimi's

BJ's

Applebee's

Tanning: ProTan Mishap

This weekend, I fell victim to a rookie mistake. I was WAY too light, and it's not for lack of trying.

This time, I decided to discontinue use of Dream Tan. This was the product that made me a LOT darker day of show but is not well-liked by the NPC and it's promoters as it gets on everything on the venue. I used Protan as instructed by the Pros, but something went wrong. I even put on an extra coat: Wed night, Thurs am, Thurs pm, Fri am, Fri pm, Sat am. I was light. I decided after pre-judging to go back to the hotel and shower and re-apply another coat. I thought the first bottle was empty so I used the next bottle.(I always bring extra!) It went on DARK and more Red. The other bottle was older, it had come out green. This is what had gone wrong. I have had this happen before, sometimes its more green sometimes red/orange. Package the same "Original Suntan Brown".

After calling ProTan I can share a lil bit about what I learned. There is no way to make a BROWN color so there are always variants of green or red. The bottle I had used previously has definitely been improved upon and the newer bottle should be more stable, or reliable in color. If it does come out green, I was told it will still darken, just hop in the shower to wash off the green tint, but again should not happen with the current version. Shelf life of thise product is approximately 2 years, so don't do what I did and try to 'save it' for later.

For more info: http://www.protanusa.com/



After a 'good coat'



Protein Pancakes - Labrada Strawberry Shortcake

Single serving recipe (I make a double batch)

1 whole egg
1/2c Lana's Egg Whites
1 scoop Labrada Lean Pro 8-Strawberry Ice Cream
1/2 cup Oatmeal
1 fruit (1/2c strawberries/1 banana)
* i like using one serving of each as the banana gives it a better consistency, but you can do 1c strawberries if you can only have them just be gentle with the cakes)

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Lightly coat pan with coconut oil. Pout batter to desired thickness. Once bubbles come through to the top it is time to flip them(very short amount of time on second side).

Makes approximately 4-5 cakes/serving. Smells amazing! ;)

2 Days out - NPC Governor's Cup (BIRTHDAY!)

Here it is - Prep Time! I always overestimate and underbudget my time. On Sunday I started carb depleting. I worked out in the morning and was pretty much miserable the rest of the day, spending a lot of napping time in bed. This is where we do our lifts to keep the muscle full and pump out the carbs and water. Also I am still doing cardio. Tomorrow is my last lifting day. WHOOHOO! Also, I get carbs at most of my meals! ANOTHER WHOOHOO!

I did get a bed tan this time on Sunday and again today. Tuesday is the last time to bed tan as the tan caused inflammation/water retention. I will start my new tanning process with ProTan Line either tomorrow night(like before) or on Thursday morning(2x/day) as recommended. I'm antsy! I'm done being miserable and now I just want to BE THERE! I'm SUPER excited because I have met quite a few girls who are also doing this show, and one of them is my LONG time co-worker and friend whom I convinced to get on stage when I did my first show over 10 years ago. lol then I gained a bunch of weight after mine and couldn't do it with her and our other co-worker. She has since gone to Nationals and I am so proud of her! I am really excited to reconnect.

Interesting note - TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY! I am conflicted, lol.
Negatives: NO dinners, NO drinks, NO nights out(well i did have grilled chicken at Hooters on St Patty's), NO parties, etc etc. I'm tired, cranky, depressed, stressed, hungry..... No time off(I worked and did collections) and did my workout and prepared my food. blah.
Positives: I CHOSE THIS. This was my 'gift' to myself. I have a history of not so good Birthdays and I didn't want to rely on anyone or be let down, so this is ALL on me. I am doing a competition and looking the best ever have, I am celebrating ME. AND, some of my closest girlfriends will be there and my dad and we will be celebrating my Birthday after at Cheesecake Factory so THAT is my reward! And I can't wait!

THOUGHTS
At this point of the season, I have been dieting for approximately 5 months. I believe in overall health, and a Competition Diet is NOT HEALTHY. Most trainers(good ones) will make you take time off after a certain length of time. Your body and mind will wear down, and it will show in your stage presence. I am looking at 16 more weeks after this, including the Contra Costa in May, West Coast Classic in June and San Jose in July. My body is breaking down, my mind is not comprehending. Burnt out. October - July...that's 9 months of HARD training and dieting. "Eating Clean" is NOT the same as a Competition Diet. When you are eating clean, you can eat ANYTHING that you can 'pick, kill or catch'. Any fruit, veggie, protein, grain, etc. You have a large variety and many different nutrients. A competition diet is vary specific and limited. This is why we rely on supplements. I am planning my 'mental' breaks so that I can continue. If I don't, I will end up as before, rebelling and eating out of spite. I don't believe in extremes. I quit before because I saw too many girls become obsessed with their food and lack of realistic lifestyle. I saw it ruin friendships, marriages, etc. BALANCE is KEY in ALL things. And if I start to feel like a flipping apple is a 'bad' thing, that's out of control. It's not in a competition diet for me, but it's not 'bad'. This sport is truly what you make it. And you need to make it work for YOU.

Closing Thoughts
I have planned 'mental' breaks, where I will eat 'clean' but let my body refuel and then decide to move on. I WILL move on, but I need to check in with myself and make sure it is the right thing to do. I want to be able to keep pushing myself and enjoy the process, even the crazy parts!  I am SO excited for this weekend! I have more muscle than ever, and have worked super hard for this. I can't wait to compare this season's pic to last years! mmm....Birthday Cake! :D

Quick & Easy Sweet Potatoes - Dessert Style!

Ok, so SUPER easy and quick! I used Jersey Sweet Potatoes(yellow) but you can also use my other favorite Garnet Yams. Run your potatoes under water and use a veggie scrubber to scrub the dirt off. I eat the whole thing including peel for the added vitamins! Cut them into small to medium sized pieces. I sprinkled Splenda & Cinnamon over them, then bake approximately 1hr at 350 Degrees F. :)