FitBit: 5 Reasons to Wear One!

As a student, professional, and advocate for the fields of exercise science and public health, I am always looking for new ways to make living healthier better. This Christmas, I found one of the best new devices yet: The Fitbit Flex. Not only is it a convenient bracelet to wear around your wrist, it provides a plethora of knowledge and feedback to encourage and change behavior. Below are my top 5 reasons for getting a FitBit!

           

All 5 dots light up = goal is reached!

Documentation: Time and time again through my course of studying at GW, I have heard throughout my social and behavioral theory courses that tracking behaviors can lead to behavior change such as keeping a food diary to lose weight. In a randomized controlled environment this is great news, however, none of us live in that world. And how many of us actually know the true quantity of our daily physical activity? Speaking from experience, I cannot tell you how many random little notebooks I have lying around with about 4 days of workouts and food logged in them, followed by empty pages. Another thing I have learned in school, people have a tendency to over estimate their physical activity. I think this trend speaks for itself.

The FitBit flex takes the guesswork and estimation out of it all! Strap on this cute bracelet in the morning, and let it do the rest. Once you set up your FitBit, you have a portal all to yourself that keeps a record of your daily activity including steps, miles walked, a graph of intensity of your activity, and calories burned based on your height and weight.  Because it has the ability to sync up wirelessly with your computer, it takes the nuisance out of writing everything down. Simply log in, and you can find out the deets. Not only this but you can look back at previous days and weeks to compare.

Customization: The tiny device is your personal assistant for health and fitness. It comes preset to 10,000 steps a day as a goal, but you can change this according to your personal goals. As mentioned above, the FitBit tracks how many calories you have burned, but if you are interested in taking tracking a step further, it has a food log function where you can also account for calories consumed. One of my favorite features of the FitBit is the ability to use it as an alarm clock.  Monday through Friday, my wrist vibrates at six in the morning, waking me up for the day! As cheesy as this sounds, it actually motivates me at that point! It’s not some annoying alarm clock saying get up, but instead it’s a soft vibration that reminds me, “Kel! It’s time to move J”

Don’t forget the fashion sense too J. You can switch out your band colors to match your wardrobe! My next purchase is going to be the pink and black bands!

Gratification: Who doesn’t love positive feedback? And we all know that exercising and eating clean one day will not allow us to physically see the results. However, FitBit does! Through out the day, as you get closer to your goal, more dots light up on your bracelet screen. Once you reach your goal, your bracelet will vibrate letting you know that you’ve reached it! I remember one day during my first week of wearing it, I was stressed because I didn’t make it to the gym. However, working in DC provides a lot of walking. Knowing that I wouldn’t have time to get to the gym, I created a standing desk at work, with hopes of getting in more steps that day. Lone behold, by 6pm my wrist was vibrating! Despite not getting in a sweat session, I realized how little changes can make a big difference throughout a day, and over a long span of time (similar to fat loss, physique transformation, mindset shifts etc.)

Motivation: It is pretty amazing, the power of those little dots! Last week I was traveling from DC to Indianapolis. Lugging around two bags in the snowy weather is a workout on it’s own. To add in a little bit more of one, I refused to stand on the escalators. I didn’t care how heavy my bags were I wanted those dots to light up J! The dots get me excited to take the stairs, they are like bonus points right there! I don’t mind running errands at work, they equate with more steps, which means more dots!

Competition: FitBit allows you to have fun with tracking. You can link your FitBit profile to others for a friendly competition and some motivation. This is a great way to help friends and family members get active!

FitBit can also serve as a little competition with yourself.  Every week I open an email from FitBit congratulating or encouraging me on my performance. It also lets me know what my highest and lowest days are for the week. My eyes are always drawn to the low day, I usually try to figure out what happen and make up my mind to beat it.

If you haven’t already, take a look at www.fitbit.com , it will be one of the best devices you can have to help you reach your health and fitness goals. Find me on fitbit kmvfitness@gmail.com and we can workout together!

Until later, shoot me a tweet with your fitbit name www.twitter.com/kelleyvargo ,

Xo,

Kel

4 Must Know Tips to Get Your Six Pack

 I can honestly say (and maybe not the best training I have done) but I did not do any isolated ab work for my first few figure competitions and placed 1^st and 5^th (not too bad). The reality of it is your diet and weight training has a far greater impact on your washboard than any number of sit-ups, crunches, or hours on the “Ab blaster.”

 Let’s cut out the fluff and get to bottom of this…

1    Everyone has a six-pack. It;s true, you really do. If you were to strip away the layers of adipose tissue you would see a nice rectus abdominis (stomach muscle) that has that definition you hope to see in the mirror.

2 Sits ups will not get you a six-pack.Yes sit-ups will help strengthen your abdominus muscles (that is if you do them correctly – do not strain your neck!) but the reality is they aren’t doing anything to bring those muscles into visability. Think about it for a second. How many times have you seen the guy at the gym who has that tire around his waste doing sit ups everyday but nothing looks different? Sure hisstomach muscles might be in great shape endurance wise and utilize oxygen efficiently but do they look any different? Nope.  This is not to say you cannot do sit ups on your quest for your washboard, but it is saying if you only run and do sit-ups, you will not be washing your clothes anytime soon.

3 Abs are made in the kitchen. Okay, I know, I can be really cheesy but let’s face it, whoever coined this term was a genius in my eyes!  It’s true. Remember what we said about the tire?  In order to make this go away, we must alter our nutrition. Nutrition is about 80-90% of the task when it comes to optimizing our physique and performance. Start by replacing major starches such as bread, cereals, rice and pasta with vegetables, lean protein, and complex carbohydrates such as brown rice or quinoa.  To big of a jump? Cut out the soda, and stop drinking your calories!

4 A complete weight lifting routine will be  “bringin’ sexy “abs” back.” Yup, that’s it Justin Timberlake can help you get through a sweat sesh to get those abs. The reality of it is, you are training your core while you are training other body parts. This is especially when performing large movements such as squats, lunges, pull-ups, & push-ups. Of course like any fine-tuning you can do some isolation ab exercises to chisel them out a little bit, but the bulk of getting those ridges will be achieved through heavy total body lifting.

And there you have it, the quick and dirty on getting your six-pack to show. It’s not easy (let’s be serious if it was everyone would have one), but it’s not impossible! And next time you’re in the kitchen as yourself, will I be able to use my washboard if I eat this? J

Until next time, remember Abs are made in the kitchen and eat your lean protein!

Kel

Is Work Sabotaging Your Diet?

Let’s face it, we’re all busy and it can be difficult making the best decisions for our health, especially when it comes to nutrition! Couple this with a hectic day at the office and it doesn’t seem so unrealistic that the meal plan you started on Monday has been forgotten by Wednesday. 

When I am at work I get the sense that I am the “food police.”  I never comment on things but I do stick to my game plan and others pick up on it. In turn, when I am around, whether on purpose or not, my colleagues seem to keep that candy drawer closed. How can we make this easier for ourselves and others? Below I list out 4 simple tricks to prevent falling of the wagon week after week!

1.     Plan. First things first, if we don’t plan ahead for the week or even the day, we are setting ourselves up to take the easy road. What does this mean? If the boss says we’re ordering Pizza, you eat the pizza. Instead, on Sunday evening, take a few minutes to think about your week. Will you be eating breakfast at home or at the office? If so what will it be? A protein packed shake and a piece of fruit is a convenient option to have on the go. Next move to snacks, and lunch. Any lunch meetings or special events? Think ahead to those and figure out now what you will eat.  Will you bring a healthy salad? Or choose that meal as your weekly reward me? The clearer you are about planning your week, the more likely you will stick to your eating agenda.

2.     Prepare. Set aside time during the week to go to the grocery store! Not only will it be forgiving on your waistline but on your checking account too. Think about how many $10 salads you buy at Sweet Green or Whole Foods! Don’t get me wrong, I love these places, but it adds up! Whether its ten minutes the night before, an hour on Sunday, or the day of, build time into your day to  prepare your snacks and meals. If the food is in the refrigerator or on the counter you be more likely to eat it than if it isn’t there at all.

3.     Stock. Stock up your office! Pick up some nuts, apples, cans of tuna, your favorite protein bars, a can opener, and plastic ware. Keep a water bottle there as well. I know it may sound silly, but seriously having these things around will help when hunger strikes. It can also save you from rummaging through your coworkers candy drawer. That’s the worst: mid- afternoon hunger pangs and the next thing you know you’ve downed a bag of Reese’s.  Walk past the candy bowl. Better yet, create your own “candy bowl” and fill it with Larabars or fruit.

4.     Decide. Decide ahead of time that you are committed to your healthy lifestyle. Do not be easily influenced by coworkers to indulge. It is easy to say, “Well, it’s just today.” But trust me, those “just today’s” and up to weeks, months, and before you know it, you’ve become another statistic: as of 2010 69.2% of Americans 20 and older were overweight or obese!

The next time your colleagues ask you to lunch, what will you do? You’re gonna stick to you game plan J!  Let me know what tools help you succeed with nutrition at the work place!

Sources: Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.  20130. Obesity & Overweight. Retrieved on August 15, 2013 from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/overwt.htm.

5 Fast & Fit Breakfasts

Mornings can be a challenge! Whether its kids, work, class, catching the train or bus, things get hectic! But do not let the craziness of the morning be your excuse for not having a fit-minded breakfast.  Start off on the right (or wrong) food nutritionally can be the dealmaker (or breaker) for the day.

Below I list out 5 Fast and Fit Breakfast ideas. Notice how each one of them has a source of protein. Protein is key because it helps keep you satiated and also suppresses the release of Ghrelin, the hormone in our body that tells us we are hungry. Protein is also a key building block for muscle, skin, and bones. Also make a note how each breakfast has a source of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy and after a night of sleep, it is important to refuel of the day ahead.

1.     Protein Shake: A quick and simple way to get in the nutrients you need in the morning. What’s great about a protein shake is that it is convenient and portable. You can drink it in the car or at the office.  Not sure you will have time to blend up a concoction in the morning? Make this ahead the night before and leave in the freezer (just don’t forget to grab it in the morning). By the time you get to work and settle in, the drink will have begun to thaw allowing you to drink it. A sample recipe for one of my favorite breakfast morning shakes is: 1 scoop Official MetRx Vanilla Protein Powder, 6 oz Unsweetened Almond Milk, 2 Tablespoon PB2, and Ice!

PB2 Protein Shake with Coffee = Perfect Start! 

2.     Egg Whites with Toast: For convenience you can buy the liquid egg white cartons. Simply pour in a frying pan over the stove. And in less than five minutes you can have a protein packed breakfast. Not enough time there? No biggie, hard boil eggs on Sunday and peel them right away. Store the eggs in a Tupperware in your refrigerator. It’s a simple fix to having protein in the morning. I typically eat 4-5 egg whites. The yolks are fine but if you are watching your cholesterol or trying to shed some lbs. leave the yolks behind. Couple your egg whites with a piece or two of Trader Joe’s Sprouted Bread. I recommend this bread because it has (-) impact carbs, meaning you won’t get too high of a blood sugar spike and will be having plenty of fiber!

3.     Oatmeal with Protein Powder: It’s super convenient to keep both of these ingredients at your desk. Pick up some packets of plain oatmeal (the flavored kind tends to have a lot of sugar).  Literally you can make this meal at your desk.  Make the oatmeal as usual (with hot water or unsweetened almond milk) and add in a scoop of your favorite protein powder. You may need to add more liquid to your desired frequency. Other tip for making this breakfast is to keep a bowl and spoon in your work drawer.  As for storing the protein powered, the tubs can be cumbersome. I like to pour mine in a gallon sized zip-block bag and keep the scoop in there.

4.     Low-Fat Cottage Cheese with Berries: Another quick and easy suggestion. To make the morning prep work even quicker, wash your berries ahead of time. Scoop out a cup of cottage cheese and toss those berries on top. Need a to go? Zip block makes great circular containers to put your cottage cheese in. I bring my berries along separately in a bag while transporting. Another solution is to keep a container of cottage cheese and berries in the office refrigerator.

5.     Protein Wrap: Another travel friendly option! Pick up some low carb wraps at the grocery store, I recommend any wrap where the net impact carbs are low, hence lots of fiber. Ezekiel brand has a good wrap. Cook up some egg whites similar to that of an omelet. Once eggs are cooked slide those puppies onto your wrap. Throw in some spinach, tomato, low-fat cheese, and wrap away. You create the same dish on two slices of that Trader Joe’s Sprouted Rye Bread as well. Think you’re pressed for time in the morning? Make it the night before and keep it in the refrigerator. 

Love your body. Always.

How many times do you tell yourself, “I LOVE YOU?” Seriously, think about it.

We are all so critical of ourselves. And not to put anyone on blast, but one of my mentors and friends is constantly calling himself “sponge bob” and “bloatamus maximus.” I thought I was the only one who stared in the mirror and criticized myself for my imperfect thighs, missing definition on my stomach, or my bunion (thanks Grandma Vargo). Want to feel the depression even more, let’s pull out those competition photos where I weighed 114 lbs and had a 9 percent body fat, yeah that can get depressing. 

Why do we place emphasis on our exterior being? Seriously, what is it? We wouldn’t walk up to someone else and say, “ Um, yeah you’re having a fat day” or “God, you disgust me.” But yet, it’s absolutely normal and okay to speak like this to ourselves? For being rational beings, we can be so irrational.  Coupled with our irrational thinking is our emphasis on the negativity. I cannot tell you how many mornings I would beat myself up relentlessly if I was not at the gym by 7 am. It didn’t matter if I was up late writing a term paper, working on a presentation, or I don’t know being social on occasion. I wasn’t good enough and if I ever wanted to have the perfect body, well I better get my crap together.

Competing was great experience and super empowering. However, the downside of it was a mental disaster! If I thought I had self-esteem and body issues before, HELLO! And it’s not to say I won’t step on stage again, but I have learned through hours of self-talk (both positive and negative) as well as mentoring from some of the best in the industry that I cannot attach my self-worth to my physical appearance.

And let’s be honest, Facebook and Instagram aren’t exactly doing us favors. How many times do you check either one to see someone else lost 15 pounds and find yourself comparing? It’s an endless cycle; well, if you let it be. You can try diet after diet, counting your calories, getting surgery, buying a new wardrobe, changing your hair, but the fact is all of these are band-aids. You might feel good for an hour or a day, but you will return back to the person you were before that change, having a disdain for your body and more importantly yourself. 

It really boils down to  loving yourself, and loving your body, no matter if you are 105 lbs or 175 lbs. Yes we can all have fitness goals and aspirations to strive for, but the second you begin hating your body, you have sabotaged your journey and your true happiness.  For there is nothing more beautiful than a beautiful soul, and beginning with that, you can take your fitness (and life) goals anywhere.

And as Sex In the City Star Samantha once said (and Jill Coleman quoted to me during a heart to heart) “I'm gonna say the one thing you aren't supposed to say. I love you... but I love me more. I've been in a relationship with myself for 49 years and that's the one I need to work on.”  We all can channel a little Samantha in our lives!

Today, I challenge you to look in the mirror and say, “I love you!” and say it until you feel it! Love your body, love yourself!

Love you too ;),

Kel

My Interview with Dr. Jade Teta CoFounder of Metabolic Effect

This week we have been talking about choosing our mind-set and choosing our time! I have learned how to do this from one of the best health and fitness experts in the world, Dr. Jade Teta.  Jade is co-author of the book, The Metabolic Effect Diet, as well as the co founder of the international health and fitness company The Metabolic Effect (ME). When his is not reading up on the latest research, writing articles, developing results based fat-loss programs, working with patients in his clinic, you can find him hanging out with his wife, Jill Coleman, family and getting in his workouts.

Jade & I finishing up a Metabolic Effect training - drinking coffee of course!

Although I have been around ME since 2005, it is always good to have a reminder of it’s core principles and values. Not to mention, it’s about adopting a healthy lifestyle, not sticking to a meal plan.  Jade was kind enough to spend some time with me to highlight Metabolic Effect and how you can choose your mindset and how to use your time  both effectively and efficiently!

KV: Jade, can you give me your elevator speech on ME ( I really wish you could hear his voice, Jade’s energy is electrifying!)

JT: Metabolic Effect is a health, fitness and weight loss company created out of the need to provide individualized solutions to people’s health and fitness needs. Each person has a unique metabolic expression, psychology and personal preferences yet the health and weight loss industry continues to hand down one-size fits all advice that fails for the vast majority of people.  This is the reason I believe diets have a 95% failure rate and why 2/3 of dieters actually end up fatter as a result of the diet.  It is our belief that the only diet or exercise program that works is the one the person creates themselves.  It is not about following a diet; it is about building a lifestyle. Metabolic Effect takes this issue on by helping people understand 5 key aspects of individualized health and fitness.

KV: Can you tell me more about what the ME lifestyle means?

JT: It is all about ME, meaning you.  Each person needs to discover, practice and master the diet, exercise and lifestyles habits that are uniquely suited to their individual nature. This is absolutely critical and involves individuals giving up the dieting mentality and adapting the mindset of a detective instead.

KV: This week we have been talking mindset, what is the mind-set like of someone who follows the ME lifestyle?

JT: Fat loss foods. The diet industry wrongly teaches that if you lower calories you will lose weight and then have a balanced metabolism.  That is backwards. To lose weight and keep it off, you first need to have a balanced metabolism, which will naturally lead to less food intake and then result in weight loss.  Fat loss foods are foods that balance the metabolism and help control hunger, energy and cravings or HEC (WHATS HEC STAND FOR?). As we like to say here at Metabolic Effect, if your HEC is in check then you know that is a program that can last.  Foods that balance HEC are going to be somewhat different for everyone, but in general include foods that are rich in fiber, protein and water and less dense in sweet and starchy carbs and fat.

KV: What about workouts? What is an ME workout? How does it help someone physiologically?

JT: Efficient exercise. Most people believe more is better, but it is not.  Better is better.  Efficient exercise means doing the least amount of exercise possible to get the desired result.  Short intense exercise burns lots of calories in a minimum amount of time but also have a hormonal effect that increases fat burn long after the workout.  Long and dry relaxing exercise, like leisure walking works synergistically to aid recovery and help combat stress.

KV: In your experience as a physician and fitness expert, what would you say is the main reason people do not choose to put their health first?

JT: Lifestyle matters.  Sleep and stress don't have calories and you can't eat them but they dramatically impact what you crave to eat and how much you eat as well as if you are motivated to exercise or not.  Rest-based living is a concept that makes rest and recovery at the center of the lifestyle.

KV: If you were to give a person one piece of advice regarding their health, what would that be?

JT: Fat loss happens anywhere.  Let’s face it, high calories addictive foods are all over the place.  This makes it very difficult to rely on willpower. Instead it is more useful to help people make the best choice possible no matter where they are.

I would like to thank Jade for his time and energy! He has truly been an inspiration for me and has instilled the belief in me, that with the right mind-set, you can do just about anything. For more information on Jade and the Metabolic Effect, check out his website, better yet, pick up a copy of the book: The Metabolic Effect Diet :)! 

Have a great day and while you’re at it, try a Metabolic Effect workout!

See you tomorrow, 

Kelley